These are the MUGs I have been most
closely associated with.
Don't know what a MUG is? This academic
review written in 1990, will tell you more than you probably wish
to know.
I started playing Shades on Micronet in January 1987 and reached the
rank of Malwen the Witch on 16th December 1987. Some said I didn't
deserve this honour, and if it was essential to be bloodthirsty and
wield a deadly blade, then they are right. I managed by a
combination of extreme caution and making friends.
Lap of the Gods
I became Malwen, a demigoddess, in this land. It was a very
long haul getting there as a huge number of points is required for
deification. However, the intricate system whereby players are
encouraged to co-operate in rituals to enhance the value of their
offerings meant that making friends was a definite aid to
advancement, and was what I like to spend most of my MUG time doing
anyway.
The Zone
I was roped into this game at a very early stage in its development.
The tale has been told before, but maybe you missed it? Gandalf the
Wizard, in Shades (see above), invited me to contribute a Room to his
new game. But he went off to the pub without giving me any
guidelines. I wrote the Rose Bower. He liked it but explained that
everyone else had written bedrooms and there was no sensible place to
put a rose bower. So I offered to write a garden for the house that
he was writing. And then I wrote the Attic, the underground
Temple, the Deer Park, the Stables and, in the end, the rest
of the Land. Hence I became Isolde, Imager.
I also wrote the text for some of the mobiles (the kittens being my
favorites), puzzles (I like the gargoyle best) and interactions
in the game.
A special Thank You to Chris Butterworth
for making it all work.
Jaggery also made a big contribution to making the game special.
Mud II
This game has many incarnations. The one I played most ran at Almac.
I was playing via the Internet, with all the unpredictable lag that
comes with it. Being a Pacifist suited both my temperament and the lag
so I rose to be Malwen the Minstrel before access to that game was lost.
I enjoy playing this game whenever I find it lurking on the
Internet.
You may find it on telnet 193.114.248.2 or maybe 199.182.210.2
The Void
I was invited by its creator, Dirk, to write an area for his new game
and, by special request, did Narnia where I am Realm Ruler, though
very much an absentee one, alas. The first Son of Adam adopted
into my realm was Map.
Avalon
I created the Bard's Guild, its headquarters and magic use of songs
and instruments, and was its first Guild Mistress. The game developed
greatly, becoming very complex such that it became difficult for me
to keep up with the changes as I could not afford the time to play
as much as was required. I gave up when its internal reality became
too close to real life in matters of eating, clothing, taxation, and
breathing.
You can see it by telnet 193.131.248.120 or find out more on the
Avalon WWW site.
My home
© S.M.Thomas, 19th Nov.1997