Darkwind is a heavily modified LP based mud, with tons of guilds, tons of races, and tons of areas to explore. Whether you are new to muds, or this is your 10000th mud, darkwind will both surprise and challenge you. With an extremely friendly playing group, along with great staff members, darkwind is a place either play until you can't see anymore or just log on to chat. Everything in the mud is based on medieval period weaponry along with fantasy in the realm of dwarves and dragons and other mystical creatures. As a staff member i have seen most aspects of this mud and been playing on it for years and years. It is a great place to have fun. Fully portal supported. Tons of hidden items and places just waiting to be explored. This mud will give you years and years of fun and never get boring. Brand new guilds are in the works, along with the ability to dual guild after you reach hero level. (45+) Some new guilds are just for the legend level players giving you a reason to try to get to that level to try out the awesome new guilds in the works.

I've roleplayed on many MUDs over the past ten years, and Darkwind is easily the best of them (3K would be a distant second). The mud has so many features that I could write a 10,000 word essay about them. A few brief ideas: Almost 20 chat channels, fully ansi color configurable. Twelve unique and fully-powered guilds, representing many classic themes, plus a few less common ones. Optional registration for player killing. A player based market and auction system. Food/alcohol based healing. An extensive newbie help system. Many quests, ranging from somewhat easy to very difficult (The harder ones can take weeks to solve). Quests are optional. Darkwind is coded to use features of the Portal mud client, and the admin pay an annual site fee so that Portal is free for use on Darkwind. Darkwind has more than 3,000 rooms to explore, over four major continents and several smaller areas. More areas are being added all the time. Rooms, NPC's, items, equipment, etc., are well written and imaginatively portrayed. The combat/experience code is well-balanced and set up to encourage exploration as opposed to repeatedly killing in the same location. A MUD is only as good as its people, and the people are what make Darkwind good. The wizards are approachable and do not pull rank or lord over the MUD. Bugs and other issues are given attention as soon as possible. Many players are long-timers who have been here for years, many since Darkwind first started in 1994. Almost all of the regulars are very helpful to newbies, and many will go out of their way to help a newbiepartmainly because the bad actors (wizards and players both) are weeded out in a hurry. Darkwind has a zero tolerance policy towards harassmnet, either by players or wizards. If you're looking for a well-run MUD to call home, give Darkwind a try.

Darkwind has been around since 1992 and is one of the best MUD's that I have played on. It has many features that make it interesting, including: Clans: Darkwind has a fully functional clan system that includes full-fledged clan warfare. Is your clan the best? Market: Darkwind has a player-ran market sysytem that allows the player to set the price on an item and allows for competition. Econonmy: Our economy is almost 100% player-ran. Players can own inns and pubs and make the meals and kegs sold at each facility. PK: We have a very nice PK system. You have the ability to register as either PK ELITE, or regular PK. You also have the option to remain a Non-PK. Its up to you. Arena: For those of us that wish to remain Non-PK but also want the chance to see how we would do against other players, we have an arena. In the arena you are temporarily flagged as PK and can fight another player. Pets: We have an amazing variety of pack animals to choose from. We have everything from a generic pet, all the way up to a lumbering mastadon. Guilds: We have 12 guilds to choose from. These are Cleric, Paladin, Swashbuckler, Necromancer, Garou, Mage, Bard, Charlatan, Rogue, Fighter, Psionicist, and Monk. Races: We have many different races to choose from, including hidden races that you must find for yourself. Lands: We have 4 main continents and a couple of smaller islands. These include the cold, icy plains of Hyperborea; the hot, desolate deserts of Souvrael; the sweltering jungles of Kerei, and the friendly forests of Darkwind. The Islands are known as Dwork, Talamh Darag, and Fire Island. Ships: As a player, you have the option of owning your own ship. We have every thing from the tiny cog to the enormous carrack. Newbies: We have and extensive support system for newbies, including a Newbie Tome, a newbie channel, dedicated newbie helpers, a newbie equipment shop, and even a newbie inn. We have many more features to offer to both the new and the experienced adventurer, but to learn about them, you will have to log on. So, come check us out! Hope to see you there!

