I have been a player at Aethar since 2003, and am now an immortal there. I've been with the mud through a shutdown, and came back when it reopened. Aethar allows you to tri-class your character, giving you all of the skills/spells of those classes. That is my favorite aspect of the mud. Even better than that, are the people that play it. It's easy to see why many people have logged more than 2k hours on their chars. This is one game that will never get old to me. If you have any interest in muds at all, I highly recommend this with unique classes/races/skills/spells/vast majorty non-stock areas(easy to say, not so easy to do). Even the players contribute to the mud by building areas on the bport (they can't lead runs there until it has been done, to ensure balance which it's also notorious for). Stop by and check us out, Arklon

Since I first booted up Aethar almost a year ago now, I've loved every minute of it. Everybody there is a character, and I consider alot of them my family. Near everyone is friendly, and there is always someone to help. The remort system allows for you to create a character completely suited to your playing style, whether you like to be a tank, or stay in the background and cast. Everyone has the potential to be awesome, and that means pvp can be heart-pounding. There are some that have mkill down to an art form, and they constantly push the boundaries of what we can do, coming up with new strategies and ideas that help immensely. Soon our outstanding coder will be putting the finishing touches on a shadow-realm, an alternate world that is classless and levelless, and pkill :). Even if you don't stop in for the game, stop by for the people. They consistently suprise me with how good they are to me, and I'll never find another group of people I enjoy being with more. They ensure that Aethar will be my home for years to come.

The Lands of Aethar is a group oriented mud, where most (avatar- level) mobs require the combined effort of several player characters to kill. There is little emphasis on player versus player activities (though you may opt to play a deadly character, otherwise pvp is restricted to an special arena), and there is no roleplaying whatsoever. (Leveling is also very easy; completing the maximum triple classed level 50 character should take no more than 10 hours of play time and much less with the right advice.) If you are interesting in developing the prowess of your character(s) and facing a stiff challenge in terms of combating monsters, then Aethar might be the mud for you. However, one should note that is it almost impossible defeat the higher level mobs without the aid of comrades. Playing with two characters simultaneously is permitted (but no more than two), and if you are skilled and well equipped, this may allow you to defeat some of the avatar-level mobs on your own. However, in most cases, a large group will be necessary. My advise is to try Aethar only if you already have friends who play there, or if you are going to try it together with one or more friends. To facilitate playing in groups, Aethar has Kingdoms in place of guilds and orders/clans, where each kingdom (at presently there are two) corresponds to a player run organisation. Essentially, each kingdom is lead by its respective group of nobles (who are fairly skilled and knowledgeable), and who (in theory) organise various runs to assist the members of their kingdom (the practice though, at times may be spectacularly different). Most equipment is difficult to obtain, and obtaining it will require patience, and the good graces of your peers. Unfortunately, this also means that it may take some time before you are able to muster enough help to seek out any item you need. Additionally, most items have low probabilities of 'popping'; i.e., when and if you do manage to defeat a monster, the chances that it leave the treasure you desire may be very slim. This means that equipping your character(s) is a challenging process, though, with enough time, it may become monotonous. (There are also hidden skills, which your character(s) must also kill to obtain - again, these are typically not easy to obtain, and involves a deluge of trial and error, and of course painful combat.) Furthermore, as the kingdoms are player run, this means that all decisions regarding the kingdoms are decided by the nobles and other members of the kingdom. If you fall out of favour, you may be ignored, or worse, exiled. As I mentioned earlier, it is much more entertaining to trial this mud with a friend or two. Additionally, Aethar has a Guild to assist new players - the Guild of Guardians (those in the guild are paid and valor - i.e., glory - to assist new players), though I have found many an occasion where newbies are left to fend for themselves, with little intervention from these helpers (many of the more helpful players have left for greener pastures). Aethar is also a fairly old mud, with various past versions. Along with this, Aethar also boasts relics from pervious versions, which are no longer obtainable. This means that several of the older players may possess items that are far more powerful than those available to newer players. These items may also sometimes be bought with substantial amounts of valor (which are awarded for participation in immortal run quests - typically there are roughly one or two quests conducted each month, where small amounts of valor are awarded). Trading for such items is of course risky (as an item may be re-introduced on a whim). However, as most of the immortals are players themselves, there is the running suspicion that there is often more than game balance at stake when an old item is reintroduced. Still, the trading system is an interesting one, and there are plans to further expand this to include player shops. The development work on Aethar is progressing relatively smoothly, with the one remaining coder rolling out new features every so often. And the immortal staff, for the most part, are fair and at times even generous. However, on the whole, the Lands of Aethar is a challenging mud (mob-wise), where the focus is on obtaining equipment and developing your character. Playing here, you will undoubtedly face frantic battles that consist mainly of quaffing/eating healing potions/pills (a vast quantity of them). The remainder of the time will probably be spent seeking out help from the other players. In the words of a friend (himself a seasoned mudder): 'It's really not newbie friendly, there's not a lot to do, besides running mobs, and it's starting to resemble one of those major muds, where everyone bots. It's very hack 'n slash.'

