[MUD-Dev] Re: Graphic design, client questions

[Ben Greear]

Thinus Barnard wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am designing a MUD from scratch. At first I thought about making the
> MUD normal telnet compatible but now I am not so sure. I am considering
> a Win32 client. Here are a few pros and cons:
> 
> Telnet pros:
> Platform independant.
> Tons of software available.
> 
> Telnet cons:
> Limited to text.
> Standard telnet sends every character typed to the server. This
> increases server overhead, especially if you do a lot of backspaces.
> No graphic capabilities.
> No mud server specific functionality.
> 
> Win 32 client pros:
> Any mud server specific functionality can be added to the client.
> The client can force the user to only enter valid commands.
> The commands sent between client and server will be much shorter.
> The client can support graphics.

Remember that you may never trust the client.  You cannot force the
client
to do anything, unless you do code in some heavy security/validation.
(You are not the only one that can write clients!! :)

> 
> Win 32 client Cons:
> Limited to Win 32 platform.
> Client has to be developed and maintaned.
> The user will have to download the client before using the mud.
> If the client is updated the user will have to download the client
> again.
> 
> The other possibility is to use a Java client. The client will not be
> limited to a specific platform then. I will probably go for this option.
> 
> I have been thinking of developing an interface that looks like EOB (Eye
> of the beholder), Bard's tale or the old Might and Magics. The client
> will not have a command line option at all. Everything will be point and
> click. The client will have a text mode available which will show text
> only descriptions of rooms and equipment. This will still work with
> point and click. This will also circumvent the whole free text and
> language interpretation issue.
> 
> If anyone has done something like this or seen something like it I would
> like to take a look at it.

I have a java client, but it just does some simple text markup (colors
mostly).

Sounds like an interesting project...good luck!

> 
> Cheers
> Thinus
> mailto:thinus_barnard at bigfoot.com
> 
> --
> MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.

--
Ben Greear (greear at cyberhighway.net)  http://www.primenet.com/~greear 
Author of ScryMUD:  mud.primenet.com 4444
http://www.primenet.com/~greear/ScryMUD/scry.html