I'm overwhelmed at the attention the programmers and wizards have paid to detail in Darkwind. There aren't many muds that have even 50% of these: Optional player killing that isn't bugged. A color system that allows all the ansi shade variations, options for both foreground and background, plus effects of blinking, underline, etc. The colors also help identify players, non-playing characters, objects, etc. The option to toggle on/off much of the spamming of rooms as you travel, much of the combat messages, etc. No less than 20 channels of communication, each unique and each able to be custom-colored. 12 fully functioning guilds: (Swashbucklers, Clerics, Mages, Psionicist, Garou, Fighters, Bards, Monks, Paladins, Necros, Rogues, and Charlatans) which are balanced so that none are overly powerful or overly weak (well, except for Bards, but everbody knows they don't count). Over 20,000 rooms spread over five continents, three islands, and an underground, with more areas in development, said rooms of which contain well-written descriptions and are bug-free. A food/alcohol based healing system with saturation points. Thousands of weapons, armors, and items, of which many are unique to each boot. Ships that actually work (ship combat is in development). A combat-based experience system that fairly gives experience based on the player level vs. the opposing-non-playing-opponent level, and which has plenty of areas for players of all levels. Reboots which are scheduled at the beginning of the boot and which actually happen on time. A lot of wizards, who actually both program new areas, equipment, and features, and who listen to the players feedback and suggestions, and who fix bugs quickly. Mostly friendly people who go out of their way to help newbies. An extensive help system, including intensive newbie help. I've probably overlooked many things, but the programmers haven't. Not much goes for want here. On the downside, there are a few players who go out of their way to be stupid, but that's true of any online venue you go to. The vast majority are not that way, and the wizards don't tolerate abuse or harassment. All in all, I can highly recommend Darkwind to both new ane experienced players.

As a player of Darkwind for many years, i feel qualified to write a review. --Darkwind is a heavily modified LP mud which means that it is a very original world. --Clans- DW has a clan system that allows different clans to go to war with each other. --PK/NPK- You have the availabilty to be either PK or Non PK. --many different guilds,races,player driven economy, and much more. now, to the negative....Right now, Darkwind is being controlled by a single clan of players that think that they own the place. If you are a PK'er and you disagree with them, they hunt you down and kill you. This includes lvl 10's being killed by lvl 90's. If you are an NPK'er then you are called a whiner and told to reg. Nothing is being done to stop these players from taking every single uniques in the game, or to stop then from making quests impossible for others to complete. Darkwind is a hard place for newbies also right now. As the saying goes on darkwind right now, if you arent an N.B.C. then you arent anything. I DO NOT recommend Darkwind at this time. Perhaps once the Admin decides to purge and reset the mud making everyone a lvl 1 again, or after this single clan of people is dealt with, then maybe i will recommend it. For now, STAY AWAY FROM DARKWIND. Find a better mud!

Now people on darkwind know me, and most thought i would never make a comeback. Some, i found out, liked me throughout problems i have had. I came to mudconnector not with that on mind, but that this mud doesn't get the recognition i believe it deserves. In the history of muds, some are hack/slash only and some (my friend is creating one hopefully) just quest based muds. This mud integrates the 2 seamlessly. For anyone who likes traditional muds, not futuristic stuff, just mobs, weapons (swords, axes, bows) armour (leather, plate steel, chain mail) with a great wizzing staff and a great group of players, please check out darkwind. Darkwind has a restrict PK system, meaning if you want to go pk you can, but you aren't forced to tons of guilds that are all equal in ability: some just melee, some just mental, some just magic but they are all fun to learn... Tons of races with their own perks and disadvantages. Quests that challenge your mind and not just your ability to create a strong character. One of the more unique systems of traveling between different 'lands' or 'worlds' by means of ships that players may purchase for a set amount of coins or buy tickets aboard ships that travel constantly. If you are new or old to the mud community just give darkwind a try. The wizs take everyones request the same so if there is something you would like to see in it or something wrong, just use the appropriate command and a wiz will review it and get back to you about it. After years of tinkering this mud it has been turned into one of the best muds i have played in and I recommend it to everyone that likes to have fun. P.S. This mud does purchase a portal license, so if you have the portal client and can't use it in any mud because your free trial ran up, you can always use it in darkwind.. While in darkwind it is registered as the full version... - Numus

