TinyMUCK

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TinyMUCK or, more broadly, a MUCK, is a type of user-extendible online text-based role playing game, designed for role playing and social interaction.^[1] The backronym "Multi-User Created (or Character, or Carnal) Kingdom" is sometimes cited, but is not the actual origin of the term; "muck" is simply a play on the word "mud" in TinyMUD^{[citation needed]}.

1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Usage
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] History

The original TinyMUCK 1.0 server was written by Stephen White from University of Waterloo in winter of 1990, based on TinyMUD 1.5.2 codebase. This version introduced building capabilities for the users.^[2].
TinyMUCK 2.0 was released in June 1990 by Piaw "Lachesis" Na from Berkeley, who added the programming language MUF for in-game server extensions^[3]^[4].
FuzzBall MUCK server was built on TinyMUCK 2.2 codebase by Belfry Webworks and, as of version 5, released in 1995, includes alternative programming language MPI.

[edit] Characteristics

MUCKs are extensible by design, players can create and modify ("build") all internal objects of the game environment, including rooms, exits, and even the system commands, for which the MUCKs use the MUF (Multi-User Forth) language. Fuzzball MUCKs also use Message Parsing Interpreter (MPI) which can be used to embed executable code into descriptions of all in-game objects.

[edit] Usage

TinyMUCKs are popular among members of Furry fandom; examples of active, large TinyMUCKs include FurryMUCK and Tapestries MUCK, both of which run the Fuzzball version of MUCK server code.