[MUD-Dev] Re: Introduction

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <3.0.32.19970424231013.00a1a504 at mail.tenetwork.com>, on 04/25/97 
   at 08:19 AM, Jeff Kesselman <jeffk at tenetwork.com> said:

>The proper sequence of development was 

>  Single Player Mainframe text parsed games (adventure, then dungeon)
>  Microcomputer ports of those fames (adventure, and the zork series)
>  Extension and further development of the cocnept on micros (later
>  infocomgames)

Insert a LOT of various mini based games here, including many
multi-user.  Most all were variations on maze chase games or
Rogue/Larn/Hack/Moria with character graphics however.  Dungeon,
Adventure, Caverns, and various spinoffs also made their way over to
the mini side and spawned like crazy there.  DEC PDP machines were a
favourite platform for many.

>  A few experiments in multi-player on micros (IBM software put out
>  one an employee had written, it split the screen in half and each
>  user got half a keyboard to enter his commands in. needless to 
>  say it wasnt a full-parser, but a command driven game.)

Insert mainframe and mini multi-user games here ala SX MUD and other
earlier progenitors.  eg Cyber used to have one they semi-officially
distributed as a proof-of-multi-user support with their machines and
OS.

Time period: early 1980's.

>  Internet and Online Service text muds (Im not sure which came
>  first.)

The above direct asynch terminal games then mutated into the online
service games (cf the Bartle paper, IOWA (which I was involved in)
etc).  Within a fairly short period (but definitely later, using
networking as the basic IO apporach (eg Internet MUDS) started to
appear.

Time period: mid 1980's.

>  Graphical multiplayer online environments

Again in minimal form occurred very early (if text mode graphics and
direct terminal only) in the various 3D maze chase games.  (cf the one
Novell used to distribute with their NOS).  BSX, AmigaMUd, and more
recently Meridian 59 fall in this corner.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...