Alright heres the low down... I have played Darkwind for years, those years i played as numus, i have come back as other names since then sometimes as numus, sometimes as other names... OLD school darkwind players know the story of Numus, but even though i have had a rough past i will still recommend this mud to anyone who wants a high quality mud. The admin is among THE BEST STAFF in the history of muds, they aren't quick judges and they like to have fun with the players (not at the players expenses) If you have a problem someone is always there that is able to help you... You die and someone is always there to avenge you and get your stuff back to you, the people that play are trustworthy... You can trust them not to steal your coins or your equipment.. The weekly reboots are a little annoying, especially when you finally get everything together and it is reboot time, but it is easy enough to get the stuff again by the time of the next reboot The quests run from LOTS of brute force, to no brute force and all mental games, challenging all aspects of a good player.... Everyone is kind and curtious to newbies, to helping them get equipment to sometimes buying them there own ship to get to the many different worlds in darkwind... The camel/pony system of animals that help transport items is among the best in any mud, and each land offers its own personality and reflects the creaters imagination.... It is sad to see such a good mud not pull the amount of players it should but hopefully one day it will, this is one of those muds tha that finally has been fined tuned to the point that it is both enjoyable and entertaining to continue playing, no matter level 1 or 90... If you are a serious mudder i suggest that you try this mud out, for atleast a week.. If you don't agree just send an e-mail to bambam or any wiz or even to my e-mail address.. The wiz's take suggestions serious... - Numus

This review is directed towards questions that the experienced MUD player might have. If you want a review listing the many excellent features that Darkwind has to offer, there are several here already. Q: Is (insert your feature) here? A: Practically everything that a MUD player could want is here. Basically, if enough people wanted it, and it was fair to all to put it in, it's been implemented. See previous reviews (notably ones by Bambam, Colagada and Kaye) for details. Q: How good are the combat/healing/experience/finanical/etc. systems? A: Everything here is well-thought-out, implemented, and maintained. The code in place here is the evolution of many years of tinkering, observation, hands-on playing/testing, and player feedback. The wizards and players police inconsistencies, and if something is out of whack, it's reported. Once the wizards determine whats wrong, it's fixed. Q: How are the immortals/wizards/admin? A: The wizards on Darkwind listen to what players have to say, and they're approachable. There are no power-trippers or bad actors at the wizard level. If anything, the wizards are too fair and accomodating. Q: Are the players friendly? A: Many of the players on Darkwind have been around for years (that alone should be a testament to the MUD). It'd be hard to find an overall better bunch of people. The regulars are friendly and helpful to newbies and are overall a good bunch. Of course there are a few immature types, but you'll find that anywhere. Q: What's Darkwind's policy on handling harassment? A: Darkwind has a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of harassment by players, wizards, or admin. Q: How hard is it to get started and go through the lower (newbie) levels? A: "Levelling" is easy compared to most muds. There's a newbie tome (help file) that's very thorough, complete with directions on how to get to newbie areas. There's a newibe shop that gives decent equipment (weapon, armour) to newbies, and there's a donation room that regulars furnish with equipment. There's also a newbie type command that will instantly teleport a lost or in-trouble newbie back to the center of town (which quits working when the newbie gets to level 5). In addition, there's a newbie channel that all wizards and almost all regulars are tuned into, and questions are answered quickly. Q: How does the player killing system work? A: Player-to-player killing is optional. If you want to join it, you can. If not, you don't ever have to. Q: What about guilds? A: There are several guilds to choose from. Each has its own set of powers, spells, or skills. The guilds follow classic themes. No one guild is more powerful or 'better' than any other, and each one has a following. Q: How big is the mud? A: It's huge. Very few players have been everywhere. Q: What's the best MUD client to use? A: Darkwind will run fine with ZMUD or other clients, but it's made for Portal, and it's one of a few that... Read More

