Forgotten Kingdoms is a MUD set in the Dungeons and Dragons fictional universe of Forgotten Realms. It is a roleplay enforced mud with a very well done game engine that yields a harmonious mix of roleplay and hack 'n slash. The roleplay on Forgotten Kingdoms is pretty fine with many good players capable of developing their characters with consistency regarding the lore, yet without being banal. New players are actively involved in plots and events, and cliques or groups of 'cool kids' monopolizing events are luckily non-existent in this game. So one can feel part of the world right from the first steps they move in it. Player groups, the most important of which are the various faiths and churches, are quite open and heartily welcome new members and the community is friendly and devoid of any toxicity. The class system is centered around four basic classes: warrior, cleric, wizard and rogue. All new characters will belong to one of these four classes. Then, after creation, they will be able to choose a further specialization and they will join one of the advanced guilds through quests which are in part automated and in part related to roleplay. Warriors can choose to become either fighters, rangers of paladins respectively. Clerics can become priests or druids, by joining one of the many churches of the game, which can be managed by other player characters of the same religion. To join a church a character will be given a personal quest to complete, after which they will become initiate of that faith, and if they are clerics, they will unlock additional skills and spells. Also characters of other classes can join these churches if they want. Then there are wizards who can decide to become generalist mages, able to cast spells of all magical schools, or specialist, who have an advantage with the spells of a specific sphere, but are barred from those of opposed schools. And at last we have rogues who can become thieves or, after submitting logs with a performance of an original work, they can become bards. The best classes to try the game are the warrior or the cleric. The warrior, in particular if one decides then to become a fighter, allows to travel the world without much worry about the enemies one can encounter. Clerics on the other hand allow to experience the game more fully, both from the roleplay aspect, being required to choose a patron deity to develop their potential, and from the mechanical one, since they have access to the fine spellcasting system of the game. Wizards, on the other hand, are a difficult class, especially for beginners, and they will struggle at first levels. Again rogues, at last, are the most difficult classes to play and they are heavily reliant on groups to make full use of their abilities. Because of the high difficulty rogues are blocked for new players, and will become accessible to them later. The spellcasting system a... Read More

Hey there, Forgotten Kingdoms like previously mentioned in other reviews is based on the Forgotten Realms universe, and by and large stays accurate to the known lore with the exception of a few revolving plot lines that the players themselves actually have some ability to influence via role play. If you have a special Idea for Role Play, something having to do with something that wouldn't exactly be common place, or something entirely new, with the ability to submit requests via Applications found on their well kept forum/web site, is possible with enough background and thought put into it! I've been playing here since 2003. That was seventh grade for me, and I am still here as a 28 year old father of two and husband. For over a decade and a half I have found fun here, the world is MASSIVE. There are still things that I have not done, not to mention all the things that are STILL being added, even further flushing out more and more of the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting. The mechanics and code are beautiful. The Forgotten Kingdoms community has made me feel at home and has inspired OOC RL relationships with people. These folks have time and again, welcomed new and old players alike back into their fold. Most importantly though, is that this place has inspired personal growth within myself, and has helped to encourage academic growth from a young age, with a safe, intellectual and creative outlet. This mud is a fantastic place to loose yourself in your own adventure. Let your fan-fictions and fantasies have a chance to really come to life.

I have recently returned to FK mud after a decade long break. I am thrilled to say that my account was still available, and I am able to play the characters that I spent so long creating. FK is a serious mud, with intensive role playing required. The IMMs and builders are constantly adding new bits and updating code. I was amazed when I returned, and I can't get enough.

Forgotten Kingdoms is a mud set in the Forgotten Realms universe, and is staffed by an extremely dedicated group of people who constantly work to make certain that the place friendly and welcoming. New areas and imm run quests are frequently available, and the playerbase is patient and kind to new players, helping them learn the ropes and getting them into their chosen RP. I've been playing this mud for over 10 years, and I don't think I'll ever stop. If you're thinking about trying the place out, stop thinking and do it. You'll find so much to love, that like me, you'll probably never want to leave.

I started my MUDding career at Forgotten Realms in roughly 2002. My cousin got me hooked on what he exclaimed was the 'best game without graphics you'll ever play'. Through the past 11 years, I've come to call FK home thanks (mostly) to its great base of fantastic RPers (players and staff both). The inept, better-than-thou staff of yesteryear (thank God for new staff who actually cares about its player base rather than doing everything in their power to hurt the people around them) is long gone, replaced by loving and caring people who do their best to contribute to the game, whether it's coding, building, or running RPs and managing faiths. FK boasts some of the best true-to-edition classes and races, and does a fantastic job of separating the hard-to-play races and alignments by requiring kismet (earned by great RP or through hours logged). Its player base, while small (10 people online at its slowest during the day to 30-40 at its peak on weekends), is built around a great community that is truly there to help players whether it's Out-of- Character or In-Character. A wide swath of faiths are available for any player's character to follow. Each character can rise through the ranks of their faith, eventually being able to progress one another through the ranks and, finally, lead their faith as a Champion (faith manager). Whatever kind of character you envision, you can create here in FK. Whether you're new to MUDs or just looking for a new home, I suggest everyone give FK a try. Its VT-based interface and MASSIVE world are some of the best I have seen in a MUD in my decade+ of playing and RPing. Though I am no longer an active player of FK (due to RL issues and needing some time away), I recommend FK to anybody who loves true D&D and the world that the administrators have created (and continue to add-on to). If you love Forgotten Realms, you'll love what they've done with the world in Forgotten Kingdoms MUD. Its constantly-evolving world is impeccably built by amazing builders and supported by a great (albeit time-restrained) coder who work as volunteers to support the game that they, as players and staff, have come to love and admire. I admire the staff for their professionalism and objectivity when approaching conflicting players. They do their best to keep the game feeling as true as possible to the Forgotten Realms.

So I've played this MUD, heavily on and off for about 5 years now. When I say this, I just want to clarify that I have taken long breaks in those 5 years, and have created a large number of characters, to include special races and the like. A little background on my MUD experience, I have played 3-4 MUDs very long-term, with the longest run being a MUD based on the Wheel of Time (and largely PK oriented) for 15+ years. I literally started when I was twelve yearsold, and now I'm twenty-eight (kind of sad, isn't it?) I'm just writing this review to share some thoughts and feedback I've had in this game as I've played it. It should come as no surprise, but coming from a largely PK oriented MUD to Forgotten Kingdoms is night and day. I'm not opposed to RP, but holy wow is it enforced with an iron fist on this MUD. You better have the patience of atibetan monk if you plan to play this game. It is in no way built for the casual gamer. If you want to advance in this game, you better be ready to put some serious play time into your characters. It's not just a long amount of time investing into the game over weeks, months, etc., but more accurately, most of your RP interactions are going to turn a five minute ask and tell situation into a two hour full meal deal. Is this bad? I guess it depends on the situation. As I said, I don't mind a bit of RP, but I am also here to play a game, and I decided to interact with you most likely for a reason. I guess this is where I'm just going to say that if you're wanting to play this MUD as a solo build, or because you just want to casually play (casually being the keyword) a great Forgotten Realms-based MUD, then you may want to look elsewhere. To reiterate, this MUD is TRULY amazing as far as the in-game content, and replication of D&D 3.5 goes. It is honestly the only reason I keep coming back. I'm a huge D&D/Forgotten Realms fan, and with all the class/race combinations, it's just absolutely thrilling to play a character in the world these guys have created. I even enjoy their kismet system, where it rewards players for their loyalty to the game by increments of 1 kismet per hour played. Apparently you can get kismet by other means, but it must be through special roleplay or something else, because I have acrued 1500+ kismet on my account, all of which is from hours played. This kismet can be used for 'special' races, not always meaning better bonuses or stat points, but most do have such perks. The absolute biggest drawback of this game is trying to gain information on anything within it. They have cornered all users into a situation where the only two to... Read More

Forgotten Kingdoms is the truest platform to a tabletop setting of Forgotten Realms, Dungeon and Dragon nerds unite and look no further this mud is for you. With constant additions and plots happening that are both staff and player initiated you will never be bored on Forgotten Kingdoms. I started playing about five years ago, and was immediately amazed at how well the game is built. HUGE! With an Underdark (For you Drow fans.) and areas built on different planes. I have to say, I've played a few different muds but always end up coming back to Forgotten Kingdom for the great playerbase and welcoming community. Spells and Quests galore, this mud has so many options it is almost impossible to get them all! Once you get into the game, and get familiarized with the setup it takes off. The Roleplay is intense, and can vary but you will not be disappointed. Stop on by Forgotten Kingdoms and check us out! I look forward to roleplaying with you!

