So you just heard about Major MUD and think you might want to play. This page will give you the info you need to get started! If you have never played any role-playing games before and think that this is all WAY too confusing, click here to learn more about fantasy role-playing games.

When playing a role-playing game, you have to create a character. In MajorMUD, you "become" your character. So it's important that you create someone you'll enjoy "being" while in an enormous fantasy world. You will adventure with this character through a land similar in many ways to Europe in the Middle Ages, except that this land includes creatures and treasures from myth and legend. In this land magic really works! Your only limits are those of your imagination!

You will not need any additional software to play this game. However, there is software available at the MUD Market which you MAY use to increase your enjoyment of the game.

Major MUD requires that you buy time to play. Click here to learn about the different rate structures.

1. This first thing you need is a good grasp of the principles behind the game. There is a great deal of information available about Major MUD and the more you know, the easier it will be to get started. This page will tell you more about some of the basic concepts of the game. When you are through, you may close that browser window and return to this page.

2. The next thing you need to do is sign up. Simply fill out the form on this page. When you are through, you may close that browser window and return to this page.

3. When you have completed the sign up form, you need to pay for the time that you want to play.

   Click the play button on the MUD ARENA page. You may use either the Java or Telnet interfaces. The options you will be chosing from are the same for either choice. When using the Telnet option you must already have Telnet software on your computer. Most computers with Windows 95 or 98 usually have telnet software already loaded onto them. If you don't have telnet software on your computer you might try a search engine to find a place on the internet where you can download the software. The Java interface will work without any additional software.

   Once you have made your choice, sign in using the username and password that you just created. You will see a list of other players online. Hit the "Enter" key until you get to the end of this list. Hit the "Enter" key again to get to the main menu. At this time, the only option that will work for you is "h" , "How to purchase more time". Hit "Enter" again, then type "h" and hit "Enter" to get into the payment screen. Type "c" and hit "Enter" to get to the credit card payment screen and follow the instructions or type "m" and hit "Enter" to get more info on other methods of payment.

4. Now that you have paid for your time, go back to the main menu. At this time there are seven MUD games for you to chose from. This page will help you decide which game is for you. You may create one character in each of these seven MUDs if you so chose, however, you may only have one character at a time in each MUD. On the main menu, there is also another game called "The Rose" which is similar to Major MUD. When you first enter any of the MUDs, a menu will come up. Going into the help menu would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the rules of this particular MUD. Once you have printed out any information that you would like easy access to, you are ready to create your character.

5. The first time you enter a MUD, you will be asked to create a character. You will want to have already read the information about creating a character on these pages, so you will be able to create the kind of character that you want.

   You will be asked for the race of your character. For additional information about the different races, click here. Next you will be aked to chooose the class of your character, then whether you want to be lawful or not. Then you will be asked to create the attributes of this character. If you haven't already, go to this page and click on the class of the character that you are creating. This will help you in picking the best attributes for your character. When you have returned to the Java or Telnet screen, you start at the attributes page. The cursor will be next to your user name. Type in the first name you want for your character and hit "Enter". You will be asked for a family name. Just make one up to go with your character's first name. Hit "Enter". You will be told: You have 100 CP to distribute.

   Then you will be shown the strength category with a number next to it. You can raise this score or let it stand as you see fit. All of your attributes start out at a base which varies according to the race of your character, and you can distribute extra points to the attributes that you want to be the highest. Once you have created your attributes, you are asked for a few physical characteristics.

   Next you are told to create a suicide password. You do this by typing "set suicide".

   The suicide password will prevent you from accidently committing suicide. Your character starts with nine lives. If you don't like the attributes of your character or would like to create a new character for whatever reason, you may type "suicide now". This will erase your current character and you may make a new one from scratch. If you get caught in a situation that you can't get out of ,and would like to start playing in another location, you can type "suicide". This will use one of your lives and place your character back with the healer.

6. Now you are actually playing the game. You start out in a place called New Haven which is a separate section of the game geared toward helping new players learn the ropes. Typing a "?" or "help" will get you to the help menu when you are unsure of your next move. Other helpful commands are: "look", which describes what you see in the area around you and "i", for inventory, which describes the items you are carrying.