I could go on and on about how long I've played this game and my rp experience but I think it's suffice to say that I've had more than enough experience with Sindome to give it a fair review, and been an avid RP'er all of my life. There are certainly reasons I've spend a very long time playing the game, and also reasons why that has been very on and off. I'd like to list some below.

Pros: The game has a good bit of features, and though people don't always agree with the direction the changes take artistry related skills, and many others get considerable attention. There are also some that don't, which I will discuss below. Crafting drugs and explosives are at least somewhat well thought out as well.

RP. Simply stated, it is the watchword of the game. I can't emphasise that enough. Though it may come off as a knock it's not meant to be, if you want to be involved in a really cool cyberpunk chatroom then please play. Sometimes however it gets to a point that motives and reasoning are over analyzed in my opinion, and end up overshadowing overarching themes in the cyberpunk genre in favor of what is the way you are "supposed to play" the game.

I'm also aware that Sindome has many functions that support people with imparements, which is a huge plus if you use readers etc.

Cons Pay to pay. Though not manditory it never has good results.

OOC community. These are 2 quotes from previous reviews that I not only totally identify with, but I feel sum up my feelings about this well.

"Come in for the scenery, leave because you dislike toxic people."

"Sindome has some of the best cyberpunk RP and gameplay that I've ever seen in a MU*, but it's wrapped up in a toxic community and toxic staff. "

If you can somehow play the game without being involved in "the community" I can only guarntee it will make your experience expedotentially more enjoyable.

It has been the case for decades. from staff and their friends getting special privlidges, and their digressions covered up, to a multitude of clicky, and obviously mentally deficient people spewing things from hatespeach to career victimization. It always has been a huge issue for the game. There's almost certainly no way it will ever change seeing as how that's been the case since the game's inception. Don't take my word for it, multiple other reviews point out the same issues. While it is extreme I am actually aware of an instance where a player was sexually harassed by another, and once the staff found out the person was allowed to return at least once, but I believe multiple times and continued his harassment until he was finally banned forever. The reason, of course is because he was friends with a top staff member. This is only one example of the systemic problem.

When it comes to game features, while the features get considerable attention many things make little sense. Many games, including other cyberpunk ones have weapons and armor crafting and it is handled and works out very well. Decking, though people obviously want it, has been barely functional since the inception of the game. Thought it is often talked about, and other games have good functioning systems along the same lines, 20 years later it is still all but not a thing. Aeros have been buggy for 10 years. MAYBE if they spent less time on things like makeup and food the more themely stuff would get done, but I doubt it. Quite frankly Cybersphere has more coded features that are more themely and just plain better thought out, not to mention fully functional.

In summary, it's not a horrible game, but many of the participants drag the quality of it from pretty decent to trash quickly. This is inherent in the staff and therefore the playerbase and the game as a whole and will never stop.

Sindome is a really cool and fun game to play. It really captures that Dystopian feel, and really brings together the CP theme.

Some Pro's: Large playerbase - The playerbase is usually upwards of 60 at any given time. You will probably always have someone else to play with, which is a commodity in modern day mud gaming.

Easy interface - It is super easy to figure out the skills and stats system.

RP intensive - The game is heavily RP enforced!

Some con's: The OOC community. If you value your sanity or enjoy playing the game, do NOT connect to the games OOC channels. Talking to other players in an OOC is against the rules, so monitored OOC channels exist so players can casually chat about things. Huge mistake. There is a person who spends hours on there typing to themselves, some strange elitist clique that fancies themselves marginalized minorities that double as professional victims, and political activists that label anything they disagree with as Nazism, and some weird guy that follows them around agreeing with everything they say in hopes of hooking up with them (he has mentioned this multiple times). The forums are just as awful. Don't let this ruin the game for you though, just avoid these channels and you should be able to avoid the cancel culture running rampant in Sindome.

Cyberware: While there is an okay selection of cyberware, there could be tons more. The limited selection tends to leave cyber combo's as predictable and not very exciting.

Decking: Unless you are a veteran of this game, just don't even bother making a decker. You will see why.

Overall I give Sindome 7.5/10

It's not perfect, but what is?

As a long time player, I felt I should offer another perspective to the review posted recently.

While the game was called 'aged', it should be noted that where this stems from is the fact that the game has been around for quite a while. And, because of this, there is deeply rooted ideology, legends, lore, historical references and other factors that, in my opinion, make the game's realism seem even more relatable and effective.

The Pros listed below are true. But, there are several more pros to that. The game has a constantly evolving flow of 'power' and a very dystopian feel to it that starts straight out of immigration and continues through the life of your Character. The constant struggle to survive, thrive and climb the mountain to the top (and keep it) is an ever-changing, fluid experience.

I would disagree that there are 'hundreds of thousands' of bugs. There are bugs, as there are in any game, and with the new changes and systems being added to the game, that's to be expected. There is a phenomenal growth in such things as forensics to study the bodies of corpses, identification of corpses, drug withdrawals and addictions and other improvements which are being flushed out...quite frequently. And, there is a positive transparency offered by the GMs by posting all bug reports and fixes that can be seen on the forums.

ERP is allowed in the game, yes. But, it's not a driving factor for RP. And, as I said earlier, it -is- a dystopian society with joys (prostitutes), strippers and nefarious 'folk' that prey on the down trodden - in an IC approved manner. Sexual harassment and any ERP which is not mutually agreed on is not allowed - in any fashion. I have yet to see any OOC harassment myself but, I know that GMs have a zero-tolerance for such behavior and it is quickly handled if it's brought to their attention. Yes, there is a help file which is there to politely remind players that the game doesn't require that type of RP to propel a story. But not because it's a prevalent issue.

As for the coded support for archetypes, I would strongly disagree with this. There are some that are not as strong as others, but there is a healthy system in place for the majority of archetypes that are used. But, again, the archetypes are a model example used to help guide new players. Just as each person is individual, each Character is not going to be a carbon copy of the archetype. And, with creative RP and sometimes GM assistance, most anything can be accomplished in the game.

As for the memberships. This game is ran by volunteers who donate their time to help. The Senior GMs have set up a lot of features for the game that help keep it online and running smoothly, something I appreciate having played games in the past that lag, drop out or have other issues. Memberships help fund those programs. Every six months, Senior GMs hold town hall meetings for all players to attend where they offer further transparency on all funding and where it's been applied. As a player that enjoys the game and appreciates the efforts, I see nothing wrong with this trade off. Memberships are not expensive and offer the player free rent, yes. However, making chyen (SD's form of currency) in the game is difficult in reference to the theme (remember, dystopian) but it is easily accomplished to find housing based on your social/economic position. And, there is free housing given for all 'immigrants' (new players, newly created characters) for up to two weeks while they learn the game.

All in all, the game offers a rich environment to explore a post-apocalyptic world where the societal and social lines are drawn and the haves and have-nots struggle to find their way. It's a game that will draw you in from the first time you play and keep you on your toes. It's not for the feint of heart as there is a theme of struggle, loss and harshness. But, don't confuse that with the OOC community as a whole. GMs are super helpful and most players are the same. I would try the game and formulate your own opinion!

An aged tabletop-inspired roleplaying game with great promise kept alive by its players and superb volunteer GM team, but let down by negligent development staff, questionable design choices, a litany of massive, game-breaking bugs and wildly inconsistent moderation.

Pros:

* Interesting Blade Runner-esque cyberpunk world in a unique near-apoc setting

* Established community with a few excellent roleplayers

* Engaged GM team

* A deep repository of 'hidden' lore that requires palpable OOC effort to even hear of

* Immersive first-person perspective 'posing' system

Cons:

* Riddled with countless (hundreds to THOUSANDS) of crippling bugs that may get your character killed or make your experience unpleasant, guaranteed. Many go unfixed for months - major ingame 'forum' on the "Grid" has been broken for 6 irl months as of time of writing and has yet to be acknowledged or fixed.

* Missing major, essential archetype features for several IRL years (decking archetype is completely neglected and requires direct intervention OOCly with the GM team to perform nearly any of its expected functions).

* Many game systems will break and be left that way for months due to little/no developer oversight.

* Big issues with theme enforcement, many long-term 'nuisance' players who roll barely-altered versions of their previously dead characters or bring bleed directly into the game, goes unpunished for years and years

* Many players choose to treat the setting as a glorified cyberpunk-themed chatroom/baby mother drama simulator, resulting in highly stagnant gameplay for months without GM intervention

* Prevalent undertones of expected ERP in the community due to setting. Female characters will be propositioned and often harassed for declining, even if for OOC reasons. So prevalent that a help file titled 'help chastity' exists and is regularly cited by the GMs in order to encourage much of the community to do something other than fuck each other in their apartments.

* Unacceptably poor coded support for most archetypes outside of tailors and combat-based characters

* Pay-for-advantage membership that pays your in-game rent on a pad, meaning people who pay have anywhere from 1.5k-12k more than someone else does each and every week from not having to pay rent. If you cannot afford membership, you are significantly behind the curve before you've even started the game.