Hi, my name is Tripp Lewis, AKA Bambam. I am the person that is responsible for making sure Darkwind is up and running. I decided after reading our reviews I would post my own to give you a review from a player - administrator’s point of view. Darkwind has been up since 1992. Darkwind is composed of 32,000 + rooms with detailed descriptions. The areas in the game go from very easy to packing a lunch and staying awhile. We have, - Ships - Player own pubs/inns - Multiple continents from desert, snow, jungle, underground, planes of existence. - The ability to fly - 10 Guilds - Restricted Player killing - Arena Combat System - Quests - Clans - Oathing - Player marriages - Paid for site license for Portal Mud client. - 100% uptime, Mud running on 2MBfiber/1.54 T1/BGP - A Free Mud. To learn Darkwind is easy. I said it was easy not that it would take a week and you will learn it all. We have a newbie tome, which is your first quest. There is a lot of good information in this tome if the player chooses to read it. We also have a newbie channel where players on the mud can give assistance to newbie’s and their questions. If you ask nicely there is always someone around to help. There is a newbie shop were one can request and be given newbie equipment free of charge. Our players are healed by time, by player healing spells/skills, or alcohol and food. There is a newbie inn/shop were you can get cheap food and drink to help you level up quicker. Exploration, which is one of the key things of our game, you will need to do. Can we improve our newbie system? Sure, but it is not broke completely either. Mud life does reflect how people act in the real world. There are small groups of people who like each other and that don’t like each other. I think it is part of the game. I think the word click is a wrong description to use by previous reviewers. I would call them Clans. I would not call our “clicks” on Darkwind unfriendly. If you come on Darkwind showing your buttocks, you will find Darkwind and its player base unfriendly. In the last 15 years there have been many real life “Darkwind Bashes/get-to-gethers” in different places in the United States. Many of these people I have met and would not call them unfriendly. Our player base comes from places all over the world. USA, Iraq, Netherlands, Belgium Australia, Canada. Darkwind is a big melting pot of interesting people. Merge into our society by building friendships and by being a productive part of it. Our combat system has changed over the years. We have gone from a multi guild system to a single guild combat system (meaning players can only be in one guild at a time). We have gone from armor and weapons just... Read More

I just recently started mid-Nov. I love it, the people are great, very friendly, and very helpful except for a couple who are dicks, but you get them everywhere. If I ever have a problem I can ask anyone, and same for anyone else, the admin are helpful and nice to you if you are nice and understanding that they have lives outside DW and when they are in DW they have things like coding to take care of. I don't think I could go to a new mud and actually like it.

Darkwind has a lot of nice features, and the players are helpful, but it's too tough for a newbie to get started. I'm not new to playing MUDs, either. It didn't help that the newbie primer they had was out of date and that most of the directions to the newbie areas were wrong. The map of the main city wasn't correct either. The list of guilds wasn't right. These wouldn't seem like hard things to fix since they're just text files. I was told they'd been out of date for over a year. Why? I saw as many as eight wizards on at high traffic times. None of them could fix those information files? In the three weeks I played I didn't see any other real newbies who stayed long enough to get to level 5 and join a guild. I saw "newbies" do that, but it was obvious from their conversation on the different chat lines that they were long time players who were starting a new character. I stayed three weeks and got to level 12 and a levels in my guild. It was an uphill battle all the way. There are very few good pieces of equipment to use. Good weapons are coded so that they break in the hands of low level players. Good armor was hard to find or buy. When I asked about the toughness of the game on the chat lines the answer was that they didn't want Darkwind to be easy. They succeeded in that. The big majority of players are higher levels, and from their conversation on the chat lines I would think that most have been around for years. While the players were friendly and helpful, the whole place seemed like a large clique with a lot of "inside" talk. That's fine if you've been around for years, but it doesn't help the newbies to get started and it obviously discourages most from going on for long. Like I said earlier, Darkwind has a lot of nice features, but they need to rework their advancement system imho if they're going to get new players.

