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Review Submitted By: Einolfus
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: June 07
Submission Date: Nov 28, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Einolfus] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I've enjoyed several MUDs, from hack 'n' slash to RPI, and even PvP. In all, they've all had something that kept me there. Whether it was a feature or the playerbase, each MUD has had something unique. And so that's why I'm here to tell you about The Inquisition II, because it has a lot of unique features that keep it interesting.

First and foremost is the character generator (chargen). It allows you to design your character straight down to the clothing they start with. The only drawback is that you're limited by the amount of XP your account has. If you don't have enough XP (or QP) then you won't be able to choose the race and skills you want. This often means you must spend time playing as another race/skill combination that you may not enjoy or particularily want to play.

Second, is the RPXP system. For each emote/say/rpecho that you do while in the company of another player, you earn some XP. This way, through RP, you earn XP and can advance your character's skills or stats. This does become a problem though, as the playerbase tends to form cliques which often makes it hard to find RP. Even at current, there are six players logged on, only three of them on whererp (which shows you where other players are) and even they are behind 'xblocks' - places you can't go if you aren't a member of a certain guild or social class. So at times, RP can be scarce, and it's the only way to advance your character.

Third, there is a built-in award system which grants you QP for being online a certain number of hours each day, or for RPing a certain number of hours each day. You don't get awarded for both, even if you're on both lists. As well, it is likely the only QP you will get unless you're being awarded by an IMM, as there is no incentive to share QP with other players. Absolutely none, other than expressing your thanks for the RP - and you'll soon find that the wonderful RP ideas you had need to be funded by QP and you're all out. I've been awarded by players very few times in my time here, and several players attest to the fact that rarely do they get QP from other players. Unless you are in a clique or one of the higher ups (in which case, you don't need QP anyway. If you're a noble, which can only be attained via application and only when positions are open, you've enough silver to afford anything you might want).

Fourth is the job system. Until recently, players had nothing to do without joining a guild. Now, you can apply to work at an NPC shop which earns you 50 silver every sunday (assuming you've spent enough hours online to be active). To put this into perspective: Some of the food items in the game cost upwards of 15 silver. To purchase a new cloak, be prepared to spend upwards of 100 silver. There's no way to earn coin on your own - you can't hunt deer for their skins, and hope to sell them to a shop. You'll have to find a player who wants to purchase deerskins and hope he'll give you a reasonable price for them. There is very little want or need for base items, as the Merchants guild, the largest source of crafters in the game, can pretty much buy everything they need from NPCs. There's no need for player interaction to make things for sale - but selling anything requires that other person. Speaking of Merchants and guilds in general - in order to join a guild, you'll need to have two sponsors from the guild. If someone doesn't like you for in character or even out of character reasons, they can refuse you, which in turn requires that you get an EXTRA sponsor for each refusal, so one refusal means you must then earn 3 sponsors to gain entry.

Finally, the magic system. I can't share much here because it's game policy not to share any of the magic system or its rules OOCly - but its slow. Bugged, and slow. It is atrociously difficult to increase skill with magic because it must be practiced manually. You cannot inspire it as with all other skills. Instead, you must find someplace secret and away from other players in order to practice your magical skills (magic is a crime on TI that -will- get you killed if caught) and you must spend hours doing so. Every magical path seems to be disabled, bugged or hampered. So much so that with the recent movement changes (you must eat food to recover MVs) that it becomes impossible to use some forms of magic without waiting 10 minutes for your MV to recover or spending gobs of silver on food items. Even casting a spell can be tedious, and requires a favorable alignment of the moons or else you're pretty much SOL. None of the magic I have seen has a positive combat effect, so much so that some of the buffing spells I have used have actually decreased my stats once cast. This is not to say that the magic system isn't unique - it is, and it has the potential to be very wonderful - but it is currently very very slow and it works against you - in order to practice magic you must be alone or in secret - and in order to gain XP to practice magic you must RP with others. Ultimately, a magic character must balance their RP and their practice and hope they're never caught or else they're dead and all that XP and time is wasted. Death is final on TI.

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Review Submitted By: Cyala
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: 28 September 2007
Submission Date: Oct 16, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Cyala] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

When I was looking around and browsing the MUDs, The Inquisition really caught my eye. I mean, really, because I would be mildly interested in one, but would not immediately stop and look into it. Well, The Inquisition really caught my eye because of its unique theme, which is not unlike that of the Salem Witch trials. All of the other MUDs have themes like Godwars, Lord of the Rings, or just some typical fantasy or theme, with the same old classes, races, leveling, skills etc etc. The Inquisition is unique in every sense.

The Inquisition provides a great environment for roleplay, too. The code is amazingly detailed, and suited for roleplay.

The combat system is marvelously versatile, and enables freedom with combat and style of combat. The skills and magic system are intricate, and very unique.

When I was new, the Immortals and players were very nice to me; they helped me, and answered all of my questions, which were not little. Along the way, everyone has been very nice and guided me through everything. They still are. And I'm not saying all these just for fun, or to make the game look good, or anything, I MEAN ALL THESE. This is truly one of the few MUDs that are special.

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Review Submitted By: Irn
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: way back in '99
Submission Date: Aug 11, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Irn] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

The Inquisition is absolutely the most unique internet gaming experience I have ever encountered. My brother got me hooked on it about eight years ago, and I haven't been able to pull myself away since.

Roleplay heaven for the roleplay enthusiast, the glory of the game is its medieval-time-period framework supported by ultra-unique coding that allows for a variety of human characters limited only by your imagination.

If you're looking for hack'n'slash--- move along, nothing to see here.

Basic premise:
Church good, magic bad.

Player guilds:
Some harder to join than others, but all accessible given time, effort, and good RP.

Knights
Order of Dav (Church officials)
Troubadours
Merchants
Reeves (Cops)
Nobles
Thieves
Manus (Religious cult)

Newbie friendly:
New to RP? No worries. There are multiple helps for the new guy, a mud-wide communication channel devoted solely to answering any questions and friendly players who are happy to have another player on board.

Helpfile system:
Hundreds of valuable helpfiles on all aspects of the game.

Playerbase:
Active and dedicated, though on the small side.

Check it out and happy roleplaying to you!

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Review Submitted By: Jacob C.
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: June 14th, 2007
Submission Date: Aug 7, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Jacob C.] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I came from an RP/PK mud before visiting TI2. What I noticed right away was the professionalism of the game - it is all well designed, thought-out, and streamlined. Many of the muds I have played seem thrown together, with recycled code from at least a dozen other games all strewn into some kind of mess - but TI is different.

The MUD can actually reboot without kicking players from the game, causing only a moment's pause. Improvements are made almost daily. Player input is accepted and listened to with the highest regard, and the playerbase is open and friendly.

This is also the first mud that I have played with a strong sense of separation between what's OOC and what's IC. I can actually chat OOCly with players about aspects of the game and know that it won't affect their decisions or actions. This has to be one of the key attributes I enjoy most - second only to the polite, friendly attitude of everyone in the game.

I highly recommend TI2. I play it, and you should too.

- The player of Vallen

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Liandre's Review on RPIMud.com:
"I was asked a few months ago to write a review for TI. I didn’t really need the quest points involved in posting one, so I postponed it for a while. Now that I’m celebrating my one-year since joining the MUD, I find that I actually have something to say.

TI is the only MUD I was able to stick around with. I love the players, those who still play and those who don’t, and while getting to watch some of the OOC drama that hurt us, I still love this game. Some of it definitely has to do with personal taste- I’m the kind of person who likes historical settings and this setting really is perfect for me. The help files are all very well written, especially those about the setting, and while learning it can sometimes take time, it’s a promise that most players (citizens, especially), will be very willing to help you out.

The code is probably the only one that didn’t manage to make me hit my head against the wall. It’s simple enough to learn, in my opinion, and has some very nice features. Some of it still requires tweaking, but it’s still very nicely thought out with some systems I don’t see myself going without in any other game.

Our pbase is currently low, which definitely makes RP sometimes hard to get. Some of the more powerful characters are absent, so the church, for example, can be nearly nonexistent. This means, basically, that TI is a great game that’s just willing to be played, and someone should take this role. We need good, dedicated players who want to stick around in a good MUD. These kinds of players are the ones that can help the pbase grow, and take over the empty organizations. So really, if you’re up for a great game that just needs some love, give us a visit. You probably won’t regret it."

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Hrothgarlives's Review on RPIMud.com:
"I have been playing MUDs for over 15 years now, but I have never encountered a MUD like this before. Considering The Inquisition II is the most-reviewed MUD on this site, even despite the controversy, I assumed that the game would, at the very least, be something like its advertisement, since it's rabid fanbase touts it so highly.

Unfortunately that is not the case. When I logged on, a weeknight (Central Standard Time), I asked when peak hours were and was told by some helpful people that this was peak hours. And there were three people on, myself included, and that these were normal numbers. This was strike one. The Mud Connector advertisement for The Inquisition lists its player-base as 10-24 and was last updated on May 14, 2007. I was informed that a good number of people had left the game, however, so maybe they all contemplated their exodus during the last month.

Character generation was simple, at least for me, I am a MUD veteran. I received too few experience points to purchase skills to my tastes (I remember only being proficient at three of them), which made starting out as a character a bit difficult. But no big deal, everyone starts out small. I asked how to get XP, they said to RP, and that I could type "where" and see where people were. This is a nice feature, and I should commend the coders, since chargen ran nice and the helpfile searching system was excellent. Unfortunately, when I typed where, I was the only person I could find. Everyone else, despite having the tag "Citizen" by their name, which apparently means Wiz or Imm-Helper, was unavailable. Strike two, having no player-base means that everyone needs to be active.

I was also informed by one person that numbers were down because most players were in college and school had let out, and thus they were doing other things. Unfortunately I was also informed by another player that numbers were down during spring-time because players were in school, but now that summer had rolled around, they should pick up. Basically, I am old enough to smell excuses when I encounter them...

