Shadows of Isildur

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Shadows of Isildur

Developer(s)	C. W. McHenry, aka "Traithe", J. Webb, a.k.a. "Sighentist"
Engine	DikuMUD, Harshlands, SoI RPI Engine
Release date(s)	2003
Genre(s)	MMORPG, MUD, RPI
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Platform(s)	OS independant
System requirements	Internet access, telnet with port 23 or 4500 open

Shadows of Isildur is a RPI (Roleplay Intensive) MUD based on the series of books by J. R. R. Tolkien and opened in the public early 2003. SoI, as it's commonly referred, differs from many other MUD's in that death is permanent and characters are approved by application only, requiring all actions in the game to be in-character with a minimal use of out-of-character communication.

Gameplay features the conflict between Gondor and Mordor, opening in the year 2460. Time has since lapsed to 2477, leaving a ruined Osgiliath after Boromir and his army pushed Mordor back after its fall, which was a featured HRPT (Highly Recommended Playing Time) July of 2006. Now, Lord Eradan's Battalion are charged, along with several other Lords, to reclaim the territories of the Ithilien, a highly contested area spanning between Osgiliath and Minas Morgul. Non-combative characters can enjoy several other activities, most notably Shadow of Isildur's branch-based [crafting system] and Fellowships, allowing for multiple professions to take raw goods and produce finished pieces either as a member of a Fellowship or on their own, with each playing their own role in creating conflict within the game. Currently the game features over 2,000 crafts in 51 categories, with new ones added constantly.

The code is written in C and multiple MySQL databases, though progress has been underway to convert the codebase to C++; its original code is from Harshlands, a derivative of DikuMUD, and has been in constant development since then. In late 2004, the games' engine was released back to the community, boasting both 6 years of development by Harshlands and 3 years of additional development. In March of 2007, it was announced that a new release would be distributed as well.

1 Playable Game Locations
- 1.1 Gondor
- 1.2 Mordor
  - 1.2.1 Minas Morgul
  - 1.2.2 Tur Edendor
2 Fellowships
3 External links

[edit] Playable Game Locations

Shadows of Isildur features several playable areas.

[edit] Gondor

While all of Gondor technically exists in the game, in order to keep the conflicts close and playerbase together, the playable areas of Gondor are the city of Minas Tirith, Osgiliath, Anórien, Pelennor, and North and South Ithilien. Characters have been known and it is not uncommon to travel to and from a large number of other places as part of their background or 'breaks' in their gameplay.

[edit] Anorien and Pelennor

Situated between Minas Tirith and Osgiliath, these areas constitute the majority of farmlands and open areas for most of the playerbase. Pelennor is situated south of the Anorien, which is guarded by the natural barriers of the sea. It is a feudal territory owned and operated by Lord Astirian and patrolled by his Wardens and Squires; an enforcer clan open to players. Since Osgiliath fell it has been more actively developed, and continues to do so as places such as Wardog's Tavern, Cherry Blossom Farm, Greenleaf Winery, Hawk and Dove, White Stag Hunting Company, and more continue to grow with active player support.

[edit] Minas Tirith

The White City, Minas Tirith, acts as the hub for the majority of the playerbase. True to its inspiration, it is built in a series of 'circles' on a mountainside, each a little more classy the higher you go. Featured here are many player owned or run shops and taverns, most notably the Battered Shield in the first circle, The Alehouse in the second circle, and the Wizard Inn in the third circle, offering a good chance for players to meet up. This capitol city of Gondor is also the center of the Fellowship system, complete with a council and Fellowship Halls. Notable clans here are the Minas Tirith Guard and Cityworkers, the latter being specially suited to take in new players and show them the ropes.

[edit] Osgiliath

Once a booming city, over the past years Osgiliath has slowly declined until it was finally ransacked by Mordor's armies, only to be recovered shortly after by the efforts of Boromirs army. Now it is a base of operations for Lord Eradan's Battalion, a group of soldiers tasked to reclaim Ithilien territories by force. Supported by a fort system, Both these Battalions and Mordor battle for control over minor outposts without staff involvement by use of special crafts and room programs, requiring regular visits of food and supplies for its upkeep.

[edit] Mordor

general info about mordor

[edit] Minas Morgul

Minas Morgul was once known as Minas Ithil - a city originally founded by Elendil (alleged creator of Arnor and Gondor), and his sons Isildur and Anárion. Minas Ithil, or "The Tower of the Rising Moon", was built by Elendil and his fellow Gondorians during the Second Age in the year 3320, near the borders of Mordor, to keep watch over the dark lands. By the year 3429 of the Second Age, however, the dreaded Sauron had begun to take control of the city. Finally, in the year 2002 of the Third Age, the Nazgûl and their lord, the Witch-king of Angmar, had gained control of the city in a swift and vicious assault. It was renamed "Minas Morgul", meaning "Tower of Black Sorcery", and soon became home to orcs, goblins, Uruk-hai, and the dark races of Men - an important waypoint in the raging struggle between the forces of light and darkness.

[edit] Tur Edendor

info about tur edendor

[edit] Fellowships

There are fifteen Fellowships in Minas Tirith. These are akin to medieval guilds and the Efreahir of the Northmen, but are far less restrictive and formal. Effectively they serve two purposes: to gather together workers producing similar sorts of goods so that the economies of having a communal workplace are achieved, and also to provide a fellowship, a sort of club that workers in that industry can join in order to gain political and social benefits. The social benefits include looking after widows and orphans of workers and, on a much lighter note, revelries and get-togethers of like-minded fellows (and ladies) after a hard day's work.

The Fellowships are as follows: