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Return of Text-Based Games?
twivel asks: "I've noticed a trend recently. I've had many friends return to text based MUDs even after a couple years of playing MMORPGs like Everquest and WoW. When I've asked them why they returned, they've said that the virtual community in MUDs really seems to set them apart from the newer MMORPGs. In MMORPGs, you just get lost in the numbers. In the forums on places like MUDConnect, a popular MUD listing site, you find people claiming that the MUD community is actually growing. For those of you who've experienced both forms of entertainment, would you agree? While the cost is much less (many great MUDs are 100% free), how would you rate your overall experience with MUDs compared to newer forms of online entertainment?" A bit of this discussion was touched on not too long ago, but it would be interesting to note if the MUD community is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, as the article implies.
Area Loser Reports from Mom's Basement that Other Area Losers Returning to free MUDS after Mom Cancels their WOW subscriptions...
I've been playing on MUDs for over a decade, And while I pretty much only socialize these days and maintain some real estate I built about 8 years ago, I still prefer it to most MMO's. The biggest reason is that you have better interaction with the other characters in a MUD than on an MMO, plus your imagination just does a better job. On top of that people who cause problems tend to get the boot very quickly, and there aren't any people there who's sole purpose is to rape the game so they can make money off of it.
Also, there are damn few children. The better MUDs these days are all 18 and over so you tend to have a larger percentage of people who know how to behave socially.