I have played this MUD for several years, now, off and on. It's got the best character generator process that I've found, it's totally newbie friendly, the world is HUGE! and so many differing classes, races, sub-races, guilds, both player and game driven. A player council in place to help answer any question that may not be addressed in the vast Help File library. Immortal driven rp's as well as player driven rp. In short, if you want to actually role-play, this is the place for you. It is rp enforced, and limited pk, several hometown starting points, there's just too much to list, truthfully. I have tried several other muds over the years, and I always, always, always come back to Forgotten Kingdoms MUD. I even ignore my consoles to rp in Faerun with all my virtual friends and family.

Too busy to play tabletop these days? Well, look no further than Forgotten Kingdoms. It is the best Forgotten Realms based MUD I have ever played that runs a d20 3.5 Edition ruleset. There are very few house rules; the ones that do exist, only exist because they have to due to game balance and code restriction. New content is constantly being added and revamped. World-wide campaigns and plots are ran often. You can pretty much play any kind of character you want and said character is completely customizable.

I'm a transplant who's played in a fair number of MUDs and fell in love with a MUD a long time ago. When that MUD disappeared I was left jaded and without a loving home but after six years of MUDlessness I began the hunt anew and found Forgotten Kingdoms. This MUD is a welcoming place with very intensive roleplay. It's become my new home and is rather everything I could ever hope for in a MUD. The quests available are more numerous than I would have thought possible and the roleplay is more expansive and lasting than anywhere I've seen. If you're a MUDder who loves roleplay and D&D, Forgotten Kingdoms would be a good home for you too.

I learned of the existence of MUDs as a result of frustration in trying to find a pencil-and-paper game that I could fit into my busy life. I was hoping to rediscover the joy of roleplaying from my youth, but as an adult the constrained time and location options involved in a face-to-face game proved overwhelmingly problematic. After a few long drives 80 miles for a great game in another state, a few afternoons dithered away at a local games shop hoping someone intelligent would show up, and a frustrated effort at trying to host a game myself for a few months, I half-hoped a MUD might sate my appetite for roleplay at whatever time of day and in whatever place I happened to have a few hours to dedicate to having fun. Based on ratings in the MUD Connector, I tried several MUDs in genres of interest to me, albeit with little optimism. They lived down to my low expectations (far too little roleplay, far too much metagaming), until, when I was almost ready to give up, I happened upon Forgotten Kingdoms and gave it a try: not as a result of its (middling, at the time) ranking, but rather its strong and heartfelt reviews. I want to thank those reviewers, now, as well as join their ranks, because Forgotten Kingdoms has become a source of great joy in my life, even as I've had to reduce the time I can invest in it. A parent and professional now, I rarely have the blocks of time needed for a dedicated roleplay session, and remain connected to Forgotten Kingdoms primarily as a code detective, a member of the all- volunteer staff. On those precious occasions I can carve out an afternoon or night without interruption, though - this venue still delivers that roleplaying magic I so love and yearn for. The game is completely free, a gift of the passion and dedication of its head coder, with no advantage given to anyone as a result of anything, including monetary support, and fueled and kept alive by an incredible volunteer spirit borne of people who really love the game, and the lost art of roleplay. If you are a twink, bent on generating the strongest possible character and quickly mastering everything there is to master...this is not the place for you. If you enjoy reading and writing walk-throughs...you'll hate FK. But if you miss the excitement borne of a truly immersive atmosphere, surrounded by and interacting with fellow enthusiasts, and the tang of uncertainty and the risk of peril a PC experiences when truly exploring and interacting with the unknown...you have found a (new) home. I can't tell you this is the best MUD there is out there. I've only played a small handful, and none save this one for more than a few days. But I can tell you that this one is amazing, and that if my story sounds anything like yours...you should try Forgotten Kingdoms giving... Read More

Writing this review as a long-time player and contributor of Forgotten Kingdoms, it is with a heavy heart that I must complete in all gravity this entirely negative review of the game. After joining the game in 2009 at the advice of an old friend who shortly quit after I began due the same reasons that I have quit multiple times, I had fun- This was, of course, because the game was largely unpopulated by staff and people just worked together for the betterment of the game. No longer. Now all that Forgotten Kingdoms is, is a playground for the immortals to try out their every outlet for corruption. The game is fairly carebear between players because we actually care about each other and want each other to have fun, but the immortals seize every opportunity to ruin the fun for the players. They will spawn an insurmountable number of mobs atop people for no reason at all, or delete a player's items, or even put them into jail-type rooms simply for being logged off for what the immortals deem as too long. With a completely unoriginal theme, poorly written quests and story events, unrealistic characters everywhere you look, poor storytelling, and a fast-dwindling playerbase, Forgotten Kingdoms is now unfortunately a piece of garbage swirling around a drain on a very strong current. The wrong people were hired and so they have torn the game apart. The players most liked by these imms are rained nice things and opportunities upon, and those of us who aren't in a constant state of ooc worship simply suffer. I pity this MUD and its players. Farewell.

When they say they're in it for the roleplay, they mean it. And do they deliever and deliever well. It is refreshing to break away from the new-age rpg's (read : woot, dewdz, leet lewtzor) and go back to the roots of how rpg is done. My experience with MUD's started back on AOL with a very popular MUD that still exists in the form of Pay to Play. From there I moved on to UO and then to EQ. Each jump I made... roleplay suffered more and more again. Finally it became find the next mob with loot. Forgotten Kingdoms gives the thrill of online play and interaction that remains traditional to the aspects of DnD and to Forgotten Realms. The stories and the players that create them are engrossing and quite compelling. One of the greatest elements I find is the lore of the realms and gods they have incorporated into Forgotten Kingdoms. You feel as if you are a deep part of the evolving plots in reference to the gods. But in turn, I have found the gods and faith system to be the only problem I've had to this MUD. To follow a certain faith and receive it's benefits (and restrictions) you must become familiar with it, interact with other members of the faith, and eventually meet with the Faith Manager of the faith. Unfortunately, between 2 different characters... I have yet to have either make their way into a faith. Perhaps this is isolated to these two characters, but it would seem that each Faith Manager of the the ones I wish to follow show up maybe once a month at best. Again, this may just be me, but this system restricts... especially clerics / priests as they are unable to learn further spells until they find a faith. Would I recommend this MUD? Without question. The roleplaying, the effort that everyone puts into it, and the interaction you can find anytime during the day is astounding. Is this MUD perfect? No... but I'd definitely give it 9 out of 10.

