What SlashMUD is

SlashMUD is an Open Source, Macintosh-based MUD that is currently in the final stages of being ported to Mac OS X. SlashMUD is fully object-oriented and includes many unique features built-in as standard. Much customisation can be done by editing the data files, and what can't be done that way can be done by writing a SlashMUD Plugin (implemented as compiled code snippets written in C or C++) for customisations or by altering the source code.

SlashMUD started off being very loosely based on the flow of control in an LP type of MUD, but has been designed from the ground up to be fast and extensible. It is fully compiled for speed (rather than interpreting another programming language), uses a custom plain text format for storing data and runs as a BSD-subsystem application on Mac OS X.

SlashMUD began life as an Object Pascal Mac OS 8/9 application, but is in the process of being ported to ISO C on Mac OS X (actually the target platform is POSIX, and it runs quite happily on Linux but I prefer to use Mac OS X).

What SlashMUD isn't

SlashMUD isn't a new LP-MUD driver, and doesn't contain an interpreter for decoding rooms written in LPC. It also fails miserably at washing dishes, feeding the cats and removing the large (but timid) spiders that found their way into my room in England. I eventually discovered that these spiders were tegenaria — they looked like tegenaria domestica but were much bigger than the descriptions. Maybe they were tegenaria gigantea?

But...why?

Because after playing NannyMUD I was interested in running a MUD on my PowerMac, only to discover a lack of Mac OS-based MUD servers. Since I'd always been thinking "wouldn't it be cool if Nanny had this feature..." I decided I may as well write my own server, incorporating those ideas. After that it evolved rapidly, thanks to excellent input from the residents of the mailing lists.

Why the name SlashMUD?

Originally the program was called Sash, which stood for Sword And SHield and was abbreviated to Sash. When I started on a MUD server this transmogrified to SashMUD, which a friend jokingly referred to as SlashMUD. The name stuck. Sash was kind of wussy.

Who did the artwork?

Not me, that's for sure. Kyle Maxwell was responsible for all the good artwork, anything bad is probably mine.