[MUD-Dev] Re: State of the art?

[J C Lawrence]

On Wed, 17 Feb 1999 18:58:41 -0800 
David Bennett<ddt at discworld.imaginary.com> wrote:

> I don't think this is totaly true.  Most muds which are successful
> are definately different to stock muds.  They had a style or idea of
> their own which makes them successful.  In some cases it might be as
> simple as the theme, in others it would be a more complicated
> relation between theme and things like skills/races/eye catching.

Some level of difference is of course essential -- "differentiation"
to put it in marketing terms.  The challenge is to name MUDs in the
last 10 years which were fundamentally different to the "stock muds"
of their day, and which were successful in terms of player base and
player activity.  There are several immediate examples by reputation
(eg Discworld) that never made it in terms of player base however.
There are a few (precious few) that did both, and I'd be interested in
what others think cuts this grade.

> By far and away the biggest draw of people to a mud is word of
> mouth.  Once people have heard of your mud, more people start
> coming, which causes even more people to come.  And so it goes on.
> I think being different and oddball at the start is actually a
> catcher, rather than something which turns people off.

Discworld?  Trash?  Tron?  Mume?

Too much difference and the unfamiliarity drives off the players.  Too
little and you're automatically an also-ran.

  Consider: What would happen if you tried to sell a 1999 luxury car
(take your pick, a Lexus, or Mercedes perhaps) back in the market and
public of 1959.  Would it sell more than single digits?

--
J C Lawrence                              Internet: claw at kanga.nu
----------(*)                            Internet: coder at kanga.nu
...Honorary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...


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