November 2023 MUME Questionnaire Results
176 answers collected between November 2023 and January 2024. Survey conducted by Freyja and Finwë, with review by Aratar.
Interactive Looker Studio Report
By Freyja & Finwë • November 2023 – January 2024
Explore interactive charts, cross-filters, and detailed visual breakdowns of the 2023 player survey on Google Looker Studio.
Overview & Credits
One or two MUs (Manwë Units) after the last one, we are sharing a new questionnaire titled MUME Players - Results 2023. This has been a community-led effort (see credits) but with Aratar review.
The questionnaire ran from November 2023 through January 2024 for new and old MUME players. It is a follow-up questionnaire from the original by Manwe in 2000.
- Questionnaire Design Credits:
- Design and implementation: Freyja and Finwë, based on the last design by Manwë (we assume)
- Additional questions: Finwë and Freyja
- Testing and reviews: Baca/Endo, Relim, Jahara, Lamia, and others
- Keeping us motivated: Baca/Endo and Freyja(! Finwë writing this), and others
- Starting the thread on Discord: Relim
- Suggestions/ideas: Baca/Endo, Jahara, and others
- Report Credits: Freyja, Finwë, Lamia, Relim, Google Looker Studio, ChatGPT-4, and Midjourney.
1. Demographics
Total responses: 176
Gender, Age Groups & Marital Status
| Category | Option | Count / Percentage |
|---|
| Gender | Male | 164 (93.2%) |
| Female | 10 (5.7%) |
| Prefer not to say | 2 (1.1%) |
| Age Groups | 35–44 | 97 (56.1%) |
| 45–54 | 44 (25.4%) |
| 25–34 | 25 (14.5%) |
| 55+ | 4 (2.3%) |
| 24 and under | 3 (1.7%) |
| Marital Status | Married | 94 |
| Single | 37 |
| Couple | 32 |
| Divorced / Separated | 10 |
| Widowed | 2 |
Occupation
| Status | Count |
|---|
| Employed | 149 |
| Other | 10 |
| Employed-Student | 6 |
| Student | 3 |
| Unemployed | 3 |
| Family-Keeper | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
Detailed Age Breakdown
Current Age
| Age | Count | Age | Count | Age | Count | Age | Count |
|---|
| 16 | 1 | 33 | 9 | 41 | 11 | 49 | 4 |
| 18 | 1 | 34 | 5 | 42 | 17 | 50 | 5 |
| 22 | 1 | 35 | 8 | 43 | 8 | 51 | 6 |
| 26 | 1 | 36 | 14 | 44 | 11 | 52 | 4 |
| 27 | 1 | 37 | 9 | 45 | 8 | 53 | 1 |
| 29 | 2 | 38 | 7 | 46 | 7 | 54 | 2 |
| 30 | 1 | 39 | 6 | 47 | 2 | 55 | 2 |
| 31 | 5 | 40 | 6 | 48 | 5 | 57 | 1 |
| 32 | 1 | | | | | 58 | 1 |
Starting Age on MUME
| Age | Count | Age | Count | Age | Count |
|---|
| 15 | 17 | 22 | 5 | 29 | 2 |
| 16 | 14 | 23 | 4 | 34 | 3 |
| 17 | 8 | 24 | 5 | 35 | 2 |
| 18 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 36 | 4 |
| 19 | 14 | 26 | 3 | 37 | 2 |
| 20 | 20 | 27 | 2 | 39 | 1 |
| 21 | 5 | 28 | 2 | 42 | 3 |
| | | | 52 | 1 |
2. Networking & Geography
Discovery & Referral Channels
| Source | Count |
|---|
| Friend | 110 |
| Other | 12 |
| Mudlist | 12 |
| Magazine / Print publication | 8 |
| Google search | 8 |
| Another MUD | 6 |
| LotR Fandom | 4 |
| Unknown | 4 |
| Other search engine | 3 |
| Internet forum | 3 |
Geographic Distribution
Living Country When Discovered MUME
| Country | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| USA | 63 | 35.8% |
| Estonia | 36 | 20.5% |
| Sweden | 16 | 9.1% |
| Other | 10 | 5.7% |
| Norway | 10 | 5.7% |
| Netherlands | 5 | — |
| Brazil | 5 | — |
| Canada | 4 | — |
| Germany | 4 | — |
| Others | 23 | 13.1% |
Current Country of Residence
| Country | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| USA | 64 | 36.4% |
| Estonia | 32 | 18.2% |
| Sweden | 17 | 9.7% |
| Other | 9 | 5.1% |
| Norway | 9 | 5.1% |
| Canada | 5 | — |
| Czech Republic | 5 | — |
| Brazil | 5 | — |
| Netherlands | 5 | — |
| Others | 25 | 14.2% |
Preferred News Sources
| Source | Count |
|---|
| MUME (in-game) | 110 |
| Elvenrunes | 90 |
| Discord | 89 |
| Mume.org | 71 |
| Email | 65 |
| Facebook | 20 |
| YouTube | 16 |
| Reddit | 10 |
| Internet forum | 7 |
| Twitch | 3 |
| Twitter (X) | 3 |
| Faine / Pigeons / Friend / Word of mouth | 1 each |
Onboarding Timeline
(Based on bar chart distribution from ~1991 to 2023. Data shows distinct spikes around 1997–2001, with the highest onboarding peak of 17 players around 1999/2000.)