Aethar is a place I will never forget. I've had good times and bad times alike, but thats what a good game is all about. You'll find yourself in love with this place after a few days playing. The gameplay is amazing for a text-based MUD. There is nothing slow about this game. You'll start out as a single class. I would choose a class with high dex. The staff has done a great job of balancing the class combos over the past few months; I am very proud. After you level the first class, you will remort into two more classes. Be sure to choose classes with like max stats. For example, if your base classes' max stat is wisdom, choose other classes with wisdom, or a warrior type class. Those are usually the best combos. Pros can level in just a few hours, while newer players may take a few days, While you level you'll have no problem getting help, when a new player asks a question over chat there are usually 4 or 5 older players that answer, usually trying to beat each other to the answer. :) You will also notice organizations called Kingdoms. At this time there are two, and it creates an excellent source of rivalry. Be sure to ask questions and study both kingdoms before joining. You should join a kingdom for the players. Try to pick one where you will get along with the people in it. Kingdoms also provide many advantages including better heal pills, repair mobs, shops, noteboards with directions for leveling and running, donation racks, and other things I am probably missing. Kingdoms also have noble ranks. If you show yourself as an exceptional player you will rise in the ranks, and your strength grows with rank. Your strength also grows with your character's age, so playing longer is rewarding. After you are an avatar at 3 classes you will need to adept your fighting skills, which doesn't take long at all. The staff has made the initial leveling/training quick, because obviously it is the boring and worthless part of most MUDs. After you are adept its time for Aethar to shine. The almost never-ending search for eq is outstanding. Each class has a set of eq which is, for the most part, completely seperate from the other classes. You will need help from kingdom members to run these mobs. The number of players required to fight mobs range from 1 up to 8 or so. Fighting can get pretty intense. You are allowed to log two characters, and the more elite players use two in fights. Fighting with two is a skill that requires practice, but is very helpful. During the best fights, the mobs do massive damage and you balance healing/attacking with delicacy. One wrong move and you are dead, and I'm not exaggerating. If you are a fan of group mkilling, it does NOT get better than this. I really hope to see online,... Read More

Aethar is a good hack 'n' slash mkill MUD. Much of the focus, at least from what I've seen, is placed on high level, high powered group battles against high-end enemies. Levelling is very quick, and seems to mostly just be there to let one ease into the game, get used to areas and commands, etc. The best strategy here is to join a kingdom early and let people know you're interested in joining run groups and get them to teach you the ropes.

This is the best mud I've seen in years. As a young man of 22 years, I started mudding at 10, and landed myself at RoD for quite a few years. After a long(4 or 5 year) hiatus, I returned to the MUD world in search of a world acceptant of myself. Well I found it. Their newbie world is helpful, yet not long, because leveling is so simple. Not that the mobs are easier, just that the avatars are more helpful. Also, in help with leveling, you can join a kingdom right away, finding better and cheaper heals, better spell rooms, etc, etc. Their multiclass system goes right along with the abundance of classes supported, and the new skills added frequently(some were added today, honest to goodness). In addition to the multiclass system, and right on par with it, is the stattraining. The imms are helpful, not vague like in some muds. Not that they aren't vague at times, but they won't give you a Confuscious riddle to decipher if you don't know what to do next, or where to go. Many of the people have been playing here for years, and it shows, not only in their knowledge, but in the tweaks of the Smaug based MUD. I have had a wonderful time in my stay, and plan to stay a long while. I would suggest any new mudder, or any long time mudder who just wants a change of scenery. As my new friend Coranthium (the kind sir who introduced me to leveling in this world, stattraining, and multiclass, and showed me best how to do it) said this very evening, "..a breath of fresh air". Tork

If you're looking for a great original smaug mud, aethar is something you should check out. Aethar was one of the first muds I joined and I've been playing steadily now for about two years. When I first started playing, I was still relatively clueless about mudding, let alone the different codebases. Luckily for me, Aethar was full of experienced players, who were more than willing to give me a hand. After my fair share of exploring and leveling, I joined a kingdom, and that's where the real fun started. After you've fully leveled your character (Including 3 remorts/multi-classing), you become immersed in the many opportunties Aethar has to offer. Quests, exploring, and recent addition to the list of skills are all here to enrich your experience. You'll make friends within, and even outside your kingdom. Your fellows will begin taking you on runs for better equipment, ranging from your first set of avatar equipment, to battling powerful mobs for the best pieces in the game. If you're interested drop by Aethar at Aethar.com port 5500

I have been playing the Lands of Aethar for quite some time now. This is by far the best mud I have ever played. The multi-class system allows you to select three different calsses from and extensive selection. Each class with it's specific skills and unique attributes. Kingdoms are offered for those who want...equipment, simply put. The mobs with the great eq require large groups of skilled av's to bring them down. The leveling is quick and painless, especially when you know where to go, which you can easily aquire by simply joining a Kingdom. PK is offered to those who dare. Create your own clan, buy a castle, with a storage room. It's an all round great mud experience, and I play to stay here for quite some time.

I had been looking for a mud home for about 2 months before I stumbled across Aethar. From the moment I logged on I was deluged with offers of people who genuinely seemed to want to help. The newbie zone that you are first dropped into is easy to understand and gives you instruction %90 of what you need to know and what to expect from other mobs you'll face later in the game. I have found the player's that I have come across to be some of the most dedicated player base I have come across. Some of them have played this mud for literally years. After playing for a short while I realized why: This mud is awesome. The zones are extrmely well written. The way the builders have constructed these zones it makes you to read the descriptions to find every "hidden" detail of the mud. Many of the mobs are interactive which I enjoy. The imm staff I have spoken to seem %100 committed to making sure you have the most enjoyable experience on the mud possible. They will listen to you concerns/comments and try and resolve the issue ASAP (They don't always accept your proposal for changes however they do take the time to explain why they didn't accept it or why they think it isn't a good idea.) If you want a mud that is you will enjoy many years to come I would strongly suggest you come and check out Land of Aethar. You will not be disappointed

