Northern Lights (online game)

Northern Lights
Developer(s)	Anna "Vitastjern" Eklund, Gjermund "Nicknack" Sørseth, project community
Engine	Dirt (AberMUD)
Platform(s)	Platform independent
Release date(s)	1992
Genre(s)	Fantasy MUD
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Media/distribution	Online
System requirements Telnet client or MUD client, Internet access

Northern Lights, abbreviated NL, is a MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, founded in 1992 by Anna "Vitastjern" Eklund.^[1][2][3] It has at times been noted as a particularly large and popular example of its type, and has received critical praise.^[4][5]

NL's tagline is "The AberMUD at Ludd", reflecting its long-time hosting with the Luleå Academic Computer Society (Luleå Universitets Datorförening, hence LUDD) at the Luleå University of Technology in Sweden.^[6][2]

Game characteristics

A screenshot of the introductory screen from Northern Lights

Northern Lights is an "adventure-based" MUD, with combat and questing the primary game activities.^[7][5] Socialization is minimal, though the process of becoming a wizard is rumored to be politically complex.^[5]

The MUD includes a tour to familiarize new users with gameplay.^[6]

Reception

NL has been praised for its "original zones" and "well-thought-out world".^[5]

Interactive Internet: The Insider's Guide to MUDs, MOOs, and IRC featured a wedding conducted between two player characters on Northern Lights, performed personally by Anna Eklund in her capacity as Goddess of the MUD.^[6]

Technical infrastructure

Northern Lights is an AberMUD based on the Dirt codebase.^[5][3]

References

1. ^ Bartle, Richard (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. p. 48. ISBN 0-1310-1816-7. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Eklund, Anna (2005-02-05). "Northern Lights - the AberMUD at Ludd". Northern Lights. Luleå Academic Computer Society. http://aber.ludd.ltu.se/northern_lights.html. Retrieved 2010-09-14. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Eklund, Anna (2001-02-18). "In The Beginning". Northern Lights. Luleå Academic Computer Society. http://aber.ludd.ltu.se/beginnings.html. Retrieved 2010-09-14. 
4. ^ Benedikt, Claire Lisette; Ciskowski, Dave (1995). MUDs: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet. BradyGames. pp. 226. ISBN 1-56686-246-9. "Northern Lights [...] Much larger than the average AberMUD." 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} Maloni, Kelly; Baker, Derek; Wice, Nathaniel (1994). Net Games. Random House / Michael Wolff & Company, Inc.. pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-679-75592-6. "Northern Lights While consistently one of the most popular and stable AberMUDs on the Net, the flip side to Northern Lights' large player base is that there are more players taking the treasures and solving the quests that you need to advance. With a heavy emphasis on questing and puzzle solving (it's a hard "run"), NL is not known as the most social of AberMUDs. Rumor has it that if you're looking to wiz, it can be a very political place. For those look for "a good run," NL is a tried-and-true favorite, with original zones and a well-thought-out world. Located in northern Sweden, it also may very well be the world's northernmost MUD. [...] Server: AberMUD" 
6. ^ ^{a b c} Shefski, William J. (1995). Interactive Internet: The Insider's Guide to MUDs, MOOs, and IRC. Prima Publishing. pp. 83–84, 100–102, 184–192. ISBN 1-55958-748-2. 
7. ^ Mohta, Viraf D. (1996-12-18). The World Wide Web for Kids & Parents. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 267. ISBN 0764500988. "In this example, you're going to connect to the Northern Lights MUD, which is an adventure-based MUD. Type telnet://aber.luth.ludd.se:6715 [...]" 

External links

• Official website