Avendar was the first MUD I ever played, on the recommendation of a
friend. I have been playing for slightly over a year, and the
experience has only improved with time.
The staff is composed of superb and diabolically creative writers.
The sheer amount of in-game lore and history to uncover is
mind-boggling.
The world and races are entirely original, each race with its own
strengths and weaknesses. Examples are natural flight for the stately
aelin and fire resistance for the reptillian srryn.
The classes are for the most part very well-balanced and varied, with
options ranging through most of the traditional classes (barbarian,
bard) through many more esoteric and original ones like alchemists and
void scholars.
The magic system works with an interesting mechanic allowing a
scholar to “major” and “minor” in two of the six magic elements for
great versatility or devote his study entirely to one element,
unlocking the powerful “greater” spells.
The PK system is a compromise between open and non-PK, with ranges
established permitting characters to kill each other as long as they
are within certain levels of each other. It is an integral part of the
experience of Avendar, with clashes sometimes involving groups of four
or more players on a side.
Avendar is not without its issues, however. The code is very
unstable, leading to frequent and aggravating crashes. Many of the
players have been active for most, or all, of the MUD's years online,
and there is much bad blood over OOC channels. This also leads to a
punishing learning curve, especially where PK is concerned.
Despite its flaws, Avendar is by far and away the best MUD I have
ever played. The world is enormous, with myriads of riddles to solve
and books to discover. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys
quality roleplaying.
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