TorilMUD
Encyclopedia
TorilMUD is a MUD
, a text-based online role-playing game
, and is one of the oldest and largest of its kind.
Dungeons & Dragons
campaign setting. (Toril is the name of the planet where the continent Faerûn, which "Forgotten Realms" refers to, is located.) Its technical infrastructure is based on the Sequent
derivative of the DikuMUD
codebase.
of Sojourn MUD
, which was founded in 1993 by Kris Kortright, Tim Devlin and others who had previously worked on Copper II
, Copper III
and Black Knights Realm. The oldest zone on TorilMUD, the Lava Tubes, comes from Copper II, and the Underworld and Alterian Wilderness zones are from Black Knights Realm.
Sojourn was based on the Sequent codebase
, the Epic spell system, and areas from Black Knights Realm. The City of Waterdeep
was the first zone built entirely for Sojourn, and remains TorilMUDs most heavily populated hometown. Brad McQuaid
, with Kris’ permission, used it as the model for the city of Freeport in EverQuest
.
Sojourn continued until 1996, when a difference in creative vision among the staff led to the project being forked
into TorilMUD and Duris: Land of Bloodlust. Of the two, TorilMUD is regarded as the more direct inheritor of Sojourns legacy. Toril continued until 1998, when it became Sojourn 2, and underwent another rebirth in 2001 as Sojourn 3. Kris retired in 2003, and Sojourn 3 was reborn as TorilMUD. (Or, as the old-time players refer to it, Toril 2.) Throughout these rebirths, the areas and code continued to grow: there are currently 300 zones (with several more nearing completion), 16277 types of monsters/mobs, and 13753 different items.
Many TorilMUD staff members were staff on Sojourn 3, Sojourn 2, and some are even from Toril 1, providing a degree of continuity. All Toril staff started as players on the MUD, giving them a great deal of personal experience with the game.
Brad McQuaid
was an avid player of Sojourn and, after its demise, TorilMUD. Seeing the commercial potential of virtual worlds in the course of his MUD career, he went on to create EverQuest
.
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 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...
, and is one of the oldest and largest of its kind.
Game characteristics
TorilMUD is set in the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
campaign setting. (Toril is the name of the planet where the continent Faerûn, which "Forgotten Realms" refers to, is located.) Its technical infrastructure is based on the Sequent
Sequent (MUD)
Sequent was a DikuMUD based MUD running on a Sequent multiprocessor machine at sequent.berkeley.edu. It was started in March 1991. Raja Kushalnagar created Sequent from the original DikuMud codebase starting in January 1991 at the University of California, Berkeley.Notable MUDs running on the...
derivative of the DikuMUD
DikuMUD
DikuMUD is a multiplayer text-based role-playing game, which is a type of MUD. It was written in 1990 and 1991 by Sebastian Hammer, Tom Madsen, Katja Nyboe, Michael Seifert, and Hans Henrik Staerfeldt at DIKU —the department of computer science at the University of Copenhagen in Copenhagen,...
codebase.
History
TorilMUD originated as a project forkFork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of Sojourn MUD
Sojourn (online game)
Sojourn was a MUD founded in 1993. During its lifespan, it was regarded as a leading source of innovation and content creation. At its height, it was extremely popular and content-rich...
, which was founded in 1993 by Kris Kortright, Tim Devlin and others who had previously worked on Copper II
Copper MUD
Copper was a DikuMUD based MUD launched in June 1991 by Linh Ngo, who was a computer science student at the University of Colorado at Denver. The MUD was named after the machine it ran on, copper.denver.colorado.edu. Andrew Bradford, another UCD student and friend, later joined as a co-implementor...
, Copper III
Copper MUD
Copper was a DikuMUD based MUD launched in June 1991 by Linh Ngo, who was a computer science student at the University of Colorado at Denver. The MUD was named after the machine it ran on, copper.denver.colorado.edu. Andrew Bradford, another UCD student and friend, later joined as a co-implementor...
and Black Knights Realm. The oldest zone on TorilMUD, the Lava Tubes, comes from Copper II, and the Underworld and Alterian Wilderness zones are from Black Knights Realm.
Sojourn was based on the Sequent codebase
Sequent (MUD)
Sequent was a DikuMUD based MUD running on a Sequent multiprocessor machine at sequent.berkeley.edu. It was started in March 1991. Raja Kushalnagar created Sequent from the original DikuMud codebase starting in January 1991 at the University of California, Berkeley.Notable MUDs running on the...
, the Epic spell system, and areas from Black Knights Realm. The City of Waterdeep
Waterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
was the first zone built entirely for Sojourn, and remains TorilMUDs most heavily populated hometown. Brad McQuaid
Brad McQuaid
Brad McQuaid is an American computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest, a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in 1999...
, with Kris’ permission, used it as the model for the city of Freeport in EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
.
Sojourn continued until 1996, when a difference in creative vision among the staff led to the project being forked
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
into TorilMUD and Duris: Land of Bloodlust. Of the two, TorilMUD is regarded as the more direct inheritor of Sojourns legacy. Toril continued until 1998, when it became Sojourn 2, and underwent another rebirth in 2001 as Sojourn 3. Kris retired in 2003, and Sojourn 3 was reborn as TorilMUD. (Or, as the old-time players refer to it, Toril 2.) Throughout these rebirths, the areas and code continued to grow: there are currently 300 zones (with several more nearing completion), 16277 types of monsters/mobs, and 13753 different items.
Many TorilMUD staff members were staff on Sojourn 3, Sojourn 2, and some are even from Toril 1, providing a degree of continuity. All Toril staff started as players on the MUD, giving them a great deal of personal experience with the game.
Brad McQuaid
Brad McQuaid
Brad McQuaid is an American computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest, a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in 1999...
was an avid player of Sojourn and, after its demise, TorilMUD. Seeing the commercial potential of virtual worlds in the course of his MUD career, he went on to create EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
.