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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</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] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</A></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 24 Sep 97 16:00:41 -0700</LI>
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<PRE>
In &lt;<A HREF="msg01377.html">9709230336.8grm#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</A>&gt;, on 09/23/97 
   at 08:44 AM, cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA (Chris Gray) said:

&gt;Another excellent example. Your point is taken. Having said that, I
&gt;am now in a quandary as to what *should* be done! My current
&gt;implementation allows the use of the syntax like     "get rock #3"   
&gt;and I will find the 3rd rock in the room's contents, as counting down
&gt;in the list of items in the room. It seems to me that a system has to
&gt;have *some* way of handling this, else the player cannot do some
&gt;things. Users have suggested an additional form (from NLP!), where
&gt;"get a rock" would specifically allow the system to chose which one
&gt;to get. I could also allow a per-player toggle, allowing "get rock"
&gt;to do the same. Is this putting in too much complexity, and making
&gt;the user interface needlessly difficult?

What is wrong with:

  &gt; get rock
  Do you want the:
    1) stone
    2) pebble
    3) gem
    4) boulder
    0) Cancel command
  &gt;

?

No ambiguity, simple interface, obvious, easily learnable,
predictable...

&gt;To clarify what I'm getting at, here is a trivialized example: Boffo
&gt;has just defeated a dragon, and is faced with its hoard. There are
&gt;seventeen swords, including three two-handed swords. How does Boffo
&gt;pick one up, or examine it? Can anyone think of a better solution
&gt;than any of the ones previously listed (or mine)?

&gt;This is a pretty low-level detail to be talking about, but at least
&gt;its a start!

  &gt; examine sword
  Do you want the:
    1) two handed sword...
    2) ...
    ...etc....
    0) Cancel command
  &gt;

Same interface yet again.

-- 
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...


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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01332" HREF="msg01332.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Travis Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#polaris,net">efindel#polaris,net</a>, Sun 21 Sep 1997, 01:05 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01351" HREF="msg01351.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Mon 22 Sep 1997, 01:32 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01355" HREF="msg01355.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Travis Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#polaris,net">efindel#polaris,net</a>, Mon 22 Sep 1997, 03:01 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01377" HREF="msg01377.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Tue 23 Sep 1997, 06:02 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01428" HREF="msg01428.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
clawrenc <a href="mailto:clawrenc#cup,hp.com">clawrenc#cup,hp.com</a>, Wed 24 Sep 1997, 23:04 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01387" HREF="msg01387.html">[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Maddy <a href="mailto:maddy#fysh,org">maddy#fysh,org</a>, Tue 23 Sep 1997, 16:09 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01390" HREF="msg01390.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Tue 23 Sep 1997, 17:46 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01417" HREF="msg01417.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Broly <a href="mailto:broly#mail,bcpl.lib.md.us">broly#mail,bcpl.lib.md.us</a>, Wed 24 Sep 1997, 17:24 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01420" HREF="msg01420.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>, 
Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Wed 24 Sep 1997, 19:23 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>

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