Before computers and the Internet, fantasy role-playing games were played on a physical game board and often involved 20-sided dice. Some players even liked to physically enact their drama. With the development of computers and the Internet there have been vast improvements in game technology. Currently, there are literally hundreds of games written to run on a website independent of application code that must be installed.
MUD is an acronym which stands for "Multiple User Dungeon" and is now somewhat synonymous with the more popular term, RPG. A RPG (role-playing game) is a game genre where the player controls the actions of a protagonist (or several adventuring party members) immersed in a fictional world. Many role-playing video games have origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, and use much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replay-ability and immersion. The electronic medium removes the necessity for a game-master and increases combat resolution speed. RPGs have evolved from simple text-based console-window games into visually rich 3D experiences. A common criteria for whether a game is an "RPG" is whether the game has a complex storyline, and whether the character goes through different places, fighting bosses and communicating with both friends and enemies.