<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing --> <!--X-From-R13: "Fenivf E. Qnfrl" <rsvaqryNvb.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 09:13:30 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.LNX.4.04.9906071043570.5394-100000#fnord,io.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 3.0.6.32.19990604143415.007aca10#earthlink,net --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</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="msg00569.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00571.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00489.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00576.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00570">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00570">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00570">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</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>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "Travis S. Casey" <<A HREF="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 11:13:09 -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>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#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 Fri, 4 Jun 1999, Albert wrote: > I believe the problem of newbies being confused as to what to do can be > easily remedied by giving them a thorough introduction, a specialized area > that allows a sort of interactive help system. And until they reach level 2 > or so, periodically give them tips, pointers, and help key words. I agree, but I see a few possible sticking points: 1 - How do you tell who's really a newbie? If you make an experienced player wade through several screens of introduction and then forcibly stick them into a newbie area, they may get annoyed or frustrated and decide not to come back to this mud. You can solve this by having some fairly easy way to get out, and let people know at the start. (e.g., "You may leave this tutorial at any time by typing, "leave tutorial") 2 - How do you make the newbies go through it? If you make it easy to exit the "newbie training" for the benefit of experienced players, some newbies will probably take that option as well. One could say, "Well, that's their problem" -- but if they then start annoying other players by asking lots of questions that would have been answered by the newbie materials, it becomes other people's problems as well. For this, I'd suggest making it easy to come back to the newbie materials at any time -- e.g., having a command that will put you back in them, integrating them into the regular help system, and having the newbie area be reenterable. A parallel problem can be "helpful" players. The first time I mudded, someone offered to help me out. He teamed with me, led me around a bit (introducing me to the "follow" command along the way), gave me some armor and a weapon, and we went and fought some monsters. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me much of use, and I didn't learn anything about the layout of the mud or where safe areas for newbies who were mudding alone were. The next time I logged in, I found my way to the store where we'd bought my armor and weapon, bought the most expensive ones I could afford, wore them, and went out to the area we'd gone to together. Naturally, I got trashed there by myself. After dying, I wound up with no experience again, only a little more money than I'd had to start with when I first logged in, and a sour taste in my mouth. 3 - A common pitfall of newbie areas is that they're insulting. I recall one mud giving newbies a towel, a pot, and a spoon as starting armor and weapon. On another, I got to experience the "fun" of having my character be beaten up by squirrels, rabbits, etc. Even in D&D, in which characters are notorious for starting out weak, beginning characters can take on goblins, kobolds, giant rats, and other opponents that actually sound like they might be worth fighting. Who wants to get beaten up by squirrels? 4 - Determining when somebody isn't a newbie any more can be difficult. Do you do it by earned experience? If so, what happens if a "helpful" player helps a newbie get a lot of XP fast, as happened to me, but the newbie doesn't really learn much from it? By time on the mud? But what happens then if someone spends a lot of time wandering around and talking to people before really trying to adventure? Some combination or modification of these? I'm not ragging on the idea -- as I said, I think it's a good idea. Just pointing out some possible pitfalls in implementation. -- |\ _,,,---,,_ Travis S. Casey <efindel#io,com> ZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ No one agrees with me. Not even me. |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' '---''(_/--' `-'\_) _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </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="00592" HREF="msg00592.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00583" HREF="msg00583.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Matthew Mihaly <sarapis#achaea,com></li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00576" HREF="msg00576.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Albert <thecheezeman#earthlink,net></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00489" HREF="msg00489.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Albert <thecheezeman#earthlink,net></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00569.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00571.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00489.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00576.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00570"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00570"><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] Text Parsing</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00461" HREF="msg00461.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Ross Nicoll <a href="mailto:rnicoll#lostics,demon.co.uk">rnicoll#lostics,demon.co.uk</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 17:26 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00462" HREF="msg00462.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 18:13 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00473" HREF="msg00473.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Ross Nicoll <a href="mailto:rnicoll#lostics,demon.co.uk">rnicoll#lostics,demon.co.uk</a>, Fri 04 Jun 1999, 03:43 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00489" HREF="msg00489.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Albert <a href="mailto:thecheezeman#earthlink,net">thecheezeman#earthlink,net</a>, Fri 04 Jun 1999, 18:43 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00570" HREF="msg00570.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 16:13 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00576" HREF="msg00576.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Albert <a href="mailto:thecheezeman#earthlink,net">thecheezeman#earthlink,net</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 18:44 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00583" HREF="msg00583.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:sarapis#achaea,com">sarapis#achaea,com</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 20:07 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00599" HREF="msg00599.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Greg Miller <a href="mailto:gmiller#classic-games,com">gmiller#classic-games,com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 14:53 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00612" HREF="msg00612.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 22:17 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </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>