Getting Started as a Builder
If you are interested in learning how to create your own World on tbaMUD read on.
A builder is a term usually used to describe a person who designs MUD zones for other characters to explore. Any player with motivation, ideas, and good writing style can be a builder as well as a player. As a Builder, your job is to create the virtual World in which players can roam around, solve puzzles, find treasures, and gain experience. A Builder creates the rooms, objects, mobs, shops, quests, and triggers which players will interact with. If this is something you are interested in doing then you have come to the right place. Be warned, building is not easy and will require hard work, patience, and the ability to take constructive criticism.
Your first task is to apply for builder status.
When you finish and submit the application login to The Builder Academy (tbamud.com port 9091) and walk through our tutorial zone to begin your training. Tell the staff (anyone level 32 or higher) you have completed the application and they will advance you. During your initial training you will be able to edit a single trial Vnum. (HELP VNUM in game)
As you learn the different building commands feel free to use the GOTO command and test them out. Your Vnum (look at your title to see what Vnum you were assigned) includes your trial room/mob/object. For example, if your title says: Rumble has trial Vnum 13900, this means I will make one room, one mob, and one object by editing that Vnum (i.e. redit 13900).
Both the mob and object must load in the room through zedit. Do not make a shop or trigger with your Vnum, those are more advanced and should only be attempted when the first four forms of On-Line Creation (OLC) are well understood. Your Trial Vnum must have your name in the room title. This one Vnum is your chance to show off your building abilities. Every builder makes one room/mob/obj here. It is also a chance for you to learn and improve your building before being assigned a zone.
Be creative. Make something impressive and unique, not another "Ultimate Weapon" or "invincible mob" with every affection and stat possible. They have already been made and impress nobody. By monitoring this one trial Vnum the trainers can catch most of your mistakes and prevent you from repeating them throughout an entire zone.
Once you finish your one room/mob/obj you must have it checked for any errors. Ask anyone level 32 or above to do this for you. Once all errors are corrected and you have proven you know the basics of building you can submit a zone proposal. HELP PROPOSAL for more information. Once your proposal is approved you will be assigned your own zone, consisting of 100 Vnum's. If you have not been assigned a Vnum or zone please be patient and mudmail Rumble.
TBA is a low stress, no deadline, training environment where anyone with motivation can work at their own pace to learn as much or as little as they desire about building on the tbaMUD codebase (formerly known as CircleMUD). TBA is a MUDding resource dedicated to improving the MUDding community. We have been operating since 2000 and have trained 1000's of builders.
If you are interested in learning how to create your own World please start by applying for builder status here.