Somehow, I left this out of my first post:

I would never consider paying for a traditional mud (e.g. ascii..) People who would pay for muds are more and more going to be drawn to games like UO, EQ, AC, etc. If you can''t compete with them graphically, I doubt you will be able to maintain a paying subscriber base.

Still, I doubt that regular muds and mushes will dry up altogether. The thing is, they still do get newbies, on Elendor the rate is basically the same as it always has been.

Also, remember that graphics are not the end all, its also gameplay. I personally prefer the gameplay of angband to diablo. (Those of you who have never played the moria/angband line of games, be warned! There lies madness!)

MUDs/MUSHes, in addition (the free ones) typically have a lot of user base creativity infused in them. There is quite a bit of ownership there. The ability to create and add to the game world (and in the case of some, maintain a strictly themed environment..) is a fairly big draw. The graphical games can''t match this (yet?). I''ve seen some interesting things about Neverwinter Nights, including a longtime (and well regarded) PBeM DM, who intends to convert his campaign to a dedigated NN server..

Well, this was long and rambling.

Notwen

Muds will die the same day BOOKS die. Why read a book when we have so many good MOVIES to see, and cool 3d video games to play?! Well, some people apparently find a reason.

Heh. Anonymous Poster indeed.

Anyway, I''m biased, I run a mud. Most muds aren''t going for the best ASCII Art awards, thats totally not the point. The better Muds out there will bring forth total immersion through well-developed sections, puzzles, stability, and (most importantly) players -- in short, STORY.

In reply to the original post, I would not pay to play a MUD, though I''ve made sacrifices to keep a Mud online (computer equipment, etc) but not as a player (though I know players who would and have done just that). Could a pay MUD be better than one built and maintained by people who enjoy the work enough to do it for free? Not enough to cause me to pay to play there!

My answer to the 3rd question should be pretty obvious from the first part of this post.

Lastly, MUDs can be a great escape (when played in moderation of course, heh) and I like that, it''s good to get away, meet up with some people from all over the world, and adventure.



-ns-

Of course, what many of the little kiddiez of today don't understand is that not everything is handed to you on a platter.

What i mean by this, is that today's youth seems more interested in having everyone else think for them, rather than use thier own imagination. Hell, even a hell of a lot of people 5 years younger than me would never voluntarily pick up a book and read. "Tell me when the movie's out, i don't feel like using my brain".

well, thats exactly what MUD's are all about (the better ones at least); using your brain to imagine the world. Of course text games don't sell, because most people don't even want to read. Hell, i wonder how long it will take before written languages are declared obsolete by you non-imaginative's. (An interesting study i read said that the literacy rate for USA has been declining for 5 years in a row now... how sad. pathetic...)

Artwork has a place of course, but to debunk a game just because it has no graphics is stupid and naive.

We have brains and imaginations for a reason. Use them.
Or else we'll all become mindless zombies. (its already started of course, just look at the fasion and music industries. Teenagers actually LIKE being TOLD what to wear and listen to. its sad.)

to sum it all up for those of you too lazy to read the entire post...

USE YOUR MIND.



A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Edited by - Mithrandir on 2/1/00 7:48:22 AM