Since J.R.R Tolkien published "Lord of the Rings" in 1937, fantasy has had a far-reaching affect in many areas: literature, art, movies...and gaming. Tolkien's novel provided a basis for many early gaming systems such as Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. But what it also provided to table-top gaming, it also provided to online, or computer gaming.

In 1976*, the first of the text-based computer games, ADVENT was created. Better known as Adventure, this was the prototype for interactive computer gaming, eventually spawning Multi-User Dungeons, or MUDs. However, while running around killing the monster and getting the treasure was fun, more and more people began to role-play - establishing characters, creating their personalities, and building fictional lives around these bits of data. Code was developed which allows people to create objects, giving them pillows that they could 'throw' at others - or allowing them to create Klingon Birds of Prey. Eventually, the original MUD code spawned MUCK (Basically, MUD code that allowed you to open exits between players and objects instead of just rooms) MOO (Mud, Object Oriented), and MUSH (Multi-User Shared Hallucination), as well as many others. The advent of MUCK and MUSH code allowed role-playing to go to a new level. Instead of the hack and slash mentality coupled with role-play that you would get on a MUD, a MUSH allowed one to completely immerse themselves in a role-play world - expanding the characters that they created on a MUD into a complete persona. MUCKs and MUSHes based on author's worlds began to surface - Roger Zelazny's Amber novels, Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. People who wanted to be an Amberite or Impress a telepathic dragon could do so - with a little work and a lot of role-playing. More original worlds were created as well - places, for example, where people who wanted to role-play anthropomorphic animals in the style of comic books or animation (or Furries) were able to virtually /become/ that being. Some of these places created their own combat systems - things more complicated than typing 'kill dragon'. Some eschewed any form of statistics to determine how a combat was played, preferring instead on consent and role-play to determine outcomes. And some used a combination of the two, giving stats, but strongly encouraging role-play as opposed to 'roll-play'.

Fantasy may have been the beginning of M*s, but it expanded well beyond that. Sci/Fi lent a strong influence, prompting the creation of arcade games that led to the birth "Star Trek" and many other science-fiction based universes. The world of Super Heroes spawned places where one can have superpowers and fight evil - or plot to take over the world as a villain. World of Darkness M*s started with White Wolf's popular Vampire RPG and expanded as the RPGs expanded. Social M*s, or talkers, were a haven for those who just wanted to hang out and chat. Places sprung up that were an amalgamation of many different genres, allowing people one place to scratch whatever itch they felt like instead of jumping from place to place. A whole lexicon of terms came to be used, a new language to define the worlds in which these people played.

After two-plus decades in existence, despite the proliferation of computer games and pay-to-play RPGs such as Everquest, the text-based M* is still going strong. There are both pay and free games available, in all genres. A couple of excellent sources to find places to play are The Mud Connector and MUSH Warehouse - both of which provide access to role-playing-based M*s, with descriptions and links to go to the site directly to see what it's like.

A good rule of thumb to follow if you're never role-played before is to read all the help files - learn as much as you can before you even create a character. Some places will let you create whatever you like, and some limit you as to what they will allow to play. Work out your character concept ahead of time - get a feel for the being you're going to create. If you're going to be playing in a M* based on an author's work, it never hurts to at least have a little familiarity with the world. Read the books - who knows, you might enjoy them. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Staffers are there to assist you when you have questions. Proper spelling and grammar, while not generally required, does help to make a favorable impression. You will find that many people will be more receptive to well-done role-play - and consider those two things to be a part of good RP. If you're not a perfect speller, it's okay - spell-checkers are your friends. And above all - have /fun/ with it. That is essentially what role-playing should be: something you enjoy.