* "Permapads" granted to older members who paid several hundred USD have incredible in-game advantages that they can never lose, including secure facilities, hundreds of thousands of chyen's worth of in-game tech and security equipment, all of which is ported across characters and can never be permanently stolen unlike nearly everything else in the game. Some even have live-in vehicles, which cost MILLIONS of chyen in some cases (most people will never see this much ever) and are very low-risk and cannot be permanently stolen.

Update to earlier review - The players in this community should be policed a bit more on their level of toxicity. Staff does a good job and there are still players who don't dogpile and attack people blindly when they don't understand a situation, but the players who do partake in this are the loudest and get their behavior from former examples of equally toxic people.

As an example, I recently declined to tell the community part of the reason I left not long ago, only relaying how my grief was triggered over someone departing suddenly (which can put you through the motions of when you lose someone irl). When I decided to disclose the other part of the story, which was more personal and embarrassing, some players immediately accused me of using a dead person's memory to garner sympathy.

Let's just unpack that for a second. I know some people see that sort of accusation on soap operas, but just.. think about that. You mean to tell me that somebody you talked to and roleplayed with is also someone you immediately will accuse of manipulating their dead *friend* like that? Really? This is the logic you're rolling with?

This didn't stop until that particular thread on SD's forum was deleted. But by then, the people who said this to me hadn't even bothered to apologize, they just kept piling on and attacking until there was no longer a thread for them to post in.

You know who the last person like that was? A person who used to yell at newbies to "FOIC" until others parroted her, someone who bullied people in the ooc channel, and now the spirit of this mean sort of behavior is continuing on. Mean-spirited memes that are meta posted in threads, that admins have to intercede more frequently to put the kibosh on. The meme thread didn't used to be like that. It was about just laughing at general, non-specific things. Now folks are trying to turn it into a circlejerk. That's not what Sindome is supposed to be about.

This isn't going to stop until the community is in real trouble again. Recently it was getting better, everyone pulling their weight to make it so. Please do not undo what has been done. I can't possibly return because it's hard to forgive what was said right now, but in the least I can warn about that.

The question is, do the loudest and worst people in the room want to stop themselves before it's too late?

As a newbie to Sindome I can say that the players I've seen since creation have been super friendly and helpful. I'm looking forward to learning more and updating my review as I progress further along.

Been playing SD on and off since 2003, most recently started playing heavily again in late 2017 and haven't stopped since. Wasn't around for when most people were saying Cerberus was pissing people off, but I can say for sure that since I started playing again, I haven't noticed anything untoward at all. I usually keep away from the reddit stuff and reviews, but I feel like I have to respond to the comment below.

To clarify, my character isn't part of any imagined OOC cliques in the game, nor are they a GM/Cerberus favorite. I play everyday for hours on end and barely have any interactions with Cerberus, with his PC or otherwise. OOCly, I gather that if you're not breaking any rules or doing anything dumb, he's not gonna have any reason to interact with you at all unless you approach him about something first.

If he was bad in the past, I can't speak on that. If he's bad now, I haven't noticed it. His previous WJF character is now an NPC and from my perception, is used to bring flavor to the game and spice up the theme, but sparingly. His current mixer character is very strong, and they've got a rep as someone that is not to be fucked with. Whether you agree that GM's should have PC's or not is beside the point - in SD, it's allowed, and it's not against the rules for Cerberus to control a very strong PC. But again, from my perception, this mixer PC is played pretty sparingly and doesn't just walk around murking everything that stands on two legs, from what I've been able to gather ICly, anyway.

As to the accusations of him being a pedophile because his PC is a 16 year old girl - please give your head a shake and stop being a weirdo. Stuff like this is a very serious issue IRL and online, and using it to sling mud on him because you have a grudge with him over an online game is not cool at all. I wouldn't disagree that there are issues with the game and that GM's are fallible, they're human after all, but let's try to keep it civil.

If you want a quality CP experience, try SD. If you want to inhabit a harsh, unforgiving world, with GM's who enforce this theme as best as they can, try SD. Player base is sometimes (frequently) annoying with the 'Find out IC' talk when someone new asks basic game command questions, this is very true. But the amount of tutorials in-game and on youtube, the presence of help files, and an increasingly helpful player base on game-help are all useful tools for a new player to learn the game.

The learning curve is harsh, I also agree, and it's definitely not for everyone, but the rewards once you start developing your game knowledge and figuring out how to RP in this world, are amazing. I started playing this game when I was thirteen years old, and by any measure, I was a horrible, horrible player. Hacking and slashing, killing sleeping characters, barely bothering to RP with other characters, the list goes on. The GM's then had every right to kick me off the game for being so shitty, but I was allowed to stay, and over a decade later, I still love this place. I'd urge anyone to just give it a shot, and if it's not for you, it's not for you, but at least try it out.

Sindome is not the game it used to be. Staff in the upper echelons are corrupt. As long as Slither/Fengshui and Cerberus can get along or pretend to get along Johnny is happy. They actually had a dinner on the games expense some months back to help them get along better, approved by Johnny.

Which brings me to my second point. The staff have shifted their policy/view on things since 6 years ago -- when I first started out. It's not beyond them to get rid of the ones that don't see eye to eye with them but abide the rules, to mantain their status quo and retain numbers. All they care about is money. Apartments are extremely expensive, so you're forced to donate real money to even have a chance of stashing chyen (in game money) for a clone (a second chance at life). As a new player/character you have to play it extremely safe just to save up. You will get 2 weeks protection exempting you from being attacked as long as you don't attack anyone, which is useless and severely undocumented. Staff will tell you to take risks and be CP then chastise you when you fail and hold it over your head, going back on their word. They will tell you to play it safe and be thoughtful about the risks you take the next day. This game is run for their amusement and unless you're an admin pet, your roleplay, the way the world responds to you, won't make much sense. You will eventually see the favoritism, see SD for what it is. My advice is to stay away from this game. Cerberus has in the past, told me to not focus on the favoritism going on OOC'ly for the best IC experience possible. A response to my offhanded remark aimed at no one in particular, over the community's OOC channel.

The entire staff is picked out by Cerberus and it shows. As the head GM, he carefully picks prospects who have applied with traits similar in line with his, to keep him in power, and to keep his OOC favoritism going. So long as you are like Cerb and puppet NPC's for his pets as he would when he's not available, you're good for staff. It's the entire reason their application form for Staff has a in-depth personality test. If you're not a pet, again, be prepared for a hard life.

It's not beyond Cerberus to kill characters who roleplayed, and put in the effort for their in game items and chyen, to roll out the ubermax UE NPC's to stomp characters any time they set foot outside their apartment. Costing them millions in loses (Yes millions) of their hard earned, rightfully deserving payoffs to keep his two characters enemies in check, and also stunt RP and the ability of these victims to do anything meaningful. The game is, as I hinted at, micromanaged. Staff will bait you constantly, to see you fail, and if you learn to pick out what bait is and never act on it they will get annoyed and frustrated and it will show. You do not have the ability to create your own story, that is just an illusion. The day you're able to write your own story is the day staff stop meddling in IC affairs through NPC's and leave their favoritism at the door.

Cerb has also created plots to benefit one of his characters at the early stages of development. His same character runs the entire city's law enforcement and upper levels of the city and his second underaged character, a 14/yo, runs the Mix, the lower levels of the city. It's not unlike him to use his loli character to murder Judges in plain daylight on the upper levels of the city right outside the headquarters and then get away with it by conveniently not pursuing it/burying it as his character who runs said law enforcement.

I'm not even sure why Cerb still staffs or returned as he has influenced Slither heavily, for the bad, which lead to Slither framing me and banning me on made up cases and reasonings since they couldn't get it done honestly, as I was a honest player who followed rules. Cerb is only a builder and GM. That is all, yet holds the most senior rank possible. His presence to the game is toxic and destructive. If you cheat as a Judge (the most trusted staff position IC'ly attainable) by using off game communications to affect IC roleplay, Cerb will keep you on if you are a pet. This is the most sacred rule. It is seen right after logging in and carries a one year ban, yet he never banned anyone and attempted to bury it, however the staff team obviously has one or two discontened people, due to the way he runs things, and he was caught out.

All in all. Stay away. Your time will be wasted if you don't become a pet. The staff play favorites and the game is already harsh without staff taking sides. Play for six months to see what I'm talking about.

I've started playing Sindome the 29th November and I haven't stopped playing ever since. Every single day I've played this game, be it with my current character or my previous one. Sindome is an extremely competitive game and it's amazing. This was my first MUD and RP game in general and I half regret it, half love that it was. Regret, because I was so abysmal at RP that I might've ruined the experiences of other players. Love, because this game hooked me like very few games ever did.

I hear a lot about staff problems in this game. In my experience, I simply don't get it. GM's have been fucking amazing with me, extremely helpful and helping me see the mistakes I made to become a better player. I don't see a GM interaction like a chore or them hitting me in the head with a stick, but I see it as an opportunity to become an even better player and get better at SD in general. I hear a lot of shit with Cerb, which I don't know because my singular interaction with him was one of the funniest things any GM ever said to me that made me spit my booze all over my screen. THANKS CERB! But seriously, people start talking to GM's and think they're there to beat them, instead of talking to them with the opportunity of growth.

