Genesis LPMud
Encyclopedia
Genesis LPMud, a multi-player computer game
, is the original LPMud
founded in April 1989 by Lars Pensjö
, now running on CD gamedriver and mudlib
, and previously hosted by Chalmers Computer Society, though hosting has since been moved to a dedicated, private server. Medieval fantasy
is the general theme. Roleplaying
is expected.
within the MUD
) is able to create objects by using a language similar to the C programming language
. Sparkle was the first area to be created in 1991. As new developers joined the MUD, they decided to adopt a ranking between developers themselves, in order to keep a specific balance between the new objects and areas. The game was divided in areas or domains, each in charge of a liege or main developer. The Liege determines the guidelines when working in the domain, point out what must, should and not be done, and approve developer's requests to join to the domain.
The source code
is available free of charge for non commercial purposes. This includes the CD gamedriver and mudlib
, the basic configuration and a standard area.
", stolen in the morning of the Universe from the kitchen of the Creator by her little errand boy, Fatty (Carl Hallén). For his crime, she cursed him to walk the surface of the donut for eternity, forever trying in vain to satiate his insatiable hunger. The donut is illuminated by the bottle of Starbrite (useful to polish the stars and other celestial bodies) suspended in the middle of the ring.
The fictional world of Dragonlance
is represented by the domain of Krynn (resulting of the merge between the Krynn and Ansalon domains), based on the continent of Ansalon
. Several areas or cities from the novels appear in the domain, including Palanthas, Kendermore, Solace and Xak Tsaroth. The timeline includes the War of the Lance
, based on the Chronicles, the initial trilogy written by Margaret Weis
and Tracy Hickman
in 1984.
The Time of Troubles
in the Faerûn
realm, described in the Forgotten Realms
series by Ed Greenwood
, is included a small domain in the MUD. J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
is represented through the domains of Gondor and Shire, based on Middle-earth
. Both domains include several cities, including Edoras, Minas Tirith
, Minas Morgul
and Pelargir. The Tolkien-based domains cover the War of the Ring
timeline. Finally, Genesis includes a domain based on Earthsea
, the fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin
for her A Wizard of Earthsea
novel. Included are the city of Gont, the town of Thwil in the island of Roke
and the village of Ten Alders. The City of Tyr is loosely based on the Dark Sun
setting.
Original areas include Terel, Avenir, created in the summer of 1993 to expand the Terel domain, borrowing from different sources about religion, philosophy and mythology, between other sources, Calia, Emerald, which includes the city of Telberin under the rule of elves
, and the Blackwall Mountain, where orc
s, troll
s, goblin
s and ogre
s can be found, Khalakhor, based on the Celt
ic culture from Scotland
and Ireland
, Raumdor, which includes the cities of Tyr and Kalad, one of the largest in the MUD, and Sparkle, the first domain created for the MUD.
As the domains include more than 25,000 rooms, travelling between them is done by either "walking" (the character moving one room at the time), ships (the character pays a fee, boards a ship, and travels from a domain to another), or by alternative, rarer means (portals, tunnels, magic, etc).
s and clubs, providing roleplaying opportunities and many other benefits. Every guild has a different set of restrictions, commonly race and alignment
. Some guilds have a leader, a player who determines the rules for the guild, and usually decide who can and who cannot join, determine member punishments, deal with other guild leaders, and when necessary, declare war on them.
As a member, the character
suffers the discount of a determined amount of combat and general experience
as long as he is member of the guild. The experience in this way taken, known as "tax", is used to increase the character status within the guild. The more guilds the character belongs to, the less amount of experience the character itself obtains.
Guilds can be classified as racial, occupational, layman or craftsman. Each guild must belong, but not limited, to a branch. Racial guilds are exclusive for a single race, and usually gives players a common background with other members of the same race. Occupational guilds decide the career of the player's character. Layman guilds add an amateur profession. Craftsman guilds give the character a hobby.
Some guilds belong to more than one type, in example, they are both occupational and layman at the same time. A character belonging to this guild is not able to join another occupational or layman guild. Another kind of guilds can be considered several types at the same time, in example, they can be either occupational or layman. A character belonging to this guild is able to join another occupational guild (the previous guild is considered layman) or another layman guild (the previous guild is considered occupational). This allows a greater freedom when selecting guilds.
