The Two Towers (MUD)
Encyclopedia
The Two Towers, or T2T, is an MUD
, a text-based multiplayer online role-playing game
, set in Tolkien’s universe at the time of events in the third volume of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
.
, Rhovanion
, Gondor
, Umbar
, Harondor, Harad
, and Mordor
. The scope ranges from cities such as Bywater and Minas Tirith
to small homes and farmlands, as well as huge dungeon complexes such as the Mines of Moria.
The Two Towers also includes representations of most of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring who were living during its setting.
The Two Towers is set in the world of J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
. In particular, The Two Towers depicts the date of March 15, 3019, Third Age when Minas Tirith
was under siege. The mud plays host to a battle between good and evil, with the free races (Hobbit
, Sindar
, Silvan
, Dwarf
, Edain
, Dunlending, Dúnedain
, and Eorling) generally contesting against the minions of Sauron
(Uruk-hai
, Easterling, Númenórean, Haradrim, and Variag), although members of the free races may choose to betray their heritage.
Under constant development from the very beginning, the game is now a complete virtual
world almost completely identical to the geographical properties of Middle-earth
, with game areas including West and East Arda
, Harondor, Harad
, Umbar
, and Mordor
. The ability to play as a minion of Sauron
was removed in 2001, then reintroduced in 2005 after a major overhaul.
In 1997, The Two Towers' s web site was used as a visual example of an "interesting entertainment site" — "a site for sore eyes" — in Creating Web Pages for Dummies, and the game was used as the MUD of reference in an academic paper.
In 2010 it became possible to play the game on Facebook
, on Myspace
, and through a Flash client on the Two Towers website.
, fighting monsters and enemies for treasure, equipment, and experience points. As they progress, players advance in level, gaining power, reputation, and different skills and abilities. Sometimes the reason for attempting to gain levels and power is to join a prestigious guild or clan. While some players choose to interact with one another in optional PvP (player versus player
) combat, others pay great attention to their characters, writing custom descriptions and tales for their adventures to better interact in a roleplaying
environment. Others choose to use the world as a chatting device to interact and socialize with other players.
, running on the MudOS
game driver with a mudlib
based on TMI-2
.
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...
, a text-based multiplayer online role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, set in Tolkien’s universe at the time of events in the third volume of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Description
The world depicted in The Two Towers contains many thousands of uniquely described rooms, thousands of non-player characters, tens of thousands of objects, and hundreds of quests. The world holds, in total, nearly a hundred thousand rooms that players can explore. The regions represented in the game include EriadorEriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
, Rhovanion
Rhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, Umbar
Umbar
Umbar is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth.'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants...
, Harondor, Harad
Harad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy legendarium, Harad was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there, it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people"...
, and Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. The scope ranges from cities such as Bywater and Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
to small homes and farmlands, as well as huge dungeon complexes such as the Mines of Moria.
The Two Towers also includes representations of most of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring who were living during its setting.
The Two Towers is set in the world of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. In particular, The Two Towers depicts the date of March 15, 3019, Third Age when Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
was under siege. The mud plays host to a battle between good and evil, with the free races (Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
, Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
, Silvan
Silvan
Silvan , or Sylvan, may be used as an adjective or as a given name .It may refer to:-People:*Richard Sylvan, Australian logician and environmentalist also known as Richard Routley...
, Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
, Edain
Edain
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Edain were men who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves....
, Dunlending, Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
, and Eorling) generally contesting against the minions of Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
(Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
, Easterling, Númenórean, Haradrim, and Variag), although members of the free races may choose to betray their heritage.
History
The Two Towers began as a project between a few students and has from the start been free of charge. It is run with help from player donations and the administrators' private funds.Under constant development from the very beginning, the game is now a complete virtual
Virtual
The term virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also, differing denotations.The term has been defined in philosophy as "that which is not real" but may display the salient qualities of the real....
world almost completely identical to the geographical properties of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, with game areas including West and East Arda
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
, Harondor, Harad
Harad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy legendarium, Harad was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there, it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people"...
, Umbar
Umbar
Umbar is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth.'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants...
, and Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. The ability to play as a minion of Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
was removed in 2001, then reintroduced in 2005 after a major overhaul.
In 1997, The Two Towers
In 2010 it became possible to play the game on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, and through a Flash client on the Two Towers website.
Playing
In the game, players explore Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earthMiddle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, fighting monsters and enemies for treasure, equipment, and experience points. As they progress, players advance in level, gaining power, reputation, and different skills and abilities. Sometimes the reason for attempting to gain levels and power is to join a prestigious guild or clan. While some players choose to interact with one another in optional PvP (player versus player
Player versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
) combat, others pay great attention to their characters, writing custom descriptions and tales for their adventures to better interact in a roleplaying
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
environment. Others choose to use the world as a chatting device to interact and socialize with other players.
Technical infrastructure
The Two Towers is an LPMudLPMud
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...
, running on the MudOS
MudOS
MudOS is a major family of LPMud server software, implementing its own variant of the LPC programming language. It first came into being on February 18, 1992. It pioneered important technical innovations in MUDs, including the network socket support that made InterMUD communications possible and...
game driver with a mudlib
Mudlib
A mudlib, short for mud library, is a library of code forming part of the technical infrastructure of a MUD. Though different varieties of MUD may be considered to have mudlibs, the term is most often used with LPMuds. In an LPMud, the mudlib consists of interpreted code written in the LPC...
based on TMI-2
TMI Mudlib
The TMI Mudlib from The Mud Institute was an attempt to create a framework driven mudlib for the MudOS LPMud driver. It consisted of many contributors to MudOS as well as people who became influential in the LPMud community. When TMI began work in 1992, a mudlib was generally packaged with both an...
.