Mudder in search for a worthy home, My past quests have taken me to many muds, only to leave after a short while, giving the mud a try. I did this so many times, until I stumbled on to Aethar some years ago. This mud had what I needed to stick around, the aspects of this mud will most likely grasp your attention as well. Reasons being, this mud is fun, plain and simple, those who find a home here stay here because they have fun. The immortal staff and the mortals alike want to help those who are new to the lands, to share the experience. No longer will you come to a new mud and ask for help, ask for some directions only to be ignored by those who have the time to help. You will be guided, assisted and treated as if you were a player there for a long time. Beside the helpful nature of the current playerbase to potential add-ons, the crux of the mud lies in the mkilling, questing (new quest imm rocks), and those who wish to dabble in pkill. The areas are many, so original, in depth, mind teasing, and capturing. I am not one to spend much time reading room descriptions, but I find myself more often than not spending the time to get the theme of the area (pluss sneaky builders like to hide things there). As for gameplay, this mud it truly unmatched, you will laugh at the difference betweem the way this mud works compared to your last, truly no comparison. Your looking for a new home, this mud is the place for you. When you log on do not be shy, do not be scared to say that your a noob. Infact that could be the smartest thing you could do, since it will grab the attention of others to help you and point you in the right direction. Most reviews, most people talking about why their mud is better than others miss the true reason why so many of us continure to play this game. Yes it is the gameplay, but more of it is fun. We would not be playing if we did not enjoy it, but there is another facet. As for me, I have certainly made life long friends playing this game. You earn and give trust to people and people to you. You spend your time making other better, teaching and helping. This game seperates itself from others because of the personal relationships that are created and sustained over a long period of time. Aethar is a glowing example of this, it gives credit to the type of people who play that make it great. So those who are looking for a new place, I would suggest to try Aethar. It will give you what you want, but more importantly what you need to have an enjoyable and rewarding gaming experience. Wish you luck in finding a new home you... Read More

Mudder in search for a worthy home,

What to say about Aethar? I'm not quite sure, I've been here for many years now, when we had Aethar I I started playing, and moved on and crossed over with the merger. There's something about Aethar, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it forces me back everytime I consider leaving, if it's the people, if it's the game, or perhaps the both of them together, I can't quite tell. I do love the game though, we have a new quest imm that has gotten the mud to live up again. The kingdoms are ok, I am one of those who enjoy the entire mud together as one, but as it is now it's ok with these kingdoms, it's nice to have people to mess around with and tickle now and then, throw some runs together and such. As beeing one of the Gog's I see alot, even tho I'm not the quickest that manage to jump to the newbie aid before others, but I see how much help they seem to recieve, and I try myself to help whenever I see them little newbies, never easy to come to a new mud, I love that Aethar have very good helpfiles though, and I love even more when people take the time to read them, will take them a bit down the road :) So, I guess in overall, Aethar's great, come check it out, you wont regret that you did, it's worth the time.

Aethar was the first mud I played. I have been playing Aethar for almost 5 years, and it is the only mud i have been able to play the entire 5 years. I tried other muds, but they just didn't compare. One of the good things about Aethar is that our Immortals constantly add areas and equipment. Another aspect of Aethar I enjoy is that it doesn't take forever to level. We have the Guild of Guardians (a fancy name for the Newbie Council) to help new players, and almost everyone is willing to help anyone who needs help. Experienced players can level a character (all 3 remorts; you get 3 classes, which allows for a wide variety of character combos), and new players can level in under a week if they are dedicated. This allows people to spend the majority of their time running for equipment, which is the fun part of mudding, and the vast amount of equipment means there will always be items to run for. I love this mud, and I hope you will come and learn to love it as well. Castrant

After 7+ of playing Aethar, i can truly say it is one of the best muds i have played ever. There is no doubt in my mind that the players as well as the staff care for this mud like no other. I enjoy just about every aspect of aethar, from the newly updated and specialized quests, to the enormous runs with my kingdom, rjurik, to just having a good enviornment to share and enjoy. The one thing i can say about aethar above all other muds is that many of the immortals make an extra effort to make fair and precice decisions in dealing with any topic. Not all muds have that, and that is what makes aethar so special to me, because no matter how many times you make a mistake, you will always be fairly trialed. Aethar has quite a variety of people, many of which live very extrordinary lives, and just being in their presence and seeing the way they act, and their attitude toward certain situations inspires even me. So on behalf of all the aethar staff and family, come and check us out. I assure it will be an experience you will not forget. Crimson Diablos

Been playing this mud for about 3 years now. This is purty much the run down on Aethar. This game is a multi-class system were u get to pick 3 class to be. Lots of players like to try different combos. Leveling well isn't hard but isn't easy ether. If your a new player it will be if you try doto it on your own, thankfully there will always be someone to come and help you get a could start on this game. Becuase this game is deffently base on helping each other in lots of things on here. Also another major thing to comment about on here is kingdoms. Kingdoms are way kewl, we got 2 right now. Base on the player base for the most part. But if we get more players, players can make more kingdoms, yeah u can get your on kingdom rule it and all that good stuff. Theres nobles that lead the kingdoms in it mightly glory. check it out u will find out about it. hmm what else. Aethar lets you log 2 characters at a time. there is PK for all of those that love pk, your just have to make a char, than choose to go deadly, than you can kill all the other deadly around. Theres alots of well done areas in this mud, and getting better equipment is always a big challenge, with your never alone on this quest. On a final note theres been a uber amount of quests latly, and will be for a while i know. where yes any new player can get in on. Here for quest u can get Valor, witch u can get your equipment you have upgraded way you want. really nice. so com check it out. --kurik

