MUD Hosting Starter Resources

Compare low-cost VPS tiers that give enough RAM and disk for a hobby MUD without overspending.

Choose a host region close to your regular players so telnet sessions feel responsive.

Use a simple unit file so your MUD process restarts cleanly after crashes or host reboots.

Disable password logins and keep immortal or implementor access behind SSH keys.

Allow only SSH and the MUD port, then document every additional service you expose.

Track OS updates weekly so older MUD hosts do not drift into insecure states.

Decide whether you need a reverse proxy for web maps, portals, or websocket gateways.

Separate runtime logs from world data so rotation and cleanup are predictable.

Use memorable subdomains for your MUD, website, and status pages so announcements stay clear.

Maintain a small spreadsheet for VPS, backups, domains, and optional monitoring costs.

Archive player files, rent files, board data, and config files at least once per day.

Store backups away from the game server so a single provider outage does not wipe everything.

Practice restoring a backup to a clean instance before you need it in production.

Document what to do when a hot reboot fails and players need a clean restart.

Keep a short policy for daily, weekly, and monthly backups to limit storage sprawl.

List API keys, SMTP settings, and admin-only files that must be included or regenerated during recovery.

Put area, mob, and object files in version control so builder mistakes are reversible.

Capture who owns DNS, hosting, backups, and code so downtime does not block on one person.

Prepare a short outage announcement for Discord, forums, or your login screen MOTD.

After each outage, record the trigger, impact, fix, and follow-up task in one place.

Ping the login port and alert when the game stops accepting connections.

Record idle and peak usage so you notice leaks or runaway scripts early.

Monitor log and backup growth to avoid silent disk exhaustion.

Define when reboots happen, how players are warned, and what must be verified afterwards.

Keep a short runbook so another immortal can restart the game safely when you are away.

Use a standard checklist before promoting new area files or scripts to production.

Track login spikes during events or launches to know whether your host is sized correctly.

Review immortal commands and sensitive changes on a regular schedule.

Standardize bug and outage reports so ops issues are triaged quickly.

Publish a simple service-status page so players know when downtime is expected.