[MUD-Dev] On socialization and convenience

[Ian Collyer]

J C Lawrence wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Jun 2001 02:48:51 +0100
> Ian Collyer <ian.collyer at i12.com> wrote:

>> Write a pseudo-POP3 server that can be queried by any POP3
>> compliant email client but is in fact just a method for giving
>> external visibility to in-game personal messaging and message
>> boards.

> While this is the approach I prefer, it leaves the same problem of
> having to store that content on your systems rather than being
> able to offload it to the user or something he's paid for.

> Quota limits for MUD-Mail accounts?

True, but I am viewing this as an addition to an existing in-game
persistent messaging system, so the _additional_ storage overhead is
minimal.

Some form of quota/ageing could be implemented, but then that itself
is open to abuse by grief players.

>> Allocate all characters a <charactername>@mymud.com style dummy
>> email address on character creation.

> You can't expose this or it will become an abuse vector.

Well I certainly wouldn't do any SMTP-SMTP traffic ;)

Requiring authentication with the character password should go some
way to minimising the abuse.

>> Voila! For some relatively simple emulation code and minimal
>> storage overhead you have now made integrated in-character
>> communication available outside of the MUD. Even better if
>> replies can be translated back into in-game communications.

> Yeah, this is my preferred approach.  There are a number of neat
> integration plays you can make with this, everything from in-game
> message carriers (go wild, make up fantastical creatures/economies
> surrounding message delivery).

>> It could serve as a useful retention tool keeping players
>> informed of MUD events even when they have not played for some
>> time.

> This requires them to configured their email clients to poll your
> POP3 service.  While not a technical problem on your end, most
> common mail clients do not have the capability to poll and suck
> mail from multiple POP servers.

I know MUD players have a different profile than email users as a
whole, but I'd be amazed if Outlook/Outlook Express wasn't the most
popular client by some distance. Both of these have the capability
to poll multiple POP servers.

> Worse is properly handing From: address mapping back into the game
> world systems.  Big uglies fast there.

Yeah, I'd insist on replies coming from the dummy
<charactername>@mymud.com address.

Not a big problem for Outlook users as replies default to the
account the original mail was received through. Bit more of a
problem for new mail as that will default to your usual 'from'
address, but even there you have the option to send from any of the
configured accounts.

I can't speak for other clients, info anyone?

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