I still stuck around though, because I spent an hour writing a description and picking skills, and I didn't want to throw them away just yet, and one of the people on "visnet" (newbie help channel) and "OOC" were friendly and patient enough. I had to ask a few questions. First, this is a game about an inquisition, so I asked how I could join the Church and roleplay a grizzled man of the cloth searching for evil. This seemed like a good character concept given the advertisement. However, I was informed that the Church is nonexistent in the game, and has been a non-entity for a while now. That burnings rarely happen, and that I should send a personal message to the one churchman and wait for a reply, except he's never online.

Strike three. This game has no business calling itself The Inquisition and should call itself The Office (apologies to Steve Carell) since that's what most people seemingly do.

Before I left, I asked the friendly person on "visnet" in a tell what happened to the game, and she informed me that the immortals have chased away players due to their policies and decisions. Whether this is true or false, it is only hearsay, combined with the other difficulties I faced means ballgame over for me.

--Bob S."

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Shiehar's Review on RPIMud.com:
"As a relatively new player to TI I cannot easily comment on the issues which have plagued past reviewers. However, I can offer insight on the current state of the game which, in my experience, has been a thoroughly enjoyable affair.

TI does indeed have a strong code-based skill system for a significant part of its mechanics, though it is something - for the most part - unobtrusive, and I would go on to add even quite necessary in this setting which handles so many plots and intrigues. The only time this comes up as an issue, in fact, is when the code is unbalanced or inadequately simple in its implementation - which brings me to my next point. Quite wonderfully, TI has an extremely active staff of immortals of whom at least one can be found online at most times of day. Apart from being friendly and generally nice, helpful people, they are also wonderful coders and ensure the game is updated, bugs fixed and - most vitally - continuously better the coded mechanics of TI.

The playerbase is no too far behind, it has one problem: it is small. Otherwise, this is one of the most solid and thoroughly dedicated lots of roleplayers - all of them genuinely good people and wonderful RPers. Even as small as this pbase is, there is enough diversity to span a wide variety of roleplaying styles and IC occupations for a new character to find themselves in good hands whatever they do.

In terms of roleplay, I do have to agree that TI suffers -somewhat- from s slight case of elitism, most of the pbase being well-established characters with their own agendas and roleplaying their own business to some large extent in private. This should not be as intimidating as it seems - getting 'into' the game is a floozie. My advice to new players: for best roleplaying opportunities guilds are perfect job-wise, the majority being quite active, but by no means necessary - as long as you can take a niche which warrants roleplaying you are set and which way you go about it is up to you. My second piece of advice is - be proactive. TI is incredibly open and if you do want to do something, go for it - set yourself a goal and work for it with the other players. Buy a house, set up an RP event, marry - anything, and by doing so you will invoke quality RP by the masses, not to mention gain thorough self-satisfaction.

That about sums it up I think... to make the point, TI is a great RPIMUD - which is somewhat slow at times and can be sparse. However, it is ultimately what you make of it - and you can make an awful lot of it."

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Review Submitted By: Max
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: Way too long ago
Submission Date: Apr 24, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Max] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I'm writing this review purely to address some concerns posted about TI. I won't totally discount what they say, mainly because I see some truth in their comments, but some commentary may prove hopeful to people on the fence about trying out the game.

Concerns:

1. TI focuses on the code rather than the roleplay.

> I'm not sure what the original poster meant with this critique, but it's safe to say that, barring a few overarching quests, TI immortals are mostly hands-off. That is, they do focus on the coding and leave the roleplay to players. Whether or not this is your preferred style is naturally a personal choice, but for those who prefer making their own plotlines without immortal intervention, TI is a sound and solid choice. That's not to say there's always something happening on TI -- to be perfectly honest, your fun is incumbent upon you and other players to start feuds, rivalries, and conflict. TI is a sandbox, and your enjoyment out of it necessarily depends on what you put into it.

2. The administration is erratic.

> TI's policy is ultimately handled by one person, and it's slightly unfair to place the shoulders of absolute consistency on that one person. That said, I've seen the administration make bad decisions. But that's par for the course on every MUD out there; I haven't seen anything on TI that suggests it's worse than alternatives. On the contrary, despite disagreeing with the immortals on multiple occasions, I've always been treated fairly.

3. The policy rules have been removed, replaced by pure immortal fiat.

> This is true. However, the rules were revised and condensed and subsequently reimplemented. This is a non-issue now.

4. The roleplay is lackluster.

> This is a matter of opinion, but it's a fair complaint. Lately, with a decrease in the number of players (see #10), RP has become more stagnant. This is one reason why I'm posting this review: TI would benefit from new players to help revitalize its RP. Objectively speaking, TI has a few excellent RPers and a few average RPers; it has almost no one that anyone could characterize as 'poor.' The potential is absolutely there for a nice shared fantasy environment.

5. Code is buggy.

> I have to take issue with this point. Bugs crop up, but it's rare that the MUD is ever down, and the moment a bug's identified, the programmer fixes them. For all of TI's flaws, buggy code ain't one of them.

6. New players are ignored.

> On the contrary, new players are welcomed both ICly and OOCly. I can absolutely promise you that if you come to visit TI, send me a tell (at 'Maxwell') and I'll do what I can to better acclimate you to the environment. So will anyone with a 'Citizen' flag before their name on the wholist.

7. High-ranking players keep to themselves.

> This is somewhat of a problem, but it's safe to say that some RP needs to be private. Beyond that, I agree with this point.

8. The learning curve is steep.

> This is also true, but a number of people would be happy to assist you along the way. That said, I agree with this point, too.

9. Getting through character generation is arduous, and one mistake can lead to death.

> The first portion of this statement might be true, but not the second -- not only is it against the rules to slay a new character for a tiny misstep, but the _players_ of the game are acutely aware of what simply pkilling a new player would mean: likely, their logging off and never logging back on again. Let me simply reiterate that it's especially hard for someone new to get killed, and anyone who didn't quite grasp the theme would have that explained to them by an immortal or another player.

10. Numbers seem low.

> They are. And hopefully from this review, I've convinced you to give TI a try and fix this problem. Ultimately, TI is a bug-free MUD with a captivating theme full of a few dedicated RPers who want to kickstart their game -- and if that sounds interesting to you, you'd be more than welcome.

-- Maxwell

TI: theinquisition.net:5050
http://www.theinquisition.org

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Review Submitted By: Cecilie
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: December 2006
Submission Date: Apr 24, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Cecilie] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

Roleplaying is what I do. I don't go on any MU* that doesn't support it; I could care less about code hack-and-slash; if I want that, I'll play Everquest 2 or World of Warcraft. When I want to be creative, inventive and have fun roleplaying, I come to MU*s. I've spent a long time on many different ones but the Inquisition II draws my attention the most. Even though the time period and setting is designed to be a reflection of a difficult time in human history, I have never been so addicted nor had as much fun as I do on this game.

You can spend hours reading about the game's history, world and setting, but what I enjoy the most is its roleplaying system. Lots of the code is designed for creativity, whether it is code you use in poses or the different areas that have been designed by staff. The world is tangible but the players make it more real, adding conflict and personality to just about every room. You enter the Inquisition and you can effectively create whatever you want; I'm on my second character and I'm amazed on how much creativity I've been able to show and share on this game. Even though there is code for just about anything you want to do, from crafting to their magic system, I often don't even find a direct need; the world itself opens itself to sheer experimentation and exploration of character and conflict.

The people on TI have astounded me. The staff is incredibly helpful and perhaps the most open to new ideas than I've ever seen; there is no power-struggle in my experience, but rather a sincere concern for player enjoyment. Players are also friendly and the sense of community is familial; people tend to work together on small and big plots, along with just having a general good time. People are also very open to players working together on ideas.

My only complaint is that it can be difficult for new players to get involved; the world is big and it's hard to figure out your own footing. I had this problem myself, but many people came to my aid and this was quickly relieved (if you could see the amount of hours I have on my character, you'd understand why). Speaking up, if this ever happens, is the best thing and staff and players alike are more than willing to help; people are quick to share ideas and try to incooperate you into whatever stories they have going on at the time.

The Inquisition, in my eyes, is a perfect game for a roleplayer who is sick of 'roll-playing' or people who stick to code and power-gamers. It's system makes it nearly impossible to get in high places without roleplaying and story generating. If you are curious on how creative you can be in a game where there's lots of room for expanding and growth, sign up. The Inquisition has a small but growing community who always welcomes new faces. If you're looking for some place new and inventive, you've found your home.

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Review Submitted By: Jacinda
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition MUTT: Long long ago
Submission Date: Feb 28, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Jacinda] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I am writing this review about The Inquisition II not because I feel inspired to praise the game or because I would like to blackball anyone, but because I need quest points on my character, and this is the easiest way for me to achieve that goal. In writing this review, however, I believe that certain issues that I have remained relatively quiet about recently will be aired; perhaps, in my naiveté, I believe that some of my commentary will be taken to heart as constructive criticism as opposed to flagrant personal attacks, as my opinions are so often taken.

The Inquisition II yields a game world that is constantly being improved upon – from player-designed areas to new and improved Immortal zones installed in the main play-area, it is unquestionable that the staff cares a great deal about the aesthetic state of the game. With this focus, the Immortals should be lauded for their attempts to create a more realistic gaming environment. Props are frequently being added to the game and players are allowed to use quest points in order to purchase prop items that are not readily available in the game. The staff is usually extremely accommodating in such instances. Recent code changes, however, have yielded objection and question from players; while the game struggles with a poorly coded combat system, one that has been the center of many discussions on the game’s online forums, in-character commands such as “appearance” (the ability to tell how attractive another player is) and “breed” (the ability to engage in coded “sex” with another player with the coded chance to produce a child object) are being added instead. Players who have voiced their concerns on these issues have stated that the recent changes take RP prerogatives out of the hands of the players (specifically, the player’s choice to become pregnant; the player’s own ideas as to the “attractiveness” of another player).

