How to train a new GM team for your MU Online server

The Game Master team is the operational backbone of any MU Online server: they run events, apply penalties, resolve reported bugs, and represent the server's authority in-game. A poorly trained GM can cause more harm than no GM at all — whether by abusing commands, applying unfair penalties, or leaking privileged information about exploits. This tutorial structures a complete process for recruiting, training, certifying, and supervising a new GM team, with a focus on operational security and consistent conduct.

Defining GM levels and their permissions

Before recruiting, define a clear hierarchy. The most common practice on MU servers splits the team into tiers with increasing command scope:

This segregation prevents a newly recruited GM from having access to commands that can break the economy (item spawning, stat editing) before proving consistency and judgment.

Recruitment: what to evaluate besides personal trust

It's tempting to recruit GMs from among close friends or veteran players, but personal trust is no substitute for a proper profile assessment. Evaluate: conduct history on the server (has the candidate been punished before?), realistic time availability, written communication skills, and above all resistance to social pressure (friends asking for favors). A useful practical test is presenting a fictional conflict scenario ("a friend of yours asks you to revert a fair ban") and observing the candidate's response before deciding.

Technical training track

Technical training covers correct use of admin tools: GM panel, in-game commands, and the logging system. Structure it in progressive stages:

1. Test environment: train first on a test server or separate instance, never directly in production.
2. Basic commands: teleport, character info, temporary mute/kick.
3. Event management: event monster spawning, prize distribution, in-game announcements.
4. Intermediate moderation: applying warnings and temporary bans per the conduct code.
5. Complex cases (senior level): refunds, exploit investigation, permanent ban decisions — always with a superior reviewing the first applications.

Conduct and ethics protocol

Document a written conduct code specific to GMs, separate from the community's general rules. Points that must be included:

• Explicit ban on using commands for personal benefit, or that of family and friends.
• Ban on sharing privileged information (known exploits, other players' pending punishments) outside the team.
• Requirement to log every relevant administrative action (even when the system already logs automatically, a summary in an internal channel helps auditing).
• Clear neutrality rules: a GM cannot judge cases involving close friends or characters on their own secondary account.
• Defined consequences for violations, including immediate removal from the team in serious cases (confirmed favoritism, exploit leaks).

Logging and auditing system

Every relevant admin command must be logged with a timestamp, responsible GM, target character/account, and parameters used. Most MU emulators (based on MuEmu, IGCN, X-Team) already generate GM command logs in specific database tables (e.g., LogGmCommand or equivalent) — confirm this feature is active in your GameServer configuration. Establish a weekly audit routine, reviewing log samples per GM, paying special attention to item spawn, refund, and stat-change commands.

Shift scheduling and coverage

A common mistake is building the team without considering timezone coverage and player peak times. Map out the busiest hours (usually evenings and weekends) and distribute the schedule prioritizing presence during those periods. A simple shift table avoids unnecessary overlap and coverage gaps:

Certification and probationary period

A probationary period of 2 to 4 weeks is recommended before final certification, during which the new GM operates only with level 1 or 2 permissions and has their actions reviewed by a senior. At the end of the period, evaluate objective criteria: number of tickets resolved, absence of substantiated complaints against the GM, and consistency in applying the rules. Only then promote to the next permission level.

Internal team communication

Maintain an internal channel (private staff Discord) separate from the general community, for discussing sensitive cases, ban decisions, and event coordination. Document important decisions in a "meeting notes" channel so the whole team has access to the history, preventing knowledge from being concentrated in a single person.

Common errors and fixes

GM team formation checklist

• Level and permission hierarchy defined and documented.
• Recruitment process evaluating profile beyond personal trust.
• Training environment separate from production.
• GM-specific conduct code signed/accepted by everyone.
• Admin command logging system active and audited.
• Shift schedule aligned with real player peaks.
• Probationary period with review before final certification.
• Internal staff channel for communication and decision logging.

With the GM team formed and operating under segregated permissions, the next step is ensuring the infrastructure behind it can support the volume of commands and events this team will generate: see the MU Online server setup tutorial to review the full architecture of your environment.

Frequently asked questions