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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</A></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Thu, 03 Jul 97 13:39:34 -0700</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-to</em>: <A HREF="mailto:claw#null,net">claw#null,net</A></LI>
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<PRE>
In <<A HREF="msg00007.html">9707011741.87du#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</A>>, on 07/01/97
at 07:52 PM, cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA (Chris Gray) said:
>[Chris L:]
>:I presume you are writing of the model where there is a standard (and
>:pretty well consistant with the current telnet-style) text window
>:around which are assoicated graphical gee-gaws, such as an image of
>:the character's body to and from which may be dragged iconic
>:representations of EQ to implement the "wear" and "take off"
>:semantics, or images of the various containters (sacks, bags, chests,
>:pouches etc), from which objects may be similarly addded or removed?
>:Other simple extensions would have animated images of objects which
>:could be explored graphically with the results displayed in the text
>:window and/or on the object itself. Next up is the ubiquitous sound
>:-- something I think is a generically All Round Bad Idea for MUDs,
>Well, there doesn't have to be pretty pictures of everything
>(otherwise there is no way I could produce such an interface!).
I could imagine having a default blob grahoc for unspecified
objects...
>I
>think the real need is for a point-and-click way of doing most common
>things.
Another method I didn't mention is making the actual text from the MUD
point'n'clickable Web/HTML style. Instead of typing "go door" or
similar, just click on the word "door" in the description of the
curent room.
>...The first
>obvious step is movement and looking around. Next would come the
>common verbs applied to objects in the room and inventory.
Both of these would seem easily approached by making clickable text as
above. I could even see drag'n'dropping text blobs to move inventory
about and such.
>[Question:
>presumeably only "visible" objects would be available for clicking,
>and non-visible or scenery objects would have to be typed in - is
>there any better way?]
One idea is above. Note: I'd *really* dislike a model where etnering
a room populated a container in your client with little icons
representing all the interactable objects in the current room. Using
the live/hyper-linked text as above would seem a possible and logical
address for this -- especially if you didn't denote the majority of
the "hot" items with colours, underbars etc.
>:...A key problem is that an increasing percentage of players
>:are both unable and actively unwilling to read or type (not always
>:poor education -- think foreigners as well). Whether we actually want
>:to encourage such to play our games is another question.
>I think its clear that those people will eventually have a MUD-ish
>game of some sort that they can play. Why shouldn't it be one of
>ours? Sure, we can choose to not cater to those folks, but I think it
>is important to not make judgements on a game until you've used it.
I'm raising two points here:
1) Making your MUD available/accessable to the illiterates of your
current language/culture.
2) Making your MUD available/accessable to foreign language users,
either by providing national language support, or a simplified or
dictionary query-able interface for those with good language skills
but poor English skills.
I suspect that chasing #1 is a perilous slope into a dark and infinite
pit.
Chasing #2 as far as NLS'ing the game world is a massive engineering
effort (can you say multi-byte characters, multi-byte srings, UNC,
UTF8, variant string lengths, national-specific colour choices (red
doesn't mean danger in all cultures for instance, or green "Okay")?).
Chasing down #2 as far as providing a simplified interface or
query-able interface seems much more possible.
>I
>now find it very difficult to play a MUD with just a text interface -
>it is just so much, well, harder!
<<Raw telnet is my preferred MUD client...>
--
J C Lawrence Internet: claw#null,net
(Contractor) Internet: coder#ibm,net
---------------(*) Internet: clawrenc#cup,hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...
</PRE>
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="00007" HREF="msg00007.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA (Chris Gray)</LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00008" HREF="msg00008.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Git out the boar spear, Martha!</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 00:18 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00026" HREF="msg00026.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Git out the boar spear, Martha!</A></strong>,
Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 10:23 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00029" HREF="msg00029.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Git out the boar spear, Martha!</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 13:27 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00007" HREF="msg00007.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 00:18 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00071" HREF="msg00071.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Fri 04 Jul 1997, 03:57 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
<UL>
<li><Possible follow-up(s)><br>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00014" HREF="msg00014.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 03:38 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00081" HREF="msg00081.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Sun 06 Jul 1997, 01:18 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00087" HREF="msg00087.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Tue 08 Jul 1997, 03:18 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00019" HREF="msg00019.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD</A></strong>,
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 02 Jul 1997, 04:25 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
</ul>
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