If you're reading this, it probably means that you've got a great idea in mind for a zone and you've had it approved by one of the areas gods. The question in your mind now is, "How do I turn this idea into an area where hundreds of people from around the world will want to spend their spare time?"
Although this document is dreadfully long despite my best efforts, the process of areamaking is actually quite simple, especially when using one of the available editors. The hard part is balancing the mobs, the items, and the difficulty of the zone to the players on the mud, and that comes with testing on our testmud and with experience. The areas staff is incredible helpful, and we'll all go out of our ways to help you creating your zone.
1. Start with one of the editors when writing your zone, then look at the files you've created with a word processor to get a feel for how the files fit together. Most of us use an editor, then do the final tweaking/trimming with a standard word processor. Although still a bit buggy, TE works very well (but save often!)
2. Your friendly areas staff is incredibly anal about grammar, spelling, originality, creativity, and the like. Sloppy work will reflect poorly on you and your zone. Also, remember "quality over quantity". It's easier and more rewarding to make 100 rooms of *really awesome* zone than 300 rooms of "okay" zone.
3. Plot/Theme: Every zone you make should be built around a plot or a theme. Zones that are made off-handedly, with "a little bit of everything" thrown in, are often confusing and hard to fit into the realism of the TorilMUD interior world environment. Similarly, you should try to fit your zone into TSR's Forgotten Realms setting. You don't have to create a zone straight out of a book, but you cannot create zones about aliens from Mars or smurfs.
4. Maps/Ideas: It is always a good idea to talk first with a god about your area to make sure it is acceptable for TorilMUD. Once this is done, it is considered sound practice to make a graph-paper map of your entire zone, outlining all your connect-points and details. This helps you get a good feel for the area and what you might be missing, as well as ensuring it is geographically sound, topologically sane, and avoids overlapping rooms. A map also helps in mob placement and debugging.
5. Try to refrain from making areas that are higher level than any mortal you have ever played. If you've only ever played a 15th level character, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to get a 45-50th level zone right.
6. Give some warning to players as to what they may be encountering, and (hopefully in a creative way, so as not to be too blunt) give them a reasonable guess as to if they have a chance. By this, we do not mean tell them they have to be a group of 1 16th level cleric/warrior and 2 17th level warrior/thieves, but do give a general idea -- is it a good area for mid-level single classes, beginners, or high-level multies.... While it is agreed that this is not necessarily the way real life works, it is a fact that it is more conducive to enjoyment of the game. Making warning "signs" with extra descriptions, or placing warning items like nontakable skulls are nice little touches.
7. A note on numbering: At first it is helpful to number your items, rooms, and mobs using an odd letter or number prefix, such as "QQ" or "888" so that you can easily renumber your stuff when you get your vnum range.
8. TorilMUD will only accept original zones that cannot be found on any other mud. You and the forgers of TorilMUD are bound by the following two statements. If you don't agree, then please email me before you start.
* I understand and agree to the following two statements:
*
* "All people who donate and/or make an area for TorilMUD and
* receive MAKER status for its incorporation into the mud are
* bound by the following: you CANNOT at a later date demand
* that the zone be removed from the mud for ANY reason! Once a
* zone is given to and becomes a part of TorilMUD, it is
* permanently the property of TorilMUD. For example, if at a
* later date a MAKER is caught cheating and is demoted for it,
* the maker CANNOT in turn demand that TorilMUD remove the zone
* in question."
*
* "If you donate and/or make an area for TorilMUD, and that area
* is used in the mud, only YOU, the area maker, have the right
* to govern what happens to that zone as far as distribution is
* concerned. In other words, we, the Forgers of TorilMUD, hereby
* guarantee that your area will NOT be given to ANYONE for any
* reason. It will remain under tight lock and key at all times
* so that your hard work is not stolen and distributed all over
* the Internet. To that end, we accept responsibility for the
* security of any zone donated to us."
These policies protect both the mud owners and the area makers regarding the legality of using someone else's work, and clarify for all our determination to make a 100% realistic world that can be found no where else on the (virtual) globe. Furthermore, you will be asked to add a line to your zone file once the zone is ready to be moved to the mainmud saying, in effect, that the file is copyright of TorilMUD. You will also be asked to sign a NonDisclosure Agreement which we all sign, and is pretty standard for most muds. *Note that you cannot sign this if you are not 18, and therefore, you must be at least 18 years old to write an area for TorilMUD!*
9. **WARNINGS/NOTICES TO NEW AREA MAKERS** -Please try to keep your first zone small. Turning in a 500 room behemoth for your first zone will be very difficult to go through. Trust me, there will be many errors to go over and correct. -Do not make your zone with the assumption that new spells or code will be written for you. It ain't gonna happen for your first zone. Please stick with the lengthy and verbose guidelines given in here. -Attention to detail is the most important part of areamaking. Please pay specific attention to the SHP and QST files which are universally messed up the first few submissions.