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

[Steve {Bloo} Daniels]

Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com wrote:

> One thing thats struck me with VoIP (voice over IP) is that the
> most efficient implementation would probably be point to point
> between the players. I'm just unsure whether handing out other
> players IPs is safe practise. I can just see the 3l!t3 HaX0rz
> building lists of people to try and hack using this info. Actually
> routing it all through your game servers is just too expensive I'd
> guess. Maybe you could have a premium subscription to cover the
> cost.

Um, you've heard of Roger Wilco, I hope?

Since GameSpy got a hold of it from HearMe's Mplayer division
(formerly MPath), they've implemented channel names which obscures
the host's IP.  A host can name a channel and choose to display that
name publicly, and can still use a password.

When we were building Roger Wilco, it was *very* important to us
that it work with as many games as possible, particularly online
games.  We specifically made changes so that it would be compatible
with EQ when that was in beta.  Disabling task switching had been a
barrier to functionality at all.  Now, it's only a barrier to
channel switching, which some enterprising RW users have made
work-arounds for.

I never would have played UO, EQ or AC without Roger Wilco.  At
least not for more than a few days.  A large fraction of our WWIIOL
players use RW to coordinate action.

There are huge benefits to using Roger Wilco.  Namely, you don't
have to pay for the bandwith, which RW needs remarkably little of.

It's free, cross-platform (Mac and PC) and easy to integrate.

  http://rogerwilco.gamespy.com/developer/integration.html

There's even sample code on their webpage.

  http://rogerwilco.gamespy.com/developer/easybake.html

Full disclosure: I was the head of Roger Wilco support until a year
ago.

I'm still convinced of it's enormous, and mostly unrealized,
potential for online gaming.

If you let players make their own channels, instead of forcing an
association on them, then you would avoid most of the problems that
might otherwise arise.

-bloo

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