User:Wenhsiu/Asylum (MUD)

Overview
Asylum MUD is a text-based, online role-playing, hybrid Multi-User Dungeon (MUD) game, founded in 1995 by Mark Ewen and Alex Etchells. It is one of just a few MUDs which have been recommended in the Microsoft Bookshelf "Internet Directory 1998", and of those MUDs it is the only AberMUD. Asylum gives players a variety of game play activities. Besides enabling players to interact around the in-game world, the game includes elements of puzzles, adventure, action, suspense, role-playing, and the ability to play head to head. Asylum MUD is a hybrid of several derivations of the AberMUD Dirt Code Scenario and concept, originating from the following: Original Scenario and Concept: Richard Ascott, Alan Cox, Jim Finnis DIRT 3.1 by Alf Salte (Alf) and G. Sorseth (Nicknack) DYRT 1.1a by Valentin Popescu (Thrace) and Katie Mowry (Rex) Over the years, Asylum has added several original and complex features and is now based on its own release of code known as the APG system, which keeps the environment constantly regenerating. Asylum allows cloning of objects so they can be stored from one game session to the next. Asylum also has an advanced body combat system, which takes place against an assortment of AI mobiles. The most recent release included features such as Defrob, Combat, Battle (player vs player), Spell Object Attribute System (SOAS) and virtual cloning. Some of these enhancements were devised to address the issue of declining player counts.

Asylum-MUD is free to play as long as players have a connection to the Internet. Players can connect to the game using standard telnet to Asylum-mud.org on port 6715.

Game Summary
The object of the game is to lead the 'mortal' character a player has created towards 'immortality'. This is achieved by gaining points to increase overall level, defeating a wide array of computer characters (mobiles) in armed and magical combat and overcoming challenging and unique quests. Learning and using new abilities such as spells, skills and proficiencies help players along the way, as may joining one of Asylum's 'Bands'. Points and levels are gained by killing mobiles, sacrificing valuables to the Gods at one of Asylum's pit locations and upon completing quests. Quests can be undertaken at any time and Asylum has a wide range of challenging combat and puzzle based quests. Spells and skills are learned and developed initially by discovery and later by dedication and practice. By accumulating experience and quest points, players can eventually achieve immortality. In addition, Asylum is a Multi-User game, so players can team up with, learn and receive help from other players.

Defrob
Asylum MUD now incorporates a system known as fluid immortality. In summary, each quest is assigned a number of quest points from 3 (easy) to 15 (hard). To become immortal, players must obtain the base score of 300,000 points plus a minimum of 75 quest points. Once immortality is achieved to Apprentice and approved to Wizard, players can move up several immortal levels from MasterWizard to HighWizard to GrandWizard and finally to the levels of Paragon and ArchParagon. This is achieved by using the defrob command to alter a player's level back to the proper mortal level in order for their character to obtain more quest points. At anytime, players can use the refrob command to resort to their equivalent immortal level depending on the number of quest points they possess.

Combat
Asylum utilises a heavily modified combat system, taking full account of the Dyrt Code body part flags. What this effectively means is that the amount of damage a player receives is based on two factors. The first factor is the initial damage calculation in combat which the player receives when fighting a mobile. The higher total armour a player is wearing means that the chances of receiving a higher damage hit from a mobile are less. This initial calculation takes no account of where a player wears their armour. The second factor is the result of a body armour analysis. The system chooses a random area of the body and checks whether armour is worn there. The initial damage calculation is then increased or decreased according to whether or not the player has protection and how much of it you have on the chosen area. This makes for a more realistic combat scenario where the concept of maximum armour takes into account the protection of all body areas.

Player vs Player Battle
Asylum MUD introduced the Battle Zone system to give players the fun of player kill without commonly encountered drawbacks. Battle zones are specific zones in which player fighting is allowed and are flagged as such before their room exit description. Players may fight each other inside the battle zone and if they 'die' they are thrown off the game (similar to hitting a deathroom). The victor of the fight is then entitled to retain the victim's inventory. The victim will NOT lose half points, nor will fleeing lose points.

SOAS
Asylum has implemented a Spell Object Attribute System (SOAS). SOAS comes as a result of a complete overhaul of the way in which spells are used within the game and is a radical departure from the methods used in other ABER-based MUDs on the Internet. Traditionally on MUDs, the ability to cast combat spells such as fireball, frost, etc are based on a combination of level and whether or not a player holds an object which would enhance that spell. On most MUDs, these objects are few and far between and are hard coded into the game, making the addition of new objects more time-consuming. In addition, the objects never change, making no use of their attributes at all and providing little dynamic feel for that object's usage. For spell protection items, most MUDs have them generally hard-coded into the game so that an item will protect against all spells, with each spell having no effect upon the object. In an attempt to provide realism whilst attempting to preserve the playability of the game, Asylum's SOAS is designed such that each object which is flagged as having magical properties now holds a dynamic mana (magic) field. Objects can now enhance/protect individual spells and depending on that object's mana, have a greater effect on that spell. As the object is used in the casting of (or protection from) a spell, it's mana will be depleted. If left alone, its mana will be recharged over time or instantaneously by a wizard casting a recharge spell. Every player has a base chance of casting spells depending on their current player level. The higher the level a player is, the higher the chance. However, if a player carries two objects which can enhance a given spell, they may have a hugely increased chance of casting and causing damage for as long as those objects have sufficient mana to provide that capability. However, spells have been redesigned in such a way that the higher the damage of the spell, the lesser the chance of casting and the more aura a player will lose when trying to cast it and the greater reduction in object mana. An object's ability to enhance a spell will continue linearly until it reaches a point where can no longer sustain the magic.

Virtual Cloning
In traditional AberMUDs, players lose their objects when they leave the game and have to gather their equipment again each time they log on. This Asylum enhancement allows users to store a number of items from their inventory before they leave the game and reclaim them when they return. Virtual Cloning code means that players' items are duplicated when stored, thereby retaining original item and quest availability. Currently, players are allowed to store a maximum of 5 items for a maximum time of 28 days.