Game in itself is a extremely rough. Be prepared to die, be betrayed, lose your friends, your shit, your money and be beaten down into the gutter. Every player goes through, doesn't matter whether they're a corporate citizen or a Mixer. (MIX LYFE) I also believe that rough treatment of new players will instantly tell them how life is going to be in this game. If people can't handle this emotional bleed IC and OOC, then this isn't the game for them. Which is fine! Really! I personally like a Dota named Smite, you guys can play it and find it shit, which is fine because games aren't meant to be for everyone.

This 'Clique' stuff does exist. But it's separating from veterans that are max 'level' and new players that aren't. New players will have their own RP with their own stuff, and veterans will have their own thing. It's how it works. You wouldn't fight a level 100 boss with a level 1 character. Just doesn't work that way. But, cliques are inclusive and players are extremely open to noobies. At the same time, it depends on what noobies do and how their characters interact with them. If ever 10 new players come and start annoying the shit out of someone IC, then their character will hate new players IC but not OOC. Hope this make sense.

SD has undergone amazing changes in the past month or so, the staff does listen to constructive criticism and does try to help as much as they can, change as much as they can in a positive way. Of course, staff is limited, they can't fix all their problems in a night but they sure as hell are trying to. Their effort and dedication is seen if you simply look at the game.

I'll stop working the shaft of SD and now pinpoint a couple of issues I have with the game. Admin favoritism: Does it exist? Answer: I don't know but there are some instances where it does look like it. People get given free stuff from GM's but at the same time, I don't know the RP that goes behind it. So I can't really judge. Noobie friendly: Is it yow? Answer: No. It is -not- noobie friendly. Especially if this is your first ever RP experience. But that's the theme of the game. When I mean not noobie friendly I don't mean you'll die for no reason, I just mean that you won't get a different treatment. This isn't a My Little Pony adventure, we're talking about a city of murderous psychopaths that want to be rich and snort drugs out of hooker's asses, then kill the hooker because they're ODing, if you expect to be treated like a special rose when you start the game, you'll have a bad time. That doesn't mean you'll have a bad time as a noobie, just means you have to expect something different!

Overall, a game that's not for the light hearted and I highly reccommend people to take their time with. Don't rush, or else you'll not experience this game fully.

No 'xdab' so I'm gonna have to give it a 9/10.

I came to Sindome primarily as a MUSH player about a year ago in January of 2017. It was the first system-heavy player-kill-enabled game I had ever tried, with what seemed like rather strict rules to boot, so I was pretty wary.

As a matter of fact, I was expecting to play for about two weeks, get frustrated, then leave. That never happened. What I got instead was probably my most immersive text roleplay experience to date, with a world that actually feels alive thanks to a crew of well-written player characters and a team of dedicated GMs behind the scenes.

The system, as I alluded to earlier, is very robust and a bit confusing at first glance. It more or less dicates everything about your character and shapes how you RP and what you are good at. But there are lots of resources, both IC and OOC, cleverly woven into the game to help you land on your feet and persue your goals.

Since Sindome is based in the dystopian future, the world is not a safe or happy place. You will be challenged and probably fail a lot, but don't lose hope. There are always new RP hooks to follow that often take your character in directions you never thought possible, and it often leads to gratifying outcomes down the road.

There are apparently some rumors that the staff of the game are unwelcoming, but I've never experienced anything beyond the realm of 'stern but fair'. The staff are volunteers who are constantly working to create new plots and program new features, so politeness and common courtesy goes a long way when talking with them.

In summary: if you enjoy media such as Blade Runner, Neuromancer, and Deus Ex and want to feel the rush of forming alliances and wasting your enemies in such a dystopian world with deep RPG-style mechanics, I urge you to try Sindome.

I know I am glad I did! c:

I found this MOO a couple of months ago and while typically a MMO player, I decided to try a MOO to see if I could find greener RP pastures than what exist in the typical MMO. Since then, I have been delightedly hooked. I never seem to have an issue finding RP and while some of it boils down to tavern/social RP, enough of it is masked with the underlying current that everyone is out to get you. If you read nothing else, then I would recommend this game highly as something where you can spend time growing your character and learning about the world around you.

Pros: * Deep and varied systems - there is always something to do to progress yourself * XP and income are not really a grind system, leaving you free to RP more * Setting is wonderful with a lot of reference material and tips to point you in the right direction * RP is enforced. You don't feel like you're listening to a meme channel or hearing discussions about the game last night * Staff is helpful and willing to work with you, they seem really engaged * Frequent content/systems fixes and updates * Player run economy * While it's hard for a new player, there are TONS of people trying to help them as well

Cons: * Sometimes the FOIC (find out in character) nature of the game seems overly enforced and knowing a little more about the world would be nice * Some professions have a power gap where you are stymied for a good long time until you can skill up * Getting established can take a while

I want to also comment on my experience which I realize is only my own. I have had zero issues with staff or players and wouldn't have sunk the time I have here if I had. I play games to have fun and I can say that I have not had as much fun in any other game as I have here. While I have wished some systems/rules worked differently, I also feel like I have always been treated fairly and had people explain the things they could to me. The RP has been great and the cast of characters that roam around the world is varied and interesting. I know that there has been concern over staff/player interactions and I have yet to see any of them. I think at this point I have had interactions with all of them and while they all have different tones and approaches, I had zero complaints about any of my interactions. In fact I would say it was the opposite.

As for cliques? I don't know, I haven't had issues interacting with anyone in game so far. Some people have liked my character and others not, as it should be. I've not felt excluded from anything arbitrarily and never have issues finding people to RP with.

Two months in, I'm not a mover and shaker, but I have some influence and have been involved in some of the goings on in the world. I get to watch my character grow, skill wise and socially. So if you've read this far, give it a try. It's a great game and a lot of fun.

I played Sindome the first time in the summer of 2016 not really expecting anything and was promptly blown away in the short span of time I did play it. I could tell it was very complex and I couldn't quite make heads or tails of anything I was doing. I eventually got a job, met someone close - never had too many friends with that character before I promptly died twice to the same NPC and perm'd myself. The second time was admittedly my own fault because I ignored the theme of clone death, your clone forgetting the experiences between them being spawned and your last clone update. Regardless, that time I had on that character served as a teaser that lingered on the back of my mind for at least half-a-year to a whole year.

I picked up Sindome again sometime in late 2017, this time made a more solid character, made a lot more friends. I was having a great time actually, I got in league with a group of players who benevolently lent me their home to use between socializing with them and getting into hijinks. Once again my character got a job and this time correctly used it as a backdrop for other, more lucrative practices. Like some reviewers have mentioned, frankly the most fun you will have with this game is purely just from interacting with other player-characters.

Over time the group of friends my character had shrunk, prospective enemies had grown - which would be a nice challenge if the player progression in this game wasn't such an utter curbstomp battle that no-matter-what favors the senior challenger. The only people that could possibly offer me support were becoming intermittent in their appearances while I was left with being a nice fluffy target (keep in mind it's been revealed that it takes about 2.5 years real time to max out all your experience, good luck putting up a fight), and I don't really find my character getting broken down and destroyed a fun thing, even if it is part of the 'theme' which is always brought up as the defense for the unfair mechanics. Yes, I get it, it's cyberpunk, it's unfair - sure, whatever, but I'm playing a game and I'm the player, not your play-thing.

Ultimately I quit when one of the NPCs, which as another reviewer has mentioned are just enforcers of the games status-quo, nigh-invincible -- robbed my apartment of everything that I had collected since my first month in the game. Keep in mind actually robbing another player's apartment isn't a mechanic that's fully supported to be done by any player character, the best you can do is hope that they misplace the code to their door or perhaps you can get it from someone who knows it and isn't happy with the owner. This just felt like such a *spit* in my face that I realized I had more interesting games to spend my time with.

Someone mentioned this game isn't a power-fantasy -- well, it is. Just not for the player.

The game looks great on the surface. They have this excellent way of drawing you in and making the world seem exciting on the surface. It's only after a little while that you realize the way things really work. First off, Cerb is a huge problem. He's an admin with a loli fetish that he brings into the game under both his characters and consistently makes the world not make any sense. The police force, for example, is not above dropping orbital strikes on people from space to off them or flying an AV down to waste someone. That is, unless it's against his character who is a fourteen year old girl armed with a katana. The entire police force wont touch her in any meaningful way. She basically does whatever she wants in the Mix (the PvP heavy ghetto area of the game) and he has a second character who runs the entire police force. Despite this, they will insist that there is no favoritism and any player with proper planning and skill could challenge either of his characters. His idea of giving people an out to do this is dragging all of his over exp obtainable bodyguards around with his character and calling people pussies for not attacking him over the IG chat. The game is a joke and it starts with Cerb and ends with people who buy into this world full of logical inconsistencies and downright favoritism of certain players and admin pets. If you're looking for an immersive RP experience, you'd get more satisfaction hanging around the NeoPets forums.

