>>From Wikipedia articale on Runescape:
>>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuneScape
>>RuneScape, sometimes referred to as RuneScape 3, is a fantasy MMORPG developed and published by
Jagex, first released in January 2001."

>>So a game released 5 years after CF. Clearly retro and from the same general genre, if not
specifically a MUD.

>>From Wikipedia article on "Old School Runescape":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_School_RuneScape


I like the idea of this. I'm one of the guys who also felt like the game might have really benefited from the technological progress felt by other games that overtook the MUD landscape like Everquest, WoW and any number of mobile games with MMORPG themes today.

CF hasn't really evolved much since the mid-90's. It has expanded or focused on its strengths such as world-building, but if somebody had taken control and decided to try to expand into a more graphical type of game we would likely be in a very different place now. The problem is, CF doesn't belong to the imps. It is a million different parts created by a thousand different authors. It is a collective work of art, and even the everyday players play a part in its evolution and the story it tells.

So if the game becomes commercially successful on another platform, who owns the rights? Who is due a cut of the profits? It would be nearly impossible to track down every contributor to pay out royalties or give credit. We don't know many people's true names, and everybody wanting credit where it is due would definitely be an issue.

I think CF will live a long time still, as long as we can find server space and bandwidth for it on the cheap. I don't think it is possible for it to ever become more than it is though, since we would have had to have planned for future possibilities and jumped through legal hoops around the world to account for all the copyrights and disclaimers we needed to make it fair to everybody who contributes.