As with domains, some guilds are based on literature works, while others are original. As of 2006, there are 49 different guilds, including sixteen racial guilds, fifteen occupational, fifteen layman and three craftsman guilds.
of Imladris
", the "Orcs of Middle-earth" and the "Dúnedain
Houses", where twelve houses are available for players to join, including Amandil
, Hador
, Húrin
, etc. Dragonlance racial guilds include the "Krynn Race Guild", which allows the character to adopt a surname based in Dragonlance books, and the "Inventors" of Mount Nevermind. Some guilds are loosely based in those works, including the "Kenders of Krynn", "Minotaurs of Krynn", the "Rockfriends of Blue Mountains" and the "Adventuresome Hobbits", while others are completely original, including the "Travellers' Guild", the "Holy Order of Thanar", "Eil-Galaith Houses", "Wildrunner and Deathstalker Legions", "Grunts Guild", "The Tribe of the Red Fang", and "Amazons of the Silent Forest".
", "Dragonarmies of Ansalon", "Dwarven Warriors of the Neidar Clan", "Priests of Takhisis
"), The Lord of the Rings ("Rangers of Arnor
", "Rangers of Ithilien
", "Society of Morgul
Mages", "Army of Angmar"), others are based on those fictional works but not found in them (like the "Ansalon
Elvish Archers", "Secret Society of Uncle Trapspringer" and the "Thornlin Militia"), and original ones ("Union of the Warriors of the Shadow", "Ancient Order of the Dragon", "Gladiators of Athas"( also loosely based on the Darksun series from AD&D 2nd Edition), "Vampires" (currently closed), "Calian Warriors", "The Free Mercenaries of Sparkle", the "Spirit Circle of Psuchae", and the "Army of Darkness").
", "Ansalon Elvish Archers" (which, together with the Thornlin Militia, can also be considered an occupational guild), "Minotaurs of the Bloodsea", "Pirates of the Bloodsea" and the "Templar Knights of Takhisis
"), they are not directly based on existing guilds in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance.
, the "Wise People" to be over 100 days old, the "Equestrians of Bree" to rent a horse, the "Ancients" to have belonged to the Mystics, an old and already removed guild from the game, the "Beggars" to be a relatively inexperienced character, the "Shields of Minas Morgul" to be evil aligned and support the Minas Morgul
cause, and the "Old Fogeys" to be hobbit, dwarf or human). Some clubs have free entrance, like the "Storytellers".
Clubs increase the amount of "emotes" and actions the character can display.
, Sweden
and Poland
, although there are players from other 25 countries in lesser amounts.
According to the rules, a player can have several characters, but use only one at a time. Breaking this rule (known as double login
) is considered cheating
, with punishment ranging from warnings to character deletion.
There are two kind of players: those controlling mortal characters (usually referred as mortal players or just mortals) and those controlling immortal characters (usually known as immortals or wizards).
Mortal players get their denomination by the fact that their characters can die if their health goes below 1 point.
The concept of character class
does not exist in Genesis. The system of play for the Genesis Mud is a classless system, where an individual character may change and grow as he or she sees fit. This allows for a character to be a member of multiple guilds throughout its lifetime, allowing for freedom of movement and a more robust role-playing potential.
Similarly, numerical levels do not exist within the Genesis system. To measure absolute character size, Genesis uses its own scale, based on total experience. As the character gains experience, new mortal titles are achieved. Because of the unique Genesis skill system, in many cases a difference of size is not enough to ensure a victory. Although originally nine, in 2001 they were increased to sixteen levels, from utter novice to myth, the smallest and highest titles, respectively.
The ranking of mortal level progresses as follows:
(Utter) Novice < Greenhorne < Beginner < Apprentice < Wanderer < Adventurer < Adept < Great Adventurer < Veteran < Expert < Rising Hero < Hero < Titan < Champion < Legend < Myth
Experience progress during a game session can be tracked using a special command. Although it is not possible to see how many experience point
s have been earned, the player is still able to follow the character's growth by eleven progress labels, depending on the amount of experience points compared with the initial amount of experience the character had at the beginning of such session. Experience can be gained from battles, quest
s, and general things such as forging items and picking herbs.
Alignment is another transient property of character development, as unlike some variations of the MUD phenomenon, characters are not restricted to a single alignment path. Alignment changes through quests completed and monsters slain, and may rise or fall depending on the character's current leanings. There are 23 alignment levels, with one true "neutral" level.
