I've played other IRE muds a lot (mainly Achaea). How does Lusty compare to these? I feel Achaea was great many years ago but it doesn't seem the same fun place anymore. Imperian and Aetolia both look to have a small population.

I played Imperian for about four or five years. It's easier to learn as there is less to learn (None of this multiplanar travel business), Experience is alot easier to gain, and gold is more plentiful. But you had quite a few more of those "I'm going to murder everyone cause I can." types. A lot less active and interactive Divine, and less complicated.

Personally, I have enjoyed Lusternia more. Granted, there is A LOT more things to learn, guild skills are quite differently done, have to learn about all these other planes, the manses, Supernals, manifestations, Power, all this is quite different. I've really liked getting into it and learning about all these different facets of this game. I also have met a few people I have really hit it off with quickly, so I'm also grateful for that.

Haven't yet tried the other two IRE games but I am thinking I will give it a go soon so I don't get burnt out on Lusty too quickly, especially with my current mood issues

I'm... going to murder everyone I can.

No, Seriously.

But that is not the jedi way.

Desitrus = Juganothion from Imperian

Nah, I played Achaea for about a year, Imperian for about 3 months, Aetolia for about three days, came here, and was hooked.

I've did similar as to trying out which is my taste. I used to play Achaea a lot when it first came out, was fun, and still is today, just the atmosphere is a bit different than Lusternia, but I feel the activity is just as high. Also, I still play there, but not as often as I do Lusternia now. Then I tried Imperian just to get away from Lusternia for a short time almost two years ago. I couldn't get around there too well, maps were ok, but not really detailed to how I would've wanted it. When I got to try Lusternia, I became quite addicted to it as well, I enjoy how the game is different with the governing councils, multiple leadership positions of the organization and the guilds within more complex than the other IRE games, enjoyed the company of that there is consistent conflicts of interests here, making it more enjoyable and come up with ways to counter-act each other. Though I do love the aetherspace travelling addition as well. So if I were to rate it, I'd give Aetolia a 2, Imperian a 3, Achaea 4 and Lusternia 5. Out of 1-5 stars ya know?

Lusternia's knights beat the pants off all other IRE knights.

I doubt my opinion is impartial enough, as Lusternia is the only IRE mud that I have played for more than 5 minutes, but I can't imagine trying to get into any other mud.

I played Achaea for..well a long long time.

Lusternia has better politics, better conflict, better quests, better skills, better background, better style...

You get the point.

I could never get into the other two.

I have a similar experience to you. I played Achaea for a long time, and Lusternia's just a lot better. I enjoy it much more.

QFT

Having been a Runewarden and a Serenguard. Serenguard just have more fun.

In Lusternia, with a smaller playerbase, it's easier for your character to make a name/have an impact/rise in rank, whereas in Achaea you've got to do something darn impressive, and usually long, grueling, and arduous, to make yourself stand out from the monstrous crowd that is a swollen, topheavy playerbase.

Also, in Lusternia, every single one of my four characters, one from each organization, can leave their home and go (almost) wherever they darn well please, without fear of getting ganked or robbed. Antitheft isn't even covered here, because it's almost an unspoken rule that even though there are one or two ways to do it, nobody does. Sure, eventually you add some triggers, because vestiphobia happens sometimes, but never for the express purpose of robbery, and a lot of people will give back your stuff if you wind up losing it.

Overall, I just feel more at home in Lusternia. Achaea was where I started, never tried Aetolia because it looked like Achaea+Vampires, and I've visited Imperian three or four times, and never managed to stick with it. The whole place just doesn't fit me.

Lusternia has a very... I dunno, "colourful" world. It's more that whenever I imagine something from Lusternia, it feels far more alive than any other IRE mud, which are all coloured in browns and greys. It is incredibly complex (deepwounds and power, and that is just on a mechanical level) with far more interesting races and what appears to be actual racial roleplay. A relatively great community and the game doesn't take itself too seriously. Sure, it has some glaring imbalances (Tarot>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Healing for a Celestine) brought about by it's complexity, but overall it is a great game.

Achaea was pure, undilluted horrible from beginning until end for me. Rampant theft, desperate PKers, blatant OOC and ISSUE abuse and extortion and bullying from "supposedly" allies. Oh, and houses. Stupid, STUPID houses. I did not like it. At all. Considering my past experience with it, I'm surprised I even dared to try Lusternia.

Imperian, I have no experience with.

Aetolia has werewolves. Werewolves trump everything. That being said, I haven't found out much more about it yet.

Best people.

And we're all so hot to!

Add to this the fact that trades are so much more accessible to the common player in Lusternia, you can start as a rogue and do nothing but tradeskill and influence if you so choose. The options available in Lusternia trump pretty much anything else IRE has to offer. (Until ToP comes out, which I will definitely be patronizing.)

Jugs made me once

so has Shaddus omg

lol

I tried Imperian a while back, kinda got into it, but not really. I thought some of the stuff was interesting, a few classes and races, but otherwise, it just seemed "meh". Aetolia scares me , and I've heard nothing but bad stuff about Achaea. Lusternia's not perfect by a long shot, but I feel that the variety and interconnectedness, the history, and the people make it an outstanding game.

What Enthralled said. Lusternia has a bunch of good design decisions behind it - the story is MILES better, the archetype/class thing is better (when done properly) than the other games, the four-orgs-no-rogues thing is an advantage, the PK system is at least trying, and so on.

I think the Lusternia PK system is a LOT better than the other IRE games.. or at least Achaea since that's what I used to play for years. It's more.. dynamic I guess you could say. On Achaea as a warrior all I did was spam my aconite/curare/gecko/kalmia/delphinium aliases that hit nearly every time and poisons off every time I hit to stack easy afflictions, slow healing, etc. Web/Impale/Disembowel was another win button. Monks.. enough said, easy win. Priests? It's just all too basic as opposed to Lusternia. As has been said, the smaller groups of people mean you can make a name for yourself fast(er) and the interraction with Gods is more viable here it seems than it was in other IRE games.

I really liked the saboteurs guild from the ire game Imperian. I was at first really sad that they didn't carry over. Lusternia is great in that it feels like your really playing. There isn't much theivery if any. There is vary little greifing, and the pk death is far more forgiving them some -cough- wytchen -cough-