extremely elitist mud. with limited equipment and player killing allowed, other players have strong motivation to not allow newer players to learn content. keywords are ridiculously obscure and information is not shared except with the closest of friends. if knowledge somehow does leak out to the common players, the immortals are likely to change entire zones and keywords stating 'too many people knew it'. death is also extremely harsh further discouraging exploration. i have lost 5+ hours of xp and weeks worth of equipment for daring to explore a new zone. stay away.

Arctic. What can really be said that would do this amazing game justice? Let me begin by giving an idea of what kind of experience I am drawing from. I have played just about every video game ever made, and over the years this is the one I come back to every time the rest lose my interest. Since discovering Arctic in 1994 I have been a constant and hopeless addict. Also, I am a player, not staff. Because I started mudding with Arctic, there was a period of time when I used TMC to find and play other MUDs, not knowing what a gem I had already found. I’ve played stock and custom, big and small, 'hero'd' on dozens, 'remorted' on dozens more, of every codebase. I've played through every race and class combination known to the mudding universe. I've maxxed out on all the 'tiers', I've been in countless clans, and crushed the “hardest” mobs on so many muds. I've even been a high-level Immortal a few. And throughout my mudding life, I have NEVER found a mud that came anywhere close to the amazing gameplay of Arctic. I always found my way back. Here are some of the many reasons in detail: World: Extremely rich and detailed zones, every one designed specifically for Arctic over the years by its own staff. And the world has a logical, realistic layout. You don’t have a zone full of smurfs across the road from outer space, and go up in the sky to find a forest. There is a huge world here to explore, full of forests, roads, towns, castles, keeps, dungeons, and yes, you can even take a magic ship to the moon (but whatever you do, DON’T open that hatch). But it makes SENSE here, it’s not just one long road with a bunch of random unrelated garbage zones everywhere. Quests: 90% or better of the zones have internal quests, from simple find-and-deliver to complex multi-part quests (some of which still aren't 'public knowledge'), with hidden objects or mobs and secret keywords leading to whole new hidden areas of the zone. Other quests span the game world and involve serious work and persistence, with very great rewards. You won't find any 'AutoQuestors' here with tedious repetitive so-called 'quests', just good old-fashioned exp/equipment/magic item/spell rewards for paying good attention and hard work. Ranks: Exclusive to Arctic is the “rank” system (as far as I’ve seen). This is where the real “staying power” of Arctic shines though. The highest level you can reach is 30. At level 30, you gain experience until you are literally 1 experience point away from level 31 (known as 1X), after which no more experience can be gained. It is at this point that one begins the journey of gaining ranks instead of levels. Rank points are gained by killing special or unique mobs in every zone, more or less like the ‘bosses’ and ‘mini-bosses’ that each zone has. After killing enough mobs’... Read More

Prepare to be randomly killed, a lot. And unfortunately deaths are quite severe. The amount of experience that is lost normally translates into about 2 - 8+ hours of play time depending on your class, level and experience. Additionally you can expect to lose spells upon death for certain classes. It's a shame that a fair amount of the playerbase live to do nothing but pk and have little, to no, qualms about who is their target. The immortals have a strict hands off policy except for extreme cases. Bottom line: If you're thinking about learning to play this mud, unless you can get in right after a player wipe (roughly every 2 years) when every body is on equal footing, it's probably not worth your time.

I want to announce that Arctic is player file wiping today (friday)! If you have played this mud before you will know the rush is a blast. Come (back) and check out all the changes and updates and enjoy the run. Catch up with old friends and make new ones. For potential newcomers, this is an old-school text mud based loosely on dragonlance. We can be found through the website at mud.arctic.org or by telnet to mud.arctic.org 2700. See you there!

I want to put in a plug for the mud I have been playing off and on for the past 13 years. I have played several other text games, WOW, Warcraft, Quake, etc but always seem to gravitate back to Arctic. This grand old dame has the staying power. Anyway, Arctic, over the past couple of years, was getting pretty stale but some recent changes in the administration has really shaken things up. There are lots of cool new major and minor changes being added now that there are a couple of very active coders working on the mud. There is a renewed feeling of energy around the place also. All that is needed now is a return of some players. So, if you left for some reason or other and don't quite fit where you went too (or why are you reading this), I encourage you to come back and check out the changes for yourself. If you are a prospective new player, this is the best time in years to start on the mud. The mud is probably half-way between playerwipes (yes, they have them) so the player numbers are down some and the present playerbase is more welcoming than it has been in years to new blood as everyone knows we need more people on. Come find out why it has been around for so long (1992). If you are totally new, this is a tough mud to start on but just read the website help, the helpfiles and ask lots of questions of staff and other players and you may well do fine. Come join the fun!

This is an excellent old-school text mud. Arctic is based on dragonlance, online almost forever, has well developed content, rich history and great playability. What can I say, it is one of the last old time great totally free muds still online. The player base has wiped (yesterday) so if you have played here before, come give it another whirl as there is nothing like the race at the start of an Arctic wipe. There have been lots of changes so come check it out. If you are new to the game, you are also welcome but know that there is a fair bit of pkilling and the mud was designed with the elite mudder in mind. You face a steep learning curve but will be richly rewarded if you stick with it. Refer to the website for help, ask for help, bring/make friends quickly and be careful and you will quickly start having fun. Come enjoy with us at Arctic!

I am new to this game and I asked some immortals for help and they told me to that I was in a place for advanced players and if I didn't like it i should take my "%%%%" elsewhere. Well I have. I was very much into dragonlance books and this abusive language really hurt my feelings. It was right after some random character came out of no where and cast some spell on me and i died. I just wanted to try something new but i know im not playing this game ever again. I guess all of the bad reviews posted before were true.

