[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface

[Shawn Halpenny]

On Tue, 23 Sep 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:

> > On Sun, 21 Sep 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> > > [ obtaining a list of the verbs usable with an object, i.e. a rope ]

> 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.

A bunch of modifiers like that can quickly get out of hand.  I do not
consider the two above styles distinct.  A verb is a command, be it
"pull apart" or just "pull" (they just do something different under
the covers).  The hassle is thinking how many synonyms there are for
a particular verb.  As long as the common verbs are there, the ones
I'd expect to be there (yes, yes, everyone's expectations can differ),
then chances are that most of the other people will get the correct
synonym to make the thing work, even if they have to type "cross
bridge" instead of "traverse bridge".  I would be disappointed if I
typed "cut rope with rock" and was told it didn't know what I meant,
but completely content if I typed "using the rock, cut the rope into
two equal-length pieces" and was told that it had no idea what I
wanted it to do.  To me, the first isn't really NLP, but the
second--well if it's not NLP then it's certainly much more NLP.

> > "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.

Heh.  I wonder how popular TarantinoMUD would be (or in this case, possibly
RodgriguezMUSH)?