MURPE: Low-Cost MUD/MUSH Hosting Available

[Michael]

Newbie or veteran game administrators looking for a home for your mud
but don't have alot of cash to keep it up and running? MultiUser
RolePlay Entertainment (MURPE) has just gone through a major overhaul
and upgraded our game hosting server site!

All games hosted run on a newly built Dual Intel 2.0Ghz P4 Xeon
SuperMicro Server comprised of nearly 16 GB of ECC Registered DDR Ram,
115 GB Seagate 10K RPM SCSI-3 Drives, twin giganet NICs (full
duplex'd), and an internal DDS3 tape backup. Server site includes UPS
and generator support. The server runs the latest version of SuSe
Linux Professional, Apache2, PHP, MySQL, SSL, Perl, Python, and Java
SDK packages... all available to you at no additional cost!

Hosting packages for 500mb HD and 32mb ram start at $10/month (1 GB
and 64mb for $20) or save even more and prepay for the year and get 2
months free! Graphical-based games are also welcome. Check, Money
Order, and Paypal accepted.

Website: http://www.murpe.com/hosting/ or
http://stormbringer.sysconn.com/hosting/

[Jon A. Lambert]

Mr. Worsham,

Excuse me for asking but how does one run commercial games on LDMud?
I had thought after reading Lars license that LDMud had a non-commercial use
clause.

------------
LDMud, a LPmud gamedriver.
Copyright 1997-2001 by Lars Duening.

LDMud is based on LPmud, which is
Copyright 1989-1991 by Lars Pensj|, and, starting with version 3.1.2,
Copyright 1991-1997 by Joern Rennecke.

Source code herein refers to the source code, and any executables
created from the same source code.

All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use, extend and modify the
source code provided subject to the restriction that the source code may
not be used in any way whatsoever for monetary gain.
------

--
J. Lambert

[Michael]

Referring back to a number of e-mails I had this discussion before and
a few contributors to the LDmud driver orignally. Lars said to contact
them and if they didnt have a problem with it, he didn't as well. (A
few of my developers raised the same question, so I understand where
you are coming from) -- We did contact them and the ones that had
issues, we ripped out their code (mostly since it wasnt really
documented good anyways) then tried to rebuild.

When it didnt work as expected, I paid out of my own pocket through
rentacoder.com to develop a new commercial-based driver resembling the
LDmud 3.2.9-dev driver w/ MySQL support. In a 6-week contract, I was
given the new driver along with a number of 'upgrades' over the LPmud
one (we also developed an Oracle DB package to go with ours, still in
the experimental stage however).

Since the LP/LDmud users are having a problem with it (even since I
did PAY for its new work design), we are reconsidering our plans for
Avandoria (and future games) and looking at going graphical using
Crystal Space (100% open source and legally usable for commercial
projects).

-- M

Post by Jon A. Lambert
Mr. Worsham,
Excuse me for asking but how does one run commercial games on LDMud?
I had thought after reading Lars license that LDMud had a non-commercial use
clause.
------------
LDMud, a LPmud gamedriver.
Copyright 1997-2001 by Lars Duening.
LDMud is based on LPmud, which is
Copyright 1989-1991 by Lars Pensj|, and, starting with version 3.1.2,
Copyright 1991-1997 by Joern Rennecke.
Source code herein refers to the source code, and any executables
created from the same source code.
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use, extend and modify the
source code provided subject to the restriction that the source code may
not be used in any way whatsoever for monetary gain.
------

[Michael]

Due to a number of complaints (even if we are using another non-LDmud
derived driver we paid for), we have decided to retire the subject and
just get out of the text-base game development entirely.

I hope someday someone does rip the hell out of the LP/LDmud coding
environment and does make a commercial port to compete w/ DGD and
other LP-like bases.

Hopefully we will see you all again in the future under graphical game
design.

-- M

[Michael]

This statement is a general apology to the rec.games.mud.lp community,
fellow mudders, and game administrators:

There is talk that MURPE and some other 'business' user are in cahoots
with each other. This is totally BS and we don't even plan to be as
that would be unethical and against our business practice as well.

Just as an update (and to make everyone happy), Avandoria has been
taken offline and our FEAR engine (driver) is no longer available (and
Tyche, we contacted rentacoder.com about the 'issue' and are reviewing
the steps for the licensing of the code and its original whereabouts
-- thanks for the insight). Sorry to everyone else for pissing you
off, esp in the number of posts that have been posted lately on the
subject.

As for the fearmudlib public release, I am working w/ sourceforge.net
to see what the steps are to have it removed from circulation as well
since there are some 'issues' with it that should have been addressed
long ago, both by myself and my QC team members. (Yes, I admit, my
fault)

Our other game, Realm of the Magi, is using LD 3.2.9 and I am proud to
say I fully support it. We did not run our FEAR driver/engine w/ this
game as it was always to remain free in the first place (other
copyrights in place cause of its theme). We use the V2 release of the
FEAR mudlib, but that's cause we developed it from the base of 2.4.5
mudlib in the first place and added enhancements and other external
code snippets to have it as a presentable mudlib for RP usage.

For for those that don't believe me or the rest of my team, well then
it's your loss. We are taking steps to repair our business name and
ideals, and will try to reprove ourselves to the community if need be.

We will still offer our mud hosting as it seems a number of people are
interested in it and already have new accounts pending & in use.

-- M