[MUD-Dev] Re: Dynamic muds

[Colin Coghill]

ryan wrote:
> 
> Admins - Have you done this system and found it to be successful with builders
> a/o players?

I am investigating this currently with my own MUD, and the other major
developer seems
very keen for this. From experience, finding good builders who would
keep with this
and not just be lazy will be *very* hard to find. 

We also have a rule that anything
mentioned in a room description (the mountains lie to the north) should
at least
respond sensibly to "look at mountains", if not more.

I don't feel at all confident of finding builders who would keep to this
level
of detail, either in changing room descriptions depending on
circumstances, or
the level of detail thing, although I'm sure some must exist.
 
> Players - How much of an addition do you think dynamic rooms are to the
> atmosphere of the game?

For me, they add a terrific amount. Even if it's only night/day or
snow/no snow.
I'd love to see a mud that gets this kind of dynamic room descriptions
right. 

It just adds more to the "being there" aspect of the game, which is what
often 
puts me off seemingly otherwise good muds. (when rooms are full of typos
and describe
things which I then can't look at or otherwise interact with, it doesn't
really matter 
how good the rest of the game is, IMHO.)

> These are the questions which I am looking for answers to, as they are most
> important in this developmental step of my mud.

I wish you luck, as the quality of room descriptions and their changing
with the
environment is something that would add a significant amount to a MUD, I
feel.

The only solution I can think of right now to get builders to actually
follow this
level of detail (assuming they're generally keen) is to make it as easy
as possible
for them, then make it even easier. The less work they have to do to do
it properly",
the better IMHO.

- Colin
--
Colin Coghill   ICQ#8108509 |
http://kcbbs.gen.nz/~colin  |       The sleeper must awaken!
C.Coghill at auckland.ac.nz    |
----------------------------+------------------------------------
                                     Campaigning for 4 line .sigs



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