[MUD-Dev] Libs for 3D Client/Servers

[J C Lawrence]

On Tue, 03 Jul 2001 03:13:58 -0700 
Brian Hook <bwh at wksoftware.com> wrote:

> I'm curious what the list membership would think of a product that
> was basically a "graphical MUD in a box".  Something with a set of
> libs for a server, client, database, etc. and that lets MUD
> operators create and manage their own 3D graphics MUDs for smaller
> scale operations (I'm thinking along the lines of hundreds of
> simultaneous users on a server).

My initial interest would be defined by the feature set with
particular attention on the following:

  -- Soft code world definition
  -- Client-side portability (I'll presume that the server runs on
  some form of *ix).
  -- 1st person UI preferred, tiled 3rd/isometric/overhead disliked
  -- Ability to extend/filter game UI and character's visual
  presentation via server-side soft-code.

The next question is whether its Open Source or proprietary, and if
proprietary the availability of source licenses..

> The big problem I can think of is that, even with sufficient
> tools, there is a lot of complex art that needs to be created, so
> the step from text MUD to graphical MUD is a pretty steep one.

This depends on your goals for the visual presentation.  I've long
had the suspicion that we could profitably (both in $$$ and player
terms) turn our backs on the attempted photo-realistic approach and
do a workable abstract/iconic interface (think filled-wire-frame
world with low polygon abstract objects and iconic character
presentations) that is not cartoon-like.

--
J C Lawrence                                       claw at kanga.nu
---------(*)                          http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/
The pressure to survive and rhetoric may make strange bedfellows
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