Review Submitted By: Echtelion
Author Status: Player
Started on Final Realms: Started around 1996
Submission Date: Nov 20, 2010
TMC Listing: Final Realms
The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Echtelion]
and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff.
I've tried several MUDs over the years, but the one that really
stands out to me is Final Realms. In this review i will try to explain
why.
Final Realms is a large MUD with more than 20.000+ rooms. It has also
an extensive race selection with among others: Elves, humans, dwarves,
orcs, goblins, drow, duergar, gnome and halflings to mention a few.
Guilds that are available can be put in four different classes:
Mages: Several different schools are available with mages specialized
in warding, evocation, alteration and necromancy to mention a few.
Clerics: Several different clerics are available with different
spheres from where their power comes from among others combat,
summoning, healing, elemental, divination to mention a few.
Rogues: Thief, Bard and Wizard-Thief
Fighters: Fighters (with specialization Vanguard/Marshals and
Marauders), Elf warrior, Drow warrior, Dwarf battlerager, Duergar
battlerager, Ranger, Shapeshifter, Paladin, Antipaladin, Wizardwarrior
and Outcast.
The different classes all have unique commands or spells.
This enables the players to really select what type they wish to
play. Those can relate to Dungeons or Dragons (D'n'D) will easily
understand the different classes, though Final Realms is not D'n'D,
there are many similarities.
One of the great things about Final Realms is the detailed
environment, and worked through descriptions. Any player can be blown
away into this fantastic world by just involving themselves into this
fantastic detailed environment, and the solution to many quests also
often lies in paying attention to details that can be found in the
room descriptions.
I really have to mention the quest system in Final Realms. The game
has more than 300+ quests that all give rewards like experience
points, money, and varying on the quest magical items or spells. There
are quests designed for the single player, but also for parties where
several players have to work together to accomplish the mission. At
all major cities there are tale swappers that will inform you of what
quests and missions are available to you, and give you a few hints on
where to start out.
It is also allowed to create special interest groups, called SIGs
where players create their own place to stay, with buildings and rooms
that contain vaults for equipment, taverns, sparring areas, banks,
shops where they can sell their items to other players and much more.
Imagination is usually the limits.
For the high leveled players playerkilling is free, allowed and also
encouraged, while low level players and medium level players are
protected from other players attacking and/or damaging them.
Playerfighting is free, and usually are based on race. So fighting
among players usually happens between evil side consisting of drow,
duergar, goblin ,orcs and other evil races versus elves, dwarves,
gnomes and other goodly races.
There is also a good community for those with creative skills in
description and coding. If you are into this you can apply for
immortality, and become a part of the crew that runs the mud, and
creates new quests, areas, items for all to enjoy.
New players when they start need to select their name, sex and race.
They are then placed in a starting zone for their race, where they
have to level up, train their skills and reach level 5, before they
are transferred after doing a mission/quest to the Realms. There is
in game newbie help and also a newbie channel. To leave the newbie
area, you usually have to complete a mission or quest, which if you
are new to this can be hard depending on what race u pick. Asking help
from other players is a good advice if you are stuck. One of the first
things to do when you become a newbie, is to 'rearrange' your stats,
where you roll your stats. Try to get as high stats as you can, and
subtract and add from stats you need less to the stat you need more
according to what class/guild you wish to play. Newbie zones can be
pretty harsh, but there are quests in most newbie areas where you can
receive equipment which should make it fairly easy. Again, ask for
help if you need it. Try to sell items you get by killing things, and
buy better stuff at the shops.
For those new to the game a few commands may be of great help:
Directions - Use w to go west, n to go north, ne to go northeast.
Looking - 'look' will display room description. If you find
something in the description you wish to look closer upon you can use
look 'name of what you want to look closer at'.
Picking up stuff - To get things from corpses use: Get all from
corpses. Things lying on the ground can be picked up by get/take
'item.
Who - lists who is on the mud
Tell - Used to talk to other players (Ex. Tell Dumbli how are you?)
Sheet - Displays your character sheet
Ask - At a trainer this will display what skills are available. Use
train 'skillname' to train up a skill, you get 10 skillpoints each
level.
Advance - At boardroom this will advance your level if you have
enough experience points.
Sc - short for score will display your score with
hitpoints/guildspoints and experience points.
Eq - Equips yourself. You can also use wear/unwear 'item' to wear
or unwear, and wield/unwield 'weapon' to wield and unwield your
weapons.
Monitor on - will display your hps as they go down when you are hit
in combat
Verbose/Brief - This will display certain things that you are
watching brief or verbose. For example 'Brief walk' will only show
room name and exits, while 'verbose walk' will show roomname, exits
and full room description. F. example 'verbose melee' will show how
many hitpoints you do and take in damage, while 'brief melee' will
only show that you hit and get hit without the hitpoint damage. Type
brief or verbose for a list of what events that you have set. I
reccmend brief walk and verbose melee for a start, but check it out
and make it how you like it best.
Consent - There are certain events you can consent to or not. This
includes the ability for how easy it is for others to follow you, to
raise you from death and many other things. Type consent for a list of
what you consent to or not.
Help - Will list an extensive list of different things there are help
files on. Example is 'help newbie' to mention a few 'help guild'.
There are lot of informative help here.
Channels - There are race channels, guild channels and special
interest group channels. All newbies should write newbie on, to talk
on newbie channel use newbie 'message'.
For those that really enjoy text muds i recommend to try out this
mud. If you can manage to get through newbie zone, join a guild and
roam around in the big realms, where you can explore the dangerous
underdark, the many wonderful cities, hidden underground complexes,
islands and adventures just waiting for you, i promise you that you
will have the time of your life when it comes to mudding. Graphics can
never compare to peoples imagination.
