Zugg Software :: View topic

Beginner Joined: 06 Aug 2010 Posts: 11

... then what is the future for it, and what should current Cmud users do about it?

Is it for sure, 100%, that no further work will be done on Cmud?

If that is the case, please consider at least the following:

1) Keep working on it in spare time, but bug fixes only, no new features at all. Clear off the old bug list, maybe streamline some things, then end it there. I'd be fine with it requiring a new license as well, I've gotten years out of my 3.34 license so having to buy a new one is more than fair.

2) Maybe sell the IP rights and let someone else take a shot at it?

3) Release Cmud as free and open source, so that someone interested can keep it going.

Cmud is the mud client that "gets it right" and is all around really great. MUSH can't really come close and probably never will, I have no interest in that. Cmud is something that is worth keeping going in some form or another, and to see it in its current state, and going where that road leads, is saddening.

Those are just my thoughts on it, maybe someone else has others, but I do hate to see things come to this.

Sorcerer Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 809

3 can't happen because there's third party components in cmud. 1 was the original announced plan, before Zugg decided to disappear with no word. I'd still love to see that happen, but not getting my hopes up...

Wanderer Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 72

I have to agree with all the above. Cmud has brought me many years of joy and I would be willing to give a donation for its continued existence and support. Its sad to see it die a slow death when it still provides us aging but passionate mud users many hours of enjoyment. Cmud single handedly got me interested in coding and continues to spur my interest when my mud gets boring, I go map or create some new scripts.

Zugg if your there and still listening. You have diehard users that love your product and only want to see it grow.

I see options 1 and 2 above as the most viable.

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

What if some big MUD would buy the rights to zMUD/cMUD, and then only focus it to that game?

The benefit with Zugg Software is that it is independent. It doesn't have much interest to get people to a particular MUD.

cMUD/zMUD might be too expensive though. Nowadays you can buy games on Steam around $8 or cheaper during sales.

Apprentice Joined: 24 Jul 2005 Posts: 137

I think of CMUD as more of a console than a game.

Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2014 Posts: 2

+1.. I'm an old imp/builder from the mid 90s who recently decided to get back into mud and explore old areas I created. It's been a lot of fun and a real stroll down memory lane. Things have changed a lot in 20 years with tiering and remorting, etc., but finding cMud was really nice compared to my old term emulator, 386dx40 and 2400 baud Microcom modem. :) That being said, I wanted to purchase cMud but I am a little reluctant to plop down the registration fee after reading that dev has ceased and Zugg has vanished.

Would you guys recommend giving it a pass and watching the forum for updates before purchasing?

Thanks!

Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2014 Posts: 1

I am an old mux,mush, muse,mud developer from the 90s. Known mostly for the btech mu*s under the alias Nadia Wolfkin. I just paid the registration fee for Cmud and don't regret it (I was a Zmud guy in my day) and intend to do a little mu playing again. That being said, I was hoping there would be an android version of Z/Cmud in planning. I am unhappy to see the Cmud project totally abandoned, which may force me to modify mushclient instead. However, I felt zmud's programming system was ideal for my needs and did not want to relearn it again. I agree with the above poster that the cost for Cmud is probably higher than it should be today, but it would be worth it should someone be supporting it.

Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2014 Posts: 2

Site Admin Joined: 29 Sep 2000 Posts: 389 Location: USA

Zugg hasn't exactly disappeared, but he now has a very demanding full time job and isn't as young as he used to be. Free time is pretty sparse and frankly I take up a lot of what there is (being Mrs Zugg, for those who don't know me). I try to keep an eye on things, but I'm not all that technical.

I will say that there are currently no plans to build an android version for the same reason there has never been Mac version, there are a great many 3rd party libraries integral to zMUD and CMUD that only exist for PC. There isn't enough income potential to justify starting from scratch with a new product, as was driven home painfully by the release of CMUD. That's also why #3, release as open source, can't happen.

If someone wanted to buy the rights to CMUD and continue it, that would be a conversation I'm sure Zugg would be willing to have, although I don't know what might be said during it. lol.

We do appreciate everyone who continues to be willing to pay for years of hard work and dedication, even if it is a little after the fact. We're still a small family business, we just had to add in other things as well.