I was, and still continue to be blown away by the magnitude of this game and the people that play it. I came in as a veteran mudder and immediately found my way around via the online help information available both by typing help and by visiting their site. I took the time to read and found my legs immediately. The playerbase is very friendly and very helpful. They are patient with new characters and very very generous. I can imagine getting into this mud would be easy for both new and old and will still be challenging enough for the veterans out there. The dungeons and dragons Forgotten Realms feel to the game is not lost and many of the players are very knowledgeable in the lore. It's very easy to get immersed in this game for hours. The coding is top notch and very solid. I don't think I've experienced any crashes or bugs so bad that my experience was ruined because of it. There are also constant and regular updates to the code and system. Building is IMMMENSE. There is a whole world to explore, from Silverymoon to Calimport, all beautifully built (and still under construction) for you to explore and discover. This is the best mud I've found to date so come give it a try!

I found Forgotten Kingdoms some years ago, completely by accident. I had absolutely no experience with role playing, and had never even heard of Forgotten Realms or even Dungeons and Dragons. Still to this day even the simplest computer tasks baffle me. However, from the very beginning, whether it was role playing, learning the setting, or figuring out the commands I've always been able to find the help I need. Roleplay - This mud is RP enforced, and the caliber of people we get here really adds to the experience. Role play can either be really in depth IMM run plots, raiding bandit hideouts with a group, or just sitting and chatting with your friends. Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number and types of plots driven by the staff and they've been a lot of fun. Just because the role play is enforced doesn't mean that you cannot take OOC things from the game. Through my years of playing here, I've made some strong friendships because of this game. The setting - We do have our slight variations from the Forgotten Realms setting, but overall I think we are very close to it. Forgotten Kingdoms has something for everyone in this respect. You do not have to be a die hard Forgotten Realms guru to get into this game, be successful at it, or to have fun. Over the years I've learned a lot about the setting, and I still am learning quite a bit. Though I know a number of players that play Forgotten Kingdoms that live and breathe the setting and they find a comfortable home here as well. Command help - Oh my goodness, when I first started playing, I could not even figure out the say command. I thought I was hopeless. But the staff was so patient with me and eager to help me learn. I never felt like I was bothering someone when I had to ask for help for the tenth time that day. This game is very new player friendly in all aspects. There is a council of players ready to answer questions big or small. Very rarely does a question go by without someone to answer it. And if for some reason you don't get an answer to your question, you can either post it on the forums where you are sure to get an answer or you can look for the answer in the help files of the game. Help files are constantly worked on and there is a help file for just about everything, and they really explain things well, unlike some other places where you go and get the command only. Also, the game is always changing. There is a very active forum where players can submit ideas for changes and areas and very often they are implemented in some manner. There is an active building team who are always working on ideas for new areas (And there are already a There... Read More

Forgotten Kingdoms is a very, very large and roleplay-enforced MUD set into the AD&D/Forgotten Realms timeline in between Waukeen, the Goddess of Trade's rescue, and Bane, the God of Hatred's resurrection. With a completely non-stock (I can't say original, now, can I?) world, an average of roughly 25-30 players online at peak time, newbie-friendly beginning areas, immersive roleplay, dedicated and helpful staff, and an endless number of personalities to meet and interact with, Forgotten Kingdoms is by far one of the best MUDs I personally have ever played. Fun, fashion, adventure, religion, kinship, power, and anything else your character could ever hope for can be his or hers, if he or she is willing to go the distance for it, (And sometimes, a character doesn't even have to do -that-.) The only drawbacks to the game are that we could use about a dozen (or more!) dedicated and friendly players to help fill out the (very) massive world that the MUD supports, and a couple of slightly frivolous rules (Who ever heard of limiting a description to 4 or less colors?) but the first can easily be remedied by you, dear reader, by joining the MUD, and the second is well worth the experience you'll have after entering the enveloping and extremely entertaining world of Forgotten Kingdoms's Faerun. Come by, stay a while, and most of all, -have fun- You won't be disappointed.

Let me start out that this game has brought me more stress, more joy, more laughter, and more tears than any other game I have ever played. I started playing this game when an old boyfriend of mine introduced me, and I've been hooked ever since I started a character and just marveled at how descriptive and wonderfully put together this game was. I created my first character, thinking that 'Okay, I like RPGs and I can type. How hard can it be?' I was so lost, but the other players here are so helpful, it seemed like I was able to get into the groove of the game in little to no time. I shudder to think of how terrible I was at first, but thankfully, people forgive and forget when you are putting forth effort. I personally have had to step away from the game time and time again due to real life issues and sometimes just plain burning myself out, but I always come back. I've bought some games for console and the PC with intentions of playing, but never do because this game takes all of my attention, though it is given willingly. I've tried to play MMO's but they just lose their charm and appeal and I come running back to good ol' Forgotten Kingdoms. Thank you to the staff who have created areas, quests, roleplay opportunities, and even just plain messing around with us. Thank you to my fellow players who constantly keep me on my toes and make me smile. I miss the ones that left us and eagerly await those that come to join us. The longer I play, the closer I feel I have become to everyone. I think of the community as a computer family, though quite dysfunctional at times. ;) If you are reading this, and you haven't tried the game, give it a shot. We, the players and staff, love new people and we do our best to help and make others feel welcome. The Newbie Counsel is always there to answer questions that you may have, and they do a fine job of it, let me assure you. There's always an adventure to be had, be it slaying goblins, dungeon crawling, deliveries, or just riddles and filling out your character's personality and friendships. I promise that this game is worth it. Thank you for your time.

Please note: I didn't want to write a review. I have been playing this game, as well as others, for several years now, off and on. I keep coming back to this lovable text-filled game. After playing FK, those other games just...weren't up to snuff. Playing FK has spoiled me to the point where other RPGs just seem like senseless repetition. Start. Get stuff. Kill critters. Take critters' gear. Kill BIGGER stuff, get BETTER gear. There's no reason for it, and I grow bored. For some of us, that gets old. Enter FK. If you want the WHY to your story, if you want a REASON, then you need RP to fill the gaps. But even RP can be ruined. Sometimes, you'll find a good RP and it's ruined by twelve-year-old Ninja_H@xor12 who runs up screaming 'Gimme ur phat lewts or I will pwn u.' Not in FK. You become immersed. It's addictive. Very. If you don't want to be swallowed into a world that seems as real and tangible as this one, but with high fantasy sword & sorcery, and deities who rule on high, don't play. If you're an old school D&D'er, you'll feel at home here. It's 3.5 D&D translated into a stream of 0's and 1's. Granted, I got off to a rough start, and the imms are strict. But, due to their (and the RP council's) efforts, the game maintains integrity. It is not only strict, but necessary. They run a tight ship. Without such, however, FK would not be what it is. And this coming from a person who has been hit with the Divine Hammer on MANY occasions. I can honestly say, they always do it in the interest of the game, and its RP. They are fair, and willing to listen. The community has produced some of the finest folks I know, and whom I am proud to call friends. It is above and beyond anything I've ever seen. I come and go, because life is like that, but...the fact is I always come back. Try it...I dare you.

