Facets of a text based game?

I am looking to make a text based game, like a offline mud kind of thing.

Firstly, what i am not looking for; i don't need any particular code, don't need any networking help or mud libraries. What i am looking for and am having a hard time finding on google is the kinds of things that i need to work on or a round about description of how features are implemented (on 'average') regardless of language.

For example, how are 'room' usually stored or the items within in them. I was thinking maybe each room has a unique id that corresponds to a set of data about that room in a sqlite database. Then i thought why not do the same thing for items, all items being unique id's in another sqlite database and then each room just has a list of id's that correspond to the items in the room or something.

Also i am wondering what kinds of things i am not thinking of or if there is something in these games that one may think to do one particular way but would be flawed and a better way may be something i may not thing of.

So basically are there are any particular tips or pitfalls for implementing a text based game world or particular things that may need more thought before just starting to implement something that i will have to through out anyways?

I have googled around a fair bit today but most people either are happy with answers on how the networking side of these things work or they get no (meaningful) answers.

Thanks all, sorry for being a bit vague.