[MUD-Dev] Virtual machine design

[Ben Greear]

Shane King wrote:
> 
> I'm currently working on a mud design, and what I'm really a little
> stuck on is the best way to progress with respect to virtual machine
> design. As I see it, there are four basic options I could go with:
> 
> 1) A java virtual machine, running compiled java (or java-like) code
> 2) Adapt an existing virtual machine from another mud to my needs
> 3) Write my own virtual machine, and make it a target for the egcs
>    compiler, thus allowing it to run byte compiled C/C++ code.
> 4) Write my own virtual machine, and write my own mud language.
> 
> Am I missing any options here?

I'm curious why so many people want to build internal languages into
their MUD?  I don't mean to sound critical, it's just that I have never
really seen the benefit.  These are the issues that I see:

1)  Common users can't program in any real language, so why implement
one
in the game.  Surely it would be easier to just write all the code in
a 'real' language of your choice and then use readily available
compilers
to make it into a binary....

2)  Common users can script, so I definately see the need for simple
scripting.

3)  I understand that many people strive for a basic interpreter type of
shell, which is incredibly flexible, and then use this language to write
their game particulars in.  However, to me this looks a lot like
re-writing
the OS.

4)  I think it would be pretty cool to implement such a system, just for
the
sake of coding it up, but I don't see the practical benefits.  Please
enlighten me! :)

Ben

> --
> - Shane King <thandor at ihug.com.au>     <ICQ#:2492866>
>              <http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~thandor/>

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


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