MorgenGrauen

MorgenGrauen, abbreviated MG, is a German-language MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, founded in 1992 and opened to the public in 1993.[1][2][3] It is noted as popular in the MUD world, described at times as having an average of around 100 players online per day, with some days seeing 220 players.[1][4] It bills itself, and has been noted by others, as the world's largest German-speaking MUD.[5][2]

For the 1954 film, see Daybreak (1954 film).
MorgenGrauen
Developer(s)Project community
EngineLDMud
Platform(s)Platform independent
Release1992
Genre(s)Fantasy MUD
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Its name means "Dawn", or specifically and literally "morning-gray", the dawn twilight.

Game characteristics
A screenshot of MorgenGrauen's login sequence

MorgenGrauen takes place in a medieval fantasy setting. Players may choose between the human, elf, dwarf, hobbit, goblin, dark elf and feline races for their characters. "Guilds" are found rather than character classes; fantasy RPG staples such as the Fighter, Magician, and Cleric are present, but also such distinctive flourishes as the Karate, Chaos, and Beer Shaker guilds, in total 10.[5]

The MUD allows new users to log in as a guest character,[1] but guests are often ignored and cannot solve quests or do reasonable fighting.

MorgenGrauen has introduced a distinctive level system in May 1996, where the normal fighting experience points became only a small part of a player character's total level. Since then, PCs get additional level points for solving official and mini-quests, exploring areas, killing strong monsters the first time, guild skills and magic potions. For each 100 level points PCs may advance one level; the current maximum is about level 160. As an example, a high-level player may have about 5% of his points from fighting experience, about 5% from magic potions, 5% from guild skills, 30% from quest points, 20% from first-kill points and 35% from exploring. To prevent making exploring point locations known the level points lacking to the next advance are displayed only as approximate value.

There are 80 magic potions to be found, which permanently increase your stats, composed of intelligence, stamina, strength and dexterity. The locations of these potions vary for different players, there are some hundred hides for them, but you can get hints from the oracle to find them.

Death has no important role in MorgenGrauen, you get a stat reduction and reduced attacks for some time, and lose some fighting experience points, but lose no important attributes like fighting and spellcasting skills, stats or other level points. So you may meet death more often than in other MUDs, but with lesser consequences. Restoring your life and concentration (aka magic) points is done mainly by consuming drinks and food in inns.

Player killing is prohibited. Player may unite in teams to fight strong monsters or monster groups with the advantage of a coordinated start of the fight, a teamchannel and distribution of the first-kills to one of the players not yet having it.

MorgenGrauen has a special text-only mode without ascii pictures for blind people. It allows the use of scripts for running ways and fighting assistance, but not for solving quests and fully automated exploring.

History

MorgenGrauen was founded by students at the University of Münster, and was hosted on a university server until funds were obtained to purchase a server hosted in Berlin.[1] Currently MorgenGrauen has its home at NetCologne, Köln.

Publications

MG makes its mudlib, the MorgenGrauen Mudlib, publicly available.[6]

Technical infrastructure

MorgenGrauen is an LPMud running on the LDMud game driver and, naturally, the MorgenGrauen Mudlib.[2]

