Editorial

Welcome to the very first edition of Admiral Bombow's Chronicles, the official newsletter of MUD2.COM. It has been four months since that dreadful evening when Offugo the witch told me about a note she caught by accident while logging on to one of Kesmai's on-line games. The note informed us that all of Kesmai's DOS (sic!) games were to be shut down the next day. Those who were around remember how I scrambled to quickly set up a temporary system for MUD2 in order to make uninterrupted playing possible. A lot has happened since... the game was moved to a dedicated system, a domain name was established, we now have a Web site, and the game has been registered with a number of MUD-related on-line services. Now we are ready for the next step: the launch of our much anticipated newsletter. Needless to say, I wouldn't have the time to do this all by myself; fortunately, Starquest the wizard volunteered as the newsletter's editor-in-chief, and I'll only provide some editorial assistance. Starquest, this will not be an easy job but as MUD2.COM grows and flourishes, I hope you will find it at least as rewarding as it is difficult. I wish you luck ... it's all yours!

Viktor the arch-wizard

Hello to you all. I would like to take this opportunity to get to know you all a little better and at the same time let you know me a little better too. Hang in there, I tend to be a bit long winded when I get started.

I started to play MUD in the 80's with British Legends, had a blast, but found it to be very costly. During my stay there I managed to run up to legend at 100000 before I lost the persona to the 60-day non-play rule. It was my fault so I hold no bad feelings, but wish it had not happened in that manner. I then ran around trying all sorts of other games, but just could not find anything that had the charm of BL, until I found MUD2 at Iplay, and lordy I found a home. I have been around ever since, although it has been up and down trying to keep a site going, we have now set the game on a site that should be around for a long time to come.

In the early days I played various personae as I'm sure you know, but the best and my favourite were Jekyllhyde and Puff (Puff was denied access on Iplay due to some sort of question about the meaning of the word in England, so he had to die), but Starquest was born out of the rubble and is here to stay.

I do want to tell you why and how I play the game, I find it a bit different than some of you seem to play. This game to me is perhaps the most elaborately put together game on the net, it has all the charm you would ever want but it has also all the thrill you could wish for, too.

Richard has done what no other game has as far as I'm concerned: he has taken the written word and used it in a way that makes your own imagination become a large part of the game. When I come into the game I let my mind go and the game take over, I see what is out there in very vivid views of the Land, driven by the descriptions in the game. I can tell you what the Land looks like down to the last blade of grass, what each one of you look like and what you carry around with you all the time. I can describe the buildings, the lake, and all the other fine areas we have to roam in. I know that your game is not the same game I see, but I'll bet it is not too much different than mine, and that is the charm of it.

I become the persona I have on at the time and act in different ways with each one, (called role-playing) and would be insulted if you expected me to act the same way with all of them. That is the one thing I have a problem understanding or perhaps it is not I who has the problem, but some can't understand how I can be your friend with one guy and your foe with the other. You must understand, if you really do play the role you will not be the same or in any way tie the personae together.

That brings me to a point I would like to make. There has been a lot of complaints about bringing different personae in and doing various things and what make it "looby-looing" or not. It is so simple. You play each persona as an individual, he does not know what the other has done or was about to do. He does not have a clue where the tools that the other persona had are or even what they were. He has no idea if the other persona died or was fighting. He plays his own game in his own special way. If you can play by these rules then I don't see how you could ever looby-loo or cheat. If you can't play by these rules then in my opinion every time you change personae in a reset you are in reality doing a looby-loo. You are using the knowledge from the game gained by one persona to play the other, and that is not allowed and you all know that. What it all comes down to is your own intent, what you are going to do with the persona, and how you act with him. You all know the difference, you didn't get where you are by being dumb, so I won't insult you by telling you the difference. I will say this, if you play a fair and honest game, you have no worries, you will be treated in the same manner. Remember, the immortals are the same people you have grown to know over the years, and whom you have called your friends for such a long time, they haven't suddenly gone insane and become evil beasts, they are still the same fine folks you have played side by side with so many times before. You must remember that things change when you make immortal, you see things in a much changed light, I will not go into that too much, but it is a whole new world, and for your information it is a lot of work and a lot of responsibility too. It can be fun and is, but it is work too. If you only knew the hours that your immortals put into this game to keep it up and running and make it work all the time it would shock you. Our arch has devoted a great deal of his time to keeping this game on its feet and we sometimes fail to give him his due, but I hope he knows that we all thank him for what he has done.

Consider this, when you are very close to becoming immortal you may think your game is about over, well take it from me. it is only starting. Your best times are ahead of you.

On a last note, I do want to say that you all have become like family to me, I have known bad times and good times with most of you. We have seen hate, love and even the occasional marriage come out of the game, and perhaps a few more will be coming in the future. You will remember Potts and Anglemist I'm sure and I would like to mention that their day is coming in early June, finally, they will be married and living in the States.

I wish them well, and hope they have a long and happy marriage and hope they will find the time to get back in the game with us, I do miss them.

Ok, I said I was long winded when I get started, and I have so much more to say but must stop before this becomes a book.

If you have anything you would like to say or get out in the public, send me what you have and we will deal with it in some way that I think will make you happy. and if not let me know that also.

Thanks for the times we have had together, I would not trade them for anything ever. You are a part of something very special, so I hope you enjoy it as I have.

Starquest