A Clew for the New
Hints

by Tethys

Release 4E37 of the database is a tribute to both the enduring appeal of MUD2 and to Richard's creative talent. Think about it, the skeleton has been rattling around for nearly 21 years now and he can still hold his own should a brawl break out in the public bar. If a site had been run continuously from the introduction of Mud1 till now the dragon would have prowled her isle through something like 100,000 resets.

One of the jobs, errr joys I should say, of immortaldom is to poke around each new release in beta testing as they come out from time to time. Well your tireless wizzes myself included have been doing just that in recent days and in order to help you enjoy release 4E37 I prepared this little sneak preview.

Perhaps in response to a rumour that some players are not the world's best typists Richard has kindly enabled a host of new synonyms and shortcut commands. Far be it from me to dredge up the past however if he would have made VIALK a synonym for VIAL a few releases back I might well have been a wiz much sooner!

Many of you noticed in the last version and were using the command GT as a nice compact shortcut for Get Treasure. Well, this time out the compact commands list has been expanded a great deal.

Also in the realm of new commands you will likely find some new expressions. I fear you can believe me or disbelieve me but I warn you it's best to trust an arch-wiz unless you want to be chastised.

In keeping with the long traditions of civility and decorum with which all Mud2 players conduct themselves you may now INVITE others to dance. They do of course have the option to DECLINE in which case you might want to have a quick look at their inventory making special note of any pointy objects in their possesion.

Incidentally you already knew that you could LOOK WEAPON to ascertain its condition. Of course you did right? Well now you can LOOK at all kinds of things to see just how damaged they might be and you can use DAMAGED as an adjective in commands like DROP MOST DAMAGED WEAPON. Or try KILL WOUNDED DWARF sometime, we do so enjoy watching a good tussle upstairs you know.

REPLY now has a companion command you might find useful. Use PLY to speak to the person you last spoke to as opposed to RE which has you speak to the last person who spoke to you. So you can do something like this;

*Tethys You are simply the most magnificent wizard.
*PLY and so modest too!

And I will get both messages, if I happen to be visible that is.

There is another new command (DUEL) that I think will prove very popular. Essentially it allows you to practice your fighting skills with another player without the risk of actually killing one another dead-dead. It even works for Protected Personae. Instead of the victim dying the fight ends when the otherwise fatal blow is struck. The loser ends up with 1 stamina. You can FLEE in a duel (without losing any points! What a softy that Richard.) in which case the duel conditions remain in effect. BEWARE however the protection from dying and the freebie flees only extends to your fellow duellist. You can still be killed dead-dead by a third party so if some marauding goat happens by don't come looking to me for a restore! To initiate a duel just type DUEL <player> then the other player either ACCEPTs or DECLINEs your challenge.

There are also some helpful hints and such that pop up for players at swordy or below who are low on stamina. If all you have is mages and warlocks and such and you want to see these hints just ask any wiz and they will be happy to make you into a brand new novice.

1. Did your mother ever tell you not to play with sharp sticks? Well, maybe just this once she was mistaken.
2. While not exactly Himalayan you may have to scale great heights for your prayers to be answered.
3. Lo and behold you can reach The Lands source of immense and ancient power once again before your magic has warmed up but only if you really need it.
4. Diamonds are a girls best friend. Don't count on the same being true if you are in The Land.
5. What better place than The Land to celebrate All-Hallows Eve? Wait for it, I guarantee it will be sensational. Followed a mere 5 days later by more treats that will surely baffle players from outside of the UK.
6. So you like setting up a nice cozy nest in the crypt beneath church? You might consider bringing a good book, you may be there a good long time.
7. Being sick, while never pleasant has become a real pain.
8. There must be something about mobiles who have a penchant for wearing black. It seems they are getting more and more irritable with players who try to nick their treasures.
9. Ask not for whom the bell tolls. Just wander around and you may well find out.
10. Fancy picking on children and senior citizens? Shame on you!
11. The sky is not falling, it's right where you'd expect it to be.
12. You can still throw your weight around should you so desire. Throwing other things around can prove to be more problematic.
13. I always thought uranium was a curious object to be found in The Land. Sure enough it just got more curious.
14. Holders of a certain beautiful item of jewellery have cited shocking developments!
15. Of course getting all your tasks out of the way quickly is always a good policy.
16. Finally, a certain item of treasure that has special significance for me is now a wee bit more helpful should you feel the need for a nap.

That's enough of that! Dust off those warlocks, kick start those warriors and roust those necros. There is treasure out there unswamped, puzzles unsolved and mobiles, well umm, being mobile. I'll pop in myself from time to time to see how you are doing. Who knows, if I see you puzzling over something new I may even lend a hand.