Aethar is by far the most enjoyable mud I have ever played on, and is now my home for a good portion of each day. Older players are willing and eager to help new players, from leveling through 3 remorts to EQ'ing and improving thier characters, with a kingdom and nobility system that allows skilled players to advance in rank and prestige. The world of Aethar is huge, with many unique areas and a wealth of mobs to rampage upon, usually in groups of 2 or more people. Teamwork is necessary, and current players are always willing to give tips, assistance, and the opportunity for horrible deaths :P to all newcomeres. Anyone looking for a place to explore, kill, and have a good time needs to check out the Lands of Aethar at aethar.com 5500. --Nokomis, Empress of Midhir

I've been playing regularly on Aethar for the past 2 years (I log about 4-6 or more hours a day). Some may call that a little obsessive, well I call it passionate, and on aethar it's easy to get pulled into the game much like I have been. Veteran players are more than happy to lend a hand to a newbie, most would jump at the chance. But it's not because they've got nothing better to do. Once you've fully leveled your character (through 3 classes), people will begin including you in runs, which are large parties of 3 to 10 players that travel to a distant corner of the land to take on great monsters, hopefully gaining a great piece of equipment when they slay it. Killing the monster is no easy task, but the rewards are most always worth it. Lately, player killing on aethar has been a heated subject. I have a few opinions but this isn't the place for them. My understanding is that the immortals are working on improving how pvp works on Aethar, so that it's a shining piece of our MUD again, much like everything else. Plain and simple, Aethar rocks. I've tried my hand at so many other muds, different types of muds, just to experiment with what's out there, and at the end of the day, I always come back to Aethar. Colin aka Xal

When I started playing Aethar about 6 months ago I wasn't sure what to expect as I had not had good experiences with base smaug's before. It seemed that every modified/base smaug was either buggy or just unenjoyable to mud on. Here the experience is completely different. Not only have I found no bugs (not counting a brief bug when they added a new command.) but Aethar is geniunely enjoyable to play. The building staff has truely committed themselves to making the mud a balanced place. Most muds you play the mobs run from ubermob to easymob without any middleground. This is not the case with Aethar. %99 of the mobs are balanced to being challenging without being impossible. As a new player you can expect to get flooded with people asking you if you need help. This is literally the first mud I've ever played that was truely committed to helping new players out. I know most of the staff/players will stop what they are doing to help out a new player. In conclusion if you want a truly enjoyable mudding experience with a great group of players come visit us at Aethar. (aethar.org 5500)

Aethar has been my home for many years. Aethar is a wonderful place that has tons of fantastic features. Some of these include: -A kingdom system in which people join as peasants and work their way up into the nobility. The older nobles are usually happy to help new players gain equipment and learn their way around. -Tons of original areas, with more porting constantly so avatars never get bored. -A helpful, friendly immortal staff that is constantly on and happy to help with problems/questions. -The Guild of Guardians, which helps new players to get through the tediousness of leveling, and matches them up with older players through the apprentice system who then teach them how to find/run mobs and who helps them get equipment. -A growing pkill system that is currently being completely reworked. -An active forum on their top-notch website that players can join and post ideas/comments/quests/etc. on completely free of charge. -A stock market to help players earn massive amounts of gold. -Tons of original races and(for the most part) well-balanced classes. -Quests that range from finding items to killing special one-time-only monsters and going through areas designed exclusively for a single quest. -A large community of players ranging from very old to very new -and much, much more! Be sure to come check us out today at aethar.com port 5500. We would love to see you there. Also, be sure to check out the viking kingdom, Rjurik, while you're there! -Coranthium

I've been mudding for over 10 years now, and I was no doubt, a social mudder. For the first time I've actually leveled a char to the highest level you can, all on my own. It's a great mud, it's not too easy, or too hard to level, it's just right. And the best thing, it doesn't end there. After you av your chars, there are tons of mobs and areas that are for avatar's only. And usually they require a group of three or more. It's a lot of fun to go out there and collect the eq for all the different people. We have a steady player base now, and new players are logging on every day. Granted, some don't stay, but those who do, bring their friends.We try to make the mud as newbie friendly as possible. The Guild of Guardians, is set up to help when the new players have questions, and is greatly trying to improve the efficency of that. There are so many great things in the works this review couldn't possibly cover them, so stop in to check them out! -Angel Leader, Guild of Guardians

