In response to the OP, I recently posted my thoughts at WGfriends, and...

To sum it up, I wouldn't have ever discovered the world of muds if it wasn't through a famous, populated, graphic-client-enriched mud, which is Achaea.

The nicely designed, colorful client helped to balance the influx of text without overwhelming me. But it still took me a few months to dedicate myself to the game. I kept coming back, getting repulsed, and coming back again with greater determination.
Even though I no longer play Achaea, for me it was a gateway, a gentle teacher, and an enlightening messenger.

Perhaps you could use this information to bring in more players from the netherworld?