[DGD] just out of curiosity

[RobF]

On 10/09/2012 16:37, Felix A. Croes wrote:

 > Two things have changed since you scourged the mailing list as
 > <iouswuoibev at hotmail.com>.  The first change is that DGD has become
 > open source, and anyone who wants to improve it can do so as he sees
 > fit.  The second change is that muds are much further along the road
 > to extinction.  For DGD to have a future, it must find a new purpose.
 >
 > I have frequently referred to other possible uses on this mailing
 > list, especially in conjunction with the lack of future for muds.
 > Beyond that, I have no announcements to make at this time.
 >
 > Meanwhile DGD will continue to be freely available, for all uses.

Scourge is right.  And thanks.  I was trying to be respectful but 
critical at the same time with my post, but that is difficult.  Not sure 
if I successfully communicated my main beef I had either, but you didn't 
address it so w/e.

 > I don't want to be pulled into a discussion about the nature of muds,
 > but to elucidate my position: I am done with online games.

That was lucid.  I thought that you might be branching out toward MMO's. 
  I can a imagine a need to dissociate from a stigma associated with 
being in its conception a 'MUD driver' if it's to appeal for other uses.

I wonder: if MUDs weren't dying a death, as you see it, would your 
interest and/or involvement still be there?

On 10/09/2012 16:51, Schmidt, Stephen wrote:
> Dworkin wrote:
>> The second change is that muds are much further along the road to extinction.
>
> Without getting involved in any of the other issues in this exchange, I would
> like to ask a question about this statement.
>
> It strikes me that what's along the road to extinction is not MUDs, but text-based
> connections. To whatever extent something like World of Warcraft counts as a
> MUD (I think it meets at least some of the broader definitions of what a MUD is)
> MUDs are doing fine. Or, perhaps, what is along the road to extinction is free
> software run by hobbyists, displaced by commercial products like WoW, though
> I think one can make a stronger case that freeware supported by hobbyists has
> a future ahead of it.
>
> The question is whether anyone is working on a lib for DGD that would support
> a graphical MUD? I would guess it would have to be paired with client software,
> but that's not an insuperable barrier to making a MUD.
>
> I have a feeling that if I was lurking more attentively I might already know the
> answer to this question, but I'm not and I don't, and in any event, it might merit
> a little discussion in the wake of Dworkin's statement quoted above.
>

I'm still a believer in MUDs, myself, though I think they have to 
present themselves differently to sell themselves to the people, and 
bypass the elements that people don't have patience for.  Facebook and 
phone apps have been suggested to me as possible ideas.

I don't think they're obselete for the same reason television didn't 
obselete books.  I think you can still keep the text.  One thing I can 
picture in my mind is using a touchpad (ipad for example) and nudging 
ones PC/toon/avatar/whatever-you-call-it in the cardinal directions, and 
tapping on words to examine them or objects/livings to interact with 
them in the appropriate manner.  There are doubtlessly other shortcuts.

MUDs when conceived as text do have to compete with their graphical 
counterparts and for arguably dwindling attention spans, but there's 
still an older generation and and various other focus groups to 
consider.  They have a future, I think--a niche future, nothing like as 
grand as what their graphical counterparts may have, but I think they 
still have one.

It just requires some injection of originality and being able to sell 
itself on its strengths and unique flavour--text by choice, not because 
of technological limitations.  Sell people the idea that text is 
superior (which it isn't, just different, it's all a matter of taste), 
or at least no less than graphics.

Maybe I'm wrong.  I'd be interested to know what the population is of 
people who play MUDs now that didn't play them in their heydey.