[Ferreh]

Thank you for starting a new thread on this, I've lost track of the other.

I would be disappointed to see a search option which included the word professional. In the same way I am not in favor of a game receiving a rating labeled "A" just because it is free, I would not like to see a game labeled "professional" just because it earns money. I've seen my fair share of inexpert management on pay games as well.

These are the connotations that are being introduced here and I think it would be an insult to the intelligence of those in favor of these distinctions to say it's completely unintentional. Given a choice between "professional" and anything else, anything else becomes UNprofessional. Amateur. Dabbler. Novice.

As was said, if the point is to help the prospective player to determine that a game is stable, they can look at the creation date, the online status, and if they think it factors, the commercial option when that comes in. If that's not the point... then I feel that a "professional" distinction in the mud search is only going to serve to make big games bigger. I can't fault anyone for that, but if this "community" is anything more than a cutthroat venue where we're all out to push our own interests and absolutely nothing more - I think we need to be more generally considerate of the tone and implication of the things we're suggesting. To sum up - keep the language neutral.

Regarding all the suggestions in this thread and the other, I'd like to share my mother's most sage advice with a KISS. Keep it simple. As (mostly) devs, you'll be aware of the concept of value for time spent on a project. I don't think adding another half-dozen options to the advanced search is going to be incredibly useful to new players. If you're simply looking for a way to ensure that your game comes up at the top of a page in a search, I've found a for you. My two cents and then some.

Ferreh