[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface

[Adam Wiggins]

> On Sun, 21 Sep 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> > Well again, you want to add functionlity without adding new
> > commands.  On the other hand, having a single command do too much
> > can actually cause problems.	Something that just now came to me -
> > how about a 'verbs' command that can be used on objects?
> > 
> > > verbs rope
> > You can: get, drop, cut, tie, or pull the rope.
> > 
> > This would be easier on a verb binding mud.  I would probably have to
> > just look up the object type and print out a custom listing in order
> > to implement it on mine.
> 
> Would the appearance of "cut" in the list signify that the user is
> holding scissors or a knife?  Or would the "verbs" command list what
> you can do with the object in a vacuum, so to speak?

Well, you could say that in a vacuum you can't 'tie' it, since you have
no hands and no knowledge of knots, nor anything to tie it to.  Hell,
you couldn't even 'look' at it, since you don't have any eyes :)

Seriously, though, my intention was that the verb list would be things
that most any player could do given the kinds of things the player
could normally get their hands on.  I would assume at this point they could
type 'help cut' and see that cut works much better if you have some sort of
device to facilitate the seperation.

This particular example brings up another semi-related point: should verbs
lean towards verbs, or towards commands?  In this case, using rope
commands would be:

> cut rope
Since you have nothing with which to cut it, you begin trying to pull it
apart with sheer strength.
> cut rope with rock
Using a jagged edge on the rock, you begin to saw the rope back and forth.

With verbs (approaching NLP, I suppose) it would be:

> cut rope
You don't have anything suitable to cut it with.
> pull rope apart
You begin trying to pull the rope apart.
> saw rope on rock
You begin sawing the rope on the edge of the rock.

This isn't really NLP, it's just taking each verb and putting a lot of
different syntaxes and uses for it.  A command-oriented interface (which
is probably what we're more familiar with) groups 'pull apart' along with
'cut', since both are trying to achieve similar ends.
The key here being that in the second style, you don't have to make the
commands any more ambiguous, you can just put in a (possibly undocumented)
modifier for the 'pull' command, 'apart', which routes the command through
to the code for 'cut'.  Is this a good thing?  Ideally a command oriented
player won't ever know or care about the 'apart' modifier, but a newbie
or a less computer/mud oriented person might really appreciate such a thing
existing.

> "Let me explain the house rules.  Follow the rules, we'll get along
>  like a house on fire."
>                                             - "From Dusk Till Dawn"

Just rewatched this with my GF last night.  Really makes me want to write
a cheesey vampire mud with squirt-guns full of holy water and crosses
made of baseball bats and shotguns.