3. Characters & Legends
Total Owned Characters
Free People Characters Owned (Undeleted)
| Count | Responses | Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
| 1 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| 3 | 12 | 11 | 4 |
| 4 | 9 | 12 | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
| 6 | 11 | 14 | 7 |
| 7 | 13 | 15+ | 52 |
Minions of Sauron Characters Owned (Undeleted)
| Count | Responses | Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 23 | 8 | 6 |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 2 | 19 | 10 | 8 |
| 3 | 11 | 11 | 6 |
| 4 | 14 | 12 | 5 |
| 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
| 6 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
| 7 | 6 | 15+ | 38 |
Legend Characters (Level 26+)
Free People Legends
| Count | Responses | Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 14 | 8 | 5 |
| 1 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | 5 | 10 | 8 |
| 3 | 10 | 11 | 4 |
| 4 | 13 | 12 | 4 |
| 5 | 13 | 13 | 6 |
| 6 | 13 | 14 | 2 |
| 7 | 11 | 15+ | 37 |
Minions of Sauron & Zaugurz Legends
| Count | Responses | Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 41 | 8 | 6 |
| 1 | 18 | 9 | 9 |
| 2 | 16 | 10 | 7 |
| 3 | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| 4 | 16 | 12 | 2 |
| 5 | 9 | 13 | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | 15+ | 20 |
| 7 | 6 | | |
4. Specific Races & Characters
Zaugurz Characters Owned
| Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 77 |
| 1 | 36 |
| 2 | 36 |
| 3 | 16 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5 | 3 |
Beorning Bear Characters Owned
| Count | Responses |
|---|
| 0 | 80 |
| 1 | 61 |
| 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 11 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 |
5. Classes & Sub-races
Class Ratings
(Scale: 1 Awful to 7 Amazing)
| Class | Average Rating | Total Votes |
|---|
| Mages (Free People) | 6.22 | 151 |
| Warriors (Trolls) | 5.86 | 143 |
| Clerics (Free People) | 5.83 | 149 |
| Warriors (Orcs) | 5.04 | 140 |
| Warriors (Free People) | 4.96 | 149 |
| Thieves (Free People) | 4.68 | 150 |
| Shamans (Orc) | 4.67 | 139 |
| Mages (Black Númenórean) | 4.45 | 140 |
| Thieves (Orc) | 4.39 | 140 |
| Thieves (Black Númenórean) | 2.97 | 135 |
| Clerics (Black Númenórean) | 2.62 | 132 |
Sub-race Ratings & Overall Sentiment
- Overall Rating on Sub-race Changes: 3.95 / 5
- Top Rated Sub-race: Silvan Elves (5.48)
- Least Liked Sub-race: Bears (Beornings primarily in Bear form) (3.17)
| Sub-race | Average Rating | Total Votes |
|---|
| Silvan Elves | 5.48 | 126 |
| Firebeard Dwarves | 5.41 | 130 |
| Morruhk Orcs | 5.13 | 125 |
| Men of the Dúnedain | 5.06 | 134 |
| Cave Trolls | 5.03 | 126 |
| Mountain Trolls | 5.03 | 125 |
| Broadbeam Dwarves | 5.01 | 125 |
| Hill Trolls | 4.83 | 121 |
| Longbeard Dwarves | 4.80 | 124 |
| Sindar Elves | 4.75 | 123 |
| Tarkhnarb Orcs | 4.74 | 133 |
| Men of the Rohirrim | 4.73 | 128 |
| Harfoot Hobbits | 4.71 | 122 |
| Stoor Hobbits | 4.59 | 120 |
| Fallohide Hobbits | 4.51 | 122 |
| Noldor Elves | 4.26 | 128 |
| Eriadorian Men | 4.19 | 128 |
| Black Númenóreans | 3.83 | 133 |
| Zaugurz Orcs | 3.68 | 123 |
| Half-Elves | 3.65 | 116 |
| Bears (Beornings in Bear form) | 3.17 | 139 |
6. Ainur (Gods) & Building
Ainur Status & Engagement
| Question | Response Options | Count / Percentage |
|---|
| Do you own an Ainur (God)? | Yes | 90 (51.1%) |
| No | 86 (48.9%) |
| Is your Ainu Mw or higher? | No | 26 (57.8%) |
| Yes | 19 (42.2%) |
| Do you log on your Ainu regularly? | Yes | 17 |
| No | 15 |
| N/A | 14 |
Key Takeaway: Primary reasons for reduced Ainu activity include a preference for mortal gameplay, perceived lack of active god tasks, diminished social interaction, and feeling redundant in building efforts.
