| What is a mud? |
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A definition for the term 'mud' as well as a more in depth description can be found
at the Wikipedia MUD entry.
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| This mud stuff looks really cool, so how do I connect to a mud? |
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You need something called a mud client, which can be anything from a simple telnet
program (which by the way comes with all, distributions of Windows) to a dedicated
and complex program used for connecting to and playing muds. Please check our
help guide for Getting Started . TMC
has a whole section dedicated to mud clients in our resource center.
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| Help, I have Windows Vista and when I connect to a mud I cannot see any text from the mud server. |
Windows Vista enables something called AutoTuning by default which earlier windows versions had disabled, to bypass this problem login to your computer as an Administrator and open a command shell (Start -> Run -> type cmd ) and enter this text and then hit return: netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disableYou will need to do this each time you restart your machine until Microsoft resolves the issue in a later patch. Go to top |
| I want to play muds with a specific theme, where can I find them? |
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Popular themes may be found at the TMC category search page. The TMC search
engine can be used for themes not having their own category.
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| For the mud submissions system, what is the difference between Roleplay Encouraged and Roleplay Enforced? |
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Muds which require roleplay among their players and have ways to enforce roleplay
should use the Roleplay Enforced option. Otherwise, muds which desire roleplay among
their players and possibly offer incentive for roleplay should specify that they are
Roleplay Encouraged.
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| Are the TMC members affiliated with any mud in particular? |
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No, the TMC members are not affiliated with any muds at this time.
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| What is Rom, Merc, Diku, Aber, Mush, Moo, etc? |
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These are all names of mud server types (code bases). To find out more about the
different types of muds visit http://mudconnector.com/mud_intro.html .
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| How can I get in touch with the staff at TMC should I have a problem and need their help? |
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TMC has a contact page available at http://mudconnect.com/contact.html .
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| How can I get my mud listed on TMC? |
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Go to the navigation bar and click submit. Follow the directions on the form.
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| Where can I find a good mud client? |
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There are many mud clients available for various computing platforms and many more
being created and offered to the mud community. Some popular mud clients include
Zmud, Portal, SimpleMU, Gmud, tintin++ and TinyFugue. TMC provides a whole category
in our resource center for mud clients, please check http://www.mudconnect.com/resources/Mud_Resources:Mud_Clients.html .
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| I signed up for membership but my login id and password are not working! |
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When you sign up for membership an email gets sent immediately to you containing your
member id (which you select) and a password which TMC issues you. However, your account
is not immediately setup. Our server updates the login system 4 times a day (times listed in
the email containing your login info) and your account will be made active immediately
following the next update after your signup.
If you are sure enough time has passed and you still cannot get into the members section check the spelling of your id and password, be sure to use the same capitalization and spelling as in the email sent to you.
Also note a very common problem that we see involves the font used in mail software.
Some fonts make it very hard to distinguish letters such as 'l' from numbers, such as
'1'. Try changing your mail software's font to something that makes the characters
easier to read.
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| I changed my password to something I can remember more easily, but now I can't get into the members section at all. |
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Your account will be updated on our server following the next scheduled update time.
(occuring 4 times a day). In the meantime you can still use your old password to get
into the system.
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| I want to find a mud to play, where should I go? |
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TMC offers several ways to find muds, thats what this site was created for! We offer a
simple search engine, advanced search engine and a way to view muds based on
their category or theme. We recommend you start with our simple search engine, just click
the Search button on our main page and enter some text in the space provided. Try
using individual keywords that might be found in a mud's name or description to help
track down what you want. Our advanced search engine offers many more options
for searching and online help is available from the page by clicking the question mark.
Finally, our category search page offers pre-defined sets of muds grouped together
based on some common theme, such as Tolkien, Science-fiction, or Pokemon. Poke
around the site and try experimenting with the search engines, we are confident you'll
find something interesting to try.
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| I tried using the advanced search engine but never find any results! |
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Try relaxing the constraints that you put on the search, the options that you specified
are too restrictive and no muds match them all. Also note that some of the options
will only work if you select one of them, such as the roleplaying options or player
model options (specifies the avg. number of players in the mud).