I've been playing FK for nearly a year now, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. To start with, the game is newbie friendly. The playerbase is supportive of new characters and there are plenty of volunteers to answer your questions and help you out if you need it. Player-killing is very strictly controlled under RP guidelines so you don't have to worry about being sniped as soon as you leave the training area. The game world is based on Forgotten Realms, and if you're already a fan you have plenty of chances to show off your knowledge. But it's equally forgiving for people like me, who had nothing more than a vague idea of the setting and no MUDding experience when they first logged on! Players are concerned with good roleplay more than questing and bashing for XP - there are loads of player driven events to get involved in which add immensely to the richness of the game world. In my time here I have seen performances by bards, jousting contests, traveling merchants, religious celebrations, weddings... The game is constantly changing, with new areas being built and new quests and items added. The forums are extremely active and any player is welcome to make suggestions for improvements or new features. The players and staff really care about the world they inhabit and want to improve it. FK is addictive and I have been known to stay logged in for over 10 hours at a stretch, wasting my weekends in front of the keyboard and clocking over 100 hours per month. Yes - This game is just that good! If you are serious about roleplay and are tired of little snots running around claiming 'chaotic evil' is an excuse to slaughter other players at will, or are sick of people chatting about what they're watching on TV while you're exploring a dungeon, then give FK a try. If you prefer hack'n'slash and want to become an uber-powerful killing machine, then this game is not for you.

It is hard in online games to strike a balance between gameplay and roleplaying. Most times, you find yourself immersed in either an aggressive PvP environment or in an entirely specific roleplaying environment. Neither is really satisfying for very long. Forgotten Kingdoms strikes a good balance of roleplay and gameplay. It is roleplay with teeth, you might say. The players are friendly towards new players and help to facilitate an enjoyable experience. Having an established storyline (Forgotten Realms) as a backdrop helps develop continuity. Overall, it's a well-balanced game.

It's really difficult to tell something that hasn't been told already, I have been playing in this mud for close to two years and yet I always discover something new, there is a full dedicated team that is always working to bring new options and areas for the players, certainly Forgotten Kingdoms is always in a constant evolution for better, which is fairly difficult since they have very high standards already. Aside from all what has to offer to the player regarding the gameplay itself which is fairly good, I would recommend this mud for two others reasons as well. First of them is the sense of community, we can have very good and very evil both deities and characters, but behind of all of them there are really nice and dedicated people which will make feel welcome here and will guide you in your first steps, and I think that I don't stress it enough, people (those who only portray deities and those who only play characters) are really nice and make you feel welcome since the first moment. If this was not enough, this mud is the most accurate representation of Greenwood's Forgotten Realms that I have seen online, certainly forgotten kingdoms captures the spirit of this campaign setting and can be found everywhere be it with an accurate portray of the landscape of Faerun or with his great roleplay involving the many faiths of this setting. Certainly if you start playing this game you will not regret it. -Vibius.

I started playing this MUD in 2003. Since then I have had my share of both good experiences as well as bad, both with the game itself, and with other players that I have RP'd with. Overall, I would give this MUD a fairly high rating, and I think its only going to get better. It seems that with all the improvements going on, things can. Even the help channels available seem to be more prominent, such as the ask, question, forum board, and other sources that are coming open to use. It has an extremly indepth story and many, many, alright, many hours of play available, without ever doing the same thing twice. And lets face it, that's what kills a game, the repetition. The thing I admire most about this game over other online games, is the RP factor. It gets you into character, whether its a good guy or a supreme, blackleather & sunglasses kind of villain. So, if you are interested in a Rp enforced mud, instead of a buch of ppl talking about real-world stuff while they kill a dragon or whatever, then this MUD is the one for you

How to begin? I will be nineteen in one month. Forgotten Kingdoms has been an integral part of my life since I was twelve years old. I'd like to say that I never let it interfere with my schoolwork, social life, or anything other than my spare time, but I can recall being thirteen and sleeping through first period because I stayed up to play those extra hours at night. I will admit, when I first began I was what the staff called a 'problem player'. What unruly, adolescent boy wouldn't be? But as I developed in life, as a role player or more importantly, as a writer, I began to see what beauty this MUD offered. I could do more than abuse code for temporary, meaningless gain. I could do more than gang up with other dysfunctional kids like me, and ruin a good time for many people. I realized that I could escape from a town, a job, a school, that I hated, into a place where I could find solace. I didn't need drugs, or alcohol, but I would say that the fun offered by this video game is just as calming, if not addictive, as both. I learned after my ban from Forgotten Kingdoms, that I truly valued it - I snuck back in, almost four years ago. I don't know if the imms knew it or not, and by this point I'm sure they do, but I definitely needed this game. I believe that since then, I have become a truly helpful player. I have developed not only my characters, but my writing skill, and in some way, my social abilities, through interaction (forced or not, though sometimes it surely was) with other players of this game. Up until the day I left for college, almost five months ago, I clocked over one hundred hours a month, and if it weren't for real life finally taking precedence, I still would. I love Forgotten Kingdoms, and the people who make it what it is, with all my heart. I've been trying to say this for a long time, but I really do regret all the terror I put this game through, because it is more than just a game. It's a community, and if you're looking for that, you've found it in Forgotten Kingdoms. To all the imms, not-so-imms, average Joes, and plain ole bad people that I've glorified, slandered, loved, hated, given to, taken from, and most of all, loved again, this review is for you. You people are wonderful, and I'll be here until the end of this MUD's days, or mine. Thank you, very much, Homer. P.S. - Hrosskell, Graham, Florian, Angarato - all of the stories I've written around these, and fifteen other characters, mean very much to me. I thank you again, for sparking something creative inside me.

Looking for a MUD with the soul of a MUSH? This it the place. They said it couldn't be done--the holy grail of serious, character infatuated, epic story-inspired gamers who cut their teeth with table-top AD&D. We who love the dungeon crawl, the dragon slaying, the heroic glory, the loot and the XP... but always wanted something more: To breathe real life into characters beyond the cool statistics and yummy enchanted weaponry. Dudes. Look no further. It's here. Forgotten Kingdoms is a remarkable, addicting, creatively invigorating experience. I can't say enough about it: the staff, the players, the quests, the use of ANSI colour... everything from the macro to the micro detail really enriches this game and the end-user experience. I haven't been this enthralled with Faerun since Shadows of Amn. Are you a MUSH RPer yearning to get back to swords and sorcery by can't deal with MUDs? Give this one a try. You won't be sorry. See you in Waterdeep! Skye

I started playing this mud while in college and found it on my own through my endless searches to find a mud that felt like 'home'. Much like many of the other reviewers here I had a rough start and had some flops in my initial RP with my first ever character (Ezrai if ANYONE remembers her). Through time and a TON of patience from the other players everyone I met helped me learn how to play the mud, helped finetune my rp, helped me understand the concept of 'getting into your character' and above all, gave me a kinship which I have been unable to find in any other mud. Through the last seven years I have come and gone from this mud due to IRL issues and each time I return I feel welcomed as if I am coming home. I am utterly ADDICTED to this mud... Much more than is really humanly healthy. What continues to draw me back is the RP. This mud defines the meaning of 'roleplayed enforced'. The staff will come down and interact with your character, not even as immortals, but they will bring to life the NPCs around you. A guard will suddenly start talking and comment on the going arounds. It makes you acutely aware of everyone and everything around you and really makes the world three dimensional. They have an incredible staff that helps players run their own events from religious gatherings, special quests and even masquerade balls. They are friendly, helpful and are always aware of the wants and needs of their players. It makes the time spent on the mud feel thoroughly enriching. As a player you are not a rating to them, but an actual voice. One of the biggest advantages of this mud is that the mud itself is not solely built by the staff. There are numerous average players who join in on building areas, checking for bugs, testing code, bringing in new quests and even bringing in their ideas to be implimented on the mud. For those of you that have been 'around the block' with many muds you must be aware how rare this is. Lastly I must give a big kudos to the playerbase on a whole. Everyone there is helpful, friendly and willing to spend time with each other. Everyone jumps at the chance to go somewhere as a group and they thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. They laugh with each other, grow with each other and really become friends. I have earned some lifelong IRL friends through this game which to me, is a huge testament to the quality of the playerbase. We are just waiting for more people to meet!

