[KaVir]

Ah, see, I'm the opposite. When I want to roleplay, I play a tabletop roleplaying game (I've done live action in the past as well, but that requires a lot more effort and organisation). I guess if I moved to another town and couldn't find a new local group, I might be tempted to play online with a small group of real-life friends, but only as a last resort - and only as a means of communicating, using a private talker rather than a mud.

On the other hand I play muds because I want an online game where I can interact with other players, with mechanics and competitive gameplay, challenges and goals, combat and puzzles.

MMORPGs are muds as well, and I don't really view them any differently from a roleplaying perspective - in my opinion the quality of roleplaying depends on the participants rather than the medium.

But to get back to the original question, which I realise I never really answered: The thing that turns me away from roleplaying on muds is the people and the medium. I like roleplaying with real-life friends, and I like to interact with them in person. Sitting alone in front of a computer and emoting with anonymous strangers really doesn't do it for me.