Think you're good at gaming? If so, live the experience of Arctic MUD. Arctic isn't an ordinary game. It's a lifestyle. Truth be told, this game is a challenge. If you are new to MUDs, this will be your first and only MUD experience - it's that good... that is if you have the patience to learn the game mechanics. After you have a basic grasp of how the game works, the game becomes a joy to play. Every aspect of Arctic - from choosing a specialized class and race, to leveling your character, to participating in player vs. player combat - is an engaging and individual experience. Think games like World of Warcraft and Dark Ages of Camelot are fun? Arctic blows these competitors out of the water. I've been a gamer since birth. The competition of aming bestows a feeling of thrill and adrenaline difficult to rival. From NES to CPU to XBox 360, I've played all the systems religiously. There is no question in my mind that Arctic is simply the best game I've ever played. What makes Arctic so good? The most dynamic factor of the game is its life-value. I started playing Arctic more than 8 years ago and I'm still hooked... what other game can hold the attention of an avid gamer that long? If you put in the time and effort into learning the Dragonlance world of Arctic MUD, you will soon realize there is no equivalent.

This mud is Great. Anyone who's looking to try out a new place should come and take a look. We are currently in preperations to reset the playerbase and let everyone start anew. Now is the perfect time to come and learn the game before the reset . . . That way you can be off in the rush with everyone else in a brutal compitition to become strongest. Based on the dragonlance novels, this is one of the most developed worlds you'll ever find. PvP, PK, Clans, Wars. The helpful staff and players are often willing to help new players get off their feet and start exploring the world immediately. And after all, with Hundreds of spells and skills to learn and master - there's a lot to learn, and enough to keep you playing for years . . . Rorc

Powertripping staff and abusive players make this a place to avoid, the number of players has dropped dramatically with good reason.

Come and try arctic again now that the lag issues have been resolved. It is sweet! Why you would want to try it? -absolutely massive with more zones than you could ever do. -based loosely on dragonlance. -absolutely free! no pay for perks either. -great history as it has been online since 1992. -balanced, differentiated classes and realistic pk system. -helpful, volunteer staff It is a text dikumud so if you need eye candy best look elsewhere. This is old school. Still reading? log on you will love it. See you there! Kragg

This mud rules!!! By far the easyist too understand..too the person that put the review no help on guild's or races this is just flat wrong.. too get them you type like help guild druid...and it will bring the druid info up...help race high elf...and it will bring the high elf info up...at the begging if you type like help newbie it will bring up the newbie info up and say what else you should read..if you yell the people in they city you are in will hear you if you shout everyone will hear you..if you yell in the very first place you start before you go too a main city people will tell you a good place too start..the help files will do that too I would say start in Tarsis...and someone put they did not like the pvp...the pvp makes it hella fun too sure a group of people can get together and player kill but you got too be smart and you can fight back and get your own group too get them dead.. Great mud here people should try it

I feel the need to comment on this last review. ArcticMud by Shara I did not like this mud, the help files are quite lacking, there is no way to get help from anyone, as there is no public help channel. VERY un newbie friendly. The helpfiles for commands, or character information are lacking, there arent help files on the races or classes, atleast none easily gotten to if they exist and no way to inquire about public channels, no ansi color, or if there is its not a command easily found or one of the normal commands that exist on other muds for it and no help file on it. You get dropped into the middle of the world, with little information given about how to play or what areas to start in and again no public channel to find out. The people are wholly unfriendly and ignore questions you ask if you acually happen to find someone. This mud was created for its owners and their friends, and they do not want anyone else playing unless your willing to suffer through without knowing what you are doing and without accesable help files. I came to play a game, not figure out someone elses code. A very very horrible game. This person had a problem with the helpfiles? If you type 'help' you get an entire list of everything you need to know. 'help option' lists all the options which contains the 'option ansi' command to turn ansi color on/off help commands lists every command in the game it really isnt complicated actually.

I did not like this mud, the help files are quite lacking, there is no way to get help from anyone, as there is no public help channel. VERY un newbie friendly. The helpfiles for commands, or character information are lacking, there arent help files on the races or classes, atleast none easily gotten to if they exist and no way to inquire about public channels, no ansi color, or if there is its not a command easily found or one of the normal commands that exist on other muds for it and no help file on it. You get dropped into the middle of the world, with little information given about how to play or what areas to start in and again no public channel to find out. The people are wholly unfriendly and ignore questions you ask if you acually happen to find someone. This mud was created for its owners and their friends, and they do not want anyone else playing unless your willing to suffer through without knowing what you are doing and without accesable help files. I came to play a game, not figure out someone elses code. A very very horrible game.

I simply can't understand all the negative reviews about this MUD. I have been playing this MUD for 4 years and all I can say that this is the best MUD ever created. The beginning is definitely hard and I still consider myself a newbie but there are a LOT of things in this game that drive me to continue my journeys and explore cool places. The world of Krynn in this game is the most consistent and most atmospheric world I've ever seen with possibly the best room descriptions that not only just simply describe what your character sees but often tell a bit about that particular place's backgroud history to futher immerse you into this rich world. The zones are incredibly fun and well polished and you are almost always warned about dangers ahead but in the same time you have to be well aware of your surroundings. If you're not careful enough then prepare to face the consequences. The game's mechanics are also among the best and they're pretty realistic. If you like D&D and like challenge then this game is for you! It's like reading a good fantasy novel. No, it's much better!

