7

TREASURES IN MUD

Most of the objects that you'll find scattered about the Land are worth points if dropped in the swamp. Some of the treasure (known in mudspeke as T) are very easy to find, but aren't worth very much. New players are left to go after these, while more experienced players go off in quest of bigger and better things. Easy to find treasure, called surface T because it's just sitting on the ground at the beginning of each game, doesn't last too long as players snap it up very quickly. The other treasures which lie deep in tin mines or in wrecked galleons off the coast are much more difficult to reach, and the major portion of each game is spent trying to find these. The most valuable of all the different treasures are not only hard to find, but protected by all manner of puzzles, riddles and traps!

If an object isn't valuable as far as points go, it probably has a special use that will help lead to other more valuable items. For example, the wand is one of MUD's most important items. It has no intrinsic value, yet the start of every game of MUD is marked by a mad rush of players trying to find it, and other magical items before anyone else. The wand is extremely useful to higher level characters who use it to destroy many of the lesser monsters which plague the Land. Instead of engaging in deadly combat, the wand can be used as a kind of medieval laser, to ZAP monsters quickly and easily into non-existence. The wand does have its limits though; stronger monsters can resist its effects. If you try to ZAP the ravenous wolf, the wand is eaten (thus removing it from the game) and then the wolf goes after you! Attempting to ZAP the dragon produces similar results. Other items to look out for in MUD include the amulet, the oracle, the mirror and the crystals, to describe only a few. Some treasures in MUD require a secondary item to get at them, a basic example of which is the tin, which needs to be dug out of the walls with a sharp object. Here is a list of some of MUD's more important objects and their methods of use.

The Wand
The wand can be used to ZAP items, monsters or even other players. This makes it one of MUD'S most useful items as it allows you to avoid costly engagements with various assailants.

The Oracle
The oracle allows you to find out the location of any object you desire, you can use it up to seven times before its magic fades.

The Amulet
You can force another player to do anything, but only once, with the amulet. After you have used its magic once, the amulet turns to dust in your hands. Until you reach wizard, this is the closest you will get to the wizard command FORCE.

The Mirror
High-level characters can spy on other players using the mirror but only use it once per game. To stop snooping, however, the mirror must be broken. Another wiz command is unveiled here, SNOOP.

The Umbrella
When opened, the brolly (or parasol) is very useful for descending from high places. Like jumping off a cliff, for example.

The Bow and Baton
A player who uses these items together is able to transport himself all the way across the Land with a pass of the hand (literally). There are several items in MUD which can be used to get from place to place. Not all of them are as obvious as the flying carpet or the pegasus, however.

The Crystals
Characters can change their sex by inhaling the crystals.

The Wafers
Found scattered about the Land, these small biscuits boast amazing restorative properties.

The Pick
Players can dig for tin and other treasure with this item, but more importantly, it's used to get into the dwarven realm.

The Lantern
Players can use the lantern as a temporary source of light when exploring the unlit areas in MUD. The lantern is safer than an open flame as it doesn't ignite swamp gas!

Firestones
The glowing gems are used as light sources too, but they also have several side effects. Some are helpful - they prevent your being summoned involuntarily - but others aren't so beneficial.

The Horn
The horn is another item which can be used once only. It is used to summon another player and deposit him or her in the same room as you - which is extremely useful if you want to kill someone.

While this list is by no means complete, it does give you an idea of the variety available during a game of MUD. None of the items listed above is worth that many points (except the oracle and the amulet before you use their magic) but through their correct use, clever players can locate various valuable treasures. There are some restrictions on the use of magical items, however. To use most of them you must be of a certain rank (or higher), which keeps new players from grabbing items which they'll have no idea of what to do with (it also gives them an incentive for reaching a higher level, so that they can try them out!). It's always interesting to watch your persona grow in strength as you play, and to explore your new capabilities as you ascend the ranks, towards wizard.

Players will find that if they play in teams, MUD becomes much easier. Working together, two players can accomplish a lot more in the same amount of time than if they weren't co-operating. Some players take a fiendish delight in double-crossing their former allies and making off with the loot, so choose your friends carefully. On top of that, wizards often intervene (meddle?), by forcing one member of a team to do something which causes the other member to doubt his reliability. Occasionally, gangs will form and terrorize the other players, who often develop their own gangs and so on. The multi-user aspect of MUD is a lot of fun, and this sort of player-to-player interaction takes place all the time.

Long sessions of play will eventually deplete the Land's supply of treasure and at that point, a wizard will reset the game. A reset forces all the players to quit the game and saves their persona. It then restores the Land to its original state, with all the treasure (and monsters!) put back in their starting positions (which may vary from game to game). A reset can be upsetting to players who have spent a lot of time to get to a specific area only to get chucked Out of the game, so wizards will normally only reset the game if every player agrees to it. On the other hand, MUDs sometimes need to reset themselves in which case you get a message Something magical is happening . . .. In that case you will leave the game, and will be able to restart in two or three minutes. If this happens and you lose many points, a friendly wizard will be happy to help you regain lost points. This doesn't happen too often though, but to be safe you should type in SAVE every time you drop some treasure in the swamp or score a lot of points. If there are no wizards about and the game has run out of treasure, there is a way in some MUDS to allow mortals to reset the game. It's currently a 'reset button' hidden deep in the mine, which only works if the majority of the treasures are in the swamp and if no-one else is playing. This prevents mortals who can find the button from making life a misery for everyone else, by resetting the game once a minute.