Although I agree that these changes may add to the overall “realism” of TI II, I do not think that such changes are necessary in the face of such glaringly difficult code pieces, like the current combat or magic system. Because the staff tries so hard to provide the players with realistic code pieces, I have found that TI II offers one of the richest roleplaying environments of nearly any RPI mud on which I have had the pleasure to be a player. The Immortals strive to offer the players plotlines to become involved with, and recently, have even implemented “personal quests” which can be arranged via a quest point fee.

The players are appreciative of all of the efforts that the staff attempts to provide for them in this vein, and although the background has been set for a potentially excellent roleplaying experience, many disputes have taken place of late revolving around certain Immortal-organized plotlines. Players have complained that these plotlines often run askew and that they are left out of the loop. Communication problems like these could easily be solved or avoided as a whole with a commitment to disclose more necessary information to the playerbase. Because the staff is so extremely involved in the game world, the amount of miscommunication that occurs is often surprising to me. Although they are not required to, the staff attempts to make disclosures to the players in policy decisions and other important things of that nature. The Immortals are quick to respond to e-mails and personal board notes and are very knowledgeable in their specific fields on the game. However, I have found recently, as I am sure other members of the playerbase have, that the staff is sometimes so over-involved in the game that they behave irrationally. It sometimes seems as if they bypass their supposed “impartiality” in order to invoke RP results for outcomes or players that they particularly favor.

Guildchannels and player tells, OOC tools that were extremely useful to players for organizing RP and creating a sense of community, were recently removed from the game environment after an incident occurred wherein a current Immortal-organized plotline was belittled and commented upon in a negative light. The Immortal in charge of said plotline became incensed and apparently, from what the playerbase has been told, spurred the removal of the channels from the game. Many of these discussed topics have resulted in the attrition of several of the core members of TI II’s roleplaying scene, something which has disappointed the rest of the playerbase, encouraging players to cease logging on for a lack of roleplaying partners. It has gotten to the point that sometimes one is able to log on during what used to be peak playing time to see that they are the only mortal visible on the who-list.

Of course, my review of the game will be immediately written-off and construed as the opinion of an embittered player -- I will be cast in a negative light by whomsoever chooses to respond to it as representative of the game. However, I am still an active player on The Inquisition. Whereas the majority of my friends have chosen to quit the game over such topics as I have discussed, I have decided to stay. I feel that someday the game will blossom into a place where I will enjoy roleplaying with my friends, as I have done in the past. I do suppose, though, that if I don’t like it, I can quit, a phrase that has been touted by members of the Immortal staff many times in the past.

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Review Submitted By: Lonrae
Author Status: Player Started on The Inquisition MUTT: 6-8 months, plus oldti Submission Date: Feb 2, 2007 TMC Listing: The Inquisition MUTT (The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Lonrae] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff). Good theme, amazing code and hardworking Imms. There is depth in the theme, from which you can draw roleplay and create roleplay. Code is great and supports said roleplay. The Imms run events and plots that everyone can be part of. So basically, all the ingredients is here, except players I think.

Yes, we have an OOC-channel, you may have alts and you may even have your alts on at the same time (multilog as it is called). The Imms try to help out by having lots of characters they can bring out for roleplay, or just be in a position as guildleaders to smoothe things over - but this works right now, while we build up the pbase.

We have a lot of established people who are ready to adopt your character into roleplay, all you need is to seek them out. They can help you become anything and can bring you into close groups of friends where you can fulfill your goals.

The basics is that magic is bad and thus we have the Order who fights it. It is a medieval society where class matters, but you can advance from being the low peasant to one day become leader of a guild. Almost all of the code supports roleplay and while one might argue some type of characters are better suited for this mud, there really are no limitations. All you need to bring is yourself, imagination and patience (as the learning curve is a bit steep, this isn't a hack and slash mud - at all!)

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Review Submitted By: Cara
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: 2001
Submission Date: Jan 18, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Cara] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

The inquisition has a strong historical background. The roleplay is harshly based around this story. Religion is a cornerstone in the game and without a full understanding of the complexity it is likely you will get into some sort of turmoil. For instance, when you do not read the religious superstitions you can end up being jailed.

Personally, I believe it is newbie-friendly in the way people help, but as far as theme it is hard to understand. The helpfiles are rich and helpful and there are many of them. Many of the requirements allow only realistic things such as description. If there is anything out of the ordinary you will most likely be called a mage and even without much evidence, be prosecuted for it.

There is a lot of roleplaying rather than 'commands.' The game is very original and after learning all the bits and pieces it can be a lot of fun.

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Review Submitted By: Marcellus
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: July, 2006
Submission Date: Jan 1, 2007
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Marcellus] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

As a roleplay MUD, The Inquisition II offers a very indepth environment that allows players to immerse themselves into the world (known as Urth). A timeline of hundreds of years gives a view into the past, and the modern times are supported by expansive information to bring Urth to life. While there is so much depth to the world, a player need only grasp a few main concepts to begin their playing.

After King Dav’s Consolidation nearly two hundred years ago, the dark powers of magic have become significantly more scarce, and weaker than the tales of mages of times long past tell. Magery is not only considered a dangerous curse, but a wicked taint upon the soul that must be removed in any way possible. Due to the forces against them (the Holy Church of Dav and their right arm, the Knights Lithmorran) mages are forced underground, concealing their identities and their powers to save their very lives; some witches go as far as to strike against those that hunt them. Should they be discovered, it is almost without question that they would be given immediately to the pyres.

King Dav accomplished another bloody feat in his time: he not only established "The Holy Order of Dav" (the new Church), but he wiped the other faiths to minimal numbers. Now, other religions are viewed as heretical, and although they would be treated less harshly than the mages, they hide their faith and gatherings, even to the extent of creating and hiding underground shrines.

Society is based heavily upon the caste system. Characters can start out as a few different classes. Peasants are the low-class workers, essential to the economy as they provide all the hard labor. Freemen are a common class, and they are the middle-class workers who specialize more in professions. They have more opportunities open to them than the peasants. The last is gentry, which are freemen who have elevated themselves to a wealth and power level above that of their class. Noble characters, while not available through chargen, can be nearly equaled if a player becomes ‘social nobility,’ which is possible through several different ways. The location of The Inquisition II (Lithmore City) provides areas for each of these classes, with sections of the city reflecting that social class. Taverns of different class levels are spread across the city, offering a getaway for each.

The playerbase is supported by a variety of different guilds, each offering a unique service to characters or the city. The Order is the Church’s clergy, dedicated to spreading the faith and, depending on position within the Order, rooting out mages. The Knights Lithmorran serves the Church in dealing with mages by either bringing them to the cells, or handling them more harshly on the spot. The Reeves enforce the law, acting as both the judicial force and the physical enforcers. Scholars work through the King’s University to provide an education for the aspiring citizens. Troubadours serve as the entertainers, through music, dance, plays, and more. The Brotherhood of Common Goods, as they are publicly and legally dubbed, are also commonly thieves that can manipulate the city through their own handiwork, although members are watched twice as close for illegal actions. The Merchants guild creates and sells a wide selection of different objects made through their trades.

The code has been heavily developed, and entirely with RP in mind. RPXP is accumulated through RP alone, so only roleplayers will be able to find ground in the MUD. Many commands have been created to expand roleplay possibilities, such as: emote, rpyell, think, action (shows other players your current position, ie " is leaning against the door," mood (basically allows players to ‘add on’ to the room description to reflect current circumstances). Other skills open up more options for RP, anywhere from foraging to combat to magery.

For those wishing to immerse themselves into an extensive world with more than ample support and nearly limitless potential for those willing to apply themselves, The Inquisition II is an ideal choice. A welcoming and helpful community eases the transition into a new, detailed environment.

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Review Submitted By: Aerodynamicvomit
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: 1999
Submission Date: Dec 9, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Aerodynamicvomit] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

The Inquisition is an original roleplaying universe concentrated around the concept of mages, knights, thieves, nobles, bards, merchants, politics, law, Church, witch-hunts, and scholarly pursuits, culminating into what is certainly a rare MUD.

The code has been added to and changed for years, leading to some of the most diverse code I think I've ever seen; it can be overwhelming at first but I PROMISE one can overcome and learn. There are more helpfiles than I've ever seen anywhere else, even helpfiles about how to show other players helpfiles. There is a staff of caring Immortals and a special staff of 'Citizens' who are charged specifically with helping newbies out. And you don't have to get fancy. Good ole' tried&true 'say' and 'emote' work just fine.

The world is completely original- that means no Midgaard map. Some of you might sigh and be displeased with the idea of learning a new map, but there is a command called 'travel' that will allow your character to think about where a room is and walk to it (within reasonable distance) so that you don't have to manually input n;n;n;n;n;n;w;w;n;w; etc. adnauseum.

Have you been a law-figure who cornered the culprit, only for him or her to type 'n;n;n;w;n;n;n; ad nauseum' and get away? Or somebody claimed to have walked from local city, to a distant city, back to local city just that morning? At The Inquisition there is threaded movement to help prevent such troubles. You can set your pace anywhere between crawl, walk, jog, run, dash, or sprint (or your mount, if you can afford one). Depending on your pace, you move between rooms at a different, well, pace! A captured criminal can't just turn around and wind up in a distant city five seconds later. And if you want to go to Sartez (a distant city) it's going to take a little longer.

All of the guilds are active and recruiting, and all of the guildleaders (two per guild) are active and ready for newcomers. Activity is monitored to prevent guildleaders from falling off the face of the Urth (The Inquisition's IC 'earth') and letting the guild crumble into dust- so rest assured, a seeker will get a response if they qualify for the guild.

Some MUDs require a 'background' to be submit- The Inquisition does not until you desire to join a guild. This gives people time to think about it and let their character evolve. A special feature, 'help player' will tell you common information about a player's background. Each player can set up their own 'help player' when ever they wish, but to be guilded, you must have one, ensuring thought in your player and making sure that guildmembers at least have that much devotion.