It's a good game to play if you can avoid ever dealing with a staff member. The staff do not seem to appreciate the fact that there wouldn't be a game to play without the players, whom put in just as much if not more in some cases where as the players do seem to appreciate the fact that there wouldn't be a game to play without the staff.

(Brief background on myself. I've been playing RPGs since the late-1980s starting with 2nd edition AD&D. I played PNP Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun both as a player and a GM. The first M* game I played was Battletech 3055 MUSE around 1991-92ish. I have staffed a few places as a GM. I have done some minor coding / building. Sindome was the first and only MOO I have played on.)

(A lot of this review is going to read like a meta-critique of the player base, more so than a black and white break down of the game system.)

Sindome is the kind of place that I need closure with, and having said that I hope it offers some glimpses into what other players might be getting into. I spent a month playing there and the overall feeling that I was left with is one of frustration. I wish that I could break this down into black and white Pros and Cons, but the two are so intertwined that the best I'm going to be able to manage is a stream of conscious recap.

The overall gist of my experience playing there as a newbie was, "You're going to learn through trial and error, and you're going to get the crap kicked out of you (both ICly and OOCly) in the process."

First of all, Sindome comes across as a brutal PVP simulator. That aspect seems to drive everything else. All of the code is tightly focused around conflict and PVP. The mechanics behind the code are kept intentionally obscured. While there might be mentions of 'great roleplaying' on the website and what not, that comes with enough caveats that I'd take it with a grain of salt. Short poses and coded emotes are par for the course. There might be some good writers playing here, but if there are, they are likely doing their roleplay in non-public places where they can actually relax long enough to craft well written poses. That being said, the 'pose' code is pretty cool, if a bit non-intuitive and rough around the edges. The way that it sorts out pronouns and adjectives so that they are displayed in the right tense to other players is pretty awesome.

The obfuscation of the game mechanics is combined with a draconian approach to IC / OOC crossover and meta-gaming. Like most things in life, this is good and bad. The game has been around for so long, that the sense I was left with is that some of (the majority of?) long term players project that sense of geek hubris that comes from A. 'knowing' how things work and B. the ego affirmation of using that knowledge to be 'better' than others. The knowledge of the system that the long term players have accumulated was done through brutal, and often traumatic trial and error. That seems to have created an environment where the general attitude is, "Being new here sucked for me, so I'm going to make sure it sucks for you too." As a new player, you need to go into this game aware of that. Do you want to go through re-living the collective trauma in what I can only equate to a hazing ritual?

As another reviewer wrote recently, Sindome has the best and the worst of the internet in it. If you have been role playing online long enough, you are familiar with players who live a better life through their online personas, than they do out in the real world. I say this as someone with those tendencies myself. Sindome takes that to another level, and then another one. There was a conversation on the OOC channel about how the strict rules against any sort of OOC contact with other players (eg you can't exchange Skype info, Facebook profiles, Discord names, etc, etc) is mostly there to protect players from other players. There are apparently players who take the game so seriously, that they will cross boundaries. Even though I only played there for a month, I completely understand how those attitudes come about. The effort required to progress is significant, and the cost of failure is so high, that players will do whatever it takes to preserve what they have sunk their blood, sweat and tears into.

As a new character, you are going to start at the bottom and have zero ability to affect the world around you. You are going to be pawn for other players. You will not get much support from the staff. Due to the intense obfuscation of the mechanics, basic questions about commands will likely be met with decidedly less than helpful responses (at best) and outright demeaning or hostile replies (at worst). The game is not about you. There are other players there who have plenty of things going on with themselves and their social circles. You are a brand new character without any useful skills. Few will be all that helpful about helping you figure out how your skills work. The 'only' way to figure out how your skills work is through conflict, and the conflict comes at a super high price. Either conflict with other characters, or conflict with coded systems owned by other characters. And all of that comes down to the perpetual conflict, the paranoia, the constant warfare.

In my experience, it seems like the best parts of the game come from the worst parts of the game. "Everyone" is there to screw you over. While that is completely thematic in alignment with the dystopian and cyberpunk environment, it doesn't make for a fun place (for me) to play. Not only are people there to screw you over, they are screwing each other over. So there is the sense of paranoia that just does not go away. Again, that is thematic, but not so fun to play. There are multiple mentions made about "Your friends are going to be the ones who really screw you over in the end." Again, thematic. But as a prospective player, ask yourself if you want to spend time your time building relationships with people who you never really trust.

I think that Sindome is the kind of place that anyone who enjoys playing text based games should try once. It is like playing a computer based RPG on hard mode with no saves and perma-death for your character. The new player experience and figuring out the systems is rewarding, but you'll only get it once. Once you figure out how things work, you'll never really be "new" again. The basic human inclination to use that knowledge to your own advantage going forward is impossible to avoid. For example, I had a good time meeting other characters and figuring out how to make money. It was fun because I was new and I truly had zero idea about how to do that. I had genuine interactions with other characters around that, and I think that some of them really did find enjoyment in having a new face around, and being able to help out a little bit. But I will never have that experience again. No matter how good a roleplayer a person might be, there is a huge difference between being new, and acting new. While every character who comes into the game is brand new, the reality is that the players are not.

From a pure code perspective, the game is amazing. I saw so much code there that made me nostalgic for other places that I have played in the past. It feels like they ported huge amounts of the old Shadowrun Seattle (circa ~1997) code base over, and then cleaned it up. It is great to see Johnny and Slither and other staffers actively coding. So many places that I have played are stagnant from a code perspective. They have a stable code base and aren't messing with it. The only "newness" in those places are buildings. That's not the case on Sindome. It is in active development, and it is stable (mostly). I do IT for a living, so I definitely appreciate the challenges inherent in actively developing in production. There is one specific bit of code that I want to rave about, but I won't because it was such an edge case, that I don't want to spoil it for anyone else who might, maybe, experience it. But it's one of those moments where I literally sat there for a minute and thought, "There's no way that somebod(ies) considered the interdependence between the game systems at that level of abstraction. But they DID. And the proof is right there as a coded object, in my character's hands."

I am glad that in the end, I played there for a month. I am glad that I made my major mistake before sinking too much time into it... sort of a wake up call to cut my losses and quit while I'm ahead, so to speak. It feels like the online gaming experience of a bad fling. My mind knows that I'm better off for moving on, but there's that small part that is always going to wonder what it would have been like if I stuck it out. It's kind of cool knowing that places like Sindome still exist on the internet, even if they aren't for me.

I don't know where else to fit this tidbit in, so I will leave it here at the end. The push to figure everything out ICly (FIOC), combined with the at times confusing code, combined with the high price of failure, creates an extremely uncomfortable disconnect. It's the kind of disconnect that could be significantly mitigated by helpful staff and players, but isn't. I the player, ended up screwing my character over, due to a lack of understanding about some code mechanics. It's the kind of situation where a thirty second face to face conversation, or a five minute text conversation with someone patient, could have avoided it. But that kind of conversation can't take place, due to the IC / OOC crossover prohibitions. As a player, you can't ask other players, "Hey, I'm here at X trying to do Y." because the fact that your character is at X and doing Y is IC information being communicated OOCly. And while you might be able to attempt to ask staff, odds are the help request is going to go into a backlogged queue where the odds are the response is going to be "Try it out and see what happens."

Sindome was an amazing game in several aspects, and one of the worst games on the internet in other aspects. Johnny, bless his heart, was an amazing fellow that actually seemed to take pride and care in his players. He did a few little coding tweaks specifically for my character to add some coded flavour to them. Nothing mechanically just a couple custom emotes that I could prompt with an alias that was built into my character rather than my client. I see in some of these reviews Cerberus is still around. Screw that guy, screw him with a ten foot pole, I don't know why Johnny keeps him around, he chased off half the players I played with with his metagaming characters. He's fine with NPCs though, strangely enough, but if he has his own player character he's a jerk.

Otherwise, this game was great, a good solid friendly (despite the cries of toxicity, the player base from an OOC point of view is primarily positive, I've often had a player use the OOC comm to be like "Sorry bro, but thems the biz") group at the time I played several years ago. Staff were often doing little things to encourage sudden roleplay, though the limited amount of staff to the 50-60 players (before Cerberus chased most of them off for awhile) did mean sometimes you could be waiting a few days if you were trying to get Staff to puppet an NPC for a player arc.

This game is hard as hell.

It's not that the mechanics are particularly difficult - it's basic MOO stuff. Anyone familiar with other MOOs (Wayfar 1444, HellMOO, Cybersphere) will feel at home immediately, and it's not so different from a MUD that learning the parser feels like a chore. The big hurdles for this game are twofold.

1) Sindome is not a power fantasy.

Your character rolls into the city with frankly pathetic stats and skills, zero connections, no knowledge, no money, no inherent worth or value, and the game world treats you as such. Everyone above you (which is to say, every other PC and NPC) has achieved what they have by fighting tooth and nail for it, and they're not about to break you off a piece without a fight. You will be abused, robbed, cheated, lied to, stomped into the dirt, and pushed around. The friendships you make are tenuous: PCs you know and love will get dragged into factions that require them to cut ties with you. They will find themselves in bad situations where they have to steal from you to get by. They will sell you out to get ahead. And all of this creates the drama and conflict that you can strive to overcome time and again.