Evil character alignment progresses from Neutral to Damned along the following path:
Neutral | Disagreeable | Untrustworthy | Unsympathetic | Sinister | Wicked | Nasty | Foul | Evil | Malevolent | Beastly | Demonic | Damned
Good character alignment progresses from Neutral to Holy along the following path:
Neutral | Agreeable | Trustworthy | Sympathetic | Nice | Sweet | Good | Devout | Blessed | Saintly | Holy
Character development may also take the form of role-play. Through role-play, characters may establish themselves as unique individuals among the population of the Donut. This takes several forms, from ideologies, to mannerisms, speech, and play style. Role-play may be aided through the use of clubs and emotes, which allow the character to more fully develop his or her persona.
or wizards
) are the administrators of the MUD. The wizards take care of the game itself, keeping it running, upgrading computer hardware
, creating new items and areas, fixing bugs and keeping track of the behaviour of the mortal players.
Though immortal players cannot play the game with their immortal character, they can do so with a mortal character.
To become an immortal, the player must apply for wizardhood after having experienced the game for some time and read the different help files
. If the player has many characters, the most active character would be allowed for wizardhood. As a wizard, he will have to choose a domain in which to serve, and once his application is accepted by the Liege of the domain, he will be allowed to code for it.
Immortal players are specifically divided into different groups: apprentices (players who are currently not linked to any domain available), wizards (the majority of immortals assigned to domains), archwizards (head of a group of wizards with a determined task, like the Arch of Players in charge of verifying abuse of rules
and solve conflicts between mortal players, the Arch of Events in charge of creating special events for the players to participate in, and the Arch of Balance, in charge of keeping the balance between the players and the MUD, and between the guilds themselves), lieges (wizards in charge of a domain), stewards (lieges assistants) keepers (wizards who maintain the physical hardware, update the operating system
where the MUD is running, the gamedriver and the mudlib), mages (retired or not active wizards) and pilgrims (invited people).
s, elves
, dwarves, hobbit
s, gnome
s, and goblin
s. It is possible for players to change the race of their character after the character has died. It is also possible to adopt a sub-race during the game.
, kender
s, minotaur
s, hobgoblin
s and orc
s. The Nazgûl
sub-race is reserved to the leaders of the "Society of Morgul Mages". Also, the ogre sub-race is reserved for soldiers of the Army of Darkness.
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
, is the original LPMud
LPMud
LPMud, abbreviated LP, is a family of MUD server software. Its first instance, the original LPMud game driver, was developed in 1989 by Lars Pensjö...
founded in April 1989 by Lars Pensjö
Lars Pensjö
Lars Pensjö of Sweden is the original author of the LPMud MUD engine and the LPC programming language, and is one of the founders of Genesis LPMud, notable for their part in the history of MMORPGs as well as the Pike programming language. He attended Chalmers University of Technology in...
, now running on CD gamedriver and mudlib
CD gamedriver and mudlib
CD gamedriver and CD mudlib are popular LPMud gamedriver and mudlib. The name CD comes from Chalmers Datorförening , which most of the developers were members of.- History :...
, and previously hosted by Chalmers Computer Society, though hosting has since been moved to a dedicated, private server. Medieval fantasy
Medieval fantasy
Medieval fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that encompasses medieval era high fantasy and sometimes simply represents fictitious versions of historic events. This subgenre is common among role-playing games, text-based roleplaying, and high-fantasy literature....
is the general theme. Roleplaying
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
is expected.
History
Genesis was created as the first implementation of the LPC language, in which the developer (commonly known as a wizardWizard (MUD)
Wizard is commonly used in MUDs, particularly LPMuds, AberMUDs and MU*, as a term for the MUD's developers and administrators. The usage originates with Richard Bartle's original MUD1 and MUD2. It is frequently abbreviated "wiz", which is sometimes used as a verb; to wiz is to become a wizard...
within 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...
) is able to create objects by using a language similar to the C programming language
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
. Sparkle was the first area to be created in 1991. As new developers joined the MUD, they decided to adopt a ranking between developers themselves, in order to keep a specific balance between the new objects and areas. The game was divided in areas or domains, each in charge of a liege or main developer. The Liege determines the guidelines when working in the domain, point out what must, should and not be done, and approve developer's requests to join to the domain.
