MUD Administration

Zugg · 02-16-2009, 12:50 PM

Each year, Zugg Software holds an auction to select which ten MUDs get their icon displayed in CMUD and zMUD. This year's auction ends on Saturday, February 28th, so there is only two weeks left to try and get an icon to advertise your MUD.

Last year, each MUD icon was viewed over 42 MILLION times by players running CMUD or zMUD. With a minimum bid amount of $1000 for the entire year of icon display, that is comparable to a banner ad rate of about $0.02 CPM (cost per 1000 impressions), making it one of the most cost effective ways to advertise your MUD. This is also the most targeted marketing you can buy, since your icon is being viewed by players who are already running a MUD client and who already want to play a MUD.

Zugg Software has been in business since 1996 and has sold more than 70,000 copies of our CMUD and zMUD software. We are one of the few businesses left that is focused on the MUD client market and still actively supporting our products for the newest versions of Windows. Even with the poor economy, CMUD sales increased last month and we continue to get more "oldtimers" who are coming back to MUD playing and requesting their old zMUD license codes. We are still a small family business, and I actively play MUDs to continuously improve CMud. We are doing whatever we can to keep MUDs alive and promote how fun they are, even with the competition from big graphical MMOs.

To submit a bid for your MUD icon, go to and create a free affiliate account. If you haven't used the bidding system before, please be sure to read the instructions linked to the page given above. Bidding works similar to eBay, with a minimum starting bid of $1000 for a year of icon display in CMUD and zMUD. The top ten bids are selected for icon display. As with eBay, bidding gets very fast and competitive in the last few minutes of the auction. But keep in mind that in case of a tie, the MUD that bid first gets the icon slot. So sometimes last minute bidding can backfire. Also remember that when you place a bid, you can also enter a "maximum" bid amount. When another MUD tries to bid for the same icon slot, your bid will automatically be increased in $10 increments to try and beat the competitor, up to your maximum bid amount. This is similar to how bidding works in eBay and allows you to set a higher maximum to ensure that you don't lose an icon during the last minute bidding. Finally, keep in mind that you can only submit a bid once every minute to prevent bidding bots or last minute bid spamming.

The bidding will end at 8:00PM Eastern time (Saturday, Feb 28th). I made this change two years ago based upon feedback from MUDs in Europe who asked for an earlier time so that they could more easily participate. This new time should accommodate MUDs in both the U.S. and Europe, making it more fair for everyone.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at . Also, if you have any ideas on other ways that Zugg Software can help market your MUD and attract more MUD players, please let me know.

Jazuela · 02-17-2009, 09:22 PM

I enjoyed using zmud for many years, had a registered version because I believe in the product enough to pay for it even when it was available free. As a former IMM/Builder, it was the perfect tool, especially with the pop-up text editor. It "sent" data to the game flawlessly, which was important since all the building we did was done "live."

It's great to see Zugg still Zuggin

Delerak · 02-18-2009, 04:23 PM

Big zmud supporter as well. I still use zmud.

locke · 02-23-2009, 07:14 PM

I was given a copy by Zugg himself, but I lost the reg code and he didn't give me another copy.

Fizban · 02-27-2009, 02:57 PM

Used zMUD for years, but prefer cMUD nowadays. 3.03 is technically the beta version at the moment but is the release I use as I find it more stable than the 2.37 'stable' release.

Zugg · 02-28-2009, 12:37 PM

locke: If you can remember your original email or postal address, send us an email at and we should be able to look up your old zMUD license and send it to you.

Also, just a reminder that the auction for the CMUD/zMUD icon advertising ends TODAY (Feb 28th) at 8:00pm EST (5pm PST). Go to for more info.

Thanks for the nice comments from everyone (and everyone who sent me a private email). I still love MUDs and still want to make the best client possible. I always wish there were more hours in a day since I'm always swamped by new stuff to add (and bugs to fix). But it's what I love.

And yes, I'm expecting to release a new 3.04 beta version of CMUD with the improved mapper sometime next week, with a new 3.x public version within the next month or two.

