[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.SV4.3.93.970928225411.13693A-100000 at online1>, on 09/29/97 
   at 09:01 AM, Broly <gunther at online1.magnus1.com> said:

>Also what about magic in these places?  Even though magic is
>commonplace in a mud-world, I'd imagine that a mage casting any spell
>will be suspicious in some towns...particularly those that have been
>attacked magically in the past...

This would seem dependant on how obvious magic-making is in your
mdoel.  If you use a Waving Hands type scenario, the process of making
magic could be extremely cicumspect:

  Bubba the Master Mage hunches over in the corner of the Inn, snoring
loudly.  Unseen, his fingers wriggle under his cloak, hidden behind
his seemingly carelessly dropped satchel.  

Suddenly a hige fireball appears and smashes into the gate of the
castle outside!  Behind it an army of screaming Orcs magically appears
in the smoke and debris!  With a single bloodcurdling yell they charge
the castle walls while yet more fireballs smash into the rapidly
crumbling fortress.

  Meanwhile, Bubba tosses, throws his head back in his sleep, and
snores more loundly.

Even with mana/mu collection models, the process of collecting mana,
or the fact of collection could be well hidden.

--
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...