Newbie Help

ReTak · 05-21-2002, 08:08 PM

alright, im not sure if this is for getting started mudding like the basic command or if there is a forum for new admins to post questions, but i am a newbie at adminning so i guess this can go here for now?
alright, my question, to all those experienced admins out there, is how did you get started? how did you get word of mouth out about your mud? how did you go about hiring/recruiting people to build or imm? how is your staff structured? how did you get players? im new to this, and could use the experience of some of you older players. my mud is in need of beta testing, so i would like some players to come around and try'n crash me so i can fix all the bugs that pop up.

your knowledge and wisdom are appreciated.

Re'Tak of RavenGuard

btw, if you want to take a peek, the addy is telnet://ravenguard.pc.ashlandfiber.net:4000

thelenian · 05-21-2002, 10:16 PM

First of all, always remember to post the codebase of the MUD you're running when asking for help of any kind. You'll also want to include the genre (RP, HnS, etc) and setting (medieval, futuristic, stone age, etc).

As for getting the word out, posting ads in forums such as this one is a good way to get started. Take care, however, to observe the forum rules of netiquette, and don't attempt to mislead people. If your MUD is not RP intensive, for instance, do not list "RP instensive" as a feature of the MUD (this is probably the most common advert abuse).

You may not want to hear this, as it's simply my personal view, but please do extensive research before attempting to open your own MUD, especially if you're going to be using a cookie cutter codebase (one where either the major game systems, areas, or both come as part of the stock distribution, and "customization" consists mainly of public domain snippets. Diku and its derivatives would be the most notorious examples of this type of codebase). Draft an outline of exactly what your MUD will offer that can't be found elsewhere. In other words, honestly ask yourself "Will the MUDding community benefit from the MUD I'm hoping to create?" If the MUD has nothing original to offer, then the answer is almost certainly "no", and you should head back to the drawing board.

Good luck in your endeavor. I'm sure that all experienced MUD admins will agree with me when I say that you'll need it

.

sabia · 06-13-2002, 10:08 PM

Definately make use of the major forums, such as this one

, Kyndig, and TMC...you can post advertisements on all of them for staff, and for beta players. Having someone who's knowledgable about website building and a bit of PR helps as well, since you can have them create everything you need to get your name out there. If you want to handle the PR yourself, make yourself an informative, and interesting website that has all the information you think a player might want to know. Then start spreading the word through the community, by using the websites above, because they really are great resources for us all. As for recruiting staff, make sure that when you're looking at people, that you can work well with that person, that they have exactly what you need for your game(so you need to have an idea of what you need before you go looking).
Starting your own game is a long, drawn-out process, and you'll learn a lot as you go along. You'll also make mistakes, but by keeping up with the forums, and being a part of the community, you'll hopefully be able to learn from someone else's.

Good Luck!

05-21-2002, 08:08 PM	#1
ReTak New Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 9	alright, im not sure if this is for getting started mudding like the basic command or if there is a forum for new admins to post questions, but i am a newbie at adminning so i guess this can go here for now? alright, my question, to all those experienced admins out there, is how did you get started? how did you get word of mouth out about your mud? how did you go about hiring/recruiting people to build or imm? how is your staff structured? how did you get players? im new to this, and could use the experience of some of you older players. my mud is in need of beta testing, so i would like some players to come around and try'n crash me so i can fix all the bugs that pop up. your knowledge and wisdom are appreciated. Re'Tak of RavenGuard btw, if you want to take a peek, the addy is telnet://ravenguard.pc.ashlandfiber.net:4000

05-21-2002, 10:16 PM	#2
thelenian Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 122	First of all, always remember to post the codebase of the MUD you're running when asking for help of any kind. You'll also want to include the genre (RP, HnS, etc) and setting (medieval, futuristic, stone age, etc). As for getting the word out, posting ads in forums such as this one is a good way to get started. Take care, however, to observe the forum rules of netiquette, and don't attempt to mislead people. If your MUD is not RP intensive, for instance, do not list "RP instensive" as a feature of the MUD (this is probably the most common advert abuse). You may not want to hear this, as it's simply my personal view, but please do extensive research before attempting to open your own MUD, especially if you're going to be using a cookie cutter codebase (one where either the major game systems, areas, or both come as part of the stock distribution, and "customization" consists mainly of public domain snippets. Diku and its derivatives would be the most notorious examples of this type of codebase). Draft an outline of exactly what your MUD will offer that can't be found elsewhere. In other words, honestly ask yourself "Will the MUDding community benefit from the MUD I'm hoping to create?" If the MUD has nothing original to offer, then the answer is almost certainly "no", and you should head back to the drawing board. Good luck in your endeavor. I'm sure that all experienced MUD admins will agree with me when I say that you'll need it .

06-13-2002, 10:08 PM	#3
sabia New Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 15	Definately make use of the major forums, such as this one , Kyndig, and TMC...you can post advertisements on all of them for staff, and for beta players. Having someone who's knowledgable about website building and a bit of PR helps as well, since you can have them create everything you need to get your name out there. If you want to handle the PR yourself, make yourself an informative, and interesting website that has all the information you think a player might want to know. Then start spreading the word through the community, by using the websites above, because they really are great resources for us all. As for recruiting staff, make sure that when you're looking at people, that you can work well with that person, that they have exactly what you need for your game(so you need to have an idea of what you need before you go looking). Starting your own game is a long, drawn-out process, and you'll learn a lot as you go along. You'll also make mistakes, but by keeping up with the forums, and being a part of the community, you'll hopefully be able to learn from someone else's. Good Luck!

Newbie Help

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