Even the strongest most well-connected characters are constantly going through cycles of horrible defeat, clawing their way back to the top, and exacting revenge. Nobody gets to skate by without any trouble, and no one gets off easy. This is not a power fantasy, it's a game about gambling, losing it all, and finding the determination to come back to try again.

2) The mechanics are kept IC

There's no wiki listing what stats go to what skills. The help files are sometimes spare. You will be at a loss as to how to build your character, and if you agonize over that sort of thing you are going to get frustrated when you ask questions OOC and get told to find out IC. Some people act like this is arbitrary (you don't have to look far to find a review complaining about how no one would tell someone what stats he needed to be a sniper or whatever), but it's meant to reinforce the first point: You are not a badass and you're not allowed to become a badass by reading a wiki. You have to engage with the game, experiment, talk to people, and lose until you find out how to win. A significant percentage of your RP will come out of learning how to do things in-character rather than looking them up OOC. This holds true for deckers, street sams, medics, or any other archetype. The end result is that the player characters who are the best in their field got there because they worked for it in-character.

Once you've got your head around those two ideas, there's a lot to dig into. The game has a robust playerbase and there are any number of directions to take a new character. The combat and travel mechanics (especially flight) are very well done and cybernetics and gadgets are a lot of fun to play with, though I will say that outside of these areas there's still work that could be done. The game lacks cyberpunk's usual cyberspace elements, instead using an in-world intranet that you can access via your browser for IC emails and forums. Many corporate jobs currently lack a lot of tangible job-related activity for players to dig into, which means that players in these roles get a significant amount of money dumped in their laps and are expected to make their own fun (read: crime) with it. Unless your archetype is combat-related, consider not leaning -too- hard into it and go in with the understanding that you'll want to do activities that go beyond the basic stated function of your job or role.

Crime is the focus here. Sindome's roots are clearly in works like Neuromancer and Johnny Mnemonic, but playing the game often feels more like living in the world of Grand Theft Auto. Even characters who attempt to keep on the straight and narrow are going to find themselves surrounded by baldly amoral jackasses, casual ultraviolence, and dark humor. It's an immersive RP world where the bad guys always win until the worse guys show up. If you can roll with the punches and want Vampire: The Masquerade level scheming with heart-pounding PVP, Sindome might be the game for you.

Ever since I began to play Sindome I became captivated by the sheer attention to detail that is invested in every minuscule part of the game. From the game world, the characters, the stories told and to be told, the ample diversity in roleplay opportunities, the welcoming community, the game has nothing to envy to other M** games in the Internet.

The most common pitfall perceived by the public is the alleged toxicity of the Sindome community. This is by far the most common complaint. However, in my three years of experience as a player (I am not a staff of Sindome, never been, so this is as unbiased as it gets) I haven't had any negative experiences. The truth is that the world is harsh and unforgiving because of the Cyberpunk theme the game has to offer. Life in the streets is gritty. Sometimes things don't go our way. Death and loss are impending risks looming over your characters all the time... and sometimes it's normal to let that loss bleed to you (the player). But if you look at things from an objective point of view, Sindome is fair, balanced, and most importantly: themely. The theme is never broken to satisfy your whims as a player.

Withmore City is a finely tuned meat grinder with a massive scale. Hundreds of grinders working against each other to provide a cruel world where the Man rules everything and the ordinary Mixer -- those who live in Red Sector, the breeding ground for the scum, the lowest class of the social caste -- enjoys as many rights as a slave would have in the medieval ages. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing medieval about this game. The environment simply irradiates a neo-noir like Bladerunner, retro-future vibe like Brazil vibe. Alliances and rivalries are forged and broken all the time and the political landscape never settles down before turning into an eternal struggle for power. Sindome is the game where everybody can join and have a shot at greatness and glory, and those opportunities are backed by the cyberpunk principles: never take the blame, and always want more.

The mechanics of the MOO are by far one of the most advanced I've seen in a game of this kind. Cybernetics, vehicles, combat, drugs, the Grid, factions, weapons, a lore that has been developed for over twenty years. If you get bored of an archetype, you can simply roll a new character or change the direction of your current one and suddenly become entranced in a world of newfound opportunities that you never considered possible: Sindome is a game where you never learn enough, and where if you think you know enough, you only know the bare surface of the deeply entangled web of secrets, conspiracies, betrayals, alliances, and plots that are always forming -- both by players and GMs alike -- to bring the best possible roleplaying experience in a cyberpunk world.

The theme is harsh and the world is unforgiving. But the community is welcoming and kind. We are always glad to help new players and get them into the kick of things. Don't let yourself be cheated by the appearance of this unforgiving world: Sindome has a lot to offer to those who seek it out.

This is my last post here, as I've just asked to have my character kicked out and GMs obliged. The thing kicked off from a topic that, while I thought was forbidden, turns out is allowed but in the milder version. I am speaking of course of rape, which while outright banned, it seems that it's milder brother - sexual harassment is allowed and considered part of the theme.

And I don't mean the mild version of catcalling, but coercing people into sex, and very much sexual assault is allowed to be roleplayed and accuse other players off. This is just something that made me almost vomit oocly when heard it from a GM, as I can't believe that we still have people who apparently need this for their gaming avenue. Would the world really be so bad if we left all sex-related crimes as the game background, not go around and accuse people of it and spin around them?

Maybe that's just my mad rambling. But alas I vote with my foot and leaving sindome. Which is a shame, as I've enjoyed the game greatly up to this point.

I initially wanted to post it on the forums, but apparently my access was removed.

Take my advice. Give an indie MUD a shot over this.

Roleplay: Sindome follows very simple rules regarding this. 'If code allows it'. From there, it's the average fare. Code abuse, minimalist RP, and Out Of Character and In Character divide far too thin.

Mechanics: Mechanics are considered 'In-Character'. Metaknowledge about the game's systems are jealously guarded, to the point that the games help channel has a long history of 'Find out IC' responses (That they think is actually charming, instead of both alienating and undermining the point of having a Help Channel). Yes, this includes key features to your role. Yes, this means you have no guarantee if your role is even useful.

Internally inconsistent rules: In-character scenes of forced sex (Text simulated rape) is a bannable offense. Referencing such actions in-character is highly against the rules, out of respect for players. +Instances of teen abduction, and alleyway rape (As an unclever 'implication' technicality to be edgy.) occur in flavor-text constantly in some areas. Undermining the rule being out of respect for people with trauma in this regards.

Community harm impacts the game as it functions. If I were to consistently corner and bully a subset of players, this would net me a ban. Rules against bullying against admins exist, as it should, as they are people too, and deserve the respect as such. +Please refer to each and every 'Cerberus' complaint on these reviews. Nothing has changed. You will be personally insulted by him for even suggesting anything. The sheer amount of people babying him is silly.

General Spite Towards Players: Something in my experience with Sindome is the sheer amount of 'othering' that occurs here. If you do not focus on combat, you are the problem. If you roleplay anything above a two word response, you are the problem. If you aren't familiar with the codebase right out of chargen, you're the problem.

Every review and suggestion about staff and the game itself suffers from this view. Issues are ignored, and you're the enemy for suggesting them.

Your character is viewed as a 'Failure' if you choose to fuck people over in a slow-burn, or in a way that doesn't end in them being killed. The only way you avoid scathing criticism is if you're willing to bully new players who barely even know the mechanics, nor able to defend themselves in a meaningful story. The story just ends.

The game has a notorious reputation from other, better crafted MUDs for being a very negative, toxic place. It feels somewhat shameful that 'Cyberpunk Roleplay' is now forced to be a min-max fest when it advertises itself as story rich.

Play the game if you want the feeling of hand-waived Roleplay and just mashing your characters stats against another. Don't, if you want to play a game in the vein of Cyberpunk 2020. (IE: Non-combat features in storytelling, all skills useful, all backgrounds useful/etc.)

Because sometimes finding out IC is a bad thing, when it's a disappointing story about players, even admins, breaching the In Character-Out of Character divide to try and harass players.

The time spent to reach this conclusion wasn't worth the journey. But without comment, neither staff will improve their attitude, nor problems addressed.

In an effort to provide some objective measurement for my review I have put together a measurement system that takes into account fourteen different focus areas and weights them differently to come up with a meaningful score. It should be noted that a solid five is a good score, it indicates that the game is stable, engaging, and the community is supportive. With that disclaimer here is how Sindome scored:

1 Meets No Expecations 3 Meets Some Expectations 5 Meets Expectations 7 Exceeds Expectations 9 Far Exceeds Expectations

Code Summary 5.9 Community Summary 4.8 Staff Summary 4.8 Game Quality Summary 7.3 Summary Score 5.7

Sindome is by far my favorite online, text based, roleplaying game. Hands down. I enjoy almost every moment in game. Here are a highlight of areas where I think they stand out and where I think they can improve:

Code Stability 9: In my three plus years, I can count the number of times the game has crashed on one hand. Where many games reboot once a day, and may experience multiple crashes a day, Johnny takes great pride in how stable the code base is.

