I've been playing HellMOO for the last few weeks. I heard about it on Something Awful, and decided to make a mention of it here, as the Other Games forum as shown that I tend to enjoy the same games as other Bay Watchers.
(This is a big post. Go to the end for summary!)
***
It should be noted before I start that this game is pretty much for mature audiences only. It's a bit more violent than DF and there are other mature themes present. The login script says you must be 18 or older to play, as a rough idea of the nature of this game. This is all in text content only, of course, as the game is in fact a MUD. ***
Julian drives his lotus nodachi powerfully into the mincing crackhead's chest, then rips upward, sending a fountain of blood skyward. You glimpse the mincing crackhead's still-beating heart in the wound.
...
HellMOO is a post-apocalyptic text based role-playing game. It is set after an atomic conflict has brought down the great civilizations of the 21st century. Enough time has passed that some towns and vestiges of society have returned, but not nearly enough to curb the inherent violence and conflict of a life lived without comfort or salvation. Corporations both ancient and new sit astride the few surviving cities like obscene, glittering spiders, wielding their power over their desert domains without question and without mercy. The fake smile, the furtive stare are the weapons of the city-dweller, forever dependent on their corporate masters for protection against the raiders and radioactive sands. Yet a few wander the wastes, living off the bones of the old world and whatever justice they can find at the end of their gun. Only time will tell who is stronger.
HellMOO is an atypical MUD. As an elevator explanation of the story: compare to Fallout (or better yet, Wasteland) - The world has been mostly wiped out in an event called The Collapse. Atomic conflict wiped out the 21st century, although this was a long time ago, now. Some ethereal visage of civilization has returned in a few places, yet even more corrupt than it was before.
... general overview. 
HellMOO, as previously stated, is pretty unique. There are no levels, or classes. You gain IP toward skills by using them. You start with about four skills at 1.00, and there's no limit on what you learn provided you have some XP from doing things. Your attributes-- Brawn, Brains, Cool, Reflexes, Endurance, and Senses, I believe, have an impact on your character as well. These can be trained too, in various ways.
Note that you aren't artificially prevented from doing things. There's open PVP everywhere, but also security in a few places, most notably Freedom City. Doing something illegal, such as murder, rape, stealing, assault, in the presence of a camera will probably net you stars. This is a measure of how much a certain law enforcement wants to find you. Punishment is typically brutal and being wanted is very serious for most players.
There's a gameplay mechanic of sex. I don't delve deeper into that topic here for obvious reasons, but you should know that it's present if you decide to try the game. This game (rather) accurately depicts a post apocalyptic wasteland. So if Fallout 2 made you feel uneasy, stay the hell away from this, because it's much worse in that regard. People are about as sadistic and savage as they would be given the circumstances and harsh living.
The community is pretty good. A large percentage of them are from Something Awful, and there is at least one corporation just for goons. The population online varies but is always above 25 and usually seems to hover between 75 and 100, if I recall. Admins are very present, interacting with all of the other players, rather than being behind the scenes and secretive. The owner and creator is frequently on as well. The world is pretty large, but Freedom City is an obvious hub of activity, especially due to the relative safety. Other nearby towns, like Gangland and Slagtown, offer no police service whatsoever.
That being said, griefing one player over and over is against the rules.
On combat, the game features some light locational damage. You get hit in limbs, and your limbs can be broken. Armor covers specific areas. However, you have general HP, and bleeding subtracts from that. Combat is extremely visceral, and a lot of unconventional weapons are present. It's not unusual to see somebody dual wielding icepicks, or boxcutters, electrical gauntlets, scissors... it's also fairly common to see AK-47s and other modern weaponry. Most of the time death doesn't come from locational damage, but general loss of HP. Being shot in the head can cause brain damage, and of course, death, so sometimes surviving isn't a very good result either.
Mutations allow you to give your character unique abilities ranging from vampirism, to leaping, flight, defensive mutations like tougher skin, the ability to manipulate fire with your mind, the ability to be immune to fire, to absorb sunlight, to being REALLY good in bed (or street...) and so on. Mutations can be mutually exclusive with others; for instance, Vampirism and Solar Sponge. Some mutations completely change the way you play the game, like Hideous Freak and Abomination. You're no longer part of humanity with those, but you are a part of something else...
You can own an apartment (or apartments?) - in several locations, ranging from the cheap and crappy Bradbury (my place) all the way up to corporate condos. You can buy kits to add new rooms to your apartment at a rather large price, and decorate them with beds, TVs, phones, furniture, wallpaper, and no doubt a great deal of things I haven't found.
Also vehicles. Skateboards I'm aware of, and also various flight machines; at least an ultralight and a cessna, and also possibly zeppelins. They're expensive, but the flight system is extremely well done. It's probably the only MUD to contain flight simulation, with a fairly comprehensive HUD of altitude, speed, and so on. I first experienced the flight system, briefly, by falling off of a building. Thankfully I landed on my head.
... on starting and playing.The game starts with you as an orphan in the Gein institution. This lets you get a feel for the game without any repercussions to your actions, but you can't get better at anything. When you're ready to move on, you relive moments before the apocalypse, and the items you find affect your starting skills. Afterwards, you choose your attributes by a variety of routines in the shelter.
This isn't a game for people who don't like dying. Because you will die. A lot. There are more ways to die than there are to live, and there are even achievements for various things including amusing deaths. These offer XP rewards, which is also pretty funny.
You need to update your clone to avoid losing your progress. Dying without updating causes you to revert physically and mentally to how you were when you last updated. This can be extremely frustrating. On top of that, there's a cash penalty or, should you be broke, an XP penalty for dying. On top of all of your equipment being where you died. Some items can protect what you had on you, but otherwise a player dying is free game.
Truly last note; the game asks for donations here and there, but there's no advantage to it, unlike other MUDs; you don't need to 'donate' to get a better character.
SUMMARY:
* Free MUD
* Visceral Combat
* Extremely Mature Themes (Beware.)
* Flight simulator!
* Post Apocalyptic setting.
* Players tossing machetes off roofs in an attempt to hit you.
* Lots of status effects, from brain damage, diseases of various sorts...
* Active ASCII map of you and your surroundings in all places. Makes getting around much easier.
* * The ability to call up a larger map or a smaller, more in-depth one.
* Apartments!
* Skateboards, ultralights, cessnas, zeppelins... soon to be boats, possibly.
* Lots of active admins and player/admin interaction.
INFOSecond and last warning! This really isn't a game for the easily offended (by text and content)! I mention it here only because I think some of us will find it an enjoyable game and a unique experience, or at least would be amused to know such a game exists.Site:
http://hellmoo.orgHost: hellmoo.org
Port: 7777
MUSHClient recommended for play. There's also a web based client but I had a poor experience with it.
Something Awful thread:
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3156021
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Topic: HellMOO: Go to heaven for the climate, and hell for the company. (Read 482395 times)