Do people still play MUDs?

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5 comments, last by Aldacron 18 years, 3 months ago
Reason I ask this question is I have just begun writing one in Java. Will there be enough people out there to use my codebase or to help test it? Or has everyone moved onto MMORPGs now?
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I'll play your MUD. I plan to make one too once I finish my arcade game phase. As for everyone else, I have no idea why someone would play a MUD instead of a MMORPG, unless they were just old fashion.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. – Leonardo da Vinci
Quote:Original post by ForeverNoobie
I'll play your MUD. I plan to make one too once I finish my arcade game phase. As for everyone else, I have no idea why someone would play a MUD instead of a MMORPG, unless they were just old fashion.


Because, in many cases, they are simply better GAMES than some of the MMORPG's? It's the same reason I still play the gold box D&D games. Sure, Baldur's Gate was nice, with its pretty 2d graphics and all...but Eye of the Beholder was a better game.

To answer the original question, yes people still play them...but not in very high numbers. There are a couple of MUD's that are extremely popular, but they are generally run with some sort of commercial or membership backing. Selling of in-game credits or tokens is a popular model. The days of the 150+ player count MUD's is basically over, except in very extreme cases.
Matt Holmes[ aka Calefaction ]Wildfire Games - General Programmerhttp://www.wildfiregames.com
TBH I'd rather play a MMORPG than a MUD but since I am terrible at graphics then a MUD is probably the way to go (coding wise) for an online MMO typed game.
Quote:Original post by silvermonkey
TBH I'd rather play a MMORPG than a MUD but since I am terrible at graphics then a MUD is probably the way to go (coding wise) for an online MMO typed game.


Again, make your MUD a better GAME than the current MMO's, stick with it, and advertise on the few MUD themed sites left, and you might just have something.

My MUD server is just a toy project I mess around with, I doubt I will ever actually code a MUD with it...but I learned a whole hell of alot about networking writing it, and was able to play with various scripting languages and how they integrate. It was a fun project to write, even if it's "useless" in the scope of things.
Matt Holmes[ aka Calefaction ]Wildfire Games - General Programmerhttp://www.wildfiregames.com
I was in the process of writing my own MUD game, didn't finish though. If you want help with it pm me, I would like to actually finish one this time.
Hello?
There are several MUDs, MUSHes and MU*-like games that are active out there. All you have to do is look for them. Some that come to mind are the text games at Skotos.net, the games of Iron Realms Entertainment, the Tolkein-based Elendor (which I first played in 1995 and still drop in to now and again), and Aardwolf. I believe LegendMud is still active. You can find many more through Mud Connector and Top Mud Sites. And never forget our good friend Google.

To get people to play your game, though, you are going to have to make it known in the right places. There are several MUD communities out there (I'll leave it as an excersise for you to find them through Google). Keep in mind that the majority of MUD players are not the same crowd as you will find in most MMOGs. On the hack-n-slash MUDs you get a lot of the idiots, but the role-playing MUDs (MUSHes and such) attract a completely different crowd. Make sure you know your audience. Do some research, know what kind of MUD you want to make, and implement the features your target audience will enjoy.

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