View source for FurryMUCK

{{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=November 2025}}

{{short description|Text-based virtual world}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = FurryMUCK
| image = [[File:FurryMUCK Logo.png|240px|FurryMUCK Logo]]
| developer = Project community
| engine = [[TinyMUCK]]
| platforms = [[Cross-platform|Platform independent]]
| released = 1990
| genre = Social [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]
| modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
}}

'''''FurryMUCK''''' is one of the oldest and largest non-combat [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]-style games in existence. It was founded in 1990{{R|dog}} as an online gathering place for [[Furry fandom|furry fans]] to meet and socialize in a virtual [[role-playing]] environment.{{R|netgames-general|quittner}} Over time, ''FurryMUCK'' has become one of the central focal points for [[furry fandom]], with a user base consisting of several thousand, with over 150 users regularly signed on simultaneously.{{R|kitchindodge}}

Many furry fans state that their first exposure to furry fandom came from ''FurryMUCK''.{{R|baldwin}}

'''West Corner of the Park''' is the central meeting place within the MUCK.{{R|benediktciskowski}}  It is held to a non-explicit rating{{R|netgames-wcotp}} and is generally continually populated.  Visitors will emerge into the Park.  There also was a [[webcomic]] of the same name which is set on ''FurryMUCK'', usually in the park.{{R|wcotp}}

==History==
[[File:FurryMUCK screenshot.png|right|thumb|A screenshot from ''FurryMUCK'' showing part of a listing of online users and a starting area for guests]]
The first [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]s appeared in 1978, and provided a [[Text-based (computing)|text-based]] [[virtual world]] focused on [[role-playing game|adventure]]. While the first MUDs were clearly focused on the game, things changed in 1989 when Jim Aspnes released [[TinyMUD]]. TinyMUD allowed users to focus on building and socialisation, rather than game playing.{{R|mitchell}}  It did not take long until [[TinyMUD]] had emerged as the "most popular MUD on the internet",{{R|frenger}} and a [[subculture]] of [[Furry fandom|furry fans]] emerged within the system. These players "described themselves as anthropomorphic animals", and proved to be "somewhat controversial".{{R|mitchell}}

With TinyMUD's success a number of alternative systems derived from TinyMUD's basic architecture emerged.{{R|frenger}}  One of these variants was [[TinyMUCK]], a program originally developed and released by Stephen White.{{R|bralick1}}  Piaw Na became interested in White's TinyMUCK in 1990, and decided to implement [[Forth (programming language)|Forth]] as the [[programming language]] for development within the environment. The result was MUCK Forth (MUF), as implemented in TinyMUCK 2.0, which became the core to Na's short-lived ''AtlantisMUCK'', which was launched in 1990.  ''AtlantisMUCK'' grew to be "tremendously popular", but was shut down in August of that year.  Nevertheless, by that time copies of Na's code had spread,{{R|frenger}} and by late 1990, ''FurryMUCK'' had been released using Na's version of TinyMUCK.{{R|frenger|smith}}
According to Tina "Jahangiri" Smith, the founders of ''FurryMUCK'' were looking for a theme for their new MUCK, and "furries" emerged as an option.  The aim was to combine furry fandom with the MUD's users &mdash; the former group needing a better method of communication, while the latter understood "high speed roleplay".{{R|smith}}  However, one early difficulty faced by the growing ''FurryMUCK'' community related to where to host the system.  The original version of ''FurryMUCK'' was hosted at [[North Carolina State University]] until mid-1991, when it was forced to move.  A new home was found at the [[University of California at Irvine]], where it resided until November of that year.  While at UC Irvine ''FurryMUCK'' was limited to 63 concurrent users.  In November ''FurryMUCK'' moved again, this time to a server at [[Carnegie-Mellon University]].  It remained there until September 1992, when ''FurryMUCK'' was deleted and had to be restarted (with the loss of considerable work) at the [[University of Toronto]].  Toronto proved to be only a short-term home, and in October 1993, after a call for volunteers to host the system, it was moved to [[St. Norbert College]].  This time the address proved to be more stable, and ''FurryMUCK'' remained at St. Norbert until 1999, when it was finally relocated to a dedicated server.{{R|smith}}

At times, ''FurryMUCK'' has undergone turmoil in response to Internet content legislative efforts.{{R|stamper}}

In spite of the many moves, ''FurryMUCK'' grew rapidly, and by 1995 was regarded as one of the "most successful MUDs".{{R|mitchell}} A [[Wired.com]] article called FurryMUCK ''"the first anthropomorphic MUD."''.<ref>[https://www.wired.com/1994/03/muds-3/ ohnny Manhattan Meets the Furry Muckers - Why playing MUDs is becoming the addiction of the '90s.] on [[wired.com]] ''"FurryMuck, for instance, "the first anthropomorphic MUD.""'' (1994)</ref> Four years later, in 1999, ''FurryMUCK'' had become "one of the longest-running and best-maintained social MUCKs online",{{R|newitz}} and it is still online today.