I'm a long time player of Darkwind, almost eight years. The mud has changed ownership and is now maintained by some hardcore players. The mud is pretty well written and has features that you won't find on all muds. Most of the players and staff are friendly and helpful. The room and object descriptions show a lot of imagination. That said, I don't recommend playing there if you plan on spending any serious time building up a character. There are a few reasons for this. The first is the experience system. Levels from 30 up to the maximum of 90, are insanely hard to get. The proof is that the highest level player is level 71 after 75 playing days (that's about 1800 hours of play). This is a player who knows the mud inside out. Nobody else that I know of is within 20 levels of him. The main complaint is the stability of one's character. Players have no say at all in this. The mud was purged in 1996 with almost no warning and taken offline for several months. It came back---with players reset to level 1. Over the next three years, it went offline again for days at a time without warning or explanation. In late 2000 it was taken offline supposedly permanently when it was attacked by hackers. Some hardcore players got an old copy of it from the prev2ious owner and put it back up in March of 2002. The mud's been up since then on a very good server, but that doesn't mean that a serious player can rest easily. In early 2003, the admin decided that they wanted to restart (purge) the mud again. Everybody was reset to level 1 again. Players had little say in this. Now they're talking about another purge when they install the nobility and kingdom system. It's frustrating to build a character over many months or even years and have it taken away because the admin decide one day that they want to do something different. If you do decide to play Darkwind, be very careful with Player Killing (PK). PK is optional, and non-members can't be attacked by members. If you plan on being PK, expect to be killed frequently by players twice your level. There's no level difference restriction. Level 45s can kill level 5s (and will if they feel like it, although to be honest, only a handful of players will do that). If you don't plan on being PK, be sure you never help any PK player in any way, or you might be force-registered PK by the admin and given a penalty ranging from a few levels to being sent to level 1. There are a few other beefs, such as the lack of roleplaying and the fact that the high-level players hog all the unique items every reboot. When the experience system and purges are fixed, I'll start playing again (I have a mid 30's character). Until then, no Jose.... Read More

I'm going to give an unbiased review of this mud without regard to the politics that just resulted in my being banished. Darkwind is an excellent mud with many features that should be but aren't included on every mud. A few features of Darkwind are: Many channels, including a very helpful newbie channel, a gossip channel for off-topic talk, an auction channel, some system channels, a very useful FAQ channel for newbies, separate tell and emote channels, and three combat channels. All channels can be turned on and off. A lot of control over the colors for different things, mainly the channels. The eight ANSI colors (sixteen counting bold and regular) are available and different ones can be set in the foreground and background with different effects (such as underline). An auction system where players bid on items put up by other players. THOUSANDS of pre-made emotes. Players can also suggest their own emotes to wizards to make for them. Several different shops where players can buy and/or sell items and others that provide useful functions (for example the bank, a "pet" store, a store that deals in scrolls, one that deals in magic items, one that deals in jewelry, etc.). A donation shop where higher level players donate things for newbies and low level players to use. A very complete and useful newbie tome that explains the game to newbies, including directions to newbie areas (there are a lot of these) to get players started. Free and useful equipment for newbies to get started with. A "virgin-ears" option so players who don't want to see profanity can have the mud filter it. A lot of different guilds, including: fighters, paladins, mages, clerics, swashbucklers, psionicists, charlatans, necromancers, and bards. The guilds are pretty equal in strength, and each one has unique and decent spells or skills to use. Thousands of places to explore. The rooms are very imaginative and so are the NPC's. Darkwind spans four main continents, plus an underworld and a few islands. Tons of different weapons, armors, items, etc. A reboot every seven days---long enough to play a while with the equipment you get, but not so long that the same person can keep the unique items forever. Player killing is optional, and players who don't register for it can't be attacked by other players. Beasts of burden. Camels, pets, and ponies can be bought (they're basicallly walking bags) to carry things won in battle. Players can buy ships to store things on and to sail the world in. For players who can't afford their own ship, there are commercial ships that sail between the different continents. A healing system based on food and alcohol (of course there are other ways to heal, too). The food and alcohol can be bought at player-owned pubs and inns throughout the world. Players don't have to eat or drink regularly to stay alive, though. ----- The players and wizards are very friendly and helpful to newbies. Almost of... Read More

I was one of the first players on Darkwind whtn it first opened back in 1994 and was one of the top players with my own pub for many years. Back then people had fun, there were 60-80 players online, a lot of people roleplayed, and it was very enjoyable. I had to leave the mud around 1999 because I was too busy at work. I returned recently under a new username and saw a whole different Darwkind. All of the old administrators were gone. Players complain about petty things now, there's a clique of players who are unfriendly to newbies, the mud rarely has more than 15-20 people online, the combat system is screwed up, and some of the admin are power trips. Roleplaying is non-existant. There are still some nice people there, but overall, it just isn't fun like it used to be. I can't recommend Darkwind at this time.

