Tharsis Gate unofficial republication of e-magazine Imaginary Realities

We have chosen to publish the articles here in spite of the copyright situation for them being unclear, see the story below. If you have information about the copyright, please contact me.
If you want an article to be removed from this site contact me or the webmaster.

As someone else can summarize the facts better I quote Stevie at Virtual Worldlets Network:

"Imaginary Realities was for five years the hub of MUD development, with hundreds of articles archived in its monthly e-magazine. It covered all aspects of textual world development holistically, and attracted article submissions from the great minds, and big players in the field at the time.

The loss of its presence in December 2001 was a major blow to the industry."

In those five years no less than 233 articles were published on the Imaginary Realities site. As the site was closed all articles seem to have been lost, I have not been able to find them reprinted anywhere. Some individual authors have published their articles on other sites, but a majority of the information seem to have been scattered in the cyberwinds. It happened that I made a backup of all articles to read when I was offline. The backup did not include the copyright and author information, which was kept in separate web pages from the articles. Nor did it include any of the images.

I choose to republish the articles, in the hope that people will again be able to draw knowledge from them. I feel it would be a waste not doing so, information on the topics in these articles is not available anywhere else and is not likely to be written up again. I am also hoping to clear up the copyright situation so that they can be republished 'officially'.

Puma@Tharsis Gate, Mar 24 2006

In Jan of 2007 I was provided the following link to an archive the copyright statement from imaginary.com which states pretty clearly that the ownership of the articles lies with the original authors. It also states that the archive of the copyright statement is not allowed :) I don't have the contact details for the original authors and, as per the comments above, at this time I intend to leave the articles available, but will remove any if requested to do so by an author. The authors were writing about topics they felt passionate about and it seems a pity to discard their efforts.

Discussion forum

Imaginary Realities issues:

1998
September
October
November
1999
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2000
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2001
January
February
March
April
May
June
August
September
December

1998 September:
Game Design - help files by David Bennett
Net Relationships by Derek Harding
Strange Bedfellows Society by Juiliann
The Writer's Block by Daniel McIver
Welcome to a DIKU Mud by Jonathan PR Monteleone
What server is that? by David Bennett

1998 October:
Being an administrator by Jack Thornton
Beyond PKilling by Sayeed
Mud client tango by Andy Lewis
Natural Command Handling by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Starting a mud by David Bennett
You call that a review! by Ilya

1998 November:
Beyond Player Killing by Sayeed
Guide to Roleplaying by Jarok
Rule making of roleplaying by Michael A. Hartman (Aristotle@Threshold)
The search for identity by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
The Writer's Block by Daniel McIver
Waltzing on with the mud client by Andy Lewis
Are LPMuds dead? by Geoff Wong
Assumptive and Suggestive Roleplaying by Cayti Feric
Comparative Skills by St.Toad
Even movies have directors by Richard Bartle

1999 January:
Dangerous Realism by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Multilayed Mapping by Telford Tendys
NPC Intelligence by David Bennett
The love song of an anonymous mudder by Twiggy@Discworld (with notable help from T. S. Eliot

1999 February:
Advancement the Old Way by Jeffrey Boser
Completely Classless by The Wildman
How (not) to puzzle a player by David Mallard
Organized Roleplaying Events by Alan Schwartz
Remembrance by Ted Kern

1999 March:
Advancement Revisited by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Setting the mind to work by David Mallard
So You Want to Start a mud by Robert M. Zigweid
Tasks: a new variety of quest by Hugo Jonker
Why Rent? by Ilya

1999 April:
A Rape in Cyberspace by Julian Dibbell
Embarassing Mischannels by John Hopson
Gender and the Mud by Marcie Kligman
Languages in Muds by David Bennett
Limited Advancement by Derek Harding
The Mudder's New Clothes by Rebecca Handcock

1999 May:
eBay Launches Virtual Property by Jon Katz
How it Really Happened by Richard Bartle
Mob Programs by Jeremy Music
Rules of Immship by Brant Harvey
Toei Rei, a Mud Robot by Paul McCarty
What is Remort? by Natalia

1999 June:
Dynamic Room Descriptions by Eli Stevens
Game Critique by Marian Griffith
Games as art by Raph Koster
Mud, a thing of the past? by Matt Steed
Problems with mudlists by Adam Wozniak
Wear Grflx by Nick Howe

1999 July:
All Mudlists Are Not Created Equal by Andrew Cowan
Distance tells by Amanda Carlston
Level vs Non-Level by Zane T. Insane
So, you want to code a mud? by John Patrick
Who are you? by Michael A. Hartman (Aristotle@Threshold)
Wilderness Systems for Muds by Alex Kallend