The source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
is available free of charge for non commercial purposes. This includes the CD gamedriver and mudlib
CD gamedriver and mudlib
CD gamedriver and CD mudlib are popular LPMud gamedriver and mudlib. The name CD comes from Chalmers Datorförening , which most of the developers were members of.- History :...
, the basic configuration and a standard area.
World
According to an ancient legend, Genesis is a giant "donutDoughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
", stolen in the morning of the Universe from the kitchen of the Creator by her little errand boy, Fatty (Carl Hallén). For his crime, she cursed him to walk the surface of the donut for eternity, forever trying in vain to satiate his insatiable hunger. The donut is illuminated by the bottle of Starbrite (useful to polish the stars and other celestial bodies) suspended in the middle of the ring.
Domains
The world of Genesis is divided into twelve domains, each one following a single theme. While some are based on literary works, others are original inventions. Every domain may have a different timeline, adjusting events based on the domain's current time.The fictional world of Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
is represented by the domain of Krynn (resulting of the merge between the Krynn and Ansalon domains), based on the continent of Ansalon
Ansalon
Ansalon is a continent on Krynn, the fictional world of the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
. Several areas or cities from the novels appear in the domain, including Palanthas, Kendermore, Solace and Xak Tsaroth. The timeline includes the War of the Lance
War of the Lance
The War of the Lance is a fictional war in the Dragonlance setting, created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.-Publication history:The War of the Lance is the prime conflict in the Dragonlance saga....
, based on the Chronicles, the initial trilogy written by Margaret Weis
Margaret Weis
Margaret Edith Weis is a fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in fantastic worlds.-Early life:Margaret Weis was born in 1948 in Independence, Missouri, and later attended...
and Tracy Hickman
Tracy Hickman
Tracy Raye Hickman is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR...
in 1984.
The Time of Troubles
Time of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)
The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game...
in the Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
realm, described in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
series by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
, is included a small domain in the MUD. J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
is represented through the domains of Gondor and Shire, based on Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. Both domains include several cities, including Edoras, Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
and Pelargir. The Tolkien-based domains cover the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
timeline. Finally, Genesis includes a domain based on Earthsea
Earthsea
Earthsea is a fictional realm originally created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story "The Word of Unbinding", published in 1964. Earthsea became the setting for a further six books, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, and continuing with The Tombs of Atuan, The...
, the fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
for her A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K. Le Guin and set in the fantasy world archipelago of Earthsea depicting the adventures of a budding young wizard named Ged...
novel. Included are the city of Gont, the town of Thwil in the island of Roke
Islands of Earthsea
The Islands of Earthsea are the hundreds of named islands, groups of islands, and unnamed islets that make up the lands of the largely oceanic fantasy world of Earthsea in the stories of Ursula K. Le Guin.-List of Islands and Places:...
and the village of Ten Alders. The City of Tyr is loosely based on the Dark Sun
Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....
setting.
Original areas include Terel, Avenir, created in the summer of 1993 to expand the Terel domain, borrowing from different sources about religion, philosophy and mythology, between other sources, Calia, Emerald, which includes the city of Telberin under the rule of elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
, and the Blackwall Mountain, where orc
Orc
An orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
s, troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s, goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s and ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
s can be found, Khalakhor, based on the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic culture from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Raumdor, which includes the cities of Tyr and Kalad, one of the largest in the MUD, and Sparkle, the first domain created for the MUD.
As the domains include more than 25,000 rooms, travelling between them is done by either "walking" (the character moving one room at the time), ships (the character pays a fee, boards a ship, and travels from a domain to another), or by alternative, rarer means (portals, tunnels, magic, etc).
Guilds and clubs
Players are able to join various guildGuild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s and clubs, providing roleplaying opportunities and many other benefits. Every guild has a different set of restrictions, commonly race and alignment
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
. Some guilds have a leader, a player who determines the rules for the guild, and usually decide who can and who cannot join, determine member punishments, deal with other guild leaders, and when necessary, declare war on them.
As a member, the character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
suffers the discount of a determined amount of combat and general experience
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
as long as he is member of the guild. The experience in this way taken, known as "tax", is used to increase the character status within the guild. The more guilds the character belongs to, the less amount of experience the character itself obtains.