This is what I have to say about this mud. It once was a Good mud, With A nice group of players. A nice Kingdom based system. A mutli-class system to. Leveling is easy here, and Grouping up with other players to kill mobs was a callange, But now almost imposible. Many of the areas now are never visited, the mobs are to hard to fight. Many of the old players that had good enough equipment to have a chance, are gone, they don't play. Few log on. Yes there are a few new players latly. They have no chance ever to get Good pieces of equipment like old players had the chance for. Hopfully this will send a message to the admin of this game, that there is a problem. For any one wishes to come and check out this game. More than welcome. Its not a bad place to play, just needs for some of the mobiles fix so they can be killed. Enough on that part. Perhaps I can tell more about other things in this game. The main game play in this game is you level up. 3 classes, 50 levels in each class. Its purty easy once you figure it out. Many people still there, are very helpful. Once you do that, try to get yourself some money, Suck up to one of the rich players that been there long enough to rich off the Stock Market here. Yeah Aethar has a Stock market. while back it kinda messed up and many poeple got rich. So much isn't a valued thing. or you have a chance to get much different ways. not to hard to get money in any case. once you do that you stock up on heals! when you are in a kingdom you can buy heals out of a shop. triple cure crit. kinda nice huh. Go "running" group up with a few others and go kill some Mobs/NPCs/Monsters. U spam heals to stay alive. hope you can pop some better equipment. so you can go fight even tougher mobs for better equipment. Good idea, Butt theres a big gap as a talked about earlier in this review. On to PK(player-killing) there is PK on aethar. This is how is works on Aethar. you must choose to be PK. once you have your charactor a pk you are forever a PK, other wise you are considered a peaceful and only player killing you will do is in the arena. For PKs there is Looting. 1 item on a kill. Pk is purty dead. No one will put any good equipment on pks becuase well now its imposible to get alot of it and noone wants to loose it. hmmm. what else. Multi-playing, you can have 2 characters on at a time. Valor, same as Glory, Is rare. very few quest to get any and usually only old players will have a chance to get it. Check it out and a... Read More

Aethar is a very exciting smaug based mud with countless features and endless hours of game-play. It has many great aspects, including pkill. However, mkilling(killing monsters) is Aethar’s focus. The bulk of game-play will be spent in groups battling very difficult mobs. Mkill junkies should check out Aethar because it does not get more fast-paced than this. Quick decisions are your crutch in battle, and only experience will sharpen your skills in this area. Building character combos is another strong aspect of Aethar. Leveling at Aethar is quick and in just a week or so you will be at triple avatar. Before you begin you should plan out three classes that fit well together and choose a race that is able to be those classes. You will then remort twice and will have a vast array of spells and skills. You must use your strongest spells and skills during battles in order to stay alive. Often you need to use skills that aid your group mates, such as rescue or rejuvenation. You must use these helpful skills at the perfect time or your entire group could go down. Battle is a mixture of managing the tank, healing yourself with (easily purchased) heal pills, and using your major attacks to damage the monster. When you first begin your avatar life you will gain a base set of avatar equipment, either from exploring, or getting help finding the new avatar mobs. This help usually comes from fellow kingdom members. You will find that Aethar has two kingdoms, both of which have their own areas with repair mobs, spell up mobs, shops with heal pills and other goodies. These kingdoms are run by nobles who are usually very helpful to newer players and are very interested in building you up so you are ready to join the fighting groups to take on the biggest foes. Anyways, after you gain your first set of avatar equipment you will go on to step up the equipment ladder. Each new elite piece you gain is a great excitement as your stats like hitpoints and damroll get better and you get stronger. Also, many of the attacks are age based, so the longer you play the stronger you become. This is just reviewing mkilling mostly, but I would like to mention that there has been some interest in pkilling and there have been many great battles lately. There are also other great things, such as quests, personal castles, and a market system. This last weekend Aethar had a thanksgiving quest where they let out a huge number of turkeys which ran around and teleported around like crazy. You had to catch them and slaughter them for the prizes they had. It was a lot of fun and was a quest that everyone, no matter how strong they were, could gain some prizes. If you would like to see what Aethar is about you can log onto host: aethar.com and port: 5500. I am just player... Read More

I've submitted before, and do so again, since Aethar's now a new mud. Changes are made, new areas are beeing put in, new systems and new toys for the builders to play around it, creating more of a RP feeling to things, not just walk in, kill, and walk out. It's more of a walk in, figure things out, kill, go furious for the need to think, think a bit again, solve, be happy, kill, and there's another obstecle to get over, another secret to reveal, makes it more of a thing to do then something that bores you easily, since the time it takes it makes it fun to be able to overcome it and accomplish both with skills and minds. Seen new players jump in here and there, and it's not a bad thing, rather oposit, the more the merrier. Since it's under construction tho, as most muds should constantly be, there are things that changes, things that comes about, and no, it's not a negative thing, more the oposit, changes keeps a playerbase, changes keeps it intresting, not all, but most, and usually mortals are listened to. But you can't please everyone all the time, what someone likes the other may not, it's like that everywhere, but i think overall you can grow to like Aethar, cause usually the things outdo the other thing that you find bad, and since it's constantly worked on and ideas keep flowing by, I doubt that it wont be the best mud you've found about.

I've been playing in this Mud for months and everytime i log in, there well be a lot of things i can do with the players over there. I've met with many helpful players who are not only friendly but supportive in a way that makes you feel that this game is worth investing in. This is Mud has thought me a lot of stuff in recent months and i've sticked to it ever since ... thanks for helping and guiding me through all those times people :) Cheers!!! Raphael

I only recently started playing on Aethar after a several-year hiatus from MUDding at all. I spent quite some time searching for a MUD that looked both challenging and fun and where the players made me feel welcome. I found all that in Aethar. I'd recommend it to anyone either moving MUDs, returning from a long time away from the hobby, or just starting out from scratch. There are plenty of players and immortals that are friendly to newbies. Kudos to the staff. Morrigan

Aethar has been my home for the past 2 years. Even though it closed for a while, I couldn't find another mud that came close to what Aethar is. The friendly players and helpful Immortals make it a very comfortable place to be where you can make some good friends. Aethar has a nifty kingdom system where players can join. Sort of like an Order but bigger. When you first join, you start as a peasant. With enough effort, you can work your way up to noble status. In a kingdom, you get lots of support with leveling, running new mobs or getting equipment for yourself. There's always something to do around Aethar, be it exploring a new area, gathering a large party to hunt a mighty mob, questing to gain valor or even just having a fun coversation. New areas and fun little programs are always being put in so there's always new things to do/explore. Aethar has been a wonderful home to me for the past couple years, and will remain so for years to come. I hope you get as much out of it as I do. Ayla

Sorry Cor, but I have to say your note makes us sound pathetic and in a need to give people gold to come play, take this review as you wish, but it's very childish to do such thing. Offer people gold to come play? Why not just tell them if they come play you can level their char, eq it, give them gold, etc, so they can sit and idle the rest of the time? No, I dislike that review very much. Sorry, it's just me.