That last review was obviously not by Kam who is a member of the staff, but by someone who is a cowardly and very childish whiner that couldn't hack it on ArcticMud. I've played since 1998 and I have never, ever had a bad experience with any members of the staff. The people who are always writing about abuse from the staff, are the people who cheat, and abuse the game, and generally ruin it for other people. In my opinion, these offenders should be dealt with harshly, even if it does lead to some bad reviews. As for the players on ArcticMud, I have met and played with a very good chunk of the playerbase, and most people are pretty cool. Of course there are some assholes, but as I've learned from being a human being, this is the way life is. Deal with it. The assholes always get dealt with anyway. As to whether or not this game is newbie friendly, I would say, not really. There are some helpful imms, and some who are too busy to help, the best way to learn the game is to shout for someone who is bored and willing to show a newbie around the game. It doesnt take very long to get into the swing of things, and the helpfile is immense and well written. A new player can type "help area" and it will list all the zones in the game with hints to their locations, as well as what level range the zone is designed for (low,mid,high lvl players) The game is HUGE, I have played like I said since 1998 and I haven't seen it all, the creators put out a few new zones every wipe, and are always revamping zones to try and make them better. Best mud i've ever played, by far.

I have been playing Arctic since 1994 and, while I have tried many other muds, this is the only mud worth anything. As long, that is, as you are not adverse to a text mud on principle. A mud doesn't reach this age by stinking after all. This mud is absolutely huge and most of the zones are well-written with rich rewards waiting for those willing to take the time to accumulate knowledge through exploration. What really sets this mud apart are three things: 1) the classes are well balanced and well diffentiated; 2) the combat and player 'relations' system; and 3) the staff. Players are left by and large to solve their disputes on their own which makes for the most realistic player environment I have found. This is a Darwinian mud and the mud's history is littered with the carcasses of lesser mudders- this mud is designed for the elite mudder. You need three things to succeed here: friends, ample mud-time, and zone knowledge. The pwipes every year or two help level the playing field and lead to a fun free-for-all as players jockey for position. The volunteer staff on Arctic, while not suffering fools gladly, are reasonably helpful and professional while maintaining a hands off policy. The code is well-maintained, the player-base is international, improvement is constant and enough new stuff is brought in to keep the game fresh. Come join us at arctic.

Come to arctic to enjoy the rich and tasteless zones where I learned how to read and write and play hackeysack with people IN TEXT. Being a member of the staff (and hopefully running the mud very shortly) I plan to make certain that 5 dollars be donated by all new characters created for this wonderful game. If you don't like this policy then I suggest you learn to either DEAL with it or find another mud that sucks as much as this one that I love. Learning to DEAL with it is the policy of my mud and you better get used to eating out of my foot or I will hang you.

I have been playing arctic since 1991 and, while I have tried many other muds, this is the only mud worth anything. As long, that is, as you are not adverse to a text mud on principle. A mud does not reach this ripe age by sucking after all. This mud is absolutely huge and most of the zones are well-written with rich rewards waiting for those willing to take the time to accumulate knowledge through exploration. The immortal staff, while not suffering fools gladly, are reasonably helpful and professional (and the help system is good) while maintaining a hands-off policy. This policy is the heart of why this mud rules. Players are left by and large to solve their disputes on their own which makes for a realistic playing environment. The classes are well balanced and fun, the code is complex and well-maintained, the player base is international, and enough new stuff is brought in to keep the game fresh. This is a Darwinian mud and the mud's history is littered with the (sometimes still whining) carcasses of lesser mudders. If you plan to succeed at arctic, there are two well-worn paths: you can become the willing plaything of those more established or you can bring/make a few trusted friends and slowly build your knowledge base. The pwipes every year or two help keep things fresh, level the playing field and leads to a fun free-for-all. Come and have fun with us at arctic!

First off I'd like to say I am rather saddened by the amount of negative reviews about this mud and I'm guessing many are unfounded. Recently this MUD has undergone changes that greatly even the playing field between clanned and unclanned players. Not to say that being in a clan isn't an advantage but there is still plenty one can do on their own. This is a great mud with a diverse group of players and lots and lots to discover. Not a mud of newbies really but it is my first and I haven't found a better one yet.

Arctic mud is intended for a mature audience. I've been playing for over 6 years on it, I love it, some people complain about rampent pk, but honestly, it's not that hard to avoid. This game is not going to be for everyone, and I don't think anyone will ever claim that. But for those few, the proud, the brave, who can hack it, it's the most challanging and rewarding mud I've ever played. AdamG P.S. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be in a clan to do well. It helps, but you can play a neutral solo'er and do just fine.

The administration of this mud has recently made a series of massive changes to the game mechanics. They've had a difficult time with rampant player killing during the last wipe. During the past 6 months they implemented a new spellbook policy that effectively weakened the mage and druid class to levels never before seen. These changes were made in an attempt to stop the declining playerbase. As someone who has played the mage class on this game for many years I was disheartened to find the massive nerfing of the mage class take place. After several months of complaints and a massive drop in the number of active players, the administration is still unable to see the mistake it has made. I haven't played this game in 5-6 months and I see no point in playing now. If you are interested in text-based muds find another place to play. Things are so bad that the administration has fallen to the level of begging its playerbase to vote for the mud on this website. Kam shouts 'http://www.topmudsites.com/cgi-bin/topmuds/rankem.cgi?id=just -- dooooo it.'

