''Xyllomer'' is a

MUD A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

, a text-based online

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

, founded in 1991 as ''PaderMUD'' (after the

University of Paderborn Paderborn University (german: Universität Paderborn) is one of the fourteen public research universities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It was founded in 1972 and 20,308 students were enrolled at the university in the winter ...

, where it was hosted). It was the first publicly accessible MUD to use

Dworkin's Game Driver DGD, Dworkin's Game Driver (at one time called Dworkin's Generic Driver), is an LPMud server written by Felix A. "Dworkin" Croes. DGD pioneered important technical innovations in MUDs, particularly disk-based object storage, full world persistenc ...

. It has been hosted in Germany throughout its history.

Game characteristics

''Xyllomer'' setting is

medieval fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those ...

in theme.

Roleplaying Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing as ...

is enforced, with strict penalties for improper out-of-character behavior, including conducting out-of-character communication through in-character channels.

Game mechanics In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide the player's actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, a ludeme is an element of play like the L-shap ...

are hidden behind abstractions so as to enhance immersiveness. ''Xyllomer'' supports a gameinfo command at its initial login screen to help new players orient themselves.

History

In 1992, ''PaderMUD'' ported from its original

LPMud LPMud, abbreviated LP, is a family of MUD server software. Its first instance, the original LPMud game driver, was developed in 1989 by Lars Pensjö (hence the LP in LPMud). LPMud was innovative in its separation of the MUD infrastructure into a ...

2.4.5 infrastructure to the CD gamedriver and mudlib. In 1993, ''PaderMUD'' ported from the CD driver to DGD, becoming the first public DGD MUD. In 1995, ''PaderMUD'' changed its name to ''Xyllomer''. In 1996, ''Xyllomer'' moved to its own dedicated server, which has been funded by the players through donations. Previously, it had been hosted on a server owned by the University of Paderborn. In 2004, ''Xyllomer'' login screen was quoted as an example of civic-minded warnings issued to players regarding the time-consuming nature of MUDs. In 2010, ''Xyllomer'' has been upgraded to the latest DGD version and the wizards started to transform it into a permanent world setup.

References

External links

Official web site
{{MUDs 1991 video games Fantasy video games MUD games Video games developed in Germany