[MUD-Dev] Re: Java for Mud Client (Crossfire MUD topic)

[J C Lawrence]

On Mon, 27 Apr 1998 10:16:21 +0100 (BST) 
Joel Dillon<emily at cornholio.new.ox.ac.uk> wrote:

>   Well, at work we handle persistence in applets by passing them
> their identity (the name of their user or whatever) via an applet
> parameter and sucking data from a server over a socket or jdbc
> connection. That's good enough for our virtual conferencing system
> and presumably it'd be good enough for a mud client as well.

As a model this is reliant on small data volumes being required, or a
high speed connection.  Given CD-class persistant stores (640Meg)
already required by some "clients" this seems problemic for a standard 
dial-up connection.

*Not* given the CD, my championed approach has been to have the client
gradually build both the depth and the breadth of its world view over
time.  This would be based on a carefully detailed object heirarchy,
with each level of the heirarchy containing its own visual
representation.

Thus in the beginning the client's user would see the world as a
collection of largely amorphous and indistinct objects.  As he
continued play however, and the client progressed in its persistant
store updates, the world-view would gradually resolve, with, say, that
large gray blob resolving first to a gray box, then to a wood-grain
boox, then to a chair-like object, and finally to an oaken rocker.
This effect would be common -- any newly met object or scene would be
initially protrayed in the best detail that the client had for that
branch of the object heirarchy.  Thus a newly met throne may first
appear to be a dull grey featureless chair, and then later resolve
into a gaudily bedecked throne as the persistant store updates with
the object heirarchy for that object to that depth.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                               Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------(*)                     Internet: claw at under.engr.sgi.com
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...

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