They've

The more recent reviews of this mud neglect to share with the public of how the mud has had trouble with its already "dedicated" playerbase. These reviews are nothing more than an attempt to try to draw players to an already (as others have put it) "dwindling" playerbase. Many already dedicated players can no longer stand the mud due to its poor and abusive supervision by the staff, and even further by the rampant and uncontrollable player killing already delivered by the current playerbase. The active numbers on the playerbase on this mud are so low that current active players are currently worried and have come to this website to try to "draw" players to the mud as a last resort. Do not hear their beggingm and only further ignore the trap that they are setting. This mud is poorly run and only trying to grab more players before it eventually dies.... (which is where it is heading).

I've played ArcticMud off and on for over 8 years and it's the only mud ive ever played. Ive only been able to have a good time with this mud because Ive played the politics card. If you are new to this mud you will not have a good time unless you want to start sucking the shlongs of people in power. The mud is run with an ironfist by the overlord and added on even further with a very corrupt and power hungry staff. If you want any type of fairness involved in your gaming experience. STAY AWAY FROM THIS MUD. I would like to say that I am also a current staff member of this mud, and want to give proper caveats to all that want to come here.

Arctic has the best room descriptions of any mud I've come across. Each room is described vividly with no more or less words than there needs to be. This may not sound like much, but in addition there's these what's called "keywords" or things you can do within the room. You might come at the end of a path and see some unusually high grass, type in "cut grass" and open up an exit to a new section in the zone. This gives you the sense that you're not only seeing the world but interacting with it. Keywords also come in the form of things you can do with items, trinkets you "snap", "rub" or "shatter" for instance, or mobs you speak with or listen to. Many muds have keywords but Arctic has the most I've seen. Many Arctic players will say that knowledge is power. Levels and items will come and go, but the more you know, the faster you gain experience and the better items you'll get. This is true on many muds but more so on Arctic. Caster classes have to venture far and wide to learn new spells, some of which are dropped by tough monsters in locations only reachable by hard to figure keywords. Good items are limited; once the limit is reached for an item the game won't spawn more of that item. This encourages a diverse knowledge of where to find items. You might find an item few others know about, you might lose it somehow but not worry because nobody will find where it drops in game. There's always the option of killing another player for the items you want, which is fine too. Arctic is excellent for people who like exploring, with its richly described zones, myriad of keywords, and rewards hidden behind keywords and hard to reach rooms. Some other salient features of Arctic: the memorization system. Spellcasters don't cast spells with mana but have "slots" for spells which they can memorize and cast, it's like D&D. The mud is based on Dragonlance, all of the zones are original, and typically the mud is embroiled in a struggle between groups of players called "clans", for the most powerful of items.

I play ArcticMUD since 1997 and I'm still hooked. There are many wonderful things about Arctic, but today I'm going to talk about a single unique feature of Arctic, namely the PLAYERWIPES. Every year or two, all the Arctic characters are deleted and everybody starts from level 1, having just the training equipment and no skills or spells. Why would you play a MUD where all your work to develop a powerful and known character will be eventually deleted? Well, because it allows for more dynamics and actually makes the game much more interesting and challenging! There are lots of MUDs where the characters that started playing 10 years ago are now level zillion with all the skills, spells and the best equipment in game. Getting anywhere close to that takes more or less equivalent time. In other words, you may be a good player that learned the game pretty well, but if you started just a year ago, you're still weak and there is nothing to do about that. On the other hand, the experienced players become bored and the closer they are to the top of their power, the less remains to be achieved and the less interesting becomes the game. In Arctic, KNOWLEDGE = POWER. This is even more so since every wipe usually starts with adding new features and zones into the game. The effect is as if you had a SERIES OF GAMES all set in the same familiar environment, and becoming more interesting and elaborated from one to another. In this setting, it is never late to prove that you're the best player. As soon as the senile heroes of the days gone are deleted, you're the one to bravely explore into the unknown, the one to get the best swords and the most devastating spells. Who will be the first titled character? Who will be the first to get a rank? Who will get the 'heal' spell first? Maybe you? Now we have arrived to the most exciting part of the story. On Tuesday, May 31 2005, Arctic had a pwipe, and the new era began... telnet mud.arctic.org 2700 Welcome to Arctic...

Been playing this MUD off and on for nearly eight years now and must say I'm impressed. For someone who'se never been a big text based gamer, Arctic provides an atmosphere that's remarkably true to the Dragonlance series along with flavorful differences that make it stand out as truly unique. From the start, the help system is extremely well written and the output style makes it a very 'clean' looking game. We're currently about to begin a new 'era' with everyone beginning anew on 05/31/05 which gives everyone new and old an equal beginning. The gameplay, from the skill system to the spells you learn from both NPC's and items/books inscribed with spells, and even the combat system the game offers a brilliant take on an old favorites. The game is ever evolving, with new systems and expansions/fixes on the old, so rarely will you get bored. It is true that as a player killing ok mud it presents a whole new set of challenges, it's not hard to learn just how to survive. Come join us and see what it's like!

Arctic is really good Mud for those that have the staminy and have the urge to be better than the next guy. There is an almost unlimited PvP politics and Clans are a big part of the day to day mudding. There is a clan for about every kind of person, newbie clans, roleplaying clans, zoning clans, warmongering clans. It has a wide varity of zones that ranges from super easy to the almost impossible which makes it a good enviroment for all types of players experienced and inexperienced. The best part is the very active staff on the mud, that constantly is adding new zones and thrills, holding tournaments and so on. Some might argue that the PvP scene on Arctic might be a turn off for new player, but in the end i think that why this mud is still alive and gives the incenitive to grow very aware of your surroundings very fast. Come play it wont let you down if you keep at it.

