[Molly]

I not only love small Muds, I run one myself. (Small in the meaning of players, of course, our world is a really big one).

What I particularly like about the smaller Muds is the close-knit community, almost like a family. Everybody knows each other, for better or for worse, and every player can potentially put their mark on the world. In a smaller Mud there is also a lot less crowding in the zones; for instance you don't need to wait for some key mob to repop because someone else has killed it. And above all, it is a lot less spammy. Strictly RP enforced Muds may not get that problem, since they have no globals channels, but I once tested a couple of the bigger Muds on the list, and the spam on the open channels and in the main meeting place drove me away after a very short while.

A smaller Playerbase has both advantages and drawbacks of course. Single player conflicts often spread to involve half the Mud, and can lead to Clan Wars. This adds to the fun sometimes, but there are also times when I think the Mud resembles a bad soap opera, with all the Drama going on.

The biggest disadvantage is of course the fluctuations in the playerbase, for instance the low tide during summer vacation, which I think all Muds experience. With a small Mud these fluctuation get a lot more noticeable, and of course leaves you more vulnerable, since there is a 'critical mass' that you need to maintain. New players don't tend to stay very long if the mud is next to empty. Also some events would work out better if there were more players to interact with.

We have never catered for the masses in 4D, and over the years our pbase has remained pretty stable, although it has dwindled somewhat during the last years. It seems that the inflow of new players is not as big nowadays, as it used to be. I'd like it to remain small, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to see at least 10 more players on line at peak time. After all, what we've got to offer is so good that I think more players should experience it.