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Hades_Kane · 04-29-2014, 05:03 PM

Speaking as a MUD Admin, I actually like the "Try a New MUD Day" quite a bit. I think that within context of players from a particular MUD going to try another one, it will work itself out where they will likely pick the same one to try, organically creating migration of groups from MUD to MUD without having to encourage a particular MUD be the one visited.

My input on the mechanics of how this ought to work, and as a MUD Admin what I would particularly find appealing, would be for the "New MUDs" on the list be MUDs whose Admin(s) have specifically opted into participating. For those of you old enough to remember the "link exchange" fad from a nearly two decades ago, that's kind of what I am thinking. The MUDs who stand to benefit are also the ones taking the effort/risk by participating.

Participation would include there being a maintained list on TMS, the MUD Connector, and Mudbytes (even if just in a forum post, preferably a "stickied" post) of MUDs that are actively participating, along with a helpfile or some other list accessible either in game, on their website, or on their forum for the MUDs that are included. I am a moderator on both TMC and Mudbytes, and with the okay from the other moderators and/or site managers from those two sites, I would be happy to take point on helping create/maintain the list and help promote the event. The list could be as simple as something like:

End of Time - Final Fantasy based ROM; eotmud.com:4000
Bedlam - Graphical optional based fantasy custom game; mud.playbedlam.com:9000
etc.

The MUDs that participate would be obligated to include some measure of a reminder within the game that the "event" is coming up (I would personally add it to my MOTD and post at least a few notes leading up to it) and would also be encouraged to post some forum promotion posts that would serve both as a reminder for the event, and as a means to "sell" their MUD as the one people ought to hop on and try for the first time.

I've long held that greater collaboration and lessening the emphasis on competition between our games is one thing that could help the community as a whole, and this is something I feel stands a much greater chance of helping every MUD involved than potentially harming them.

As far as frequency, I personally feel like once a month might be too frequent and lose too much of the novelty of the idea, that a frequency that high might burn the idea out after a few months. Once a year might be too infrequent to keep people involved/interested, so somewhere in the middle there might be best to consider. Once every 3, 4, or 6 months (basically something that factors into 12, for 12 months in the year) might be a good rate... frequent enough to keep it fresh in people's minds, not frequent enough to where it's always going on, and most importantly, it gives the MUDs in question time to prepare for it. Again, personally speaking, I would aim to have a new and fresh event ready to run for levels 1-15 (or 1-20) and a series of other things meant to specifically cater to low level characters and players new to the game. This would serve two functions: put the game's best foot forward to impress new people coming into the game and cater the events toward newbie characters as to not necessarily influence/encourage older players / higher characters to stick around instead of participating by trying a new game.

Anyhow, I find the idea to be pretty exciting and wanted to throw my two cents in, along with declaring my willingness to participate.

04-29-2014, 05:03 PM	#24
Hades_Kane Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Home MUD: End of Time Posts: 57	Re: Try a New MUD Day! Speaking as a MUD Admin, I actually like the "Try a New MUD Day" quite a bit. I think that within context of players from a particular MUD going to try another one, it will work itself out where they will likely pick the same one to try, organically creating migration of groups from MUD to MUD without having to encourage a particular MUD be the one visited. My input on the mechanics of how this ought to work, and as a MUD Admin what I would particularly find appealing, would be for the "New MUDs" on the list be MUDs whose Admin(s) have specifically opted into participating. For those of you old enough to remember the "link exchange" fad from a nearly two decades ago, that's kind of what I am thinking. The MUDs who stand to benefit are also the ones taking the effort/risk by participating. Participation would include there being a maintained list on TMS, the MUD Connector, and Mudbytes (even if just in a forum post, preferably a "stickied" post) of MUDs that are actively participating, along with a helpfile or some other list accessible either in game, on their website, or on their forum for the MUDs that are included. I am a moderator on both TMC and Mudbytes, and with the okay from the other moderators and/or site managers from those two sites, I would be happy to take point on helping create/maintain the list and help promote the event. The list could be as simple as something like: End of Time - Final Fantasy based ROM; eotmud.com:4000 Bedlam - Graphical optional based fantasy custom game; mud.playbedlam.com:9000 etc. The MUDs that participate would be obligated to include some measure of a reminder within the game that the "event" is coming up (I would personally add it to my MOTD and post at least a few notes leading up to it) and would also be encouraged to post some forum promotion posts that would serve both as a reminder for the event, and as a means to "sell" their MUD as the one people ought to hop on and try for the first time. I've long held that greater collaboration and lessening the emphasis on competition between our games is one thing that could help the community as a whole, and this is something I feel stands a much greater chance of helping every MUD involved than potentially harming them. As far as frequency, I personally feel like once a month might be too frequent and lose too much of the novelty of the idea, that a frequency that high might burn the idea out after a few months. Once a year might be too infrequent to keep people involved/interested, so somewhere in the middle there might be best to consider. Once every 3, 4, or 6 months (basically something that factors into 12, for 12 months in the year) might be a good rate... frequent enough to keep it fresh in people's minds, not frequent enough to where it's always going on, and most importantly, it gives the MUDs in question time to prepare for it. Again, personally speaking, I would aim to have a new and fresh event ready to run for levels 1-15 (or 1-20) and a series of other things meant to specifically cater to low level characters and players new to the game. This would serve two functions: put the game's best foot forward to impress new people coming into the game and cater the events toward newbie characters as to not necessarily influence/encourage older players / higher characters to stick around instead of participating by trying a new game. Anyhow, I find the idea to be pretty exciting and wanted to throw my two cents in, along with declaring my willingness to participate.