I was attracted to this due to the size of the playerbase when I started and the fact it was the first mud I'd tried. Don't get into this mud however. The immortals are powertripping idiots and most of the remaining players play to make other players time miserable. Avoid this mud and go somewhere where the people are friendlier, you'll have more fun.

For those of you who like clan dynamics, wars, PvP, huge battles, and a good blood rush, try arctic. As you can see from PvP logs on player websites like http://arctic.elay.org - arctic has plenty to do for the PvP extremist.

Arctic is a great mud with (for the most part) great player. It is easy to learn and has a huge amount of rooms...... a lot of rooms... It was my first mud and a bundle of laugh's. Making friends is easy, and they will help you out if you need it. The mud is based after the dragonlance books. You should play it... it good... you should play.. it fun... you can be evil and kill things that are good... like guards and lords of city's and BABY GNOMES! or be good and kill skeletons, and dragons... ect. ya know, all the evil things, or be nuetral and get the best of both worlds... yea... this thing also will make u a fast typer.... you should play... it good

I really enjoyed the Dragonlance saga, and when I found out there was a mud based on it, I had to try it. I first played Arctic back in 1994, took a break from 1995-2000, but have been back ever since. It was the first mud I ever played, and I have never been tempted to seriously try another mud. The world is amazingly huge and challenging. Hundred's of zones, thousands of mobs, and even more items. There are lots of demanding boss mob fights, plenty of puzzles and keywords to solve, as well as the challenge of player killing. There is even a kind of political system involving the large clans and their wars. For me, the joy of the game has always been exploring and solving zones, forming groups to do harder zones, meeting people and making friends. I liked it so much, I (with a few others) have formed a small clan called Myth. We now have around 30 members, and we have regular times for zoning and having fun. If you like these things too, give one of us a tell on the mud (all our characters have Myth in the title), and we can set you on the path to enjoying Arctic as much as we do.

http://arctic.elay.org/ For those more interested in what's possible in PvP action in Arctic, this is a site run by a longtime player with logs of various pks. The logs range in caliber from inexperienced people duking it out to the top clans battling. They also point out the incentives for learning how to load better equipment and spells.

Arctic is certainly not for the faint of heart. There are is a definite hierarchy of clans that are devoted to maintaining their status in the game. However, that said, the everyday person can log on and enjoy himself (newbie hassling does happen but those who do it are generally punished by players if not admins). The game is continually evolving with new classes, new zones, class revamps, zone revamps etc. even within player wipes. Probably the best thrill of all is the race for eq by each clan in the beginning of the wipe to claim limited items. -Chris

I started off with this mud and liked it. But now I think it straight up sucks. You have to worry about getting Pked everywhere you go. And forget trying to start a new character and building them up. And then you got groups of pkers that do it for craps. So overall this site bites hard.

I started mudding when i was 12 years old back in 1993. I began on Ancient Anguish and was disappointed, a good game, but it lacked the freedom I was looking for. I soon found Arctic Mud and never looked back. I took many years off as I went through real life, but when it came to online gaming nothing took the place of Arctic. I always came back and have advanced many characters to the 30th level, the pinnacle of Arctic, including Kaine and Irvinos, and yet have not come close to having the game knowledge to become an Immortal. In a word the game is Huge. Most people reading this love fantasy, but Arctic makes it real. No silly mud schools and certainly no Midgaard. A 100% original world where survival of the fittest reigns. Though becoming elite is difficult, that is the way it should be. And yet the beginner can certainly make its way and succeed. If one is looking for the Imms to power lvl you and walk you through zones, look elsewhere, if one is looking for something difficult and challenging, that takes intelligence, strategy and preserveernce then look no further, Arctic Mud is for you.

The first mud I ever played, Arctic, makes all others seem weak in comparison. With hundreds of zones, and thousands of rooms, there is plenty to keep you busy. Arctic provides a challenge for the new player, and also for the veteran. If you are getting tired of some other MUD, try Arctic. With Playerkilling, zones, quests, and tournaments, there are activities for everyone to enjoy!

I've played this mud for over three years, and a huge amount of the game still remains undiscovered to me. This expansive mud features smart descriptions that place you inside the game. Adventurers enjoy a simple learning curve, making Arctic easy to learn, hard to master! A friendly staff is more than willing to help novices learn the ropes, making those first few levels less of a chore. Grouping is encouraged; you'll both learn and have great fun by making friends and exploring together. Give this mud a chance, and you'll enjoy it forever!

This mud is soo fun! The fantasy world is based more then loosely on my favorite Dragonlance novels. The area is huge the clans are competitive and the equipment is not to plentiful so there is great competition over equipment. The pk rules are great and there is really nothing wrong with this mud its great. If i could change anything i would change the the pwipes!

This mud used to be a great place to hang out and explore with your friends. In the past year it has just gone down the drain, mainly because of an "elitish" playerbase that thinks they are the shit, but essentially they are just a bunch of low life kids taking the fun out of this mud for everyone. If you wanna waste your time infront of the monitor, don't do it on this, its worthless.