Zone Building Experience
| Question | Response | Percentage |
|---|
| Have you ever built or helped build a zone? | Yes: 46 (51.1%) | No: 44 (48.9%) |
| Would you consider building another zone? | Yes: 20 (44.4%) | Maybe: 15 (33.3%) / No: 10 (22.2%) |
| Would you like to build or help build a zone? | No: 74 (56.9%) | Help build: 44 (33.8%) / Build own: 12 (9.2%) |
Feedback Insights:
- Most enjoyed: Creative freedom, storytelling, conceptual design, community contribution, and learning tools.
- Least enjoyed: Long feedback wait times, tool friction/documentation gaps, and repetitive entry tasks.
7. Levels, Playing Styles & Engagement
Mortal Levels Distribution
- Average Highest Mortal Level Reached: 56.4
| Level Group | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Legend (26–50) | 78 | 44.6% |
| Legend (51–75) | 52 | 29.7% |
| Legend (76–100) | 33 | 18.9% |
| Hero | 7 | 4.0% |
| Lowbie | 3 | 1.7% |
| Champion | 2 | 1.1% |
Playing Styles & Engagement
Player Killing (PK) Involvement
| Frequency | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Sometimes | 59 | 33.7% |
| Often | 44 | 25.1% |
| Rarely | 33 | 18.9% |
| Always | 29 | 16.6% |
| Never | 10 | 5.7% |
Roleplay Frequency
| Frequency | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Sometimes | 71 | 40.3% |
| Rarely | 66 | 37.5% |
| Often | 18 | 10.2% |
| Never | 17 | 9.7% |
| Always | 4 | 2.3% |
- Posted a Log from Game: Yes: 112 (63.6%) | No: 64 (36.4%)
- Playing from same room as friends (past 12 months): Never: 155 (88.1%) | Sometimes: 21 (11.9%)
- Average Weekly Playtime: ~7.07 hours per week (averaged over past 4 weeks).
8. Player Opinions & System Ratings
System & Management Ratings
| Aspect | Excellent | Good | OK | Bad / Awful |
|---|
| Game System | 25.6% (45) | 47.7% (84) | 23.9% (42) | 2.8% (5) |
| World Design | ~90 | ~45 | ~15 | ~2 |
| Management | 21 | 54 | 64 | 16 (13 Bad / 3 Awful) |
Praise Highlights: Key community members repeatedly praised for mentorship, technical maintenance, and development included Jahara, Rogon, and Dain.
9. MUME and MUDs
| Question | Option | Count / Percentage |
|---|
| Position of MUME among MUDs | 1 (Best) | 139 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5+ | 18 |
| Played other MUDs before MUME? | No | 90 (51.1%) |
| Yes | 86 (48.9%) |
| Play other MUDs currently? | No | 148 (84.1%) |
| Yes | 28 (15.9%) |
Physical Play Location & Lag Experience
| Location | Count | Lag Frequency | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Home | 175 | Rarely | 86 | 48.9% |
| Office | 27 | Sometimes | 50 | 28.4% |
| Internet Cafe | 5 | Never | 23 | 13.1% |
| Phone | 4 | Often | 13 | 7.4% |
| School / University | 7 | Always | 4 | 2.3% |
10. Operating Systems & MUD Clients
Operating Systems Used
| Operating System | Count |
|---|
| Windows (Microsoft) | 146 |
| macOS (Apple) | 32 |
| Linux (Various) | 21 |
| Ubuntu | 12 |
| Fedora | 7 |
| Mint | 6 |
| iOS / iPadOS / Android | 10 |
| Debian / Chrome OS / Unix | 12 |
| CentOS / FreeBSD / Solaris / OpenBSD | 5 |
MUD Clients Used
| Client | Count |
|---|
| JMC | 56 |
| Mudlet | 55 |
| MMapper built-in client | 27 |
| Putty / PowTTY | 26 |
| Powwow | 21 |
| TinTin++ | 11 |
| Mume.org web client | 11 |
| None (plain telnet) | 9 |
| zMUD / CMUD / MUSHclient | 14 |
| Cancan / MUDRammer | 3 |
11. MMapper & Mapping Experience
MMapper Usage & Map Creation
| Question | Frequency / Response | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Do you use MMapper? | Always | 129 | 73.3% |
| Usually | 27 | 15.3% |
| Sometimes | 9 | 5.1% |
| Tried but not using now | 6 | 3.4% |
| Never | 5 | 2.8% |
| Created own map with MMapper? | No: 107 | Yes: 64 | — |
Experience Creating Maps
| Descriptor | Count | Descriptor | Count |
|---|
| Challenging | 40 | Dangerous | 18 |
| Initially interesting, but tedious | 35 | Immersive | 16 |
| Good for area knowledge | 34 | Boring | 14 |
| Rewarding | 33 | Good for Travel Points | 10 |
| Hard | 24 | Easy | 8 |
| Exciting | 22 | | |
Newbie Mapper Usage & Timeline
- Used mapper as a newbie (≤ level 12): No: 145 (84.8%) | Yes: 26 (15.2%)
- Year started using a mapper tool: Spans 2000 through 2023, with peak onboarding in 2016 (13), 2019 (13), and 2021 (13).
