3Kingdoms
{{about|the online MUD text RPG videogame|other uses|Three Kingdoms (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = 3Kingdoms
| image = 3Kingdoms (emblem).png
| developer = Project community
| engine = LDMud
| platforms =
| released = {{start date and age|1992}}
| genre = Cross-genre, MUD
| modes = Multiplayer
}}
3Kingdoms, abbreviated 3K, is a MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, founded in 1992.{{R|tmc-3k}}
Game characteristics
File:3K login screenshot.png]]
The MUD has a cross-genre setting; the eponymous three kingdoms are Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Chaos, the latter following an anything-goes satirical theme.{{R|netgames|netgames2|olivetti}} These settings connect through the MUD's central city of Pinnacle.{{R|netgames|netgames2}}
A main point of player character differentiation is in the choice of "guild", which is an option resembling a character class, but which, on 3K, can only be chosen once the character has advanced through its first few levels.{{R|netgames|netgames2|hahn}} The exception is the Adventurer guild, which new characters belong to by default.{{R|3k-guilds}} The selection of guilds reflects the cross-genre setting, ranging from fantasy commonplaces such as knights, priests (formerly called clerics), mages, and necromancers to Jedi, cyborgs, Fremen and changelings (formerly called the animal guild).{{R|netgames|netgames2|olivetti|3k-guilds}}
3K{{'}}s Web site features ongoing news about the MUD; at one time this news feed was called the 3K New York Times.{{R|netgames}}
{{-}}
Reception
The MUD has received positive critical response for its friendliness to and accommodation of new players,{{R|netgames|netgames2}} and has been noted as "well-loved and full of life".{{R|hahn}}
Technical infrastructure
References
{{Reflist|40em|refs=
| last1 = Maloni
| first1 = Kelly
| last2 = Baker
| first2 = Derek
| last3 = Wice
| first3 = Nathaniel
| year = 1994
| title = Net Games
| publisher = Random House / Michael Wolff & Company, Inc.
| isbn = 0-679-75592-6
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/netgamesyourguid00malo/page/90 90]
| quote = 3 Kingdoms The town of Pinnacle in the center of 3K (as the MUD is commonly called) connects three separate realms: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Chaos. Fantasy features Dungeons & Dragons; in the Science Fiction realm you can travel by MegaTech train to parts of the United States or through outer space; and in Chaos you'll find anything but the ordinary. On a trip to the grocery store, you'll meet old commercial favorites like Toocan Sam, the Lucky Charm Rabbit, Mr. Clean, and Mr. Whipple. [...] Newbies are quite welcome here – there is even a special newbie land at the south end of the city to build a character's experience. [...] When an adventurer has passed the fifth level, he may choose to join a guild – clerics, witches, animals, necromancers, etc. [...] Server: LPMUD
| url = https://archive.org/details/netgamesyourguid00malo/page/90
}}
| last1 = Greenman | first1 = Ben | author-link = Ben Greenman
| last2 = Maloni | first2 = Kelly
| last3 = Cohn | first3 = Deborah
| last4 = Spivey | first4 = Donna
| year = 1996
| title = Net Games 2
| publisher = Michael Wolff & Company, Inc.
| isbn = 0-679-77034-8
| pages = 90
| quote = [...] head to the Website and read the 3K New York Times – all the news that's fit to cyberprint.
}}
| last = Hahn
| first = Harley
| title = The Internet Complete Reference
| edition = 2nd
| publisher = Osborne McGraw-Hill
| year = 1996
| isbn = 0-07-882138-X
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/harleyhahnsinter00hahn/page/727 727]
| quote = Three Kingdoms Mud Three Kingdoms has a hierarchy based on a human monarchy, so it achieves variety through guild selection instead of races. This mud is well-loved and full of life as evidenced by not only the traffic, but the high-spirited shouting that seems to be routine. Newbie documents are available at this site via anonymous FTP.
| url = https://archive.org/details/harleyhahnsinter00hahn/page/727
}}
| title = 3-Kingdoms
| work = The Mud Connector
| url = http://www.mudconnect.com/mud-bin/simple_search.cgi?Mode=MUD&mud=3-Kingdoms
| access-date = 2010-09-14
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825230540/http://www.mudconnect.com/mud-bin/simple_search.cgi?Mode=MUD&mud=3-Kingdoms
| archive-date = 2012-08-25
| url-status = dead
}}
| title = Welcome to the Worlds of Marble!
| work = 3Kingdoms
| url = http://www.3k.org/
| access-date = 2010-11-29
}}
| title = The Guilds
| work = 3Kingdoms
| url = http://www.3k.org/guilds.php
| access-date = 2010-11-29
}}
|last = Olivetti
|first = Justin
|title = The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: The games
|work = Massively
|date = 2011-04-19
|url = http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/19/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-the-games/
|access-date = 2011-04-25
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110507224055/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/19/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-the-games/
|archive-date = 7 May 2011
|url-status = dead
}}
}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.3k.org/}}
- [http://forums.3k.org/ Official forums]
- [http://3kwiki.info/wiki/ Community wiki] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417174942/http://3kwiki.info/wiki/ |date=2009-04-17 }}
{{MUDs}}