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(Ok, so I was going to post this on that voting site, but I wanted you guys to read over it first to make sure 'm not wrong on any of my facts. So take a look.)
Distant Lands: An In-Depth Critical Review
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Including the beta, I have played DL off-and-on for over ten years. In recent years, MUDs in general have faced alot of competition from the increasingly advanced MMORPGs, but even with a level 70 character in World of Warcraft, I still find Distant Lands a bit more enjoyable, and I always end up coming back.
Classes:
Distant Lands has 14 classes: assassin, barbarian, bard, cavalier, cleric, druid, illusionist, magic-user, monk, ninja, paladin, ranger, thief, and warrior.
There is no multiclassing system, so classes are (for the most part) pretty distinct from one another. The two main cases of class ability overlap are certain similiar classes (assassin and rogue, magic user and illusionist, etc.) and avatar levels (see below).
The main downside of DL's class system is that every player of the same class is pretty much the same, except for their ability scores, race, and equipment.
Assassin: This class seems very close to thief, but there are two important differences between the two. 1.Thieves can steal, and assassins can't. (Meaning other players are slightly less leary of you.) 2.Assassins are far superior to the thief when it comes to killing people, meaning more backstab damage, a few nasty spells to weaken opponents, and the assassin's feared ability, "assassinate," which gives every successful backstab the chance to instantly kill the victim.
Barbarian: Of all the classes, the barbarian has the highest average hit points, and hits the hardest in non-mounted straight melee (particularly when it learns to berserk). However, it can only wear a limited number of magic items (based on its level), causing most people to avoid this class.
Bard: The bard is a bit like a combination of cleric, magic-user, and thief. Bards learn very few spells, but those few spells can heal, hurt, or protect, making bards very versatile spellcasters, in addition to being fairly competent fighters and even decent thieves.
Cavalier: Very similiar to the warrior, the cavalier stands above the other fighting classes when it comes to mounted combat. If you run into a mounted cavalier, gods help you. X_X
Cleric: Clerics are what any fantasy RPG player should expect. They heal, they cast protection spells, and they like hammers and maces. If you play a cleric, you will always be appreciated by your fellow players.
Druid: Druids are a suprisingly rare class choice in DL considering their versatility as spellcasters. They have both potent healing and attack spells, though they can't quite heal as well as a cleric, nor hit as hard with their spells as the mage. Still, they are a fun class to play.
Illusionist: The illusionist is problematic in that it just isn't different enough from the magic-user. It has a few spells that the magic user doesn't, and gains access to certain valued abilities (like recharge) much sooner. But, there are many magic-user spells that you don't get, causing magic-user to be the main choice for arcanists.
Magic-User: The magic-user is the primary arcanist in the game. Besides casting the most damaging spells, they have a repertoire of useful spells that protect, transport, enchant, and do other useful miscellanious things. The main drawback is that they are very, very difficult to play at lower levels in the latest version of the game due to changes in the practice system.
Monk: Monks' abilities revolve around unarmed, unarmored fighting. They hit more times per round than any other class, but overall they tend to be weak. In addition, their oriental flavor have always seemed out of place in Distant Lands' tolkien-esque setting.
Ninja: The other oriental class in the game. Despite them being out of place, they are very fun to play, and quite potent. I highly suggest not practicing the "spider kick" ability, however, as it usually hurts more than helps your fighting skills.
Paladin: Basically, take the warrior, lose some of it special combat maneuvers like kick and bash, and give it some healing powers. No surprises here. A good class.
Ranger: I probably know more about rangers than any other player in DL, because in the last "version" of DL, I played the longest-running and highest level one in the game. They have a good mix of druid spells and combat ability, though at higher levels they are, in my experience, a bit weak. One thing that always bothered me is that they never learn hide or sneak, which seem like something a forester should eventually learn how to do.
Thief: Thieves are a potent class, though many dislike them (or more specifically, dislike being the victims of thieves). They can hide (a potent ability in this game that can (arguably) work more effectively than invisibility) and sneak (which allows you to enter a room without others being notified by "X has entered from the Y"), meaning others can never be sure when thieves are about. They can backstab for massive damage, which can make them even more dangerous combatants than fighter types if the player uses the right tactics. They can step traps and use poison, and, of course, they can steal. They can steal from other PvP players. I've never played a thief, because I dislike stealing from other players. (If I'm not going to steal, I'm better off playing an assassin, which gets all the other abilities of the thief). But, I've been on the receiving end of steal enough to know that it is a potent ability, and that thieves are not to be trifled with.
