You hear the floorboards creak beneath your feet. Further north the floor looks more unstable.
>n
You go north.
[description of old house]
You foot goes through one of the floorboards! You better think about moving quick!
>n
As you start to move further north, the floorboards give way beneath your feet! You plummet downward…
You plummet downward…
Ouch! That hurt!!
..
Well it would depend on the individual game, but in most muds there is a clear goal - to reach the top "level". Achieving that requires you to complete challenges (usually consisting of killing mobs), which in turn requires you to master the rules (which includes learning how to create a strong character).
If you don't want players doing that, then you should change the rules and/or goal to encourage a different style of play. Otherwise you're sending out conflicting signals - the mechanics suggest one style of play, while the staff promote another.