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'''Discworld''' is a free [[MUD]] set in [[Wikipedia:Discworld (world)|the Discworld]] as depicted in the ''[[Wikipedia:Discworld|Discworld]]'' series of books by [[Wikipedia:Terry Pratchett|Terry Pratchett]]. It is based on the [[LPMud]] codebase. [[Image:discworld mud drum.PNG|thumb|225px|Some typical activity on the MUD, featuring a map, soul commands, talker channels and spell casting.]] ==History== The MUD was founded in 1991 and opened to the public in 1992. Originally containing a small section of the then rather loosely defined Ankh-Morpork, over time more locations have been added as the world has been further described in the book series, and laid out in the map supplements.<ref>Eg. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', ''The Discworld Mapp''</ref> It now consists of areas that attempt to simulate several big cities (Ankh-Morpork, Bes Pelargic, Genua and Djelibeybi) on two continents, a larger number of smaller towns, and more than a million rooms which form the land between the cities and towns, with markers designating canon cities yet to be built. <p> The mud was originally founded by four people in Perth, Western Australia, as an outgrowth of a different mud ([[Discworld II]]) by [[David Bennett]] (known as [[Pinkfish]]<ref>[http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/364 Armchair Arcade Interview with Pinkfish]</ref>), [[Craig Richmond]] ([[Furball]]), [[Sean A Reith]] ([[Lynscar]]) and [[Evan Scott]]. The mud ran for a while on a machine in Melbourne before moving to run in the uk on a machine at compulink where [[DrGoon]] (Gordon ...) was added to the [[MUD administration|administration team]]. After a while the machine was moved to the US, in Seattle, running on a machine at once of the admin's workplace, [[Derek Harding]] ([[Ceres]]), before again moving back to the UK to run at [[Sojan]] ([[Jake Greenland]])'s house. <p> Discworld has publicly released the code base under which it runs on a couple of occasions, allowing other muds to use the same base for writing their worlds. ==Software== {{main|Discworld Mudlib}} The MUD's software is divided into two sections - the '[[mudlib]]' and the [[driver]]. The MUD is based on a from-scratch mudlib and currently uses a heavily customised version of the [[MudOS]] driver known as [[FluffOS]]. The driver is largely [[open-source]], with new releases usually made available quickly, while cut-down versions of the mudlib including most of the underlying features are occasionally released (most recently in 2003), allowing the use of most of the basic [[object class]]es and [[tool]]s of the MUD. It is expected that players who wish to help with coding the game will apply to join the game's development team, rather than working independently and submitting patches. Developers are not automatically taken from players at a certain skill level, instead being recruited into a hierarchy from the player base with an application and interview system. The underlying code is largely obscured from other players, with developers holding a policy of secrecy with actual game code and algorithms. Several useful algorithms such as that for determining experience costs have been either reverse-engineered or extracted from the released code by players, however, and can be generally found on various informational websites. ===Interface=== The Discworld [[command system]] is a customized [[text parser]] allowing for flexible interactions with objects and a way to specify how the command is structured. In addition to adjectives and properties attached to game objects, allows advanced [[semantic recognition]] to specify [[in-game object]]s (including 'living' things): <pre> You are unburdened by: [[Holding]]: a set of pearl prayer beads (left hand). [[Wearing]]: a black backpack, a neat off-white linen robe and two silver rings. (under) : a utility belt. [[Carrying]]: a prayer book. > locate leather things The utility belt (worn) is in your inventory. The black backpack (worn) is in your inventory. > locate leather things except black things The utility belt (worn) is in your inventory. > [[glance]] at second worn thing The neat off-white linen robe. </pre> Other interface features include a basic [[in-game text editor]], for editing [[in-game mail]] and other chunks of text, context-sensitive help, and optional sections of [[topological map]] (known as "[[lookmaps]]") to aid navigation. One of the strongest development priorities in recent years has been on textual depth, providing rich [[description]]s and additional details, rather than on expanding the world or on providing higher-level content. Many interesting or useful details in descriptive text can be elaborated upon by applying more specific criteria to the "[[look]]" command. == Player Interaction == ===Chat=== For purely message-based interaction, the MUD provides a [[talker]] system with a number of fixed [[channel]]s, including general [[chat]] channels, channels for development organisation, and channels reserved for members of many in-game organisations. In addition to these, [[club]]s can be formed which gain their own channels and optional electoral system. Some examples include Taxi (providing magical transportation around the game world), Synod (for the High Priests of the various gods),[[OOC]] (for roleplayers to chat and organise events out of character), and Begorrah (for Irish players to chat and organise meeting up in real life). ===RP & PvP=== [[Roleplaying]] is optional, and players can be observed playing in many different roles both in and out of character, from organisational, to