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Not sure what you’re looking for, or maybe just taking a casual glance around? No sweat. Browse the most recently updated posts across a range of topics, from Accessibility to Writing.

Accessibility

Accessibility tips and advice for game creators, informed by interviews with non-sighted players and quotes from members of the VI community.
A large magnet attracting a line of players and the text: Understanding player retention.

How to improve player retention in multi-user (MU*) games: 15 tips for game designers

Title of the post overlaying The Last Outpost's ASCII intro screen featuring a castle.

LociTerm MUD client and the legacy of The Last Outpost

A cloaked woman in a magical forest and the text: Accessibility in tabletop RPGs.

Accessibility in TTRPGs: how Wyrmworks Publishing makes tabletop gaming more inclusive

The intro screen of Alter Aeon and the text: Alter Aeon MUD: 25+ years of adventure

Alter Aeon MUD: 25+ years of adventure

A hand-drawn map and the text: How to write excellent room descriptions.

How to write excellent room descriptions: tips and examples for world-builders

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Community

Tips and advice for making creating welcoming communities, addressing sources of toxicity, and solving community-related issues in roleplaying games.
A dark, empty parking garage.

Too many MUDs, not enough players?

Images of games listed on MudVault, a new way to find and play MUDs.

MudVault: a new way to discover MUDs

Grid map of planets and the text, "Federation 2: Community Edition".

Federation 2 Community Edition: from hauling cargo to shaping the galaxy

Faded chat log in the background and the text: The past and future of InterMUD chat.

Bridging virtual worlds: past and future of the InterMUD chat network

Sample worldmap continents painted pixel by pixel.

A picture worth a thousand rooms: the Worldmap project by Hades_Kane and Grieffels

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Game Design

Practical advice for game creators, developers, and admins. Includes everything from considerations of game mechanics to player retention.
A dark, empty parking garage.

Too many MUDs, not enough players?

GoMud's demo page with PLAY button and the title of the post.

GoMud: a lightweight engine for building text-based worlds

Grid map of planets and the text, "Federation 2: Community Edition".

Federation 2 Community Edition: from hauling cargo to shaping the galaxy

Title of the post overlaying The Last Outpost's ASCII intro screen featuring a castle.

LociTerm MUD client and the legacy of The Last Outpost

Sample worldmap continents painted pixel by pixel.

A picture worth a thousand rooms: the Worldmap project by Hades_Kane and Grieffels

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Gaming

Information and advice for people who play games online - especially text-based games. May include topics related to video games and tabletop games, too.
A chocolate cake on a platter with a 3-shaped candle and the text: "3 Years of Writing Games: a look back".

3 Years of Writing Games: a look back

Dank, moss-covered tunnel with a single metal lantern. Foreground text: Text-based adventure games: from Zork to AI Dungeon

Text-based adventure games: from Zork to AI Dungeon

Ask Andruid: What's a MISTAKE you've made in a MU*? (Caution sign reading OOPS! in the background.)

MUDing mistakes and surprising lessons learned

A digital lock and the text: "Data Privacy Week and why it matters for games."

Data Privacy Week: 10 Tips for safer gaming

The Mudlet icon / logo (a stone arch with a road passing through it), and the text: Mudlet accessibility updates: an interview with Vadi."

Mudlet’s accessibility updates: an interview with Vadi

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Ideas & Lists

Articles with ideas and/or lists useful for creative writing, world-building, or improving upon games.
A luxurious gray-white pelt up close, and the text: "Luxury furs and leathers: A resource for writers, roleplayers, and world-builders."

Draped in wealth: 10 luxury furs and leathers worn by the elite

A string of pearls laying atop an elegantly draped white silk and the text: "How luxury fabrics are made."

Crafting elegance: how luxury fabrics and textiles are made

Bright lights at a concert and the silhouette of two hands creating a heart shape. Text reads: "MUD Staff Appreciation Day: Saying thanks to the heroes behind the scenes."

MU* Staff Appreciation Day: 9 ways to say thanks

A populated globe with text in the foreground that says, "Celebrating International MUD Day"

Celebrating International MUD Day: 8 Ideas

Fireworks in the background and the text: "Celebrating Player Appreciation Week."

Celebrating Player Appreciation Week in 2024

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MU*s

Everything to do with the genre of multi-user dungeons (MUDs), including articles and advice specific to different styles of MU* games.
A dark, empty parking garage.

Too many MUDs, not enough players?

Images of games listed on MudVault, a new way to find and play MUDs.

MudVault: a new way to discover MUDs

GoMud's demo page with PLAY button and the title of the post.

GoMud: a lightweight engine for building text-based worlds

Grid map of planets and the text, "Federation 2: Community Edition".

Federation 2 Community Edition: from hauling cargo to shaping the galaxy

Faded chat log in the background and the text: The past and future of InterMUD chat.

Bridging virtual worlds: past and future of the InterMUD chat network

Browse all MU*s

Roleplaying

Ideas and advice related to roleplaying with text in multi-user (MU*) games, virtual tabletops sessions, chatrooms, forums, and even video game chat channels.
Ask Andruid: AI-written content in text-based roleplaying games: what to do about it?

