SpinDizzy Muck - Getting Started

Connecting to SpinDizzy

You can connect to SpinDizzy as a Guest, or as a character. If you have experienced playing on mucks before, then all you need is the address for your client: spindizzy.vulpes.net port 7072 or muck.spindizzy.org port 7072. If you don't have a client on your system, you can use this web client instead.

The simplest option to connect to SpinDizzy is by using Telnet. Telnet is a very basic client, however. Since telnet has both the input (what you type to be sent to the data base) and the output (what you recieve from the database) displayed in the same window, it can be difficult to make sense of what you are seeing.

Most users of mucks and / or muds, use a Telnet client which is specially made for mucking. These clients offer seperate input and output windows, "quick buttons" that allow you to send commands with a single click, watch-for, gagging, and macro fuctions that make mucking a lot easier and more fun.

Argon, local centaur, uses and highly recommends the Phoca muck client for Windows, although there are many others. For instance, Boki, local seagull, suggests the BeipMU client for Windows. There are several muck clients for the Mac. The muck client "TinyFugue" reportedly "compiles without a hitch on Mac OS X" according to one of SpinDizzy's residents. A search on the web for "muck clients" will bring up a number of them for both Mac and Windows, as well as other operating systems. Most are free, and if you want you can start with one and then ask around and see what works best for you. Many developers also offer screenshots of their muck clients in action, so you may even select which type of "look" you would prefer.

Option One: Windows or Mac Telnet

PC: If you use the Telnet client in your computer you might first try clicking on one of the links above under "Connecting to SpinDizzy." If this fails to launch your telnet client, then you will need to find it.

To find the client, you'll need to go to "Start" and then "Run." This brings up a small window with a text field in it. Type "Telnet" into that window and hit enter. Hitting enter brings up a small black box. At the top of that box, click on "Connect" and another small box will appear. In the "Host Name" field, enter "muck.spindizzy.org," in the Port field enter "7072." If the "Term Type" field is blank, enter or choose "vt100," then click on the "Connect" button.

Macintosh: If you use the Telnet client in your computer you'll need to first find the client. On Macintosh, you may search for "Telnet" through your Mac's "Find" function. On OS X a Mac user can, to telnet in, go to the "Applications" folder, then to "Utilities," and open "Terminal." Then with the Unix terminal, type in "telnet muck.spindizzy.org 9999."

Option Two: Muck Client

If you decide to use a Muck Client, you will get the same sort of box when you set up your connection to SpinDizzy: the fields and what you put in them are usually the same. For example, BeipMU asks for a "host" and a "port." Most ask for a name for the MUCK (also known as a World, etc). Again, if you have trouble setting this stuff up, ask for help.

World Name: SpinDizzy (This is just a "label," sort of like a name for a bookmark. You might use "Spin" instead, for instance.
Host: muck.spindizzy.org
Port: 7072

Option Three: UNIX Systems

TinyFugue (TF) is primarily a client for UNIX systems. Many school shell accounts (or other shell accounts) usually have it installed. If you run UNIX at home, you can simply compile it locally and run it. They also have a version pre-compiled for OS/2 that works well. You can load TinyFugue by typing 'tf' at any command prompt.

Option Four: Multiple Operating Systems

JamochaMUD appears to work on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Built by Argon based on a format by Austin Dern.