[MUD-Dev] Re: (fwd) AD: [custom graphical] whitestar Crossfire MUD

[Chris Gray]

[Dr. Cat:]

[Crossfire]

:I'm really wondering, though - why are they requiring you to download the 
:Java and run it locally, instead of making it an applet that runs from 
:the web page?  "Most people" can browse to a web page that runs some java 
:program or other.  While "most people" could also, conceivably, download 
:a Java run-time environment, install it, download Crossfire, and then run 
:it...  I can pretty much guarantee that "most people" won't go to that 
:much trouble.  Java's benefit of wider availability through 
:cross-platform compatibility is only actually realized if people can run 
:the applet by just clicking on a link on the web to start it.
:
:Any word on whether the authors intend to set the app up to run that way?
:Is there some benefit to doing it the way they did, like better execution 
:speed?

The Java byte-code for the client could be quite large. It could also
come with graphics files, sounds, etc. that end up getting stored on the
local machine. This can indeed result in much faster startup of the system.

If someone clicks on a Web page and then has to wait while 10 Meg of stuff
comes in before anything else can happen, then they may well give up and
go elsewhere. However, if they know that there is a 10 Meg archive, they
can transfer it in the background when they have time, and the end result
will be better playing over the long term.

The authors may also think like me, and want to not be dependent on the
Weeb as part of their system. In that case, Java is simply a platform-
independent way of creating graphics/GUI applications.

Also, a Java application can write to the local disk, and hence cache
stuff, whereas a Java Applet is at the mercy of the browser for caching.
Similar for control of the appearance of the display - standalone versus
having to be embedded in the browser.

--
Chris Gray   cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA


--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.