I started playing MUDs back in 1992. I can't remember the name of the first MUD, but shortly after in 1993 I started playing Mortal Realms which got me hooked on MUDs. A few years later I also played Shattered Kingdoms and several other different MUDs after that. Around 2000/2001 I started playing Forgotten Kingdoms. Although I do not play as much as I did in my earlier days, this is the mud I call home. I have gone off to play my XBOX and other PC games, but I always find time to either frequently play or play regularly Forgotten Kingdoms. This MUD has so many great things going for it. There are numerous quests, I have been playing now for about 6 to 7 years and there are still many quests from the time the game was created, that I have still to try. But this game is not static like many other MUDs I've played. There is an ongoing evolution of the game. New quests are added, minor and major additions to the code to comply with the D&D editions. Also, the VT interface is excellent. There are new areas added as well along with new races to an already extensive race and class selection. Not only can you be a fighter or priest, but you can also learn trades like mining or weaponsmithing. PC can have their open shops. But all the bells and whistles of the game is not the MAIN reason Forgotten Kingdoms still has a thriving playerbase. One of the game's strengths is a great admin team that include area admins, area developers, hard code developers as well as many other admins that help anywhere from a QUESTION channel to provide help to PCs to an online FORUM that provides opportunities for admin and players to post suggestions, ideas, complaints and help. The playerbase is also a great group of people that try to make the game fun and help out where they can. There seems to be a strong community within the playerbase and as I have been finding out slowly, the playerbase ranges from teens to people that are 50 years young. I strongly recommend for people to give Forgotten Kingdoms a try, you will not be disappointed. Ohmsford (old time MUDder)

Forgotten Kingdoms was the first mud I ever experienced and fell in love with it. I have played on other muds since then, but overall I have returned and remained faithful to FK. The other reviews really do spell out the first time impressions and benefits of the game so I don?t want to duplicate that here; in fact I will like to take a different angle. FK has a long history with its highs and lows, as any other organization does. Yet through it all the high times really do outnumber the lows. Some of the previous older posts named a few of the problems that we have had, most of them growing pains and many of them due to viewpoints and differences of opinion, but in an environment such as this you are bound to have them. My praises do go to the current administration of the game. They really did do an awesome job of turning it all around. I can guarantee that any of the cons, or problems, listed in the previous posts have been addressed and fixed. Some of the things I love about this game: The Imms: They have been outstanding in carrying this mud from a time when a lot of the playerbase was disenchanted with the previous administration. They regrouped and came together to save what everyone agreed to be a game that was on its deathbed at one point. Through their hard work and dedication they have nursed it back to health and we are definitely seeing the fruits of their labor. The Playerbase: The playerbase as a whole, when compared to other muds of this genre or any other that I have seen, are top notch. With that said, there are a few problems that every mud experiences but overall the quality and depth of not only the Roleplay, but the camaraderie shared by everyone is felt across the board. This mud is not a mud for the Imms alone so they can play out their fantasies with their friends. This mud truly belongs to the playerbase, and that is something that is rarely seen on muds today. The Setting: The environment is realistic and relatively true to the setting I have come to love. This is my personal opinion, but I believe if Ed Greenwood logged in one day he would nod his head in approval of what not only the Imms alone do, but the entire playerbase as a whole do to suspend reality and suck you into this extremely immersive and well defined game. The Roleplay: The roleplay alone is enough to recommend this game to anyone on its own merits. Rarely do you find a game that is so roleplay immersive (yes, I used immersive instead of intensive as I believe it does it more justice) no matter what level of RPer you are. Unlike other 'RPI' muds where you are shunned for not being a good RPer, people will most certainly be and... Read More

As a staff member of another mud, I needed a retreat. I came to Forgotten Kingdoms after seeing it in the notorious top of the muds. Forgotten Kingdoms deserves it's place there as well. It has a very intense roleplay environment, as well as a staff that supports this. The population of the mud is very helpful indeed, the first day I was on I had a player offer to help me out and tell me all the ins and outs of the game. Also, if you are big into the Forgotten Realms campaign you will fit right into place. The piece I love most about this game is it's faithing system. I was amazed when I found out that the gods are actually played out in this game. (The coded ones at least) Choosing your god can have its penalties and benefits, it really sets you into a group of players and may in fact make you some enemies as any other Political/Religious based situation as this would induce. Also, if you are that player that is about having things to do, quests abound in this game to give you something to do when online. One of the major things I love about this mud is its support for group adventures. There are times when we should remember that we all need to work together to get things accomplished and this mud really knits together people (which brings out the rp ;).) And although it does start out slow, it picks up because like everything you get used to it. The last and final thing that I would like to add about this mud is the glory and kismet system. One word: GENIUS! This system allows players to gain points that open options to play more advanced characters. And a glory system that represents how 'popular' your character is, by what success you have made by your accomplishments. So if you are wanting to try out a great mud with great roleplay, then check out Forgotten Kingdoms.

Well met, traveler! Since I have been sucked into the Forgotten Kingdoms, almost against my will, I feel compelled to lure other innocents into the same insidious trap. The addictive-as-drugs game is based on the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, though no prior knowledge is required. Most importantly, it is a roleplay-enforced game (the shiny lure that pulled me in). There is no way I can describe everything that hooked me like a hapless fish, but I want to highlight a couple key elements that made a difference. Character creation is particularly elegant. As I built my first character, step-by-step, famous characters from the Forgotten Realms setting explained the basics of how the game works. I especially want to thank Elminster for explaining feats, I know how busy he is. What is otherwise a relatively dry process was made exciting. Thanks! There are a few interesting details about new characters worth noting. Unlike the standard Dungeons and Dragons setting, where a character starts with his chosen class and an allotment of skills, characters in Forgotten Kingdoms begin as one of four basic classes ? warrior, rogue, priest, or wizard. They must then find in-game guilds to become a full class ? a fighter, a cleric of a specific faith, a mage or specialist caster, a thief or bard, and so on. Joining these full classes usually require some roleplay, some are harder to join than others. Likewise, rather than starting off with a full selection of spells, skills, and languages, characters must find in-game trainers to teach them these abilities. This adds an extra level of interest in NPC mobiles in the game, a nice touch. (Admit it, we ignore most mobs unless they sell something we need or can be killed for gold and XP). As a roleplay intensive game, Forgotten Kingdoms also employs an interesting Kismet system to try to weed out troublemakers right off the bat. Before playing something potentially disruptive like a thief, a chaotic evil character, or a rare race like a tiefling, the player must acquire a certain amount of kismet. Kismet represents game knowledge, and is gained simply by playing for a time, or it can be awarded for excellent RP. Not that anyone would ever want to play a chaotic evil tiefling thief (shudder). Forgotten Kingdoms boasts a healthy number of areas to adventure in, an alarming number of automated quests (some of which grant secret skills, hee hee) with a variety of rewards, and blah blah blah cool features. So what. The REAL reason to visit this game is the RP. Unlike other MUDs I have played in, there is no OOC channel to just schmooze and inform you all about my new job, my problems with my girlfriend, and how I took the day off because I have the sniffles. Sure, it?s nice to express an interest in your fellow players, but did we not come here to Roleplay? I think we did. In FK, all interaction is expected... Read More

This MUD is by far the best MUD I've experienced. Roleplay is strictly enforced which creates an environment you can truly immerse yourself in. Beyond the roleplay aspect, Forgotten Kingdoms holds to the Forgotten Realms world flawlessly. The only differences you can find are the ones you as a player create. On top of all this, the extensive list of coded systems allows for you to immerse yourself even more. Do you want to start a business selling weapons you've made? You can do that. Do you want to become a merchant and sell things between cities or other players? Go for it. How about becoming a famous bard with your very own personal publisher and gallery? You can do that too! I've been a player for over 5 years and since I've started playing, the game has been continuously changing and improved upon. The player atmosphere is friendly and helpful toward new players. The staff that runs the show is dedicated to improving things and helping all players enjoy themselves here as much as they possibly can. If you want a truly indepth and dynamic roleplay experience, then Forgotten Kingdoms is the top of the line. Dedicated roleplayers will NOT be disappointed here.

