Re: The First Five
I've tried to put this in a rough order from when I hear of a mud through when I start playing it:
1. In the advertisement, does the mud sound like every other 'heavily modified' stock codebase? Does it have a cliched or poorly written backstory? Is it based on a popular IP (Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, Wheel of Time, Dragonball Z, Buffy) that I'm not interested in? Does it sound like an 'adult' mud. This is a turn-off.
2. Are the first few paragraphs of the login poorly formatted, written, or colored? I'll usually play past this but it leaves a negative impression.
3. Does the mud have a few interesting or unique-sounding features? This is encouraging.
4. Are the policy files or rules files heavy-handed, full of legalese or a 'sandbox' mentality (i.e., I am the owner, this is my sandbox, you'll do what I say)? This is a turn-off.
5. Does the play conform to how the mud represents itself? In a RP mud, do players RP? Do the other players seem intelligent and friendly? This is encouraging.
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