Wizard (MUD)
Wizard is commonly used in MUDs, particularly LPMuds,[1]:{{{3}}} AberMUDs and MU*, as a term for the MUD's developers and administrators. The usage originates with Richard Bartle's original MUD1 and MUD2.[2]:{{{3}}} It is frequently abbreviated "wiz", which is sometimes used as a verb; to wiz is to become a wizard.[3]:{{{3}}} The plural of "wiz" is "wizzes".[2]:{{{3}}}
A wizard's duties may involve various combinations of software development, content generation, gamemastering, community management, and other administrative tasks.[4]:{{{3}}}[5]:{{{3}}}[6]:{{{3}}}[7]:{{{3}}}[8]:{{{3}}} Modifications such as apprentice wizard, elder wizard ("elder") and archwizard ("arch") indicate junior or senior staff members.[9]:{{{3}}}[10]:{{{3}}}[8]:{{{3}}} Other commonly used terms with the same or related meanings are coder, developer ("dev"), administrator ("admin"), immortal ("imm", "immort"), God, and implementer ("imp"); the last two most often refer to the system's owner. The term "builder" may be used to indicate a wizard, usually junior in standing, dedicated to content development.[10]:{{{3}}}
A common convention, especially on early MUDs, has been that players have the opportunity to become wizards after advancing to a certain level within the game.[2]:{{{3}}}[3]:{{{3}}}[11]:{{{3}}}[8]:{{{3}}} This practice sometimes presents "wizhood" as another level of game, with wizards competing to develop popular content. As this is, at best, a questionable approach to staffing and development, its popularity has faded with the MUDs of later years.[10]:{{{3}}}
A "wizard" in a MUD is not necessarily a staff member; it may be used simply in its ordinary fantasy-genre meaning, referring to in-world magicians. (Being able to employ this usage is sometimes one of the reasons a MUD chooses to use setting-neutral terms like "administrator" and "developer" for staff.)
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Confessions of an Arch-Wizard, an article by Michael Lawrie about the wizard hierarchy on MIST
