[MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD

[Jon A. Lambert]

> From: Adam Wiggins <nightfall at inficad.com>
> Subject: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD
> 
> > years of roleplaying doesn't, either. I don't know the architectural
> > difference between TurdMUD and CrapMUD, so I must be totally clueless. I
> > wonder where people get off accusing *me* of bigotry.
> 
> Ah, I see your confusion now.  Let me clarify for you.
> No one actually cares about any existing mud servers, except for
> passing references - 'Tiny does this, but not very well' or 'LP does
> this, but I don't have any desire to take it that far'.  Most everyone
> here is either writing their own codebase from scratch, or interested
> in completely new kinds of muds.  Therefore, of what use to us is
> prattling on about why thus-and-such codebase sucks, and why thus-and-such
> codebase rules?
> 
I think it would be foolish not to recognize feature's that are implemented
WELL in existing servers.  I myself have looked at Diku/Merc/Rom, LambdaMOO, 
Cool, LPMud/DGD/MudOS, PennMush and Cold servers and have made a point to log 
into running games of each of these server types.  Perhaps this is just a 
strange quirk of mine, but I think it was a good exercise for myself to
understand what's out there and how it's done before embarking on my own
server. 

In any event, I have a keen interest in builder interfaces which the 
original post referred to.  Here are some methods that I have encountered:

1) Building is done using a configuration file that is edited using a 
   standard text editor in an off-line environment.

2) Same as #1 except it is done online via a command interface.

3) Building is done through execution of mud language functions online.

4) Same as #3 except a builder's command interface is implemented with
   the mud language online.

5) Same as #1 except it is done with an off-line GUI editor that validates
   user input.

What I am implementing for my server is:

6) Building is done online via a GUI interface that validates input, 
   offers drag and drop inheritance, association and aggregation of existing 
   object classes, and generates correct mud language code.  

   Sort of a MudCase tool.  My original effort in this area was using 
   VBScript with ActiveX controls.  I am translating this into Java using 
   the AWT API.

I think good user interfaces are very important.  I am working on GUI 
interfaces for players, builders and administration.  This is still a 
text mud server wrapped in a GUI and not a graphics mud in the sense 
of something like Diablo or Quake.


JL