Guilds can be classified as racial, occupational, layman or craftsman. Each guild must belong, but not limited, to a branch. Racial guilds are exclusive for a single race, and usually gives players a common background with other members of the same race. Occupational guilds decide the career of the player's character. Layman guilds add an amateur profession. Craftsman guilds give the character a hobby.
Some guilds belong to more than one type, in example, they are both occupational and layman at the same time. A character belonging to this guild is not able to join another occupational or layman guild. Another kind of guilds can be considered several types at the same time, in example, they can be either occupational or layman. A character belonging to this guild is able to join another occupational guild (the previous guild is considered layman) or another layman guild (the previous guild is considered occupational). This allows a greater freedom when selecting guilds.
As with domains, some guilds are based on literature works, while others are original. As of 2006, there are 49 different guilds, including sixteen racial guilds, fifteen occupational, fifteen layman and three craftsman guilds.
Race guilds
Some race guilds are based in existing fictional works. From Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series, the "NoldorNoldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
of Imladris
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
", the "Orcs of Middle-earth" and the "Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
Houses", where twelve houses are available for players to join, including Amandil
Amandil
Amandil is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Amandil was a Lord of Andúnië, succeeding his father Númendil upon his death. Amandil is most noted for being the father of Elendil, founder of the Númenórean Realms in Exile....
, Hador
Hador
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hador was a Lord of Men during the First Age.- Biography :Hador, also called in Sindarin Lórindol because he had fair blond hair, was the great-great-grandson of Marach, one of the leaders of the Atanatári, and ruled over the Folk of Marach which later became...
, Húrin
Húrin
Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Middle-earth...
, etc. Dragonlance racial guilds include the "Krynn Race Guild", which allows the character to adopt a surname based in Dragonlance books, and the "Inventors" of Mount Nevermind. Some guilds are loosely based in those works, including the "Kenders of Krynn", "Minotaurs of Krynn", the "Rockfriends of Blue Mountains" and the "Adventuresome Hobbits", while others are completely original, including the "Travellers' Guild", the "Holy Order of Thanar", "Eil-Galaith Houses", "Wildrunner and Deathstalker Legions", "Grunts Guild", "The Tribe of the Red Fang", and "Amazons of the Silent Forest".
Occupational guilds
These guilds define the general environment for the character. By belonging to a determined occupational guild, characters will fight determined enemies, will defend some lands and attack others. As with racial guilds, some are based in existing fantasy works, like Dragonlance ("Knights of SolamniaKnights of Solamnia
In the fictional Dragonlance universe, the Solamnic Knights are a chivalric order, a "brotherhood forged when Krynn was young". The Solamnic Order is dedicated to the forces of light and live by a strict code of honor...
", "Dragonarmies of Ansalon", "Dwarven Warriors of the Neidar Clan", "Priests of Takhisis
Takhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
"), The Lord of the Rings ("Rangers of Arnor
Rangers of the North
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of the North, also known as the Dúnedain of the North, were the descendants of the Dúnedain from the lost kingdom of Arnor...
", "Rangers of Ithilien
Rangers of Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien...
", "Society of Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
Mages", "Army of Angmar"), others are based on those fictional works but not found in them (like the "Ansalon
Ansalon
Ansalon is a continent on Krynn, the fictional world of the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game....
Elvish Archers", "Secret Society of Uncle Trapspringer" and the "Thornlin Militia"), and original ones ("Union of the Warriors of the Shadow", "Ancient Order of the Dragon", "Gladiators of Athas"( also loosely based on the Darksun series from AD&D 2nd Edition), "Vampires" (currently closed), "Calian Warriors", "The Free Mercenaries of Sparkle", the "Spirit Circle of Psuchae", and the "Army of Darkness").
Layman guilds
Most of the layman guilds available in the game are original, including the "Ancient Order of the Dragon", "Cadets of Gelan", "Tricksters", "Elemental Worshippers of Calia", "Gardeners of Gont", "August Order of Minstrels", "Blademasters of Khalakhor" and the "Necromancers of Vile Darkness". While some are based in literature environments (like the "Shieldbearers of Iron Delving", "Cabal Thieves of Hiddukel", "Thornlin Militia", "Heralds of the ValarVala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
", "Ansalon Elvish Archers" (which, together with the Thornlin Militia, can also be considered an occupational guild), "Minotaurs of the Bloodsea", "Pirates of the Bloodsea" and the "Templar Knights of Takhisis
Takhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
"), they are not directly based on existing guilds in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance.
