<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions --> <!--X-From-R13: [nevna Uevssvgu <telcubaNvnrui.ay> --> <!--X-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 19:33:41 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Marcel-1.26-1121194900-b49Ky&5#Gryphon,knoware.nl --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 3473EC31.5D05#dial,pipex.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00336.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00337.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00621.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00343.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00338">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00338">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00338">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: Mud Dev Mailing list <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Marian Griffith <<A HREF="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 19:49:00 +0000 (GMT)</LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Wed 19 Nov, Richard Woolcock wrote: > This message is getting huge, so i'm going to give it a trim. > Matt Chatterley wrote: > > I overlooked hair length. :) > I only have 'short', 'average', 'shoulder length', 'half way down back' and > 'down to waist'. Hair doesn't grow yet either. How about straight, wavey, permanented, frizzy, curly, braided, afro, pony- tail, etc? Not to mention the more outlandish things you can have done to your hair if you go to the hairdresser. *grin* > > > A tall, ugly fat man with a bushy black beard, bald head, piercing > > > blue eyes, heavily tanned skin dressed in expensive clothes > > > says 'hello'. Keep the description about the same size of the message. If the message is only "says hello" you probably want to stick to the most important part of his description, in this case likely the expensive clothing. And maybe his most striking feature, either tall or bearded. So you would get something like "A rich bearded man says 'hello'. However if the message is much longer you could get away with adding more detail to the description though I would still recommend avoiding all the commas. If you need more than three of them you ought to break up the sen- tence and tell it in chunks, adding detail of the speaker as you go. Or you could just outright describe him and then refer to him as he. That would give you something like: "A tall man in expensive clothing speaks up he has a bushy black beard and piercing blue eyes. His skin is tanned so he likely works outdoor. He says "......... long story .......". It's just as long but a little easier to read I think. > > Right, this is simply too verbose for most players. I personally am > > capable (no boast, just a fact) of reading a screen of text in a few > > seconds, and retaining most of the content - many, many, many people read > > FAR slower than me, something of which I have to be repeatedly reminded, > > because my messages for various minor game events tend to stray on the > > verbose side of things. It also gives you far too much information, unless > > your character is penomenally informative. This largely depends on the speed of events. When descing rooms for a mud I like to keep the length just under one page, adding more details in ad- ditional descriptions of objects that might be interesting. I never heard complaints, but then on muds most players don't read anything at all any- way, so I guess nobody ever noticed. > Hmmm so you're suggesting perhaps YOU the player could chose how much > information you want to see about other people? Now that would be very > interesting... Yes, and especially important when you are dealing with different races. But in general I would like to see that players who are (apparently) in a hurry should miss more detail as they run by. Perhaps this can be done through the speed with which you walk as well as with abilities? If you choose to run you might make better speed, but all kinds of details will be lost, like that bridge that looks like it is waiting for an excuse to collapse. And certain races, and characters, should simply be less per- ceptive. Unless they take extra care with looking around they ought to miss all but the most obvious of clues. > > > However it would be nice if it picked for example 'fat' and > > > 'piercing blue eyes' (your characters most outstanding two features) > > > and displayed: > > > A fat man with piercing blue eyes says 'hello'. > The trouble is working out priorities - surely they are a personal thing? Well, not really. There is probably somebody around who has studied just this thing :) But realistically speaking your character would pick out the things that are most important for his immediate goals. In muds that would primarily come down to survival. Things like 'rich' would be very important because it implies successfull and thus dangerous. The same is true for weaponry and size. Appearance is far less importance and serves mostly as a way to identify the other. Of course if your character is a testosterone soaked adolescent priori- ties may be slightly different. > If I like slender women with long dark hair and dark eyes (read "I do" ;), > then I might see something like: > A slender woman with long dark hair and dark eyes stands here. Or you would see: A pretty woman, or: A beautifull woman, depending on how closely she matches your personal ideal. > Whilst if Bob likes chubby women with short hair and long legs, he might > see: > A skinny women with uncut dark hair and lovely long legs stands here. A bit too verbose, but that is probably justified because she matches at least one of his ideals. If she didn't the description should be reduced to 'an ugly woman' or to just 'a woman'. Only when he makes the effort to actually look at her would he see more detailed information. Marian -- Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world, out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again will there be loneliness ... Rolan Choosing Talia, Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00379" HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Richard Woolcock <KaVir#dial,pipex.com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00343" HREF="msg00343.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Sauron <dlove#kusd,kusd.edu></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00318" HREF="msg00318.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Richard Woolcock <KaVir#dial,pipex.com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00336.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] A flamewar startingpoint.)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00337.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Gender specific</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00621.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00343.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00338"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00338"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00312" HREF="msg00312.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:root#mpc,dyn.ml.org">root#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Wed 19 Nov 1997, 08:07 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00318" HREF="msg00318.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Wed 19 Nov 1997, 22:45 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00321" HREF="msg00321.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Thu 20 Nov 1997, 05:40 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00621" HREF="msg00621.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Wed 10 Dec 1997, 06:41 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00338" HREF="msg00338.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Marian Griffith <a href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</a>, Fri 21 Nov 1997, 19:33 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00343" HREF="msg00343.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Sauron <a href="mailto:dlove#kusd,kusd.edu">dlove#kusd,kusd.edu</a>, Sat 22 Nov 1997, 02:39 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00351" HREF="msg00351.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Marian Griffith <a href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</a>, Sat 22 Nov 1997, 10:24 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00380" HREF="msg00380.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Sun 23 Nov 1997, 21:26 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00379" HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Introductions and descriptions</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Sun 23 Nov 1997, 21:10 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>