Almaren is a derivation of the ancient (and alas, dead) DikuMUD of Eltanin, which saw it's day in 1991-1992.

Almaren was designed to support human interaction in the form of quests and player killing. We recognize that killing monsters is, simply put, trivial, and that phase of playing the game is to be taken merely to learn the MUD in preparation for participating in quests and acquiring better (limited!) equipment through PK.

There are 7 distinct classes. Class lines are not now, and never will be blurred by multiclassing or by sharing too many skills. Mages are mages, and Warriors are warriors.

Equipment exists in both random, and standard limited form. This allows (and in fact, encourages) healthy PK to exist to circulate item's such as the Goblin King's crystal shard, and Miko's titanium ring. Randomly created equipment is well distributed throughout the world such that one is not required to compete for the limiteds if desired.