Craftsman guilds
The newer branch of guilds, craftsman guilds, do not give combat-related skills. The only guilds available in this slot are the Mariners of the High Seas, the Blacksmiths of Bree, and the Gardeners of Gont. Both the Blacksmiths of Bree and the Gardeners of Gont were formerly layman-only guilds, but have been converted so that they can used in either the layman guild slot or the craftsman guild slot. This allows players greater flexibility in customizing their characters, as well as slight advantages gained by the use of their special abilities. Blacksmiths are able to create armor and weapons to be worn and used by players; Gardeners can collect herbs to aid with skills, healing, etc. in their adventures; Mariners will find it easier to travel and to access certain areas on the Donut.Clubs
Contrary to the guilds, clubs do not have taxes. Characters can join any number of clubs as long as they fill the requirements each has (for example, the "Dancers of the Veil", the "Nisse Ohtar" and the "Ladies Club" require the character to be female, the "Mummers of Sybarus" and the "Gentlemen Club" to be male, the "Rich Men Club" to pay a determined amount of money upon joining, the "Prestigious Knights Club" to be good alignedAlignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
, the "Wise People" to be over 100 days old, the "Equestrians of Bree" to rent a horse, the "Ancients" to have belonged to the Mystics, an old and already removed guild from the game, the "Beggars" to be a relatively inexperienced character, the "Shields of Minas Morgul" to be evil aligned and support the Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
cause, and the "Old Fogeys" to be hobbit, dwarf or human). Some clubs have free entrance, like the "Storytellers".
Clubs increase the amount of "emotes" and actions the character can display.
Players and characters
Genesis has several hundred players, increasing at an average of 3 players per day. During most part of the day, at least a dozen are logged in. The majority of the players are from United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, although there are players from other 25 countries in lesser amounts.
According to the rules, a player can have several characters, but use only one at a time. Breaking this rule (known as double login
Login
Login is the method whereby a user obtains access to a computer system.Login may also refer to:*Magazines:** LOGiN, published by Enterbrain** ;login:, published by USENIX* Login, Carmarthenshire, an hamlet in Carmarthenshire...
) is considered cheating
Cheating in online games
Cheating in online games is an activity that modifies the game experience to give one player an advantage over others. Depending on the game, different activities constitute cheating and it is either a matter of game policy or consensus opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to...
, with punishment ranging from warnings to character deletion.
There are two kind of players: those controlling mortal characters (usually referred as mortal players or just mortals) and those controlling immortal characters (usually known as immortals or wizards).
Mortals
The majority of the population is made of players controlling mortal characters (or simply mortal players), the real players of the game. Mortal players can join different guilds, use items, quest, travel, execute different actions, fight each other and become leaders of their guild, and many other things.Mortal players get their denomination by the fact that their characters can die if their health goes below 1 point.
Character development
Characters can be developed in several ways, including growth in size, alignment, and role-playing.Character class
The concept of character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
does not exist in Genesis. The system of play for the Genesis Mud is a classless system, where an individual character may change and grow as he or she sees fit. This allows for a character to be a member of multiple guilds throughout its lifetime, allowing for freedom of movement and a more robust role-playing potential.
Character level
Similarly, numerical levels do not exist within the Genesis system. To measure absolute character size, Genesis uses its own scale, based on total experience. As the character gains experience, new mortal titles are achieved. Because of the unique Genesis skill system, in many cases a difference of size is not enough to ensure a victory. Although originally nine, in 2001 they were increased to sixteen levels, from utter novice to myth, the smallest and highest titles, respectively.
The ranking of mortal level progresses as follows:
(Utter) Novice < Greenhorne < Beginner < Apprentice < Wanderer < Adventurer < Adept < Great Adventurer < Veteran < Expert < Rising Hero < Hero < Titan < Champion < Legend < Myth
Experience progress during a game session can be tracked using a special command. Although it is not possible to see how many experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s have been earned, the player is still able to follow the character's growth by eleven progress labels, depending on the amount of experience points compared with the initial amount of experience the character had at the beginning of such session. Experience can be gained from battles, quest
Quest
In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...
s, and general things such as forging items and picking herbs.