Unlike what seems like the vast majority of reviews on this site, we shall herein discuss both good and bad aspects of the Lands of Aethar. First some good aspects. Aethar has quite a bit of unique code, where by "unique" I actually mean "unique", not "stock snippet". One example which I have yet to see elsewhere is their "Mcombine". This is what it looks like: >look A guard is protecting the city. A guard is enshrouded in an aura of holiness. A guard arrives from the west. >look A guard is protecting the city. (2) They are enshrouded in auras of holiness. Aethar has a stock snippet arena but it also has the unique "arena observatory". Basically all the fighting that transpires in the arena, also shows up in the arena observatory as if it were occuring there instead. This is great fun to watch. And there are lots of other unique code things as well, but if I were to dwell there, this would not be a review but an advertisement. So, on to the negative points... First, I strongly dislike how players at Aethar can use color tokens far too liberally. Thankfully, recently they have taken measures to reduce this: a new config option, "blandwho", strips all player-added color from the who list. Still annoying though. The biggest negative thing, in my opinion, is the extremely small wizlist. At the time I'm writing this, the MUD only has 7 immortals! As a result, it suffers in the building department. Although Aethar accepts building applications, part of the problem is that their standards in builders are so high. So new areas are few and far between. But what new areas have recently been put in, I've noticed contain some things which I am pretty sure are impossible to do with stock SMAUG OLC. Another negative in my opinion is Aethar's lack of any method of draining high level equipment from the database... there are no deathtraps and most the high level equipment is very durable, so the high level market sort of stagnates as the eq just piles up. I think they really should do something to fix this. Finally in conclusion I'll bring up the subject of the playerbase size since different people would have different opinions about what a good size is. At any given time the number of players online is highly variable. In daytime/evening it tends to oscillate from about 15 to about 30, sometimes reaching 40. In the nighttime it drops down to 15-20 and in the wee hours of the morning it tends to be 0-10, sometimes higher. Overall I like Lands of Aethar alot but I leave you to consider the examples above in forming your own judgement.

Imagine a world where new surprises lurk around every corner, kings and queens rule from their splendid halls as they oversee huge wars against their enemies, and new areas fade into existance every day. This, my friends, is whats the Lands of Aethar are all about. New ideas are put into place monthly, and its remorting system is unique, along with being one of the most newbiefriendly I've ever witnessed, even after playing on dozens of MUDs. The immortals and players alike are friendly and helpful. The equipment system is complex, and its always hard to agree on what the "best" equipment is, because there is so much of it, and from so many different mobs scattered throughout the lands. People are allowed to have not 1, not 2, but three full slists at their disposal, and can mix at match 20m different classes to make their own unique character. I've handly ever logged when there werent at least 10-15 others on, all running mobs and leveling new characters. Along with that, Aethar is ranked #34 on this site as of the posting of this review. If you're looking for an original and breathtaking experience, check out the lands of Aethar. You just might get more than you bargained for.... Promotion: Join within a month after this note is posted and ask for Coranthium, and recieve a free 10 million gold coins. Gold is hard to come by in Aethar, so act quickly.

Haha, this goes to Valerie or whatever, can't remember your spelling right now, and nor do I care, I play LP aswell, and no, Aethar's code isnt the same as LP's when it comes to remort, and nor is the codings for the diff classes/races, and so what if they got new names on the areas, and stold...hrm, where did you get your info? I really hope you got prof and aren't just saying this outa nowhere to look cool, cause you really dont, and fyi, Aethar's way better then LP, it's worn out and their remort system sucks, 1) on LP you avatar 4 times, Aethar 3 times, 2) Aethar's fixed so that you can train stats when you remort, Lp isn't. 3) The classes doesnt even work the same as they do on Aethar compared to LP. So where's the big deal? I'd really like to know where you got all this info from, if you ever log on, ask for Belial or send me an mudmail so you can prove your statement please.

It came as a shock to me, when I came back from the passing of seven winters, to find that the lands of my youth had changed drastically. Lands had shifted, people had changed, and much of what I once knew was forgotten. As I travelled throughout Aethar, however, I realized that all had been done for the good, that the Supreme One wrought with a cunning mind, and ever kept the thoughts of the people in all his makings. No longer a mirror and a shadow of similar worlds of its ilk, Aethar had become a might and a force all its own. New races and classes were drawn here, as I was, no doubt sensing the benevolence and wisdom of the Gods. As my might grew, so did my respect and love for this land, until no longer did I hold onto a world and people that was, but embraced a new world that left the old mired in the void. You would do well to tread these fields and hills, and see for yourself a world begot of wisdom, honour, and adventure.

