[MUD-Dev] The impact of the web on muds

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag@ifi.uio.no>]

Marian Griffith <gryphon at iaehv.nl> wrote:
>Mike wrote:

>I did not read this in the original post. However, because there are less
>clues in a bit of text, a text-only game *requires* more imagination from
>the player. This actually is both an advantage and a disadvantage.  It is

Moria/rogue/nethack.. ? :) But you are probably right, if the writer
is excellent then he can draw on vague associations.  But... will a
mudplayer read each and every description like a poem? (wouldn't that
be great, btw, limrick descriptions?) What if he is simply moving
through the landscape, and ignore the text.  A volcano? Ooops..
Couldn't happen with graphics.  Graphics is extremely effective (fast
interpretation, lots of info in a small space if done right).

>they want.  On the other side,  it also allows the players to fill in the
>missing details.

That's fine in a singleplayer environment (like a novel).  This has
some downsides in multiuser environment where you want players to
communicate about the world though, if what you say is true.. Because,
if players fill in the missing details, how can they interact
efficiently?  They are living in a world of their own... :^)

>This means that the image 'works' better  than watching
>an image generated by somebody else where there is less room for imagina-
>tion.

What if users were able to draw their own drawings?

>only design.  A picture of a monster is not half as scary at the gruesome
>monster from your imagination.

Until you turn off the lights and turn up the sound volume.  (Depends
on whether you believe in Hell or not, of course)

>> view of muds.  Everything I've seen (starting with the success of graphical
>> adventure games vs. the old Infocom text ones) tells me that *many* more
>> people prefer graphics to text.

>Borrowing from another thread some time ago:  Most computer games you find
>are graphical and violent, or graphical. If they're familiar with that why
>would they look for something else. Popularity does not mean preference :)
>This does not mean that you are not most likely right  about what the ave-
>rage player prefers.

Well. If your game is graphical (rich), and use sound to a good
effect, and use appropriate input devices (maybe force feedback) then
you utilize a lot more of the sensory channels.  Moreover processing
symbols is a lot slower (and more straining?) than processing images.
Add the fact that most people aren't speed typists, and love to point
and click... point and click...point and click...

Ola.