[MUD-Dev] DGN: Starting with Nothing (Requests for Resources)

[Sarah Bonner]

Greetings.

It would, perhaps, be best to introduce myself as a newbie
programmer and a newbie MUD-owner. Not the best of combinations, but
one that anyone can be grown out of with a bit of time and
dedication. That said, I would appreciate not getting all the usual
"You suck," and "You're destined for failure, you newb!" responses
that are common on the general message boards shared by the MUD
community (TMS, MudConnector, Mud-Magic, and other Yahoo Groups).

I'm looking for some resources that will be useful for someone
wanting to get into game design, but isn't quite on an
already-experienced level. I plan to re-acquaint myself with the C++
and Java languages (which I have not fooled around with for many
suns and moons, folks) from the beginning, and then turn my sights
on building a custom MUD engine.

Some topics include an explaination of programming on the Linux
platform and tools that I could use, such as *free* debuggers and
IDEs). I realize that Java would probably do just fine across any
platform, but I have heard some ugly rumors about C++, and I'm not
so sure about what I should watch out for.

I'd like to find some resources that also help with general MUD code
design, such as how to organize code, writing pseudocode,
expectations someone should have when starting their own codebase,
and how to incorporate scripting languages and databases, as well as
resources that detail pacing/goal-setting guidelines, balancing
game-play with features, and learning to judge where your intended
audience will be.

Because I'm on a limited living budget right now, I would prefer to
get access to free eBooks, PDF files, and other electronic
sources. I will consider looking at books, however, if you feel they
would be definitely be worth the money.
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