[MUD-Dev] Re: Why did it take years?

[James Wilson]

On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Adam Wiggins wrote:
>On Tue, 27 Oct 1998, Cynbe ru Taren wrote:
>> Ola Fosheim <olag at ifi.uio.no> asks:
>> | Yes, and that leads to another question, why did it take years?
>> 
>> Which is a very fair question.
>
>And has been asked many a time before.  No one, even other programmers,
>seem to realize the amount of time and effort that goes into a release
>product, even if the product isn't especially groundbreaking.

[snip]

>For example, let's say Bubba writes an RFC-compliant telnet module
>in one month (in his spare time).  Seem reasonable?  Okay, then
>he takes another month to do the basic world DB.  Another month does
>characters.  Another month does rooms, and basic character motion.
>Another month to do socials.  Another month to do object interaction
>and equipment (wear/wield/..).  Another month to do immortal commands.
>Another month to do experience, gold, and levels.  Another month to
>do zones and reset/repop.  Another month to do some basic skills.
>Another month to do some basic spells.  A last month to beta test.

as I recall, this was one of the reasons behind the original DevMud 
proposal; the idea is to come up with a collection of reusable 
modules, which in their default arrangement comprise a reasonably 
complete mud server. (What sort of modules? How do they interoperate? 
Well, that's what we've been arguing about.) Ideally, we'll end up with 
some eminently stealable code. Then the telnet module above could be 
reused for that internet dating system I've been wanting to write, for
instance. (Not really.)

This is quite a different design goal than "we'll write something that 
kicks MOO and Cold's butts", which appears to be the goal of MUQ. Maybe
MUQ does end up kicking ass after ten years of development, but it's not
necessarily the a good place to go to pilfer small sharp tools that can be
readily glued into some alien systems.

James