4 ms·

I still hold that the peak of the Discworld games was Discworld Noir.

kibwen 4y ago
I think you mean Discworld MUD, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary: http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/ http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/ . It's delightfully written and a joy to explore, as long as you don't mind getting lost in the twisting alleys of Ankh-Morpork (you'll want to consult this incredible map: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ankh-Morpork.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ankh-Morpork.png ), or the thousands of square miles of sprawling Uberwaldean countryside (in this map, every pixel is one room: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ramtops_Uberwald.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ramtops_Uberwald.png ), or any of the myriad towns and regions in between (implemented parts of the Disc shown in color: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Discworld.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Discworld.png ).
- Rebelgecko 4y ago
  Wow that looks massive. Is there any sort of fast-travel? How's the density, will you ever encounter other players if you're running around the countryside?
  - kibwen 4y ago
    There's lots of ways to get around, though some are limited to certain guilds (classes), e.g. only witches can use broomsticks (with the risk of getting lost if your navigation skills aren't up to snuff), and only priests that specifically worship Hat can cast the spell that teleports you to the location of a random other player on the server (including someone who, for example, might have just been thrown into the River Ankh for failing to pay their Thieves Guild dues). I recall the most reliable method of getting around is the carriage system, where you just need to find a stop for the appropriate carriage (e.g. look at the above map for Ankh-Morpork for the Intercontinental Express carriage (if you can't find it, look for the gray circle on the central island), which will take you to any of the major cities listed in the table at https://dwwiki.mooo.com/wiki/Travel#Carriages_and_Ferries https://dwwiki.mooo.com/wiki/Travel#Carriages_and_Ferries ). As for encountering other players, a quick look tells me that there's around 50 other players online (a far cry from its heyday, but still active for a MUD in this day and age). You're likely to encounter other players spontaneously in the guild houses, but almost certainly never if you're just wandering the wilds. But there's a general chat if you just want to chill out (or at least I think there is, I haven't actually played in over a decade :P ).
    - gregoryl 4y ago
      The t-shop is exceptionally quick at taking you somewhere random, which I amusingly discovered several hours into my first character. IIRC the player run rescue service managed to get me back to AM.
    - defanor 4y ago
      > and only priests that specifically worship Hat can cast the spell that teleports you to the location of a random other player on the server Actually anyone except for witches and wizards can use that ritual with a faith rod, as well as regular passaging (Divine Hand). And to add a few more methods: - The JPCT wizard spell (magic portals) is another common method of travel, available to anyone via scrolls (but more easily for wizards, who can remember it). - There's arcane transport for faster (though more expensive) travel, compared to carriages, especially between continents. - Some use L-space for travel, or follow Khepresh (an NPC Hat priest who visits random players). - The taxi system, with players moving other players around (for a small payment, free for newbies). 5 taxis online at the time of writing. - "Speedwalking" (client-side routing) is commonly used as well.
- milliams 4y ago
  Ok, fair enough. I guess being right doesn't crop up nine times out of ten after all.
  - kibwen 4y ago
    Apologies if I came across as aggressive, it's just rare that I find an appropriate context to shill one of the favorite games of my teenage years. :)
    - milliams 4y ago
      No problem :) I'd just forgotten about the MUD as I never got into it, but played Noir multiple times, and was even the first game I played together with my now-wife so I have fond memories.
  - IanCal 4y ago
    I'll join you on noir being peak for the games. Am not as interested in the MUD but have fond memories of noir.
- egypturnash 4y ago
  HOLY SHIT that’s a lot of rooms. A lot, a lot, a lot of rooms.
- Jaruzel 4y ago
  Even as a Discworld fan, with a good working knowledge of the Disc, AND as a MUD player, I still found the Discworld MUD impenetrable. Also, and I know I'm being pedantic but I can't help it; the cardinal directions are wrong. On the Disc, the Ankh runs Hub to Rim and the approved map projection[1] of the Disc position Ankh-Morpork in what we would call the 'South', and on the approved map of just Ankh-Morpork[2], it shows the Ankh running 'North-South', but in the game the Ankh incorrectly runs 'east to west'[3]. --- [1] https://i.imgur.com/OKHwm.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/OKHwm.jpeg [2] https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/73/35/1e733507191968e58398a2a015f32f39.png https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/73/35/1e733507191968e58398... [3] https://dwwiki.mooo.com/w/images/9/9c/Am.png https://dwwiki.mooo.com/w/images/9/9c/Am.png
  - ycombinete 4y ago
    I never played any MUDs, having started on computer in the Commander Keen era. I recently tried to get into them through Discworld, but couldn't even get basic stuff like opening cupboards going. As an experienced MUD user, is there a more beginner friendly MUD you could suggest that I try out?
    - gustavorg 4y ago
      Batmud (bat.org), Aardwolf (aardmud.org) or Carrion Fields (carrionfields.net). Run away from sindome.org, immortals specialize in torturing players in unimaginable ways.
      - ycombinete 4y ago
        batmud looks great! and they have their own client on Steam which just saves me a lot of startup friction
  - kibwen 4y ago
    > and on the approved map To be fair, this game came out in 1992, decades before Pratchett could be coerced into the idea of providing a canonical map of the disc. :P "You can't map a sense of humor. Anyway, what is a fantasy map but a space beyond which There Be Dragons? On the Discworld we know that There Be Dragons Everywhere. They might not all have scales and forked tongues, but they Be Here all right, grinning and jostling and trying to sell you souvenirs."
laumars 4y ago
Reading the Wikipedia entry for that game (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_Noir https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_Noir) I’m rather tempted to find a copy of that game and give it a play through myself. Thanks for the tip.
- giantrobot 4y ago
  You can find the disc ISO on the Internet Archive.
  - mrwh 4y ago
    How difficult is it to get up and running? Discworld 2 was a cinch - but then it runs on scummvm so of course it is (greatly entertaining game too). I've read that Noir really doesn't want to run on any modern machine.
    - giantrobot 4y ago
      You can try this post[0] and its follow-up[1] about getting it running on modern systems. It's basically wrapping DWN in a VM. The follow-up points to a patched EXE that is supposed to work on modern Windows. Good luck getting it working. [0] https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2017/06/15/how-to-get-discworld-noir-working-on-windows-10/ https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2017/06/15/how-to-ge... [1] https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2020/01/12/public-service-announcement-how-to-actually-play-discworld-noir-on-windows-10/ https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2020/01/12/public-se...
      - mrwh 4y ago
        Thanks! This is next weekend's project :).
  - washadjeffmad 4y ago
    Thanks, should've thought to look there. I found a copy of Noir back in 2006 after reading about it on Home of the Underdogs, misplaced it during a move, and never completed the game. Until I came across the save data while exploring old hard drives during the pandemic, I'd completely forgotten about it.
Jaruzel 4y ago
I got utterly stuck in Discworld Noir - Got as far as the docks, but couldn't get on the ship :( I guess I could look up a playthrough these days and have another go, but it's way down on my to-do list. Great game though.
- milliams 4y ago
  I got stuck several times, usually you just need to go and talk to every single person one more time and you'll find something you missed! I also found a good hint website which would give you options of increasingly explicit tips for each part of the game which you could click to uncover if you wanted more detail. Good for just getting a pointer to the the part of town you should be looking at.
  - Garvey 4y ago
    https://www.uhs-hints.com https://www.uhs-hints.com By any chance? Great for not getting the answer spoon fed, and being given more of a nudge in the right direction

