[MUD-Dev] Re: Issues from the digests and Wout's list

[Chris Gray]

[Chris L:]

:Aside: I'm actually considering making user-programming a dangerous
:activity unless done under very guarded circumstances...  Probably this
:would take the form of user-programming realising "aethir" (for want of a
:bettter world).  Said aethir flows like a liquid in much the same ways as
:mana, but also has the interesting property of attracting rather vicious
:predatory teleportory beasties who are intensely irritated by it.

There is something to be said for making programming be something that is
actually part of the game context itself. Requiring 'aethir' would be
one way. I think a wizard that is programming would be "absorbed" in
the programming, and thus paying less attention to the MUD world. It
might also be noticeable to bystanders. A "builder" in my scenario can
compose small "programs" to attach to rooms, objects, etc. Since it
was easy to do, I emit "<name> starts gesturing arcanely." when someone
starts entering one of those, and either "<name> finishes gesturing." or
"<name> abruptly stops gesturing and grimaces." on completion, depending
on whether or not they got it right. With that in mind, I also made some
rooms in the "Builder's Guild" that only builders can go into. The idea
was that they would be less likely to be distracted there. I'm sure this
is something that many other MUDs do too - similar to private rooms.

Perhaps this could be carried further - can someone near a programming
wizard affect that programming? Perhaps trigger an error? Perhaps cause
a silent change in what is programmed? Oooof!

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