Etrea MUD Server v1

This is the first release candidate build of the Kingdoms of Etrea MUD server. The server is written entirely in C# and so is only supported on Windows operating systems and requires .Net 4.8

To run the server, extract the contents of the ZIP to a suitable folder and run Etrea3.exe.

During start-up you may see a warning stating that the API requires elevation in order to run. This is because the server also hosts a REST API which is intended to work with a separate Admin tool allowing creation, modification and deletion of in-game assets such as Zones, Rooms and NPCs, however this is still work in progress.

Once running, you can connect to the server by using a MUD client (my personal favourite is Mudlet) and pointing to your IP address (usually 127.0.0.1 if on the same machine) and port 12345. These settings are configurable in App.config.

The current build has most of the starting zone complete, with some NPCs, shops and items, though you will need to create a character first. The first character created will be promoted to Immortal level, allowing use of OLC and other commands to edit and build the world.

If you need help with any of the commands, check out the project web site which goes into more detail about these. There are more commands than are currently documented, as the site is also a work in progress!

Common questions:
Q: How do I change the listener IP and port?
A: These settings are in the App.config file and have default values of 0.0.0.0 (all IP addresses) and 12345 (TCP port 12345). Changing these values will require that the MUD server be restarted.

Q: Do I need to run the MUD server as Admin?
A: No. However, with future builds, I plan to include the Admin tool which leverages the REST API and the Microsoft toolkit requires that this run in an elevated context. If you don't plan on using it, then you can ignore the start-up warning as the API will not be running.

Q: How is my MUD data stored?
A: Most MUD objects (NPCs, items, players, rooms, zones etc.) are stored as serialised JSON strings in SQLite databases. These databases are in the world folder:

• players.db - stores all player characters and player mail
• world.db - stores all world assets including zones, rooms, NPCs, emotes, mobprogs, items and others
• logs.db - stores a copy of the MUD's logs that have been generated since the server started (if database logging is enabled)

Q: What about security?
A: All data sent to and from the MUD is sent using the Telnet protocol, and hence is in clear text. All data saved to the MUD's databases is readable in the clear if you open the database files. Please do not use passwords for characters that are in use elsewhere or transmit anything that might be sensitive whilst interacting with the MUD over a public network as data could be read by a third-party. The API also operates on HTTP, so if used over the internet it should be behind a reverse proxy such as Nginx.

Q: I don't like the name "Kingdoms of Etrea" - can I change it?:
A: Yes, of course. The name of the game can be changed in the App.config file. The welcome message which is displayed to all new connections is stored in a file called welcome.txt which is located in the world folder. Just update these to something more appropriate to your needs and you're good to go!

Q: I have comments, suggestions, or other feedback - are you interested?
A: Yes, of course! Please head on over to the Contact Us page on the web site and let us know your thoughts!