MUD World History checklist for MUDs

Confirm every era boundary is defined with in-game calendar (IC) date format (e.g., 'Year of the Amber 347') with no chronological gaps exceeding 50 years between consecutive eras in the master document.

Check that each historical event entry in the timeline database includes a canonical source document filename and last_verified timestamp within the metadata schema.

Verify that NPC birth and death dates in zone files match the master timeline within ±1 IC year, with automated reports flagging mismatches for editorial review.

Ensure quest availability dates reference timeline event_ids rather than hardcoded date strings to prevent continuity drift during future retcons.

Validate that conversion formulas between racial calendars (elven, dwarven, human) are documented in /docs/calendar.md and pass unit tests for date range edge cases.

Tag every lore entry in the database with canon tier: Canonical (immovable fact), Apocryphal (in-world rumor), or Deprecated (retconned/outdated).

Verify that Deprecated-tier content is removed from active zone descriptions but archived in /lore/deprecated/ with obsolescence reason and ticket number cited.

Confirm that Apocryphal-tier entries in helpfiles include [RUMOR] prefix and reference the originating NPC object ID or book vnum for player verification.

Check that builder submission forms enforce canon tier selection before zone approval can be granted by the editorial pipeline.

Ensure quest scripts reference only Canonical-tier historical facts as mandatory plot requirements, with Apocryphal content explicitly marked as optional dialogue branches.

Map each major historical event to at least one active quest, zone description, or NPC dialogue via the event_id foreign key in the quest dependency database.

Check that quest prerequisite checks reference historical_event completion states rather than duplicate date strings to maintain single source of truth.

Verify that NPC dialogue referencing past events uses verb tenses consistent with the event's temporal position relative to current IC date.

Confirm that historical battle sites contain remnant objects (rusty weapons, memorial stones) with examine descriptions linking to the canonical event_id for player discovery.

Ensure that anniversary quests and seasonal events calculate trigger dates by querying the timeline API rather than using hardcoded server timestamps.

Document all retcons in /docs/retcons/YYYY-MM-DD_description.md with before/after state, justification ticket number, and complete list of affected event_ids.

Verify that modified event_ids trigger automated alerts in all zones, quests, and helpfiles referencing the affected historical entry before deployment.

Check that veteran player-facing changelogs explain retcons using in-world reasoning (e.g., 'Newly discovered archives reveal...') without breaking fourth wall.

Confirm that database rollback scripts are tested on the staging environment for historical tables before retcon deployment to production shards.

Validate that mobile resets and object repopulation timers align with the revised historical timeline post-retcon to prevent anachronistic spawns.

Verify that in-game library objects contain readable book items summarizing each major era in under 500 words of player-facing text with discoverable keywords.

Check that helpfile histories include breadcrumb links to related quests currently available to players, filtered by level and alignment requirements.

Confirm that character creation background options reference only open-era historical events, hiding spoiler content behind discovery flags or quest completion checks.

Validate that quest hint systems connect current arcs to relevant historical events via searchable keyword tagging (e.g., 'SEARCH: Cataclysm').

Ensure that century-spanning timeline documents are fragmented into individual scroll or tablet objects in-game rather than presented as monolithic wall-of-text.

Verify that all timeline modifications require dual approval from builders in distinct geographical time zones before merging to the canonical branch.

Check that version control hooks generate automated diff reports highlighting lore file changes for editorial review within 4 hours of commit.

Confirm that playtest server executes continuity_check.sh script validating all quest-to-timeline linkages before permitting production merge approval.

Validate that new area submissions include completed historical_event_linkage.csv mapping all referenced dates to canonical event_ids.

Ensure quarterly lore audits review randomized sample of 20 NPC dialogue entries for anachronistic technology or cultural references inconsistent with the era.

Verify that all player-triggered historical events (killing legendary mobs, completing epic quests) are logged to canonical_event_logs with timestamp, player_id, and event_id.

Check that log entries store both server timestamp and converted IC date to prevent confusion during timezone migrations or calendar reforms.

Confirm that canonical event logs are append-only with cryptographic checksums to prevent tampering that would invalidate historical records.

Ensure that event logs are indexed by era_id to enable rapid queries for historical reports and anniversary event triggers without table scans.

Validate that canonical event logs are replicated to offline storage daily to protect against data loss that would corrupt world continuity.