MUD terminology

This is a glossary of terms common in multi-user dungeon (MUD) multiplayer virtual worlds.

A–Z

bot: Character controlled by a computer program¹
consider
con: A command to assess an enemy's relative power²³
dino: A long-standing MUD player¹
equip: A player's active items¹
exits: Options for leaving an area¹
furry: Anthropomorphic animal¹
god
admin
arch
imp
implementer: The MUD's administrator or owner; see wizard for similar uses¹⁴
guess-the-verb: Situation in which the player intends to perform an action but does not know the proper syntax to communicate it to the game⁵
IC: Behavior "in-character" for the player's assumed role, as opposed to breaking character (OOC/"out-of-character")¹
haven: A designated place where players cannot be killed¹
hit points: Numeric representation of a character's life, i.e., when health is depleted, the character dies¹
immort
inv: The player's carried possessions, or inventory¹
log: A record of activity in the MUD instance¹
mana: Numeric representation of a character's magic energy¹
maving: To interact incorrectly, such as using incorrect commands¹
mob
mobile: An enemy monster¹
movement: Numeric representation of how far a character can move at once¹
mudflation: An online game virtual economy phenomenon in which endgame players become rich in currency and drive down the cost of rare items.⁶
multi-boxing
dual-boxing: To play multiple characters simultaneously⁷⁸
newbie: A new or inexperienced player¹
OOC: To break character or act "out of character" from the player's assumed role¹
PK
player killer: To kill another player or be known as someone who has; also used as a verb (PKing or "player killing")¹
remort: To undo one's immortal status⁹
rent: Virtual currency paid to preserve the player's inventory in-between play sessions in a persistent world¹⁰
spamming: To post excessive text, scrolling the screen¹
stats
score: The player's numerical statistics, such as hit points and experience progression¹
tinysex: Cybersex through MUD commands or text¹
wiz: To be promoted to wizard status after completing the game¹
wizard
immort
immortals: Players with special rights, such as rights to create new MUD content; usually either MUD administrators, players who completed the game, or players appointed by an administrator to assist in its operation¹⁹

References

Maloni, Kelly; Baker, Derek; Wice, Nathaniel (1994). Net Games: Your Guide to the Games People Play on the Electronic Highway. Random House. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-679-75592-0.
Benedikt, Claire Lisette; Ciskowski, Dave (1995). MUDs: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet. BradyGames. p. 208. ISBN 1-56686-246-9. consider, con In combat MUDs, usually a command to gauge the relative strength of a monster against yourself. Often used as a verb. "If you had con'd that mob before attacking it, you'd have known it was suicide."
Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 74. ISBN 0-471-11633-5. You should use the consider command as a good way of guessing whether you should attack a mobile. Usually, it will take into account your current equipment and level, but not your status in general (i.e., hp, mana). Often, consider will only compare your level to your opponents. This command is sometimes buggy, so be prepared to flee if you have not fought the mobile before.
The Internet Complete Reference, p. 559.
Douglass, Jeremy (December 2007). Command Lines: Aesthetics and Technique in Interactive Fiction and New Media (PDF) (Ph.D.). University of California, Santa Barbara. p. 83. ProQuest 304880875.
Chester, Chris (May 5, 2008). "Curing mudflation before it starts". Engadget. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
Kücklich, Julian (2014). "Cheats". In Ryan, Marie-Laure; Emerson, Lori; Robertson, Benjamin J. (eds.). The Johns Hopkins Guide to Digital Media. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4214-1223-8.
Bainbridge, William Sims (2012). The Warcraft Civilization: Social Science in a Virtual World. MIT Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-262-28837-8.
Yahoo! Wild Web Rides, p. 166.
Yahoo! Wild Web Rides, p. 157: Some MUDs will allow you to simply type quit to log off. That's it. Will you have your stuff when you come back? That depends on the MUD. On some you'll keep your stuff, on others you'll only return with part of it, and on some really painful ones you won't come back with anything. (You'll return with your money, though, so sell the stuff you have before you leave.) Other MUDs may require that you rent at an inn. This will usually allow you to keep your stuff, but if you're a long way from the nearest hotel you could be in trouble. Some rent is free and some will cost you a certain amount of money per item. This can be a pain, but sometimes it's your only choice when you think the MUD is worth it and you want to keep your stuff.

Bibliography

Hahn, Harley (1996). The Internet Complete Reference (2nd ed.). Osborne McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-882138-7.
Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-11633-2.
Towers, J. Tarin; Badertscher, Ken; Cunningham, Wayne; Buskirk, Laura (1996). Yahoo! Wild Web Rides. IDG Books. ISBN 978-0-7645-7003-2.

[Net_Games_213-1] Maloni, Kelly; Baker, Derek; Wice, Nathaniel (1994). Net Games: Your Guide to the Games People Play on the Electronic Highway. Random House. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-679-75592-0.

[benediktciskowski-2] Benedikt, Claire Lisette; Ciskowski, Dave (1995). MUDs: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet. BradyGames. p. 208. ISBN 1-56686-246-9. consider, con In combat MUDs, usually a command to gauge the relative strength of a monster against yourself. Often used as a verb. "If you had con'd that mob before attacking it, you'd have known it was suicide."

[shahromine-3] Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 74. ISBN 0-471-11633-5. You should use the consider command as a good way of guessing whether you should attack a mobile. Usually, it will take into account your current equipment and level, but not your status in general (i.e., hp, mana). Often, consider will only compare your level to your opponents. This command is sometimes buggy, so be prepared to flee if you have not fought the mobile before.

[FOOTNOTE''The_Internet_Complete_Reference''[httpsarchiveorgdetailsharleyhahnsinter00hahnpage559mode1up_559]-4] The Internet Complete Reference, p. 559.

[5] Douglass, Jeremy (December 2007). Command Lines: Aesthetics and Technique in Interactive Fiction and New Media (PDF) (Ph.D.). University of California, Santa Barbara. p. 83. ProQuest 304880875.

[6] Chester, Chris (May 5, 2008). "Curing mudflation before it starts". Engadget. Retrieved November 27, 2019.

[7] Kücklich, Julian (2014). "Cheats". In Ryan, Marie-Laure; Emerson, Lori; Robertson, Benjamin J. (eds.). The Johns Hopkins Guide to Digital Media. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4214-1223-8.

[8] Bainbridge, William Sims (2012). The Warcraft Civilization: Social Science in a Virtual World. MIT Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-262-28837-8.

[FOOTNOTE''Yahoo!_Wild_Web_Rides''166-9] Yahoo! Wild Web Rides, p. 166.

[FOOTNOTE''Yahoo!_Wild_Web_Rides''157-10] Yahoo! Wild Web Rides, p. 157: Some MUDs will allow you to simply type quit to log off. That's it. Will you have your stuff when you come back? That depends on the MUD. On some you'll keep your stuff, on others you'll only return with part of it, and on some really painful ones you won't come back with anything. (You'll return with your money, though, so sell the stuff you have before you leave.) Other MUDs may require that you rent at an inn. This will usually allow you to keep your stuff, but if you're a long way from the nearest hotel you could be in trouble. Some rent is free and some will cost you a certain amount of money per item. This can be a pain, but sometimes it's your only choice when you think the MUD is worth it and you want to keep your stuff.

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A–Z

See also

References

Bibliography