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| Why do I need to add a keyword to the advanced search engine, I want to just select the options I want and see the whole list. |
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In truth, you do not have to select any keyword at all, just leave that blank if you want.
If you are not getting any matches you should try relaxing the options that you have
specified, try removing them one at a time until you do find a match.
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| These muds look alike, how can I narrow down the list? |
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Try reading the player submitted reviews for the muds, where available.Player reviews are
linked from the listing of individual muds, provided reviews are available for that mud (not
all muds are reviewable or have had reviews submitted). Try to be open minded though
as players' experiences vary from mud to mud.
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| What is a mud codebase? |
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A codebase is a type of mud server. A codebase generally consists of the sourcecode
which can be compiled to create a working mud server, though some codebases are
available in precompiled binary formats. For more information on codebases please
browse our introduction to mudding at http://www.mudconnect.com/mud_intro.html .
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| Where can I find codebases to download? |
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We recommend FTP.GAME.ORG (http://ftp.game.org/ftpsite/)
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| How can I submit my mud to The Mud Connector? |
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Just click the 'Submit' button on the left side of the TMC webpage and follow the
on-screen instructions from there.
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| How does TMC decide who is able to update existing mud listings? |
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We use the information in the Administrator Contact field to determine
who may submit updates. This is simply the email address of the administrator that was
submitted with the mud.
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| What should I do if I want to update a mud listing and the listed Admin contact is no longer valid and/or usable? (tmc member id is no longer accessible) |
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The process of changing who can edit a tmc listing is as follows: 1) Have an authorized member of the mud admin staff create a new tmc member account, 2) Login with the new member info, 3) Go to the "Add / Edit Listing" page on TMC, 4) Read the section titled "Request a Listing Tranfer", which also contains a link for the application you need to submit. This starts the ball rolling for having the listing transferred to an accessible member id, be sure to follow all instructions on-screen and in the subsequent emails that will come to your address ( the email address associated with the new member id ).
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| I submitted my mud, which is not yet open for players, and was asked to resubmit when my mud was open for play, what gives? |
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For a brief time TMC did allow muds which were not yet open to add to our listings, but this is no longer permitted. TMC serves its function best for muds looking for players, and for players looking for muds. There are resources out there that are designed specifically for recruiting staff, but when your mud is ready for players we will happily add your listing and send any interested players to your mud.
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| How can I get involved with the TMC discussion boards? |
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You must first become a member of TMC, but don't worry, its absolutely free. Just visit
http://www.mudconnect.com and on the right side of the main screen in the links section
underneath the Parental Alert link you will find a link named Member Signup. Just click
that and follow the instructions!
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| What formatting tags (html) are supported in discussion board posts? |
A Brief Guide to Formatting on TMC - by TycheSupported HTMLAdditional syntax for TMCAutolinksURLs are recognized in text and turned into links Code examples</code> Go to top |
| Where can I post if I want to find immortals (builders, coders) or players for my mud? |
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For immortal positions including builders, coders, mud administrators, etc you may use the Mud Positions discussion board provided to TMC members (free membership). Please note that the best source for finding immortals to help run your mud might very well be your from within own player base, after all, who else knows your mud as well as the players! To find players for your mud you may use the Mud Promotions discussion board. Be sure to update your advertisement as the need may arise, for example if a posted position has become filled, or other positions have opened. Updates can be done easily by simply responding to your initial post. Go to top |
| May I also use other discussion boards to post advertisements for my mud? |
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It is discouraged and frowned upon by the TMC community, chances are you will be
flamed by other members if you do, negatively affecting the promotion value for your
mud!
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| How often may I post an advertisement for my mud, is everyday acceptable? |
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In general, somewhere between one and two weeks is acceptable. Everyday posting
will likely get you and your mud flamed on the boards. Additionally, you may bump
your post in the same timeframe.
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| How often may I post an advertisement for my mud resource? |
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As with mud promotions, please keep your mud resource advertisements to no more than
one per week or two weeks. Additionally, you may bump
your post in the same timeframe.