Forgotten Kingdoms is a MUD that has gone through quite a few changes since I began playing there, and I would say that without a doubt, it is these changes the talented immortal staff has made that have made it the one of best MUDs I have ever played. I think the fact that I've played there since 2001 speaks for itself. Between the immense size of the game, the wonderful area authoring, great roleplay, and very well-made codebase, I simply can't play any other MUDs now that I've been just plain spoiled by Forgotten Kingdoms. The game just recently had an addition of a truckload of new spells, and with them has adopted a D&D-fueled spell memorization system which is excellently crafted, and easy to understand and manage--it makes playing a spellcaster much more interesting than on any other MUD I've played to date. The game is always being added to--right now there are multiple large cities that are being made by the dedicated area building team. And, in recent times, immortal-run roleplays have picked up a great deal, and it has added even more to the fun factor of the MUD. I don't have enough space to tell you everything else that I love about this MUD in detail, so here's a list of what I think of as the highlights: excellent character generation, many races to choose from, wonderful combat system, VT100 interface (can't live without it now), wilderness system, helpful staff, humongous and useful in-game help system, GREAT ROLEPLAY, excellent areas, trades (mining, armorsmithing, etc...), a seemingly never-ending number of quests to play through, a top-class community on the game's forums, and (this may be my favorite part) great dungeons. One thing I haven't seen other places is the active out-of-game community--the forums on the game's website provide a wealth of information and help to the players. Also, many new ideas the immortals come up for the game are batted around with the playerbase on the forums before they really are put into the game. Players and immortals alike are constantly coming up with great new suggestions for how to improve the game, and it's rapidly evolving as a result. As for the so-called political issues discussed in some of the other reviews -- there have been a few (and I mean very few) minor, isolated incidents that I have seen of out-of-character politics creeping into in-character situations, but don't be discouraged, this is not the norm on this game. I have seen nothing but class from the immortals and the newbie council on this game the entire time I've played there. By and large, from this player's perspective, things certainly seem to be running very well behind the scenes on Forgotten Kingdoms. This MUD has some more advanced aspects to it from the user's standpoint than others I had previously played. Don't be discouraged by this! By advanced I don't mean overcomplicated or inaccessible -- the learning curve is not steep. So yes, for most there is probably going to be a lot to learn when you're first starting out on Forgotten Kingdoms -- but trust me, take the time to learn, and you'll be having a lot of fun before you know it. If you want quality gameplay and roleplay, I can't tell you to go anywhere else but Forgotten Kingdoms.

This mud is not like any other mud I have ever played. Forgotten Kingdoms ruined me for other muds. They have a very unique interface that you will become so addicted to. It is full rp, and the likeness for the Forgotten Realms book is amazing! If you look at the map for Waterdeep and look at Waterdeep in the game, it's exactly the same. The people there are amazing and the evils can actually play an evil. Everyone is friendly to newbies, and they provide so much help with a help index a 100 miles long, and a question channel where players will answer your questions! Try it and I promise you will be addicted!

Want to know how much the Admins think of the players? They put up a notice on the message board saying the game will be down for 'carpet cleaning', this happens erratically whenever an admin wants to listen to everyone talk about how much they miss the game, sort of like an evil god in Black & White. But this time, it turns out 'carpet cleaning' means: the game very well may be shut down for good, and we, the council to assist new players, should not tell anyone and just let them think it's down. Well guys, unless the admin hands over the code, it's gone. Thanks you two, you're a class act. Please, feedback! Anyone!

Well, I began during the first week of the game with my first char. I spent 2 hardcore years having a really, really great time. Then I left the mud for some personal reason. I began to mud again a month ago, tried a lot, then stumbled on FK again...just to try. Since then, I'm purely addicted again. In 4 years there were major changes, like a total new spell system, similar to the one in D&D (memorization system), lots of new areas and all the new players, as well as some old faces. But the core of the mud did not change at all, it's still roleplay, roleplay and...roleplay. It is very newbie friendly, it's fun to be carried around all the major cities by someone you dont even know, just to help the new face. It's still the same as it was, people flirting in the Square (major rp room), Imm run (very) big plots but all this with just enough change to make it even more immersive. I suggest to everyone who says that he loves roleplay to try it. It's an invaluable experience. Brar

Forgotten Kingdoms was my second MUD, and it made the first one look awful. On days when the mud has crashed, I occasionally look around the internet to find a decent MUD like it... I am still looking. In my opinion, this MUD is fantastic. It blends code and RP together. You never know when a mob that you're talking to will suddenly get involved in the RP through the actions of the ever- watchful Imms. Very soon, a new spell system that brings this MUD so it is almost exactly like the D&D system will be introduced and from the announcements, it sounds AMAZING. The staff never rest, really. They're always upgrading and adding in new things for the player base. There have been a few reviews here that have spoken about the rules here being restrictive. Personally, I don't think they are. In order to prevent wide-range chaos and in order to preserve the spectacular spirit of the MUD, rules are there. I believe that most of the rules even add to RP. And people who have said that roleplay is not so good here... well, I'm not so sure. Sure, the massive RP events are few and far between - but elsewhere, people are constantly RPing. You have people in Waterdeep discussing philosophy. There's balls, marriages... You have power-hungry mages plotting to kill their enemies. You have the manipulations of the temples. Yes, lots of these are micro rather than macro plots, but they still involve a lot of fun. :) This is TRULY the best MUD I have ever RPed on. I found it accepting as a newbie, and the people friendly. One thing, though: on references to politics, I cannot say yay or nay. I generally don't know the people behind the characters, unlike many, and so to me, I think of it as just a 'world' to RP in. Others, knowing the people (sometimes quite well) will obviously find politics within the MUD to be more of a key issue. On one last note, there is a Forum, too, where players can (and by God, they do!) discuss and debate and suggest. The Forums are (to some extent) where issues in the game can be resolved generally. Obviously, there is no time given to those who whine or those who waste time by repeating subjects discussed previously, but personally, the Forums are what kept me in this MUD. The unique code brought me in. The RP made me fall in love. The forums and the way in which we actually have some input have made me stay. An immense MUD. Try it!

Forgotten Kingdoms is an astounding mud, brilliantly executed in more ways than one. I look for muds that take your experiences, so much as it can be called reality, to a whole new level of reality. The fact that skills must be sought out after and are not achieved immediately upon hitting that special level is not only brilliant, but for once it makes skills in character, the same could be said for leveling. Leveling has practically no place in the Realms. While it is an important and neccesary aspect of the game (as it is with most muds), it is completely transparent and not something that people whisper about in OOC conversations as is the case with so many MUDS. The quest system is not something you would find in a typical mud and is not something I can speak highly enough about. Those of you who have played MMOrpgs will find the questing system quite familiar. I can't possibly explain it here so I'll let it explain its here href='telnet://game.forgottenkingdoms.com:4000'>FKmud I've been here voting for Forgotten Kingdoms for a few days and I intend to do so every day. I see the immense potential in FKmud and it has my full support.