Engaging and Compelling Theme 9: I love the cyberpunk culture and how it is woven into every room description and enforced by staff. There are stories lines that players can get involved with, with a little effort, that are a splended blend of noir and bleak futurism.

Map Size 7: The map is huge. Three completely fleshed out levels in the city, plus outside the city and even space. One could take months to explore everything and it is worth it.

Help files 3: I am spoiled by extremely detailed help systems that let me figure out everything I need to know in one place. Sindome prefers that you try and experiment with commands, a learn by doing mentality. I am not that kind of player, I want to look somewhere once and don't want to bother people needlessly. Different help files often redirect to more vague helpfiles. When I first started playing, the help was a lot worse and it has come a long way, but it still could be better.

Staff Transperancy 3: Again, relitive to other games I have played the Sindome staff is very secretive and their decisions hidden from view. If pressed on a decision they will often say that it has IC ramifications rather than having an open and honest discussion about the topic.

Staff Avaliblity 7: I am throwing this one in here to offset the negitve review above. I must say anytime I have needed staff they have been there. Sometimes before I have known I need them. True bug situations are handled quickly and professionally.

On balance I strongly recommend this game if you are looking for a non-traditional MUD* in a unique setting. Amazing code and solid mechanics, along with a compelling theme offset most of the negitives.

*Don't ever call it a MUD in game. It is a MOO. You will get repremanded for forgetting this point.

I played Sindome for a year, and even towards the end of that year I was enamored with the players and mechanics. Even if the mechanics were (as I have recently discovered) pretty much unfinished.

My first six months of Sindome were pretty fun, infact I'd even go as far as to say they were some of the most memorable RP experiences I've ever had on an online medium. My next four months were probably the worst experience I've ever had on an online medium. Allow me to explain, briefly-- why.

There is nothing wrong with Sindome in it's community, at least in my eyes the characters there are an array of various talents. Some people avatar their characters but hey! We're all guilty of that to some degree.

There isn't anything wrong with the mechanics either, even though I've come to learn they were basically ripped from another MUD who have actually developed a good deal of the 'lacking' bits --I'll go into that later.* What there is a problem with, and what I -refused- to believe there was a problem with for seven months, (because I'm stubborn and do not listen to people who are not me). Is with the staff.

I'm not going to name names because you can take a cursory glance through Sindome's reviews and ascertain precisely what I -am- talking about. The staff on Sindome, and I have been in some CANCEROUS communities. (Search TnB, gmod RPing community, and realize the depth of cancer I refer to). Are purely corrupt, and purely apathetic. They do not care about SD with even the tangential affection someone who uses it to ERP does. The members of staff who are not directly fellating those above them, have become so jaded and more or less apathetic to the enjoyment of their own game, that they refuse to react with any level of what I'd dare to call humanity. There is no love of storytelling, narrative, or character progress here. Instead, you will find a combination of traits among the GM team that I would say have become almost commonplace. There are those who puppet all-powerful avatars of mechanical destruction who -cannot- be killed, their status quo -cannot- be upset, and they are basically gods to the rest of the player characters. There are GMs who will spawn in powerful NPCs just to kill players they don't like.

Realize for seven months, I tried to justify this behavior to myself because I was so in love with this game. I tried so desperately to fool myself into thinking this sort of behavior was acceptable for GMs to exhibit, and to persist in. I really did try to delude myself because-- when I get going in a direction I tend to not stop until I've accomplished what I set out to do.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't invest yourself, don't develop as deep of an infatuation with it as I did only to find out that you've wasted your time.

*SD took it's codebase from a Mud called Cybersphere and in twenty years haven't developed it even fractionally, as well as they have. https://www.cybersphere.net/cs/Main_Page If you're in love with SD's mechanics, or the Cyberpunk genre I would beg you to try CS. It is quite astounding in mechanical depth, and the GMs are actually quite sweet.

P.S. Keep in mind I invested 200$ into this game for private lodging for my character, -real- money that I believed would go towards development and am still leaving a negative review. Profound, right?

Beware of Sindome! I came into Sindome a few days ago because I love the cyberpunk atmosphere. This was my second stab at the game; the first time it just didn't connect for me, but I also realized I wasn't being fair to it because it doesn't model well after other MUDs. Honestly, that is both its greatest -- and weakest -- strength. I had experience with entirely different games like BatMUD and Aardwolf.

Overall, my impression of the game early on was good, but I must caution new players about Sindome. Contrary to its claims, it is NOT a 'newbie-friendly' environment, and unless you are looking at your screen and following along every second of every moment while playing Sindome, even new players should be prepared to lose everything as I did. You must accept the militant terms of the game, and any complaints levied against it are opportunities for mockery and disinterest in the community.

What I've basically realized about Sindome after playing several hours of it is that: if you love RP and you love cyberpunk, Sindome is one of few options, and the rich RP (role play) environment delivers very strongly. In fact, this is what I love about Sindome. Walking around the city and talking IC (in-character) is both rewarding and deeply immersive. This cannot be overstated enough. I have absolutely no complaints in this department, and I suggest that if you try Sindome, please keep RP in mind as it is both expected and against the rules to excessively talk OOC (out-of-character) while playing. That isn't to say you can't ask questions OOC, but it's more or less expected that if you have an IC question, you will need to find an IC answer. What does that mean? It means if you have a problem playing as your character, you'll largely be out of luck finding an answer from another player unless you're both IN character and communicating in the game, in the same room. This is an obscure concept for most gamers, and it also means there are no easy solutions to your problems should they arise (and trust me, they will). You can't even really find it outside the game as it is against the rules to discuss IC concepts or events outside Sindome. If you do, you will probably be banned.

Where Sindome collapsed for me is how it negates to inform you that being AFK (away from keyboard) even momentarily can spell doom for your character. It's explained that in the first two weeks, there is some measure of 'protection' for new players. That is to say, no one can kill you. However, Sindome is like PVP on steroids. Not only can you be killed while walking down the street or performing some menial task in any room at any time, you can lose your character or get mugged and lose all of your money (as I did). While I was certainly within the boundaries of the two week protection, the game failed to explain anywhere during it's tutorial or '@newbie' guide that robbery is completely fine. Oops!

In my unfortunate situation, I was called urgently away from my computer for OOC problems. Real life works that way sometimes, and adults can't be expected to monitor each and every second of our in-game time when those instances arise. Unless you're already familiar with Sindome, and you happily accept and agree to it's masochistic rules, be prepared for a punishing ride. Let me be clear: the environment is designed to reflect real life as much as it possibly can, and this can be a wonderful and engaging virtue of Sindome. It strengthens the rich RP environment, encourages very real consequences, and it keeps you on your toes. However, there is virtually no 'safe' area beyond the tight confines of habitats like coffins, cubes and apartments which are all purchasable in-game. Coffins are initially a free asset (up to two weeks) but require some working knowledge of how to navigate the city. For new players, this is a tall request should something OOC require your immediate attention, and you're clear across town away from the safety of your coffin.

Back to my story: while I was away dealing with my real-life crises, my character stood in the middle of the street in broad daylight and was mugged by another player. I lost every chyen (cyberpunk currency) that I had earned on me. I had spent the previous day playing 8-10 hours, familiarizing myself with Whitmore City, earning money, talking to other IC players and learning what I could. Let me rewind a little to just how involving and punishing the game is, even from the moment you step in.

You are given no weapon and no clothes when you enter the city. The only thing you are given is a small sum of currency which will provide you an opportunity to purchase some clothes to cover your 'naked' character who is apparently running around in the snow in this city (despite the game's aim to be overtly realistic). I guess hypothermia is off the list. In this way, you are provided no way to defend yourself. Again, you can only rely on two assets for the first two weeks: no players can kill you, and the public coffins are free to 'sleep' in. Everything else is perfectly acceptable. Sleeping includes not only logging off from the game but also being AFK, I guess? It's not entirely clear to me, and neither is the guide. What the newbie tutorial (if you can call it that) fails to mention is that every moment in the game is a risk to not only die but to lose anything you're carrying.

After this frustrating encounter, I scrolled up urgently to find out what might have happened and realized had I not been AFK, I wouldn't have known what to do anyway. One of the earliest drawbacks to the game is an entire lack of a combat tutorial. There are a few brief commands mentioned in the newbie guide, but there is no opportunity to put the knowledge to use. Had I not been called away from my computer, I'm not entirely certain I would have been any better off since I had no prior experience with combat, being mugged or defending myself. More importantly, I had no weapon and no means to defend myself. Perhaps I could have ran away, but I have no idea the mechanics of being mugged since the game utterly fails to explain anything about that event in any way. That is no exaggeration. It's not mentioned anywhere in the guide. It was a harsh lesson in Sindome's mechanics, and as I quickly learned, the player community is largely indifferent to your ills.