The premier hotel california. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave. This MUD is so good it could knock the life out of you as you are fully submerged into an enourmous interactive world of Dragonlance fantasy of superb quality. Over a decade of inspired volunteer programming, balance and creation has gone into this esoteric beauty. A depth of inspired descriptive colour beyond the standard MUD experience will unfold before your eyes and draw you in like a moth to the flame. If you are up for an interesting challenge that will test your intelligence, social skills and grit then Arctic MUD is calling you. Extremely hardcore worldwide playerbase with fanatical expertise, large scale clan interaction and highly evolved combat will test your roleplaying mettle to the maximum. Limited items seperate the elite from the weak. Sass is not a dying art. It is a way of life. Join or form a clan and struggle for dominance. Explore the vastness of the world of Krynn and perhaps; if you are skilled you will uncover but a part of it's manifold secrets. But beware for where there is pleasure, there is pain and lot's of it. The most challenging, inspiring and rewarding game experience I have witnessed in over 20 years of gaming. Arctic MUD is not easy for the light weights although it is possible to enjoy it in that manner and welcoming to new players who have the nerve and skill to embrace and survive its' treacherous politics. 10/10.

A great mud. I'd say, the greatest mud of them all. There's just one IF here. The mud is great if you do belong to a clique of immortals and their buttlickers. Otherwise, sooner or later you shall enter into a conflict of interests with the aforementioned clique. And then you are doomed. You are doomed to be the second sort, the scapegoat, guilty for everything, regardless if you had done anything at all.

Been playing since the 3rd wipe and it's like CRACK!!! i'm hooked. the imm's are great, ahe players are noob-friendly, and it's FUN!

I"ve been playing arctic for about 9 and a half years now. I must say its one of the greatest online games i have ever played. I've gone to everquest, lineage, ragnarok, DaoC and pretty much every other online rpg, Arctic has staying power. Its one of those muds that you can always come back to and pick up where you left off. Super fun factor. A word..newbies beware. This mud isn't very new player friendly as alot of the zones and keywords are more geared towards the thinking man. Plus theres a large rash of pkilling that runs rampant. Aside from that, if you can get going and level up, this is the most fun you'll ever have on a mud. The staff is great and the zones are very well made.

Plain and simple. This game is great! You like Dragonlance? Then play this game! Its very straight forward.. no flashy colors and people with wacky colors in their names. Its very realistic. Great MUD!

This is one of the best muds I have ever played, I have been playing it off and on since 1992. Check it out.

Arctic is the best mud I have ever played!

Arctic MUD is an exceptional playing arena with a vast amount of player envolvement. As a new person to the mud, I have had alot of help from the players and the administrators in building a quality character with very little interference/pkilling, which I appreciate. Need to get more notice for this mud.

This is a comment on the previous review on Arctic by Matt (Oct. 16). Some of what he wrote I agree with. It is without the doubt the best MUD experience around. I tried out several other MUD's and every one of MMORPG's out there, but I always end up returning to Arctic. (I been playing it on and off for 5 years.) It is the most fun, addictive game, ever, period! However, it is not "easy" nor does it have "a huge player base". The MUD has a limited number of, albeit faithful, players. This is because it is so challenging: Arctic is not for everyone. It is not newbie-friendly, has no restriction on PKing, and game info are (intentionally) hard to obtain. But then this is a big reason why it is so addictive and "fun". If you enjoy being challenged, if you believe a hard-won victory that takes hours to achieve is more rewarding than any number of easily-won victories, then Arctic is for you. If you think any of those MMORPG's out there is too hard, or believe that jerks and assholes in real life should not be allowed to act like jerks and assholes in MUD, then don't bother logging on to Arctic.

This is one of the best muds that I have found, it is easy to learn and is fun to play. There is a huge playerbase with multiple clans, playerkilling, and quests. Well worth the time spent!

I've played Arctic for roughly 4 or 5 years now, and have tried other MUD's, but none seem to quite compare to Arctic. The unrestricted PK makes it a challenge, but it's always fun :).

Arctic. This really is the best MUD there is. Played by people all over the world, from Denmark to Canada to Australia, there's something for everyone here. This MUD started around 11 years ago, and has been evolving since. It is an enormous world that is constantly expanding through diligent work of the immortals (the people who run the game). They are dedicated, and the mud shows that through its top notch quality. Their is one aspect of this MUD, however, that while in the grand view of things adds the most enjoyment to the game, also prevents a lot of enjoyment. This is a very hard MUD. There is no newbie channel, and no one is paid to sit around and walk you through the first few levels. This has the tendency to drive away many new players. Personally, I started playing, quit for a year, came back and became hooked. If you can survive your first week here on this game, and pass level 20, you'll start experiencing what I talked about above. This MUD combines PK, exploration and human interaction with the perfect amounts of each. You can't really say much more than if you like exploring, pking, or just having fun while zoning, this is the best MUD there is. You probably noticed in this review I focused mostly on the negative. That's because you can't describe Arctic beyond it being the best; and because you will probably encounter the worst of Arctic (the initial difficulty) first and foremost upon starting to play. All I can say is, if you want to play the most rewarding MUD there is, stick with it. Since I personally have little to do these days, shout for Duulket or Teraz and I will help you out, if you need it and are new. I've helped 3 or 4 newbies out so far, and hopefully if you are just starting, I will help ease you through the initial roughness as I did them. Come try it out!

