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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: Chris Jacobson <<A HREF="mailto:fear#technologist,com">fear#technologist,com</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 08:41:48 -0500</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<PRE>
On 4/20/00 8:52 PM, J C Lawrence (claw#cp,net) stated:
>Ideas? thoughts? Feedback? Do you think this would draw more
>people into the hobby? Allow people not as technical to develop
>and run their own mud?
If the source code was included, it might be worthwhile; without that,
you are limiting your target audience. How can new features be added?
How can features be removed? How can systems be tweaked/changed/adjusted?
Granted, you could provide plugin support (which requires people to learn
more than is necessary to make changes - writing a DLL or plugin is
harder than modifying source or adding a function), or you could provide
variables to tweak (but no matter how many you provide, you'll never
reach the flexibility that most of your audience will desire). The only
real solution (without giving away the source code) would be a scripting
language in which the majority of the game is written already - but then,
you ARE giving away a significant portion of the source already: the code
written in the scripting language.
Also, targetting Linux (and I'm assuming you mean solely Linux-x86) and
Win32 limits your audience as well. Most MUDs are not run from Windows -
until Win2K, windows was not stable for this; and Win2k is an expensive
upgrade that most people may not make for a while. (and it's stability
is still something to be looked into). Not all servers run Linux on an
x86 platform. Not all servers even run Linux (thank god).
Granted, you are targetting new users; but your audience may be far too
small. It may be in your best interest to target new users as well as
existing users - otherwise, after using your package and finding it
lacking, they will toss it aside (maybe even sell it off to someone else
- Lost Sale!), and use one of the existing, source-available systems.
Always consider your target audience, and it's size, before marketting a
product... or you may end up sorely disappointed, and may even lose money.
- Chris Jacobson
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<li><strong><A NAME="00520" HREF="msg00520.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban@darklock.com></li></ul>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00508" HREF="msg00508.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Richard Ross <a href="mailto:rross@redhotant.com">rross@redhotant.com</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 04:13 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00513" HREF="msg00513.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Charles <a href="mailto:caugusti@gladstone.uoregon.edu">caugusti@gladstone.uoregon.edu</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 04:13 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00517" HREF="msg00517.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:chattemp@ee.port.ac.uk">chattemp@ee.port.ac.uk</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 18:11 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00522" HREF="msg00522.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Lee Sheldon <a href="mailto:linearno@gte.net">linearno@gte.net</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 18:11 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00509" HREF="msg00509.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Chris Jacobson <a href="mailto:fear@technologist.com">fear@technologist.com</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 04:13 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00520" HREF="msg00520.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] shrink wrapped mud development kit (fwd)</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban@darklock.com">caliban@darklock.com</a>, Sat 22 Apr 2000, 18:11 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00496" HREF="msg00496.html">[MUD-Dev] LA Times article: Virtual Loot for Real Cash</A></strong>,
Ryan Palacio <a href="mailto:rpalacio@verant.com">rpalacio@verant.com</a>, Thu 20 Apr 2000, 23:43 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00498" HREF="msg00498.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] LA Times article: Virtual Loot for Real Cash</A></strong>,
J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw@cp.net">claw@cp.net</a>, Fri 21 Apr 2000, 00:02 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00495" HREF="msg00495.html">[MUD-Dev] Character persistance, was Family, was characters per account</A></strong>,
JC <a href="mailto:jenbowie@davidbowie.com">jenbowie@davidbowie.com</a>, Thu 20 Apr 2000, 23:43 GMT
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
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