Looking for some awesome MUD servers...

dear world4ch,

I have been a fan of online fantasy games, although the vast amount of MMORPG(s) out there doesn't appeal to me much, mainly due to the ridiculous amount of grinding required. So I was wondering, if there's any MUD servers out there that are awesome, and would usually have loads of people online at any time (to ask for help and simple tips, because it's faster to learn stuffs as a n00b that way)? I used to play DominiaMUD (loved the simplicity and the quests, though nobody gets online there anymore).

And on another hand, anyone know of any special programs that would run MUD(s) better? Playing them on Telnet is a bitch, and I forgot what's the name of that program I used to have on my old computer, that has various hotkey functions, stat page, customizable text/background colors that runs MUD(s).

if there's any MUD servers out there that are awesome

No. They all suck. Badly.

The ones with the good ideas are underpopulated. The few with a high population are generic. The largest ones (ie, the Ironrealms ones) are total treadmills designed to get $$$ out of you to be competitive against the mostly bot-like population. Oh yeah, you'll need to learn how to code in order to be competitive.

And on another hand, anyone know of any special programs that would run MUD(s) better?

I like MUSHclient the most, although most people seem to go for zMud.

Realms of Despair: http://www.game.org/

It's generic, but there are tons of people on. It gets boring after awhile, but something about it keeps me coming back year after year.

Try Discworld MUD.  I can't recall the address off the top of my head, but it's a great mud.