Though an ancient, basic format, text-based online games provide a unique joy all their own.
For many years, I have engaged in online gaming, but I never felt any attraction to the showy, crowded MMOs games that have proliferated over the last 6-8 years (World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic jump first to my mind). Part of this is the continuing cost ($5-10 a month is a continual drain on my bank account; it’s easier for me to bite the bullet and pay $50 for a game in one shot than to envision a continuing cost equal to, in some cases, twice that over the course of a year), but even free-to-play MMOs were never an option for me, as I was stuck on dial-up at home until about 2008. Even today, the tendency for my internet connection to “burp” makes such a game potentially…problematic (nobody likes getting killed because of lag).
Enter the far, far older world of text-based online games. Going by a variety of acronyms (MUD being the most well-known, but there are a number based on different codes; M* is used as a collective term), these have been around in some form since at least the 1980s (and on a more localized level since the 1970s). What they lack in graphics, many games make up for in vivid descriptions and attention to detail; though some of the larger games may occasionally feature copy/paste locations in “rural” areas (i.e. places that most gamers would at most pass through), many games have effort put into every part of the virtual world that is created…often encompassing hundreds upon hundreds of “rooms”, the virtual spaces in which the game takes place. Note that a room need not be indoors, and that a large indoor space may consist of multiple rooms to facilitate role playing.
The format thus has a number of advantages:
-A game is relatively easy to set up and operate. While a graphic-based online game may require the work of numerous programmers and graphic artists, a M* generally only requires the work of a few competent coders and a lot of keyboard work. No artistic skill is needed to set one up.
-Bandwidth demands are minimized. While MMOs can hog bandwidth (not cheap for the operator, and potentially problematic for users), by virtue of their text-based nature, M*s don’t eat up internet capacity. If nothing else, you can still load that nifty YouTube video at the same time as you play. And if you are unfortunate enough to get stuck on dial-up (or wind up playing on a smartphone), you’ll still be able to play without the fear of a massive end-of-the-month bill. In the same vein, M*s are far less likely to end up being put on “bandwidth hog” blacklists for public Wi-Fi hotspots, meaning you can often still play while on that train or bus.
-Because of the above factors, gameplay is often free. Owners may ask for donations, but I have never encountered a strictly pay-to-play M*. I’m sure some have existed, but free play tends to be the rule.
-Code can be relatively easily customized to handle anything from battle-intensive games to strictly roleplaying-based ones, and everything in-between. Some games have absolutely no stats used, relying strictly on roleplay to generate the “action”, while others served as the predecessors of modern multiplayer fighting games.
-Likewise, the text-based format gives the designer(s) and player(s) the ability to do pretty much anything they want: One game featured several playable computer games within the game (including one that was basically a virtual reality game).
-The roleplaying nature of many games means that “level grinding” is either discouraged or simply be impossible, saving players the headache of hours of monster hunting. This also tends to result in vivid descriptions of the sights and sounds of the world that appeal to the imagination in ways that even the best CGI can’t hope to.
-Finally, if a game develops in an unexpected way, it is relatively easy to create new areas to support that development. Rooms can be added or removed in an evening once you have boilerplate codes down, and stand-in rooms for a scenario are easy to work up.
However, the format is not without its potential risks and disadvantages:
-The text-based format offers a lot of freedom, but at the same time the player has to envision what is going on in the game in their mind based on the description (much as with a novel or a tabletop RPG). Images can be linked in from time to time with ease (an HTML link can simply be copied and pasted into a room description), but often enough the players are on their own to imagine things.
-Likewise, the game is not “shiny”. You’re going to be looking at lots of text. At the essence of things, you’re writing an interactive novel rather than roaming in a pre-built world.
-A lot is left to your imagination. Even a well-described “busy spaceport” can leave lots to discretion of the writers, leading to issues if a scene is visualized differently by two or more of the participants.
-Likewise, the games tend to lean strongly in the direction of roleplaying rather than stats-based activity. If you’re looking to just fight off a bunch of orcs, you’re probably better off looking for a different medium.
-Finally, while games are easy enough to set up, attracting participants can be an issue. There may be a game out there for every genre and for many fandoms, but that doesn’t mean that it will be easy to attract players. After all, the text-based format isn’t for everyone.
In short, this format isn’t the format for every gamer. But if you’re looking for something different, looking up a M* may be just the thing.
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