Realms of Despair was opened to the public in July 1994. It added to DikuMUD by allowing modification of operating parameters through the MUD itself rather than having to manually edit configuration files, or even the source code itself. This benefit was contributed back to the MUD community through the release of the SMAUG code. PopularityRealms of Despair has enjoyed considerable popularity, at its peak having more than 800 players simultaneously logged in. While many MUDs come and go, the Realms of Despair remains a fantasy haven for many people world-wide. |  |
WorldSMAUG takes its name from the fictional character and the main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. One of the last great dragons of Middle-earth, Smaug rose to prominence by laying waste to the town of Dale and capturing the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) with all of its treasure. These events occurred some 150 years before the events of The Hobbit, and Smaug was already centuries old at the time. The Hobbit recounts the tale of a party of dwarves and the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins to recapture the mountain and kill the dragon. In the book, the dragon is sometimes called Smaug the Golden or Smaug the Magnificent. | |