I've been away/free from CF for about two years - and upon checking the forums I saw thieves were updated (i'd only been waiting 6 years!) and rolled one up.

What drove me away before was the elitism of the game, the cliques in chatrooms exchanging ooc tips and imms creating super characters that knew where everything was, knew all the mechanics, and had no qualms enjoying the fruits of their hard work.

I came back to a mud that has more clearly defined what info improves gameplay and what should be up to you to discover. Discovery is fun, death frustration and helplessness are not.

There are more roads, more signs, invis is meaningful, money is more meaningful, maxing skills is harder, and more things to discover - both easy and hard.

The players have been a mix of haughty newbie-feeders, typical pk'ers, arrogant supreme rp'ers, and polite semi-newbies. The ratios are just better now.

The thieves are awesome, and with any class I feel I'm able to compete in any fight despite being so ignorant that I dared get attacked without my barrier wands zapped up first.

sometimes progress isn't all about technology!