[MUD-Dev] Replacement For MUD Acronym

[Skaei at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/12/2002 3:54:56 AM Central Standard Time, 
luke at rocketship.com writes:

> The thing is, MUD parser is way inferior to most IF games, and the
> theme tends to be way less elegant.

> MUDs are stuck back in the Colossal Cave days. The whole purpose
> of MIF should be to get people together in imaginative,
> thought-provoking, mature (I'm NOT referring to sexual, but mental
> maturity) environments. I know, MUD/MUSH/MUCK is a sort of joke,
> but it's soooo old, and it's lost on newcomers to the concept. In
> fact, I think it leaves a negative impression on the type of
> people that can really write good fiction. It sounds like
> something you'd just slap together and add water.

I'd have to disagree with some if not all of these statements.
MU*'s are most certainly capable of providing "imaginative,
thought-provoking, mature" environment.  The true question is "Do
the majority of MU* developers take the time to create such an
environment"? Unfortunately, I would say the answer is no.  But
please don't blame MU*'s for lousy development.  And no, I don't
think MUD's are stuck back in the Colossal Cave days for everyone.

I would agree with you on possibly adopting a new acronym.  I do
agree that MU*'s in some part have received a negative stereotype.
I think that has to do a lot with Little Johnnys and Janes grabbing
a hold of a stock code, begging Mom and dad for some money, finding
a server, installing all of the same snippits and area files that
can be found, getting the game up and running, adminning the game in
an immature manner which reflects their young age, and then pulling
the game down when Mom and dad won't give them any more money. *Note
- There are some fantastic young people out there and the above
comments are not directed at ALL young people.

> What I've found is a monotonous but addicting orc-killing routine
> that you >have to follow to gain points and gold to level so you
> can go to the >more interesting areas without getting killed.

Again, I would challenge this as a design issue and not blame it on
the fact it is a MU*.

> I have yet to play a MU* I haven't come away with the feeling that
> I just wasted a lot of time.

I would agree that this would be the case in the majority of MU*'s
but not because they are a MU*.  Again, back to the design issue.

> Why can't MUDs be designed to reverse these problems rather than
> increase them?

And now you've got it!  I think that MUD's can be designed in such a
way. I also think that in order to "compete" for a portion of the
player market share so to speak, that more MUD's will have to be
designed that way.

Chris






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