To draw some contrast here, a game like EVE (which is notoriously punishing) is a children's romp compared to Sindome. No, it's not a MUD, but it's an MMORPG, and in it the risk / reward mechanisms can be similarly very high. It might seem like hyperbola, but Sindome has not only created an environment where you can lose everything, but the demands to get back into the game (should you die) are steep. After logging in for the first time, you are frequently alerted that you need to write a '@history' for your character. This should be a well thought out piece of literature explaining your newly created character's backstory and how it connects with the Sindome universe. I spent a couple of days revising a draft that the game's admins had initially rejected because my history didn't go far enough to explain each and every skill I had put points into when I created my character. It also required me to read a lengthy timeline on Sindome's website to find a hook where my character logically connects to the world. Having a character history is important because job opportunities are largely nonexistent in the game without them, and without money, you're not likely to make it far in the walls of Whitmore City.

Should your character die, be prepared to lose it entirely and start the process of character creation all over again (including an entirely new written history). Also, you won't be allowed to use the same character name, history or any part of their original identity. It's permanent death for that character if you don't have a clone. Attempting to return a similar character to the game could result in a suspension or ban from Sindome. Whew. This is a game, right?

After my mugging, I urgently went to the help channel to inquire about losing all of my money while doing nothing more than standing around in the game. Several players were quick to explain that this was all part and parcel of the game, and if I didn't like it, I can leave. From my perspective as a new player, it made me feel largely unwelcome and dismissed. I fully understand that it's different strokes for different folks out there, and if you like a high risk game, Sindome might just be your cup of tea. Be warned though: Sindome and its community are not gentle to new players. Learn as much as you can about the game before entering. Read everything three times (or more), minimize your OOC talk, and get comfortable with being stepped on like a bug. For me, it just wasn't a fun experience. I play games to relax and escape the very real stresses of life, not trade one evil for another.

Sindome is difficult to understand at first. One of the reasons why is because when you first approach it, you're probably coming off not from a MUD. Instead, you're probably used to other roleplay situations where you talk freely to people ooc'ly, share info that other person needs to plan your next scene together, and generally try to work out storyarcs in the name of having a good time.

One of the biggest shocks you might have when you play at Sindome is how that sort of thing isn't allowed due to keeping immersion constant in the game. You cannot ask *anything* ooc'ly that you can find out ic'ly. If you push this, there are consequences.

MUD commands are also hard if this is your first time playing one. Simple things like lifting something or closing a door might be hard to understand at first. Here's a tip: examine everything around you, it took me forever to learn to do that. If you get stuck, search the website for hints and tips on what to do.

Those two things I've mentioned gave me a tough time at the start. I had to get used to Sindome's style of play which took a minute. Now that I've gotten used to it, I think the game's pretty fun and I enjoy it quite a bit.

OK. Nobody wants to read reviews full of subjectivity: straight to the meat. This is about Cerberus, a top-tier administrator on Sindome. You will be occupying the same space as him, should you choose to play.

_____ [OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: Just like to make another appeal to the community. If you're not aware, we've received some negative reviews on TMC from banned players and in the absence of positive reviews , they stand out a lot. So if you've had a positive experience with SD and the Staff, please feel free to post a review on TMC so we can avoid losing potential new immigrants to the exaggerated claims of a few toxic people. http://www.mudconnect.com/cgi-bin/prev/submit.cgi?mud=Sindome

[OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: We appreciate any time people take to write the reviews. It's unfortunate that the voting doesn't speak for itself, but we need to protect ourselves and our new players from the toxicity of banned players.

+++ What this man is doing is called 'poisoning the well.' You insult someone before they get a chance to make a statement in order to persuade people's opinions of them negatively. It works wonders. Unfortunately for him, it's not an argument, thus has no rational, keyword rational, persuasive merit. It would be like if I referred to him as Cranky Cerb throughout the rest of this review in Trump style of bestowing a funny nickname onto your opponent. But it shouldn't affect your judgement. But it does.

By attaching negative adjectives to the writers of these reviews ('banned, toxic'), Cranky Cerb is able to gain the persuasive upper hand on people who are less likely know about these kind of tricks. And you don't want to be tricked, do you?

_____ (From): http://www.sindome.org/bgbb/open-discussion/anything-really/cerberus-and-you-707/

''I will make an attempt to return to being polite and understanding, but I will do so with a zero tolerance rule.

If I hear you out, and respond, and you decide that you didn't like my response and resume arguing your point.

You will have earned a time out in the void for 30 minutes as per our current rules.

Respect is a two way street and I will respect you if you can respect the fact that I am putting an effort into being nice and polite and understanding to your concerns.''

+++ Respect is a two way street, except when Cranky Cerb doesn't like your response. There cannot be an 'understanding' conversation when you have threats hovering over your head like this. You just can't. You will stifle yourself in hopes of avoiding any kind of conflict and may even convince yourself that you indeed like this person and their opinions to better cope with the situation. It is similar to, but not exactly, Stockholm syndrome.

_____ (From): http://www.sindome.org/bgbb/open-discussion/anything-really/cerberus-and-you-707/

Xenode: So GMs have not defended an action, ever, that wasn't cool by player or GM standards? Cerberus: I don't understand the question.

Xenode: You're phrasing things in an 'us vs. them' style, as if GMs are saints, and players are the only ones who ever do anything wrong. This is the same kind of mentality that has people angry at the police in many parts of the US. Yes most GMs are good and well intentioned, like most police are, but when you start talking like the players are the only ones causing any trouble or doing anything wrong, you're forcing that kind of reaction. Cerberus: I am not sure how to answer the question Xenode when you take the position that admin are abusive like police but I'll try.

+++ This is called strawmanning. You twist your opponent's words into something easier to beat and kill it before anyone notices what you did. The discerning reader will note Xenode never said that Sindome admins are abusive like police. It makes it much easier for Cranky Cerb to completely dodge around concerns such as these by painting them a different colour.

_____ Cerberus OOCly shouts, 'It is NOT appropriate to clear your description in a shroud. What the heck.'

+++ There's also the problem of whimsical judgement. He has a tendency to influence players with the use of the global Out Of Character announcement system, making up laws on the fly which only affect the players that are around at the time to notice them. You get a set of players abiding by this set of laws, that set of laws, eventually there's secret mystery laws that nobody knows about. You can see where this goes. If something isn't written down explicitly, it's not a real standard.

_____ Cerberus OOCly shouts, 'Ignore that description and HOW THE fart DO YOU COME TO THAT CONCLUSION' Cerberus OOCly shouts, 'I SAID IGNORE IT'

...Moments later... Cerberus OOCly shouts, 'Johnny is saying that if you forget to remove specific details out of your description when you put on your shroud then its your fault and people get to be meta against you. So good luck. '

+++ Then you have kneejerk reactionery bipolarism like this. Cranky Cerb rapidly takes one emotional stance then quickly takes the more favorable stance of listening to his superior.

_____ [OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: I get a list of everyone's bank accounts at the push of a button. [OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: Last time the mix got too rich, I had to kill people daily until they spent their bank accounts on resupplying.

Cerberus OOCly shouts, 'STOP annoying ME OFF.' +++ And then there's that. _____ Did my usage of Cranky Cerb alter your perception or judgement in any way? It shouldn't.

Overall Sindome is a unique roleplaying experience that while it has a clunky interface at times can provide the potential for fun if you find the right chums and avoid the bad hombres. You just have to be know who's in the kennel.

[ Profanity has been scrubbed from the logs below to concur with TMCs ruleset. Full version available here: https://pastebin.com/raw/2R1kVUVk ]

[-][OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: Just like to make another appeal to the community. If you're not aware, we've received some negative reviews on TMC from banned players and in the absence of positive reviews , they stand out a lot. So if you've had a positive experience with SD and the Staff, please feel free to post a review on TMC so we can avoid losing potential new immigrants to the exaggerated claims of a few toxic people.

If anyone is curious while Sept 8 sees an uptick in positive responses it is because the staff directly solicited the assistance. Note that the staff and even some of these solicited comments/reviews presume that there are 'bad players' leaving these reviews. Anyone who has been around the block a few times can already see the early warning signs of a tone deaf administration and players either acting with blinders on or benefiting from staff approval... or hey maybe they do enjoy the game but never felt like reviewing it before or didn't know mudconnect existed.

When I played sindome I found the game to be enjoyable. I thought it was weird that you couldn't ask about syntax questions. For example I have an item, it is clearly meant to do a function, but I do not know the syntax and it is not in helpfiles... When I inquire about syntax I am instructed to find out in game. Well I'm not sure how very roleplay intensive the idea of ICly asking about code syntax is. Futhermore Cerberus (the staffer soliciting positive reviews) was once removed from Sindome for causing a general player outcry on a third party forum. It was only months later he was allowed back and is now back to the same antics that got him removed in the first place.

If Johnny was an active roleplaying owner or Slither has time from his busy daily life, I'd be willing to put dollars against pennies that Cerberus wouldn't be a GM/staffer on that game anymore. Sadly as is common with a lot of older games those with free time and a drive to be active rise to the top and their issues are glossed over, ignored, or apologized for because despite some staff (not just Cerberus) being toxic they do a lot of work and the game probably wouldn't function without them.

