[MUD-Dev] Command interface for Coordinate based world

[Draymoor]

From: WriterDL at aol.com <WriterDL at aol.com>

>I'm currently working on a server-project that features a coordinate-based
>world, dynamic description and all that fun stuff (yeah, who isn't?  :-).
My
>question isn't about the actual coding of the coordinate-system, which is
>largely done, but rather about how the user would best interface with the
>system.
>
>As near as I can tell there needs to be a way to set heading, speed and
>possibly facing.  It should be possible for the user to look in a different
>direction while moving, stop and turn around, take a sharp left while
>running, etc.  Right now I have just taken the normal N, E, S, W, NE,
SE....
>keywords, added the verbs 'run', 'jog' and 'walk' and gone at it..  my
>question is, is this too little control?

I would argue that this is too much control for text-based actually.

>
>I can see a system where the user types:
>
>>Heading 280
>>Speed 5
>>Facing 300
>
>But I think that would get old *real* fast and also isn't nearly as
>transparent as the normal interface.  I'm also having a problem with
facing..
> in my hope to avoid numbers, I have 'look right', 'look left' and 'look
>ahead'.  Again, not enough control?

I once played a Battletech MUX where there was something EXACTLY like this.

Yes, it gets old very fast. It got old faster then it took me to master the
system, actually. I've found that having to constaintly "look" where you are
on the grid is a huge hassle. I suggest that if you do do something like
that, you have a special client to show you your location within the room in
real time at all times. Personally, I'm doing a tilebased movement system
with a graphical/text based hybrid. I'm going to display the room
description in one section of the client, the channels in another section of
the client, non-graphical effects in another, the graphical room display in
another, etc.
Also, to move, you can simply use the arrow keys without worrying about
speed, facing, etc. You aren't stearing a ship, your moving your own body.


>Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions, and if anyone else has any
>help to a fledgeling MUD-programmer working in a coordinate-based world,
I'd
>love to hear it.

No problem, Dan.

 -Philip Loguinov (A programmer working in a fantasy world)




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