Forgotten Kingdoms is a very unique MUD with a lot of good roleplaying opportunities to a very restricted extent. This MUD's base on the Forgotten Realms is controlled drastically to the point where you're playing a basic game of D&D from the Player's Handbook in an already created world. In the past they accepted many things, such as good aligned Drow, Half-Drow, Liches, and many others. However, come to date, you have to earn the right to play these things, previously by applying. If they felt you were a 'good enough' roleplayer they'd let you. Today you have to earn points in their special point system which is not very easy to do at all. To sum that up you are stuck with Moon Elves, Shield Dwarves, Lightfoot Halflings, and so on for a pretty long while, so long it's not really worth the headache and unfun chores to butter up to the IMMs enough just so you can play a Wild Elf. Another thing that displeases someone is their roleplay as the deities. A major experience I have had in the years that I played there is you could not even speak a deitie's name without them getting upset with you. Even some of the good aligned deities were like this. In True Forgotten Realms most of the deities even have flaws, they are not able to hear all and no, they do not always watch over Waterdeep, which happens to be the most used city you can go to. In this MUD saying the name Cyric more often than not bought you a death that starts an RP that often gets others killed til you wait about 30 minutes to get ressurrected. Speaking on death, they have a strict rule that you must act like you've never died before in actions, however in roleplay you can, very carefully, admit to being killed before. Let us point out that in many D&D stories death has reached characters several times. Some of these characters, especially the rogues of not so evil nature, admit to death rather jokingly. Take note on the third official module from Neverwinter Nights, the halfling henchman admits to such rather playfully once you ressurect him. There is also a very harsh system in joining a church, and without joining a church you can't, that's right can't, worship a deity. You can roleplay an aspirer, but that's it. They also restrict it to allignments, you have to match or match as close as possible to the deity your character wishes to follow, and you have to fit the 'right class' as well. Even though some good alligned people of some cities worship Beshaba, they don't seem to care much. Not to mention they give you a near impossible quest for your level and class. On a rare occasion will they allow you to do one that's easy, but only when you've either buttered them up enough of the IMMs actually feel they should show off their 'newbie helping skills' as I've heard it stated before. Many of the characters people play are in some way concieted or paranoid. Not many stick by the true nature of the Forgotten Realms, just like the MUD itself. The IMMs have taken a perfectly great world and bended it over their knee and spanked it a few times to make it just a dull and pointless experience. While yes they offer some great code and a lot of really good systems, the overall cost of all this is to feed and bend to the utter will(which is a very controlling will) of the IMMs, especially Mystra's who seems to have the overall say of it all. I do not recommend this MUD if you want pure FR RP, but if you do not mind being controlled just for the benefit of a few code systems then play away. I just would not recommend this to anyone who loves variety at all.

In trying to write a review without too much personal flavor and bias, I should first note that I've only played FK for a short time, and there might be major or minor things I am not aware of. That said, I should also add that I've played MUD games for many years, and I feel myself worthy of some comparative notes on FK. Also, all issues stated remain even slightly true only to the date this review was written. CONs (My habit is to always start with the cons first) 1. This seems to be less mentioned, but compared to most MUDs, the game crashes a lot and often without warning. From my understanding there is only a Private Computer owned by the game owner hosting this. I think it would be preferable to get a SuperComputer. I would give a very rough estimate that the game is down for 12-48 hrs per month. 2. Although the game offers enormous possibilities through devine intervention and special RP requests, responses are returned at a slow pace. There are ways around this, but the game is definitely not for impatient players. 3. If you want to RP being a hero, archmage kinda thing, it really takes some dedication in this game. A lot of experience and time is required to make a powerful, high-level character. 4. The game is not very balanced so far as class powers are concerned. There are definite inferior classes combat-wise. Now if this was a h/s game that would make it worthless, but luckily it is mostly RP, making this a minor issue, especially since PK situations are extremely rare and heavily RP oriented. 5. Basic AD&D flavor, nothing wrong with that but if you play D&D you won't see too many new systems or spells. Just a note to those who might be tired of D&D and looking for something new. PROs (woot, the good part) 1. Very friendly and roleplaying players, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Soon into the game you will rapidly recognize the established heroes of FK, and can quite easily interact with them. Auctioned characters means you'll also catch an occasional glimpose of FR legends like Elminster :P 2. Very active staff so far as PR is concerned, you wouldn't have to worry about someone else abusing bugs, multiplaying or power leveling and not getting caught. I didn't; they won't ;) 3. The game is constantly changing, minor bug-fixes and major area-expansions are happening constantly. An involved player can take the opportunity to introduce their own spells, guilds, shops, etc. 4. Roleplay, everyone roleplays and you don't have to feel stupid doing it by yourself. This is an important note for some people that might just feel like roleplaying off and on because you have a character and if you don't live by the character you are not going to get away with it. 5. Absolutely amazing in-depth Forgotten Realms setting. The details are so specific would... Read More

Alright, I'm here to set the record straight. I've been playing Forgotten Kingdoms for nigh on 5 years now, and, personally, I will never play another MUD beyond this one, this is the one TRUE RP MUD. I've read some of the other reviews and listened to people in-game complain about wait-times and unfair imm-intervention, and to them, I say this: Quit whining. FK is a wonderfully built, wonderfully RP-ed environment, but it is NOT, I REPEAT, NOT, for someone looking to just go about and kill things. This is a truly RP-Enforced game, and that's exactly how the true players want it. The administrative staff are unbelieveable in the amount of time and effort they put into this game in terms of maintaining and expanding it, and they are quick and effective at dealing with those termed 'problem players' who disrupt the otherwise near-perfect global RP. I personally enjoy the imm-intervention, as it brings flavour and variety to the game that would otherwise be compromised for hack/slash foolishness. The game is highly-newbie friendly, with a council of experienced players ready and willing to answer questions any newbie may have. A new Character generation system that was recently installed has paved the way for an even more diverse character base, one that was already large and gave plenty of options. Overall, this game has few flaws, and the ones it may have are far too small for me to see. Thus, in conclusion, I leave with the same challenge I leave in any review I give of Forgotten Kingdoms: Forgotten Kingdoms is THE best, prove, me, wrong.

I'm new to this MUD,and when I first played it, I realised that it is a hack & slash RPG with a few RPI elements incorporated in it. It is a good game which RP is mandatory and enforced,I've been looking for games like this, a part hack & slash and a part RPI

I've been away from FK long enough now to have gained some perspective on it. I still think it's a well-coded MUD with some excellent RPers, a generally well-described (and huge!) game-world, and what appears to be a great deal of attention to its source material. The combat/hack 'n' slash/levelling elements of the MUD tend to lead to some questionably justified RP, something that I have come to associate with MUDs with visible stats. There's also a bit too much OOC at times, though part of that comes from the complexity of the setting. Great combat grouping code, though - still the best I've ever seen - and ship travel is a joy. There's a lot of talent and hard work behind this game. However - and this is strictly a personal opinion - I think that having imms play deities in such a deity-heavy mythos leads to some unpleasant intrusion on roleplaying. It makes little sense, to me, to have PCs doing very unrealistic dungeon crawling, dying and needed ressurections, and other such heavy fantasy elements, while imms do global announcements reprimanding PCs who have announced an in-game engagement. I am all for imm intervention to reinforce the integrity of the gameworld, but all too often what I saw on FK reinforced a rather unimaginative conception of "roles" rather than supported playing. Also, for full disclosure, I retired my character because of what I saw as too long a delay in response to the required application for special RP. It had taken several months for a response, but that response was misdirected because the imm in question had not found my follow-up e-mail stating that my e-mail address was changing. This was an unfortunate miscommunication, but be prepared - most imms express quite freely and frequently in their forums how put-upon, frazzled, and overworked they are by their responsibilities as volunteers, and how players don't appreciate their efforts. I got the impression that it was easier and more satisfying for them to complain about how badly they are treated than for them to organize their adminstration effectively and prevent months-long response times, something that one might expect would be done in the long time the MUD has been running. Well, that's a pretty severe negative. Still, it's a well-designed game, the players are generally good (and several are the best RPers I've found anywhere), and if you love the Forgetten Realms setting, there is probably no better place to play.

