ReIntroducing 'mdg' A true rogue like MUD

I'd like to reintroduce an old game that we've had on the SDF Public Access UNIX system for about 16 years now. Its called MDG - Multiplayer Dungeon Game and its basically a cross between rogue-nethack and a mud. Players can quest partnered, in groups or alone and face various monsters from the common Anhkheg to the fierce White Dragon. While the game has a hack -n- slash feel, it also deals heavily in magic with all characters having the ability to study and cast spells. The multi-player-chat feature is not the only 'mud like' aspect to the game. One of the objects of the game is to quest deep into the dungeons to collect Crystals (shown as Crystal Powers) which allow players to interactively 'edit' each area.

If you are interested in playing this game, it requires shell access on SDF (which is available instantly and freely) by telnetting to 'sdf.lonestar.org' and logging on as 'new'. The game itself runs on a dedicated node, so once you have created your account, you'll have to login to that node specifically and then type 'mdg' to join the game. Once your account has been created you can use SSH to connect. Also, you are encouraged to 'man mdg' from your shell account to learn more about mdg! Please feel free to email me if you have any problems or have questions.

Here are a few 'screen shots' and descriptions of what game play is like.

I. Here kthorn, Hectic Elf and myrddin are questing in an underwater stairwell going down. (more info in 'man mdg'). Players move around the sector-area using 'vi' keys h,j,k,l with y-u & b-n for diagonal movement. The players are all partners so they won't wait for him to enter the cave first.

###################################### -+- - Items - -+- #### $ ~~~~######### 0 - Gold: 399 ### 2 # ####~ ####~~~~~~~~~### 1 - Battleaxe ) # # # ~# ###########~~## 2 - Hide Shield ~~~# #~~~%# ~%#~######### #~ 8 ~~# #~~%%# ~~%##~~~~~~~### ###~~~ # #~~~~# ~~%##~~~~ # ####~~~ # ###### ~%~##~~~~~~~### #####~~ ##~~~~~##### ######################################## HP: 75 (70) Armor: 2 ######################################## Magic: 50 (50) CP: 1 ###################################### Extra Lives: 1 Underwater Cave's Opening Modes: L

2 + kthorn 4 + Hectic Elf 8 = myrddin

II. A player's inventory is always shown. In myrddin's case you can see he has switched between the Hide and Fire shield increasing his Armor. Whats more, he's called the spell 'armor' increasing his Armor + 2. This room that they've entered has several monsters waiting to attack. The monsters move in real time and not in a 'turn' fashion such as in nethack. Some monsters can be very aggressive and will chase you down and kill you.

#~~~~~~~~~~ ~t~~~~##########~ ~~# -+- - Items - -+- ##~~~ ~~~~########## ######### 0 - Gold: 407 ##~~ ~~~###### j##### 2 #### 1 - Battleaxe ) ##~ ### #### ##### # 2 - Hide Shield ############## r #### t ##### 4 3 - Fire Shield ########## #### ra###8 #######~~ ##### ## # ##### #### ### ### ##~~~ ###%%~ #### #### ##~~ ###~~% ~ #### ###### ####~~ #### ######## ~r## ########~~~ ### #### ##~ ~~## HP: 75 (72) Armor: 3 + 2 ############~ #######~~~ ~~~## Magic: 50 (44) CP: 1 ###################################### Extra Lives: 1 Underwater Cave Modes: L

2 + kthorn 4 + Hectic Elf 8 = myrddin

III. kthorn has been end and Hectic Elf and myrddin are left as partners. This area is a pennisula nearly surrounded by water with a narrow bridge guarded by a savage Hill Troll. Here is what actual game play is like when players only use magic. myrddin calls a 'fireball' spell and in seconds will incinerate that 'r' (giant rat) and whatever it may be holding. Hectic Elf has called magic missle '*' which travels down the screen at the 'p' (pirate).

~~ ~~~~~~~~ -+- - Items - -+- ~~~ ~~~~ 0 - Gold: 502 ~~~ * 4 ~~~~ 1 - Battleaxe ) ~~~~ 8 **** r ~~~~ 2 - Hide Shield ~~~~~ * ~~~~~ 3 - Fire Shield ~~~~~ ~ * ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~ p ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~ a ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~ ### ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HP: 75 (75) Armor: 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Magic: 50 (30) CP: 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Extra Lives: 1 Troll booth. Modes: L

4 + Hectic Elf 8 = myrddin

IV. Hectic Elf was end by the Troll and myrddin has made it to the ruined village where he is attempting to descend the stairs and into to the dungeons below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -+- - Items - -+- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 0 - Gold: 501 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 - Scroll of Knowledge ~~~~~~~~ z ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 - Battleaxe ) ###### ########## ##### 3 - Hide Shield # # # # #%# #% ### ## ### #### # # ### % % # # ### ## ## #####%# ## 8 ~~~~~ z ~~~~~~~~~ HP: 75 (45) Armor: 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Magic: 50 (50) CP: 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Extra Lives: 1 Ruined village. Modes: L

8 = myrddin