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From: borg@nightmare.winternet.com (George Reese)
Newsgroups: news.answers,rec.answers,rec.games.mud.lp
Subject: FAQ: rec.games.mud.lp and LPMuds
Followup-To: rec.games.mud.lp
Date: 8 Jul 1995 17:19:49 GMT
Organization: Nightmare LPMud (nightmare.imaginary.com 1701)
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Archive-name: games/mud-faq/lp
Last-modified: 95/07/08
Version: @(#) rec.games.mud.lp Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 2.4@(#)
Posting-frequency: monthly
LPMud FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
written by George Reese (Descartes of Borg) 94/07/11
Last Modified: 95/07/08
The LPMud FAQ was originally authored 7 November 1994 by George Reese.
It could not, however, have been completed on the efforts of a single
person. See the credits section for a full list of contributors. To make
comments or suggestions on this FAQ, mail borg@imaginary.com.
Copyright (c) 1994-1995 George Reese.
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This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions asked about LPMuds and the
newsgroup devoted to them, rec.games.mud.lp. This FAQ is posted twice a
month to rec.games.mud.lp, rec.games.mud.announce, news.answers, and
rec.answers. All readers are strongly advised to read this FAQ before
posting questions to the LPMud news group, as your question may already be
answered in here. This FAQ is also available on WWW at:
http://www.imaginary.com/LPMud/lpmud_faq.html
This FAQ is not intended to be a substitute for the general 3 part MUD
FAQ's. I strongly recommend people new to MUDs read those first. This FAQ
deals with a particular class of MUDs known as LPMuds, and therefore does
not even attempt to cover information important to other classes of MUDs.
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The LPMud FAQ is divided into four sections:
* Section I: Introduction
* Section II: Playing LPMuds
* Section III: Coding on an LPMud
* Section IV: Starting Your Own LPMud
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Section I
Introduction
Contents
1. What sort of posts belong in rec.games.mud.lp?
2. What is an LPMud?
3. Isn't Amylaar an LPMud?
4. Which is the real LPMud?
5. How did LPMuds get started?
6. What do the terms "alpha testing", "beta testing", and "fully open"
mean?
7. Where are some ftp sites with LPMud stuff?
8. Is there anything about MUDs on WWW?
9. What are some MUD related mailing lists?
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What sort of posts belong in rec.games.mud.lp?
ALMOST anything dealing with LPMuds. Rule number 1 being that the topic of
your posts must someway affect the LPMud community. We do not care about
Dikus and MOOs and so on. They may be very nice servers, but if we wanted
to be reading about them, we would be reading rec.games.mud.diku and so on.
The second rule is to avoid posting on the following topics:
* Where is CheeseMUD? I have not been able to connect all day!
If it is going to be down a long time, the admins should post to
rec.games.mud.announce. Otherwise, it is either a short connection
loss or it is just your problem. Do not post these questions here or
anywhere!!!
* Advertisements for MUDs
These belong in the newsgroup rec.games.mud.announce
* FascistMUD's admins are such jerks!!! They ...
Why would you post this? I guarantee you will accomplish nothing by
this. First of all, ALL MUD admins have bad days where they may do
something very unfair. It is the nature of things. So you may be the
unfortunate victim of a rare set of circumstances rather than of a
mean admin. Secondly, even if the MUD admin is a jerk, no one on this
newsgroup cares. People will play such MUDs either because the admin
is damn good at creating a game or because the players are other jerks
who like the atmosphere of lawlessness. Players like you may login
from time to time, but eventually they will figure it out.
* Do not post mudsex sessions
These things belong in rec.games.mud.tiny
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What is an LPMud?
An LPMud is one of many classes of MUDs, or multi-user domains. A
multi-user domain is defined solely with respect to its ability to allow
multiple real individuals to come together in some sort of environment.
Although the most common environment is a gaming environment, MUDs need not
be games. In fact, among other uses of MUDs that I know of, there are
virtual colleges, a MUD where victims of abuse can come together in a
productive environment, and MUDs designed to bring students with
disabilities into social contact with one another and others. The single
defining theme for MUD is therefore being a virtual environment where
multiple people come in contact.
An LPMud specifically allows the users to manipulate the environment
through a language called LPC. LPMuds are computer programs which listens
to the internet for people attempting to connect, reads LPC files, and acts
upon those LPC files according to the rules of the LPC language to create
the virtual environment. Currently, I know of 6 major LPMud servers:
* CD
* DGD
* LPC4
* LPMud
* MudOS
* Urimud
With most other MUD games, users do not have access to create in the
language used by the MUD. LPC is used not only to give users such an
ability, but it is also designed with both ease and power in mind.
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Isn't Amylaar an LPMud?
Amylaar is a person, not an LPMud. He is the primary author and torch
bearer of the LPMud name. Given the generic sound of the term "LPMud" these
days, people often refer to LPMud 3.2 as the Amylaar driver.
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Which is the real LPMud?
LPMud 3.2 is the official continuation of the original LPMud server,
however, all servers listed above (with the possible exception of Urimud)
are equally real. All have two traits that make a MUD an LPMud:
1. The environment is created through files written in LPC.
2. The environment can change as new files are added and old ones
changes, even while the game is running.
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How did LPMuds get started?
I am not the greatest historian, and may be wrong on some important facts
here, but this is the first shot at the FAQ, so here goes... Once upon a