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<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</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] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: Vadim Tkachenko <<A HREF="mailto:vadimt#4cs,com">vadimt#4cs,com</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:02:54 -0600</LI>
<LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:vt#vadimt,4cs.com">vt#vadimt,4cs.com</A></LI>
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<PRE>
Matt Chatterley wrote:
>
> On Tue, 9 Dec 1997, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:
>
[snipped some]
And, every time you read my posts, please keep in mind that I'm looking
at MUDs as a _developer_, not as a player - my experience as a MUD
player is virtually zero (because, first of all, English is not my
native language, and I find them terribly boring and tiring, given the
amount of spam and speed of actions), but I've spent HUNDREDS, if not
thousands, of hours playing single-user RPGs - notably Eye of Beholder,
Ultima Underworld I & II.
Once again, all generalizations above, here and below are from the
coder's point of view.
> > Q: What is a difference between a monster and NPC?
> > A: None, except that NPC is apparently is able to talk and [pretend to]
> > express other sign of intelligence (which presumes a different level of
> > hostility, too).
>
> The difference here being one that is 'thematic' or 'definitional' rather
> than actual - some people group NPCs as monsters, others like me prefer to
> reserve 'monster' for its actual implications (relatively unintelligent
> creatures, or horrors which you care not to describe in detail, and so
> forth). It presumes a different sort of hostility rather than level - one
> that is less primal, and far more 'pre-meditated'.
>
> > Do you consider a dragon a monster or NPC? In according to fantasy
> > books, dragons are highly intelligent and can talk many languages...
>
> Aha. Good call; but to me this depends upon context. If you encounter a
> Dragon, and manage to communicate with it or it appears in a vaguely
> civil or 'human' light, it is an NPC. If it attacks you, ransacks a
> village, eats members of your party, torches your sheep, or so forth, it
> is a monster. To the public, it is terrifying, and falls instantly under
> the monster heading.
>
> > Q: What is a difference between a PC and NPC?
> > A: None, except that NPC is being controlled by the computer, and PC by
> > the player (which is not true in some MUDs when the player is offline).
>
> Yes; the difference can be summed up as "PCs (sometimes) have
> socket/network connections attached to them".
[offensive to the truck drivers]
What is a truck driver? A piece of ... between the steering wheels and
the driver's seat.
[offensive to the MUD players]
What is a MUD player? ... You continue...
> > Conclusion: NPC == PC == monster, to some extent.
>
> <g>
>
> Regards,
> -Matt Chatterley
> ICQ: 5580107
> "I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world." -Einstein
--
Still alive and smile stays on,
Vadim Tkachenko <VadimT#4CS,Com>
--
UNIX _is_ user friendly, he's just very picky about who his friends are</PRE>
<PRE>
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</PRE>
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="00649" HREF="msg00649.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Matt Chatterley <root#mpc,dyn.ml.org></LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Players as Monsters/NPCs</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
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<ul compact>
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<LI><strong><A NAME="00683" HREF="msg00683.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Players as Monsters/NPCs</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Thu 11 Dec 1997, 05:44 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00589" HREF="msg00589.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Vadim Tkachenko <a href="mailto:vadimt#4cs,com">vadimt#4cs,com</a>, Tue 09 Dec 1997, 20:45 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00603" HREF="msg00603.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Sauron <a href="mailto:dlove#kusd,kusd.edu">dlove#kusd,kusd.edu</a>, Wed 10 Dec 1997, 00:03 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00649" HREF="msg00649.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 10 Dec 1997, 21:48 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00655" HREF="msg00655.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Vadim Tkachenko <a href="mailto:vadimt#4cs,com">vadimt#4cs,com</a>, Wed 10 Dec 1997, 22:58 GMT
</LI>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00721" HREF="msg00721.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Fri 12 Dec 1997, 04:21 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00732" HREF="msg00732.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Fri 12 Dec 1997, 08:12 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00783" HREF="msg00783.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sat 13 Dec 1997, 18:20 GMT
</LI>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00834" HREF="msg00834.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Fear of magic (was:Usability and interface)</A></strong>,
Alex Oren <a href="mailto:alexo#bigfoot,com">alexo#bigfoot,com</a>, Mon 15 Dec 1997, 11:20 GMT
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