creating a mimic (a mobile that looks like an object) with stock MUD definitions

This is an example of how to create a mimic (monster/NPC/living thing) that looks like a sign.

1 Create a mobile named mimic. 2 Short describe it "a mimic". 3 Long describe it what you want players to see it as, e.g.: "A sign has been posted here." 4 Create an extra room description for 'sign' where the mimic loads, for what you want players to see when they look, e.g.: 'No swimming'. This works because it is unlikely players will type 'look mimic' without suspecting one.

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When players type look sign, they will see: 'No swimming.". If players type get sign, the system will return something like: "I see no sign here.", which creates intrigue, confusion, suspicion and possibly disbelief: preconditions for discovering a mimic.

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Successful area attacks expose mimics.

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What might come off poorly are extra room descriptions successfully decoying for mimics that aren't there, e.g., that have been killed and not yet reset. In such case, typing look sign would read: "No swimming." without there either being a sign object or mimic in the room. So without 'sign' somewhere in the room description, it wouldn't make sense.

Another important note is, mobile names precede room extra descriptions. Therefore naming a mimic for what characters might look at gives players a chance of discovering that what they thought of as an object has health and an inventory.

Tricks can be hazardous. Naming mimic mobiles: 'a mimic' and choosing to include decoyed keywords in a room description in case a mimic is gone, may help players appreciate a game element like this.

In my experience, some players feel they have no control compared to Implementors. Tweaking players with interesting, realistic tricks gets builders a piece of that action and possibly interests players in building.

Theoretically a room can have hundreds of extra descriptions for things that aren't in the room or room's description. Scientifically, questions would be:

"Why allow a room like that?"
Builders: "Why write a room like that?"
Players: "How would someone come to look at something having no prior clue of it being there?"

Practically, seeing a secret description involves luck, intuition, a decoy or simply prior keyword experience in that room. Some keywords are so ubiquitous, like 'air', they should almost be in every room anyway. Another point of view is to take extra descriptions for what they are called ("extra" as in extra-terrestrial) and thus always formally allow them even if they exist no further.

In summary, there are probably many good ways of using non-corresponding extra descriptions. Forcing every description to accompany a formal game object is one way of "policing" a MUD, though a central idea in MUDing is that some things, like air, water, earth and fire, need not be formal objects or mobiles to "exist". It is the difference between "descriptive" and "object" existence, despite MUD objects also merely being descriptive anyway. Some might conclude with the idea of having to draw the line somewhere, even if it is conceptual or imaginary.

Here is Ileah, Implementor of HavensMUD 's, advice:

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My recommendation is to do the following:

a) make the monster name keyword 'mimic' and nothing else

b) make the monster name short description 'A sign' or something similar - this way when players scan they will see 'A sign'. While it will indicate that 'A sign' is a monster because it shows up in a scan, it will not give away that the sign is indeed, a mimic.

c) make the monster long description indicate that it is indeed a sign.

d) if possible, make the monster a sentinel so it does not wander and add an extra description to the room with the keyword 'sign'. This way, if the player types 'look sign' they will be given the room description, which will mislead them from the idea that the sign is in fact a monster.

e) if the monster MUST wander, put the extra description into every room the monster has access to in order to preserve this illusion.

This is a more effective method - I understand you want to obscure the nature of the mimic, however it is best practice to make it possible for the player to figure out the monster is a mimic and more rewarding for them as well. The best areas in a MUD are the ones which need to be puzzled out, but the puzzles need to be solvable as well.
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Forum topics traditionally feature a target followed by 'bull's eye' or 'arrow splitting the bull's eye arrow' responses. Regardless, I recuse myself from further comment because philosophically the less dialogical a forum topic becomes, the more it becomes a post.

Best regards,
Wifidi