And finally, the OOC atmosphere is the best I've ever seen. There aren't penalties if you want to just log in and chat on the 'OOC' channel for a little while. Everyone is friendly. Channels are monitored for anything that makes people uncomfortable, and dealt with. And, for you super-intense RPers out there, you can turn off ALL out of character channels (except osay, in case there is a correction to be made in your current RP) and focus intensely on your situation at hand.

I could go on for pages, but really, you have to try it out. Be patient, and the staff will be patient and helpful towards you. Promise.

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Review Submitted By: Sid
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: 1999?
Submission Date: Oct 21, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Sid] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I’ve played several muds over the past 10 years. From hack n slash, to pk, to rp mud. Two muds stand out in my mind as being the best and are the only two I would ever recommand. The first being Aardwolf, the most amazing Hack and slash ever with awesome areas, tons of players, awesome imms, and quests. If you like hack n slash, aardwolf is the mud for you. However, if you like to roleplay, hands down The Inquisition is the game for you.

The Inquisition's code is perfect for roleplaying with such features as emotes that replace player’s name with you to the player while still showing the player’s name to the room, rpecho – a command which let’s players begin an emote not with their own name and/or emote mobs/none player characters, and xp is only earned via roleplaying. There is tons of plot: The Church seeks mages to burn, the thieves trying to gain power, the law trying to keep them at bay. Anything a player can imagine or want done can be done. Ideas and suggestions are welcomed by the imms. The only thing the game suffers from is a small playerbase. So, if you like rp muds, come check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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Review Submitted By: Dolheru
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: October 10th, 2006
Submission Date: Oct 14, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Dolheru] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

When I look for a mud, I look for a world where time has been taken in building a history, enviornment, and a setting to roleplay. I look for a place where the other players enjoy building indepth characters, and play an active role in the mud around them. I look for a place where the imms are helpful and friendly and encourage all of the above. Oh, and of course the mud must be stable.

I have given The Inquisition a good week of my time, and I must say I am pleasantly impressed. It is a good step away from the traditional hack n slash mud, and the world is rich in storyline and history. Roleplaying is required, and the way the skill system works, there is no real way to 'powergame'. Players and imms both are very friendly out of character, and welcome new players with open arms.

The one thing I would warn though it that it takes an open mind to play here. Though the players and imms are very friendly, the characters they play may not be. If you visit, make sure you read the roleplaying helpfiles carefully to see if it is for you. Goverment in the game based on the feudal era, and nobles have way more advantages then if you are a peasant. Also the main race, 'Lithmorran', is very xenophobic, so if you play a character that is of another race, some characters (in game) may not treat you friendly. This is part of the challenge of the game, and brings forth many roleplaying opportunities.

As for the downside, the playerbase isn't very large yet. Rarely do I see more than 10 players on at a time. This can make it hard to find someone to roleplay with. Since the game relies on your roleplaying to gain exp, this can make character advancement rather slow. I also feel that there should be some warnings or a guide for new players to use. Especially in character generation. For example, I picked a Charali race (a nomadic people that love horses) for my character. Seemed fun enough, but once I got into game, the first person I came across spit at me, and I find out later that many of the Lithmorran characters didn't like charali people much. I also didn't like that there didn't seem much reason to leave the city. There is a larger world out there, but many won't see it because the roleplaying opportunities are only in the city.

Most of these issues can be resolved by a few helpfiles, and an increased player base. My overall impression though is great if you are into roleplaying a well thought out character.

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The Inquisition by Kelandryth

Having just read the review one-below mine (the big angry one. Hard to miss), I thought that I might interject a little bit of that stuff.. uh, watchamacallit.. intermediacy or something. If not that, at least a "different" perspective.

I'm not going to start with the typical long-winded "this game's good points are this, this, and this," because everyone and their kid brother's already done that. Hands down, this game has good code. It really does. The codebase of this game is what I would describe as the -archetype- of the RolePlay MUD Codebase. Anyone who's played the game knows this.

However, I promised not to go off on some tangent about all the great things that TI has to offer. Conversely, I'm not going to fill this fleeting moment of your life with blabber about personal vendettas with the Immortals, utter outrage, and generally hypocritical garbage.

I will tell you this: There's a tense love-hate relationship between plenty of clingy, veteran TI players and their beloved game, right now. The players generally use the Immortal Staff as a scapegoat when roleplay is either going badly or not going at all. The truth? The Immortals' decisions may indeed be causing a slowdown in roleplay! Or, it could be that it's early September, and everyone's back into the heat of school/work/...whatever it is that people not at school/work do.

Honestly? Yeah, sometimes the people who run the game implement changes without letting people know first. Why? Probably because disagreement with decisions is usually expressed in nasty forum posts, and when that doesn't work, biting reviews on sites like this. Sure, a little dialogue from the Imms before a major change is introduced would be GREAT. But, then, I put myself in an Immortal's shoes. Every time I'm going to make a change to the game (MY game, mind you), utter dissent breaks forth. Okay, great, cool. We discuss it. Well, they brought up some good points, but it's still ultimately MY game and MY change to make. So I make it... only to be greeted within a matter of days by outraged forum-posts and acrimonious reviews on MUD Database sites.

Oh, sure, I mean.. it all starts innocently enough. If you disagree with an Immortal, you write up your thoughts very eloquently. Oh, indeed, my good sir! But, I do digress, hmm.. *chinstroke* ... wait, what?! My incomprehensibly vast intellect and complete mastery of the rhetorical arts didn't get me MY WAY? Okay, BRING IT. Time for the nasty flame posts!

This is all the mixed blessing/curse of a game possessed of an overwhelmingly intelligent playerbase. When smart people who can make very valid points don't feel that their (usually quite eloquent and thought-provoking) input is given due consideration, some pretty intense Internet Drama tends to rear its ugly head.

Get my point? Read into reviews, understand their tone. If you find one that's obviously some sort of trumped-up attempt to "get even" with the Immortal Staff for grave-sounding yet ridiculously esoteric injustices, take it with a grain of salt.

You, as a new and intelligent prospective player, have the capacity to find fun in The Inquisition. You aren't jaded, and the bleeding atrocities mentioned in some reviews here really don't apply to you. Please, though, learn from these reviews. Learn that if you find yourself disliking the game and disagreeing with Immortal decisions, you DON'T have the power to change the game to be just the way you like it EVERY TIME. However, you very much DO have the power to NOT PLAY THE GAME. Don't play something if it isn't fun for you! It's not worth it, no matter how intelligent and fun your fellow players are!

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The Inquisition by gamezgrrl

The Inquisition is touted as a role-play intense game and certainly lives up to the term in the best way possible. Everything is done via character interaction, primarily since rpxp (roleplay experience points) are used for purchasing skills, cash, and essentially everything else necessary.

The quality of role-play found is likewise very high, and covers a broad range and variety that includes nearly any type a potential player could hope to find - mudsex, rape, and suicide need not apply due to sensitivity towards those dealing with such issues and for liability reasons.

Players are on the whole friendly and welcoming as well, and while a new player may be overwhelmed by the incline of the learning curve, those same experienced players are usually willing to help out and answer questions, and even involve the newcomers in roleplay whenever possible.

No place is perfect, however.

While the code itself is stunning and breathtaking, changes are often implemented when half-ready rather than wholly supported, such as removing methods of earning money before emplacing planned new ones. Questions on this topic receive the answer, "I have an economics degree and know what I'm doing", a statement of theory rather than a response to the practical fact of the game economy's stagnation. It is usually possible to work around the difficulties these various instances create, but they disrupt the roleplay and feel of the theme.

This is at least simply a case of poor logic in argument. More disturbing is that a player who has since left the game due to a ban for other reasons reports a direct reply from the implementor to an attempt to calmly discuss negative perceptions: "You're paranoid. You need counseling." Perhaps it's not surprising this type of attack has made its way into the playerbase as well with this type of example, reflected in the same player's online journal recounting a fellow player's remark, "You should go to a mental hospital!" We are tempted to laugh at what must be a joke until we realize both knew this person did indeed suffer from mental illness.

Policy immortals pander to guilty until proven innocent rather than vice-versa, at times even admitting to not reading or regarding input from one "side" of a dispute before preparing decisions, and voice a policy of non-interference in roleplay while simultaneously making it very clear when a character acts in a way they dislike (as opposed to something breaking rules, which it is certainly their right and job to enforce). This does not mean they force the roleplay they desire, but it can become very uncomfortable to go against it, and in-character consequences are sometimes threatened if a situation they dislike is not repaired within a given amount of time.

In a similar confusion, Immortals watch role-play for the sake of granting roleplay-points or quest-points, which perks us all up once announced. However, the points have been known not to arrive while confirmed immortal-controlled magical creatures (to provide reasonability) do, publicly displaying knowledge of the watched private sessions. In a game that hinges both on a policy of revealing nothing out-of-character that happens in-character and on such secretive roleplay, this is destructive, especially as since the immortals are not pcs, they are literally immune from any consequences these things might have if done by a pc who could potentially be caught at it and stopped or punished in-character. This is a side-issue but related issue to immortals being in fact permitted to spread in-character rumors about any roleplay their discretion assumes is public enough, regardless of whether in tavern or forsaken cave.

What typically saves the game and makes it worth the time despite these issues is its other players, as already stated. However, recent changes penalize players with large amounts of experience points/hours played by awarding them less, which has resulted in a drastic numbers drop as well as a drop in the depth of overall roleplay since it is naturally established characters who are typically at the helm of more extensive plotlines. It is not solely irony that the game forum currently lists the topics "Reducing Est Char XP" and "Nobody Around? What To Do?" side by side as this review is being written. Unfortunately, much as with the economics debates, this is typically answered with, "I care because I pay the hosting bill" rather than an address to the problem itself - admittedly a true statement, but a non sequiteur and an echo of the administrative-player difficulties that eventually forced the former version of the game to shut down.

In short, it is the last paragraph above that makes me no longer certain whether I could whole-heartedly reccommend this game, or even recommend it with reservations. It was the players that bridged the gap in every fault I might mention, and with their departure, what makes the game special goes, too. While it may be easy to pass this review off as the ramblings of a disgruntled player, and this will doubtless be said, the tone and writer's very readily apparent willingness to trumpet the good alongside the bad will speak for themselves. Dwindling numbers speak as well, diving from hovering at 25+ during peak hours to rarely more than 5 even at the same time frame.

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Review Submitted By: Nathanial
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: July 20th, 2006
Submission Date: Aug 6, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Nathanial] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

TI is a very unique MUD, in many regards. First, there's the environment. It is dark, cold, and heartless like any medieval environment ought to be. Suspicion and strife amongst characters build tensions and enemies, or could lead to those few that you can truly rely upon. Dynamically roleplayed characters paint out a colorful world, and everyone is given the freedom to play nearly any character concept they can imagine. And the most fulfilling part, is that you can find your place in the world.

Another factor is the player-driven environment. A strong economy system is set up, with a hierarchy also in place. Players keep everything running smoothly and stable from the RP perspective, while the staff takes care of behind-the-scene necessities. You can have an effect in the world, and bring your character to your full potential.

Another big part is the assistance of players and the staff. They are very helpful to any needs, both patient and eager to assist. Because of TI's learning curve, this is a very good and useful aspect.

Most importantly, though, are the players. Roleplay is wonderful and vivid, and it becomes easy to completely immerse yourself. For anybody interested in any of these things, and PLENTY more (I'm still learning things daily, else I would try to talk about more), The Inquisition is definitely worth a look.

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Review Submitted By: Igo
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: A long long time.
Submission Date: Aug 6, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Igo] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

The inquisition mud is hands down the best roleplay mud I have ever played. I have been playing muds since 1994 and really really like this mud. The combat system is better than any hack n slash mud I have played. It allows you to pretty much use straigt emotes which the combat parser then interprets and takes into account about nine different attributes such as strength, fighting stance, distance and other skills to determine where the strike hits, how hard, puncture or bludgeon etc.

Magic on the inquisition is actually special. There is a tightly held cloak of secrecy about how the whole magic system functions and what the spells do and how to learn them, it's everything you could want in a magic system. This isn't a mud where everyone is a wizard, it's a mud where being a mage is special and learning magic very difficult. What this results in is that your character feels like he's done something extraordinary if he manages to master the magic. At the same time anyone can become a mage simply by writing a short application to the imp Ephera. They may be burned at the stake due to lack of experience in hiding the fact they are a mage, but hey without risk there is no glory.

All roleplay is enforced and indepth and there is a detailed language system as well as item working system. Roleplay is free form except when coded actions such as combat override free form rp. In addition the contest command help players to decide the outcome of some interactions without full out combat rp. Yes the inquisition is a difficult mud to master, but it is ripe with juicy tidbits to discover and hidden political undertones to unmask.

Try the inquisition at your own risk!
P.S. Thought it was worth mentioning that applications are only needed to play certain types of character like mages, this is one of the few rp enforced muds that you can just start playing after you login.

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The Inquisition by Ceslin

The inquisition is a fun and enjoyable place to play. They are an enforced rp game that is one of the best that I have ever played. Their setting into a fantasy world is very precise with alot of helpful helpfiles and a good environment. In this world magic is shunned and "mages" are purged for their sins against Dav. Dav is the religious icon, worshiped by the people and upheld by the Holy Order. They have multiple guilds to which each plays a vital part in the game.

The inquisition is the only game that i have actually sat down and enjoyed playing. Once you start rping with people it is so hard to stop. Its social settings are very genuine making playing The Inquisition very intriguing. The players hold the highest place with their staff. If there is something a player wants the staff looks into it. They are very player friendly and so is the rest of the players. They will assist with whatever you need help with and are always kind and caring about their players feelings.

So stop by the Inquisition today. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

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Review Submitted By: Joe
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: Nov. 2004
Submission Date: Jul 20, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Joe] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I should preface this by mentioning that while TI2 has a great set of features and thematic depth, I don't feel that these things are the main focus or purpose of the game, and therefore they are largely ignored in this review.

The Inquisition 2 is, first and foremost, a roleplaying game. RP is enforced and is the primary focus of the design and implementation of the game. All advancement within the game - while a great deal of it is code reliant - is done through roleplay. Experience is earned, skills are accrued, money and wealth is accumulated all through roleplay. Therefore, if you like to RP, TI2 has an immediate appeal to your interests. If you don't, you would probably be happier looking elsewhere. While there is an OOC chat channel, the creation area is the only OOC area in the game. After one leaves this area, the game is strictly in-character, period.

The RP on TI is generally of a very high caliber; characters are for the most part, well thought-out, and there are a number of features in place to encourage indepth character development. Intrigue and plots, as well, abound and to one who looks hard enough, there is no end to the interesting roleplay opportunities available.

That said, TI is notoriously a difficult MUD to start at. The learning curve is unusually steep (more of a learning cliff, really) and new players often find themselves lacking in readily available RP opportunities. As well, the environment is a very harsh one. While considerable effort has gone to ensure that new players are not unwittingly harmed from ingnorance of the theme, the game still takes place in a setting where one slip can be enough to make you dead. Ultimately, however, I feel that the rewards of pursuing RP on TI greatly outweigh the risks.

While TI is primarily a roleplaying game, this does not exclude one from dealing with the OOC community and environment. This is generally a friendly one. Most of the immortal staff is helpful and approachable, and keeps the best interests of the players in mind. Furthermore, there is considerable effort on the part of the imm staff to keep new, fresh things happening in and for the game. However, their enthusiasm does sometimes outrstip their preparation. Often, new systems replace old ones long before they are fully ready, and the result is an entirely functional, acceptable system removed in favor of one that is limited in functionality (though usually not in potential.)

The community of The Inquisition is a robust one. Through the various options for OOC communication in the game, as well as the forums created for use by the players, many friendships tend to bloom as a result of playing on The Inquisition. This however, leads to concerns highly reminiscent of those of a highschool hallway, with cliques and lockouts and grudges abound. However, while these concerns exist, they are not substantial enough to severely impact the roleplay available to players.

In short, TI is by no standard perfect. However, if you're fond of roleplay, it is most definitely worth a visit.

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The Inquisition by Jacinda

The Inquisition II is a highly-competitive, realistic, and sometimes very harsh game world. In a world where magic is shunned and power is grasped for, life can sometimes prove to be extremely difficult. A “realistic” economy makes day-to-day living for the average character become what seems to be a struggle, with coin difficult to come by unless one has managed to garner employment. Where one can be burned to death on a pyre for a word on religion misspoken or drawn and quartered for breaking allegiance to the King, this world presents it’s challenges left and right. Realism is key on TI 2, however the game comes with its own quirks such as magic-use, candles burning blue at midnight, and old-wives-tales in the form of the Erra Pater. Although life can at times be tough, it is never, ever dull.

When I think of The Inquisition II, the first word that comes to my mind is dedication. I have dedicated about seven years of my life playing this RPI-MUD and yet no matter what happens to my player characters I continue to log on each day. Why? I am addicted! TI 2 is nothing short of addicting because of the dedication of its hard-working immortal staff and its creative player-base. Unlike other RPI’s, TI 2 has a very active social setting amongst its players, allowing the entire player-base to become not only enmeshed in each others roleplay, but also in each others real lives. The relationships that have been forged due to association with TI 2 are lasting and real- just another part of the dedication to this game that I immensely enjoy.

The Inquisition II offers not only a healthy interaction between real life players, but also a realistic game world for the players to become involved with deeply. Recent changes have been made to the game world including a massive overhaul of the capitol city of Lithmore- there is no such thing as a “stock” room on TI 2; rather, each room has been expertly crafted by our resident builder, along with help from some of the player characters as well. This essentially new addition to TI 2 invokes the charm and mystery of a medieval city, long winding roads included. New building isn’t the only thing which makes the TI 2 game world both unique and interesting, however. Help files are constantly being added so that the players might have a better concept of the game world and at the moment the entire language code system is being revamped so that languages may be carried over onto written documents in the game. Code additions are often inputted to make game play easier for the players, including but not limited to the new “package” code which allows players to mail item objects aside from letters to each other through the in-game mail system.

Log on to The Inquisition II today. I promise, you’ll get hooked.

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The Inquisition by Al

The plot of The Inquisition (TI) is, at first glance, simple: some seek to control arcane powers for their own ends, whether for ill or good; and those in power – if they're not doing it, too – throw religion in their faces and stamp out the insurrection. Beyond this is a backdrop of a late medival-era court and its surrounding city with factions vying for power and influence. Take Versailles and add witchcraft.

Other reviews here will wax poetic about the intricacies of the plot. Mine's going to tell you, as honestly as possible, about the game itself.

THE UPSIDE

TI boasts a small community and the quality of RP is, for the most part, exceptional. In this regard it's more MUSHlike than MUDlike. Most people post long emotes and their descriptions are evocative. In addition, because the community is small (15-20 players on during peak hours), it's very easy for a new player to “break in” to the game.

The immortals and players are friendly and make it a point to assist new players.

The codebase is stable. Crashes are rare, and bugs are stamped out quickly.

The codebase is heavily modified. Lots of unique skills and magic.

Room descriptions are of high quality. Moreover, there are a variety of places to travel and go exploring. Although the game takes place in a single city, that city is large and lifelike; and it's only becoming more increasingly detailed as players opt to purchase their own homes and estates.

The immortals are hands-off with RP. TI is essentially a sandbox in which characters can play; there are no “favorites,” and the game doesn't focus around certain people in particular. That said, some people lead factions and steer the story because of their positions, but it's entirely possible for someone to enmesh him- or herself into that circle and become a driving factor in the story, too. In contrast, if you aren't interested in political wheeling and dealing, it's also possible to play other character concepts, such as woosdmen, troubadours, craftsmen and scribes.

As an addition to the last point, immortals do offer players the option to purchase their own personal quest lines, which can allow them to achieve goals and shape the storyline. Moreover, these aren't limited to faction leaders. Anyone can opt to go through them.

The game is subject to change. Active forums provide the opportunity to flesh out discussions. If something isn't working, constructive criticism often leads to changes in the MUD. Players are often solicited for their input, and it's very easy to feel like you've actually changed something for the better.

THE DOWNSIDE

TI is small. 15-20 players on during peak hours. That's one reason why I'm posting this review. Although grand plots can happen, they can be hampered by a lack of available people.

TI is hard to learn. Really, the learning curve is steep. There are walkthroughs and FAQs written, but the codebase is modified; it's not stock code, so there are dozens of new commands to learn. People will help you when you log in, but keep in mind, it may take time to master things.

You make your own RP. Nothing's dropped in anyone's lap, so if you have goals for your characters, it's up to you to seek out RP and make it happen. In addition, it may take a while to find suitable RP partners.

The theme is centered around religious fanaticism. Some people don't like that, and I admit, it's not one of the most accessible backstories that one could generate. But if you like semi-realistic simulation, come try TI and see if it appeals to you.

CONCLUSION

Drop by and check out the game – even if you only have questions and aren't quite sure if you want to play just yet. We'd love to have you, and you'll be treated right. Although TI may not appeal to everyone, if you like high-quality RP with a heavy dose of historical fiction (okay, and magic), then drop by telnet://www.theinquisition.org:5050 and check us out.

-Al

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The Inquisition by Calissa

This is an updated version of my review from last year as the game has undergone significant changes and I've been far more actively invovled in the game than the last review.

I am posting a review not only as a player of the new version of the game, but also as an *old* member of the old version. Previous players as myself will find there are some significant changes to some of the guilds. The Sable Masque is now a guild and not a coven of mage researchers, and the obsolete mercenaries guild is gone. Also, Lithmore as you might have known it is gone, but the replacement to the city is rich and expansive. Cultures have been solidified which allows for the new aspect of racial tensions building in the city.

To discuss the game itself, the code itself is vibrant, with levelless skill learning, emoted combat and an intensive RP supportive system. No waiting on imms to notice your RP and actually feel you deserve some exp... nuh-uh. The code tracks your activity in a RP situation and awards you experience based on your contribution to the scene. The emoted combat is one of the most unique pieces of the code I have ever seen. Instead of entering quick commands, you submit an emote which then checks against your skills for sucess and damage.

So what would you do with this experience? Thatis how you get your skills. No waiting around for a level so you have the practices, no hoping and praying you don't die with 3 xp left until level. There is no real benefit to mob killing in the game. If you are a dedicated hack n slash, you may find yourself disappointed. This is not a game you get ahead in by being an awesome tanker or by being the fastest fighting typer or having the most thourough attack response triggers. Success is measured completely in the rp aspect of the game, and is set by you the player. Experience can also be spent on attaining a higher birthclass, improve your stats, or purchase silver. With the addition of player accounts, exp across all your characters is saved and can be spent on any of them. This allows for players to save or start up high classed characters, skilled fighters or powerful mages.

About the roleplay and its environment: The setting is a medieval fantasy, drawing from the images of honorable knights and fine ladies plus the ever present peasantry of the Kingdom. It has an all powerful church which dominates the political scene of the game, reminiscent of fuedal Europe. The fascinating aspect that drives the game is the desire of the church to erradicate entirely the taint of magic use in the kingdom. Being a mage is the highest evil and will find the caught mage on the pyre for a public burning. It is a secret carefully hidden from the general populace so there is the potential to see your own spouse or brother being burnt for magery. This creates a thrilling paranoia of who you can trust and who might secretly be planning the downfall of the organization out to destroy them. In addition to this, there is the interplay of political power games between the law, the nobility, the church and more subtly, the organizations actively working against and sometimes amongst them.

A new player could likely feel overwhelmed as they step into the world, due to the sheer intensity and breadth of the theme. From the first words your character speaks or their first emote, it is understood that you understand at least the basics of the game environment, since your character would have been living in this world up until that point. However, the helpfiles are thourough, and the playerbase is delighted to have new players and willing to overlook minor ignorance until the person has become accustomed to the game world. (Minor ignorance not including talking about wanting to cause the fall of the church publically.) I personally strongly discourage any new player from attempting a mage, heretic or thief, because the lifespans for these characters is typically short, and because they require serious familiarity with the game and its workings to play successfully.

I would say the single biggest improvement in the game under the new staff is the freedom to really determine your character within the game world. Yes there are IC laws and OOC rules, but the staff allows the player to determine their own character provided it is within the game context without chastising them if they choose to explore a new facet of rp not explicitly covered in the helpfiles. In fact, a new aspect has been introduced to the playerbase, that of personal quests. These allow players to develop their characters even further than might happen in the promotions process, allowing for a lowborn peasant to quest to be named the royal bard. These quests however are entirely meant to be initiated and developed using the creativity of the player.

Currently I see the biggest flaw of the game to be the size of the playerbase. Old players have come home, and some new people have joined. However, for many there is still the stigma of the old way things were done that has left a bad taste in the mouth for potential players and returning players. But I would like to say while there are still some felt ripples due to the old admin of the game and how things used to be, new and old players alike will find the atmosphere far more relaxed, less tense, and more fun. The playerbase is growing, and new faces are encouraged and wanted to immerse themselves in the intrigues of Lithmore.

The only other problems I currently see with the game is that there has been a significant change in the economy and not all of the aspects of the new one are fully in place, which can lead to some player frustration, especially for anyone who has a "get ahead" mentality in their play approach. In all honesty, the sluggish economy hasn't had too drastic or bad an impact on the rp, and the game continues on as it has. On those lines, players will also find the limitations on skills and how difficult it is to learn them somewhat stifling. Again, the role-play doesn't suffer for it and is the driving point of the game. If you're looking to be the baddest killer or richest noble, you're going to find yourself sore disappointed.

All in all, I've been playing TI now for seven years, and while it naturally has its slow moments from time to time, I've never been disappointed and keep coming back. This is not a game for someone looking for a quick win, but a dedicated player who wants the freedom to develop their character and impact their game world and its history.

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The Inquisition by Pana

The Inquisition is, by far, the best MUD I've ever played. In fact, it's the only MUD I've ever been able to tolerate playing for more than two days. I was never into gaming. I'm an artist and a writer, and I could never find a game that could meet my high expectations for storytelling. When I logged onto The Inquisition, I met my match. And I was hooked.

THE PLOT

The overarching theme of the game is the battle between the religious population and those that society has deemed "damned": the mages and heretics. Players themselves can choose their own stance in this battle. Do you believe everything the Church has taught you, that magical creatures have forsaken the Lord of the Springs, the Almighty Creator? Or is the Church merely terrified of these gifted magicians who have the power to bend the very elements to their will?

Yet that is not the only story being told in Lithmore. In fact, it's only one of hundreds. Amidst the epic battle between "good" and "evil" is a normal medieval society that is struggling to function, with its paranoia, its discontented social classes, its prejudices, its love triangles... When there aren't magical creatures to battle, the people turn against one another, fighting for power or love or revenge, with exhilarating plot twists and poignant scenes. And all these things are driven by the players themselves. With freedom and skill, the players of The Inquisition have written such touching moments that I've burst into tears while roleplaying more than once. Sometimes it's hard to forget that I'm playing a game and not actually watching a movie or reading a book.

THE GAME

Getting to know TI can take some time, although much has been done lately to ease new players into the game. Guides are constantly being written and posted on the TI forums (http://www.theinquisition.org/forums/index.php), and the game itself has an extensive helpfile system that is searchable with the "help search" command. Immortals and Citizens (trusted players with limited immortal commands) are almost constantly available to answer questions.

Once in game, there are almost no limits to what a character can do if they can get the resources. If you want to build a business, you can. If you want to start your own guild, you can. Through roleplay, just about any goal can be met, especially with the newest introduction of personal quests. With immortal approval and assistance, and a lot of roleplayed work on your part, it's possible to achieve some goals that might have once seemed impossible. But if all you want to do is play the cheerful barmaid at the local tavern, all you need to do is jump in and start playing. Every character, from powerful noble to humble peasant, is equally important to the game and a valued addition to the environment.

THE OOC ENVIRONMENT

TI's community is very much like a family. Though the occasional fight will break out, in the end everyone just wants what's best for the game. Drama is kept to a minimum and most disagreements can be ended with some calm, rational discussion. And you'll find no power-hungry immortals here, either. Most changes to the game are discussed with the players, and the immortals listen appreciatively to any feedback and ideas. There are also anonymous ways of giving feedback to the imms through e-mail. The immortals do a great job of keeping the environment friendly while enforcing their rules. If you calmly question a decision, chances are you'll get a calm response.

There are several ways to communicate OOCly on TI, although there are also ways to turn channels off and go into quiet mode if it suits you. No one has to communicate OOCly if they don't want to. And there's the most important rule on TI: NO DISCUSSING IC THINGS OOCLY. Doing so will get you banned. TI is a strict RPI environment, after all.

New players shouldn't be afraid to chat it up with the old players. Although we know each other very well, we're always ready to welcome the new guy into our community. We know that the survival of a game depends on new players, and every new person has the potential to become a good friend to us. Your thoughts and opinions really matter here.

CONCLUSION

I could ramble on and on about stuff like how wonderful the code is, how many awesome features we have, how talented our staff and players are... but really I think those things are best experienced personally. Come down and give The Inquisition a try. It's probably unlike any other game you've ever played.

