[prof1515]

Exactly what sort of professionals is a valid question though. Paying someone technically makes them professional, but does that signify any aptitude or certification/qualification in the field you're paying them to do?

My MUD has a professional historian writing the historical background, a professional coder implementing the code changes, and a professional artist implementing the skilled crafts, many of which are artistic in nature. I'd wager that most of the so-called "medieval" MUDs here, including the commercial MUDs, don't have as many aspects of their game staffed by professionals from that field. Additionally, I've offered several of my staff assistance in their research by purchasing materials and resources for them and letting them keep the books, software, etc as compensation for their time and dedication to making the game. In essence, I've paid money to the staff to advance the project. As they're received something for their services, they're now technically professionals. However, that would make Matt's search choices inaccurate as far as differentiating between the types of games he's attempting to classify because my game is nothing like those games to which he's labeled "professional". If anything, the minimum standards for every aspect of my game exceed the maximum standards I've seen on any Viagra* MUD. Hence the term "professional" is entirely inaccurate as a description for such games.

Given the vague nature of the word "professional" and the lack of (m)any more professional of staff on non-hobbyist MUDs than you can technically find on many "hobbyist" MUDs, it would be far more accurate to instead use the following terms as search options:

[ ] Commercial
[ ] Hobbyist

This would be accurate since the Viagra MUDs and the like are indeed commercial, ie operating for the goal of generating revenue, while the hobbyist MUDs are not. Instead of loaded phrases meant to confuse, the difference between the two is made clear by the nature of why they're in operation. The former are operated for the purpose of generating revenue, the latter are run for sake of their art and the enjoyment that doing so brings their staff.

Take care,

Jason

* Viagra MUD is my pet term for "pay-for-perks" games since the motivation for use of both is in many ways the same for many players: making themselves more than they are without the purchased product, be it a pill or a perk.