Lore Design checklist for MUDs

Ensure room descriptions are between 4 and 8 lines at 80-character width to prevent screen-scroll fatigue in fast-paced gameplay.

Confirm that each room description includes at least two sensory details beyond sight (e.g., smell, sound, or ambient temperature).

Ensure all descriptions use a consistent perspective (either second-person 'You see' or third-person objective) throughout the entire zone.

Test that room descriptions have logical variations for night/day cycles and weather conditions where applicable.

Check that every noun mentioned in the room description has a corresponding 'look' or 'examine' keyword with unique text.

Verify that NPC greeting and gossip scripts use faction-specific terminology and avoid modern slang or out-of-character idioms.

Test that NPC aggression and shop prices correctly reflect the player's reputation with the local faction as defined in the lore bible.

Ensure NPCs have 'echoes' or movement scripts that reflect their profession or social status (e.g., guards patrolling, merchants closing shop).

Confirm that high-level NPCs have a documented history in the master lore document and aren't just 'stat blocks' without context.

Verify that NPC equipment matches their faction's technological level and available regional resources.

Ensure every class ability has a narrative justification (e.g., a specific deity for clerics or a specific school of magic for mages).

Confirm that the introductory text for new players aligns with the current historical state of their chosen race.

Verify that NPCs react uniquely to specific races if the lore dictates historical animosity or alliances.

Ensure trainers explain the 'why' behind skills, grounding mechanical progression in the world's history.

Check that items restricted to certain races have 'extra' descriptions explaining the cultural or biological reason for the restriction.

Compare all date references in the zone (tombstones, books, NPC dialogue) against the Master World Timeline.

Verify that room exits match the global world map (e.g., if a mountain range is north, the northern rooms must reflect climbing or elevation).

Confirm that items designated as 'unique' in lore do not exist in multiple instances across different zones.

Check all room names and NPC names against the regional linguistic standards defined in the lore bible.

Ensure that mentions of past wars or kings in room text match the 'official' version of events in the library zones.

Verify that no room or NPC descriptions imply magic capabilities that contradict the established laws of the setting.

Check that trade goods found in the zone reflect the local economy's imports and exports as stated in lore.

Confirm that temples or shrines within the zone belong to the established pantheon and use the correct symbols.

Ensure that mechanical damage (e.g., cold damage in a tundra) is supported by the room's narrative description.

Check that major world-changing events (e.g., a recent dragon attack) are acknowledged by local NPCs and reflected in the scenery.

Process all area files through a spellchecker to catch typos that break player immersion.

Ensure no 'TODO' or builder-to-builder notes remain in the public-facing room or object descriptions.

Have a builder unfamiliar with the zone play through it to see if the story is understandable without external documentation.

Check that lore-specific terms mentioned in the zone have corresponding entries in the game's 'help' or 'lore' system.

Ensure indentations, paragraph breaks, and color codes follow the MUD's global style guide.