zMUD Survey Results

Here are the results of the recent zMUD survey. There were a total of 575 respondants in 2 weeks. Not everyone answered every question, so the percentages do not total to 100% in some cases. I'll be updating the Future Plans list later this weekend to reflect the results of this survey.

Section 1 - User Information

  1. How long have you been using zMUD?
    One week 3.8%
    One month 10.3%
    3 months 16.0%
    6 months 21.9%
    1 year 35.3%
    2 years 12.7%
  2. What kind of zMUD user are you?
    Guru 6.3%
    Power User 34.3%
    Normal User 50.8%
    Novice 8.5%
  3. What types of MUDs do you play?
    Combat (DIKU, LP) 87.5%
    Social (MUSH, MOO) 12.3%
    Other 11.1%
  4. Enter the hostnames of the two MUDs you play the most:
  5. What MUD client did you use before using zMUD?
    None 28.6%
    Telnet 33.5%
    Comm 4.2%
    TinTin 11.3%
    GMud 9.7%
    TinyFugue 3.5%
    AvPlay 2.1%
    MrTerm 1.7%
    MudMage 0.7%
    Mutt 0.9%
    Pueblo 0.9%
    MUDDweller 0.5%
    MUDSock 0.2%
    MUD32 0.2%
    VWMud 0.2%
    ElfWin 0.3%
    Phoca 0.2%
    MudWin 0.3%
    WinWorld 0.3%
  6. How much time per week do you spend MUDding?
    Less than 1 hour 1.4%
    1-5 hours 13.4%
    5-10 hours 17.7%
    10-20 hours 27.7%
    >20 hours 39.5%
  7. What operating system do you use zMUD on most of the time?
    Windows 3.x 4.7%
    Windows 95 84.5%
    Windows NT 9.9%
    Other 0.3%
  8. What type of Internet connection do you use with zMUD most of the time?
    American Online 0.5%
    Compuserve 0.3%
    Local Internet Provider (ISP) 75.5%
    Corporate network connection 3.8%
    School network 13.0%
    Other 6.1%
  9. What is your age?
    <10 0.5%
    10-19 27.3%
    20-29 49.6%
    30-39 15.7%
    40-49 4.2%
    >49 1.7%
  10. Are you a registered zMUD user?
    Yes 57.0%
    No 42.6%

Section 2 - zMUD future feature information

  1. Do you use the automapper in zMUD?
    Yes 35.5%
    No 64.3%
  2. Is v4.5x faster then previous versions for you?
    Yes 58.1%
    No 7.7%
    Haven't tried it 32.5%

    Here is the priority given for each feature questioned:

  3. Equipment database
  4. Doors in automapper
  5. Automapper setup wizard
  6. Script editor/debugger
  7. Zone creation tool for MUD builders
  8. Web-based script library
  9. More wizards (for expressions, patterns, etc)
  10. Printing maps
  11. Object oriented script programming
  12. Built-in chat to other zMUD users
  13. Fancier map graphics (colors, bitmaps, annotation, etc)
  14. iRC compatible chat within zMUD
  15. Direct firewall and proxy support
  16. Would you like to see an Installer for zMUD, even if it added 500 kbytes to the download size?
    Yes 34.6%
    No 63.1%
  17. Some new features may require zMUD to use a real database engine. Would you object to a separate 1 Mbyte download in order to install a database library for zMUD?
    I would object to a 1MB database engine 4.2%
    A 1 MB database engine would be OK if it added value to zMUD 93.6%

Section 3 - General zMUD Questions

  1. How should I respond to zMUD crackers?
    Ignore them 17.0%
    Reissue registration codes as needed 36.0%
    Fight them to the death! 44.7%
  2. How would you rate the zMUD User Interface?
    Terrible 0.2%
    Poor 1.2%
    Good 45.2%
    Excellant 53.6%
  3. How would you rate the zMUD programming language?
    Terrible 0.2%
    Poor 7.8%
    Good 67.0%
    Excellant 20.0%
  4. How difficult is it to learn zMUD?
    Very Hard 1.9%
    Hard 18.6%
    Neutral 40.9%
    Easy 31.1%
    Very Easy 7.3%
  5. How do you feel about the zMUD update frequency?
    Updated too often 6.4%
    Just Right 85.6%
    Not updated enough 6.1%
  6. How responsive has support for zMUD been?
    Never answered my question 4.5%
    Took too long to answer 2.8%
    Response of answer was just right 41.2%
    Got answer sooner than expected 24.5%
  7. How easy was it to register zMUD?
    Have not registered 38.3%
    Difficult 1.2%
    Not Bad 9.2%
    Easy 48.2%
  8. How do you feel about the cost of zMUD?
    Too expensive 12.0%
    Just right 77.7%
    Should cost more 7.3%
  9. How useful is the Tips/Tricks board?
    Never used it 40.5%
    Not useful 4.2%
    Somewhat useful 35.7%
    Very useful 18.6%
  10. Regarding bugs and the stability of zMUD
    zMUD has way too many bugs 2.3%
    zMUD has some bugs but is useable 46.8%
    zMUD has very few bugs 47.5%
    zMUD is bug free 3.3%
  11. In general, rate your satisfaction with zMUD
    Very UNsatisfied 0.3%
    Somewhat UNsatisfied 1.9%
    Somewhat satisfied 19.8%
    Very satisfied 77.9%


This page was last updated on December 24, 1997.
Email about this page can be sent to: zugg@zuggsoft.com
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