Re: [request for advice] Please read, I can't come up with a short subj.

[wheeler@aphrodite.csed.ida.org (David Wheeler)]

morphis@niuhep.physics.niu.edu wrote:

...
:         I have on occasion fell prey to MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons).  One
: telnets in and interacts with game and with other users.  I have not been
: satisfied with either the accuracy or various details of the way these have
: been done.  So I decided to write one myself.  I hope to get a fairly
: well intergrated alpha in about 2 years.

I wish you well!  About a decade ago I maintained such programs
commercially, so I know what's involved.  Maybe the following will help.


You rightly suggested that storing properties by doing this:
: object(oid,ci)="text"
: where oid is the object id #, ci is the characteristic index # which is
: mapped to a particular characteristic.

is a terrible way to proceed.  Don't do it that way.

Nearly all programming languages (Ada, Java, Pascal, C, C++, etc.) have at
least some support for named components of records (structures), which
will do that automatically for you.


: Other (printable-in-a-family-newspaper) suggestions?

Yes.  If you're interested in creating a MUD, there are two different
approaches:

1. Start with someone else's MUD server.  These are programs specifically
designed to be a MUD.  Many have built-in programming languages and
systems for creating your own MUD.  The advantage: you don't have to
start from scratch.  The disadvantage: you have to do things, to some
extent, "their way".  One good server is LambdaMOO (MOO).

2. Build your own.  You'll need to know more than you know now.
That's not a bad thing - it will give you a reason to learn more.

I strongly recommend that you start by looking at other adventure game
implementations. By reading them, you'll learn about how different
people have solved similar problems.  See the MUD FAQ for more info.

You'll also need to learn about various computing constructs,
such as object-orientation.  I'd also recommend learning several
computer programming languages; learning several will help you to
think "outside the box" of the language you're using.

Try out my "Lovelace" tutorial, it culminates in a text adventure game.
The advantage is that you'd be able to see one approach to building such
a system, and it's small enough that you can easily understand the whole
thing.  It's single-player (not a MUD), but it could be easily turned
into a MUD.  Lovelace is at:
  "http://lglwww.epfl.ch/Ada/Tutorials/Lovelace/lovelace.htm"


: Robert
: Morphis@physics.niu.edu

--- David A. Wheeler
Net address: wheeler@ida.org