Warrior: A straight forward, well-rounded combat class. Warriors hit hard in melee, both mounted and on foot, and have a good mix of other mundane abilities that include combat manuevers like kick, or more utilitarian skills that allow for the repairing and improvement of equipment.
Avatar levels:
Distant Lands has 99 "mortal" levels. You level up through them in the normal manner: killing monsters for xp. (There are other ways to get xp, but killing monsters will be your primary source.) The abilities for each class in these 99 levels are no secret, and can be viewed for each using the help command. However, at level 99, you become eligibile for a quest, run by the staff, that opens up the path to becoming an avatar (level 100+). Once you complete your first quest, you are given the avatar rank of "hero", and are able to level up to level 124, and are able to learn abilities from another class (which is dependent on your original class). For example, a ranger "hero" will learn druid abilities he previously did not have access to. At 124, you can do another quest to become a "lesser lord", which allows you to learn more abilities and level up to 149, etc., and it keeps going from there.
I always liked the avatar system for the most part, though there are two main problems with it. One, you have to wait for your quest, which can take a long time. Two, I don't think the new abilities you learn are always appropriate. For example, magic user heroes learn illusionist spells, which is appropriate, but at higher ranks they learn thief abilities, which might be appropriate to evil mages, but for those wanting to play the "white wizard" type character, you might have wished there was some way to learn something else instead how stab people in the back and steal their stuff.
Races:
There are many different races in DL. Elves, halflings, lizardmen... Honestly, races are something RPers choose for appeals, and others choose to min/max their ability scores. In the end, it doesn't make a huge difference, mechanics-wise, what race you are, so just choose one that is fun for you.
Practice System:
One of the main changes in DL's newest version is DLs practice system. It used to be that you gained access to new abilities at new levels, and you just paid for your practice sessions at your trainer to learn these new abilities. Now, you still pay for a few practice sessions, but you can only learn about 40% (depending on the skill) through the trainer, and the rest is from using that skill, spell, or weapon proficieny. This makes it alot more work to learn new skills, which is more realistic, but I have questioned the balance of it for classes that depend more on a large array of skills or spells (such as magic-users). It can be frustrating to play a spell dependent class under level 30, as it seems all your spells fizzle 60% of the time, burning away your already limited power point supply.
I love the game, but I really think this is one aspect of the game that could be tweaked more.
Player Base:
The players in DL are very, very nice. They are always willing to help, and newbies are often surprised by how helpful the avatars are to new players. The main problem right now is DL just does't have enough players (or staff, which is comprised of volunteer players). Distant Lands used to be much more "bustling," but due to other factors, the staff really felt it neccesary to restart the game with a "new version." Though this version was definately an improvement overall (though I don't agree with *every* change), when people had to restart at level 1, many just left to play MMOs.
RP:
In my experience, Distand Lands has some excellent roleplayers for players and some really interesting quests. My main criticism is that the staff can be a bit too restrictive in approving RP descriptions. You cannot include, supposedly, anything about your appearance that can change or cannot always be seen. (Which I have always felt is silly, because no one knows what you look like underneath your gothic-style full plate armor, and yet you are not allowed to include the armor in your description. You cannot include height or weight because those can be changed by magic. I once was rejected for including my eye color, though I believe things are not quite that restrictive now. This is a minor thing though, I suppose.)
In closing:
I feel like I've pointed out a lot of negative things in this review, but I really would like to emphasize that Distant Lands is a fun game. Unlike an MMORPG, it really is an interactive world. Your actions can have an effect on the overall world. If you do a quest, and fail to protect a part of town, the ruins will remain. If you make a habit of treating the wounded at a particular grove near town, your deity may bless it for your efforts, making it a permanent haven. If you slay the town's archmage just because you want his magical staff, don't expect the rest of the town to not notice.
DL is special because your character can make a real difference in the game, which I why I always return to Distant Lands.
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