[MUD-Dev] java clients

[fred at clift.org]

On Wed, 7 Aug 2002, Jon A. Lambert wrote:

> My personal working definition of "cross-platform" and
> "portability" is software that runs on Microsoft Windows 95,
> Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT 3.5, Microsoft Windows
> NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows ME, Microsoft
> Windows XP, and if you stretch it Microsoft Windows CE.

My personal definition of cross-platform includes much more.  In
fact, all the stuff you list is clumped together in my mind as one
platform. (or at least close to one).

> In short I don't think it matters what you use for a client as
> long as you keep those "cross-platform" and "portability" issues I
> mentioned above in mind.

If you want LOTS of players, or if you dont mind shutting out some,
then sure, this is probably the way to go.  However, you _will_ be
deliberately excluding some people.

> If this was broken down by platform this is my best guess based on
> some user comments on it afterwards.

>   1) Windows   27
>   2) Unix       3
>   3) Macintosh  2

For me, I wont play it if I can't play from my primary computer - a
computer running FreeBSD - My preferred client is a unix client
(tinyfugue) and I find it quite nice to be able to use one platform
for development and play of the mud.  I realize that I am very
non-typical in terms of the average mud player today, but on the mud
I develop, I'm going to make sure I can play without using a
different computer. I do unix development for my 'day job' and I
know I'm not typical.  But, having a windows only client will
probably keep me, and others I know from playing.

My general view on providing a client for your users is to pick the
platform(s) that most people use.  Provide a client that is nice,
but dont put game/display logic in your mud client that requires you
to use only that client to play your mud.  It can be nicer, or
prettier to use your 'standard' client, but still allow others to
use the client/platform of their choice.  Then if/when you ever get
time, you could provide a port of your client to other platforms
etc.  The alternative is to actively discourage people like me from
playing your game, as few as we are :)

Fred

--
Fred Clift - fred at clift.org -- Remember: If brute
force doesn't work, you're just not using enough.


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