MUD-Dev -- The MUD-Dev list discusses MUD game and server design, development, and implementation.

About MUD-Dev

The MUD Development mailing list is not platform, language or game specific, but concentrates on discussing the design and implementation of any and all MUD servers and systems. Another large related topic is game design. This does not mean that the details of a specific server or game design point can't be discussed in excruciating detail, or even that server or game source can't be bandied about and picked over, just that the list isn't to become a religious stomping ground for your platform, language, server, or hobby horse of choice. The topic definition is not limited to technical areas: social engineering, cultural considerations, applicability of technical addresses to "soft" problems, and other less rigorous avenues of investigation are also fair game. The goal is high signal, low noise. The MUD Development list is NOT an email version of the rec.games.mud.* newsgroups.

What is a "MUD"?

As the list owner wrote: I'm not about to attempt a point by point definition of "MUD". I see the definition of MUD being rather like a blob of black ink, recently dropped into a bucket of still water. You can definitely see where the black blob is, but as you move away from there, well, its still inky, but less so. Just where does the ink stop and the water begin (especially seeing as the Ink is a water suspension)? Its moot. Its a multi-dimentional sliding scale. The centre is undoubtedly a MUD. The definition of where the exact centre is is questionable. The definition of whether any point not on the centre is a MUD or not is more or less questionable, and I'm not about to start arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a virtual pin coded in LPC/ColdC/etc. I'm content with: DOOM, Diablo, Duke Nukem etc are not MUDs. Nightmare, LP, DIKU, MOO, Tiny-*, ColdC etc are MUDs. Between the two sets there be dragons. There has also been considerable debate over the use of the terms, "MUD", "mud", "MUA", "MUG", "MU*", and others, with various valid arguments forwarded on all sides. Suffice to say that this debate is defined as off-topic for the list and that any of the above terms or others may be freely used on the list. J C Lawrence, MUD-Dev list owner.

List Guidelines

Your membership of the list is subject to your compliance with the following guidelines: All posts must be on-topic, i.e. they must be related to the topic definition stated above. The language of the list is English. Keep postings less than 80 columns wide, and only use 7bit ASCII. If you are posting from a country/language which uses "special" characters, such as with umlauts or other diacritical marks, then please ensure that your mailer properly MIME wraps them. Most modern mailers will do this properly. Separate your new text from quoted material, and paragraphs from each other and other text by a blank line. Using changes in indentation, such as a leading TAB on the first line of a paragraph is not sufficient. MIME, HTML, RichText and similar are discouraged. This encludes "vcard" attachments from Netscape mail. Small MIME attachments, such as a graphic used to illustrate a point discussed in the text of a message are acceptable. The guiding rule is that the brunt of the value of a message must always be in the text, and that a message must be intelligable from its textual content alone. All quoted material must be attributed. For materials from other sources than the list, state the author and source. A reply to a post from the list must have at least the name of the original author if your mailer does not automatically prepend one. For example: ----------------------------------------- [Bubba] >On 4 Jan 98 at 22:20, Boffo wrote: >> Buffy wrote: >>> I just found a neat way of handling newbie guides >>> at >> >> Yes, that is neat! I particularly like the talking >> sword. > ...etc. ----------------------------------------- When quoting a log from a game, put at least two spaces at the start of each log line so that when it is quoted it does not become confused with other conversation text from the list: ----------------------------------------- I have a maze in my game: > look You are in a maze of twistly little passages, all alike. Isn't it neat? ----------------------------------------- Will be quoted as: ----------------------------------------- >I have a maze in my game: > > > look > You are in a maze of twistly little > passages, all alike. > >Isn't it neat? ----------------------------------------- Instead of: ----------------------------------------- >I have a maze in my game: > >> look >You are in a maze of twistly little >passages, all alike. > >Isn't it neat? ----------------------------------------- Use common sense when quoting. Include enough of the original message to make sense; no more or less. When quoting text from previous messages, indent each level of quote with a quotation character as shown above. Surrounding text with "this is a quote from" markers makes subsequent tracking of who wrote what in quotes of your message unecessarily difficult. Change the subject heading as the topic under discussion changes. Limit signatures to 4 lines or less. We hope that list members will observe these guidelines without need for intervention by the list owner. However, the list owner has final authority over the definition and enforcement of list policies, rules, and guidelines.

Note from the List Owner:

The list has a number of members who work professionally in the field. Their presence raises certain concerns for intellectual property, trade secrets, copyrights, etc for the list and for list postings. The below should give an overview of this area, what I expect of list members, commercially affiliated or otherwise, as well as the intended character of the list. As list owner I expect all list members to be responsible for what they post. The rules are obvious: If there is something your company or affiliations does not want publicised, then don't post it to the list. If you see one of your commercial or other partners post something to the list that shouldn't have been, then don't bring it up on the list -- take it to direct email. Raising such issues on the list will be used as an excuse for removing membership. Please do not use this as an alibi to start adding disclaimers to your posts. You are the members on this list, not your companies. If it isn't your opinion don't write it. If you are reporting someone else's opinion, state it as such. If a post is written as a representative of your company or affiliation, then identify it as such. Adding a signature which identifies your affiliation is not enough. That can be too easily automated and is not an explicit statement of representation. A leading paragraph identifying the source or representation placed above all the textual body including the attributions, will do (keep it short). Commercial grandstanding, advertisements, chest puffing, or other forms of promotion are not appreciated on the list and will be rewarded with removal of membership. The list is an expressly non-commercial venue. It is intended as an intelligent and free discussion by peers in the field, both hobbyist and professional. Membership of the list is not a right. You are here as my guests. This is a private list run as a personal contribution to the field. I trust the list's membership to behave accordingly. Posting to the list may be considered analagous to having a conversation in my living room using bull horns while the windows are open and everyone has tape recorders. There is no secrecy, or control of the dissemination of data once it is posted. And on a final note: Attempting to invalidate or discourage a discussion or avenue of investigation on the list because it strays too close to a commercial project's field or other such interest will be deemed an intentional personal insult and due cause for permanent removal from the list along with all associates. Thankyou. J C Lawrence, MUD-Dev list owner.

MUD-Dev Archives

To see the collection of prior postings to the list, visit the Archives.

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