[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 19 Sep 97 at 8:56, Chris Gray wrote:
> [Caliban:]
> 
> :Then let them go to Quake servers and join Ultima Online. Graphic MUDs are
> :another topic entirely.
> 
> Why? I can be just as lazy as them. I read lots. Likely not as much as
> you, but I've got thousands of books. I still prefer the simplistic
> graphical output that my system has over straight text. It's *easier*.
> 

There are advantages to supporting your own client(s).

1) You have full control over your presentation. The client can be 
considered an extension of your server and you can present aspects 
of the mud in the way you desire them to appear.

2) User's are placed on equal footing with each other. Feature's such 
as triggering, aliasing, etc. are available to none or all. You 
decide if you want/don't want client automation or robots. Perhaps 
spamming could be groked client-side.

3) Features can be added or removed without regard to backward 
compatability with other clients.  Modifications of server commands 
can be auto-configured into the client.

4) Some processing can be offloaded to the client. Pre-parsing of 
commands, encryption, data compression, context-sensitive help, etc. 


There are also disadvantages.

1) You have full control of your presentation.  It can be badly 
presented.  Some users will not like using the client.

2) There may be machines or terminals that cannot run your client.
There may also be users that refuse or fear to run it.

3) You support it. Breaking it is just like crashing your server.

4) Someone can hack it and remove restrictions.  If some processing
is offloaded it should be nothing important enough that could be 
spoofed with disastrous game effect.  In particular I'm thinking of
spoofed character and inventory objects.  There may be others.

--
Jon A. Lambert

Nature comprehends the visible and invisible Creatures of the Whole 
universe. What we call Nature especially, is the universal fire or 
Anima Mundi, filling the whole system of the Universe, and therefore
is a Universal Agent, omnipresent, and endowed with an unerring instinct,
and manifests itself in fire and Light. It is the First creature of 
Divine Omnipotence.
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