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| How do I know if a coding question is "advanced" (should be posted on the advanced coding board instead of the general coding board)? |
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If you are uncertain post it in the general coding forum first, if the general consensus is
your post belongs in the advanced board other users will let you know.
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| Is there an advantage to using the New Thread Format as opposed to the Old Thread Format (you can toggle between them on the discussions index page)? |
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Yes, new features that are added to the TMC forums are only implemented in the New Thread Format, the Old Thread Format is locked in its current state and there are no plans to add new features to it. We recommend you use the New Thread Format for TMC discussions.
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| May I post links to vote for my mud in the TMC forums? |
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You may post vote links in your forum posts provided that they are VERY CLEARLY marked as vote links. A link to vote for your mud that is not clearly marked is a cheap trick and will be considered vote fraud and your mud will be at risk for a ranking reset.
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| What is the Reviews button on the main page used for, are those also player reviews? |
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The Reviews button will take you to a section of the site where the TMC staff has
provided reviews for some of the muds we list. These are not the same as player
reviews! Though we have a very limited reviews staff we do try to post new reviews
every now and then.
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| I want to have my mud reviewed by the TMC staff, what can I do? |
|
Unfortunately our review request page is not available for much of the year. We already
have a long list of muds waiting to be reviewed and a very small staff to handle them.
Periodically we reopen the request page when we are able to catch up, but there is no
set schedule when this occurs. We are always seeking new reviewers, check our
review request page for details!
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| What should the player mud review system be used for? |
|
Player submitted reviews should be factual and contain detail regarding the player's
experience within the mud. In general, player reviews should not be used as a basis for
starting a flamewar against a specific mud or person involved with a mud. Positive
reviews submitted by a mud's loyal players can do alot to attract potential new players.
Players are not to use the review forum to flame a mud due to personal disagreements
with staff or players, flame bait will not be accepted.
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| What are some simple guidelines to follow when submitting a player review or comment? |
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Submitted remarks should not include profanity, personal insults, and accusations of
wrong doing must be supported with personal experiences and observations and state
that the ideas are the submitter's own personal opinions. A list of guidelines is provided
on the player review submission form.
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| Does line length matter in a player review? |
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Yes, please limit your line length to 65 characters.
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| How much detail is required in a player review? |
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Detail will vary, but we ask that you include as much detail about the mud as possible.
"This is the best mud I've ever played" and "This game rocks" are not considered a
complete detailed review.
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| How long after I submit will my player review be posted? |
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Reviews will be posted as soon as possible after submission assuming they pass the
editing process. Submissions failing the editing process will be returned to you requesting
corrections. This will be done in almost all cases except for ones with excessive
profanity, excessive flame bait material or reviews consisting of two or less lines; these
will be automatically deleted.
An exception to this is the first review to be submitted for a mud. First reviews, after
passing the editing process, are then submitted to mud admins who decide whether or
not they want reviews submitted for their game. There is a one week period where they
are allowed to respond. If they reject reviews then NO reviews will ever be allowed. If
reviews are allowed then all future reviews passing the edit process will be accepted.
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| If my favorite mud's address has changed, can I as a player submit a review with only the new address? |
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No, mud admins are responsible for any changes concerning their games. The best
thing you can do is send a reminder to your mud admin concerning changing their TMC
listing.
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| How important are spelling and grammar in my submissions? |
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Very, always use a spell and/or grammar checker if you are unsure of usage. Also,
re-read your submission for mistakes not discovered by a checker. Excessive
problems with spelling and grammar will cause your submission to be rejected.
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| As a mud admin receiving my first review letter, if its negative can i reject it and wait until a better one is submitted? |
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No, the first review is the only review ever submitted to an admin. Setting a no reviews
flag is permanent. We have an all or nothing policy for obvious reasons. We advise
mud admins who receive a negative review to accept anyway and submit a comment
rebutting the remarks. Reviews are a valuable forum for receiving constructive criticism
and recruiting new players, rejecting reviews closes this forum to you. If no reply is
received from admins within the time specified the review automatically goes live one
week later. Additionally, requesting mud reviews to be disabled at any time will prevent the mud from being eligible for reviews for the listing, this process is non-reversable.
