I have played on Cuendillar for many years, as life permits. There are both good things and bad things to say about this game, but then, no game is perfect. Cuendillar is a mirror world based on the Wheel of Time, but it lacks any of the characters from the books, and the historical events, and the names of all the noble houses have been changed. It is set well before 'The Eye of the World', the first book in the series, and has its own extensive history. The staff and players both have put a great deal of time and effort into creating this game, which has withstood the test of many years. Unfortunately, over time, the playerbase has dwindled, for what reasons I am not personally aware. Cuendillar is a MUSH, therefore, it is very RP-oriented. There is no code, and no mob-killing. However, the game does have a very extensive chargen system, which I find personally to be fun to go through when creating a character. I'm particularly fond of the assets and flaws required to be set on your character, which helps flesh out your character concept considerably. You also choose a number of skills, which become very useful in combination with the +roll system for spontaneous RP, as well as avoiding situations where twinking might occur. It's about as close to a MUD as a MUSH can get, in that sense. But rather than focusing on code strength so much, the code merely enhances and backs up the roleplay. There is also a +roster system of pre-made characters, such as Sitters of the White Tower, other Aes Sedai and their Gaidin, and various rulers, as well as nobles, councilmen, Children of the Light, Queen's Guards, and every day commoners, which can be taken off the roster by players either for temporary purposes, for for long-term play. Obtaining a +roster character is as easy as requesting one, unless an application is required, and even the application process for a +roster character is not very difficult. When I first started playing there, I applied for the Queen of Andor off the +roster when the area first opened, and was approved. It's that simple, though they do require that you play a certain amount of time before you attempt to choose such a high-ranked character. Currently, the areas open for roleplay on Cuendillar are Tar Valon and the White Tower, as well as Caemlyn and Cairhien. There are also plots that lead outside these areas. There was an attempt to start an Aiel area a while back as well, but that died due to a lack of a large enough playerbase to support the extra area. While I have played on Cuendillar, the roleplaying is very good and high quality, and never feels like a waste of time. I've seen lots of things, from sweeping plots to plots that involved only a few people, to individual RP scenes behind closed doors. The players are generally friendly,... Read More

I started playing on Cuen in the 'long ago', a time I can't put a specific date on. It was that era when Wheel of Time roleplaying had passed its golden age, Angreal MUSH was shut down, and staff were still involved in actual plot. This has since changed. Wheel of Time roleplay is dead as far as history is concerned; players have moved on to other things. What killed it? I would say that a staff singularly disinterested in RP but heavy on the red-tape. Players bothered enough to come up with TP ideas were irritated to discover that staff, and certain staff in particular, already had their special PC characters. And if you didn't like that, you would be 'disappeared' by some random Forsaken or super-strong channeler of Segade or Nynaeve's invention that was impossible to kill. Actual character development was set aside and in its place, we were given the Traveling weave. Exciting RP was replaced with impossible enemies who drove players away in droves. Every position of power meant for Players (the Amyrlin/Keeper, city officials, Mistress of Novices [Tower RP being the center of the MUSH], etc) were increasingly staff controlled, so players have increasingly little say in anything on the MUSH.

I haven't been playing this MUSH for near long enough to consider myself not-a-newbie, really (so you must take this review as a newbie's first impressions), yet I feel very settled in - it's true that Cuendillar is extremely newbie-friendly, with zillions of news/theme/+help/+lhelp/CG files that make it possible to find out almost anything you could want to know. Within reason. I mean, they don't have a 'news secrets of the universe' but they /do/ have a lot of theme files with helpful WoT info (I've only read a couple of books, and that was a long time ago, but I've found most anything I needed to know in the files). Not to mention the mature, patient and helpful players! The MUSH deserves its Andy Award for Most Newbie Friendly. However, the playerbase is on the lower side, though I do play in the rather awkward GMT timezone. I generally see 5-15 players about - more during peak EST playing times. Still, the playerbase can only increase and this would be an improvement, I feel. Hopefully I can encourage more snazzy RPers who like the WoT theme to come check Cuendillar out. =) Hmm. In the interests of not blathering on too much more, I'll just quickly note a few more features I like. They have an extensive chargen system, so you can define your character and customize their sheet to your heart's desire (you can simply create a character and play for a while first, if you prefer, but going through chargen is encouraged and is necessary before you can RP any restricted abilities), /and/ there's also a roster of characters of all shapes, sizes, abilities and social classes to choose from if that's your cup of tea, each with a few relationships already provided so you can start roleplaying right away with a well-rounded, interesting character. There is a certain amount of code on Cuendillar, but it's not excessive. To be honest, I know nothing of code and don't want to risk making that even more obvious by saying anything else about the stuff. ;) Personally, I like Cuen's level of code-ness but you may find there is more/less than is to your liking. Tar Valon, the White Tower, Caemlyn and Cairhien are open for play so far, and there are plenty of slots left for restricted characters, including Ogiers, channelers, Wolfkin and lots and lots more. Further info and some RP-exampling logs can be found on the webpage. :)

As the lack of reviews here really does not do the MUSH justice, I thought I'd put in one. I don't even remember when I started on Cuendillar, but what struck me from the start was that they really deserve the Most Newbie-Friendly award that they have received, since I quickly got into things. During the years, I've participated in plots and played with countless of players and characters, letting my characters develop along with the MUSH itself. One of the very special things with Cuendillar is the fact that things really do happen, there are things moving in the world and it's very apparent in the game if you just take the time to look for them. The rp is extensive and has given me quite a few wonderful sessions. The staffers have been the greatest, helping you with anything that you might wonder about, yet not serving everything on a plate - there's an endless amount of possibilites if you only take the step and join in with the world of Cuendillar. Oh. And the character-creation system is a wonderful, wonderful thing for us avid roleplayers. :)

A more detailed review is available by the same author at http://www.electricsoup.net/ Cuendillar MUSH is undoubtebly one of the better Jordan-themed online games out there. Competent, friendly staff and great roleplayers make this game both fun to play and welcoming to new players. A optional CharGen system gives players a chance to decide what they want their character to do before using the flexible, extensive and easy to use character generation system. Active players. Friendly staff. Great areas. This game is worth a look for any fan of Robert Jordan's books or anyone looking for fun roleplay.

I've been on Cuendillar for awhile, and I have to say I think its an interesting game, and the people there are some of the most friendly I've ever encountered. There's always something going on somewhere, and the atmosphere is very cozy.

A great RP centered MUSH with nicely developed code, including a fully developed Tel'aran'rhiod, and a friendly staff offering a full range of characters with large plot arcs. A delight to play on!