==See also==
{{portal|Video games}}
* ''[[Furcadia]]''
* [[Second Life]]
* [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]
* [[TinyMUCK]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=40em|refs=
<ref name="dog">{{cite book
 | last1 = Mulligan | first1 = Jessica
 | last2 = Patrovsky | first2 = Bridgette
 | year = 2003 
 | title = Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide
 | url = https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull | url-access = registration | publisher = New Riders
 | isbn = 1-59273-000-0
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull/page/452 452]
 | quote = 1990 [...] ''FurryMUCK'' opens.  It features avatars who are anthropomorphic animals.
}}</ref>
<ref name="netgames-general">{{cite book
 | 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/209 209]
 | quote = '''FurryMUCK''' While ''LambdaMOO'' gets all the press, ''Furry'' is both the most famous and most infamous among people who actually play MUDs.  A large and devoted clientele enjoy its theme of anthropomorphic animals&mdash;"furries."
 | url = https://archive.org/details/netgamesyourguid00malo/page/209
 }}</ref>
<ref name="quittner">{{cite magazine
 | last = Quittner | first = Josh | author-link = Josh Quittner
 | date = March 1994
 | title = Johnny Manhattan Meets the Furry Muckers
 | magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]
 | volume = 2
 | issue = 3
 | url = https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.03/muds.html
 | access-date = 2008-09-21
 | quote = [...] or be a sleek, post-pubescent otter on FurryMuck, where you can have Netsex with a fish.
}}</ref>
<ref name="kitchindodge">{{cite book
 | last1 = Kitchin
 | first1 = Rob
 | last2 = Dodge
 | first2 = Martin
 | title = Atlas of Cyberspace
 | year = 2002
 | publisher = Pearson Education
 | isbn = 0-201-74575-5
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/atlasofcyberspac0000dodg/page/188 188]
 | quote = Like the Discworld MUD, FurryMUCK regularly has over 150 players online [...]
 | url = https://archive.org/details/atlasofcyberspac0000dodg/page/188
 }}</ref>
<!--
<ref name="busey">{{cite book
 | last = Busey | first = Andrew
 | title = Secrets of the MUD Wizards
 | publisher = [[SAMS Publishing]]
 | year = 1995
 | isbn = 0-672-30723-5
 | pages = 95
 | quote = In fact, some MUDs have gained a reputation for being a good place to go if you want to have MUD sex with a character&mdash;kind of like Internet pick-up spots.  FurryMUCK, discussed in Chapter 3&mdash;remember the anthropomorphic animals?&mdash;has this reputation.
}}</ref>
-->
<ref name="baldwin">{{cite journal
 | last = Baldwin | first = Denis
 | date = August 2006
 | title = Walk With the Animals: Local furries explain it's not about perversion, furpiles and plush
 | journal = Ann Arbor Paper
 | volume = 2
 | issue = 1
 | url = http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html
 | access-date = 2007-02-02
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070204003446/http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html
 | archive-date = 2007-02-04
}}</ref>
<ref name="benediktciskowski">{{cite book
 | last1 = Benedikt | first1 = Claire Lisette
 | last2 = Ciskowski | first2 = Dave
 | year = 1995
 | title = MUDs: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet
 | publisher = BradyGames
 | isbn = 1-56686-246-9
 | pages = 83
 | quote = The largest social nexus of FurryMUCK is the West Corner of the Central Park.
}}</ref>
<ref name="netgames-wcotp">{{cite book
 | 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/209 209]
 | quote = The wizards frequently have to scold people who have wandered into G-rated West Corner of the Park on sex-based escapades.
 | url = https://archive.org/details/netgamesyourguid00malo/page/209
 }}</ref>
<ref name="wcotp">{{cite web
 | url = http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/West_Corner_Of_the_Park_(comic)
 | title = West Corner of the Park
 | access-date = 2016-10-29
}}</ref>