Altho this mud may seem good, you forgot to mention that they just stold a copy of rod in 95 from some guys and modified the names of some areas to prevent them from knowing. Like Shadowport (Riverwalk) and Abattoir Asylum (Fargot's Sanitarium), Knights of the Round (Courts of Chaos), the list goes on...Maybe some original areas would make this mud higher on the list...just a thought...stealing the remort code from LP was kinda cool...not...but you know :)

I just can't say enough about this MUD. I won't bore you by repeating things that others have said about Aethar, you can browse through the archives of reviews and see them, however, I want to tell you about the new goodies we have for you. Recently, the new arena observatory was added. This gives the more bloodthristy of the lot a chance to see the blow-by-blow of the arena fights instead of just sit and type awho 20 millions times to get updates of the bloodbaths we have almost daily. Just last night there was a paired bloodbath quest, where competitors were "tied" to each other and was thrown into the arena to fight to the death. I just heard that this will now be a weekly event. Yummy. The new Seth area was put in a few months ago with new mazes, new mobs and many many surprizes around every bend of the fortress. Just when I thought things couldn't be added to a text-based game to make things interesting, Aethar have always sneak in a surprise or two to make me rethink things. But don't take my word for it, come see it for yourself!

I have to say, this is one of the better muds that i've played. The imms here are great. There's always something to do on Aethar, whether it's running for eq, pkilling, sparring in the arena with a friend, or trying to figure out what the best combo of classes for a new char would be. There's another thing: the remort system here is awesome! You can be 3 classes at once, having all 3 classes' skills and spells... the first class you picked being your base for all your classes. It's sorta tough to explain, you'll have to just come check it out for yourself!

Some MUD claims to be a place that strives towards changes and promises new exciting additions, but most never delivers. Most just sprout out unending pledges to keep the current player base pacified in hopes that in time, they will forget. My experience with Aethar is far from that. In my eight months as a player there I've seen major new and exciting things happened. The kingdom addition was excellent. It gave us an opportunity to "play house" and add a little spark in the 'family' aspect of the game. But something was still lacking in the PK department. People were able to come and go as they pleased with no punishment for treason and kingdom jumping. Suddenly, the PK you hated are now a part of you "family". So the PK community raised a cry to the Immortal staff. "We want loot back in! We want clans!" Kingdoms are peachy or peacies but us killers want junk just for us. So the promise of looting and other goodies came. Some PK left because they thought those promises were empty. We've been asking for loot for months. Then I logged on one day, and lo and behold! Those promises were met with added bonus! Loot was back in (or will be when all the PKs have ample time to let the news sink in), I can loot one of my choice or three random items from my kills! With a measly 1 bill in coins I an start my own clan! No more will people I hate be able to join my "family". Traitors will be punished with a vengeance. There's weekly war games for PKs. Contests for most kills. The blood will flow! So, in closing, you killers out there, come join the fun! This is just the beginning of more neato changes I'm sure. Kingdom wars, invadable HQ, new areas, new goodies. Come, let us play!

The lands of Aethar is the only mud i have really started to like. I had my own mud for a while, I did'nt even like that as much as I like Aethar. I have been playing there for 2 years, the first mud i ever tried, and i have been having lots of fun, met alot of nice people. If i would recomand any mud to people who just start to mud i would say Aethar is a great choise. Couse when i started all i knew how to do was to walk n,s,w,e...and that was basicly it. I met a happy mud who helped me through alot of new things, and today I still can't understand how they could stand me...must have been one of the most annoying newbies they ever had there..=) but still, they helped me and was nice, forever greatfull to the ones who helped me. So i say, try it out, give it a chanse, i bet you will like it.

I have started Lands of Aethar just little over a month ago, and would like to tell about how fun anf great this game is. It have some great things to offer to mudding, has alot of areas. Also neat spells and skills that you would love, along with a multi-classing system that you should check out. lots of quest that are not only done by the immortals but also by the kingdoms that you may be apart of. The players there are nice, andf friendly. There is player killing on aethar, but only if you choose to become a player-killer, other wise not have to werry about other players after you. Ummm. lets see what else can i tell you about Aethar, best thing i say is to come check it out. hope to see you there soon, Kurik

The first mud type game I played was this cheesy game called Tele Arena. It was not anything like MUDs these days. However, as cheesy as it was, it was very addictive and yes that was back in the days where you HAVE to pay to play! Since then, I've played other games like Crossroads and Krynnia, those where the good old BBS days, mind you. Then I tookd a seven years break from games playing and concentrated on this THING called real life. No fun! A friend of mine talked me into playing again and I was shocked! "I can play all I want and I don't have to buy minutes?????" WOW! So, I logged on to Aethar and was hooked by the gills. That was eight months ago and since then, I admit that I've tried other MUDS but Aethar will always be my home. Aethar took this "newby" in and guide her to becoming one of the better players. I now hold a seat in the newby council and returning the favor that was given to me not so many months ago. The kingdoms are awesome. The leadership and guidance given to the many new players that log on daily is unmatched. The tripple class system rocks. The combinations of classes are endless. I've created at least 12 charactors looking for the "perfect" buttkicking machine and I'm still looking. New skills and areas are added/enhanced constantly. The immortal staff are way too cool. They are not above coming to the mortal world and get drunk as a skunk when there's a party going on. Thank GOD for the sober spell! About the only bad thing I can say about Aethar is that it doesn't get enough credit as it deserves. With all the cool things that's going on, it should be getting a lot more players. So get out here and take a look around. You won't regret it. And tell them, Mags sent ya!

