[MUD-Dev] Sony's EverQuest Admits Using Diku

[Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt]

On Wed, 17 Nov 1999, Locke wrote:

> Hello,
>=20
> During Bernard Yee's presentation, he framed the entire demonstration b=
y
> saying that Sony's EverQuest was based on DikuMUD -- which I found at
> first flattering (being a member of the mudding community) and then
> later, perplexing.  Does the Diku Group know this?  Have they been
> compensated?=20

The only note i have rescieved regarding EverQuest, was a note from a
concerned player, some months ago, stating that the similarity in
functionality between EverQuest and DikuMud was eerie. At the time i wrot=
e
it off as them simply using some of the general ideas seen in fantasy
roleplaying Muds in general, but this information bears further
investigation.=20

> If you've ever played EverQuest, it does resemble in many ways Diku --
> it has 'grouping' as well as 'shout' commands, and the actual way the
> characters interact is very similar to what goes on in your standard
> Diku, with a veneer of bad 3D graphics layered on top of the,
> ultimately, mud-like interface.    =20

The important part is, if they have used the code, or the ideas behind
DikuMud. We have never even tried to hold a copyright on the ideas, mostl=
y
because many things we made back then was inspired from other games. I
played Aber-Mud before starting coding, and that was in effect what
inspired me. However if they used the code, they are required to obey by
the licence agreements.

> Personally, I wouldn't mind it if Diku had been the base as long as the
> Diku Group had made some money to fuel their own projects (aka Diku ][).

This becomes even more complicated depending on which code-base they
(may have) used, and what other people may have contributed to the game
without compensation.

> However, I find it hard to believe that this has happened,

So do I, and it would tell more of the EverQuest management in general
than anything else if this is the case.


Hans Henrik St=E6rfeldt   |    bombman at diku.dk    | work:  hhs at cbs.dtu.dk=
      |
address:                |___  +45 40383492    __|__       +45 45252425   =
  __|
 Dybendalsvej 74 2. th, | Scientific programmer at Center for Biological =
    |
 2720 Vanl=F8se, Danmark. |  Sequence Analysis, Technical University of D=
enmark|




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