NostalgiaMUD

A month or two back, I was joking about with some folks on an IRC channel. We got to talking about retro things on the intertubes, which isn’t a stretch given the general topic of the channel. Eventually, the topic of MUDs came up. Now I used to run a MUD myself so it piqued my interest.

First, I looked around hard to see if I could find the old source code for that MUD I used to run. Alas, one two many hard drive moves before the era of terabyte plus hard drives for less than a C-note means that unless I somehow get instanely lucky and find a burned CD somewhere or somebody out there has the source on their hard drive, the source code for AugMUD (the MUD I used to run) is long lost in the great bitbucket in the sky. But I didn’t let that stop me, for I remembered that AugMUD was based on the CircleMUD codebase.

The first thing I did was download the version AugMUD was based on and discovered that it doesn’t build on a modern system. I looked at a newer version and found that it was all cluttered up with portability cruft. I wasn’t happy with either option. Fortunately, I have a decade and change more experience with C programming since then and I had this brilliant notion. I thought to myself, “I can write a MUD!”

I cranked up my text editor and set my programmer-fu loose on it. In relatively short order, I had a function communication framework. Then, using the CircleMUD code base as a guide (since I wanted the general CircleMUD feel), I rapidly fleshed out the system until I had a playerable game. I even managed to build a tool to import data files intended for CircleMUDs and convert the areas that came with CircleMUD 2.2. Then, finally, just around Christmas, I completed the last showstopping missing feature (magic). That meant the game was now playable.

Since then, I’ve done various updates, expansions, and renovations to the world, but it has remained playable. So with that, I am happy to say to anyone who remembers the old days of text based multiplayer dungeons or anyone who wants to try one out, NostalgiaMUD is open for business.

You can connect to NostalgiaMUD on port 4000 at nostalgiamud.l-w.ca. (This link might work if you’re lucky: telnet://nostalgiamud.l-w.ca:4000.) You will need some sort of terminal program that supports the telnet protocol, or, if you want the heyday experience, a MUD client. Anyway, feel free to drop in and check it out.

Edit 2016-01-19: There’s a web site at http://nostalgiamud.l-w.ca now.

14 thoughts on “NostalgiaMUD”

  1. I was just feeling somewhat nostalgic and did a search for AugMUD. I used to play it back in the dim and distant past. My game char may have been NomenLuni (I can’t quite remember) and I can still remember all the people I met there … Lost, Okalaneanu (or something…), Rayne etc. As soon as I’m finished typing this I’m going to download gmud and log on. Great times. 🙂

    1. Looking back at some old text files I still have cluttering my HD, my character was called Necros. You may remember me…

    2. Always fun to hear from someone from back then. Have fun tooling around in NostalgiaMUD. It’s named as it is for a reason. 🙂

      No doubt you found the “AugMUD is shutting down” post from way back as well as this one. I do wish I still had the source code for AugMUD, or even just the world files. Did you ever build any areas for AugMUD? If so, do you still have the data files anywhere? If not, it’s cool.

      For that matter, are you interested in building an area? NostalgiaMUD is hiring builders if you’re interested. 🙂

    3. Okalanaenu at your service. Orz

      Also known as Cinderblock, Sorvecgden, Ochki, Hydramatic, and Paperclip (and briefly Kysmeiarse until someone sounded it out and I had to change it to Paperclip. ^^)

      And I think I have the source code somewhere. Greizl sent me a copy at some point. Just not the world files, except for my own zones. I’ll try and dig it up!

      1. I kind of like “Kysmeiarse”. 🙂

        Anyway, anything you can dig up would be wonderful, if only from an archaeological perspective. I’m particularly interested in the experience tables and a few bits like that. There was a lot of calculation went into some of that and I can’t remember how I arrived at those numbers. Any zones you’re willing to share are also welcome. They might find their way into NostalgiaMUD.

        1. Should have the XP tables and similar data, as well as things like the wacky dream-messages sent to sleeping players. Greizl sent me the full sourcecode at a rather late date; this was after the Great Greizlmation of the Fishing Village mobs and suchlike things.

          I would not be surprised of Greizl still had the world files, if there is a Greizl…if there ever was a Greizl………

          1. I tried contacting Greizl about a year ago. I didn’t get a response. Can’t remember if it was because the email address bounced or I just didn’t get an answer.

            Anyway, maybe he’ll stumble across my blog at some point. After all, others have.

          2. In case you see this message, I tried to contact you by email regarding the source and other data you might have. I got no response or delivery failure. Drop me an email at (lost@l-w.ca) so we can discuss it further.

  2. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have them anymore. I will keep a look out for them but I don’t expect I still have them.

    1. I would be very interested in building an area or two. I just need to refamiliarise myself with the system but it shouldn’t take too long. 🙂

      1. Make sure to check out the builder’s guide on the web site. The world file format is different from the AugMUD one. I do have a scheme that will convert CircleMUD format files but it’s brittle so if you’re building a new area, it’s best to build directly in the new format.

        If you recall the guidelines for mob levels and the like from AugMUD, things are pretty similar on NostalgiaMUD given that it also has 100 mortal levels. (I can’t find a copy of those guidelines so if have the info somewhere I’d be interested in seeing it.)

        1. Thanks. I had a quick look through the builder’s guide earlier. I’ll sit down soon and read through it properly, tomorrow hopefully. There’s a copy of the old website on archive.org which contains maps of most of the areas.

          https://web.archive.org/web/20070105114506/http://www.augmud.ca/land/

          Obviously it doesn’t help much with descriptions, quests etc., but it’s a starting point if you want to recreate some of the aug zones. I remember there were quests to get rare items e.g. the decanter of endless water. There was another rare item in Rhadue’s Wheel as well. I remember really enjoying exploring that zone.

          Also, there used to be a command that gave a list of zones along with the appropriate level range. Is that in the game again. It would be a huge help for new players.

          1. Rhadue’s Wheel was such a cool, huge zone, and the Augmud quests were so cool. Augmud and MUME were my favorite online games and I have never enjoyed others quite as much as those.

            Good to run into you again, Necros.

            Also, if you want a nostalgia trip then you could go over to rec.games.mud.diku, where during my time as self-appointed chronicler of the last few years of AugMUD, I used to repost my Augland Chronicle from the in-game message board to that Usenet group:

            https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/rec.games.mud.diku/JlvB5OpLqk0/6bg3SAJjuFEJ

            Also, Lost, if you want any of my old areas they’re all still quite available. 🙂

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