[MUD-Dev] Command interface for Coordinate based world

[WriterDL at aol.com]

Hello all from a de-lurking newbie...

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 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?

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.

      -Dan
<insert witty remark here>



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