Forgotten Kingdoms is based on the books of the Forgotten Realm. Waterdeep is so closely developed to the books it is unbelieveable. Their unique vt 100 interface is by far the best mapping I have ever seen! For newbies, it is strongly recommended that you start out in Waterdeep. You begin in a temple with the best newbie help ever. After you are allowed out of the temple, a few paces east is the Market Square. There is usually always someone there, and it is a huge social gathering area. There is also a newbie council that will help you in any way possible. This mud has kept me and my friends interested over the years intensely... it is very addicting! Best Mud I have ever played... You will enjoy it, guarenteed. If you wish to play, and have any questions, my two main characters are Eamane and Maynawe. Ask anyone in the square and someone should know me. I swear you will not regret playing this game!

This has been a long time coming. A lot of people have a lot of different things to say about Forgotten Kingdoms and I feel it time for me to finally state my piece. I have been a part of the wonder that is Forgotten Kingdoms for approximately five years now, I started something close to one month or so after the official opening of the game itself. In those five years I've been playing, I can say that I have nothing against this game. The character generation is simple, broad, and growing ever more, allowing for a good variety of characters. The game *IS* newbie friendly (for those that disagree, patience is a virtue, please try to remember that it is more than likely there are other people who also are having trouble), and the atmosphere is phenomenal. It is truly another world into which one can slip and leave reality behind. Anyone who enjoys roleplay, please, come to FK, play for a while, then attempt to play one of those redundant hack and slash MUDs again There is NO comparison, I repeat, NO COMPARISON The game allows your character to traverse a HUGE world, that is also still growing, and allows many different paths for your character to follow, each different and unique. To the Twinks and the haters, go back to hack and slash To the rest, come in and enjoy Forgotten Kingdoms. I disregard the rankings even on this site when I say this: Forgotten Kingdoms is *the* best...prove me wrong.

I don't like MUDs. As of about a week ago, this was pretty much a solid fact that really wasn't about to change any time soon. Bad experiences; idiotic players; unoriginal worlds; ridiculous, powertripping immortals - you get the idea. MUDs are bad. And then there came Forgotten Kingdoms. Most MUDs that swear they're RP-enforced lie, I've noticed with some dismay. This one isn't included in that generalization. But more importantly is the unique way players on the Forgotten Kingdoms are able to incorporate RP with coding. It has the best of both worlds, with just the right amount of hack-'n'-slash to keep the stick-jocks happy, and a wealth of RP opportunities for those not quite so interested in slaughtering innocent mammals. The world is immensely diverse, and for once your actions mean something - if you're found out destroying small children NPCs as they play happily in the streets, you just *might* be given a piece of someone else's mind (and sword). The administration doesn't hit you up with stupid little tricks either, like forcing you to come back every day 'less you loose your equipment. They're very flexible, and a Newbie Council has been set up to help out poor little non-MUDders (like myself), tour them through the game, and in general make it a very interesting place to stay around.

I started MUDding in April of this year, and honestly didn't do a very good job of it or even enjoy it at times. It was hard to find a MUD that really supported roleplay rather than just 'hack 'n' chat.' Often what I found were very elaborate worlds with almost no players, or good players in very limited worlds where 'non-stock' means the names of the places had changed. Then I found Forgotten Kingdoms, and it all clicked. The world is complex, well-developed (from the Forgotten Realms RPG I understand - I've never played that), and extensive. The players... I have found good roleplayers on other MUDs, but excellence in RPing is the goal and the standard on FK. Look at the Helpfiles available on their site, for example. I have never seen another MUD with multiple helpfiles giving instructions on (and example logs of) emote-based PC combat. Having the bar set that high makes the MUD continually challenging, and always rewarding. This striving for excellence does mean that roleplaying is actively enforced on FK, and that their large immortal staff does make judgments about PC's actions. It also means that global and OOC interaction on FK is very limited, and that it is hard to 'step out' of the game while playing and think about it as nothing but code and players. You can't charge in and be an immediate lone hero (or master villian); you must learn the land and build relationships with its people, get yourself knocked down a peg or two, and discover much on your own. (Other players are very helpful, however - you're not thrown to the wolves.) It is a lot like life. That may not appeal to everyone, but if it sounds good to you, then you owe it to yourself to log on and enter this world.

I have been dabbling in MUDs for a few years now, and nothing has been able to hold my attention for more than a couple of weeks... This MUD is the exception to that. This is the only MUD i have played that is trully immersive, I am a massive Forgotten Realms fan and this MUD truly gives you the feeling that you are playing in Faerun, whether you are wandering the backstreets of Calimport on training in Melee-Magthere in the Drow city of Menzoberranzan. All the players and immortals are very helpful and the roleplay is fantastic. Try this MUD, you won't regret it. Ed.

If you're looking for the best Forgotten Realms (TM) roleplay MUD out there, then look NO further! Not only is the world HUGE, but there are numerous coded quests for players to enjoy. Right from the very start you get to experience the joys and benefits of such advanced code. The players and staff are very friendly and helpful. The campaign setting is very accurate to the actual Forgotten Realms campaign produced by TSR/Wizards of the Coast. Roleplay is definitely enforced and I love it! Twinks aren't welcome here. If you're looking for pure hack-n-slash, this probably isn't the place for you. There's a steep learning curve to playing on Forgotten Kingdoms due to the highly advanced code. However, with a little patience and reading the help files, you'll soon be on your way to a highly enjoyable MUD experience! If you can't find the answers you need in the help files, the game has an active discussion board where players can ask questions and discuss various aspects of the MUD. And there's also the Newbie Council members who monitor the Question channel and field questions from players. Please give Forgotten Realms a try. I'd recommend at least 25 hours of play with a simple class (warrior/fighter) just to get comfortable with the game. I've had a wonderful two years here so far and look forward to many more to come!

I am an experienced mudder, having played on another mud since 1994, and looked around at other muds quite frequently, searching for a real roleplay experience. I found Forgotten Kingdoms because I was looking for a Forgotten Realms-based mud that was centered around roleplay. I haven't been playing here very long, but I already have found it to be challenging, entertaining, with real personalities to roleplay off and friendly, responsive immortals who seem to care very much about the player's enjoyment of their mud. The world is quite complex and well coded, and due to the active immortal population, the NPCs must also be treated as real people, which only enhances the experience for me. All in all, I have nothing bad to say about FK. I recommend it to any serious roleplayer, as it is both newbie-friendly and challenging for the more experienced mudder.

Alright if your seeing this your already considering this mud. I am going to tell you, this is by far the best mud I have seen. Maybe I've not seen very many but that's because I'm always playing Forgotten Kingdoms. This is an absolutly wonderful mud. There is always someone around to help it is just such a wonderful game. Once you get into it you'll be hooked. You'll go back to your old mud and think and here I was playing this when Forgotten Kindgoms had been up for all thig time. Final thought, this game is wonderful, all ages play, and I hope to see you playing sometime.