P.S. If you need someone to hold your hand through the process of creation, try this new walkthrough: http://www.theinquisition.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=442

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The Inquisition by Lost

The Inquisition II are based on the code and theme of The Inquisition I, but have undergone tremendous development. The theme have gotten more depth, culture development and background history - Code have gottan an overhaul and many new things have been added. Finally, the main city of Lithmore from where things spread out have been redesigned to reflect it all.

Now, TI2 is still a roleplay enforced mud - So let me start with an appetizer :)

From the ashes of war, mages and politics - A kingdom was forged, named Lithmore. Centuries ago, mages and men lived side by side and often you would find mages at the Courts of the Kingdoms on Urth. But sudden events threw Urth into war and the King of Lithmore set out on a conquest to eradicate magery. To do so, he raised an army and former from the numerous ecclestical groups, the Order.

Sweeping across Urth, he conquered almost all, in his wake came the Order, burning mages, withces and heretics. Only the southern, and mysterious, lands of the Daravi's was left untouched.

Thus you enter The Inquisition, centuries later where the King has the Order in place, the iron fist of the Knights Lithmorran and magery the evil threat.

From this main theme, many smaller stories spirals out into roleplay. There is the everyday life, the clashes of the Nobility, the thieves in the shadows and the dark societies noone really know what do. Let the roleplay begin.

On TI2 you have a chance to build a character up from nothing to fame. All theme, code and commands are meant to support your roleplay (not the other way around).

A few of the things I enjoy the most:

Combat emote system - No hack&slash, but keywords you put into a (c)emote when in combat to draw on your strength in certain skills.

Mood - set a room with an extra desc to depict to others how you have set up the atmosphere of roleplay there.

Merchants - while some are still in the works, it is basically a "find" - "process" and "manufacture" system, where all parts are player controlled. Find the raw material, work on it and then finally you can make something.

Magic - don't know much about it, part since it is secret - but everyone fears mages (hunt them too), but they are supposedly able to strike fear into even the best Knight.

Thieves, "Hand" and Sable Masque - 3 guilds that have in common that they are covert, their agendas are not known and again a fear-factor.

Bottom line, you do not need to "go for the conflict" - but if you wish to grow your character through strife and trials, there's plenty of room for that.

On the totally OOC side of things - there's a channel for questions and a group of players labelled citizens who can help out with basic stuff. Aside that, people are generally friendly OOC - even if they IC are your worst enemy. To me, we have a good balance of social-OOC, friendlyness and fierce IC roleplay that could get you killed - but what do I know .... :) Come prove me wrong?

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Review Submitted By: Nicole
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: About a year ago, I think
Submission Date: May 11, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Nicole] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

The Inquisition is an expansive roleplay MUD in which players and their interractions with one another are really key. I have been playing for about a year, with my interest never waning.

I love this game. There is a real sense of taking your characters life in your hands and running it as real life would. What you do affects people. The playerbase is a well-rounded one, with some rather likeable people. The characters are fresh and interesting, as is the plot of the game. I just can't seem to pull myself away from this one! -Nicole

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The Inquisition by Askira

The Inquisition is a great place for players who prefer a roleplay enforced game with a small intimate player base, there're about 10-20 players on the mud at any time. I'll briefly mention the unique system and features in the mud, as not to repeat what previous reviews have already stated: rumour system, guilds, Noble Houses, regular player run roleplay quests, pc merchants and craft system, non automatic combats, rich and detailed history.

It has everything a roleplayer would list on his or her wishlist, and you'll find an older, more mature playerbase than almost anywhere on the mud, the average age is around 21. However, due to its innate rp natures, it attracts far more female players than males. That isn't to say its all lovely dovey, in fact, most plots and stories are driven by political manipulation, Machiavellian style sabotage, and subtle plots.

Due to the rich details, the mud has a very steep learning curve, though it would appeal to those who love a challenge, and once you immerse yourself in the game, it's easy to be addicted to the various intricacies of the stories. The players are the mud's greatest assets, and the staff members are polite and helpful. You will not find yourself ignored or unheard here.

It is a transition period for the mud with a complete new and rewritten world settles in to replace all the old zones, and some bugs or crashes might occur to interrupt the game flow. However, this is only because of the changes that are taking place, and the problems are smoothed quickly and few and far in between.

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Review Submitted By: Lady_Corsica
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: About 4 days ago
Submission Date: Mar 16, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition
(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Lady_Corsica] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I have started this game about less than a week ago, but I have liked it so much that I have become completly hooked. With a lovely world and a wonderfuly helpful staff it has made it a joy to play. WIth it's player driven plot lines and it's detailed world, this game is really quickly becoming one of the games I really look forward to logging on. Keep up the great work guys.

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The Inquisition by Kelandryth

Disclaimer: This review is not positive, nor is it intended to be, but I will make every attempt to explain my reasoning logically and fully. I intend no offense to anyone, truly, but my ultimate goal -is- honesty.
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For the sake of quick summary, this game's theme is related to its title (supposedly): "The Inquisition II." This title encapsulates two major premises:

First: The theme of the game centers around an "Inquisition" of magic-users and those deemed heretics by the controlling Church.

Second: This is not THE Inquisition. This is the Inquisition -II-. This particular facet of the title is most perplexing, when considered in the light of an experienced player's opinion.

But, I digress-- if only to elaborate more fully in the end.

The Inquisition is traditionally a MUD pertaining to secrecy, excitement, and magic. I intend to assert, as an experience player, that all three aspects have been lost. Secrecy is no longer an issue, nor even pretense. I have my theories as to why this is, but they don't pertain to the point of this review, so I'll let it drop. Next, excitement is dulled by the reality that conflict within the theme is effectively impossible, "cut off" in a policy tourniquet that only tightens when brief glimmers of hope manage to filter through. Magic? Well, magic pertains to villainy. Allow me to elaborate.

Villainy vs. Law is a binding theme of the game. Those in the Church, those of the Law, should -- by rights of theme -- control most of the power. The problem is that the "natural order" doesn't work to preserve this theme anymore, and so it must be "forced down players' throats," so to speak. When a conflict arises between the Law and the Villainy, it is generally handled by the Out of Character strictures of Player vs. Player combat, imposed upon the game by the Immortals. However, in my experience, these rules are flawed. This is not due to any single circumstance that can be easily remedied. However, the laws governing Player vs. Player combat are ultimately dictated by the Implementress of the game. It is designed this way in order to make use of the least biased judgment possible in any given situation. However, said Implementress imposes few (if any) outside checks on her own opinion. This creates the opportunity for overwhelming bias of its own sort, even unbeknownst to the decision-maker. In governmental terms, the result is a nonrepresentational dictatorship. A player's opinion may or may not be heard, depending on any number of factors that are impossible to decipher from the player's perspective (the conspiring of the fates, alignment of the moon and the stars?).

Now, apply this to Player vs. Player situations. They are given a very tight, very specific set of rules to which they must adhere, or the entire line of roleplay is bound to be null and void. These rules are contrary to basic logic in that they restrict all instances of a very broad situation to a very specific template. If any Player vs. Player situation fails to adhere to the exact template, it can be nulled, the entire line of roleplay washed away. Now, who decides whether or not this template has been "properly" adhered to? The decision of the Implementress.

Having personally participated in several of these situations, perhaps the most of any player involved with The Inquisition II, I can say that generally speaking, I find little guiding logic dictating the outcome of these decisions. A very specific set of rules is given, a set of rules that almost any reasonable situation can be found to break at least one of. The result is much like a contract with loopholes. It looks nice on paper, but it can be easily intepreted in dozens of different ways in practice, all of which are subject to the whim of a single party.

Ultimately, Player vs. Player conflict, in a game that has a theme entirely centered around it, is too restrictive to be feasible from any perspective but that of a Law Abiding Character (and even that is questionable). As such, the theme of the game -- Law vs. Villainy -- has stagnated over time. Now, it is nearly impossible to recognize.

Play The Inquisition II, as long as you enjoy passive conformity to "invisible" rules that you won't become privy to until the knowledge does you no good. There is no true conflict in this game. Many players are paranoid in an Out of Character sense to such an extent that roleplay opportunities are strangled.

In its favor, The Inquisition II has a very -dedicated- staff. I disagree with their methods of enforcing and creating rules, but they do put plenty of effort and time into the game. Never will anyone's concerns be -neglected-. They may not be heeded, but at least someone will -care-. Also, there are many excellent roleplayers, and many fun situations are possible.

In conclusion... play this game simply to roleplay, attempt to have fun, but don't even bother trying to involve yourself in conflict situations based on the theme. The "II" in The Inquisition II means that the theme of Inquisition is null and void. The current ruleset is simply too restrictive for in-character player conflict to be feasible without considerable, unnecessary Out of Character tension between the Players or between the Players and the Immortal Staff.

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Review Submitted By: Cartrudius
Author Status: Player
Started on The Inquisition: Today. 02/21/2006
Submission Date: Feb 21, 2006
TMC Listing: The Inquisition

(The following review is the opinion of the review's author [Cartrudius] and in no way represents the opinions of this website or its staff).

I spent well over three hours making a character on this mud today. The code and history are extremely indepth. I read all of the helpfiles I could find anywhere, and when I was finally dumped in the game I used my newfound knowledge to manage to buy myself a prop and dive right into RP.

My plan was simple, really. I wanted to create a low-impact son of a Instrument maker and the daughter of some merchant lord. I read the helpfiles for hours, trying to make sure I covered everything as best I could. I asked questions, both on their question channel and in tells. I wanted a character that could just sort of fit in and join the general chat without having to be useful in any sort of way until I got the idea behind the mud. In short, I wanted to be able to make a good impression and just relax until I got my bearings.

While trying to create my character I looked through the helpfiles about last names (help surname, after a few other tries like 'help name' 'help last name' 'help lastname'). In that helpfile it states: Each of the Duchies has a certain patronym that is common among the nobility and gentry of the region. It is by no means all the same across the board, given the inter-marriage between nobles of different regions, and some personal taste, but it is certainly the most most common.

