How to connect

Valhalla is a text game, so you need something that can send and receive lines of text. The quickest option is the browser client; a dedicated MUD client is nicer for long sessions.

Browser client

Open the web client

Nothing to install. The client has a themed view and a screen reader client that keeps the game output in a plain, linear log.

Telnet

Connect to valhalla.com on port 4242. Port 4240 also works.

telnet valhalla.com 4242

Telnet is unencrypted: your password travels in plain text. On a shared network, prefer the browser client, which uses a secure connection.

Secure WebSocket

The browser client talks to the game over a secure WebSocket at wss://valhalla.com:4280/echo. One command per message, one message per line of output. If you are writing your own client, the wire format is described in PROTOCOL.md.

MUD clients

Mudlet

Create a new profile with host valhalla.com and port 4242. Mudlet is free and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

TinTin++

TinTin++ is a free terminal client for Linux, macOS and Windows. Start it and open a session:

#session valhalla valhalla.com 4242

TinTin++ runs in a terminal, which makes it a good fit for screen readers.

Screen-reader tips

• In the browser, use the screen reader client. New game text is appended at the end of the log, so reading from the bottom up finds the latest output.
• A terminal client such as TinTin++ keeps everything in one scrolling text stream, which many JAWS and NVDA users find easiest to follow.
• In the game, type help for the help index. Type brief to shorten room descriptions once you know an area.

These tips are a first draft and will be reviewed by the game's administrators.