Area Building directory
A curated directory of resources for MUD area builders, covering technical specifications, offline editors, and design methodologies for major codebases like ROM, CircleMUD, and Smaug.
Showing 10 of 10 entries
Tiled Map Editor
freeA flexible tile map editor used by MUD builders to visually layout grid-based zones before exporting to text formats.
Pros
- + Visual grid layout
- + Custom property support for room flags
- + JSON and XML export options
Cons
- − Requires custom export scripts for .are files
- − Not text-native
The Builder's Academy
freeAn educational resource and MUD dedicated to teaching the technical and creative aspects of area building.
Pros
- + Hands-on training environment
- + Mentorship from veteran builders
- + Resource library of building tutorials
Cons
- − Requires active participation
- − Focuses primarily on Diku-style syntax
LPMud Building Manual
freeDocumentation for LPC (Lars Pensjö C) building, focusing on object-oriented room and item creation.
Pros
- + In-depth LPC coding tutorials
- + Modular building concepts
- + Covers major libraries like Dead Souls
Cons
- − Heavy emphasis on programming over OLC
- − Fragmented documentation across different mudlibs
Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator
open-sourceA tool to generate geographic maps with data on biomes, cultures, and states to provide logical backing for zone placement.
Pros
- + Generates logical trade routes and political borders
- + Exports data useful for coordinate-based MUD maps
- + Deep customization of climate and terrain
Cons
- − Primarily visual; requires manual conversion to text
- − Can be overwhelming with technical geographic data
Wonderdraft
paidA downloadable map creation tool focused on aesthetic fantasy maps to help builders visualize world scale.
Pros
- + Produces high-quality visual references for lore
- + One-time purchase with no subscription
- + Easy to adjust landmasses for world changes
Cons
- − Requires decent hardware to run smoothly
- − Visual-only; no data-linking features
Inkarnate
freemiumA web-based map making tool for creating regional and city-level maps to guide builders in room placement.
Pros
- + Large library of assets for varied settings
- + Browser-based; no installation required
- + Good for creating 'flavor' maps for players
Cons
- − Subscription required for high-res exports
- − Can be time-consuming to detail individual cities
Donjon Fantasy Generators
freeA suite of procedural generation tools useful for MUD admins to create world maps, dungeon layouts, and NPC names instantly.
Pros
- + Instant generation of lore-friendly names
- + Mathematical dungeon floorplan logic
- + Supports various fantasy themes
Cons
- − Output requires manual conversion to MUD area formats
- − Generic results may lack specific game flavor
Diagrams.net
freeBrowser-based diagramming for creating visual org charts showing guild hierarchy, alliance networks, and territory control maps.
Pros
- + UML support for faction relationship modeling
- + Real-time collaborative editing
- + Export to PNG for embedding in wikis
- + Offline desktop app available
Cons
- − Limited styling for medieval/fantasy themes
- − No native integration with MUD map formats
Evennia
open-sourceA modern MUD library written in Python, allowing for rapid development of unique fantasy mechanics and non-traditional class systems.
Pros
- + Python's ease of use for logic
- + Built-in web client and telnet support
- + Highly modular architecture
Cons
- − Requires more server resources than C engines
- − Smaller library of pre-made fantasy areas
tbaMUD
open-sourceThe current standard for CircleMUD development, providing a clean, bug-fixed version of CircleMUD 3.1 with integrated OLC and DG Scripts.
Pros
- + Active community support
- + Modern compiler compatibility
- + Extensive built-in documentation
Cons
- − Diverges from original Circle 3.0 directory structures
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