I think you mean Discworld MUD, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary: http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/ http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/ . It's delightfully written and a joy to explore, as long as you don't mind getting lost in the twisting alleys of Ankh-Morpork (you'll want to consult this incredible map: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ankh-Morpork.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ankh-Morpork.png ), or the thousands of square miles of sprawling Uberwaldean countryside (in this map, every pixel is one room: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ramtops_Uberwald.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Ramtops_Uberwald.png ), or any of the myriad towns and regions in between (implemented parts of the Disc shown in color: https://dw.daftjunk.com/Discworld.png https://dw.daftjunk.com/Discworld.png ).

Rebelgecko 4y ago
Wow that looks massive. Is there any sort of fast-travel? How's the density, will you ever encounter other players if you're running around the countryside?
- kibwen 4y ago
  There's lots of ways to get around, though some are limited to certain guilds (classes), e.g. only witches can use broomsticks (with the risk of getting lost if your navigation skills aren't up to snuff), and only priests that specifically worship Hat can cast the spell that teleports you to the location of a random other player on the server (including someone who, for example, might have just been thrown into the River Ankh for failing to pay their Thieves Guild dues). I recall the most reliable method of getting around is the carriage system, where you just need to find a stop for the appropriate carriage (e.g. look at the above map for Ankh-Morpork for the Intercontinental Express carriage (if you can't find it, look for the gray circle on the central island), which will take you to any of the major cities listed in the table at https://dwwiki.mooo.com/wiki/Travel#Carriages_and_Ferries https://dwwiki.mooo.com/wiki/Travel#Carriages_and_Ferries ). As for encountering other players, a quick look tells me that there's around 50 other players online (a far cry from its heyday, but still active for a MUD in this day and age). You're likely to encounter other players spontaneously in the guild houses, but almost certainly never if you're just wandering the wilds. But there's a general chat if you just want to chill out (or at least I think there is, I haven't actually played in over a decade :P ).
  - gregoryl 4y ago
    The t-shop is exceptionally quick at taking you somewhere random, which I amusingly discovered several hours into my first character. IIRC the player run rescue service managed to get me back to AM.
  - defanor 4y ago
    > and only priests that specifically worship Hat can cast the spell that teleports you to the location of a random other player on the server Actually anyone except for witches and wizards can use that ritual with a faith rod, as well as regular passaging (Divine Hand). And to add a few more methods: - The JPCT wizard spell (magic portals) is another common method of travel, available to anyone via scrolls (but more easily for wizards, who can remember it). - There's arcane transport for faster (though more expensive) travel, compared to carriages, especially between continents. - Some use L-space for travel, or follow Khepresh (an NPC Hat priest who visits random players). - The taxi system, with players moving other players around (for a small payment, free for newbies). 5 taxis online at the time of writing. - "Speedwalking" (client-side routing) is commonly used as well.
milliams 4y ago
Ok, fair enough. I guess being right doesn't crop up nine times out of ten after all.
- kibwen 4y ago
  Apologies if I came across as aggressive, it's just rare that I find an appropriate context to shill one of the favorite games of my teenage years. :)
  - milliams 4y ago
    No problem :) I'd just forgotten about the MUD as I never got into it, but played Noir multiple times, and was even the first game I played together with my now-wife so I have fond memories.
- IanCal 4y ago
  I'll join you on noir being peak for the games. Am not as interested in the MUD but have fond memories of noir.
egypturnash 4y ago
HOLY SHIT that’s a lot of rooms. A lot, a lot, a lot of rooms.
Jaruzel 4y ago
Even as a Discworld fan, with a good working knowledge of the Disc, AND as a MUD player, I still found the Discworld MUD impenetrable. Also, and I know I'm being pedantic but I can't help it; the cardinal directions are wrong. On the Disc, the Ankh runs Hub to Rim and the approved map projection[1] of the Disc position Ankh-Morpork in what we would call the 'South', and on the approved map of just Ankh-Morpork[2], it shows the Ankh running 'North-South', but in the game the Ankh incorrectly runs 'east to west'[3]. --- [1] https://i.imgur.com/OKHwm.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/OKHwm.jpeg [2] https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/73/35/1e733507191968e58398a2a015f32f39.png https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1e/73/35/1e733507191968e58398... [3] https://dwwiki.mooo.com/w/images/9/9c/Am.png https://dwwiki.mooo.com/w/images/9/9c/Am.png
- ycombinete 4y ago
  I never played any MUDs, having started on computer in the Commander Keen era. I recently tried to get into them through Discworld, but couldn't even get basic stuff like opening cupboards going. As an experienced MUD user, is there a more beginner friendly MUD you could suggest that I try out?
  - gustavorg 4y ago
    Batmud (bat.org), Aardwolf (aardmud.org) or Carrion Fields (carrionfields.net). Run away from sindome.org, immortals specialize in torturing players in unimaginable ways.
    - ycombinete 4y ago
      batmud looks great! and they have their own client on Steam which just saves me a lot of startup friction
- kibwen 4y ago
  > and on the approved map To be fair, this game came out in 1992, decades before Pratchett could be coerced into the idea of providing a canonical map of the disc. :P "You can't map a sense of humor. Anyway, what is a fantasy map but a space beyond which There Be Dragons? On the Discworld we know that There Be Dragons Everywhere. They might not all have scales and forked tongues, but they Be Here all right, grinning and jostling and trying to sell you souvenirs."

laumars 4y ago

Reading the Wikipedia entry for that game (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_Noir https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_Noir) I’m rather tempted to find a copy of that game and give it a play through myself. Thanks for the tip.

giantrobot 4y ago
You can find the disc ISO on the Internet Archive.
- mrwh 4y ago
  How difficult is it to get up and running? Discworld 2 was a cinch - but then it runs on scummvm so of course it is (greatly entertaining game too). I've read that Noir really doesn't want to run on any modern machine.
  - giantrobot 4y ago
    You can try this post[0] and its follow-up[1] about getting it running on modern systems. It's basically wrapping DWN in a VM. The follow-up points to a patched EXE that is supposed to work on modern Windows. Good luck getting it working. [0] https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2017/06/15/how-to-get-discworld-noir-working-on-windows-10/ https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2017/06/15/how-to-ge... [1] https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2020/01/12/public-service-announcement-how-to-actually-play-discworld-noir-on-windows-10/ https://www.payneful.co.uk/blogsplosion/2020/01/12/public-se...
    - mrwh 4y ago
      Thanks! This is next weekend's project :).
- washadjeffmad 4y ago
  Thanks, should've thought to look there. I found a copy of Noir back in 2006 after reading about it on Home of the Underdogs, misplaced it during a move, and never completed the game. Until I came across the save data while exploring old hard drives during the pandemic, I'd completely forgotten about it.

Jaruzel 4y ago

I got utterly stuck in Discworld Noir - Got as far as the docks, but couldn't get on the ship :( I guess I could look up a playthrough these days and have another go, but it's way down on my to-do list. Great game though.

milliams 4y ago
I got stuck several times, usually you just need to go and talk to every single person one more time and you'll find something you missed! I also found a good hint website which would give you options of increasingly explicit tips for each part of the game which you could click to uncover if you wanted more detail. Good for just getting a pointer to the the part of town you should be looking at.
- Garvey 4y ago
  https://www.uhs-hints.com https://www.uhs-hints.com By any chance? Great for not getting the answer spoon fed, and being given more of a nudge in the right direction