General Tips for MUD Builders

Most of these are inspired by TopMUDSites.com, from a thread on their Builder board. Massive props especially to Sanvean of Armageddon MUD and Estarra.

• Plan your area first, and pay attention to how it would 'really' work. If your area is a fortress, an inn, a kitchen or a stretch of wolf-ridden woods, think about what such an area should have in it, and how it should be laid out.
• Make your NPCs vibrant. There should be at least two or three different actions and reactions available (such as emotes, things they say, or stimuli they react to) that are specific to that NPC.
• Details, details, details
• Use all five senses, and (sparingly) impressions like 'foreboding'. On impressions, Estarra says: For example, you walk into a sacrificial pit for a dark god and read as part of the description "Despair and fear vibrate in the air." [...] Or even: "The statue of the ancient god makes even the most hardened heart flutter at the majesty." (Note: I don't mean things like "You walk into the room and feel fear." I never use the first person.)
• Use active, dynamic verbs rather than passive verbs
• Use the present tense, unless you have a very good reason not to.
• Use good grammar and spelling. Make sure to use complete sentences, not fragments or run-ons.
• Don't put two spaces between sentences. It looks fine in office correspondence but it adapts poorly to MUDs.
• Don't let your editor help you. Microsoft Word and some other editors will automatically format for you, add bullets and superscripts and whatnot. Turn this feature off.
• From Estarra, verbatim:

  Don't use "seems to" or "looks like" or "appears to be". This is a common mistake that strikes even the very best and experienced builder. Feel free to use metaphors and simile, but using the phrases "seems", "looks like", and "appears to be" weakens the impact. If the man appears to be the oldest man in the village, then chances are the man is the oldest man in the village. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it can be avoided. For example,

  Weak

  This troll appears to be the largest of its kind. Its skin seems to be an almost phosphorescent green and its large fangs look like it could tear through not only skin but bone.

  Dynamic

  The troll is enormous, the largest of its kind. Its skin glows an almost phosphorescent green and its large fangs could tear through not only skin but bone.

• Don't reference the player in the room. Don't tell him what s/he thinks, what s/he feels, or where s/he just came from. Don't tell the player their opinion. Avoid the words "you", "your" and so on. Describe the room and the impact will be greater, especially if the player doesn't feel the way you claim.
• Don't describe important objects or mobiles in the room. What if they aren't there any more? Create this objects or mobiles and let them describe themselves.
• Where possible, avoid referencing history in the room descriptions. Unless you know the player is aware of a particular conflict, political group or similar (and leaving readable scrolls describing it does not mean the player knows, or remembers, or associates the scroll with the current room!), don't mention that group or event.
• Ask your coders for things. If you have a vision of how something could be done with a small new feature, suggest it. The worst that will happen is that they'll say 'no'. If they have countersuggestions for different ways to do the same thing, listen.
• Use multiple aliases. Make sure that the old witch can be a witch, a woman, an old witch, an old woman, an evil witch, and so on. Your codebase may be able to help you with this for gender, class, race and so on.
• Personalization and uniqueness -- items 'skinned' from mobiles, equipment that changes condition, etc add a lot.
• Sanvean suggests weather changes, travel, and equipment that changes status because of it -- gets wet, bloody, rusty, sweaty, dusty, etc.
• Have your zones/sectors affect the feel of things. Change travel messages, messages from spells, etc. If possible, be able to forage for various things in different sectors (water, food, rocks, sticks, salt, etc).
• Tattoos and scars that can be acquired in play, and that can be set on NPCs as well.
• Here's a Maze Tutorial by Molly O'Hara of 4dimensions.