12. MMapper Scenarios & Discord
MMapper Scenario Ratings
(Scale 1: Dislike to 5: Great)
| Scenario | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|
| Not needing to test every room connection automatically | 12 | 3 | 69 | 39 | 46 |
| Starting from a published map of the whole world | 33 | 27 | 69 | 23 | 17 |
| Using someone else's map with automatic updates | 12 | 13 | 61 | 31 | 52 |
| Using someone else's map of the whole world | 32 | 13 | 56 | 31 | 37 |
Discord Usage & Server Activity
| Usage | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Joined MUME Discord & active/unmuted | 85 | 48% |
| On Discord, but not on server / muted | 57 | 32% |
| Do not use Discord | 34 | 19% |
13. Bartle's Test & Gaming Frequency
Self-Reported Bartle Types vs. Test Scores
Self-Reported Player Type
| Player Type | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Explorer | 66 | 37.5% |
| Killer | 51 | 29.0% |
| Achiever | 35 | 19.9% |
| Socializer | 24 | 13.6% |
Average Score After Test
| Player Type | Average Score |
|---|
| Explorer | 61.53% |
| Achiever | 45.62% |
| Killer | 44.69% |
| Socializer | 44.57% |
- Taken Bartle Test Before? No: 89 (50.6%) | Yes: 87 (49.4%)
Login Frequency & Inhibiting Factors
| Login Frequency | Count | Inhibiting Factor | Count | Percentage |
|---|
| Weekly | 53 | Job / Work / Studying | 49 | 60.5% |
| Few times a year | 43 | Not enough players online | 33 | 40.7% |
| Daily | 42 | Lost interest in game | 25 | 30.9% |
| Monthly | 20 | Outside hobbies / interests | 25 | 30.9% |
| Inactive since 30th Anniversary (Jan 2022) | 11 | Children | 24 | 29.6% |
| Inactive for years | 7 | Partner | 17 | 21.0% |
14. Wish List & Top Desired Changes
Top 10 Desired Improvements
(Ordered by "Would Play More" minus "Would Play Less")
| Rank | Wish List Scenario | Would Play More | Would Play Same | Would Play Less |
|---|
| 1 | If there were more people playing | 135 | 26 | 6 |
| 2 | If broken or useless skills or spells were fixed or rebalanced | 119 | 37 | 3 |
| 3 | If it were easier to play short sessions | 115 | 48 | 1 |
| 4 | If there were more special / regular / fun / competitive / challenging events | 115 | 45 | 5 |
| 5 | If it were easier to find a group | 97 | 68 | 2 |
| 6 | If there were new useful skills or spells | 97 | 58 | 4 |
| 7 | If backstab / sneak success rate wasn't so random | 91 | 63 | 5 |
| 8 | If there were a larger number of viable build options for evil races | 87 | 66 | 3 |
| 9 | If there was a new Smob (super mob) with new items | 88 | 64 | 4 |
| 10 | If it felt like I was important to or helping the war or some grouping | 86 | 72 | 3 |
15. Final Thoughts & Summary
Summary: The analysis of final thoughts reveals deep-seated affection and nostalgia for MUME. Players expressed strong enthusiasm for continuous game enhancements, class rebalancing, active event hosting, and streamlined onboarding for casual/short sessions.
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