[MUD-Dev] Remote client connection

[John Bertoglio]

> Kyle Leithoff Sent: Friday, June 16, 2000 2:42 PM
>

<much cut about using cell phones as a mud client to get to the cool part>

> Finally, would players use such a feature?  Obviously, with a text mud,
> it's far more useful, as a player could nearly operate as if from an
> actual PC.

As an overblown political talk show host used to say, "You may have stumbled
on the truth!" This kind of access could be the driving force behind a
resurgence in text muds...I can just see teenagers getting their cell phones
and Palm V's taken away because they are exploring a MUD during class.

Technically, it is something of a challenge to talk to limited display
devices. Virtually all of the sites which can be accessed from "mobile web"
are special versions of standard websites redesigned to handle these
displays. We have done some preliminary research on converting our online
polls for mobile use and find that it is very doable.

A text MUD would be probably be easier then most standard websites because
of the limited visual demands. However, even more than PC users, mobile
users will expect web-like controls and interfaces. <<insert my standard
rant for upgrading telnet interfaces to HTML/XML, etc.>> So, it will
probably be necessary to do significant work to build an interface which
will be acceptable to this audience.

However, I suspect the rewards for the first few to do so would be
considerable. (Are you listening, commercial text MUD guys?) The dearth of
good games for these devices would create an instant market. I can see these
mobile online games being banned at some workplaces (which, of course, is
the best kind of free advertising!).

> For graphical muds, this would be far more limiting to
> certain situations.  Perhaps after the characters finished a certain
> task, the player is notified and can opt to change tasks.

More than you might think. Clearly, you cannot build much of an interface to
display the world. But you can do a lot inside the game. Send and receive
mail, change the prices at your shops, buy materials for your expedition to
the New World, order your armies to attack settlements...essentially,
anything that is just talking to the backend database.

> Hopefully, somebody with more experience in the field could offer some
> better idea of how something like this could/would be integrated into a
> MUD environment.

If anyone is interested, I could supply some links.

John A. Bertoglio
PulsePoll.com <http://www.pulsepoll.com/>
| 503.781.3563
| jb at pulsepoll.com

>
> Kyle Leithoff




_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev