Armageddon

Reviewed By: Pickled_Prawn
Reviewed Date: 10/10/19
My status in this game is: Player
I have been a member of this game since: 10/10/99
I think this game is: 1 / 5

Armageddon (My Thoughts)

I rolled up my first Armageddon character in 1999, on a hiatus from a MUD called Threshold RPG. Armageddon (Arm) has replaced Threshold as my MUD of choice.

Pros:

Post Apocalyptic Setting

Permadeath

Low Magic

Cons:

Permadeath

Steep Difficulty Curve

OOC / IC Bleed

I will paragraph by paragraph pros and cons aside from 'Permadeath'. Also the difficulty curve is kind of self evident.

So, basically we have a setting based on the world of Athas where the Dark Sun setting of D&D is set. Zalanthas is a harsh world where civilization has been destroyed in a calamity and now clings to a few isolated pockets. Particularly in the citystates this relative safety is purchased by being protected by tyrannical Sorceror Kings.

In the two major cities of the world, murder, corruption and betrayal are standard fare. Whether this sort of game is to your taste depends almost solely on how well you deal with that trinity.

Given what has been said already, when you create a character you will have a new player window of two hours where you can be resurrected but after that you have no such luxury. You get one shot to tell a story that you like and that is it.

Magic is uncontrolled away from the city states but harshly regulated inside them. Personally, I found this to be a welcome change from games where everyone and their dog has magic of some kind. Honestly, my experience with the magical side of Armageddon is quite limited though, even twenty years in.

Armageddon involves some emotionally trying themes that will not appeal to everyone, such as slavery and sexuality of varying flavours. It has garnered a bit of an unsavoury reputation in this regard. However in my time played I have almost exclusively avoided this sort of problem by settling such scenes "offstage".

The biggest problem with Arm for me is the lack of filter between IN CHARACTER (IC) goings on and OUT OF CHARACTER (OOC). People are all too quick to apply and ignore different aspects of the IC and OOC seemingly as it suits them. Also the player base tend toward being passionate and stubborn presumably this is because of the permanent penalty for mistakes (ie Death).

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