I've played this mud on and off for almost 10 years now. I can tell you three MAIN things about it. 1. The people on here rock. They're fun, entertaining, usually happy, helpful....and just great! 2. The wizzes on here are the greatest...and I'm not just saying that to suck up. There are mainly 4 active SUPRs (highest wizzies) and they're all friendly. They all interact with people and are right there to help with and fix things when needed. And they are almost ALWAYS on. 3. I've had a real life here and there, and had to leave DW several times, but I've always come back and I've always been welcome. That alone makes DW a GREAT mud!

NB. I've been playing Darkwind I guess for nearly a year now..but it has been on and off, so there is much I have not seen, and do not know. I normally play more roleplay based MU*, but every now and again, I need a break - a hack and slash break - and darkwind suits my purposes just fine. It is an easy, and enjoyable game to get hooked into, and so many times I have wasted away the night on this one. Saying that, it is not all hack and slash. In some parts there is a small attempt on roleplay, but might I stress it is very small. There are also a number of quests, but the game is very much focused on the 'kill mob x, get exp, level up'. To aid this, there are pets who will fight for you, invasions of the main town, boats allowing you to store your items, or move across the vast lands that make up the world of Darkwind, many many guilds, each with their own indivudial skills, pluses and drawbacks...and loads more. But I think the most important thing here, is the friendleness of both the admin, and the players. The warm sociaty that makes up the base of those who come here, is pretty astounding, there doesn't seem to be much hate going on (or maybe I'm just not looking) and the admin team interact with the players with ease, rather than placing themselves on a pedistal, bitching at all who play to create an atmosphere of fear.

Dw is one of the better games i've playen. With over five years experience on this mud, i can safely say that it will keep you occupied and interested. The player/Wiz interaction has to be one of the best i've ever seen. Any problems or issues, the wizzi are always there to help, and players get to know each other really well. Roleplaying is used quite frequently, but players are also removed from this and they joke around and such. Come on in and check us out.

Darkwind is ten years old now. It is a fully custom built mud, designed by players for players. I've tried several other muds, and none compare with DW's playability, fun atmosphere, quality administration, descriptions, items, and its second to none combat system. DW offers a full Player Killing system, and a full Non-Player Killing system. Its your choice. Both are very fun, and both share the same benefits. In DW, you can buy and own your own sail ship, join one of a dozen guilds, change your race, own a pub or inn, or join a clan. It has sever chat/talking lines, and is played regularly by 30-40 international players. Most are regulars, some are veterans, and alot will agree...DW is second to none. DW can't be finished in a day, neither will it take you years to enjoy your fantasy. We've recently set a record, achieving #7 on the topmudsites.com list. Setting a standard from our old 30-40 normal. With a fantastic new driver doubling our uptimes, a doubled wiz staff, constant additon of new areas, and hard core fanatics, DW is sure to become the premier mud on the net.

What can I say, Darkwind is the best MUD/game I ever played. Darkwind is one of those games that you can't stop playing. The things that make Darkwind such a fun game are the variety of guilds/races and areas. There are many places to explore, fun quests, cool uniques and a lot more! The wizzes are friendly, always busy with improving Darkwind and helping the players out. If you're looking for a great MUD that is good looking(nice ansi colors 'n stuff) and really fun to play you should definitely check out Darkwind. -Robzor

Well... DarkWind... sheesh it was my first mud but prolly my last as well. I live in Holland, so english isn't my first language. But that didn't bother me. DarkWind is the most addictive game i've ever played. I tried other muds for a while, but non had the "DarkWind" feeling. It just wasn't the same. Best things about DarkWind? The player driven economy, the newbie helpers, the joking wizards, the boons, the changes, the *huge* diversity of areas, the players, the mud. Beware though, playing DarkWind is hazardous for your health due to many nights of no sleep. Kyoto Addict for 20 months.

