View Single Post
Old 07-31-2010, 12:08 PM   #39
KaVir
Legend
 
KaVir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Name: Richard
Home MUD: God Wars II
Posts: 2,052
KaVir will become famous soon enoughKaVir will become famous soon enough
Re: The "Health," of Muds

I'm not talking of clients you must download, but of recommended clients for those looking to play (particularly first-time players). In the old days many muds didn't even bother with websites, and simply advertised a telnet address, but things are changing. Many players don't even take a mud seriously these days unless it has an attractive website with decent information about the mud, and if you're marketing at first-time mudders it makes a lot of sense to have a section describing how to connect.

A basic telnet client is not going to offer the same features as a dedicated mud client, so if you want newbies to have the best possible first experience, it makes sense to recommend a decent client. This is pretty common - I notice you do it as well, offering a Java client and recommending VIPMud and GMud.

However quite a few muds are starting to offer something a little more graphical for those who prefer it. This doesn't change the nature of the game, it's simply a prettier interface - you could even use graphics to emphasis the text-based nature of the mud for example, providing a parchment-coloured background within a frame designed like an ancient tome.

Either way, love it or hate it, it's becoming more popular. I'm guessing that in a decade or so people will view graphical interfaces in much the same way players today view ANSI colour (which was also opposed by many when people first started using it).
KaVir is offline   Reply With Quote