[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #164 - 12 msgs

[Dr. Cat]

> From: Mud Imp <pkme at hub.cyberwizards.com>
> 
> On Sat, 15 Jul 2000, Dr. Cat wrote:
> 
> > The dominance of combat-oriented muds is a temporary phenomenon, caused
> > largely by the fact that the small minority of the human population that
> 
> actualy it's a long standing phenomenon stemming from the fact that the
> first game, adventure, was written for people playing D&D. and it's not
> likely to change anytime soon. And if you go look at most of the core code
> of most of the mud's out there you'll find that mobs still carry the xDx+x
> dice roll variables (you'll also find a whole lot of other D&D related
> things buried in places in most mud codes). Even games like Ultima echo
> D&D.

Being "long standing" and being "temporary" are not mutually exclusive.
The dominance of the horse-drawn carriage as a method of transportation,
or the sword and bow as the primary weapons of warfare might be considered
long standing phenomena.  They were also quite temporary, we're past those
eras now.

I'm not sure I'd consider the brief history of muds to be "long standing",
either.  Human beings, tending to have lifespans of perhaps around 70
years (give or take a few decades), might tend to think of 25 years as a
really long time.  But in the Big Picture of human history, it's just the
blink of an eye.  Likewise, the point in time at which D&D-inspired
mechanics no longer drive more than a tiny minority of things being some
years off, a hot-blooded, fast living human might think tomorrow is
"anytime soon" or 15 minutes from now is soon.

The point is, I'm confident this will happen, and happen during the
lifetimes of most of the people on this list even (barring any major
accidents).  It is a major part of the territory of "things to discuss
about how muds could/should/would be".  The listmembers can go by their
own preferences and cover or ignore any segment of the mudding universe,
of course.  It's just my role to point out every year or two that the
majority of the territory is being totally ignored by most listmembers,
and in fact some of them apparently fail to be aware that it even exists
while formulating their perspectives on various issues.  That's all.  I
certainly agree that D&D has been amazingly dominant in influencing muds
(and single user dungeons too) for the last 25 years.  I just don't think
that point is particularly important in the long term, it's an interesting
historical curiosity that we just happen to live in the midst of by the
chance of the timing of our births.

*-------------------------------------------**-----------------------------* 
   Dr. Cat / Dragon's Eye Productions       ||       Free alpha test:
*-------------------------------------------**   http://www.furcadia.com
    Furcadia - a graphic mud for PCs!       ||  Let your imagination soar!
*-------------------------------------------**-----------------------------*



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