I have played DarkWind since 1994 and it is the only mud that I actually enjoyed staying on and playing. I can comment on all the cool stuff in the game like player owned pubs, the many guilds and player races, but the thing that really makes this mud cool and has had me hooked for nearly 10 years is the people that play it. Great place to play!

Best mud there is, Ive been playing on and off for a good 4 or 5 years now, can't be topped imho.

I've been playing LPmuds since '91 and I've been on a lot of 'em. Darkwind keeps drawing me back because of its player-driven economy, extensive leveling system, and large amount of areas for newbies and players under lvl 50 to kill in. Say hello to me if you log in, I'll help you get some exp, $$ and stats!

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I've been playing on text muds since 1992. While I've tried dozens of muds, the one I keep coming back to is Darkwind. And for good reason. Darkwind is a vast mud with several thousand rooms spread over four main continents and dozens of smaller areas. The room descriptions are imaginative, as are the descriptions of the various items, equipment, and non-playing characters. It's said that a mud is only as good as the people who run it, and Darkwind conforms to that theory. The mud is very well thought-out and has had many talented people working on it over the years. Darkwind, as it is today, is the product of tens of thousands of hours of hard work by dozens of imaginative creators. Today, a dedicated team of builders continue to improve and expand the mud, while an equally dedicated group of immortals (higher level wizards if you wish) assure that the mud is run fairly for all and that all guilds are approximately equal in status. To list all the features of Darkwind would take up more text than the average reader would care to see. Here is a partial list of features that Darkwind has to offer: A staff that cares about the mud and that listens to the players and acts fairly upon their behalf. The mud used to have a few power-trippers in the higher ranks. These people are all gone, and the current owner of the mud is set upon ensuring that no other power trippers emerge. Everybody on the staff, from the owner (Acer) to the lowest level wizards (Builders) is approachable to any player. Strong newbie support. There is a separate chat line for newbies and newbie helpers, and any questions that a newbie might have are sure to be answered by somebody or several somebodies. The help file (aka the newbie tome) is the most complete that I've seen on any mud. A shop to equip new players exists, as does a donation room which is well-stocked by the higher-level players for those who aren't strong enough to get their own equipment. There are several combat areas designed for newbies, with various strengths to accomodate the newbies as they advance. A FAQ line (which may be turned off) reminds newbies of these areas and gives directions to them. They are also listed in the tome and by newbie helpers when requested. No newbie that comes to the mud will be left to his/her own devices unless the newbie wants it that way. Guilds: Darkwind has at least 10 guilds that I can think of, including Fighters, Swashbucklers, Psionicists, Mages, Clerics, Paladins, Thiefs, Charlatans, Garou, and Bards. Other guilds are in the making, such as Blacksmiths and Monks. Each guild has several members, and each guild is given enough powers to make them appealing to players, while none are so strong as to be considerably better than others. Balance: The wizards work hard to ensure that no one guild too... Read More

I have been playing Darkwind for anout 5 years and have seen it undergo many changes. I find it a great place, full of even greater people. The Admin are very open to suggestions and encourage such. I find the game to be very relaxing, and stimulating. New area's are opening all the time, with new guilds and new ways of approaching things as well. I would recommended Darkwind for newbies and hardcore MUDers. There is enough to peak anyones interests regardless. If you arent overly interested in the hack and slash aspect of a MUD, Darkwind is a just a great place to hang-out and chat as well.

I've been mudding in my spare time for 10 years. I've played on various themed muds and variously coded styles of muds. Yet, the one mud I've continued to play was Darkwind. It wasn't the just the first one I played, I've tried many muds. What Darkwind offers is a unique mix of player/wizard interaction. With dedicated wizards who are constantly improving the mud, and listening to player ideas... And a strong player base of both registered Player-Killers and non-Player-Killers from all around the world. The combat system is coded well so players are not forced to fight solo nor in a party, so every adventurer can progress at the same speed using their own style of play. With a legend system and legend guilds being added, the future of darkwind appears to be an even better place than it already is.