References
  1. Schreiber, Christian (2004). Identitätsarbeit in Multi-User-Dungeons [Identity Work in Multi-User-Dungeons] (in German). GRIN Verlag. p. 7. ISBN 978-3-638-74803-2. MUD "MORGENGRAUEN" Aus zwei Gründen habe ich mich entschlossen, das MUD "MorgenGrauen" näher vorzustellen: Es ist deutschsprachig und man hat die Möglichkeit als Gast ("WebVoyeur") in das Geschehen reinzuschnuppern. "MorgenGrauen" wurde 1992 von Studenten der Universität Münster aus der Taufe gehoben. Ehe die jungen Leute einen Förderverein gründeten, innerhalb kürzester Zeit 10000 Mark sammelten und einen Computer anschafften, diente ein Uni-Rechner als Server. Mitterweile steht die Server in Berlin. Die Magiere bieten eigens Kurse für die Programmierung an; regelmäßig finden in verschiedenen Städten Stammtische statt. Die Zahl der Spieler hat sich in den vergangenen zwölf Jahren kaum verändert: Damals wie heute tummeln sich in der Spitze bis zu 150 User täglich im MUD; durchschnittlich agieren etwa 100 Spieler pro Tag. Die screenshots im Folgenden verdeutlichen, wie und in welcher "Welt" sich die User in "MorgenGrauen" bewegen. Wenn man sich, wie ich es getan habe, als Gast anmeldet, ist leider keine Kommunikation mit anderen Figuren möglich. [Translated quote: MUD "MORGENGRAUEN" For two reasons I have chosen the MUD "MorgenGrauen" to present in more detail: It is in German and you have the opportunity to look around as a guest ("WebVoyeur") at what is happening inside. In 1992, "MorgenGrauen" was founded by students at the University of Munster. Before the young people formed a support association, which quickly collected 10,000 marks to buy a computer, a university computer was used as a server. Meanwhile, the server is in Berlin. The wizards offer specific courses for programming, regularly held in various cities' round tables. The number of players has hardly changed over the past twelve years: then, as now, there are up to 150 users a day in the MUD, with an average of about 100 players active per day. The screenshots below show how and in what "world" the users move in "MorgenGrauen". If you, as I did, logged on as guest, it is not possible to communicate with other characters.]
  2. "MorgenGrauen - mg.mud.de - das größte deutsche textbasierte, kostenlose Online-Rollenspiel" [MorgenGrauen - mg.mud.de - the largest German free text-based online role-playing game]. MorgenGrauen. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  3. "MorgenGrauen - das Grauen beginnt" [MorgenGrauen - the horror begins]. rec.games.mud.lp (in German). 1993-04-20. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  4. Beck, Klaus (2005-10-31). Computervermittelte Kommunikation im Internet [Computer-Mediated Communication on the Internet]. pp. 134–135. ISBN 3-486-57891-X. In Deutschland gehört "MorgenGrauen" (www.mg.mud.de) zu den wohl beliebtesten und am häufigsten frequentierten MUDS. In "MorgenGrauen" waren 2004 jeweils zwischen 80 und 120 Spieler täglich aktiv, die Zahl der Spieler schwankte je nach Tageszeit zwischen etwa 20 (in der späten Nachstunden) und etwa 100 (in den späten Abendstunden). Die Langzeitstatistik weist auch Tag mit mehr als 220 Spielern aus. [Translated quotation: In Germany, "MorgenGrauen" (www.mg.mud.de) is one of the most popular and most frequented MUDs. In 2004, between 80 and 120 players were active on "MorgenGrauen" every day; the number of players varied depending on the time, between about 20 (late at night) and about 100 (in the late evening). The long-term statistics also show days with more than 220 players.]
  5. Fritz, Jürgen; Fehr, Wolfgang (1997). Handbuch Medien: Computerspiele [Media Guide: Computer Games] (in German). ISBN 3-89331-302-8. MorgenGrauen ist das größte deutschsprachige MUD. Es läßt den Spielern die Wahl zwischen verschiedenen Rassen (Menschen, Elfen, Zwerge, Hobbits); sechs Gilden (Abenteurer, Karate, Chaos, Zauberer, Kleriker, Bierschüttler, Kämpfer) sowie zur Zeit mehr als 49 Quests (Aufgaben, Anm.) bieten ausreichend Raum für die verschiedensten Abenteuer. [Translated quote: MorgenGrauen is the largest German-speaking MUD. It allows players the choice between different races (humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits), six guilds (adventurer, karate, chaos, magician, cleric, beer shaker, fighters), and currently offers over 49 quests (tasks), sufficient room for a variety of adventures.]
  6. "Die MorgenGrauen-Mudlib" [The MorgenGrauen Mudlib]. MorgenGrauen. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
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