social, to 'numberchasing' ([[grinding]], especially for [[skill]]s). [[PVP|Player versus Player]] interaction is on an opt-in basis, with characters over two days of play old being allowed to remove their protected status. There are some notable exceptions to this - for example, the [[player council]]s can hire in-game, [[Non-player character|NPC (non-player character)]] assassins to kill a player who hasn't opted for PvP status. === Player councils === The game world includes several political regions. The cities of Ankh-Morpork and Djelibeybi are run by [[councils of elected player magistrates. Despite an effort by the Djelibeybi council (usually referred to as the Klatch council, after the Discworld continent and coding area in which Djelibeybi is located) to seize control over those areas with no player council, it is generally held that there are no written player laws which apply to these areas, and that only the game's [[acceptable use policy]], invariably referred to as "[[the rules]]", applies. Ankh-Morpork has seven magistrates, while the Klatch council has five. Elections are held every six months. The council system is based on the game [[Nomic]]. == Mechanics == The fundamental [[game mechanic]]s of the MUD are based on a 'stat/skill' division, with [[stats]] (statistics), relating to intrinsic properties, being semi-permanent, and [[skill]]s being [[learn|learnable]] at cost of [[experience points]]. Skill abilities are based on a diminishing returns system, in which your 'bonus', or actual ability, is calculated on a logarithmic basis from your skill level and a geometric mean of related stats. Levels are uncapped, but also rise in experience point cost per level. Experience points can be gained in a number of ways - in successful [[combat with NPCs]], in the use of guild points (categorised [[action point]]s), for [[exploration]] of areas, in the solution of puzzle-like '[[quests]]' <ref>[http://gamestudies.org/0801/articles/karlsen Karlsen, F. (2008). Quests in context: A comparative analysis of discworld and world of warcraft. International Journal of Computer Games Research, 8(1)]</ref>, the accomplishment of in-game achievements, and simply by waiting - a very slow rate of '[[idle XP]]' is given to players merely for being online. The [[skill system]] contains a number of quirks and odd features; for example, some skills are used in unexpected ways, such as the skill "other.movement.climbing.rock", which, while it is used for climbing rocks, is typically used to climb virtually any surface which isn't a tree or rope, such as a metal drainpipe. Because of the wide range of uses that skills are put to, individual skills are not documented, so working out what skill you need to perform a given task can sometimes be challenging - for example, the skill "other.direction", typically used to avoid getting lost in extreme circumstances, is also the skill used in both reading and crafting maps. The game has circumstantial [[permanent death]] - characters begin with seven lives, which can be replaced in-game, but a player who dies with no lives remaining cannot be revived. PvP deaths do not reduce your life total, but otherwise have the same effects. The majority of the game world is not persistent, resetting areas and objects invisibly, but players' inventories, the contents of rentable houses, and safe deposit box-like vaults are saved. === Guilds === A large part of the original intent for Discworld MUD was to move away from a restrictive [[class system]], and to allow any player to do (almost) anything with enough effort and advancement. However, each character can only join one of a selection of guilds - a combination of class and in-game organisation (which may not necessarily be an actual [[guild]]) - and each guild has several unique abilities not shared with any other. Most fairly [[fundamental ability|fundamental abilities]] such as health, perceptiveness, and swimming skill are not guild-based, however other such abilities, such as guild point regeneration rate, or access to certain powers, such as the ability to [[backstab]] or perform rituals, are limited based on guild. ==Canon and Divergence== Content has been worked upon continuously as the Discworld series of books has been growing, therefore there are smatterings of continuity taken from different books introduced in different regions. Additionally, some changes to the world have been made to allow a limited degree of player-control (such as player-elected administration for some of the in-world organisations) rather than using NPCs created from book characters. The largest divergence from canon, however, is the addition of a range of divine magic not unlike that described in the [[Warhammer Fantasy]] or [[Dungeons and Dragons]] systems, mostly restricted to a small number of player-worshippable gods. ==Mentions in the Media== * [[Total PC Gaming]] Issue 7 (UK edition) - Came 2nd in Top Three MUD's in the MMO Supplement * [[Total PC Gaming]] Issue 15 (UK edition) - Special Mention in the MMO suplement in the "We Love" section ==References== {{Reflist}} ==See also== *[[Discworld Mudlib]] *[[LPMud]] ==External links== *[http://discworld.atuin.net Discworld MUD official site] *[http://www.topmudsites.com/forums/tavern-blue-hand/4924-top-muds-pc-gaming-magazine-uk.html Page Scan / Discussion of Top Three MUD's in [[Total PC Gaming]] Issue 15 (UK edition)] *[https://www.reddit.com/r/discworldmud/ r/discworldmud] [[Category:Founded 1991]] [[Category:Discworld games]] [[Category:MUDs]] [[Category:LP]] [[Category:Fantasy]] {{Wikipedia|Discworld MUD}}{{2009}}
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