[DonathinFrye]

I actually agree here, but I don't agree that it's impossible to create a focused professional text-based RPG nowadays. Challenging, yes. You have to basically build your own engine out of something without the restrictive licenses of the big, creaky engines. In some ways, this is a good thing: starting from scratch allows you to take your experiences as a developer and improve on the way text-based RPGs are played.

There are, and always have been, quality free-to-play MUDs. There are, and always have been, lower quality professional MUDs. If you are capable of marketing intelligently (finding a way to not only reach your target player-base in the current community but beyond the current community), executing professional level design and programming, developing a rich and interactive world that redefines the MUDing experience, spend your time actively engaging players in immersive story and plot that exceeds what free games can offer due to their voluntary basis (which is the major factor behind the burn-out of proactive administration), keep your paid staff at a supportable number, find a means to make use of volunteers on a short-term and fair basis to fill in some of your administrative needs, and create a fair and viable monetization system for your project, I absolutely believe that you can create a professional MUD.

It's just a lot to consider, and (like all professional projects) is going to require some start-up capital and the right team of people. It wouldn't be easy, but it is possible.