bugs (was RE: [MUD-Dev] players who "take away from the game")

[Adam Wiggins]

On Tue, 16 Nov 1999, Holly Sommer wrote:
> The best tool I've found is having an anonymous mortal, to roam the 
> ethereal plains, so to speak. You find out what your players are really 
> thinking, and it also keeps you in touch with how the game really plays, 
> etc.

Yes, yes, yes.  This is more than just a tool - I consider it a must.
The best muds are always ones that their creators play, and even enjoy.
Granted, it's a very different experience when you were the one that created
it, but otherwise you lose touch with how things really work "in the trenches".
One of the best muds I ever played was AnotherMUD, not because of the quality
of the code or the areas, but because all three of the implementors played
mortal characters on a very regular basis and were able to tune the game
balance better than any mud I'd seen before or since.

And perhaps this is coincidence, but they were also the most relaxed about
enforcing rules and policies there.  As a result, the mud had a very
friendly and approachable feel to it.  Instead of the creating something
and then chucking it at potential players, as many mud admins seem to do,
they instead created something that *they* really enjoyed playing, and
invited others to share their work.  In the end, it IS just supposed to
be fun, after all!

Adam W.





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