[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is supposed to be playing, anyway?

[Maddy]

Previously, ##Make Nylander wrote....
> [Original message sent by Caliban Tiresias Darklock]
> 
> 	First, thank you for an excellent posting that echoed my
> 	sentiments almost to the word.
> 
> | So here's my question. I know it was a long time in coming, but really -- 
> | what sort of things do you look for in a MUD? How would you like to play, 
> | if you were to log onto someone else's game and find that it was exactly 
> | what you've always wanted?
> 
> 	Most of what you mentioned falls under basic principles of
> 	user interface design (consistency, visibility, appropriate
> 	response to user, error handling). Sadly, many of us programmers
> 	sacrifice user-interface implementation to increasing internal
> 	complexity of the game driver. 
> 	An extensive, feature-loaded user interface isn't necessarily
> 	a bad thing IF it's also _configurable_. Let the player decide
> 	how many bells and whistles he/she wants. The game should not
> 	impose any features on the player. I can understand that a
> 	programmer, having spent numerous hours implementing a nifty
> 	feature, wants everyone to use it regardless of whether it
> 	actually increases playability or "fun-factor". 
> 	I personally do not believe a MUD, as a game, should be
> 	"realistic". If I want to buy bread, going through
> 
> 	> buy bread
> 	Your hands are full.
> 	> sheathe sword
> 	You sheathe your sword, freeing your right hand..
> 	> buy bread
> 	You are holding no money.
> 	> get 10 gold from purse
> 	You aren't holding that.
> 	> remove purse
> 	You remove a purse and hold it in your right hand.
> 	> get 10 gold from purse
> 	Your hands are full.
> 	> get 10 gold from purse
> 	Your hands are full.
> 	> drop shield
> 	You drop your shield, freeing your left hand.
> 	> get 10 gold from purse
> 	You get 10 gp from a purse and hold it in your left hand.
> 	> buy bread
> 	You give 10 gp to the baker.
> 	The baker gives you a bread.
> 	You take a bread and hold it in your left hand.
> 	> draw sword
> 	Your hands are full.

Most of the above example could be shortened if the implementor had thought
about it.

    >buy bread
    You take some coins out of your purse and give them to the baker.
    The baker hands you some bread, since your hands are full, you put it in
    your backpack.

See - that was far simplier wasn't it?  Firstly the game checks for money in
all the objects the player is carrying, not just in his hands.  It might
take a few nanoseconds longer, but who cares - it'll be quicker than the
farce you described.

The second part probably isn't as easy.  You certainly wouldn't want anyone
being able to give you something which you'd automatically put into your
backpack.

    Bubba gives you a bomb, since your hands are full, you put it in your
    backpack.  The bomb appears to be ticking.
    Bubba runs away.
    ...
    *KABOOM* The bomb in your backpack explodes, killing you.

Now think about what happens in real life.  When you buy something, the
shopkeeper is usually clever enough to notice if your hands are full and
will put the item on the counter.

    >buy bread
    You take some coins out of your purse and give them to the baker.
    The baker gets a loaf of bread from the shelves behind her, and places
    it on the counter.
    >get bread
    Your hands are full, you sheath your sword.
    You pick up the loaf of bread and put it in your backpack.
    You wield your sword.

Of course you've gotta ask the question - what are you doing wielding a
sword in a bakers?  If I were the baker I'd flee the building and call for
the guards.

> 	A good storyteller grabs your attention, diverts you
> 	from noticing little inconsistencies and unnecessary
> 	details and maintains suspension of belief. A good MUD
> 	user interface is non-intrusive, it contains enough
> 	functionality for interaction with the game world in a 
> 	consistent, precise manner, but it does break the illusion
> 	by distracting you.

I find that most muds definitely intrude a lot.  How many times have you
seen the following.

    >get bread
    You don't know how to get bread.
    >take bread
    You don't know how to take bread.
    >pick up bread
    You pick up the bread.

Now why should it not recognise 'get' or 'take' but will recognise 'pick
up'.  In my opinion it should recognise all three.

> 	In MUDs, like in any make-believe games, the game acts as
> 	a source of stimuli to the player's imagination. Game 
> 	reality, as perceived by the player's mind, is more extensive
> 	and complex than its actual physical representation (text
> 	on screen). If the system underestimates the player's imagination
> 	by force-feeding unnecessary details or requires the
> 	player to concentrate on encoding input/decoding output by
> 	having too complex an user interface, no amount of
> 	technical sophistication can produce a good MUD.

I think some details need to be stated.  If it just said

    >get bread
    You pick up the bread.

Isn't the player then going to wonder later where he put the bread, and have
to hunt through his belongs until he finds it?

Maddy