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

[Mike Sellers]

At 11:06 AM 1/25/98 PST8PDT, Chris Gray wrote:
>...What I had always
>envisioned is a MUD which requires a CD on the client machine. The big
>stuff (models of the objects, monsters, etc.; textures, sounds, music
>scores) would be on that CD, and the client engine would generate the
>multimedia show from that and from much smaller dynamic stuff sent from
>the server (possibly in the form of some kind of script). ...
>
>And I agree, that we probably won't see anything like this soon. 

Define "soon."  Will we see something like this this year?  Maybe, but
probably not.  Next year?  Almost certainly.  

>The CPU
>power to do it should arrive in not too big a time, 

It's here, on both the server and client-side.  

>but the human resources
>to set up a system that can do this, and to build a good world on top of
>it, may not be forthcoming.

Aye, there's the rub:  It is difficult and costly to create a strong world
design, get all the art and modeling done, and create all the scripts and
world programming -- and all in a climate of uncertain business models
(IMO: this will not happen as a non-business venture for many years).  Bu
it will happen, I'm convinced of that, and probably before Christmas of 1999.

--

Mike Sellers   Chief Alchemist -- Online Alchemy   mike at online-alchemy.com

"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others 
may despise it, is the invention of good games.  And it cannot be done 
by men out of touch with their instinctive values."  - Carl Jung