<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool --> <!--X-From-R13: "Fenivf E. Qnfrl" <rsvaqryNvb.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Thu, 17 May 1998 14:15:41 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.BSF.3.96.980517221611.26074B-100000#dillinger,io.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:efindel#io,com"> </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="msg00648.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00650.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00577.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00697.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00649">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00649">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00649">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "Travis S. Casey" <<A HREF="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:17:01 -0500 (CDT)</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: "Petidomo List Agent -- Kanga.Nu version" <<A HREF="mailto:petidomo#kanga,nu">petidomo#kanga,nu</A>></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Friday, 15 May 98, J C Lawrence <claw#under,engr.sgi.com> wrote: > Travis S Casey<efindel#io,com> wrote: >> The "enter your name" prompt is something that's always bothered me >> about many muds. The first time I ever got on a mud, I saw "enter >> your name", and naturally entered "Travis Casey" (after all, it's >> asking for *my* name, not a *character's* name). It then told me >> that names could only be one word. So I entered "Travis". [snip] >> The moral is: explain things clearly during character generation. > Another moral: > Allow all decisions to be delayed until the last possible logical > point. Actually, thinking about it, I'd say that both morals are part of a greater moral: Give players as much information as possible/practical before they have to make a choice. What is practical can vary for different muds. To cover the examples that JC gave: > Your characters have castes (barbarian, warrior, mage etc)? Why doe > he need to decide that when creating the character? Why can't he > delay that until that point when playing the game that he either HAS > to or feels the need to specialise? If someone desires a realistic mud, they may want to force a choice at the start -- after all, becoming a mage, warrior, etc. in a real world may take years of training, so it's not very realistic to allow someone to wander around the mud for a few days and then choose one of these professions. In such a case, the mud builders might choose to offer other ways of getting information about the mud and the various professions/castes/whatever: for example, generic "guest" characters, web pages with the information, etc. (Aside: to me, this is the primary advantage of having web-based character generation. The player can generate a character at a leisurely pace, not having to worry about being kicked off for taking too long in character generation, and other browser windows can be opened to supply help, descriptions of the different classes, races, skills, etc., general background information, and anything else the player might want to look up. Since the information appears in another window, the player never loses track of where he/she is in the character generation process.) > You have races/species? Again, why can't that be delayed? Sure, you > then need some non-race type, the amorphous non-descript unremarkable > humanoid "thing", but you can still allow the decision to be delayed > until the point where he can't continue without it. The same points apply here -- in a realistic mud, you may not want characters wandering around without a race. You can, however, offer guest characters of various races and extensive web-based help so players can get information about the different races before making a choice. -- |\ _,,,---,,_ Travis S. Casey <efindel#io,com> ZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ No one agrees with me. Not even me. |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' '---''(_/--' `-'\_) -- MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future. </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="00718" HREF="msg00718.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> J C Lawrence <claw#under,engr.sgi.com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00697" HREF="msg00697.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Matt Chatterley <matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00648.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Leaving characters in play</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00650.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Leaving characters in play</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00577.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00697.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00649"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00649"><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>[MUD-Dev] Re: Character creation, was: Mudschool</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00582" HREF="msg00582.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Character creation, was: Mudschool</A></strong>, Richard Woolcock <a href="mailto:KaVir#dial,pipex.com">KaVir#dial,pipex.com</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 18:30 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00657" HREF="msg00657.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Character creation, was: Mudschool</A></strong>, Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Sun 17 May 1998, 22:17 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00611" HREF="msg00611.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</a>, Fri 15 May 1998, 20:13 GMT </LI> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00577" HREF="msg00577.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, John Bertoglio <a href="mailto:alexb#internetcds,com">alexb#internetcds,com</a>, Thu 14 May 1998, 16:00 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00649" HREF="msg00649.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Sun 17 May 1998, 21:15 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00697" HREF="msg00697.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org">matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Tue 19 May 1998, 16:07 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00718" HREF="msg00718.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Tue 19 May 1998, 21:19 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00698" HREF="msg00698.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 19 May 1998, 16:39 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00832" HREF="msg00832.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Mudschool</A></strong>, Matt Chatterley <a href="mailto:matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org">matt#mpc,dyn.ml.org</a>, Tue 26 May 1998, 00:40 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </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>