[DGD] RE: Re: RE: Pros/Cons of Releasing Mudlibs

[George Reese]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason Cone [mailto:jcone at usabilitysciences.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 1998 5:43 PM
> To: dgd at list.imaginary.com
> Subject: [DGD] Re: RE: Pros/Cons of Releasing Mudlibs
> >> * You lose all functional uniqueness (potentially numerous
> clones of your
> >> MUD).
> >
> >This is a HUGE problem... especially a year or two down the road.  More
> >specifically, every mud has the problem of player X disagrees with the
> >admins and declares he or she will start their own mud.
> >
> >Guess what.  If your mudlib is being publically distributed, not only can
> >they start their own mud, but they can start one JUST LIKE
> yours.  And then
> >they can come back to your mud and say "we have started a mud just like
> >CornerStone, except it is run by players who remember what it is
> like to be
> >a player" (as if you somehow don't have a clue).
>
> Yet another good point.  I'm tiring at having my mind constantly change on
> this matter.

Get used to it :)  My mind changed back and forth for nearly 5 years before
I finally decided too many people were trying to "steal" from Nightmare by
using the lib.  By "steal", I mean using my lib to go after my player base.
It is one thing to use the lib as a starting point for your own ideas, but
over the 5 years I was distributing the lib, muds such as Darkness and
Despair and Dreamverse and a handful of others were started up by players
whose goal was only to create a Nightmare without their most hated admin of
the day.

And no, it was not always me :)


> As one who's dealt with this a lot more than most,
> if not all,
> of us, would you agree with an earlier point that was raised that claims
> that the "physical" area defines the MUD rather than the underlying lib
> code?  If not, why?

Yes.  I think the physical area is much more important than the actual lib.
The lib only determine how easily you can accomplish what is possible
without affecting existing systems.  It cannot make you more creative.

The problem is if you get the situation I am outlining--people intent on
copying your mud.  Having the same mudlib makes it much easier to do so,
even if you do not release the main town and such.




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