Know your tools!!!

Building does have some things in common no matter which code base you are working with. A poorly written room description is still a poorly written room description. However, since the actual building processes can be very different, you should start by making a minimum of one room, one object, and one creature. A basic familiarity with the tools at hand is essential. It will help you to comprehend what is within the realm of possibility when you are building your area. If you do not completely understand something, ask about it. No one will think any question you ask is silly. The more questions you ask, the more you learn.

This step may not be possible if you are building on a LPC mud, or other types of non-Diku muds. Most LPCs do not have building interfaces, or OLC tools. If you are building for such a mud, it may be better to plan your area first, and learn the tools by building an area.

Invest in a Thesaurus

Synonyms are part of the key to having rooms that could be repetitive look slightly different. They also help if you are searching for the perfect word. Sometimes, if I cannot find the word I am looking for using the thesaurus, I start looking up synonyms of the synonyms I have found. The results are slightly different.

Determine your mud's standards

Every mud has different standards regarding rooms, creatures, and objects. It will save you a lot of time if you check the standards before you start building your area. Putting a lot of work into an area then having to redo elements that do not match your mud's standards can be frustrating. If you are building your first area for a mud, have an administrator check the first five to ten rooms you build to see if they measure up to their standard. Creature and object balance is difficult to determine on your own. Ask the administrators on your mud if they have documents that will help you determine this for your area. If they do not have those documents, ask if there is an area, or areas currently on your mud that they consider well balanced for the player levels that you are making the area for.