NYT: A Game That Honed the Skills of Writers

[Vijay]

Really enjoyed today's New York Times article featuring Jim.  Great advice for writers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/books/jim-butcher-one-of-the-authors-from-ambermush.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=jim%20butcher&st=cse

[jeno]

Hm, can't see the article.

[Snowleopard]

You're right Vijay that's a nice article.
In a very minor sense on this Forum we're doing a bit of that.
Probably moreso in the games area but even in the more normal discussion areas - sometimes you have to be pretty quick on your feet verbally.

[MrWiggles]

I started a thread about that article in the Games section. Mu*s are still around, and there are new ones being made to this day. I'm currently making a Dresden Files mush right now.

Its a great hobby for writers, and role players alike.

[Aminar]

I played one of these based on Dragonlance as a freshman.  It's actually where my name came from, but I quickly became disenchanted because the community was made of troll's and griefers.(In that time period they were known as people.)  Kind of cool to think that Jim played one too. 

[Darkshore]

I think a Dresden Files themed MUSH could turn into something great if spread around the forum. I'd certainly enjoy it.

[MrWiggles]

I played one of these based on Dragonlance as a freshman.  It's actually where my name came from, but I quickly became disenchanted because the community was made of troll's and griefers.(In that time period they were known as people.)  Kind of cool to think that Jim played one too.

Yea, there are places like that. However, every mu* is different. The different server types, can generally tell you what to expect. Mucks are popular with Adult and Furry Mo*s. Muds are generally PvP (some of them heavy RP, others not.), HellMoo promotes griefers and dicks, for instance. Mush (Tiny, Penn, and Rhost), are generally more social, or rp focus. They tend to be anti dicks and griefers.

I think a Dresden Files themed MUSH could turn into something great if spread around the forum. I'd certainly enjoy it.

Its part of the reason why I'm here. I am an ernest fan of the novel series.

[Snowleopard]

"Yea, there are places like that. However, every mu* is different. The different server types, can generally tell you what to expect. Mucks are popular with Adult and Furry Mo*s. Muds are generally PvP (some of them heavy RP, others not.), HellMoo promotes griefers and dicks, for instance. Mush (Tiny, Penn, and Rhost), are generally more social, or rp focus. They tend to be anti dicks and griefers."

Okay, the above is Greek to me.

[MrWiggles]

Alright, there are telnet text games, collectively known as Mu*s.

There are several codebases/servers types out there. These servers/codebases are used for general kind of game, with a presupposed Player culture.

Muck codebase/server, are inclined to be Adult and/or Furry in theme.

Muds, are generally player vs. players and players vs. mobs. These are the grand daddy for the modern MMO. They functional, pretty much identically really, except that its text base, and the playerbase is smaller. There are quests, and gear, all that jazz.- However, some Muds, like, Hellmoo, promote their players to be assholes to each other. Some Muds are heavy role playing games, other arent.

Mushes (Tiny, Penn, and Rhost)[They're sister codebases/servers.] These tend to be more social and/or rp focus. They also frown upon assholes on them.

[Snowleopard]

Okay, I had gotten the Mus thing.
Codebase/server - we're talking the software/hardware that runs that particular game?

[MrWiggles]

Its software. You download the code base, compile it, host it. Then you build your game within it.

Some codebases have a very extensive scripting language, known collectively as softcode (Though each codebase, uses a different scripting language). While in others, you have to add your own code to the server, known as hardcode.

Once you have the server up and running. You start to construct your grid 'the playing area'. And you can have the game be as coded or free form as you like.

There some mu*s, that have entire player ran economies. The larger Discworld mud is like that, its very well coded and has an extensive crafting, and player ran economy. It also has a verbose combat system.

In general, you can find what you want to play and how you want to play with mu*s. There extensive media based ones, and original settings as well.

[black omega]

AmberMUSH alumni speaking up here.

I played on AmberMUSH in the early to middle 90s.  That was really a prime time for MUSH (Multi User Shared Hallucination) activity.  I started on MasqMUSH, the first of the World of Darkness MUSHes based on the RPG of the same name and got invited over to Amber  from there.  It's basically like modern MMO's but text only and most content was player provided.  Conflicts were roleplayed out based on some simple stats for comparison.  Warfare for fighting, strength,  and constitution as you would imagine, and another stat for magic.  This obviously could cause problems if two people fighting were not cooperative, but generally if someone was being unreasonable others would let them know and if it persisted it would be hard for that person to find people to play with.

Hmm..maybe I need to start writing!:)

[MrWiggles]

I prefer coded conflict resolutions myself. Navitas will have a very verbose coded game system. I'm making it with it mind to be ported over to other games. Its also Role Dependent.

[jomaxc]

Thanks for the link, Vijay. I wish I'd known more about, and participated in Mu*s. They sound like a fantastic way to sharpen one's writing awareness.

[MrWiggles]

Thanks for the link, Vijay. I wish I'd known more about, and participated in Mu*s. They sound like a fantastic way to sharpen one's writing awareness.

Bah onto to you, using participated in the past tense.

Mu*s are still around, and they're still being made.

You can head over to mudconnector.com and see their game list. Its quite extensive, covering most of what anyone would like to and how to play.

I'm currently make a mu* myself, inspired by Dresden Files.