[MUD-Dev] The Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat

[Chris Gray]

[Chris L:]

:>1) Even non-artists could produce acceptable graphics with the aid
:>of some good drawing tools and quickly too.
:
:'Dat's da biggie.

And hence my desire to go that way - I can't draw a picture to save my
life, so I have to program everything.

:Dr Cat (I think I sent him an invitation once, please feel free to
:send him another), did a *really* good summary of the comparitive
:interface benefits and game-experience implications of 1st person PoV,
:overhead, back of the head, avatar, etc back in r.g.m.* about 8 - 10
:months ago.  (I'd dig it out, but I don't have time now.  If you find
:it, please cross to here).  My own tendency is that the avatar
:approach leads to a more PacMan or pinball'ish approach by the players
:where the seperation of experience by the player and his avatar on
:screen is so extreme that the avatar gets treated like an insenate
:robot.

I think I remember the article, and I thought I had saved it, but couldn't
find it just now when I went looking. I don't believe he came down very
stronly on one viewpoint or another, however. His DragonSpires game does
use an overhead view style, though.

--
Chris Gray   cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA