Let me preface by saying the quality of work that has gone into this mud is both impressive and second to none. With that out of the way, the good qualities end there. I had put years into the game in it's very early stages all the way up through a few years back. Even got signed on as a builder for a while before what I call the great separation, between Che and the old and long dead mud/imms. I got to know quite a few of them and the players on a more personal level, considered them decent associations. They're pretty much just elitist ______'s at this point and have been for years. They give zero cares for the new playerbase, catering instead to heavily overpowered (not via legit play either, fyi) immy's and their mortal characters. They have no qualms about bothering a person well beyond the confines of the mud as well, which when I saw I was a bit taken aback that a person I held in such high regard as Che would allow that to happen, and not just in one isolated event. It's honestly a bit on the disturbing side, but back then there was nothing anyone could do about how they treated people, in game or out of it. 6/10, would play again if stalker factor reduced. Avoid otherwise.

I've played Awakened Worlds off and on for the last ten years, and I have to say that it was a great time while it lasted. In its heyday, Awake was a well-populated MUD with strong roleplay and well-developed characters. Unfortunately, due to the owner having shifted most of his attention to another MUD project, Awake is now languishing with little in the way of new content or code. Additionally, much of the playerbase has moved to the new MUD as well, leaving Awake entirely dead during non-peak hours. The lack of new content, combined with the dearth of roleplay opportunities, means that I can't in good faith recommend Awakened Worlds to others.

Awakened Worlds has aspects that should please Shadowrun 3rd Ed players, but also some serious issues. Clearly a lot of effort has been made to implement the SR3 rule set, usually in a faithful manner. Cyberware, Bioware, Ranged and Melee combat, Decking, Rigging, Spellcasting, Summoning and most Foci are functional. Thrown and Projectile Weapons are not, nor are Weapon Foci. But what is implemented is generally done very well. Automated Johnsons send players on shadowruns, which relieves a lot of the grinding of many muds. There are a few very significant deviations from the SR3 rules that drastically change the player's experience, and they are not always obvious. Physads lack Improved Ability, which is the backbone of many if not most SR3 physads. Trolls over 2.5m tall (most trolls and variants) are hampered by a new mechanic called Slouch, which isn't advertised, and the only notification for which looks like flavor text. Slouch essentially makes trolls useless in melee indoors. A fight is described on their forum where a troll PC, indoors, with basically maxed out weapon skills, is beaten soundly in melee combat by a PC opponent with no skill whatsoever who is using a gun as a club. This brings us to the last aspect of the mud's disadvantages. Height isn't changeable after a character is out of Newbie status, and most newbies, having so much to take in, don't realize the Slouch issue until it's too late to change it. The staff is unresponsive to years (7 and counting) of complaints from generation after generation of players who encounter the rule, saying, 'It's been addressed a million times.' This instance is an accurate picture of the staff on Awakened Worlds. They combine a 'my mud, my rules' rigidity with an intolerance for ignorance of their custom mechanic. They treat new player questions with sarcasm and condescension. They insult, on public channels, players who ask such questions. The mud can be very enjoyable for a player who doesn't mind spending weeks exploring and learning the rules, with the understanding that at the end of it they will probably have to remake the character after they understand the materially different implementation of SR3 rules the mud uses, and accepting that the staff is generally rude.

I have read a number of the other submissions, but cannot speak for them, beside professing to be mildly puzzled. Perhaps in time people have mellowed, or the views were mostly one-sided. I will note (as do many others) that the descriptions are universally excellent with a fair amount of MUD to explore. The tedium of grinding is also helpfully split up by interesting quests ('runs') given to you by Johnsons. Nevertheless there is the problem of the fundamental mechanics of the game being less-than-obvious, along with details about gear being slightly muddled within this semi-complex game system. Finally, there is a distinct barrier between In-Canon and In-Code; everything people can RP out isn't necessarily things that are coded, and the rules tend to differ. Fortunately, any shadowrunner veterans will have no issues jumping straight into the gameworld with only the most casual of glances at various helpfiles. Newbies will have more issues... As was my starting position frequent use of the HELP command and inquiring of other people did the trick. Everyone was (and is) quite patient, so long as you are polite, although if you are inquiring about quests you will have to resort to asking in character... and relying on cryptic clues. Part of the fun is the discovery! I can refute the comment that the staff allow ICer and OOC to flow into each other, but players can get emotional over the characters that they have invested themselves into. Everyone writes very well and it is with fond memories I recall roleplaying out stories. Even when they are of emotional turmoil pitted against other characters. Despite my constant toeing the line when it comes to rules, I have yet to be banned temporarily or permanently, and am part of no 'clique.' Having intended no malice and merely displaying curiosity likely helped. The staff is friendly. Most of the players are willing to give you the time of day, as long as you are willing to listen to them in turn. So log in, make a character! Stay awhile and listen.

I've been with this MUD as a player for six years now, and I feel that it is time for me to share my opinion and experiences on this MUD in order to ensure that new players have a fair and accurate view of 'the way things are' before committing their time to a character on Awakened Worlds. As many reviewers have done before me, I must first acknowledge that the codebase is full of interesting features and that the world is highly developed; indeed, it is precisely these things that convinced me to spend my six years with Awake. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that the level of sophistication and development evinced by the codebase and world is far beyond the level which the Immortal staffers of the game display. The current Immortal staffers were selected by the head Immortal from within the ranks of the 'oldbies'- players who have been around for many years and have curried favor with the administration in the past. These oldbies are often given preferential treatment, with their mortal characters surpassing the current coded global skill maximums as well as being possessed of bank accounts that are filled to ridiculous levels. These oldbies control both their ranking Staff members as well as their extremely powerful mortal characters, giving them an unmatched amount of influence over the game world in both IC and OOC manners. Rule-breaking amongst these oldbies is common, yet overlooked; the head Immortal refuses to hear allegations of mistreatment or harassment, going so far as to silence players in-game and delete forum topics that allege these sorts of things. Being a friend of one of these staffers gives you free reign to break the rules as well- after all, they are in charge of rule enforcement, and why would they punish a friend? As other reviewers before me have done, I must recommend that newbies steer clear of this MUD. Although it was once a fun and intriguing place in which to roleplay and experience the world, this RP-optional MUD has devolved into a petty world where currying favor OOCly gets you much further than in-character work would alone.

I have wanted to write this review for quite some time, but the nature of my departure from this MUD prompted me to take a couple months to compose myself. In essence make sure that what I was writing was not motivated by some form of anger, but a genuine desire to rate, and perhaps forewarn prospective players. Awakened worlds is admirably coded and the effort put into every room description is impressive. The coders have done their best to take all the available rules of SR 3.0 and integrate them into the game, making it easy for those who have available copies of the books to log in and maximize their potential. Where this MUD falters and fails utterly and completely is when it comes to managing and growing their player-base. While most auto-runs have had their rewards drastically diminished, a corresponding increase in more interactive Immortal-led runs has not occurred, leaving players with very little to do, and very little possibilities for improvement outside of character gen. Exploration of the world is not encouraged, with many traps, pitfalls and extremely powerful and hostile NPCs littering many rooms outside of the beaten tracks. Some fellow players with older characters, dating back from before many of the changes act surely towards newer player characters, with attitudes bordering on bullying. Their relative power, combined with an absent or conciliatory Imm population makes playing something unpleasant. Furthermore, the MUD's claim that it is RP optional is an outright lie. True, you can not RP, but to do so alienates you from fellow players and Imms, who refuse to indulge those that are not RP-inclined. To top this all off, those Immortals in charge of the player-base have serious issues, some of which are borderline pathological. Unreceptive to suggestions or criticism, they (or in this case 'he') blew up when offered suggestions, claiming that I was ungrateful and did not know anything, and that he knew how to obtain something, and the fact that I did not know that was an indication of my laziness and ineptitude as a player. I have long since quit playing Awakened Worlds as I have indicated, not wishing to spend my free time insulted by people I have never met and obviously have their own, highly revealing, thoughts on what a typical player does. I have little doubt that should the staff see this review they will attempt to discredit it. Whatever may happen, I do hope that this will be an adequate warning to prospective players about the happenings inside Awakened Worlds.

I am a current player of AW. I'm also very new to Mud games in general. First, up until I found AW I didn't know what the world of Shadowrun was even like. I had no knowledge of the game. What I found most interesting about AW was that it was a mix of two genres that mesh so well together. On one side you have cyberpunk, high tech weapons, cyberware, bioware, hacking, and all things cutting edge. The other element is the fantasy world that usually only makes sense in the medieval era. AW meshes these two worlds into one, and it works very well. Everything in the thick history of Shadowrun gives this world a very heavy feel. The world of AW for me is both pleasing for RP savvy players, for those that aren't, and even people new to it. RP is reinforced, but any new player can easily get into the game and have fun. Item wise, this game is flooded with all kinds of weapons, firearms, blades, and the cyberdeck for those hackers out there. You can choose to be an Ork that drives a big truck, uses assault rifles, and has respect on the streets for being a one of the best Shadowrunners around. If you always wondered what it would be like to play a mage that apart from flinging spells, and could also snipe a troll dead from a distance, do it here. Be a cybered up runner who has spur implants in his fists, mechanical muscles, almost impossible reflex, and can down a foe with a staff, it's your choice. This game is the most free form game I've played. It's the only mud I've played and liked so far, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. If you want to try something interesting, that has years worth of canon to back it up in-game, with nearly limitless choices of character customization and many races to choose from. Give this one a try, it may quickly become a favorite as it did with me.

Until this past Halloween night I was a player and Immortal staff member for Awakened Worlds. I had been playing there for nearly three years when after a heated exchange with another member of the Immortal staff I decided that I wanted no more to do with Awakened Worlds. For those of you who do not know, Awakened Worlds is a ShadowRun themed Mud which uses the CircleMud codebase. The setting for AW is Seattle in the year 2064, in a world where magic and technology are parts of everyday life. The site administrator, Che, has done fabulous things as far as making changes in the coding to make the experience more interesting and the build team has been working diligently to improve and add zones in the Mud for players to explore. During my time there I had witnessed many of these changes, first as a player and then later as an Immortal. Overall my experience there has been pleasing and I have enjoyed it immensely. However, there are far worse underlying reasons for my departure from AW. Ones that I personally believe are most important for the survival of any roleplaying game whether it be pen and paper or online. During my exchange with the other Immortal we were arguing over many things that we disagreed upon. The largest among these were styles of roleplaying that players have and his dislike for it. While I agreed that this form of roleplaying was not very good I still protected the players right to roleplay how they chose as long as they were enjoying themselves, not disrupting the enjoyment of others, and not violating policy. This other Immortal, however, made it clear that his objective was to drive off such players because in his opinion they did not deserve to be playing on AW. I think this is inconsiderate of the players and an elitist attitude to have when he is trying to force others to play his way or leave. When I presented this to a senior Immortal with the evidence of his own words she turned a blind eye to his actions because she shares those same beliefs. I cannot say I was surprised though by her actions when she disregarded my claims about him. She had been doing so for any accusation brought against him as an Immortal and as a player prior to his ascent to being an immortal as they have been roleplaying partners for some considerable time. Another topic we argued over was the difference between my contributions to the Mud versus his. I had already conceded that since my becoming a part of the staff I had contributed little due to real life interferences which was the original reason I was handing in my resignation. Also I acknowledged his work as one of the builders with his improvements and additions to zones. This exchange continued endlessly, most of which resulted with his accusations of me doing nothing more then stalking and... Read More

As nearly every other review has pointed out, the code is fantastic. However, I personally found the game to be incredibly unfriendly to new players. The roleplay is often sub par at best, yet the older players tend to insist against all logic that theirs is the only way to roleplay. One or two line tidbits quickly inserted into a scene with no discernable read order does not interest me, but I at least don't mind putting up with them - people have different styles, after all. This attitude of tolerance is not returned by most players of AW. If you take the time to actually pose something worth reading from a literary standpoint (As some simply prefer doing), they will spend the next few minutes ridiculing you over public channels and OOCly mocking your roleplay ability. While this is clearly very hypocritical - them mocking anybody's roleplay ability when they learn toward such a simplistic version of RP themselves - no complaint can be rightly made against established players on this game. Asking in any polite terms for a bit of patience while you adjust or for them to perhaps realize that their style isn't the only one worth using (or even just suggesting they not RP with you if they are going to do nothing but ridicule) is strictly ignored. When it isn't ignored, it's used as yet another means of ridicule. I found staff and players alike to be hideously pretentious and uncomfortably cliquish. They (particularly the very established older players) seem so terrified of change that any slight difference in a player is obsessed over till the person no longer wants to stick around - Which, oddly enough, sure feels like the underlying intent. All in all, though, I feel like I have been too negative. The game IS a fun one, but don't go into it expecting to be accepted into roleplay with established players without studying their very simple methods first.

Throughout the past 8 years or so, I'd played Awake or its derivatives off and on. Although never for any given length of time, until September or October of 2006 when I started again and got hooked. The codebase is exceptionally well done, with a system that's almost perfectly matched to canon Shadowrun. For the most part, players are helpful and engage in interesting and well-performed roleplay, which was I think, the main reason that I was hooked to the game. I went from having little to no experience with the MUD and having only a general understanding of the concepts of canon Shadowrun rules to having an intricate knowledge of both. After a few months of playing I became a newbie helper. A position designed, as you may guess, to help newbies with my experience and knowledge of the MUD, and awhile after that, I received the position of questor so that I could encourage RP on the MUD. Awakened Worlds is a fantastic MUD environment, that has kept me vastly entertained for the past year and a half. Most of the players are wonderful, as is the majority of the staff. On the downside, one will likely experience problems with entrenched older players. Due to changes in the code such as the reduction in the economy, elimination of many bugs, changes in equipment availability, lowering of skill caps, etc. older players have obtained a profound advantage that newer players will have difficulty matching. Furthermore, some older players have become so entrenched that they are nearly immune to the rules that the immortals are supposed to enforce. Often one will encounter a double-standard being in play in any dispute between an older and newer player, and sometimes older players will perform blatantly illegal actions without receiving punishment. After winding up on the wrong end of an older player/newer player dispute, that began via OOC harassment through code exploitation, I lost most of my interest in the MUD. Despite all of the redeeming factors in its rewarding RP, intricate code base, and for the most part fantastic playerbase, I can't bring myself to persist in playing on a MUD where the rules do not apply equally to everybody. I hope that I've done the MUD justice with a fair and honest review, and hope that those things that are wrong change for the better. -- Meursault

Awakened Worlds is a Shadowrun, Sci-Fi oriented MUD. I created my character a couple days ago and was rather pleased at the ease it took to immerse myself in this rather expansive MUD. The creation process is well thought out and well detailed, and if one pays attention all their questions about how to actually play the MUD are addressed in the process. The MUD features plenty of Johnsons (quest-givers), an indepth Magic system for casters, an indepth Matrix for deckers, as well as vechiles, player housing, and a decently long grace period of being a newbie before actually suffering consequences for dying. It is a classless system, allowing you to basically customize your character from the ground up taking a little splash of each as opposed to being hard-wired into one particular path. The players and staff have been friendly and helpful in fielding my newbie questions or pointing me to where I could find the answers to my questions. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to explore this customized MUD via the runs given to me by Johnsons and look forward to continue to build up my Shadowrunner and try out a mage and a decker. The only thing that really irked me about the MUD is the lack of availability on low-cost player housing. As a new player, I can't afford to shell out 60-150k on a room or two in the higher edge areas. You can actually store things in your vechile but to me, it's not much the same. I prefer to have a base of operations to work out of. But this is something that will be remedied by simply checking the available buildings daily for someones rent to run out. Other than that, I can't think of a single thing I don't like about this MUD so far. See you in the Sprawl. - Sindra

This mud is based upon the hard work of Dan 'Dunkelzahn' Gelinske. It appears that while immortals do work hard to provide a rich environment for players, the hard work of Gelinske et al., is hardly represented in the gameplay. Upon creation, a new player is assailed by conversations that, frankly, should not be occurring in the ooc channel and long-term players bombard their fellows and newer players with insults and criticisms, many of these stemming from in character comments which calls into question the seriousness of the 'RP Enforced' suggested by their entry. Not uncommon is direct copy & paste from in game occurences into an ooc channel letting the world know the most private of interactions. Imm-runs seem to be nothing more than an opportunity for friends of the staff to wave power over fellow players and pick their friends for lucrative opportunities, leaving newer players high-and-dry. To be fair, the following account is taken from an individual that helped build the foundation of this very game during its infancy and someone who has been roleplaying and acted as a roleplay admin for for almost a decade, has very stringent expectations of a roleplaying environment and is generally a bit older than the playerbase in question. In sum, if you are an inexperienced roleplayer, between the ages of 13 and 19 or simply love the SR universe enough to put up with incessant angst, then by all means give this mud a shot! For all the flaws, this mud certainly beats the current alternatives and the overall derision of the future SR FPS makes this crowd respectable, well, at least minimally.

This is an excellent mud, but has it's cons, as well as it's pros. Pros: -The descriptions of most areas seem to be excellent. -The game feels like a real city - you can buy your own vehicles and customise them, take public transport, there's always someone bantering over the radio channel. -The mud truly does encourage RP, unlike many other muds i've seen which claim to accept or encourage it. -It's fun to play. Driving around, fighting, etc, all seem to be slick. -It seems to be very true to the Shadowrun RPG upon which it's based. Cons: -The description claims that the mud is RP optional. Strictly speaking it's true, but I've seen numerous people being yelled at for asking an in-character question on the OOC channel. There are a lot of RP snobs. -While the descriptions of places and mobs are great, often items have a very rudimentary description. That's fine in the case of something obvious (such as a rifle), but in the case of other objects it can be a little confusing. -I've found the creator and many of the players to be quite defensive when newbies don't understand things. Some of the players are tremendously supportive, but the actual creator and many of the regulars seem to respond with: 'You're dumb if you don't' understand that.' -While there are many friendly players who'll help out, you're really going to need to be into the Shadowrun RPG if you ever want to figure out the ins and outs of combat. It's very true to the Shadowrun RPG, but gives no stats for weapons, armour, etc. You need to resort to the Shadowrun rulebooks if you want to know that sort of information. Overall: This has actually been one of the best muds I've played. It escapes from tedious XP grinding, replacing it instead with a clever quest system. Combat is slick, it's full of entertaining roleplaying banter. The only downer for me is the attitudes of some of the players and admin. That'll have to change if they ever want to achieve the coveted top-slot of Shadowrun muds. I'd recommend people to at least try it, however. It's addictive.

Awakened Worlds is by far superior to other muds attempting the shadowrun atmosphere.Chargen is fully developed for a starting player to get a strong understanding to the advanced player wishing to change the path taken previously with a different char.The magic,decking systems are amazing the matrix is exactly as it should be, a whole other world.The new vehicle mod system is fantastic, not to mention the daily updates and additions being added. If you are looking for a place to claim home in the shadows then Awakened Worlds is the place for you to run behind those corporate curtains. Safe Travels Chums Neo

This is the best Shadowrun mud I've played. Very well done matrix, fair Imms who make the atmosphere of the mud fun and exciting, and an almost complete skill list to have your character work with. As Che said in his explanation of the mud, your character can be anything you want it to be, and if you want to be a Decker, a Mage, or a Street Samurai, this is place to be.

If your a fan of shadowrun check out this mud. The Newbie helpers are great, and will help you figure out how to interact and clarify any commands you just don't get. The play area is very diverse, including a fully functional matrix for deckers. The mud supports power gamers and those who want to roleplay. Best Mud I ever played.

This is one of the worse muds ever. It sucks you in at first because but then the problems start. Everyone who has invested time in this mud quickly finds out that there is no such thing as "policy" for a lot of things. In fact, as others have said here, one is encouraged to suck up to the imm (Che) in order to advance his character. This is obviously ridiculus and countless times you'll see Che's lackeys receive initiation upon initiation whilst you have to wait for months and still dont get it. Fairness is an alien concept in this Mud. Stay _AWAY_

Awakened worlds is one of the most entertaining muds I have ever had the pleasure of playing on. It has a large playerbase and during its peak time has anywhere from 10-40 people on at any given time, so there?s always someone to interact with and give you help where needed. The mud is newbie friendly in that dark shadow run kind of way and most of the mortals have a decent sense of humour. This is a game where you can choose to be most anything your imagination will allow, from a powerful spell slinging mage to a lowly corporate programmer or if you prefer to avoid fighting and simply hunt things down you could always try for a job as a fixer and simply acquire items to sell to other interested party?s for your cut. The possibilities are infinite. The head coder Che is quite possibly insane, I have heard of dedicated individuals but he?s something else entirely. Day in, day out, he?s always adding. I am yet to see him take a break in the four or so years he has been head coder for the Awake Code base. While the builders are a little slow for the moment its because they have recently hired a new crop who seem to be learning the systems at a fairly steady pace. I have been playing on a shadow run mud in one form or another for almost a decade now, there aren?t many muds with that kind of interest holding power. So if you?re looking for something that actually grows and improves with time while still holding true to the shadow run third edition rules come on by and have a look.

Alright, I've come to realize that the last review I posted was not exactly accurate. I do still hold by my statements about PK in the mud, as well as the limitedness of the world and the Matrix, and I am still offended by the skillcap, but I would like to rescind what I said about Che and Knight. They're both not bad people, but it's easy to tick them off and get the impression they are from their resultant attitudes. Since my last review wasn't entirely fair, I'll chronicle the good points of Awake here in an attempt to make up for it. One particularly enjoyable aspect of Awake is the RP that one can encounter during the course of play. Though not all players RP equally well, the ones that do RP well often hold the game on their own and make it incredibly enjoyable to join in on. All sorts of characters are RP'd on Awake, from university students to racist Elves to childlike Giants. There are ever-evolving groups of players who work towards common goals, and these groups have their own politics and dynamics like the best of clans in most MUDs. New groups are constantly formed and dissolved, reflecting the ever-shifting nature of the MUD. Another good thing? The fact that the code is constantly updated. While it's true that the world itself is somewhat stagnant and isn't being expanded on much, it's also true that the codebase is growing in leaps and bounds, with new features and improvements being added almost every week. Lastly, I'd like to touch on the Imms themselves. I realize I did slur Che and Knight rather badly in my last post and I'd like to rectify that somewhat. CHE: Though admittedly somewhat irritable, Che is generally a good person as long as you don't annoy him or ask for initiations every day. He's the main coder for the MUD (as far as I know) and it's thanks to him that most of the upgrades to the codebase have been put in. KNIGHT: Also irritable and somewhat prone to yelling at people over OOC, Knight is nevertheless not a bad person. When he comes on to the MUD he's generally in a good mood, and it probably doesn't help when he gets complained at by players when they have problems. He does work quite hard on the Knight Center, even though he has a hard job IRL that he works long hours for. Guys, sorry about earlier... I was in a pissy mood, and I let that get the better of me. I hope that this will help make up for that.

Awakened worlds is one of the most entertaining muds I have ever had the pleasure of playing on. It has a large player base and during its peak time has anywhere from 10-40 people on at any given time so there’s always someone to interact with and give you help where needed. The mud is newbie friendly in that dark shadow run kind of way and most of the mortals have a decent sense of humour. This is a game where you can choose to be most anything your imagination will allow, from a powerful spell slinging mage to a lowly corporate programmer or if you prefer to avoid fighting and simply hunt things down you could always try for a job as a fixer and simply acquire items to sell to other interested party’s for your cut. The possibilities are infinite. The head coder Che is quite possibly insane, I have heard of dedicated individuals but he’s something else entirely, day in day out he’s always adding. I am yet to see him take a break in the four or so years he has been head coder for the Awake Code base. While the builders are a little slow for the moment its because they have recently hired a new crop who seem to be learning the systems at a fairly steady pace, I have been playing on a shadow run mud in one form or another for almost a decade now, there aren’t many muds with that kind of interest holding power. So if you’re looking for something that actually grows and improves with time while still holding true to the shadow run third edition rules come on by and have a look.

Though Awakened Worlds is fun for a short while, it quickly grows old for those players who wish to find a large world and an engaging playerbase. Too often I find myself at the edge of the virtual 'world', unable to go any further, forced to wander the same tired old streets again and again. Though this problem could be easily solved by 'hiring' or inviting more builders, Che has refused to even entertain the concept of asking for additional ones, and has indeed refused outright requests and applications from players who wish to become builders, saying that his process for hiring is "You don't apply- I invite you." Apparently, these invitations are restricted only to Che's IRL friends, as established players are time and again passed up for new people to join the ranks of mostly-inactive imms. There have been no new areas added for almost two years that this player knows of, and the only one in the works has been there for 5 months. This limited-world aspect unfortunately also extends to the much-extolled Matrix. Sure, being a decker is fun at first, and it remains that way for a month, maybe two. But after a while, you realize that the matrix just isn't getting any bigger, and with less than 10 runs centered around the Matrix you know that it's not a high priority for Che to expand or refine it anytime soon. Another thing that is depressing about this MUD is the PK-mindedness of most of the players that one can typically meet. Since Awake is a temporary-death MUD, killing has become an acceptable way of chastising someone for just about anything. One particularly memorable excuse for killing someone was "She looked at me twice. She only needed to look at me once, it was annoying." Sadly, this often gets in the way of RP, as the moment any player tries to bring a confrontation into play the other player will whip out an assault cannon and vaporize the RPer with no remorse nor even thought about it. There is also goading from PKers to non-PKers to try to get the non-PKers to enable PK (a permanent option). PKers will insult non-PKers as much as they feel necessary to get the non-PKers PK so that they too can be trapped in the cycle of fruitless RP as so many PKers are today. Another thing that annoys me about Awake is the sheer unbalancedness of it all. Recently, a level-8 skillcap was put into place, preventing players from ever raising their skills above this. Older players were given a 'grandfather clause', allowing them to keep their skills- some of which were in the 12s. Combined with some of the coding Che has, this makes it so that newbies of certain classes- deckers who want to build decks to sell, for instance- will never have even the slightest chance of catching up to the older players. Case in point? Daedalus, one of the oldest players the... Read More

This is one of the best mud's I have played. You not only have the standard world you have the matrix and Astral space two interlay defiant in game worlds. This is a grate mud.

i've just started playing again after a long hiatus, and I'm amazed. This mud has improved and changed so much over the past few years that it's like a completely new one. I have characters that get involved in deep player and imm guided plots and some where I just sit around and play with the game mechanics. There is always someone to help you if you get stuck and the imms and the older players answer even the stupidest of questions without getting narky.

excellent shadowrun based mud, always folks on. very engaging roleplaying games like shadowrun are hard to turn into a decent mud, these guys did it. well worth a few months of playing

I previously wrote a review of this mud, and I am pleased to say my opinion of it has changed very little. AW is less of a mud, and more of a really cool gaming group. While some people complain about the cliques in the game, I have found that with few exceptions, most people are friendly and fun and willing to help. The Newbie channel has some excellent helpers who can answer almost any question. Although this is a RP optional MUD, RP is strongly encouraged, and you won't get the full experience from Awake without it. There are some very intricate, intense player created story lines, and yes, it can be "As the Sprawl Turns" sometimes, but it really is fun and unique!

Well, off the bat, the mud is very well coded. The player base is good quality, and my complaints about the whole set-up are minimal. Overall, a great shadowrun mud.

I used to play on Awakened Worlds for almost a year. During that time i went through various characters and explored the mud very well. My last character (Zos) was a paranoid cold blooded killer, lusting for power. You can understand that Zos didnt have a lot of friends in the MUD. However, i never felt that there existed an "in-group" of players that were favored by Che. Che's interactions with my character were fair, even when i was walking a fine line between playing and abusing bugs. I was warned a couple of times (excessive karma gain from certain kills) and that was it. I didnt repeat the behavior and i didnt suffer the consequences. Some negative reviews make a big deal out of Che reducing stats, freezing bank accounts and destroying characters. This is true. Certain characters, Azrael being the most prominent got punished repeatedly for their behavior. I didnt agree with these rulings at the time (i found the Oeez incident funny as hell) but i have to say that the "punishment" was ironic and fit the crime perfectly. In any case, the characters that got punished were very experienced/high level and knew what they were getting into. I've never seen a newbie get harassed by Che, and the previously mentioned incidents were very few and isolated. The reason i stopped playing in AW is that the atmosphere of the MUD was stagnating. Most of the experienced players roleplayed pretty well (even though the IMM runs were a mess) but because roleplaying is accepted (and not enforced) the vast majority of the players destroyed any kind of cyberpunk atmosphere. In the end, the game lost its initial magic and became boring. To Azraels credit i have to say that while he was present there was an ominous atmosphere in the MUD. Player killings and political vendettas were prevalent, something that i enjoyed immensely. He was one of the few who demonstrated above par roleplaying and i believe that Che and the rest of the IMMs should have incorporated him into new political scenarios and stories instead of driving him off. Overall the mud is solid, if you enjoy shadowrun you'll definately like it. Abuse from imms is virtually non-existent if you play by the rules. In the end though, its just another mud with shadowrun rules and gear. If you're into complex characters, strong roleplaying and enjoy cyberpunk-infused grim realities, you'd be better off in something like "Iconoclast" ;-)

New to this mud I half expected a bad time given some of the reviews on this site but I haven't had any problems. The other players I have interacted with have often been very RP and the OOC channel is rarely abused as some have reported. I have encountered Che on OOC conversations but it's only been to answer my questions or help with syntax. I haven't seen any of the problems reported by others on this site. Maybe the game, and Che have changed but this game has been wonderful for me and I really enjoy it. I would recommend it to anyone.

I've been playing this particular MUD for close to 8 months now. I would say that it is quite enjoyable and a good way to waste precious free time if your into that sort of thing. The staff is friendly, the playerbase is more often than not knowledgeable in the Shadowrun universe, and the RP is although not required is definately encouraged fairly well. I myself enjoy a few characters that can interact quite well with others, and then have a few that don't like to interact at all. It just depends on the mood of the day I would say. The world is all original and is constantly being added to, as well as the system being tweaked and upgraded for the better on a daily basis. Kudos to those kids for the hard work they put into building this MUD and making it as accurate and close to SR3 as they can. All around, the MUD is a great one with plenty of options, fun, and originality. As to the negative comments, they more than likely did come from a fellow named Azrael who was a jerk on the MUD and turned into a big cry baby when Che came crashing down on him for ruining other peoples good times. Give it a try, stay if you like, leave if you don't. Either way, I'm still playing.

I've played AW for a while now, and I cannot begin to express the amount of fun I have had. The mud is incredibly intricate, with great descriptions on the rooms. The Autoruns can be a bit dangerous, especially as you progress in rank, but there is almost always someone to lend a hand. The veteran players tend to be helpful, as long as you do not come in acting like a total jerk. One of the best things about AW is the runs put on by the Admin/Immortals. They are always fun, always a little dangerous, and usually well planned out. I have played several Muds and AW is by far one of the best, not only for the quality of the coding, but the quality of the people.

If you love Shadowrun or Cyberpunk, this is the mud for you. It caters for all varieties of players, whether you enjoy a bit of hack-'em-up, throwing spells, or RPing it's all available here. The rules follow the 3rd Edition almost perfectly with a few occasional difference (usually because the rules are presented in different format). There is a large variety of weapons, vehicles, cyberware, bioware, spells, armor and other gear from the source books available. As well as a few new additions. Players are generally friendly and helpful. Many will stop and give you a hand or tips about how to complete runs or find that certain item. Ideas are also taken seriously, and there is new content on a regular basis. I highly recommend Awakened Worlds to anyone that wants to relive those SR memories or to try something a little different.

Having been pointed in the direction of the negative reviews for this particular MUD, I took the time to look over them and see the complaints, especially those made concerning the Head Admin and Coder, Che. I don't play on Awakened Worlds much, and when I do it's often on very isolated and anonymous characters. However, I USED to play underneath Che quite a bit, and so I can verify that the recurring themes of power abuse, favoritism, and unfair player treatment are familiar ones. They personify Che's track record as the Immortal of a MUD, and it's more or less his legacy. I myself have been subjected to his peculiar brand of admin style, and found it rather questionable. Admittedly, whenever he punished me, it was not in character-disabling ways, such as purging my bank account or lowering my character's attributes; however, the comments about open player blacklisting and ostracizing those who aren't part of the "in-group" are more or less correct. Che isn't ballsy enough to cripple each and every player file belonging to a person he doesn't like -- he knows better than that, and knows his MUD would lose his playerbase, such as it is. However, you do take your chances on Che's MUD, and the amount of fun you have depends solely on whose good side you are on. As Che's MUD is only RP-Optional, I won't go into how severely lacking the player-to-player interaction is. I will, however, point out the inherent hypocrisies in building a MUD-code that adheres to a very literal interpretation of SR3 Canon rules, and yet allows players to perform actions in the world that defy all Shadowrun canon logic and reasoning. The player runs are quite laughable as well, and would be a constant source of amusement if the RP staff were motivated enough to do them regularly. In any case, I wanted to submit this viewpoint, mostly in light of the fact that Che's rebuttals tend to be more or less character attacks on players who feel slighted enough to post a negative comment on an open forum he can't moderate himself. Take it with a grain of salt or not, but do think of it when you holistically consider all of the reviews here.

I am the coder and admin of this MUD and this is in response to the negative reviews of the past few days. A single player, Azrael, the source of nearly all my complaints from other players was punished. He had his alts deleted (for multiplaying and using them to harrass his enemies using abilities his main character didn't have) and was barred from using the OOC channel. The negative reviews are all from friends of this player, most who have only been around a few days or weeks, who have no idea whatsoever about the context of his punishment. The only time "help" of newbies is discouraged/punished is when it is people giving new characters of veteran players (yes they do exist, not as stated by a previous post, roughly 50% of our playerbase is comprised of players that have been around for more than 6 months) millions of nuyen. Effectively twinking out the characters. As for ruling with an iron fist, the only thing I don't let the other immortals do is hire staff without my permission. Otherwise they are free to build, perform RP, or help characters as they wish. My real life friends who play are held to a higher standard than regular players, they know why and they accept that. Yes, the chatter on OOC does sometimes turn "crude" or "inappropriate", I challenge you to find a place on the internet where that doesn't. The option is there to turn it off, if you can't deal with it just switch it off.

This is a rather odd mud. Admittedly the codebase is superb even though it is not yet to 3rd ed canon as there are several updates still to be released, but the codebase is the only real strong point of the mud. The rp is rather lacking as it is an RP-Optional mud, though in certain events RP is enforced regardless of the players wish. The imm staff is active but nothing is really done without the permission of the head coder, who rules the mud with an iron fist, favoritism running rampant in the process. One of the main problems of this mud is policy, or rather, its enforcement, as some people are exempt while others are punished, even without a chance to explain themselves. And although players are rarely if ever banned, these players are often blacklisted, imms carefully scrutinizing every action they perform and punishing them over the most minor of details, even making up things just to punish them. The player interaction is also limited by this, as the collaboration with and defense of blacklisted players often leads to the punishment of the other player. Player interaction is also frowned upon in the sense that helping other players, especially newbies is often viewed as cheating on the part of the newbie char, and as a result they are punished, which involves purging bank accounts/apartments/possessions, manipulations of stats/skills/attributes and other punishments based on the admin's whim. Thought the playerbase may seem rather good for an SR based mud, most of these ‘active’ players are actually newbies or alts that are being multiplayed, very few of the players being veteran runners as not many actually stick around due to the abuse. The admin himself creates a rather inappropriate atmosphere on the ooc channel, which is laced with inappropriate sexual references, pedophilia, and other unplesantries. It should also be noted that the other reviews can in certain cases be discredited, as in the case of 3Jane and Nico, whom openly admitted being the same person and writing multiple reviews for the mud on this site while talking on the mud’s ooc channel.

The MUD itself is great; interesting decking system, nice world setup. But a nice world does not make a MU*. The majority of the players there are decent, and even nice. Unfortunately, some of the more powerful ones are more interested in starting some sort of terrible soap opera with each other than actually being civil. Some of the head admin's childish behavior-punishing players for every slight if he does not like them or their character, occasionally going so far as deletion-may make for a very unpleasant experience. Just fair warning. A.

Ive been playing Awake for over a year now. It is by far the most detailed impressive shadowrun/cyberpunk MUD online with an active playerbase. Awake regularly has 30+ people online. I do not know how many MUDs ive tried were here are five people logged on four of which are Immortals with no one responding to questions. One of the best things about Awake is the “Very” active player base. There is almost always someone online to help you learn the MUD. The detail and atmosphere will often hypnotize you. Often when I have something to do on the MUD I wind up just walking around and check out the sites like a dam tourist. As for the codebase it is nothing short of genius. Not only is Character Generation one of the most complex ive encountered, it is also one of the smoothest and easiest to figure out. Designed to not only get your character built but give you the information to interact with the whole MUD. With over 400 help files almost any action can be easily looked up. Come for the atmosphere, come for the players, come for the code, or just come to cut bloddyswaths of retribution through hordes of elite security guards. Awake is all about having fun, end of story. Oh and if you drop by ask for Nico. If I am around ill help you all I can.

Great site with active admin support and friendly players. Lots of Rp and active player base always willing to help. Site has good development and is constantly being upgraded with advise from players often added into code.

Beware! the Head Admin of this mud is out to abuse YOU - he caters to the kneeds of a select few close friends, and if they say "Delete this character!" you are as good as gone. The only thing this mud has for it is the code - grab it while its free from their website, and build your own better place.

Hoi chummers, I've been playing on this mud's codebase for about 6 years now, I can tell you this is the best of the best if you're looking for a rich featured shadowrun mud. The staff is friendly and always willing to help, the players are equally friendly as well. This mud is so great, you'll find several look alikes that have *tried* to go the same direction, but in the end, the original can never be out done. Bugs are patched very swiftly after report, new features are constantly added and there are many more things that make AwakenedWorlds great. EOF

Awakenedworlds is by far the best mud I have tried.The well balanced economic state and karma gains make it fair for all players, new and old to survive. The size of the world is huge and highly descriptive with expansions happening daily, the weapons and vehicles are based on the shadowrun standard aswell as mud created. everything is upto third edition standards. The coding is expertly done with constant attention to any bugs that may arise. Roleplay is optional and easily possible for any player no matter what experience they hve with the game to integrate themself into. if a fun,friendly atmosphere is what you enjoy then I would highly suggest giving it a shot.

Well, it sounded like a good mud from the description. However, I spent 20 minutes trying to get past the character name entry. Seeing as they have severe server issues, I wasn't able to log on to even form an opinion. I can't find a way to communicate this barrier to their administration, so I figured this would be a good way. There should be some sort of message stating a general reason as to why I can get to the login, yet I cannot move any further.