Character alignment
Alignment is another transient property of character development, as unlike some variations of the MUD phenomenon, characters are not restricted to a single alignment path. Alignment changes through quests completed and monsters slain, and may rise or fall depending on the character's current leanings. There are 23 alignment levels, with one true "neutral" level.
Evil character alignment progresses from Neutral to Damned along the following path:
Neutral | Disagreeable | Untrustworthy | Unsympathetic | Sinister | Wicked | Nasty | Foul | Evil | Malevolent | Beastly | Demonic | Damned
Good character alignment progresses from Neutral to Holy along the following path:
Neutral | Agreeable | Trustworthy | Sympathetic | Nice | Sweet | Good | Devout | Blessed | Saintly | Holy
Character role-play
Character development may also take the form of role-play. Through role-play, characters may establish themselves as unique individuals among the population of the Donut. This takes several forms, from ideologies, to mannerisms, speech, and play style. Role-play may be aided through the use of clubs and emotes, which allow the character to more fully develop his or her persona.
Immortals
The players with immortal characters (usually known as simply immortal playersImmortal (MUD)
An immortal, in MUDs and particularly DikuMUDs, is an administrator and/or developer of the game, often a player who has achieved "immortal" status by achievements within the game world. It is frequently abbreviated "imm" or "immort"...
or wizards
Wizard (MUD)
Wizard is commonly used in MUDs, particularly LPMuds, AberMUDs and MU*, as a term for the MUD's developers and administrators. The usage originates with Richard Bartle's original MUD1 and MUD2. It is frequently abbreviated "wiz", which is sometimes used as a verb; to wiz is to become a wizard...
) are the administrators of the MUD. The wizards take care of the game itself, keeping it running, upgrading computer hardware
Computer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
, creating new items and areas, fixing bugs and keeping track of the behaviour of the mortal players.
Though immortal players cannot play the game with their immortal character, they can do so with a mortal character.
To become an immortal, the player must apply for wizardhood after having experienced the game for some time and read the different help files
Online help
Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through computer software. It is a form of user assistance. Most online help is designed to give assistance in the use of a software application or operating system, but can also be used to present information on a broad...
. If the player has many characters, the most active character would be allowed for wizardhood. As a wizard, he will have to choose a domain in which to serve, and once his application is accepted by the Liege of the domain, he will be allowed to code for it.
Immortal players are specifically divided into different groups: apprentices (players who are currently not linked to any domain available), wizards (the majority of immortals assigned to domains), archwizards (head of a group of wizards with a determined task, like the Arch of Players in charge of verifying abuse of rules
Cheating in online games
Cheating in online games is an activity that modifies the game experience to give one player an advantage over others. Depending on the game, different activities constitute cheating and it is either a matter of game policy or consensus opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to...
and solve conflicts between mortal players, the Arch of Events in charge of creating special events for the players to participate in, and the Arch of Balance, in charge of keeping the balance between the players and the MUD, and between the guilds themselves), lieges (wizards in charge of a domain), stewards (lieges assistants) keepers (wizards who maintain the physical hardware, update the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
where the MUD is running, the gamedriver and the mudlib), mages (retired or not active wizards) and pilgrims (invited people).
Races
Six races are available at the beginning: humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
, dwarves, hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s, gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s, and goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s. It is possible for players to change the race of their character after the character has died. It is also possible to adopt a sub-race during the game.
Sub-races
Sub-races are variations from the main races, available only to certain races and in certain situations. To achieve a sub-race, a determined race is needed. There are 5 readily-available sub-races: half-elvesHalf-elven
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Half-elven are the children of the union of Elves and Men. The Half-elven are not a distinct race from Elves and Men, and must ultimately choose to which race they belong...
, kender
Kender
Kender are a type of fantasy race first developed for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game published by TSR Inc. in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a playable character in a series of role-playing adventures...
s, minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
s, hobgoblin
Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin is a term typically applied in folktales to describe a friendly but troublesome creature of the Seelie Court.The most commonly known hobgoblin is the character Puck in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck, however, is only another name given to a much older character named Robin...
s and orc
Orc
An orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
s. The Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
sub-race is reserved to the leaders of the "Society of Morgul Mages". Also, the ogre sub-race is reserved for soldiers of the Army of Darkness.