[Steerpike]

I have a feeling that the answer here is going to be different for most muds compared to Threshold. Given that most other muds are going to have a greater pool of developers to call on it increases the likelyhood that one of them is going to find a particular older area so frustrating that they volunteer to rewrite it. Not such an option for the solo developer who I imagine busts a gut just trying to get enough new stuff into the game at the rates players tend to expect (demand?) it.

Personally, rather than full rewriting, I'm more of a fan of the choice 'product placement' style of updating. Is there an area made after the initial area that the original npcs shoul now be aware of and comment on? Is there a particular object in the area that some much newer npc covets (opening up opputunities to improve the object without having to overhaul the area). When developing I constantly have to remind myself that it's not always the enormous, sweeping changes that influence players the most - sometimes it's the tiniest lines that connect two previously unrelated areas or npcs that capture the players imaginations and give them something to run with.

I think that kind of rewriting can be done easily, quickly and by a single coder and has the greatest possible impact for effort.