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| If my review is negative why is it necessary for me to state that the remarks within are my opinion only? Isn't that obvious? |
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One would think it would be unnecessary to state in a review that the remarks are the
writer's opinions only but unfortunately that is not the case. By reiterating that the remarks
are the opinions of the writer only, we hope to stress that they are in no way
reflective of TMC.
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| Is it necessary for me to return the submissions form when I am accepting reviews for my mud? |
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Yes, we require the form for verification.
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| Is it necessary for me to return the submissions form when re-submitting a review/comment or can I just list it's number? |
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Yes, the form is necessary for verification and identification purposes.
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| Why do I need to list my email address when I submit a mud / review / comment, etc? |
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The email address is for verification purposes. You will only be contacted through
your email by the TMC staff if there is a problem or question regarding your submission.
The address is never available to anyone other that the TMC staff.
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| Why don't all MUD's have reviews enabled? |
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Whether or not a mud has reviews enabled is a decision the mud admin's make, thus
the answer to that should be directed to them. Note that TMC limits the number of
reviews per mud, muds reaching this limit will not be available for reviews until old
reviews are removed (reviews are deleted after approximately one year).
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| How many reviews per mud may I submit? |
|
We ask that only one review per player per mud be submitted please. This does not
apply for comments, as you may submit as many comments as you like. However, we
ask that you submit only one comment at a time. Do not split your remarks into several
comments and submit them all at once.
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| So my mud can have as many reviews listed as possible? |
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Generally we limit reviews to ten. After one year old reviews are removed making room
for new reviews.
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| How do I start my own Mud? |
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Starting a mud is a daunting undertaking, and running the mud thereafter even more
challenging. We recommend to all would-be mud administrators out there that you first
spend a good deal of time working on an existing mud as a builder, coder and
administrator. It is advisable that you first understand all that is involved with running
an established mud before even considering creating one of your own. Organized
documentation regarding the creation of a new mud is scarce, but we know of the
following sites which may help answer some questions:
http://www.imaginaryrealities.imaginary.com/volume2/issue3/starting_mud_print.html http://snible.org/mud/mudstart.html
For LP muds we specifically recommend a visit to http://www/lpmuds.net - LPmuds.net
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| I have been an avid mudder for a long time but do not know how to program. How can I learn the code on a mud? |
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We first recommend that you learn to program outside of a mud environment. Check the
Books section of the TMC resource center, there are some good books listed which
can help!
Once you have an understanding of programming in a higher-level language such as
C, C++ or Java (muds can be written in other languages as well) we recommend that
you download a stock mud source package and try to learn the inner workings by
examining the source code of a working codebase, such as Circlemud. You can find
many mud codebases ready for download at http://ftp.game.org/ftpsite/ , an excellent
resource for providing source code of muds and mud-related programs.
|
| Please help me, my mud has crashed, what can I do to fix it? |
|
TMC offers two coding discussion board, one for general coding issues and one for advanced
coding issues (more conceptual in nature). Try posting a description of your problem on the
general coding board and include as much information as you can, including any error
messages you may see, and report any snippets or code changes you made which might have
caused the problem. Be polite and patient and perhaps someone can help you get your
mud back up and running.
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| I dont know anything about *nix (Unix, Linux, Xenix, etc), do I need to to be able to run a mud? |
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No, there are mud codebases available for the windows family of operating systems as well.
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| I run a mud and would like to find code snippets to add, where can I find them? |
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Check our resource center at http://www.mudconnect.com/resources/ , we have a
whole section devoted to code and snippets.
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| Where can I find a free server to run a mud? |
|
It is very unlikely that you will, unless you have a friend on the inside of some public
network that can help you obtain one. Instead we recommend that you check our
resource center's mud hosting section, there are many commercial hosting providers
available, some which offer accounts as inexpensive as $5 or $10 per month!
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