The Slow Death of Text-Based Gaming

I was introduced to multi-user text-based gaming via Telnet in 1993. As an 80s baby, I grew up on Zork and Super Mario Brothers. Interactive gaming was a completely new and novel concept for me, a live action marriage between the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure series and Dungeons and Dragons. The games were called Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs), and I was completely addicted from the first week. I played over a 1200 baud modem for six to eight hours at a clip before crashing, only to find myself dreaming in scrolling text. These games eventually spawned today’s household names: World of Warcraft, EverQuest, NeverWinter Nights, and dozens of others with big name gaming firms behind them. For those of us left behind in the Mom-and-Pop text-based shops, the evolution six or so years ago to both graphical and corporate has been slowly killing our way of gaming life. 

I took two or three years off from gaming after I graduated from college, preferring to use my time to meet and eventually marry my now husband. I returned to gaming on a whim. Bored one afternoon, I connected via AOL dial-up to the MUD Connector, a gaming directory, to try to find my old MUD stomping grounds. My initial search was fruitless, but I found HexOnyx instead. I connected and made friends with an immortal calling herself Albus. I have been there ever since. 

Where are the MUDs Now?
Flash forward from the late 90s to 2006 and you’ll find me presiding as Implementor over a superior game with a rapidly declining player base. As in the real world, MUDs often promote for the most ridiculous of reasons. I became the site manager and lead designer of Hexonyx.com, Hex’s web site. From there, I was promoted to Assistant Areas Head, and then, by virtue of attendance, Areas Head (meaning I'm in charge of all new area, monster, and equipment creation). Last year I was again promoted, this time to co-Implementor. Why? I’m always there and I’m willing to work. Just like in real life.