Multi-User Dimension (MUD)
A MUD (Multiple User Dimension, Multiple User Dungeon, or Multiple User Dialogue) is a computer program which simulates a physical environment in which users can explore and interact with each other. Each user takes control of a computerized persona/avatar/incarnation/character. This character can walk around, chat with other characters, explore different areas of the virtual world, solve puzzles designed by the world' creater, and even create their own sections of the world or create objects that they or others can manipulate.
Richard Bartle, the co-author of the first MUD, has this to say about MUD:
[...] I am WELL aware what "MUD" stands for, and maybe once every 2 months have to tell someone. The "D" does stand for "Dungeon", but not because the original MUD (which I co-wrote) had a dungeon in it; rather it was because there was a hacked-up version of Zork doing the rounds at the time, which bore the name "Dungeon". We thought that this program would act as the archetype for single-player adventure games, so we called our game "Multi-User Dungeon" in an effort to convey some feeling of what the program did. As it happened, the genre was promptly called "Adventure games" after the Colossal Caves game "Adventure", so we were wrong in that respect. By then, though, we had our acronym.
Going by this definition, the multi-user game Quake qualifies as a full-fleged MUD because you can wander around, effect your environment, and can communicate with other players. But MUDs are useful for much more than games. MUD technology and applications have since evolved from its origin to provide applications such as on-line conferencing, help-desks, virtual shopping centers, etc. Marriage of the MUD technology with Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML), which provide 3-D graphics, and the web have created such applications as MOOSburg II, a web and Java-based social MUD. Many MUDs have been established for educational purposes in effect to create virtual classrooms or even entire campuses such as DiversityMOO. Other MUDs have been created as technical forums, such as BioMOO, an advanced MUD for biochemists, and CardiffMOO, a MOO for object-oriented programming research, and still others are social MUDs, such as LambdaMOO, and JayHouse MOO. Still others are crossovers between game and social MUDs, such as the Sprawl, collection of distributed MUDs, each with their own themse, such as ChibaMOO, a Neuromancer ( a book by William Gibson which spawned the Cyberpunk genre)-based web-enhanced virtual world.
MUDs have generated technical, educational, and social research. They have addressed technological issues of implementing virtual environments and virtual presence, effective use of virtual classrooms, and social issues on the nature of virtual communities.
Connecting to a MUD
There are several ways to connect to a MUD's Internet port. First, you can use telnet once you find out the MUD's network address and port number. If, for instance, we knew that MOOSburg was at the network address moosburg.cs.vt.edu at port 7777, we could type:
The second and recommended option is to use a MUD client program. Check out the ones best for your computer among the ones located here.
Most MUDs provide guest accounts. These guest accounts have limited capabilities, and no set identity since anyone who connects can use these guest accounts. To attain a more permanent identity and to become a member of the MUD community, you need to get a character. Some MUDs allow you to create your own, and others require you to send off for one via email. If you have to send off for one, send one e-mail request and wait. An account will be created for your character, complete with password so no one else can impersonate you. After receiving notification of your character, you should connect using this account and password.
Once you have connected, you should type "help", read the instructions and directions, and understand them. Then, type news, read the information, and understand it. Then (yes, we know, we know... it'll be fun, soon!) practice using the commands given to you until you think you've got a good enough grip to be able to start in on exploring, questing, socializing, or whatever else tunes your engine.
Getting around in a MUD
Most MUDS have a core of commands which players use to move around and interact with each other. For instance, there are commands for interacting with other players, like say (or sometimes "), and other commands like look, go, etc. And of course, there us always the most important one, help. Some will have special commands like home, which always places you in your home (designated point of origin in the MUD which you "own").
Commands prefixed by a @ (generally) allow you to change the database! Commands like @describe, @create, @name, @dig and @link allow you to expand the universe, change it, or even, perhaps, @destroy it, under certain conditions. Some MUDs allow a user to freely make changes such as add new sections to the virtual world or create objects, while others require the user to attain some status through specified accomplishments to get that priviledge.
The possible commands that a MUD can implement is endless and are unique to the MUD. Find the documentation for whatever MUD you're in and consume it avidly. Most MUDs have documentation on-line, although better documentation can be gotten via ftp from other sites or through their web pages. If you are in a MUD, ask around. People will generally be more than willing to help.
A more extensive list of MOO commands, which are usable in MOOsburg, can be found here.
Further Exploration 