I read all the reviews for this mud and I fell that I have to make my own review. This game is very interesting. With all the recent releases of many online games, like Star Wars Galaxies or Shadowbane, Arctic still has a massive playerbase. The zones are very detailed and almost every zones are required some exploring, more or less, depends on the zone level. I remember one of the highest level zones took like 8 months for my clan until we have figured it, and we still dont know if we figured it fully! There are no stupid places like in Everquest-like games, where all you have to do is killing monsters (although very nice, but dumb monsters), in this game you have to use your brain to find out riddles and secrets. Knowledge is everything in this game. Equipment and spells are a decent factor, but knowledge is the true value. Thats why exploring is the best way to gain power. Items are limited in the game. The best items has a limit of 1-3, and you can assume that this guarantees an unending war between the clans of the game. This is absolutely missing from the online games of nowadays, and is a key factor why is this mud still so interesting and enjoyable. Playerkilling is fun. You can use a lot of tactics to out-smart your opponent and gain victory over a group or two, but those tactics can backfire as well, especially if the enemy somehow figures out your tricks. Thats why clans are keeping everything among themselves. You can play a solo role or join a clan, maybe form your own clan! All you have to do is play the game and meet new friends, fight battles together and yes, die together. Dying makes a strong bound between players. Regaining equipment after deaths can be possible, unless some thief steals it before you can get back to your corpse! Its a common tactic between clans to wait for someone to die, then mass log and force the enemy for a fight to protect the "lost" equipment. These "standoffs" are usually ending in bloody battles! Soloing can be fun, but you have to accept that solo players always the best targets for playerkillers (playerkilling of neutral/solo players are forbidden for most of the clan thou). All in all, the mud is very complex for every aspects of the game. As Trazier posted in the previous reviews, yes there are playerwipes, but they happen once in 1,5-2 years, and probably the funniest periods of the game, when everyone is running for the easy_gain equipments. The staff of the mud is mostly friendly, but you shouldn't bug them with every questions. Try to use the forums on the mud's official website and explore the game with other new players, thats how I started back in 1996. Still hooked :-) ~kmark

Been ages since I played. Started out a lousy diku mud. Year after year, bits and pieces were added. I don't know when I joined, but boy did I get hooked. I can't remember how much time I logged, but I know it was more then 10 days playtime. That's 240+ hours logged in and playing the game. I got into it, I lived a private life in a secluded city away from all the PK types, doing my thing and advancing at my own pace. One day I discovered a black runed spellbook, and upon studying it, scribed the 'prismatic spray' spell into my book. One of a mage's most powerful spells. Three weeks prior, I went solo and found cone of cold, which is a very nice direct damage spell. I was finally starting to gain power, and prismatic spray just put me into 'leet'. Boy, I should've smelt that trap. 2 hours later, jerry springer is running around the lands killing things, and soon after that, every online player is summoned to solace square where cyan bloodbane is beating the hell out of everyone and everything. A little while later, the mud goes down. A long time later, the mud comes back up.. Oh wait, all my hard work no longer exists. That's right, they PLAYERWIPE regularly. The only REAL purpose for this is so they can redistribute the kickass gear of STFU from powerclan1, back into the database, to be distributed again once everyone gets their power back. But here I was, all that time, all that effort, into something I thought I could work on and build with and enjoy... *SHFOOM!!!!!!* right down the drain. I came back, but didn't get so INTO it, knowing what would happen. Played a cleric, acquired heal solo, was enjoying it.. WIPE!!!!! It's all gone again.. ....I quit shortly thereafter. Worth a try, _MAYBE_ Don't get into it though.

I had to write a review, it is somewhat biased as I am an implementor on Arctic MUD. But I felt I had to comment on the review posted 8/13/03 which said something to the affect of "it is too geared towards a small collection of clanned players most of the games imps being clanned themselves." which is totally untrue. Clans do have a big influence on the game, as would any group of 10+ people who choose to zone together. The game is not geared in anyway for clans. Currently I can't think of any high immortal (34+) in the game with an active character in a clan. -Noryl d'Vaincre, Ancient Solamnic Knight Arctic Implementor

I don't recommend this mud having played on and off for a while. I found the the game interesting at first but soon realised that it is too geared towards a small collection of clanned players most of the games imps being clanned themselves. The mechanics of the mud and the skills and classes are ok and the collection of towns and zones are nice but I'd say it's playerbase and admin put me off, not quite the 'mature audience' descriped on the homepage.

Since being introduced to this MUD by a friend in 1998, I haven't been able to quit since. Arctic at times has been less of a hobby and more of a way of life. The relentless search for shinier and shinier gear, the constant warring among the clans, the thrill of slaying tough monsters, and the genuine friendship of the people you enjoy the game with all make Arctic a MUD above all other MUDs. I admit: it seems tough at first, almost impossible; however, even starting out is something to be enjoyed. I remember quite clearly wandering the streets of the fabled Palanthas from Dragonlance for the first time and wowing at all the rooms. I also remember some nice fellow MUDder giving me 200 coins and taking me to the place I should begin to level. This is not to say that Arctic is the EASIEST of MUDs. Arctic is quite challenging, and so not for the faint of heart. If you log on and truly want to learn to play the game, expect to die innumerable times. RIP. However, each minute piece of information you learn by dying makes it that much easier for you to learn know how to live. Playerkilling is allowed, and I, for one, am glad it is so. Even after all these years, I still get "the shakes" when I know a playerkill is about to happen. If you have no clue what I mean by "the shakes", you really should try this MUD. The sometimes glorious logs of major playerkills may be found at, among others, http://www.normstorm.com/arctic/ http://mudlogs.foghaven.net/ http://arctic.elay.org/ Playerkilling at lower levels is not encouraged; however, it is allowed. Still, take heart, my low level characters, as one finds that people who randomly kill others or kill low level characters have extremely short life spans. Generally the best way to learn the game and have fun is by being friendly with others, as it is in a lot of things. The completely solo character can level up and garner some pieces of fun equipment, but their experience is not nearly as enjoyable as one who has grouped with others and made friends from all over the world along the way. ArcticMUD has provided much amusement over the course of the last 5+ years, and promises to provide much more. The bad days on Arctic, "OOPS, I DIED, STUPID GAME!" are far outweighted by the hours spent happily immersed in Arctic's Krynn. Newbies needing help should ask their nearest immortal (type who immortal to find out who is on), and they will gladly provide some of their expertise to help you get started. However, they are not a resource to be abused; players are expected to learn the game themselves. That is, of course, half the fun of it. Sincerely, Keith G. Player of Winston, current playerwipe