Aethar is a funny, yet enjoyable beast. I started out there about 3 years ago after a 6 month downtime from mudding. At the time, it was a fairly standard SMAUG mud, with a lot of beautiful areas. We had fun, I lead a pkill clan, although pkill wasn't exactly glowing back then. It all changed though. New administration came in, and a ton of new code, some done by the former code head, with a lot more created, and still being created, by our new coder. With the 'merger', as we call it, came things like multi-classing (remorts), kingdoms (sort of like, really well done order/clan hybrids), more unique spells and skills than I care to count, and solid staff who actually (gasp!) log on. This combination did the trick. The stagnation and massive multiplaying crews of old Aethar disappeared into what is now a MUD full of actual human players that, if you can believe it, tend to work together and accomplish things. Pkill is currently being enhanced, and is already off to a great start, and we're seeing more active pkillers than we probably ever did before. The action is fast and intense, there is no spam healing, or any of that nonsense. It's actually (mostly) skill based fighting. Ever seen that on a SMAUG MUD? With features like a fully functional stock market, royal houses, frequent quests, remorting, human-group based mkill/pkill (as opposed to massive multi-crews ran by one person), and players that, for the most part, actually are friendly... Aethar turned into a pretty damned good MUD. Old Aethar may not have been extraordinary, but new Aethar is. You'd be doing yourself a disservice not to check it out. Caelestis, Somewhat jaded oldschool player who was brought out of retirement by Aethar.

Hello! For those of you who frequent Aethar, you know how many positive changes have happened lately with the new administration! Aethar's new kingdom system brings an even stronger feel of family and support to new and existing players. New players are helped to learn the mud, and are given a feeling of worth as they find they are not only invited, but actually *needed* to help in the success of hunts and expeditions. The remorting system exhibits another wonderful change to Aethar, and allows a player to continue through a total of 150 levels, and three different classes of skills. PK (Player Killing) is an option here, for those experienced and seasoned players. We have some of the best PKers around, and yes, that is a challenge! For those of you who do not wish to become PK or want to see if you have what it takes to be PK, the arena is a wonderful alternative. Players can place bets upon fighters in the arena, and earn a little extra cash. Our stock market system allows you to strategically invest and earn income. Buy low... sell high! Come visit and give us a try, tell us you saw us on TMS, and prepare to become part of the Aethar family! (()((()\ (v(V(()( ) (/- - ) )) |U U ) )( ) | ( ) () \@ /)) _] \___ (/| /\ \ / | / \\ \ / \/ |\ \ \_ __/ | \ \ \ / / / \___( / / Lanfear, Daughter of the Night

Lands of Aethar is one of the best MUDs I've ever encountered. They have a friendly Immortal staff that is always working hard and making improvements, as well as taking the time to interact with players. They offer many races and classes, along with a "remort" system which allows you to be a combination of three different classes. Leveling is easy, but the real gameplay comes from trying to get the best equipment in the game, which can provide quite a challenge. Lands of Aethar also offers a kingdom system which currently has four different kingdoms that you can join. Lands of Aethar also has a friendly player base which stems from the kingdom system and the feeling of kindship it promotes. This makes it a good mud for beginners as well as providing a challenge for more experienced Smaug players/mudders. If you decide to stop by as a result of this review, just chat for Bertram, and let me know your experience level and we can see what we can do to get you started.

This is one of the best muds that I have played. Recently they changed it has a remort system which is really cool, you get to pick 3 different classes for your guy to be. There is also kingdoms and new areas. Pkill has changed to for all the guys out there that likes the challange of kill and total looting is in. so if you want to have some fun come and join us and see the changes. MAX

About: Lands of Aethar, I would like to let everyone know that I think Lands of Aethar is one the Best smaugs I have encountered in my 6 years of gaming. It is a world that can captivate the deep thinker with puzzles, traps and riddles. But at the same time can fill the need to just obliterate something. Its lands are detailed and creative. Rooms and npc are well adapted together and flow well in the role playing sense. On top of that it offers many classes and races to satisfy every class of gamer. Unlike other Smaugs, Lands of Aethar are always on the move they constantly adding more and more so that its players are always on there toes and having fun. On top that the staff is always helpful and ready to do what they can for the players. They make a place that's entertaining and captivating for everyone. Lands of Aethar is my number One Smaug and I am sure when you try it it will be yours as well.

I've been playing at Aethar for a while, and I'm always impressed by the speed of gameplay. I don't feel like I have to waste a lot of time with senseless stuff and can get right down to the business of killing mobs, exploring, or whatever I like. There are many races and classes to choose from so I'm never bored. The areas are full of imagination and originality. This is truly one of the best if not the very best smaug muds around!

Come and escape to the Lands of Aethar. We all live in the real world but when you go to Lands of Aethar something changes, you become a thief,a dragonslayer,a warrior,a mage,a vampire,a sage, a bladesinger whatever, it is fun and exciting there are lots of races and classes, there is also new spells and skills.Pkilling, mkilling, quest, there is a tourney going on now, there always lots to do. Come join us you will have fun.

Aethar rocks!! I have been playing for almost a year, and I'm completely addicted to it. There are thousands fo areas, and new ones just keep on coming. There are at least twice as many races and classes as there were when i started too. There are also all kinds of quests to earn valor (glory) that you cna use for all kinds fo things. The mortal players there rock, the immortals rock, everthing is amazing. They also have an extremely reliable connection that I have never seen fail. I can't think of one bad thing to say about it, in fact, im on my way there now...Bye ---Rage