I suggest everyone try Sindome, it is a unique MOO, and it is a great place for RPI refugees from other games to enjoy themselves. I generally give people anywhere from 3 - 5 months before community/administration problems will drastically affect their enjoyment of the game.

Sindome.

I've been roleplaying since I was twelve an I can say with all honesty, twenty years later, Sindome has been the most rewarding experience of any genre or game in I've had the pleasure of playing.

Consistent and immersive roleplay is the crown jewel for Sindome, endless plots and opportunities present all who wish to take advantage and participate the chance to see their character's dreams, goals and purpose come to fruition; if they can navigate the treachery, backstabbing, chaos, poverty and green classic to the cyberpunk theme. No character is too low or too high to remain unscathed or reach out and try to pry themselves up the ladder, bodies an devastation to the top.

Mechanics are well thought out and evolving where necessary or when new ideas work themselves out to improve the game world. Balanced combat with consideration to a number of scenarios, weaponry, enhancements and participants is only one part of a world rich with roles for different play styles. Artistic crafting to mechanical junkies to those who modify guns and munitions to scientists and doctors who can change the body to chemists creating candy, getting you hooked! Transport systems, travel, Judges and space!

Clear divide between economic classes add public dispute and conflict to complement the underlying tension between corporate competitors and enemies to the hatred between rival gangs, factions and interests in poverty stricken dwellings. Two distinct environments to go with those who try to play the middle ground, with much risk, so whatever your flavour of interest, it's there for you to explore to your heart's content. Scheming, conspiracy, betrayal and paranoia are high and with that the chances for characters to sneak in and twist a piece of it off to their advantage are greater!

Staff in Sindome are dedicated. One or two can be brusque and short, yes, but please don't mistake that for inherently rude or intentionally cruel to players. They are a small number of hardworking individuals who constantly work on projects: plots, area improvement and rehaul, polishing areas to expand and add new amenities and investments for characters, mechanical and code advancement, personal to worldwide events. Helping teach characters/players how to run positions of power to involve more characters on a consistent basis without staff help. Answering questions and dealing with problems that, in hindsight never needed their help but they did so anyways.

Questions repeated five plus after being told it isn't appropriate to ask, clear bug abuse or exploit or people behaving in ways to get banned are the only times I've seen staff go from to obviously agitated, disappointed and/or angry. In a time where I made a critical error I was spoken with brusquely but not rudely, and it was never held against me.

If you can handle a steep learning curve and understand that people speaking bluntly for the sake of efficiency doesn't mean they're angry or being rude to you, then I encourage you to try Sindome. If cyberpunk is your cup of cold tea, of course!

Sindome is like an abusive partner. Sometimes, some days, you just want to forget how badly they've treated you and be cuddled. That's what has kept me connected to Sindome for the past two years: this idea that they could get better. That they knew what they were doing wrong, and were making changes to remedy it.

Unfortunately, as much as I wish I could say that was true, it isn't. Sindome has some of the best cyberpunk RP and gameplay that I've ever seen in a MU*, but it's wrapped up in a toxic community and toxic staff. If you can play this game with blinders on, and talk OOCly as little as humanely possible, and never, ever (God forbid if you do) ask any sort of question that might be considered 'stupid', you might get along wonderfully in Sindome. However, for those of you who like to have your questions answered, this probably isn't the game for you, because depending on the day and how cranky old Cerberus (one of the staff members) is feeling, because instead of actually answering your questions he's prone to throw hissy fits and state how a question is so stupid he 'won't even answer it'. The playerbase not only feeds into this behavior - that actually model it. The more of an asshole you are OOCly, it seems the better your character will do ICly. It's an odd paradigm that I've yet to see anywhere else, and it hasn't improved in the past two years.

Contrary to that, there are some really fabulous staff there. It's easy for me to say that some of the best deaths I've had on Sindome, and their uber-strict policy about thematic additions to the game is actually one of my favorite things. However, because of the toxicity I've experienced, I won't be playing there.

I'm very friendly when I talk to people, and especially over the internet where the tone of your text is so important. I bend over backwards to be nice to the staff on games, because I know they are volunteers, and I know they often times just want to enjoy their time in the game too. However, when I'm nice, I expect politeness to at least be reciprocated. I do not log onto MUDs because I like being treated like shit OOCly by the people who run it. I log in because I want to play in the world that we're all helping to create.

In short, Sindome is a great game plagued by OOC toxicity, elitism, and narcissism that makes my experience absolutely shit.

The community is generally not very helpful, as they are mostly long time players who don't want to answer the same old questions again. This isn't a big issue as the game isn't rocket science to figure out. The admins are a great group of people, unless you take into account they have lives and the 'tertiary' admins are just the most unpleasant of people all around. If you don't get along with one of these guys, you're going to have a very bad time. It's not uncommon for the admins to play favorites with who they will bend the rules for and then scorn people who try and do the exact same thing. There is very little consistency and if you point this out, there will be a blathering paragraph about how this isn't a democracy from one of the unpleasant and unfriendly admins. Personally, the game is great, but the community of higher ups makes the game hard to play for the long term. Come in for the scenery, leave because you dislike toxic people.

Before I begin my review of Sindome, I'd like to establish the credentials by which I am reviewing it. I played Sindome several hours a day for approximately 2 years, the last few months of which I was a support staffer assisting in behind-the-scenes operations of this game.

Sindome is a long-established, well-coded and deeply cyberpunk themed MOO set in the dystopian domed city of Withmore, where the rich corporate elite oppressively try to assert their hold over the impoverished 'mixers' trying to climb the economic ladder. Fleshing out the theme of the game is a background of retro-futuristic technology hailing straight from the dystopian, post- apocalyptic and sci-fi 1980s movies and fiction that inspired the cyberpunk genre. The game has an incredible amount of potential as a roleplay playground for those willing to invest a huge amount of time and emotional energy into it. It does however suffer from various OOC (i.e. Out-of-character/irl-side) issues that can and will impact your IC (i.e. In-character) experience and OOC enjoyment of the game.

The game enjoys a consistent playerbase of about 50+ (which is double what it routinely was in late 2014) who are by far the bread and butter of the game as far as the IC experience is concerned. The potential is there to enjoy plentiful amounts of player vs player conflict (the main source of Sindome's plot) without needing staff to assist if you are a creative, self-driven player. There is however a distinct glass cieling as to what can be achieved by players who are not afforded staff assistance in their plots, most obviously access to the coded forms of in-character employment and to powerful equipment. Staff availability is extremely limited.

For those hoping to enjoy a pleasant OOC community alongside their roleplay experience, unfortunately Sindome is lacking to the point of hostility. Don't take my word for it, just read the stark warning you would see EVERY time you logged into the game:

'[*SYS-MSG*] WARNING! Discussing the in character world with other players via Out of Character communication methods (Skype, IM, Facebook, etc) is strictly against the rules, even if you don't plan to act on the information you give or receive. Intent is irrelavent when dealing with natural human instinct to defend oneself from harm, this applies to roleplay as well. Sharing IC info is unfair. It has disastrous effects on the game. Report all incidents that you are aware of via xhelp or to help@sindome.org and do NOT engage in it yourself. It carries a one year ban from the game. WARNING!'

This strict In-Character/Out-Of-Character divide exists to protect the game from metagamers (i.e. players who effectively cheat by using means outside the game to gain an advantage inside the game) and would be fine, were it possible to productively discuss any serious issues on game matters that bridge the IC/OOC divide (it was this kind of discussion that resulted in my getting banned under the above rule). Sadly this, and any other form of communication that might be considered criticism, is not the case. Again, don't take my word for it; here's a statement by a prevalent member of staff:

'[+][OOC-Chat] Staff Cerberus: I hate posting on the forums. When I do, it's because I was asked to, and the content I have to post is 99% of the time, telling you what to do. I don't want to discuss it. If I did, I would literally say, 'Tell me what you think if you disagree.' I am not Slither, I don't want to have conversations with players. I want you guys to do what is expected of you.'

(Link to screenshot of above statement: https://i.imgur.com/AM6ecLp.png ) (Bonus screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/uLJVbnQ.png )

More relevant statements exist, but unfortunately the profanity of those declarations violates the terms of posting this review, and so they could not be shared (plus I don't want to clutter this review any more than it already is). Suffice to say that a -few- (not all) members of staff treat players in a way that, were it reversed, would be deemed abuse and would result in a ban. Note this happens even on the open chat channels (as per the above statements), not directed at any one player, but to the game as a whole. Worse experiences have been reported on a one to one basis with these members of staff.

To mention one of the key issues bridging the IC/OOC divide, my time behind-the- scenes as a staffer revealed to me that staffer integrity is poorly enforced. It is dependant in large part on three things: Multiple staff being online to monitor one another, player reporting (Which all too often doesn't happen for fear of reparations to either their character or to their account.), and staff noting their activities honestly. Once on their own staff are effectively free to mess with the in-character world as they see fit, and some of them do. Player characters who oppose or fall victim to these staffers characters will find that the world is suddenly a much more hostile place, with NPC's irrelevant to the rivalry suddenly finding IC reasons to pick fights with the player characters.