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Free Sample The information on this page is an excerpt from the e-book FabJob Guide to Become a Video Game Designer. It is only a small sample of the valuable information contained in the 184 page complete guide. The complete guide offers many more ways to get experience and get hired as a video game designer. Working
on a MUD
Online multiplayer games such as Origin's Ultima Online have taken the games world by storm. Now every publisher is wondering whether the future of games lies in huge, immersive worlds in which players can lose themselves every evening, while paying a monthly fee that allows for the running of the game, further development and a profit. Origin's Ultima OnlineHowever, long before Ultima Online was even proposed, there were already many online worlds welcoming players from around the world. They eschewed graphics in favor of text-based descriptions: quick, universal and low-bandwidth. Players picked a character class (elf, human or barbarian, for example) and teamed up with other players to form a party of adventurers who roamed through a world of towns, shops and dungeons, spending hours slaying monsters and completing quests. For the creators of these games, adding a room was a matter of writing some code and a little text, so the worlds grew quickly. This was the world of the Multi-User Dungeon, or MUD. Today, MUDs run either through a telnet link (the player's computer 'talks' directly to the server computer across the Internet) or through a MUD client (a modified interface that makes entering commands quicker). While many MUDs now support color text and text animations, few have moved into graphics, preferring the low cost and low bandwidth approach to the extravagance of their commercial counterparts. MUDs' proponents claim that the world created in a MUD can be every bit as rich and varied as one created in graphical multiplayer role-playing game like Ultima Online. Some even say the MUD option is superior, since it forces players to use their imaginations and caters to a wider range of players since it does not need a powerful machine on which to run. MUDs also have the advantage of almost always being free to play, unlike Ultima Online and its commercial competitors who require a monthly subscription fee. For the designer looking for a way to demonstrate his skills, the attraction of helping to run a MUD should be obvious. Short of actually working for one of the companies producing modern online games, this is the closest to direct experience you can get. You will gain expertise in creating new areas, new monsters and new quests. You will have to deal with player problems, arbitrate in disagreements and pass judgment where necessary. You will handle player accounts and even recruit players to help you. If this sounds like something that's for you, here are the steps to getting involved. Becoming a Player The first step is, of course, to become familiar with MUDs and the way they work, and there is no better way to do this than to become a player yourself. Playing a MUD is good experience for any would-be designer, even if you do not intend to move into online gaming, because it demonstrates how atmosphere and game play can be created using only minimal tools.
However, there are others that either turn these ideas on their heads or branch out in an entirely different direction, preferring to capture players' imaginations with science fiction or cyberpunk settings. An excellent starting point is The MUD Connector, a deservedly well-renowned web page that lists every MUD its creators can find, along with full descriptions and reviews. You can search for a MUD based on a wide range of criteria and check its statistics and connection to assess whether it's still running. The MUD ConnectorWhile you're there, you should take the time to read the MUD FAQ at: MUD FAQYou'll also need either a telnet client or a MUD client. The simplest option is to use the telnet client built into Windows 98 (type 'telnet' at the 'Run' prompt accessible from the Start bar). Alternatively you can download a third-party telnet client such as: Vandyke.comAnother solution is to use a MUD client. Unlike telnet clients, which can be used for any purpose that involves your computer 'talking' directly to another over the Internet, MUD clients are specifically for MUD players. They aren't strictly necessary but can make things easier, providing you with such options as auto-mapping, recording and replaying of movement (useful for making long journeys quickly) and tools to help you connect to your favorite MUD quickly and easily. Some require a shareware fee, but this may be worthwhile if you're going to spend a lot of time MUDding. Two you may want to try are: zMUDWhen you've found an interesting MUD and obtained a telnet or MUD client, simply connect and start playing. Be sociable, help other people and have fun. If you decide that MUDding is for you, that's the time to start looking into adding areas. Help to Run a MUD All MUDs need trusted players to help keep things running smoothly. Be polite, friendly and responsible, help out new players and you will gain the trust of the MUD administrators, who may then give you responsibilities within the MUD. These may involve being available to answer questions from new players, managing player accounts (removing players who haven't logged on in a long time) or helping to build new rooms and areas. All of these aspects can be of great value to a designer, because by watching how players react to new quests and ideas, finding ways to make the MUD accessible to first-time players while keeping it challenging for old-hands and dealing with frustrated players you'll gain experience perfect for transferring into the running of a modern, graphical online game. TIP: Remember to keep a log of your duties and experiences. From an employer's point of view, it's particularly impressive to find a designer who has put heart and soul into a MUD over a period of years, helping to take it from a little-played one to a well-known name in MUD circles.Running Your Own MUD Running a MUD requires a solid knowledge of the 'C' programming language, as well as a machine permanently linked to the Internet and enough time to create a whole world for the players to explore. You may be able to join up with an existing MUD group that is in need of a designer to plan new areas and quests, but be ready to learn some programming skills of your own. The best place to find potential teammates for such a project is either to get talking with both players and administrators on MUDs you play on (there's a fair chance that someone on the MUD is thinking of starting their own one) or on one of the Usenet newsgroups devoted to MUDs. In particular, try: rec.games.mud.adminAlso useful is the MUD Resource Collection, an index of documents relating to all aspects of MUDding and MUD building. MUD Resource CollectionThe MUD connector (mentioned above) is also an excellent source of information for those thinking of starting their own MUD. You will find answers to your questions on everything from building areas to getting your MUD hosted. The MUD connectorShowing Your Experience to an Employer Unlike a single-player game that you have designed, a MUD cannot be simply sent on a CD-ROM to a potential employer, nor can you take screenshots of it as you could with a Half Life or Quake level. What you can do is outline exactly what you have been responsible for on a MUD, whether it's player administration, design and building of new areas or the creation of the MUD itself. Include a single line stating the length of time you worked on the MUD, its name and your responsibilities as part of the experience listings in your resume. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, create an 'invitation' to the employer to visit your MUD. List the unique features of the MUD and state exactly what you have been responsible for throughout your time working on it. Provide the name and Internet location (IP address) of the MUD so the employer can easily visit you. A useful tip is to create a player account for the employer in advance, then send them the name of their character and its password. This serves two purposes: firstly, it will entice the employer to try the MUD (the fact you've taken the trouble to create an account especially for the company will make them feel they should at least stop in once). Secondly, if you create a unique account for each company you contact (And why shouldn't you, since creating new player accounts costs you nothing?) you can tell by looking at the MUD's logs if employers are looking at your work. It also doesn't do any harm to have a trusted player look out for the employer's character and welcome them to the MUD if they see them, perhaps showing them some of the most impressive areas. This isn't cheating-remember that unlike a normal player, the employer will probably only visit once and only for a short time. Make the employer's visit interesting and exciting and you'll impress much, much more. The above is only a small sample of the valuable information in the FabJob Guide to Become a Video Game Designer. The complete guide describes many additional ways to get experience, along with detailed advice on how to get hired as a video game designer. Visit www.FabJob.com/video.asp for more information. |
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will want to find a MUD that suits your personal tastes, too. The
common generalization that "all MUDs are about pixies and dragons" is to
some extent true, as the vast majority of them are based on hardened Tolkien-esque
ideas.
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