That assumes you're specifically trying to change your game to fulfill the demands of your players, which isn't the case for all muds. Some do indeed follow the "play my game and I'll add whatever you ask for" approach, but personally I'm more fond of the "this is what I've created, and if you've got similar tastes to me, you'll probably enjoy it" approach.
But even when you're explicitly changing your mud to cater to the whims and expectations of your players, it's still part of the development of the mud, and not the day-to-day running of the game.
I didn't need gods running quests to enjoy Diablo2, or administrators creating storylines to enjoy Guild Wars. I never asked people to watch me roleplay while playing CounterStrike, or expected the creators of Age of Mythology to add vampires and werewolves. I paid for and played those games because they were fun as they were, without needing any intervention from on high.
There is no reason why a well-designed mud can't operate the same way, without a bunch of gods giving out orders and making you follow obscure and arbitary guidelines.
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