Dead Souls is a MUD

MUD

A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...

 library (mudlib

Mudlib

A mudlib, short for mud library, is a library of code forming part of the technical infrastructure of a MUD. Though different varieties of MUD may be considered to have mudlibs, the term is most often used with LPMuds. In an LPMud, the mudlib consists of interpreted code written in the LPC...

), a software infrastructure for creating a text-based virtual world. It is classed in the following versions:

• Dead Souls 1.1 was the final release by its original head developer, George Reese
  George Reese (computer programmer)
  George Reese is an author and developer of several Open Source frameworks. George was born in Houston, Texas and attended Bates College where he majored in Philosophy. While in college he was program director of the local radio station, WRBC. He is currently CTO of enStratus and founder of Valtira...
  
  . Dead Souls 1.1 was in most respects the last released version of the Nightmare Mudlib
  Nightmare Mudlib
  The Nightmare Mudlib is a set of LPC programming language frameworks created by George Reese for building multi-user role playing games using the MudOS LPMud driver...
  
  , as the chief differences between the two libs were that Dead Souls lacked documentation and the gamedriver to run it.

• Dead Souls 1.2 through Dead Souls 2.x are the result of the effort to revive and re-release Dead Souls in a form usable and useful to the MUD
  MUD
  A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
  
   community.

Version differences

The difference between versions 1.1 and 2.x is dramatic, in that as released, 1.1 was exceptionally difficult to implement without a great deal of MudOS

MudOS

MudOS is a major family of LPMud server software, implementing its own variant of the LPC programming language. It first came into being on February 18, 1992. It pioneered important technical innovations in MUDs, including the network socket support that made InterMUD communications possible and...

, LPC, and Nightmare

Nightmare Mudlib

The Nightmare Mudlib is a set of LPC programming language frameworks created by George Reese for building multi-user role playing games using the MudOS LPMud driver...

-specific experience. The 2.x versions are marked by their user-friendliness, ease of use and implementation, and new, simple systems for world-creation. The attempt to widen the usability and appeal of Dead Souls is seen in its introduction of a version designed for Microsoft Windows.

Dead Souls 2 experienced a surge in popularity in 2006 and as of October 2006 it is the mudlib with most entries on *yatmim, an intermud-3

InterMUD

InterMUD or interMU* communications is the commonly accepted terminology for different methods of allowing MUDs to communicate with each other. Some of the more common of these methods are custom protocols over the internet, IPC messages, and bots. The custom protocol method, which is by far the...

router.

In September 2006, a Dead Souls support forum opened on LPMuds.net, providing users with a central location to seek advice and news on the mudlib and its development.

External links

• Dead Souls The official Dead Souls homepage
• LPMuds Website Home of the official Dead Souls support forum