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).
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