MicroMUD for the C64

[IstenNyila]

It made me so curious, that I will definitely give it a try if I can (maybe later in this month if I have the possibility). Unfortunately, the setup is not so easy: one needs multiple C64 computers (with multiple monitors and cables) to be connected together. (Which already gives an indirect answer why nobody tried it back in its own days, either.) But the result is worth while I think (or at least worth trying).

Nevertheless, the manual says: "You are pitted against 100 players, 10 of whom can play at the same time." (It sounds to me like it was able to handle up to 10 connections maximum or so.)

[Alex]

I took a closer look at the game. I don't like all the characters walking around taking the objects I need before I can enter a command.. It appears my emulator is a bit too fast on my pc. The text sometimes disappears faster than I can read it and also the game ends a lot sooner than after the 40 minutes mentioned in the manual. I also don’t like fighting in an adventure game and it takes too much time. Fortunately I managed to cheat on the fights which makes gameplay for me more interesting being able to concentrate on the puzzles. I like huge adventures and started to make a map. Unfortunately I did not find a light yet.

Impomatic, do you know where I can find the shed which contains the lamp to look in in the dark places?

[impomatic]

I took a closer look at the game. I don't like all the characters walking around taking the objects I need before I can enter a command.. It appears my emulator is a bit too fast on my pc. The text sometimes disappears faster than I can read it and also the game ends a lot sooner than after the 40 minutes mentioned in the manual. I also don’t like fighting in an adventure game and it takes too much time. Fortunately I managed to cheat on the fights which makes gameplay for me more interesting being able to concentrate on the puzzles. I like huge adventures and started to make a map. Unfortunately I did not find a light yet.

Impomatic, do you know where I can find the shed which contains the lamp to look in in the dark places?

I don't think the characters take anything important otherwise it'd be a bit of a pain (like The Hobbit or Fantastia Diamond where the NPCs randomly take items from you then drop them in random locations)

If you find the mine entrance (to the northeast of the forest) go east four times, unlock and open the door to the north, go north and take the lamp. You'll need to take a set of rusty keys with you. The lamp isn't the only light source though...

Somewhere I have a map partial map on paper.

[Alex]

The lamp isn't the only light source though...

Well, I tried the candlestick, but I did not manage to light it.

Because I just wanted to make the map I decided to take one of the two firestones. After I have made the map (and I find some more spare time ) I'll try to solve the puzzles and do it the right way.

The game has 395 "normal" rooms. Furthermore there are 25 "locations" which are just game endings. They've added one final room ( especially for persons like me )and when you enter it you get the message"This is room 420, not really where you are supposed to be huh.". I've started mapping, but it is huge and some parts are quite complex to draw.

[Alex]

Does anyone know how to escape from the web in the ruins? I know there is a Spiders lair inside the ruins, but how do you enter this?

I almost have finished the first version of the map, but I did not manage yet to enter the rooms only accessible to wizards. Also I've to visit each of the 395 locations again to see where I can use the wand to travel to another location. I managed to solve some puzzles, but unfortunately I don't have sufficient spare time to play the game thoroughly.

[impomatic]

Does anyone know how to escape from the web in the ruins? I know there is a Spiders lair inside the ruins, but how do you enter this?

ZAP WEB with the wand. The Spider's Lair is still inaccessible though. I think it's like the rat tunnel, no way in.

I'm compiling a list of hints.

[Alex]

ZAP WEB with the wand. The Spider's Lair is still inaccessible though. I think it's like the rat tunnel, no way in.

Thank you Well as far as I understood there is nothing in the spider's lair apart from the giant spider, but strange it can't be entered (like the rat room you mentioned).

I finished the first version of my map. All the locations are included however there are still some locations where I didn't manage to find how to enter them inside the game:

-Outer sanctum/ Inner sanctum
-Tomb room (where you have to get passed the ghouls)
-Fossil room

And several of the rooms which are only accessible to wizards:
-Wizards storeroom
-Limbo
-Christmas box
-Paul's house
-Jon's mansion
-Micromud's pad
-Fazz'z abode

One connection seems wrong. If you go north in the druid room you enter location 57, but I guess this should be location 157 (the niche room). Well I guess this makes more sense when I upload my map. But first I have to write down the objects on the map.

I'm compiling a list of hints.

Would be helpful I'm also working on a hint file. Maybe comparing it we can solve most of the puzzles. Mine is very incomplete, but I managed to solve some of the puzzles while mapping the game.

[Alex]

I've uploaded the first version of the map because I guess it makes some things I discussed a bit clearer, but as mentioned above I still have to finish it when I find some more spare time.

