Search for MinGW, assuming you're on Windows.
17 and a half days. Actually, there's no good way of estimating such a thing. Altering the formula behind the combat system is generally trivial while altering it in its entirety is not, and how long it all takes you will depend on how quick a learner you are, how much you understand besides the code (eg. combat systems are statistical in nature... how well do you understand that area?) and just how much work you're trying to complete. As for coding rooms and classes, most MUDs don't require any code to edit these anyway.
There are several different systems used by MUDs so any advanced guide you may or may not find, may not apply to the system you're working with. There is at least one MUD programming book but I have no idea about its quality and I expect it does not deal with any particular type of existing MUD system in depth.
Personally, if I wanted to make a MUD with all those systems being unique, I'd start from scratch, and I wouldn't use the C programming language. But there are no limitations on what you use. Any program that you have the code to, can eventually be edited into any other program. It's just that you'll save yourself some time if you pick something closer to what you want for the end result.
|