Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

Aeran · 11-06-2007, 08:02 AM

Armed with I was ready to explore something new and create the ultimate super MUD

. Then I realized there are hundreds of similar MUDs out there. If I was to make a MUD it would most likely suck. Most likely noone would want to play it. Who wants to play a text game, anyway? Not that it really matters

.

Eventually you reach the requirements analysis of your little game project. A MUD needs dungeons. A MUD needs mobiles and combat. There's objects, skills and some kind of rule system. You realize what you just wrote down is pretty basic and probably covers 98% of the MUDs out there. Perhaps this is about atomic design elements? Perhaps the truth is that a game is an emergent system with many basic elements? Maybe there is a need to reach beyond the basic to find an unique design. Eventually you reach a massive list of requirements(and you realize the list will probably continue to grow as you work on other parts).

Then you begin write a story to tie the system to. A story that perhaps will give you ideas on how to proceed to make the ultimate MUD. A week later you read a book and notice it is almost the very same story/plot as the one you just made up

. What you realize is that there aren't many really unique designs you like left.

Then you happen to mention your project to some friends just to get told how poor text games are, and that you should be doing 3D or simply come play some existing game with them.

Right now I am uncertain what to do. Should I proceed with my text game, knowing it might help me improve my coding and possibly be able to make a decent game? Though most likely it would have close to no players. The alternative is to start study 3D game programming but it would probably result in a very poor game with poor graphics quality.

Am I the only one who has started to feel like it is a bit hopeless? Few people seem to want to play text games today, and even if you make a text game it wouldn't really be anything new. In text games you have chance to compete a bit but then again there are MUDs out there with >10 years of improvements on them.

Perhaps the solution is just to do what you find fun, and don't care too much about what others are doing or their opinion about your project?

11-06-2007, 08:02 AM	#1
Aeran Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 208	A MUD from scratch Armed with I was ready to explore something new and create the ultimate super MUD . Then I realized there are hundreds of similar MUDs out there. If I was to make a MUD it would most likely suck. Most likely noone would want to play it. Who wants to play a text game, anyway? Not that it really matters . Eventually you reach the requirements analysis of your little game project. A MUD needs dungeons. A MUD needs mobiles and combat. There's objects, skills and some kind of rule system. You realize what you just wrote down is pretty basic and probably covers 98% of the MUDs out there. Perhaps this is about atomic design elements? Perhaps the truth is that a game is an emergent system with many basic elements? Maybe there is a need to reach beyond the basic to find an unique design. Eventually you reach a massive list of requirements(and you realize the list will probably continue to grow as you work on other parts). Then you begin write a story to tie the system to. A story that perhaps will give you ideas on how to proceed to make the ultimate MUD. A week later you read a book and notice it is almost the very same story/plot as the one you just made up . What you realize is that there aren't many really unique designs you like left. Then you happen to mention your project to some friends just to get told how poor text games are, and that you should be doing 3D or simply come play some existing game with them. Right now I am uncertain what to do. Should I proceed with my text game, knowing it might help me improve my coding and possibly be able to make a decent game? Though most likely it would have close to no players. The alternative is to start study 3D game programming but it would probably result in a very poor game with poor graphics quality. Am I the only one who has started to feel like it is a bit hopeless? Few people seem to want to play text games today, and even if you make a text game it wouldn't really be anything new. In text games you have chance to compete a bit but then again there are MUDs out there with >10 years of improvements on them. Perhaps the solution is just to do what you find fun, and don't care too much about what others are doing or their opinion about your project?