Comment by shevy-java

I used to play MUDs in my youth - first PaderMUD/Xyllomer, then GEAS. I could already feel that the genre was declining past 2000. With less time on my hand there was a point I'd have to retire anyway, but horrible code changes made by random hobbyists put in charge of both MUDs also contributed to the feeling I had to quit sooner rather than later. Both MUDs also tampered (aka nerfed/ruined/changed) the way how 'who' works (find out who else was currently playing; GEAS specifically first took away the ability to find out who was playing at all whatsoever at the same time, thanks to PO Allalltar becoming the new surrogate admin after the original admin-team was mostly gone, and then did a partial restoration after players complained but not a full restoration - but in fairness, if it would not have been that nerf it would have been any other game-breaking zero-discussed code change by whoever was suddenly the new head admin in town).

Nonetheless I encourage people to keep the genre alive. MUDs probably peaked in the 1990s.