How can I indulge my MUD habit on the road?

November 27, 2008 6:28 PM

What is the cheapest and easiest way to telnet from a mobile device (such as a blackberry or cell phone) so I can play a MUD on the go?

I saw a previous post regarding Windows Mobile, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. I live in Japan and want a way to make the boring train ride to work a bit more tolerable. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I'd like to know what kind of up front and recurring costs I'm looking at, and would also like to hear thoughts on which system people seem to like best (Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.). I've already looked into using an iPod touch, but something that relies on wifi hotspots is useless for me, as I'd like to be able to play on the train or at work when I'm not busy.

posted by GoingToShopping to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Windows Mobile + PocketPuTTY works for my SSH needs. It has telnet support, also.
posted by doowod at 6:59 PM on November 27, 2008

I use MidpSSH for my remote nerdcraft.
posted by scruss at 7:17 PM on November 27, 2008

I find telnet or ssh via cell phone networks to add lots of random pauses and disconnects. Ive had good luck with EVDO here in the states but EDGE/GPRS always gives me problems. There are lots of telnet/ssh implementations out there, but I think the deciding factor will be how good the cell network in your area is.

The real issue is that MUDs require a fair amount of accurate typing, so you should go with something with a nice roomy keyboard. I could see using a treo or blackberry 88xx keyboard, but not an iphone or small form factor phone keyboard.

Personally, I like windows mobile because there's a lot of software for it, but there are lots of telnet implementions out there, usually more than one for each platform.

I think the best thing to do is go with a cell phone contract that lets you "test drive" it for a month and see how well it fits your needs.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:26 PM on November 27, 2008

Sorry guys, I should clarify something. I'm not concerned with software in the least, just with hardware and data plans and such.
DDA, thanks very much for your reply; the size of the keys isn't really something I'd considered, but you're absolutely right about avoiding a small form factor device. Fortunately, I play on a circle mud and not a DIKU (3 Kingdoms in case anyone was wondering), and my guild in particular is known for ease of play and durability. Combat continues automatically without any commands being input after "kill x," and since it's primarily a tank guild, I don't have to worry about losing my connection and reconnecting to find myself dead. In fact, the only thing I need to do is input a command every five minutes so I don't go idle and stop getting xp and stuff. That said, I'd gladly sacrifice ease of typing for a significant reduction in price.
posted by GoingToShopping at 1:24 AM on November 28, 2008

I should have added that I run MidpSSH on a Blackberry Curve; I have unlimited data, so don't notice any costs. Works okay, but special chars are a pain.
posted by scruss at 4:20 AM on November 28, 2008

There are telnet and SSH clients for the iPhone, like iSSH. It works pretty well.
posted by paulg at 6:40 AM on November 28, 2008