1999 August:
Dragon*Con '99 by Michael A. Hartman (Aristotle@Threshold)
Muds as Social Learning Environments by Dianne P. Butler
Putting the "Game" in your RPG by Aaron "Ajax" Berkowitz
The Command Line Interface by George Reese
The life of a mud player by S.E.
The Mud Situation by James Wadsley

1999 September:
Applying a MUDpack by Chris Caines
Mud Governments by Griffin
Reviewing Muds by Selina Kelley
The Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat by Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer
The Model Economy by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Who's Who? A look at Character Sharing by Kethry

1999 October:
Art of Language Independence by Ben Greer
Ethics and Virtual Reality by Chuck Haeberle
It's Only A Game by Kethry
Player Killers Exposed by Lexley Vaughan
Role-Play vs. Multi-play by Brad Smith
Tao of the Hunt by A Shriner
You Were Different When You Were A Player! by Selina Kelley

1999 November:
A Player's Right To Privacy by Selina Kelley
Around the World in 24 Hours by Marcie Kligman
Communicating on a Mud by Tilly
Creators vs Players by Anthony Peck
Denumerization of Muds by Brad Smith
Use Your GDI! by Aaron "Ajax" Berkowitz
Why use Artificial Intelligence? by Tony Wilkinson

1999 December:
Any Publicity is Good Publicity! by Selina Kelley
Building the Land by Jeffrey Laikam
Deciding on Mud Code Improvements by John Patrick
The Making of a Pantheon by Michael A. Hartman (Aristotle@Threshold)
The Power of the Written Word by Kethry
Third Person Mudding? by Ken McQueen

2000 January:
Designing God by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
How Young is Too Young? by Holly Fanelli
I Think, Therefore I Role play by Sanvean (Cat Rambo)
The World Does Not Need Another (Diku) mud by Jeff Bennett
The WorldForge Gaming System by Bryce Harrington
Why do a 3D mud? by Tommi Leino

2000 February:
Harvesting Ideas? by Lord Ashon
History of Online Games by Jessica Mulligan
If You Don't Like it, Leave! by Selina Kelley
Know Thyself by Carolyn Ebenstein - REMOVED
Mud-Area Style Guide by Marshall Buhl
Roleplayability in Muds by Tommi Leino
Taking Muds to the Next Level by Nolan Darilek

2000 March:
Clans in a Role playing World by Sanvean (Cat Rambo) and Krrx
Confessions of a Hack 'n Slasher by D.A. "Flux" Nissenfeld
History of Online Games Part II by Jessica Mulligan
Instant Combat: Just Add Fudge by Caliban Tiresias Darklock
Objects and Trust by Kevin Littlejohn (Darius)
Promoting Your Mud by Johan J Ingles
The Debate Rages on by Troy Fisher

2000 April:
An addiction to be proud of by Selina Kelley
Four Steps to Cooler @Descriptions by Abby Goutal
History of Online Games Part III by Jessica Mulligan
I Like to Talk by D.A. "Flux" Nissenfeld
Planting the Idea by Lord Ashon
Promoting Your Mud Part II by Johan J Ingles-le Nobel
The Mud Administrator by Joshua "dataw0lf" Simpson

2000 May:
A Working Mud Economy by Geoff Wong
Need No Justice! by Erik Jarvi
Online Relationships by Selina Kelley
Romancing the Blade by D.A. "Flux" Nissenfeld
The Skotos Proximity System by Skotos Tech Inc
Why Run a Mud? by By Peter Wood

2000 June:
A New Paradigm for Levels by Phinehas
It is not so Simple by D.A. "Flux" Nissenfeld
Literary Role Play by Phil Goetz
Room for Improvement by Donky + Scatter ///\oo/\\\
See Timmy Run by David Bennett
Wanted. Area Creator. Dead or Alive by Selina Kelley

2000 July:
Acting Casual About Casual Gamers by Brian Green
Automating NPCs by Zykes
Ciara's Folly by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Online Relationships - Part II by Selina Kelley
Til Death do us Part by Andrew Richie
Why Deal With Harassment When You Are Having Fun? by Ucchan Tsukino

2000 August:
A Realistic Equipment System by Logan Lewis (a.k.a. Proxima)
Classless Systems by Ben Chambers
Growing Your Idea by Lord Ashon
Keeping Control of Grief Players by Patrick Dughi
Cymoc's Favor by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
The Numbers Game by Michael "Talien" Tresca
Why Socializers are our Comrades by Brian Green

