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<H1>[MUD-Dev] FAQ: Personality Clash</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: "'<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A>'" <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] FAQ: Personality Clash</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: "Koster, Raph" <<A HREF="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 09:34:05 -0600</LI>
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<PRE>
Resending...
----------
From: Koster, Raph
Sent: Monday, January 05, 1998 6:15 PM
To: 'mud-dev#null,net'
Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] FAQ: Personality Clash
Hmm, I guess my profile was gleaned from various things here and
there, but I dunno how much of it is as I'd leave it. :)
----------
From: Ling[SMTP:K.L.Lo-94#student,lboro.ac.uk]
Sent: Monday, December 22, 1997 2:17 AM
To: Mud Dev Mailing List
Subject: [MUD-Dev] FAQ: Personality Clash
Raph Koster
> Occupation: Mud programmer?
Currently, lead designer for Ultima Online, for Origin Systems.
> Addresses: rkoster#origin,ea.com
Also koster#eden,com though my wife (also a list member) uses this
address as well.
> Personal details:
> - Creative director of mud.
Heh, guess that sums up a lot. :) Yeah, basically, though I am not
actually the director for UO. Uh, married to fellow mud designer
Kristen Koster, also listmember. One kid, another on the way. Based in
Austin TX. Have a BA in English (Creative Writing) and in Spanish
(Literature), and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Age 26.
> Server: LegendMUD, known on there as Ptah
> <<A HREF="http://mud.aus.sig.net">http://mud.aus.sig.net</A>>
> <<A HREF="telnet://mud.aus.sig.net:9999">telnet://mud.aus.sig.net:9999</A>>
The address has recently changed to mud.sig.net and the .aus version
is deprecated... should be obsolete soon. Should UO count as a server?
If so, <A HREF="http://www.owo.com">http://www.owo.com</A> is the site for that.
> - Runs a lecture series often of interest to the mudding
community.
How about "used to." :)
> - Origin raided the mud for talent followed by M59 two weeks
later.
*shrug* I think Mike (who was the heart of M59 at the time) hired one
guy who wasn't actually directly affiliated, who's still with 3DO.
And his brother. Plus he approached me. Dunno how much relevance this
has to the bio though? :)
> Server concepts/features:
> - Has evolved into a weird hybrid of LP and Diku.
> Game concepts/features:
> - First classless mud.
I tend not to make that claim because I don't know for sure. I know it
was one of the first before the big boom in it. We couldn't find
another one as model when we started, at any rate. Maybe some dinos on
the list might know?
> - Probably the first historical theme gaming mud.
If I had to sum up key Legend concepts and features, beyond the
above:
- attempt to provide truly fictional immersion, from detailed
hand-designed questing, to carefully crafted and well-written areas,
to output designed to read like prose (see the speech system for an
example of what I mean--adverb support, etc etc).
- word-based spell system (it doesn't work, wasn't pushed far enough
into the realm of spell language).
> Server: Ultima Online
> [Should be able to read this up in various reviews and such?? -
Ling]
My known name around UO is "Designer Dragon".
Design concepts:
- world simulation
- Maslow-based AI system for ecological sim and for basic human
activity (NPC moods, etc)
- pool-based conversation system
- economic sim layer
- social control mechanisms (notoriety, etc).
- dynamic modular quest system
Notable facts:
- appears to be the first big mass market persistent world that really
breaks through and establishes the genre as a commercially viable
one.
- pretty controversial, plagued with all sorts of problems from day
one, reviews range from stellar to in the toilet. ;)
And as far as my design interests:
- Particularly interested in social evolution in virtual environments,
and related issues such as administration of said environments,
methods of social control, user awareness of social context, etc.
- game and server features that contribute to the above.
- Most everything Mike Sellers listed off ;) such as ecological sim
layers, Maslow, etc. :)
Signature:
-Raph
The eden account has a big ol' mess of a sig that I keep meaning to
get rid of. :P I don't have it handy though.
--------
On a separate note, I'd really like to see the FAQ include notable
servers/designs that are referred to as touchstones for discussion. My
list would include Legend (of course! ;), DartMUD, Armageddon,
Medievia (yeah, I know, but there are lots of topics there worthy of
discussion), MUME, Avalon, Gemstone, Realm, M59, UO, plus most
everything folks are working on on this list.
-Raph
</PRE>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Commercial value of RP</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00215" HREF="msg00215.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Commercial value of RP</A></strong>,
JC Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM">claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM</a>, Mon 12 Jan 1998, 18:48 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00186" HREF="msg00186.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Commercial value of RP</A></strong>,
Mike Sellers <a href="mailto:mike#online-alchemy,com">mike#online-alchemy,com</a>, Sat 10 Jan 1998, 19:16 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00189" HREF="msg00189.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Commercial value of RP</A></strong>,
Mike Sellers <a href="mailto:mike#online-alchemy,com">mike#online-alchemy,com</a>, Sat 10 Jan 1998, 19:17 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00059" HREF="msg00059.html">[MUD-Dev] OT: Suomi Finland</A></strong>,
##Make Nylander <a href="mailto:thenewt#use,usit.net">thenewt#use,usit.net</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1998, 17:39 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00055" HREF="msg00055.html">[MUD-Dev] FAQ: Personality Clash</A></strong>,
Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1998, 15:35 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00054" HREF="msg00054.html">[MUD-Dev] UO's External Chat Programs [was 'Wild west']</A></strong>,
Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1998, 15:34 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00045" HREF="msg00045.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Mud Settings</A></strong>,
JC Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM">claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1998, 02:06 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00044" HREF="msg00044.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] A flamewar startingpoint.</A></strong>,
JC Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM">claw#under,Eng.Sun.COM</a>, Tue 06 Jan 1998, 01:48 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00224" HREF="msg00224.html">[MUD-Dev] Simulations - was: 'A flamewar startingpoint.'</A></strong>,
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Tue 13 Jan 1998, 03:56 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
</ul>
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