The Shadowrun world, cyberpunk and dark fantasy, William Gibson meets Tolkien. I’ve been trying to find a cyberpunk/gritty sci-fi mud for a while and I found it, the fact that its cannon 3rd edition Shadowrun is icing on the cake. Tired of hack and slash muds were everyone multiplay’s to the nth degree and role-playing is a myth. Tired of mush’s that requires a 20 page history of your character with attached psychological profile. Want a place were your character can reach there potential without kissing anyone’s ass, role-play with people dedicated to sustaining a cyberpunk environment. Want a game were you can create and play the Shadowrun characters you always dreamed of, characters with 100, 500, 1000, 2000 karma. Actually be able to buy the cyberware, bioware, foci, vehicles, weapons that your GM never allowed. Welcome to Awake its all right here. From the fully customizable Shadowrun character generation, to high grade magickal initiation and delta-ware. Ever wish you could swing by Dantes Inferno for a drink with fellow shadowrunners, sit down with the local Yakuza for tea, or mosh with orks at the Big Rhino. Jump right in, find one of the many automated Johnsons for your first run and begin the addiction. (Disclaimer: May cause severe withdrawal symptoms in those prone to reading cyberpunk novels.)

This is it Chummers, the ultimate shadowrun experience. It has everything. Cyberware, Bioware, Magic, Elementals, spirits, toxix shamans, Armor, Decking, Rigging, Vehicle Customization, Seattle, the Tir, orks, trolls, night-ones, o my. Don?t know Shadowrun; Think William Gibson?s Neuromancer melded with Terry Brook?s Shannara series, and then drizzle Lovecraft all over it. Mmm-Mmm good. In addition, unlike most other Shadowrun text games roleplay is optional. Money and karma (experience), is set up automatically and if you do like RPing there?s always people hanging out at the Dantes Night Club tossing back a few. Slot and Run

This the absolute best mud I have ever played and I've played quite a few. A staff that knows how to have fun with the players and lot's of chance for roleplaying and just getting out and killing stuff. I've waisted hours playing this MUD and I feel no regret. Che's done a wonderful job in really taking this MUD to the fullest. So what are you waiting for? Sign on and join us!

Awakened Worlds is an indepth, highly detailed mud based on the shadowrun books. The weapons follow cannon rules and the high detail in the matrix is fantastic. Everything is expanding daily with more and more being coded. From what i have seen the combat and living even jobs are perfectly balanced. The assistance and helpfiles are top par. The other players are always willing to lend a hand when able. I am extremely pleased with the mud; it has little crashes and all suggestions are taken seriously.

Great mud. I've been mudding for over 9 years now and in that time this is only the third truly great mud I've found. Even if you don't know what Shadowrun is, you should still come by and give it a try. The immortals are the players are very friendly and most of the time there is somebody around to answer questions. Some of the major things you can do: - Build your own deck to jack into the matrix. - Buy and modify (ie: put an assault cannon on it) bikes, trucks and drones and control them remotly - Learn various types of magic - Buy cyberware or bioware to give you that extra edge. - And many more. So come on by and give it a try.

Full of fun quests both offered by NPCs and Immortals, with a wide range of races and a personalized character creation that stays true to form. Easy to follow Mudschool to teach you all the basics, and give you an idea of the /many/ different things you do. Travel the dark streets of the Seatle metroplex as a Street Samurai or Physical Adept. Hack the digital realm as a Decker or travel to the unknown plains of the astral world as a mage. Summon spirits to your aid and venture the wild as a shaman. Stealthfully enter corporate buildings, and take out a target. Whatever you choose to do, whereever you choose to go (Portland, Tacoma, Puyallup, Seatle, or the gang controlled turfs of Redmond and Tarislar). Maybe you just want to roleplay and hang out at the many bars partying with locals. Remember to make the right friends and watch your neck because you never know when a gun fight will go down.

This mud is a must for anyone interested in playing Shadowrun. The IMMs are fair and helpful and the player base is generally quite friendly. There are tons of areas to explore and the mud is very stable. There are a lot of things to see and do here, and a lot of fun to be had. With new code being added and implemented regularly, there is practically never a shortage of things to do, from rigging or decking to building and upgrading cyberdecks and vehicles, creating spells or writing Matrix utilities, or even just sitting in a bar drinking with friends, you can do it here. There is a nicely designed automated 'questing' system and the combat system is quite well made. If you like Shadowrun and want to play a mud that is as close to cannon as possible, you should stop by and check it out.

having the opportunity to play shadow run with others across the world in a friendly and extremly helpful enviroment where the mud is based as close to the books as possible. the archetype paths are indepth and highly detailed with a fully usable matrix. the mud is very stable with a high player base at most times, detailed runs with enough johnsons to keep you running for a good while, the time system is fair and acqurate and the skill system is above average. the maps are a healthy size constantly being added to. one final word this mud is a must play if you love the game. see ya chum in the sprawl fisher

I would say this is the best circle MUD that i have ever played. Has a nice friendly environment with helpful people. Follows along the Shadowrun third edition rule books. They have great auto runs for earning karma to learn new or improve skills along with Immortal runs. Good size cities with plenty of shops and other places of interest to visit. Great circle MUD for a fantasy and futuristic role play.

Few muds I have played have had the immense detail of a pen and paper game as explored in Awakened Worlds. Awakened Worlds is based off of the popular game shadowrun, which also had a commercial video game released for super nintendo and Sega, which was what initially got me hooked. I was striving through online sites to see if there was any online or other shadowrun games, and I found this mud. Usually, I pay no attention to muds, and I use to have a negative view over them. After playing Awakened worlds, it sparked a new view for muds for me. There is hundreds of thousands of charactor possibilities, and thats not to distract from how everything of YOUR charactor can be completely customized for the underground, shadowy world. Try playing a bad guy for once, either a mage or maybe a cyber enchanced sammuari or a natural born ninja-assassin. This game is definately worth trying, even if you know nothing about Shadowrun and just want to play in a futuristic setting.