02-16-2009, 12:50 PM	#1
Zugg New Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3	Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! Each year, Zugg Software holds an auction to select which ten MUDs get their icon displayed in CMUD and zMUD. This year's auction ends on Saturday, February 28th, so there is only two weeks left to try and get an icon to advertise your MUD. Last year, each MUD icon was viewed over 42 MILLION times by players running CMUD or zMUD. With a minimum bid amount of $1000 for the entire year of icon display, that is comparable to a banner ad rate of about $0.02 CPM (cost per 1000 impressions), making it one of the most cost effective ways to advertise your MUD. This is also the most targeted marketing you can buy, since your icon is being viewed by players who are already running a MUD client and who already want to play a MUD. Zugg Software has been in business since 1996 and has sold more than 70,000 copies of our CMUD and zMUD software. We are one of the few businesses left that is focused on the MUD client market and still actively supporting our products for the newest versions of Windows. Even with the poor economy, CMUD sales increased last month and we continue to get more "oldtimers" who are coming back to MUD playing and requesting their old zMUD license codes. We are still a small family business, and I actively play MUDs to continuously improve CMud. We are doing whatever we can to keep MUDs alive and promote how fun they are, even with the competition from big graphical MMOs. To submit a bid for your MUD icon, go to and create a free affiliate account. If you haven't used the bidding system before, please be sure to read the instructions linked to the page given above. Bidding works similar to eBay, with a minimum starting bid of $1000 for a year of icon display in CMUD and zMUD. The top ten bids are selected for icon display. As with eBay, bidding gets very fast and competitive in the last few minutes of the auction. But keep in mind that in case of a tie, the MUD that bid first gets the icon slot. So sometimes last minute bidding can backfire. Also remember that when you place a bid, you can also enter a "maximum" bid amount. When another MUD tries to bid for the same icon slot, your bid will automatically be increased in $10 increments to try and beat the competitor, up to your maximum bid amount. This is similar to how bidding works in eBay and allows you to set a higher maximum to ensure that you don't lose an icon during the last minute bidding. Finally, keep in mind that you can only submit a bid once every minute to prevent bidding bots or last minute bid spamming. The bidding will end at 8:00PM Eastern time (Saturday, Feb 28th). I made this change two years ago based upon feedback from MUDs in Europe who asked for an earlier time so that they could more easily participate. This new time should accommodate MUDs in both the U.S. and Europe, making it more fair for everyone. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at . Also, if you have any ideas on other ways that Zugg Software can help market your MUD and attract more MUD players, please let me know.

02-17-2009, 09:22 PM	#2
Jazuela Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New England Posts: 849	Re: Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! I enjoyed using zmud for many years, had a registered version because I believe in the product enough to pay for it even when it was available free. As a former IMM/Builder, it was the perfect tool, especially with the pop-up text editor. It "sent" data to the game flawlessly, which was important since all the building we did was done "live." It's great to see Zugg still Zuggin

02-18-2009, 04:23 PM	#3
Delerak Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Name: Dan Location: New York Posts: 716	Re: Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! Big zmud supporter as well. I still use zmud.

02-23-2009, 07:14 PM	#4
locke Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Home MUD: nimud.divineright.org 5333 Posts: 195	Re: Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! I was given a copy by Zugg himself, but I lost the reg code and he didn't give me another copy.

02-27-2009, 02:57 PM	#5
Fizban Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Name: Brandon Location: Shelby Township, Michigan Home MUD: The Builder Academy Home MUD: 4 Dimensions Posts: 144	Re: Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! Used zMUD for years, but prefer cMUD nowadays. 3.03 is technically the beta version at the moment but is the release I use as I find it more stable than the 2.37 'stable' release.

02-28-2009, 12:37 PM	#6
Zugg New Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3	Re: Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left! locke: If you can remember your original email or postal address, send us an email at and we should be able to look up your old zMUD license and send it to you. Also, just a reminder that the auction for the CMUD/zMUD icon advertising ends TODAY (Feb 28th) at 8:00pm EST (5pm PST). Go to for more info. Thanks for the nice comments from everyone (and everyone who sent me a private email). I still love MUDs and still want to make the best client possible. I always wish there were more hours in a day since I'm always swamped by new stuff to add (and bugs to fix). But it's what I love. And yes, I'm expecting to release a new 3.04 beta version of CMUD with the improved mapper sometime next week, with a new 3.x public version within the next month or two.

MUD Administration

Advertise your MUD with an icon in CMUD and zMUD - Only 2 weeks left!