[MUD-Dev] in-game vs web-based boards (was: Geometric content generation)

[John Buehler]

Daniel Harman writes:
>> From: John Buehler [mailto:johnbue at msn.com]

>> Further, player community supported through the game should not
>> be limited to an either/or situation.  While I'm in the game, I
>> should have full access to player community features, including
>> topical or group chats, etc.  Hopefully, actual voice
>> interactions, as with a conference call.  All through the game
>> software.

> You can get that by not prohibiting task switching. To actually
> put a browser in game might be overkill, but I guess its possible.

Task switching is one approach, which Asheron's Call permits.  Note
that AC Explorer, a sort of electronic Fodor's for Dereth, is not a
browser-based application.  It is custom-built for the problem that
it solves.  Why not integrate that into Asheron's Call?  Task
switching tends to mean that I lose track of what's going on in the
game so that I can pursue other avenues of information.  In a game
predicated on kill-or-be-killed, that can lead to undesireable
results.  I switch out to check on the Asheron's Call Bestiary all
the time.  Why isn't that integrated into the game?  In the very
least, why aren't hooks available from the Asheron's Call code that
permits players to hook information sources into the game?  That
way, the original developers don't need to do the work of adding the
content, but the content gets more seamlessly hooked into the player
experience.

Anyway, I see the game itself being the focus of activity, and
switching to other mechanisms is currently a necessary evil.  I'd
like to see greater integration of player community and less
emphasis on trying to create 'character community'.

JB

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