<ref name="mitchell">{{cite web
 | last = Mitchell | first = Don
 | date = March 23, 1995
 | title = From MUDs To Virtual Worlds
 | work = Social Computing Group, Microsoft
 | url = http://research.microsoft.com/research/scg/papers/3DVW.htm
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051113010438/http://research.microsoft.com/research/scg/papers/3DVW.htm
 | archive-date = 2005-11-13
 | access-date = 2008-09-08
}}</ref>
<ref name="frenger">{{cite journal
 | last = Frenger | first = Paul
 | date = September 1998
 | title = MUCKing Around With Forth
 | journal = [[ACM SIGPLAN Notices]]
 | volume = 33
 | issue = 9
 | pages = 20–24
 | doi = 10.1145/290229.290233
| s2cid = 5625114
 | doi-access = free
 }}</ref>
<ref name="bralick1">{{cite book
 | last1 = Bralick | first1 = William A.
 | last2 = Robinson | first2 = John S.
 | year = 1994
 | chapter = Using a Multi-User Dialogue system to support software engineering distance education
 | title = Software Engineering Education
 | volume = 750/1994
 | publisher = Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
 | isbn = 978-3-540-57461-3
 | pages = 565–582
}}</ref>
<ref name="smith">{{cite web
 | last = Smith | first = Tina
 | date = December 25, 2000
 | title = The History of FurryMUCK
 | url = http://www.felis.org/FurryHistory/
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010506015528/http://felis.org/FurryHistory/
 | archive-date = 2001-05-06
 | access-date = 2008-09-21
}}</ref>
<ref name="stamper">{{cite news
 |last=Stamper 
 |first=Chris 
 |date=March 29, 1996 
 |title=Furry Muckity-Muck 
 |publisher=The Netly News 
 |url=http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html 
 |access-date=2007-02-08 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927162630/http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html 
 |archive-date=2007-09-27 
}}</ref>
<ref name="newitz">{{cite news
 | last = Newitz | first = Annalee | author-link = Annalee Newitz
 | title = Furries of the Valley
 | publisher = [[Metro Silicon Valley|Metro]]
 | date = December 9–15, 1999
 | url = http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/12.09.99/work-9949.html
 | access-date = 2007-02-08
}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=qfQvOwca5PwC&dq=%22FurryMUCK%22&pg=PA86 ''The Players'' Realm]. p.&nbsp;86. [[McFarland & Company|McFarland]].
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=kB-EAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22FurryMUCK%22&pg=PA129 ''Communities in Cyberspace'']. pp.&nbsp;129–. [[Routledge]]. {{subscription required}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=fuhSAAAAMAAJ&q=%22FurryMUCK%22 ''Atlas of Cyberspace''] pp.&nbsp;187–188. [[Addison-Wesley]] {{subscription required}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=1WxFAAAAYAAJ&q=%22FurryMUCK%22 ''Net Games'']. p.&nbsp;209, 228. [[Random House|Random House Information Group]]. {{subscription required}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=XHFYAAAAYAAJ&q=%22FurryMUCK%22 ''Internet Virtual Worlds Quick Tour'']. pp.&nbsp;109–. Ventana Press. {{subscription required}}
* [https://archive.org/details/activereaderstra0000hend <!-- quote="FurryMUCK". --> ''The Active Reader: Strategies for Academic Reading and Writing'']. pp.&nbsp;426–427. [[Oxford University Press]]. {{subscription required}}
*[https://archive.org/details/mac_Internet_Starter_Kit_for_Macintosh_2nd_Edition_1994 <!-- quote="FurryMUCK". --> ''Internet starter kit for Macintosh'']. p.&nbsp;65, pp.&nbsp;115–116. [[Hayden Books]]. {{subscription required}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=5SlNQrQdO0EC&q=%22FurryMUCK%22 ''Internet Starter Kit for Windows'']. p.&nbsp;63, p.&nbsp;81, p.&nbsp;105 {{subscription required}}

==External links==
* [http://www.furrymuck.com/ Official web site]
* [[WikiFur:FurryMUCK|FurryMUCK]] on [[WikiFur]]

{{Furry fandom}}
{{MUDs}}

[[Category:Furry fandom]]
[[Category:MU* games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]