Merging or Muddling?

This month's issue of Muddled Times is special. Not only does it complete the second year of the "new-format" Muddled Times - a feat in itself - but it also marks the first collaboration between MUD2.COM's Admiral Bombow's Chronicles (ABC) and Muddled Times.

While what we have achieved is a good distance short of a merge, which is how I have heard it described, it could be a portent of the future. Will there some day be a Muddled Chronicle, or Admiral Bombow's Times? Perhaps the question should rather be "Would we want a merged magazine?"

At least until this issue, ABC and Muddled Times have been entirely different, happily co-existing. Even with the collaboration that brings you this issue, both ABC and Muddled Times have retained their own distinct styles. To consider the magazines "merged", this could not be so - to justify its existence, a merged magazine would have to have a unique style of its own.

So, what would be the result of such a merge? Hopefully it would be a combination of the best features in, and the best people behind the two magazines resulting in one über-magazine, not only catering for both the individual communities but also appealing to an entirely new audience.

Superficially, this sounds great, but is such an ideal even feasible? Even if it were, would we lose more than we gain? We would certainly lose diversity, but could we lose a great deal more than that as well? A combined magazine may be better than its components individually, but would it be better than the sum of its components standing alone?

This is something I have been considering for some time now - not for Muddled Times and ABC, but instead for MUDII.co.uk and MUD2.COM themselves. While the mechanics of merging two incarnations of MUD would be a great deal more complicated than merging two magazines, the underlying issues are almost identical.

In the June 2001 issue of ABC's sysop column, Viktor asks "Do you think it's good for MUD2 to have two competing sites? Does competition mean better service quality for you, or does it fragment an already small player community needlessly? Should we try and join forces with Foddy to create one, well-managed MUD2 service?"

Hawumph, "Gavin Dunbar" and Roger (the arch-wizard of the Dragon incarnation of MUD2) have also openly discussed the subject. There's been talk of a merge on the MUDII.co.uk forums, and I've received a number of personal e-mails on the subject. In addition, Hawumph also touched upon merging in the interview for this very issue.

Clearly, this is a subject that requires attention. Unfortunately, providing all the answers isn't easy. I don't know how many responses Viktor received to his questions, but I personally have yet to find anyone who can answer the fundamental question: Would a merge be in the best interests of MUD2 and the individual MUD2 communities, and why?

Unfortunately, this means that I must end this article with questions instead of the answers I would much rather provide. But as we run both Muddled Times and MUD for the community, it is fitting that the community should be involved with providing the answers.

So, mail me. Post a message on the forums. Tell us what you think.

Thank you!

Foddy