1991 · Cat Rambo · Low fantasy · MUDs

Armageddon (MUD)

Armageddon is an online fantasy game in which players jointly inhabit a harsh, post-apocalyptic desert world. The game requires roleplay; while conflict abounds, the game is not about killing things. Rather, it is about living out a character's sometimes short and always difficult life in the harsh world, Zalanthas. It is a world where sorcerer-kings and their ruthless servants, the Templarate, govern the two main cities, Allanak and Tuluk.

Released: 1991
Platforms: Browser Linux Windows cross-platform macOS
Genres: Low fantasy MUDs Post-apocalyptic Role-playing
Developers: Cat Rambo
Publishers: —
Modes: Multiplayer
Perspective: Text
Themes: Fantasy
Engine: DikuMUD
Country: United States

About

Armageddon, frequently abbreviated Arm, was a Multi-user dungeon (MUD) set in a desert world called Zalanthas. It was founded in 1991 by Dan Brumleve, Nasri Hajj, and Santiago Zorzopulos in Urbana, Illinois. It required its players to focus on role-playing. It ultimately closed on October 29, 2024.

›Story

It's a Harsh World

The world of Armageddon is known as Zalanthas. It is a harsh planet where only the fittest survive, and competition over extremely scarce resources causes constant strife, struggle, and bloodshed. Deserts cover most of its explored surface, and the great red sun can bring daytime temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Most citizens lead lives of extreme hardship, struggling to survive and get ahead.

Sometimes this is accomplished by means of banding together with others, especially powerful clans and Houses, or by forging friendships or alliances with powerful individuals. At other times, people survive by climbing over anyone who gets in their way, by cheating, stealing, killing, swindling, or otherwise taking advantage of others. Many Zalanthan citizens survive just by keeping their heads down and hoping no one considers them either weak enough or threatening enough to target.

Keywords

multi-user-dungeon

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Armageddon's setting began with a heavy influence from Dark Sun, Dune, and other fantasy and science fiction sources, such as The Morgaine Stories by C. J. Cherryh, and Robert Asprin's Thieves' World, but had since grown and evolved. While some of these elements were still part of the campaign, development was not focused on maintaining a commitment to those influences due to a prior conflict with Wizards of the Coast over source material. Some conflicting material, such as the existence of kanks, a creature considered intellectual property by Wizards of the Coast, was removed as a result.

The game world had two city-states called Allanak and Tuluk. Allanak had been accessible to players for the entirety of the game's existence, whereas Tuluk had been frequently closed and re-opened throughout the game's history. The city populaces comprised commoners trying to live from day to day, nobles working to rise in power, and templars, civic officials who enforced the will of the cities' Sorcerer-Kings.

Reception

Armageddon has been praised as a "complex and professional" MUD that facilitates "high caliber role playing". However this praise has been overshadowed by many negative reviews on websites that feature Armageddon, such as The MUD connector or the Sub-Reddit r/MUDs. Among the negative reviews are many scandals which are most notably mentioned on r/MUDs, which detail many issues the game and its staff has caused upon the playerbase. Such as sexual harassment allegations towards the staff member called Shalooonsh.

A separate discussion board centered on discussion without Armageddon's rules controlling the content posted regarding the MUD was founded in early 2013. It has since attracted over 800 members, including several prominent former players and former staff members, including a former Producer of the game, who represented the highest level of the game's staff.