ArmageddonMUD Closes After 32 Years
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Per a reddit post on /r/MUD: https://www.reddit.com/r/MUD/comments/1geyisw/armageddonmud_permanently_closed/
ArmageddonMUD has been permanently closed. For more information as to why, you can visit the game’s discussion forum and the post regarding it here: https://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,61081.0.html
On behalf of the ArmageddonMUD team, past and present, thank you to the players of our game that shared their time and passion with ArmageddonMUD. As we close the final chapter of this beloved world of bone swords we built together over 32 years, when we think back we’re filled with wonderful memories. Together, this community has shared epic battles, forged lifelong friendships, and lived countless stories. May these memories live in the hearts of all who walked the sands of Zalanthas.
-Halaster, Producer of ArmageddonMUD
There are some rumbles about some bad actors in staff freely sharing character interactions and disseminating RL information, and as it’s a closed codebase, some of the inner workings of the game.
Anyone have further insights?
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I’m not sure about RL information or not but my understanding is that there’s (at least) one staffer that’s been leaking things to player cliques, and the ARM staff have been trying to figure out who. No one came forward, so they made the decision to shutter the game. The only CONFIRMED leaks I’ve seen myself have been related to their back end storytelling documents, so players getting access to information they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, that was pertinent to the plot. I’ve heard that sensitive player information was shared, but not given any specifics. Lots of hearsay, and lots of REAL angry ARM players that might be muddying the waters with conspiratorial thinking.
I don’t play, myself. But as someone that plays in the MUD space side of RP games traditionally, I like to be apprised of nonsense from certain spaces - one of the reasons I’m here, in case some new predatory nonsense pops back up!
My less good reason (both for watching ARM and being in this space): my absolute guilty pleasure is other people’s drama that doesn’t impact me, it’s like my version of a reality TV/trash TV fix.
So when ARM drama began to really explode onto r/mud last year, I started checking out the arm official boards (the “GDB”) and the “shadow boards” that are run by a group of disgruntled people that range the gamut from “serious problems to levy” and “angry, sweaty grognard”.
Watching both of those spaces, I think the truth is that the ARM community is just poisoned beyond a point where it can be healed, from 20(?) or more years of just… Unhealthy game design and poor community management.
Like, the staff there? Probably pretty crummy overall. But the actual playerbase is also just absolutely a burning garbage pile - very similar to the vibes of Haven RPG, on a much smaller scale.
I am not, at all, surprised that the game runners decided they didn’t wanna deal with it anymore.
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https://armageddonmud.boards.net/thread/1246/armageddon-mud-crumples-ground
Game owners locked the official forum but kind of like WORA/SOAPBOX/This place there was an unofficial forum discussing issues with the game. Realistically they rebooted from 20 avg to 80 avg and then in 5 months fell back to 20 avg. With dwindling numbers and systemic community issues they likely just decided it was no longer worth the effort. They publicly blamed a staff member leaking stuff but that had been happening for decades in one form or another so pinch of salt. Thread here has former staff and producers posting their thoughts.
