<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Mudschool --> <!--X-From-R13: Zvat <Y.Z.Zb-94Nfghqrag.yobeb.np.hx> --> <!--X-Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 08:18:23 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.SOL.3.96.980512140918.967E-100000@sun-cc203 --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 199805111702.LAA05340#darklock,com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Mudschool</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00518.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00520.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00500.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00521.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00519">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00519">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00519">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Mudschool</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Mudschool</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Ling <<A HREF="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:16:58 +0100 (BST)</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: "Petidomo List Agent -- Kanga.Nu version" <<A HREF="mailto:petidomo#kanga,nu">petidomo#kanga,nu</A>></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Mon, 11 May 1998, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote: > When I turn on my computer and start a game, I want to play. Yes, I want > some sort of way to learn my way around. But the last thing I need is some > condescending, fourth-grade level tutorial. Think about it; you go out and > find a mud, and you log on expecting to play an exciting, immersive game. > And you get "Welcome to Avilard! Avilard is a MUD. MUD stands for > Multi-User Dungeon. Avilard is a place that lets you take the role of blah ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is one of the tidbits that annoy me with current muds. No one likes to be patronised but because muds aren't quite mainstream, they have to be just in case a complete and utter newbie accidently type in telnet <random numbers>. Maybe upon login, a mud should have a little query to see if the player is an outright mud virgin, a seasoned 150 wpm mudder or something inbetween. (This is where some sort of universal mud player database be handy. ;) Recently, I've been playing computer games instead of revision. Most of those games have some sort of tutorial but unlike mudschool, those tutorials are *fun*. The latest batch of games I've doodled on have all been 'nuke the outies' orientated but I think some techniques could be borrowed. All the tutorials I played dropped you into a setting comparable with a full mission, so maybe a mud could create a standalone area for each and every trainee logging in. Tutorials took the form of training or an exam, not a 'force knowledge down yer throat'. There was often an instructor involved who gave feedback with a non-patronising tone (with the exception of one game but that was intentional). Tutorials could be played in any order. Tutorials often gave you a rating. This could take the form of something like: Welcome to the Tutorial Menu. 1. Finding your way round 2. Parrying in combat. 3. Hotel management. X. Exit Please pick one. > 2 [Flashback to when you were training at Northwest Point] > Boffo instructs, "Today, you will be sparring with Bubba, he will teach you how to parry. Go Bubba." Bubba nods. Bubba draws his sword and wields it in his right hand. Bubba looks at you. Bubba says, "Hold your sword." [OOC: wield sword] > wield sword You draw your sword and wield it in your left hand. Bubba says, "I will attack to the left and right in that order, parry me." [OOC: Type in parry left then parry right] > parry left Bubba slashes to your left, you barely block it! Boffo nods in approval. > parry You are parrying to your left. Bubba slashes to your right, ow! [Back to real life, you did 53% in that last tutorial, best score is 100%] Personally, I think there should also be a 'drop them right in the middle' option on muds to improve the hook. This could take the form of plopping the player into a pre-made character in the middle of a skirmish or some other adrenaline situation. Admittedly, I don't have a clue how to do the same for rp muds, they seem to grow on you gradually (esp as rp = social = other people). Though having good rp logs available is not a bad idea. Rp school will probably be shunned by those who aren't interested in the first place. [stuff about academy which I've never encountered] > Obviously I'm thinking of the way things work in the old-style muds that I > tend to like. The newer things a lot of people are doing these days just > annoy me most of the time. There's an awful lot of innovation that doesn't > really do a whole lot for the player in the end, it just makes things > difficult. Kinda like 'interactive movies'. :) Another small random tidbit of information: Microsoft Word has an 'Office Assistant' interface to its helpfiles. This pops up with suggestions for helpfiles to look at. It is actually context sensitive, I've just been fooling around with it trying to figure out where the .5 symbol is and called up help brought up options relating to my latest horsing around. There are also rumours that this interface has a learning algorithm of sorts - typing in a search for 'doodah' and then selecting 'making doodah' would encourage the assistant to put 'making doodah' on the top of the search results next time 'doodah' is looked for. | Ling Lo of Remora (Top Banana) _O_O_ Elec Eng Dept, Loughborough University, UK. kllo#iee,org -- MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future. </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00521" HREF="msg00521.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Richard Woolcock <KaVir#dial,pipex.com></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00500" HREF="msg00500.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: CGDC, a summary</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00518.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: CGDC, a summary</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00520.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00500.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: CGDC, a summary</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00521.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00519"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00519"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re: On tanks...</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00535" HREF="msg00535.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: On tanks...</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Wed 13 May 1998, 09:46 GMT </LI> </ul> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00496" HREF="msg00496.html">[MUD-Dev] RE: CGDC, a summary</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Mon 11 May 1998, 15:17 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00497" HREF="msg00497.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: CGDC, a summary</A></strong>, Holly Sommer <a href="mailto:hsommer#micro,ti.com">hsommer#micro,ti.com</a>, Mon 11 May 1998, 16:02 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00500" HREF="msg00500.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: CGDC, a summary</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Mon 11 May 1998, 17:02 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00519" HREF="msg00519.html">[MUD-Dev] Mudschool</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Tue 12 May 1998, 15:18 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00521" HREF="msg00521.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Tue 12 May 1998, 18:21 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00534" HREF="msg00534.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Ling <a href="mailto:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk">K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk</a>, Wed 13 May 1998, 08:01 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00570" HREF="msg00570.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 12:50 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00579" HREF="msg00579.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 18:12 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>