What is DolphinMUD?

DolphinMUD (pronounced, unsurprisingly, "Dolphin Mud") is a Multi-User Dimension, or MUD for short; a text-based multiplayer world. Unlike video games, which are more like movies, a MUD is similar to an interactive book. When you enter the MUD, the game describes your surroundings; for example:

    Gate
You stand before a small gate in a stone wall. The wrought iron bars 
and curlicues are heavily rusted; the slate pillars and crumbling walls
remain, crowded with lichen and moss and shimmering in the summer sun. 
Northward lies the mansion; to the south, long grassy lawns slope away 
into the distance.

Exits: north, south

You interact with the same via simple English commands. There are also a special set of commands used to communicate with other players; with these, you can chat and have fun in a text-based world to your heart's content.

DolphinMUD belongs to a special sub-category of MUDs, sometimes called MOOs (short for "MUD, Object Oriented"). In these MUDs, anyone can build their own rooms and change the descriptions of objects they own at will. They also gain a range of other quasi-magical powers: the ability to teleport and the ability to communicate telepathically, to name just two. There is no combat in DolphinMUD, and no health or gold; it is a game entirely based around descriptive writing and chatting. Rather than a "computer game", DolphinMUD might better be describes as a "social space": a place to hang out, have fun, and maybe learn a little programming along the way.

If this sounds like fun to you, read on to see how to join the server and start playing.