My Little MUD Book

By Chris Jones

This book is intended for those who know Java, know a little about MUDs, but don't know how to code a MUD in Java. MUDs aren't deep, scary programs. They're really large, scary programs filled with all sorts of old code, bad designs, and difficult documentation.

I can't change the documentation, but I can help with the designs, and I can choose to work in a programming language that is buzzword compliant, and ideally suited for this kind of work: Java. I won't claim that Java will be the best language for your 1000 simultaneous player graphical MUD, but it will teach you the basics of MUD design and architecture. You can apply what you learn here to more traditional programming languages (like C++) and hopefully get a leg up by proving your designs in Java.

If you want definitions and examples of MUDs, hit The MUD Connector or the MUD Development mailing list for more information.

Part I, being a description and details concerning the implementation of a Talker, which provides some of the underpinnings of a real multi-user communicator.
Part II, being a basic MUD written and developed in Java.
Part III, being Swords and Sorcery Online, a concept graphical multiuser MUD written in Java.
Part IV, being specifications for a scripted MUD design