MXP/Extending MUD Technologies (Was Re: [MUD-Dev] Object Representations?)

[Nathan Clemons]

On Tue, 22 Aug 2000, Patrick Dughi wrote:

> On Tue, 22 Aug 2000, Lazarus wrote:
>
> > May I suggest you take a look at MXP?  Zugg has created a Mud eXtenson
> > Protocol to allow you to indicate specific parts of text of interest as well
> > as provide multi-media objects.  Docs can probably be found at
> > http://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/mxp.htm
> 
> 	Ack. I would most certainly _not_ look at MXP.
> 
> 	I won't list the old arguments, but I'll point you at two posts on
> the circlemud mailing list; 
> 
> http://post.queensu.ca/cgi-bin/listserv/wa?A2=ind0007&L=circle&P=R7969
> 
> and my reply to a holdout who 'didn't get it'
> 
> http://post.queensu.ca/cgi-bin/listserv/wa?A2=ind0007&L=circle&P=R28378
> 
> 				PjD

A "holdout" who happens to still be interested in technologies of this
nature. :)

It's still my feeling, that with care:

* HTML-like styles make it easy for server-side developers and clients to
understand. Perhaps something more XML-ish is in order, but I wouldn't
know. Never played with the stuff. Something along this line is also
easier for the clients to develop and render to the viewer/player.

* The ability to display images is going to become a very big "plus" in
creating an ambiance or environment.

* Security is a matter of degree. I wouldn't allow people to pass HTML
tags to my CGIs in most circumstances, nor would I allow players to pass
MXP tags to the MUD, in most circumstances. The amount that the client has
to "trust" the server, IMHO, is extremely limited.

Maybe MXP isn't the right technology for expanding the technical
capabilites of the current text-bound (IMHO, read: moribund) flavor of MUD
codebases currently extant.

What other technologies are there? Still open to suggestion. :)

--
Nathan P. Clemons                       "Peace favor your code."
nathan at windsofstorm.net                 ICQ: 2810688
(v) 401.725.6061			(f) 603.372.9737




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