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MAD (MUD)
Encyclopedia
In 1984, on BITNET
, a cooperative worldwide university network founded in 1981, two French students from the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris
, Bruno Chabrier and Vincent Lextrait developed and operated a global MUD
(Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) named MAD (for "Multi Access Dungeon"). It ran on the BITNET
node of their school (FREMP11). Quickly, through a viral word of the mouth, a meaningful part of BITNET
nodes in the world were playing on the central MAD server, until BITNET
administrators, frightened by the adoption of the game, ask the École des Mines
to stop it. It had operated slightly less than two years. MAD has been installed on several other nodes in the world, until it was completely banned, as a consequence of its success, which had led BITNET
several times to complete saturation. MAD was text-based and entirely written in REXX
, a script language proposed on VM/370
. MAD ran on the IBM 4341
of the École des Mines de Paris
. It made use of a listening utility called "wakeup" developed by one of BITNET
aficionados. It proposed initially only one, then several multi-storeys labyrinths populated by mobile and communicating robots (NPC - Non-player character
). These bots irreverently wore ENSMP
professor names (which was highly appreciated by the players, including surprisingly the foreign ones - see below). Bots would typically shout a Vogon
-like "I am a foul monster!". MAD offered in addition the possibility for avatars
to chat with each other.
The log attached here shows the very high frequency of connections, and their worldwide origin (University of Maine
(USA) , University of Southern Maine Portland (USA), Queens College
(USA), École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris
(France), Weizmann Institute of Science
(Israel), HEC School of Management
(France)). Hundreds of BITNET
nodes have played the game.
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
, a cooperative worldwide university network founded in 1981, two French students from the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris
The École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris was created in 1783 by King Louis XVI in order to train intelligent directors of mines. It is one of the most prominent French engineering schoolsThe École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as Mines ParisTech, École des Mines de...
, Bruno Chabrier and Vincent Lextrait developed and operated a global MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
(Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) named MAD (for "Multi Access Dungeon"). It ran on the BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
node of their school (FREMP11). Quickly, through a viral word of the mouth, a meaningful part of BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
nodes in the world were playing on the central MAD server, until BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
administrators, frightened by the adoption of the game, ask the École des Mines
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris
The École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris was created in 1783 by King Louis XVI in order to train intelligent directors of mines. It is one of the most prominent French engineering schoolsThe École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as Mines ParisTech, École des Mines de...
to stop it. It had operated slightly less than two years. MAD has been installed on several other nodes in the world, until it was completely banned, as a consequence of its success, which had led BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
several times to complete saturation. MAD was text-based and entirely written in REXX
REXX
REXX is an interpreted programming language that was developed at IBM. It is a structured high-level programming language that was designed to be both easy to learn and easy to read...
, a script language proposed on VM/370
VM (operating system)
VM refers to a family of IBM virtual machine operating systems used on IBM mainframes System/370, System/390, zSeries, System z and compatible systems, including the Hercules emulator for personal computers. The first version, released in 1972, was VM/370, or officially Virtual Machine Facility/370...
. MAD ran on the IBM 4341
IBM 4300 series
The IBM 4300 series of computers were mid-range systems, various models of which were sold from 1979 through 1992. The systems were compatible with the System/370 architecture...
of the École des Mines de Paris
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris
The École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris was created in 1783 by King Louis XVI in order to train intelligent directors of mines. It is one of the most prominent French engineering schoolsThe École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as Mines ParisTech, École des Mines de...
. It made use of a listening utility called "wakeup" developed by one of BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
aficionados. It proposed initially only one, then several multi-storeys labyrinths populated by mobile and communicating robots (NPC - Non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
). These bots irreverently wore ENSMP
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris
The École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris was created in 1783 by King Louis XVI in order to train intelligent directors of mines. It is one of the most prominent French engineering schoolsThe École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as Mines ParisTech, École des Mines de...
professor names (which was highly appreciated by the players, including surprisingly the foreign ones - see below). Bots would typically shout a Vogon
Vogon
The Vogons are a fictional alien race from the planet Vogsphere in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams, who are responsible for the destruction of the Earth, in order to facilitate an intergalactic highway construction project. Vogons are slug-like but vaguely humanoid, are...
-like "I am a foul monster!". MAD offered in addition the possibility for avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
to chat with each other.
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
(USA) , University of Southern Maine Portland (USA), Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York
Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York. It is also the fifth oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning. The college's seventy seven acre campus is located in the heart of the...
(USA), École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris
The École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris was created in 1783 by King Louis XVI in order to train intelligent directors of mines. It is one of the most prominent French engineering schoolsThe École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (also known as Mines ParisTech, École des Mines de...
(France), Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
(Israel), HEC School of Management
HEC School of Management
HEC Paris or École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris is one of the foremost business schools in France and in Europe. It was created in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the model of French Grandes Ecoles and has progressively become one of the most selective graduate...
(France)). Hundreds of BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
nodes have played the game.