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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>: Fri, 19 Sep 97 16:06:54 -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="msg01265.html">01BCC450.6D97E470.caliban#darklock,com</A>>, on 09/18/97
at 07:10 PM, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com> said:
>On Wednesday, September 17, 1997 7:33 PM, Jon A. Lambert
>[SMTP:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com] wrote:
...deletia...
>> Different DOES entail turning off hundreds of Diku-expectant players.
>So your goal, if I hear this properly, is to make a game that a
>certain type of people will DISlike? Does this strike anyone else as
>a perverse, cynical, and ludicrous goal?
No, you are reading sloppily. Another possible reading: The goal
will by implication "turn off" a certain set of people. This is
acknowledged and accepted as a side-effect of the goal definition. It
is not defined as part of the goal.
>I have a vast number of things to add to this, but they are almost
>all off-topic. Suffice to say that in many places graphic interfaces
>are not actually appropriate, and MUDs are one of those places.
>Graphic interfaces are inherently limiting in expression, which I
>think we all agree is Bad on MUDs.
Disagreed. I would assert that the austerity of the current MUD
interface is one of its huge strengths.
You may also want to distinguish between a GUI interface, and a GUI
representation of the game-world. They are two different things.
>> Even mainframes have abandoned such archaic interfaces.
>> Telnet really does suck and turns off thousands of potential users.
>Then let them go to Quake servers and join Ultima Online. Graphic
>MUDs are another topic entirely.
Writing as List Owner for the following sentence only:
And yet are on-topic here.
>> I see no need for player
>> documentation to be printable or downloadable.
>If I can't download the documentation and look at it while I'm not on
>your game, it's harder for me to learn my way around. If I can't
>print it, it's harder for me to find information on commands.
>Hardcopy and local copies are important. But as the game's designer,
>or as one of its primary founding players, you won't understand
>it... it's easy, see, not that much at all.
No. While I'll acknowledge that some players like this sort of thing
and find them useful (which set appears to closely map to certain game
types), many (more?) don't. This suggests that the question is one of
target market rather than generic usefulness.
Consider:
How many DIKU/LP/etc players have you seen complaining about lacking
documentation for players?
--
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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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="01265" HREF="msg01265.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></LI></UL></LI>
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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="01380" HREF="msg01380.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, 06:15 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01267" HREF="msg01267.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Something complete different</A></strong>,
Brandon J. Rickman <a href="mailto:ashes#pc4,zennet.com">ashes#pc4,zennet.com</a>, Thu 18 Sep 1997, 22:35 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="01265" HREF="msg01265.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>, Thu 18 Sep 1997, 20:31 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01271" HREF="msg01271.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Fri 19 Sep 1997, 05:30 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01292" HREF="msg01292.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>, Fri 19 Sep 1997, 23:14 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01295" HREF="msg01295.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>, Sat 20 Sep 1997, 00:01 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01313" HREF="msg01313.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Sat 20 Sep 1997, 12:06 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01320" HREF="msg01320.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>, Sat 20 Sep 1997, 19:00 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01329" HREF="msg01329.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Usability and interface and who the hell is suppo</A></strong>,
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user2,inficad.com">nightfall#user2,inficad.com</a>, Sat 20 Sep 1997, 21:20 GMT
</LI>
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