Arctic has been around for more than a decade, & it shows. There's a very good reason why a majority of the playerbase has been around for years & years on end--the game is far more entertaining, engaging & addictive than any other MUD you have probably tried out. Hell; it's more entertaining, engaging & addictive than any other game I've tried. The level of attention given to both game mechanics as well as zone creation is, in my opinion, unparalleled. Some areas have taken as long as two or three years to be fully implemented, & the massive investment of both time & effort has yielded impressive results. Though once plagued with vociferous accusations of immortal corruption, current stuff members have done an impressive job reigning in abuse & introducing new elements to the game. Some of these recent changes are subtle & some of them are mquite obvious, but all them have two things in common: they've all improved rather than perturbed the balance of the game while simultaneously introducing many new features for the playerbase. There are only two reasons why starting to play Arctic may prove to be an exasperating travail rather than an enjoyable experience: #1. Arctic is geared toward very, VERY experienced mudders. The game is relatively hard, especially for those who are just starting out. An extensive, easy-to-use help file system is in place, but it takes either a lot of hit & miss trials or a patient, fairly knowledgeable friend to figure out the rhythm of the game. #2. Arctic's playerbase has, over the course of years, evolved into tightly knit clans. Newcomers will find out that it's impossible to fully experience Arctic on your own, but it's also very hard joining an established clan, as they are exclusive & tend to discriminate against new players. If you think you can nagivate through these potential obstacles, give Arctic a shot. Chances are, you'll enjoy the game & become just as addicted as I am.

Mud going people around the world, I have been playing ArcticMUD for going on 8 years now and have enjoyed the experience thoroughly. It's a huge immersive world with a stronger player base, although it is clearly gauged towards a more experienced and more mature audience. Recently I was deemed worthy to join the ranks of immortals on the MUD and it was well worth my time. If you're looking for a new mudding experience, log on and if Palerin is on drop me a tell and I'd be happy to show you the ropes. Your social life may go out the window but it's good times :) Palerin/Alex

so many places to explore! so many players! cool class, magic, skill system, tough mobs, riddles, zones lots of fun!

Ok haha, this mud really must have changed alot since the day I first logged, friendly...WHAT did you do to make them friendly? They drow me off the mud cause they said they dont want newbies around, this were a year ago, but I doubt anything has changed, cause my friend played til a few months ago and he said they dont like newbies, as I got well awear of, I just say it sucks.

Brillant, God are nice and helpful. Only problem is that you have clans that are all powerful and they kill lower ones for fun. over then that if u avoid those clans, then the game is perfect in many ways,

I love arctic! Arctic has a wide vieriety of things to keep anyone entranced. True, it may be a little more complicated of a game than most muds, but once you learn, this just makes the game alot better to play. If you ask me, this is the only mud.

This mud is the epitome of shit. Large clans rule the mud and generally do whatever they want. They are backed by high level immortals who can basically do what they want, bend the rules, etc... Unless you suck some serious dick you won't get far.

Arctic is a great mud with a very nice code, too bad its administration quite sucks, there's maybe 1 or 2 quests every 2 years, all higher gods are clan-aligned and the overlord is quite absent from the mortal affairs and he got his brain sucked from those clan-aligned gods pretty often, all zones have almost unfigurable keywords and if anyone knows them, it's because some immortal decided to spread them over his friends, so have fun and keep low profile, but forget to get anywhere if you lack some serious licking skills.

Its the best mud i can find to play. All the others arent even competetion for this mud. Definatly hard to beat.

ArcticMUD is truely a remarkable, and well thought-out foundation for all MUDs. It is compiled of an accurate map of Ansalon, and spreads out an equal mixture between classes. Arctic is definately one of the best MUDs, in my opinion.

i've been playing on arctic off and on for about 8 yrs, and it seems that it's the only one that i keep going back to. good job guys

keep up the good work and can we get a new class to take on the paladin ..ranger vs dk..what to vs paladins ..sigh need more evil in here ..thank's and keep the good work up bye ..

it is one of the fasts to learn and one of the funner to play do to the playerkilling at all levers ..there noting to keep the newbie safe from the higher lev's and u got to learn fast or die fast ..in all that why i been playing this one over the other's ..keep it up and u got a lifer :)

Arctic is a constantly evolving mud with the imm's always looking to add new zones and improve gameplay. I have been playing offand on for about 6 years and I find the is always a new class, race, skill, zone, spell to keep things interesting. Arctic is easy to pick up and is equally fun solo or grouping with such a variety of zones/mobs/quests there is always something to do. The people for the most part are friendly and helpful although the imm's tend not to interfere with player disputes. With an average of around 100-130 players online (US daytime) there is plenty of opportunity for grouping, trading or hunting (if thats your thing). Be warned, there are no restrictions on player killing, however repeat offenders may have a reward put on their head and most guards will automatically attack any aggressor if they are in the same room. Evil creatures to kill, friends to make and foes to destroy all for free! Try it!

I have had a few charecters on arctic befor and i find it is the only mud i still play...it is awsome! I've made tund of friends...gone on a few quest..and just can't get enough of this place.