[impomatic]

I finished the first version of my map. All the locations are included however there are still some locations where I didn't manage to find how to enter them inside the game:

-Outer sanctum/ Inner sanctum
-Tomb room (where you have to get passed the ghouls)
-Fossil room

Inner Sanctum - There's a clue about meditating in three locations, but I'm not sure if it's possible. It might require help from the NPCs.
Tomb Room - There's a clue written on the curtain. You have to wait until the statue's eyes are a particular colour.
Fossil Room - Blow the conch in the reverberating room.

[Alex]

Inner Sanctum - There's a clue about meditating in three locations, but I'm not sure if it's possible. It might require help from the NPCs.Tomb Room - There's a clue written on the curtain. You have to wait until the statue's eyes are a particular colour.Fossil Room - Blow the conch in the reverberating room.

Thank you. I'll try it. I think the most frustrating thing playing this game is the resetting of the game.

The fastest way to travel around is using the GO spell, although I think it is a bit lame using it because you don't have to solve the puzzles to get to a location. You just type GO followed by the room number. Note that the numbers on my map are hexadecimal and you have to convert them to decimal numbers to use the go spell. For instance GO 383 will take you to the diamond room and GO 312 will take you to the king's treasure chamber. GO 164 will take you to the room under the swamp where the objects are which are thrown into the swamp. Rooms 395 till 419 are descriptions of how you can be killed during the game. The go spell does not work at the start of the game. I think you have to be a wizard to be able to use it, but I have to check this. I guess this spell is the only way to reach the seven wizard rooms at the bottom of my map.

[Alex]

The map is still not finished, but I've updated it with the objects. Now I can make a list of all the puzzles which I've solved and which I still have to solve. I solved several puzzles, but there are still a lot more to solve.

I can't find the entrance to the tomb room (the room before you enter the room with the ghouls).

I checked the go spell. It works as soon as you become a witch/wizard when you reach 102400 points. After that it is possible to reach the wizard rooms and the location below the swamp where all the treasures are thrown.

[impomatic]

I can't find the entrance to the tomb room (the room before you enter the room with the ghouls).

Find the centre of the graveyard (location 163) and take note of what the voice says - PRISE TOMB.

I'm in the process of tidying up a hint file ready to publish. Apart from accessing the Inner Sanctum I think I've got everything covered

[Alex]

Find the centre of the graveyard (location 163) and take note of what the voice says - PRISE TOMB.

Thank you, I'll change my map. Until now I only have been walking around very fast in order to map the game. I did solve some puzzles along the way (like throwing the barrel in the mud room) but a lot of things I haven't tried or read yet.

I'm in the process of tidying up a hint file ready to publish. Apart from accessing the Inner Sanctum I think I've got everything covered

Great I'll check them with my list of puzzles yet to solve and hopefully everything will be answered.

I noticed some things can be done which don't give you any points like making the bed in the cottage. Other things do give you some points like kissing the prince, but the amount of points is very little. I guess if you play this game without cheating it will take hours to become a wizard/witch.

Some of the npc take objects which are needed. For instance in my game there is Alex the Necromancer who is very irritating (I guess it's due to his name ). He takes the boat and the longsword and starts summoning me when I'm not carrying the firestone.

[Alex]

It made me so curious, that I will definitely give it a try if I can (maybe later in this month if I have the possibility). Unfortunately, the setup is not so easy: one needs multiple C64 computers (with multiple monitors and cables) to be connected together. (Which already gives an indirect answer why nobody tried it back in its own days, either.) But the result is worth while I think (or at least worth trying).

Nevertheless, the manual says: "You are pitted against 100 players, 10 of whom can play at the same time." (It sounds to me like it was able to handle up to 10 connections maximum or so.)

I think Richard Bartle is mistaken on his blog about the multi player function. To play the multi player version on the c64 you had to connect to Compunet with your c64.


What the manual describes is that there are 100 NPCs on the data disk. Each game 10 of them are loaded. When you kill one of them another is loaded.

[impomatic]

I'm still working on a hints file, but I'm trying to include everything and it's taking longer than I expected. There are a few things I can't figure out:

• How to light the lamp!
• Why sometimes I can follow the passage below the stone circle and sometimes get told "You try to move that direction, but your feet seem rooted to the spot."
• What to do with the goat (it eats some things but refuses others).
• How to enter the sanctum.
• The built in hints say I can burn the dryad, but I haven't been able to.
• It's apparently possible to cure the viper's poison but I haven't managed.
• There are a few verbs I haven't found a use for - PLANT, WRAP

Have you noticed the game is a bit buggy? Sometimes creatures are invisible for no reason. Some actions return unrelated responses. Sometimes things just don't work...