They are as follows;
The rest isn't really important as it is simply a list of examples. I pulled from those examples figuring that my character's family would be failry common in how their last name was set. The reason this particular thing is my sticking point is that it is what got me.

Well, as I entered the first rp straight out of the newbie zone, I came across 'an oval-faced woman' or something similar, and 'The Baron of ' wherever he was the Baron of. I asked what title I needed and was pointed at help titles, and addressed him first as I would think seems reasonable. The oval-faced woman however, seemed to be even higher in station than he, getting the same title as a Duke gets according to that helpfile, and slapped me down quickly for calling her 'madam'. I rolled past this, and she asked for my name. I had carefully prepared my name during my three hours of creation and had even put it into my own personal character notes about myself, something I've seen handled better on other muds by the way, but at least they have the function. I rattled off this name, and the next thing I know she's claiming I've got some big fancy title, and that I am obviously claiming nobility or gentry (something that newbies are not allowed to be) to have such a big title. She starts demanding to know whether or not I am. Now, it's not like she doesn't know I'm a newbie. My name is even in green for being a newbie (Something I almost removed but decided not to at the last minute), so if there's some big problem with my name I had hoped I might get an explanation as an aside, rather than my nice easy low-impact character is suddenly guilty of the crime of acting above his station. I asked on the help channel about it and was basically told to just answer the question as to whether or not I'm nobility or gentry and get on with the RP. (I felt like I was being told to shut up and just play). At this point, I realised that if I answered yes I'd be doing something I didn't want to do (lie), and if I answered no this 'Your Grace' person would see me as guilty of some crime. There goes my good impression.

I have a suggestion to The Inquisition. Don't claim to be newbie friendly when it takes over three hours to completely build a character all to be treated like that for not understanding every little nuance of your theme's laws and rules. I was quite excited about how indepth this game was when I first started, but I see now that it's just used as an excuse to be terrible to the players who don't know everything.

At least, that is my experience. I'd consider going back with another newbie to try it again and see how it went, but come on! Three HOURS of my life wasted for that?

To anyone considering playing this mud, I suggest you not only read every single helpfile you can find about everything and be prepared to be treated like an idiot anyway while you are 'in game', and realize that this mud is far from newbie friendly.

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The Inquisition by Unknown

The Inquisition is set in a setting from the dark ages, evolving about the conflict between the heretics (the mages) versus the Church (the order).

This well developed storyline is the overall setting, but beneath that surface lies numerous conflicts awaiting to be explored.

Before I go on, I would like to stress a few points as well as highlight some of the code features.

First of all, TI is roleplay enforced. Aside from the obvious meaning, it is also (as I think of it) the same as - You have a desire to actually flesh out a character and the more you do this, the more power you have the potential of gaining in the game. There's is the political game, the economical game, the social game .. even the power-striking game on TI, but all based around the roleplay.

Features are plentiful, their main goal is to help you (the person reading this/person behind a character) build up a character via roleplay. With a unique rpxp-reward system, in-depth "help"-files on culture, cities, history and so on - you have a lot of things to pull on in aid for your character. The bad mages have, as I am told, some very unique code - the combat is done with emotes (or cemotes), which means it is not "kill X" .. but actually typing out what you do in combat, using some keywords which relates to your skills, to try outwit and hit your opponent.

Then the roleplay - the people here are amongst the most imaginative, creative and helpful roleplayers I've seen on any mud. Being new on the mud, you quickly find yourself meeting people, learning things and embraced in roleplay stories. Soon after, you yourself start to have an impact on the things happening. You can be the average person - to a villian, a Knight or a mage.

No matter where you start, your roleplay can bring you to the top of the ladder.

Well, yes .. It is a tough start if you are completely new to mudding - but there's an easy entry fase, coupled with helpful players and an brilliant search system for the help files - then even the steep learning curve can be met and you can truely enjoy the roleplay.

Anyway, enough rambling on .. Try check some of the other reviews, the listing here on topmudsites .. or simply log in and check it out. Logging in, there is a channel you can ask questions on (though normally new players are greeted quickly and helped) - but, if not .. visnet xxxxx and you or started (and just in case : xxxxx means your question inserted here*G*)

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The Inquisition by Rhaehan

I've served as an immortal since The Inquisition returned under its current management, and also served as one on the previous incarnation of the game. The new game is significantly different from the old, which can be both good and bad. I'll come back to that later...

The majority of other reviews of this mud discuss its features in great detail, so I'll simply provide a short list and go deeper into a few topics I feel are also important.

- All actions are "In Character", and those actions have consequences.
- Characters must roleplay to advance. There's no XP given for killing mobs, only for playing with others and exploring. "Advance" also means what IC dominion your character has, not necessarily only coded skills or money.
- Combat is not a "type kill and wait until it's over" affair, players must actively participate. Combat is handled through specially parsed emotes which let players determine exactly what their characters are doing.
- Magic is a unique system with many methods of learning skills and spells. Mages must then harness the power of the moons when attempting to cast.
- Characters make and sell equipment, weapons and other items. Upon creating a new character, you also get to determine what your own character's clothing looks like before entering the game.

While this is a roleplay-enforced mud, it is still a MUD rather than a MUSH or variant, and therefore code lies behind roleplay. A person cannot simply create a new character and expect to beat up everyone he comes across. Neither can that new character be a venerable mage who has complete control over others. However, you can choose skills at creation that can give your character some established roleplay. Perhaps you learned a bit about sewing in your childhood, or perhaps you were an urchin who hid in alleys and occasionally stole from unsuspecting passersby. Once you begin to roleplay with others, you can find people to help improve your abilities, or improve them on your own with the "inspiration" system.

Because there are skills that help define how good someone is at something, some players will be turned off by the innate "twink factor" that brings about. There will always be someone who tries to find the perfect match of skills and stats that makes him or her immune to any negative consequences that should come from his or her actions. There are usually ways to deal with those people IC, but sometimes true imbalances are discovered that must be corrected by the imms. Mostly our players understand that the code exists for their collective benefit, not as some barrier to overcome. We welcome anyone who also understands that.

There are currently a mix of players here, some of whom began playing when the original administration ran the game. In my own personal opinion, which MAY NOT REFLECT THAT OF TI's ADMINS (disclaimer), some of the older players feel a sense of entitlement that does not exist, which frustrates them and causes them to react negatively to anything the imms try to do or change. We have had many mud-wide discussions that have unfortunately turned into shouting arguments which eventually needed to be shut down because some players refuse to listen when things don't go 100 percent their way. I'm glad to say that the number of these arguments has decreased very significantly as time progresses, and new players are advised that people who seem drastically opposed to anything the imms say do not represent a majority of the mud, by far. In my opinion, such battles come as part of reopening a game we did not originally create, despite having the creators' approval to do so.

It is very difficult to resolve the original concept behind the mud with where we now want to take the game, and it takes time for code and helpfiles to catch up with our current policies and desires. It takes even longer for established players to adapt to changes in a theme and codebase they were already familiar with, and this is understandable. Still, TI's immortals have the players' best interests at heart, and we continue to provide the best gaming experience we can provide.

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The Inquisition by Ghoul

Old Mud in a new version :)

The Inquisition is an enforced roleplay mud, driven by the theme and with room for players to twist and bend the storyline.

Set in what is similar to the dark ages, the theme evolves around the Order (the all mighty Church), establish after a Consolidation of the various Duchies which make up the world and their struggle to rid the world (or Urth as we know it) for the taint of magery.

Many years ago, King Dav of Lithmore conquered the Duchies, history tells that it was despair over losing his family in a heretical act led by mages, who killed his entire family that sent him on the path of war. Once he had put all known lands under his Crown, he establish the Order to seek out and destroy witches and mages. Along the clergy side, he set up the Knights of the Chalice, the iron fist of the Order.

Only land not attacked was Daravi, reasons still unknown.

Over the past many years, the Order has burnt mages and their books alike, sending anyone with the taint of magic into hiding. Still, forces work in the shades, trying to twart the establishment.

The Inquisiton you enter sends you into the world of politics, murder, inquisitions and every day struggle. From the peasant arriving in Lithmore, hoping to find work and climb the social ladder - to the soldier returning, aimed on a career with the Knights of the Chalice, all people in Lithmore have an agenda.

It is a levelless mud, using an rpxp-algorhitm which give xp for roleplay. But it is really not about getting xp and pouring them into skills. The clever character comes to power via the rp, getting the right friends, connections (good or bad) and by slowly turning the wheels to his or her own need.

A few features&facts to end this review with:

- Guilds for all types
- Craft system
- One-of-a-kind magic system
- Cemote combat (put your skill into emote, attack)
- Storyline that can be twisted
- Sneakish code, privy only to the sneaky :)
- Searchable helpfiles, organized
- Friendly people, both IC and OOC
- Rpxp-algorhitm (more you rp, more you get)

So, come create and see what it is all about.

PS: Character dies, evil ones more often, but fear not, "What kills you makes you stronger" :)

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The Inquisition by Hidden

Roleplay is the center of the Inquisition mud. It is not only enforced, but it is was intrigues and drives the mud. While being online means you are IC (In Character), there is still an OOC channel and a Visnet channel (or the good old tell) so you can get help - and people are helpful.

The world is laid out with a story which is rich in detail, but for a review I'll just add the highlights as I see them :)

It is a medievial setting which somewhat resembles the time of the real Inquisition. Magic, witches and curses are the enemy of the official realm - led by the King who has the Order and the Knights to enforce that.

Underneath that, there is the everyday person - merchants, troubadours, scholars, reeves(police), thieves, physicians and so on.

As the secrets of magic, thievery and heretical ways are often hidden - the mud is central to both those wanting to explore and those who wish to roleplay on other characters fears. Noone truly knows if the person they speak to is a friend or a foe. <