Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

Reveries · 02-25-2010, 12:16 PM

Thanks everyone, further proof of that friendly community I have been enjoying.

Next question I suppose is whats the difference between role play enforced and intensive? If role play is enforced surely everyone is doing it?
What I am I suppose looking for is an in depth role playing experience, I love collective story telling and world building. Combat is fine but should not be the focus, pvp is fine and occasionally necessary but not my main interest. That said the notion of perminant death does not bother me in the least.

At a glance it looks like Shadows of Isildur is what I want to be playing. I adore a conflict heavy setting that finds story paramount. Might be a little complex for a total newb but I will give it a go. Failing that, I really have seen a lot of great muds and I'll keep trying them till I find the one that suits me.

All said I can see that once I find my feet I am going to have a lot of fun.

Edit: Thanks for the advice Fifi and Prof. I also looked at Arm, but I think I am going to give SOI a go, if it does not work for me I will keep Atonement in mind.

Warning : Below I digress a lot, likely more interesting to mud staff/admin than players.

The below are just observations from a new comer, not criticisms I am sure mud admins know what they are doing

It simply feels that muds are aimed at mudders, if they were more open or simply more familiar I think more people would try them out. I truly believe I would have given up if I was not familiar with online role playing, communities and at least the principle if not the mechanics.

I wonder why unlike most graphical games muds generally do not offer "ooc" chat say through irc or a java platform? Even an alternate connection to the mud server just for chatter (so it can be logged). Most times people want to get a feel for the community, ask a few questions like - do you actually have players, what time is busiest etc -. The result of not having a separate place to communicate. Is a new player, logs into a new environment is bombarded with information, eventually finds out how to OOC talk but still feels entirely lost.
As soon as a new player meets a few veterans and they are nice folk and knows the basics it all feels less alien and imposing. It would also provide new players with a space to ask all manner of silly questions with out spamming up peoples game space?

Detailed new players manual, featuring key commands instead of referring constantly to help in game. It is a lot to remember and calling on help from inside the client simply adds confusion in some instances. Even for graphical projects one of the first jobs was an extensive game manual. In a perfect world a player should log in first time armed with all information needed to play. Other wise well,It all sort of plays out like this....

Newbie: Hello stranger
Stranger: Greetings fair newb welcome to the wondrous world of XXXX, please have this sword.
Newbie: Thank you kind stranger
Newbie: -help trade
System: -Wall of text that fiils the screen-
System: five people enter from the north
OOC: hey newbie your description is a little off but its cool

OOC: You know you can use zmote and \ to qmote.
OOC: Man you need to try the cool functions.
Newbie -ooc- : Thanks all is there is a list of commands some place.
OOC: Sure there is just type help list.
Stranger: Go on take the sword fair traveler....
Stranger2: Newbie how are you finding your time here.
Newbie: Help list
System: -wall of text-

This continues a little before I have managed to scroll most of the actual rp text off the screen, lost who is even talking to who and basically my brain has melted. All the while my only goal was too try and get a sense of the game lol

Similarly wikis, some games do this better than others make sure it covers as much as possible. Make sure I can find it!

Next forums.
Many muds lock their forums from even being viewed before you register. First place I check on any new game is the forums. Just to get a feel for the player base, if a forum is full of leet speak and cursing I know its not for me. Similarly if its wall to wall gripes.
Now we all fight the good fight against spam, I appreciate accounts need to be verified and that's cool. How ever if I cannot even browse the place while I wait, I am likely to move along.

I know this reads as long complaint, but I have spent years with online games and consequentially trying to get people to join, play, stick around. It simply feels that a lot of muds I have looked into or tried are hard to break into if you are not at home in a mud. If I feel that way, I am sure many do and so people don't become "mudders" or some such.

I appreciate all of these problems are fleeting and if one sticks it out, soon one knows all the commands and how to play. How ever if people don't stick around.....

02-25-2010, 12:16 PM	#6
Reveries New Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2	Re: The problem with muds Aka Hello Thanks everyone, further proof of that friendly community I have been enjoying. Next question I suppose is whats the difference between role play enforced and intensive? If role play is enforced surely everyone is doing it? What I am I suppose looking for is an in depth role playing experience, I love collective story telling and world building. Combat is fine but should not be the focus, pvp is fine and occasionally necessary but not my main interest. That said the notion of perminant death does not bother me in the least. At a glance it looks like Shadows of Isildur is what I want to be playing. I adore a conflict heavy setting that finds story paramount. Might be a little complex for a total newb but I will give it a go. Failing that, I really have seen a lot of great muds and I'll keep trying them till I find the one that suits me. All said I can see that once I find my feet I am going to have a lot of fun. Edit: Thanks for the advice Fifi and Prof. I also looked at Arm, but I think I am going to give SOI a go, if it does not work for me I will keep Atonement in mind. Warning : Below I digress a lot, likely more interesting to mud staff/admin than players. The below are just observations from a new comer, not criticisms I am sure mud admins know what they are doing It simply feels that muds are aimed at mudders, if they were more open or simply more familiar I think more people would try them out. I truly believe I would have given up if I was not familiar with online role playing, communities and at least the principle if not the mechanics. I wonder why unlike most graphical games muds generally do not offer "ooc" chat say through irc or a java platform? Even an alternate connection to the mud server just for chatter (so it can be logged). Most times people want to get a feel for the community, ask a few questions like - do you actually have players, what time is busiest etc -. The result of not having a separate place to communicate. Is a new player, logs into a new environment is bombarded with information, eventually finds out how to OOC talk but still feels entirely lost. As soon as a new player meets a few veterans and they are nice folk and knows the basics it all feels less alien and imposing. It would also provide new players with a space to ask all manner of silly questions with out spamming up peoples game space? Detailed new players manual, featuring key commands instead of referring constantly to help in game. It is a lot to remember and calling on help from inside the client simply adds confusion in some instances. Even for graphical projects one of the first jobs was an extensive game manual. In a perfect world a player should log in first time armed with all information needed to play. Other wise well,It all sort of plays out like this.... Newbie: Hello stranger Stranger: Greetings fair newb welcome to the wondrous world of XXXX, please have this sword. Newbie: Thank you kind stranger Newbie: -help trade System: -Wall of text that fiils the screen- System: five people enter from the north OOC: hey newbie your description is a little off but its cool OOC: You know you can use zmote and \ to qmote. OOC: Man you need to try the cool functions. Newbie -ooc- : Thanks all is there is a list of commands some place. OOC: Sure there is just type help list. Stranger: Go on take the sword fair traveler.... Stranger2: Newbie how are you finding your time here. Newbie: Help list System: -wall of text- This continues a little before I have managed to scroll most of the actual rp text off the screen, lost who is even talking to who and basically my brain has melted. All the while my only goal was too try and get a sense of the game lol Similarly wikis, some games do this better than others make sure it covers as much as possible. Make sure I can find it! Next forums. Many muds lock their forums from even being viewed before you register. First place I check on any new game is the forums. Just to get a feel for the player base, if a forum is full of leet speak and cursing I know its not for me. Similarly if its wall to wall gripes. Now we all fight the good fight against spam, I appreciate accounts need to be verified and that's cool. How ever if I cannot even browse the place while I wait, I am likely to move along. I know this reads as long complaint, but I have spent years with online games and consequentially trying to get people to join, play, stick around. It simply feels that a lot of muds I have looked into or tried are hard to break into if you are not at home in a mud. If I feel that way, I am sure many do and so people don't become "mudders" or some such. I appreciate all of these problems are fleeting and if one sticks it out, soon one knows all the commands and how to play. How ever if people don't stick around.....