2000 September:
Current and Future Developments in Online Games by Raph Koster
Dark Ages Politics in Theory and Practice by Dave Kennerly
Destroying a Mud by Frog Brothers
Ramtop Rescue by Thirsha
Muds Are Not For Wimps by Michael "Talien" Tresca
Programming for Administrators by Patrick Dughi
RL vs. muds by The Beyonder
The Community by Lord Ashon

2000 October:
"Cruel Doubt" on the Net by "The Crimefighter" Steven Lucas
Help Systems Suck by Natalia
Days on the Disc by Dogbolter/DcDhol
My Father is a Role Player... Sorta by Kerry Jane
Declaring the Rights of Players by Raph Koster
Returning to the Game by Selina Kelley
Working in a Group by Patrick Dughi

2000 November:
A Contiguous World by Natalia
A Proposal of Marriage by Kerry Jane
Creating a viable virtual ecosystem by Patrick Dughi
How to Write Effective Mud Help by Sheila Summers
Mei Manifesto by Savant
The Mud World by Jonathan Untied
The Word Game - Reactions by Selina Kelley

2000 December:
Another Day, Another Lawsuit by Kerry Jane
The First Prince by Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Naming NPC's by Lord Ashon
Player-Driven Class Alliance System by Jenna
QuitMud, It's Time by Selina Kelley

2001 January:
Alchemy Alternatives by Ilya
The Exercise of Power by Damian Campbell
Mud Administration, Can You Handle It? by "The Crimefighter" Steven Lucas
Mutinies and You by Vashkar@Split Infinity
Theft of Ideas by Selina Kelley

2001 February:
Case for Multiple Experience Games by John Buehler
Developing a Storyline by Wes Platt
I Want to Bake Bread. by Sie Ming
Losing Players to Responsibility by Chad Elwartowski
The Aedon Attribute and Rule System by Federico Di Gregorio
Zen and the Art of Spiral-Carved, Green Marble Incense Burners by Sanvean (Cat Rambo)

2001 March:
Advancing Advancement by Tony Wooster
Cartoon - The Mud Slinger by Rebecca Handcock
Mud Schools by Michael "Talien" Tresca
Mutinies and You by Scott Danzig
Permanent Death Sliderule by Eric Rhea
Seek and Discover by Lord Ashon
So, You Want to Be an Admin? by Jesse Seymour
Value on a MUD by MSKing the hellcat

2001 April:
An Introduction to MUSHes by Ervin Hearn III
Applying for Wizardhood by Selina Kelley
Cartoon - The Mud Slinger by Rebecca Handcock
Explorers have more fun. by Lord Ashon
On the Treatment of Coders by Sanvean (Cat Rambo)
Playing vs Coding by Arjen Reudink
Starting a Clan by Shade of Nessalin
The Only Two Guilds on Your Mud by Caris

2001 May:
Cartoon - The Mud Singer by Rebecca Handcock
Don't Help by Natalia
Fingerprints by Wes Platt
Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit Muds by Richard Bartle
Simulation versus Shoot-em-up by Krrx
Spatial Representation of a Virtual World by Raph Koster
Top Ten Reasons you are coding on the Wrong Mud by Michael Thompson

2001 June:
Adjusting to Altitude by Sanvean (Cat Rambo)
Bringing Women to the Game by Dalaena
Cartoon - The Mud Wringer by Rebecca Handcock
Eating and Drinking in Muds by KaVir
Identity Theft and Mudding by Anthony Haslage
Keep on Dreaming by Kazumba
Potlaching Your Way to Riches by Jessica Mulligan
The Ascendancy of Mass Market Games by Bob Mandel
Theories About Players by Sire Teige

2001 August:
A Revisitation of Help by Robert Boileau
Cartoon - The Mud Simmer by Rebecca Handcock
Frag that Knight by Jenna, Shattered World
I Want to Forge Swords by Sie Ming
Mudding with Language Barriers by Ntanel StormBlade
Second Semi-Annual MU* Excellence Awards: by Andy Awards
Role playing by Luis Branco

2001 September:
Anonymity at its best by Anonymous
Coping with change by Selina Kelley
Just Give Me a Game, Please by Jessica Mulligan
Seeds of Inspiration by Wes Platt
The Seven States of Gamer Development by Eric L. Rhea
To P, or not to P (-Kill that is)? by Ilya

2001 December:
A Face in the Crowd by Wes Platt
Cartoon - The Mud Slimmer by Rebecca Handcock
Choosing a Setting by Delphine T. Lynx
Dump Alignment Now by Ilya
Dweezel's Guide for the Beginning Thief by Raven
Generalized Design Rules when Implementing Content Systems Driven by Players by Eric L. Rhea