Newbie Joined: 16 Aug 2014 Posts: 1

Is there any new version in development stage? Like some bugs or acces violation fixes.

Novice Joined: 02 Nov 2010 Posts: 45

Since the program is no longer developed, the price could go down a tad ;)
40$'s a lot...

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:10 pm

Agree with Raviden; if the program is now out of development with no bug-fixes or new additions to be made, the price could probably be made more attractive.

Newbie Joined: 03 Mar 2015 Posts: 1

I am in agreement here.

If development has stopped and/or stalled, it would be nice if someone else (or a group) could pick it back up and continue coding and supporting it for the future.
Especially with Windows 8.x and Windows 10.x support, since that is definitely the future (and the present) and we need to have a stable release for these. Even the
latest version of Cmud isn't 100% Windows 7.x stable and could some some tweaks.

Cmud is my favorite client hands-down (although I still prefer a lot about Zmud over Cmud and have been a registered user since the mid-90s), but it's still the best
MUD client out there without a doubt.

I'd love to see this software live, and if Zugg doesn't have the time, it would be nice to figure something out to keep this thing alive and up-to-date. ;-)

Apprentice Joined: 24 Jul 2005 Posts: 137

Please Zugg :)

Sorcerer Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 809

Do you still make a considerable amount of money off CMUD sales? If not for the third party libraries, would you be willing to look into open source?

Wanderer Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 72

I second what is said here. Even if we have to pay a small fee for a devkit there are many willing people here to take up the reigns and provide bug fixes, support and iterative testing of CMUD to keep it going. I myself and many others I know have invested thousands of hours into CMUD, we don't wan to see this wonderful client go by the wayside.

Site Admin Joined: 29 Sep 2000 Posts: 389 Location: USA

CMUD still makes a significant enough contribution to our income that we aren't ready to let it go.
The 3rd party libraries and utilities are not an insignificant cost. We're talking thousands of dollars.
At one point we negotiated with a long time user to bring them in to work along side Zugg in some specific development areas and frankly he stole the code and ran despite our contract.

It's not that we're not listening.

Wanderer Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 72

Understandable. Thanks for the reply, Let Zugg know we still enjoy cmud and want to support its growth and longevity.

Newbie Joined: 31 Mar 2015 Posts: 3

New to CMud. I did have ZMud 1000 years ago however (give or take a few years).

I'm surprised to see that its development is dead but I understand the reasons for it.

I would echo the thoughts above, selling the IP may yield better outcomes for everyone (providing new and active development and the right sale price for the Zugg's). The other aspect here is the unit price of the application as it stands now - $40 USD really isn't much for a program, not in the scheme of things, however it would be good to see the price drop to recognize the current state of development. I will purchase however there is a voice in the back of my head saying "$40 for defunct software... That doesn't seem right". Yes this site, this forum is up and that's an on-going cost however that can be done now for pocket change a month, it's not the early 2000's anymore.

And there's my two cents while talking dollars. :D

Site Admin Joined: 29 Sep 2000 Posts: 389 Location: USA

I'd love people to think of it more like a wonderful book that Zugg wrote about the best ways to MUD. Books don't come with regular updates, but no one gets upset about that because all the work is already in the book...

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:22 am

No, but people do rather expect to be able to read books on their mobile devices these days.
And eventually they enter the public domain.
And you can get them second hand for cheaper...

Lots of ways the 'book' analogy falls apart.
I love zMUD/CMUD and would hate to see it become 'just' a footnote.

Novice Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 40

Can you say what 3rd party programs are costing so much money? The open source community is amazingly brilliant at creating free replacements for proprietary software.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:33 am

The docking engine is one of them i think.
I thought one of the big issues was the fact it was coded in perl (I forget why).

Then the fact it expects a dated Windows environment as it stands.
I have not heard of any mobile emulators.
Does it even run in Windows 8?
Aren't they about to release 9?

Sorcerer Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 809

That's why I asked a couple weeks ago, but it seems they aren't interested in open sourcing it anyway.

Novice Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 40

I'm not suggesting open sourcing Cmud. I'm saying use appropriately licensed open source projects to replace the expensive 3rd party programs.