@@TITLE Tips for Builders@@

<h3 style="text-align: center">General Tips for MUD Builders</h3>

<p>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.</p>

<ul>
  <li>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.</li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>Details, details, details</li>

  <li>Use all five senses, and (sparingly) impressions like
  'foreboding'. On impressions, Estarra says: <i>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."</i> [...]
  <i>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.)</i></li>

  <li>Use active, dynamic verbs rather than passive verbs</li>

  <li>Use the present tense, unless you have a very good reason not
  to.</li>

  <li>Use good grammar and spelling. Make sure to use complete
  sentences, not fragments or run-ons.</li>

  <li>Don't put two spaces between sentences. It looks fine in
  office correspondence but it adapts poorly to MUDs.</li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>From Estarra, verbatim:

    <p>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 <i>is</i> the oldest man
    in the village. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it can be
    avoided. For example,</p>

    <p><b>Weak</b></p>

    <p>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.</p>

    <p><b>Dynamic</b></p>

    <p>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.</p>
  </li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>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 <i>not</i> mean the player knows, or
  remembers, or associates the scroll with the current room!),
  don't mention that group or event.</li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>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.</li>

  <li>Personalization and uniqueness -- items 'skinned' from
  mobiles, equipment that changes condition, etc add a lot.</li>

  <li>Sanvean suggests weather changes, travel, and equipment that
  changes status because of it -- gets wet, bloody, rusty, sweaty,
  dusty, etc.</li>

  <li>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).</li>

  <li>Tattoos and scars that can be acquired in play, and that can
  be set on NPCs as well.</li>

  <li>Here's <a href="MazeTutorial.html">a Maze Tutorial</a> by
  Molly O'Hara of 4dimensions.</li>
</ul>