As a small project, I''m writing my own engine for a mud. Briefly, let me just explain the basic structure I had in mind for the engine: The "world" is composed of: * Characters (includes npcs) * Objects (environment objects: eg. a stone, window, etc.) * Events (triggered events: eg. if user shouts "DIE", triggers an event, like having a lightning bolt blast at them) * Areas (scenes that characters must exist in) * Flagstones (grid positions in Areas) Nb. For this design I have a 2D grid of flagstones in each area. If any of you are familiar with muds, think of the areas as a single screen that you can exist on. Flagstones divide these areas up; so how a player is positioned in the area is important. Not really relevant to my question, but interesting... * Links (links from one area to another: bound to specific flagstones) * Abstracts (abstract concepts, eg. programs, etc. Stuff that doesnt necissarily have a fixed physical representation: like a program can be freely copied, and put on a number of different media; as can a digital image (nb. both of these I mean in-game items)) * Systems (abstract npcs: like an ai script to restock vending machines after a certain amount of time. However; an actual character doesnt come and do this, it just happens). Two questions, to anyone who has any ideas: first, can you think of anything you''d want in a mud that couldnt fit under one of those headings? Secondly, what sort of basic game cycle do you suggest? I''ve got two basic options: divide the whole game up into a turn based system, and then go: * check for user input -- add any new events to next turns event list * run this turns event list -- any new events added to next turns event list -- any output to users added to output list * output list processed -- every output required to be sent is sent (threaded? Possibly, so we dont have to wait for that to finish before continuing). * caching system updated, and appropriate memory free-ed. However, this looks like it might not be the right way to go, esp. if few users are about; seems a waste to force things into turns when users are not on. So my alternative is basically; do the same thing, but only enforce it around the users. Somehow, even though I say that, I cant seem to get my head around doing it. Or possibly all I should do is run the user events as they are recieved from the users and abandon the turn based idea totally; using some kind of time-stamp based timing system, or direct event processing and only do turns for when combat takes place. Anyone got some suggestions on this? Any ideas appreciated. Im going to go and look at the source for some of the free mud libs in a sec, but any suggestions as to a good one also welcome (there''re enough of them!)

this isnt really a suggestion: but more of an opinion of mine.

MUDs suck, unless they have graphics in some shape or form.
ive never made it past the "enter a name for your character" part of a mud.

instead of a mud i would learn directx and make a MMORPG (massivly multiplayer online role plaing game). this is what i am doing, my tile engine is already done.

but if i where going to make a mud...i would give it a graphical interface atleast. instead of just a mess of text.

thats just my two cents

You can do the graphics part after the MUD is running. This is what EverQuest did. It''s essentially CircleMUD with graphics on top of it.

The turn-based thing doesn''t sound too exciting though. MUD''s have to be in real-time. Or did I misread your post?

Dear gameprogrammingwiz:

Muds may suck (in your opinion) but one question:

DirectX doesn''t?

Sorry, couldn''t resist. No flames please, just a convienent joke.



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A wise man once said "A person with half a clue is more dangerous than a person with or without one."

whats wrong with directx? what api do you use? directx is one of the (if not the) most used graphics, media, networking, input, and 3d api.

i was just saying that text-based games are boring.

gameprogrammerwiz, the fact that you haven''t gotten past the "enter your name stage" is rather pitiful. How can you say that MUDs suck if you''ve never actually gotten to the part where you actually PLAY it?
I love MUDs; they''re like an interactive, multiplayer book to me And I do love reading (among other things).
Besides, even the least creative of us can imagine in better "graphics" than any game could make.
MUDs do take a little getting used to (in addition to command memorization). But that''s essentially the same thing as when you start reading a new book; it takes a while for you to really get into it, and to start automatically imagining the sights and sounds described.
In MUDs, once you get past that point, it''s absolutely great! I recall a few times when I forgot I was typing, and I was actually imagining myself doing the actions, and my hands just automatically flew across the keyboard, typing in the correct commands as I was doing it . It doesn''t happen often, but when it does, it''s like heaven (or hell, depending on where in the MUD you are and what you''re doing ).
MUDs do not suck, they just take some getting used to, exactly like it takes some getting used to to read (you know how most kids learning to read for the first time hate it, but then after a few years they start to like it? )

Anyway, I just had to comment on that. I love MUDs.

Actually, i use either DX or OGL. I would say DX is not or very close to OGL in the most frequently used category. Since OGL is used on platforms including and other than windows, it is used alot. Anyway, yes, text games are rather boring. But really, you haven''t gotten past enter your name?



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A wise man once said "A person with half a clue is more dangerous than a person with or without one."

MUDs are great. They just take imagination like reading a book. You can''t see it, but its there

well, the "i never got past the enter your characters name here" thing wasnt true...i actually played a mud for a few hours one day, and then deleted it and continued to play ultima online. and...reading? what is this reading you speak of? because of computers an tv it seems that nobody likes to read anymore...so now graphics seem to take the place of text these days. people in games like ultima online like to actually see where they are and what they are doing. i remeber the week that i sucessfully walked from the northernmost point of the main island of ultima to the southern most point. it was great...i saw the whole island. had ultima been texted based it would have been just a big mess of text.

p.s. i do realize that i dont have a life at all, so dont comment on it.

How do you delete a MUD?