DarkWind is a mud that has never ceased to amaze me in both good and bad ways. I've played off and on for many years. Making friends, making enemies, passing the time. DarkWind is an amazing collaberation of ideas, and thoughts. This provides hundreds of areas that allow you gateways into the minds of the creators. The mud has gone through many purges, guild balances, and a few supervisors. Recently reopened by Acer, Malraux, and Rodney as supervisors, DarkWind has not failed to amaze me. Amoung the first things these three have done that i couldn't believe was to throw out the old style of thought. And sacred driver that DarkWind had been run on for years went with it. Why because it no longer served the needs of the mud. This was something that I would never have dreamed of happening before these three took the reigns. The surprises continue to follow. Long dead ideas have been revived with a new life. And ideas the were thought unconventional before been embraced with a smile. For those of you who remember the old DarkWind, i want to assure you it is the game you remember with an added fire. As long as there are players willing to voice new ideas, and immortals with imagination and drive to grow with the new DarkWind. Rodney, Acer, and Malraux will assure that this will be a mud that will continue to amaze and astound.

Darkwind is by far the most immersive MUD I have ever played on. After over 100 days of playing time (spread over a few years :P), I still find it a fun and challenging environment. In a nutshell, Darkwind features well balanced advancement and combat, which constantly encourages exploration and growth. It features a good selection of guilds - ranging from the usual fighters and mages, to more thematically distinct garou and charlatans. There are challenges at every level, from newbie to legend, ensuring that you never get bored. I have yet to meet the player that has seen and done everything on Darkwind. Unique features that make Darkwind extra special include an enormous emote library - ranging from a simple "nod" to the dreaded "eier" spam, "virginears" channel filtering for the timid of vocabulary, and extended idle time for the idler in all of us. The current admin are extremely active - both in terms of adding new areas and features, and fixing bugs, typos etc. We also have a dedicated cadre of "newbie helpers" who can help you get going by answering questions about the mud. Come check us out! You won't regret it.

Darkwind is an incredible MUD that's been around for close to 10 years. With a large variety of guilds & races, and the ability to change them anytime throughout the game, you've got many choices to mold your character to whatever you desire. The world overall is a large place, with many areas to explore, and with the many builder wizzes, will grow even more quickly. You have the choice to be either non-PK or PK type character, so those that enjoy either way of playing, can both feel at home here. And with a new, very diverse Kingdom code arriving soon the options for players to join together in a common goal will be even more evident! Overall, Darkwind gives you many options for play, for years of enjoyment. The wiz-staff idles around most of the day and is very active coding and very quick to answer questions, fix problems, give good luven, and join in the general mudwide conversations among players. It provides a very warm, very laid-back atmosphere for those that want to play, or just sit around and chat. Give it a try. I think you'll be impressed.

An okay place if you are looking for hack and slash and that's it. If you are looking far quantity rather than quantity this is the place for you! With over 8k of rooms players don't explore because they don't want to get killed, here is plenty of quantity to go around. The mostly idle staff is helpfull (if you can get ahold of them) and the game is mostly an orginal game. With no history for the world or the guilds, navigating arounf DarkWind is a breeze...until you stop being a newbie and you can't use the newbie tome anymore. With their brand new store that has just opened it shouldn't be long before it will be pay for play. Buy a mug and help this hack and slash MUD out!

DarkWind has seen the times come and go. It has faced near destruction in a time when fancy graphics are taking foothold of a new generation. Yet it has persisted, and persisted not only because of it's large and ever-increasing size, but because of a community of players and wizards who work together to create world which holds the imgination as well, if not better, than a good book. DarkWind already has much to offer players - 90 levels, player-owned ships, pets, pubs and inns, 10 guilds (with more soon to open) - and has more to come. Since it's grand reopening almost 3 months ago, DarkWind has registered hundreds of players, with up to 40 on line at peak times. Beyond all this, DarkWind has a registered playerkilling system, so you decide whether to put yourself in harms way. Be it through PK, quests, or hack and slash, even the most veteran mudder will find a new challenge in DarkWind.

DarkWind isn't the most complicated or immersive mud out there, but it is not the most simplistic or boring mud either. DarkWind is what you can truly call home. It has a truly relaxing environment where time spent on it feels like a vacation. The player base is growing everyday but the small but stable player base keeps a tightly knit group of players like a family.