AI-written content in online RP games: “it’s ruining my experience”

A luxurious gray-white pelt up close, and the text: "Luxury furs and leathers: A resource for writers, roleplayers, and world-builders."

Draped in wealth: 10 luxury furs and leathers worn by the elite

A string of pearls laying atop an elegantly draped white silk and the text: "How luxury fabrics are made."

Crafting elegance: how luxury fabrics and textiles are made

The title of the post laid over blue hexagons: "Designing game websites and systems: an interview with Blu and Roadspike."

Blu and Roadspike: on designing game websites and systems

A superhero mask and the title: "Excelsior! A roster-only Marvel superhero MU*"

Excelsior: new stories in a unique Marvel universe

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Storytelling

Tips and advice for storytelling, especially in the context of multiplayer text-based games such as MU*s, play-by-post games, and chatrooms RPGs.
Dank, moss-covered tunnel with a single metal lantern. Foreground text: Text-based adventure games: from Zork to AI Dungeon

Text-based adventure games: from Zork to AI Dungeon

The title of the post laid over blue hexagons: "Designing game websites and systems: an interview with Blu and Roadspike."

Blu and Roadspike: on designing game websites and systems

The Shattered MU runic symbol on a textured background.

Shattered MU: beyond monsters and magic

A superhero mask and the title: "Excelsior! A roster-only Marvel superhero MU*"

Excelsior: new stories in a unique Marvel universe

A visual representation of a network, shaped round like a globe but giving the suggestion of an eye.

The Network: only the finest quality programming

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TTRPGs

Ideas, stories, and advice relevant to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs), especially sessions held virtually over text.
Nighttime neon cyberpunk cityscape and the text: AwakeMUD CE.

AwakeMUD: a community-first Shadowrun game

How to spice up your tavern RP.

10 Ways to spice up your tavern RP

A cloaked woman in a magical forest and the text: Accessibility in tabletop RPGs.

Accessibility in TTRPGs: how Wyrmworks Publishing makes tabletop gaming more inclusive

Hands at a keyboard and the text: Gaming and chronic illness.

Gaming and chronic illness: TBQ talks about the importance of difficulty modes and having patience

Two tabletop gamers, one holding open a dice screen that reads How to be a better GM.

How to be a better game master: 10 tips for running great interactive stories

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World-building

Ideas and advice for building immersive worlds game worlds with text, such as MU*s, play-by-post games, chatroom roleplay games, and interactive fiction.
GoMud's demo page with PLAY button and the title of the post.

GoMud: a lightweight engine for building text-based worlds

Ask Andruid: Writing room descriptions for a MUD: how long should they be?

How long should room descriptions be when building a MU*?

A luxurious gray-white pelt up close, and the text: "Luxury furs and leathers: A resource for writers, roleplayers, and world-builders."

Draped in wealth: 10 luxury furs and leathers worn by the elite

A string of pearls laying atop an elegantly draped white silk and the text: "How luxury fabrics are made."

Crafting elegance: how luxury fabrics and textiles are made

Mystavaria logo on yellow background with: "Mystavaria: a world of dreams and magic."

Mystavaria MUD: a world of dreams and magic in the making

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Writing

Articles with ideas and advice for creative writers, especially those who write in the context of text games.
Ask Andruid: Writing room descriptions for a MUD: how long should they be?

How long should room descriptions be when building a MU*?

Ask Andruid: AI-written content in text-based roleplaying games: what to do about it?

AI-written content in online RP games: “it’s ruining my experience”

A luxurious gray-white pelt up close, and the text: "Luxury furs and leathers: A resource for writers, roleplayers, and world-builders."

Draped in wealth: 10 luxury furs and leathers worn by the elite

A string of pearls laying atop an elegantly draped white silk and the text: "How luxury fabrics are made."

Crafting elegance: how luxury fabrics and textiles are made

Attractive man in a sleek gray suit and the text, "The Gary Sue character type explained."

The Gary Sue character type explained

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Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of topics are covered in the blog?

Writing Games covers a diverse range of topics tailored for enthusiasts of text-based games, including roleplaying tips, lessons in game design, methods for creating in-depth characters, and how to become a better storyteller or GM.

How often is the content updated?

Content is updated several times a week, with new posts and resources added regularly. Each topic section, such as Accessibility or Game Design, receives updates aimed at enriching the community with new tips and tools relevant to text-based gaming.

Where can I find the most recent posts?

You can browse the most recent posts by visiting the front page (Blog or Home in the top nav menu). The front page has sections for new and recently updated content, making it easy to stay current with the latest insights and advice in text-based gaming.

What resources are available for game creators?

Game creators can explore a variety of resources under the Game Design, Community, and Accessibility topics. These include comprehensive guides on creating MU*s using systems like Evennia, tips for balancing game mechanics, and advice on creating healthier gaming communities.

For additional resources, such as where to ask questions or what codebases are available, see the MUD Resources page.

What specific advice do you offer for writing in text-based games?

Under the Writing and Roleplaying topics, there’s specific advice on constructing dialogue for medieval fantasy settings, creating engaging character arcs, and avoiding Mary/Gary Sue character types. These posts are meant to help writers craft more compelling and character-driven narratives in their games.

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