Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MrWiggles]

General chat about mu*s.

Are you making one? Wanna know more? Exchange, knowledge, n shit, or something.

--and havens for cliques of socially inept mouthbreathers.

Well, that's an interesting insult!
I'll have to remember it.

The ones with hardcoded combat systems --

Though, I understand the theory of "softcoding", I really don't understand why you would want an entirely soft-coded combat system.

Also, I think this has started to leave the original topic...
Does anyone think there should be another topic for this, or will this one do?

Mushes, Muxes, and Moos do not have any pre coded combat system. If you want one, you have to make one. As for why softcode over hardcode. Hardcode, means you have cant do it within the game, so if you want to make adjustments, you have to give someone access to the server that the game is hosted, and poke around with the meaty goodness that is the game. As most games, have their owner and principal coder as different persons.

[tNok85]

I'm not socially inept - I can do fine in socially situations - I just prefer to avoid them. Is there room in Mu*s for an anti-social mouth breather, or must I be socially inept?


On a serious note, I didn't really find out about RP until after Mu*s were considered outdated, and most RP took place in graphical engines. I would like to know more though.

[Fayrik]

As most games, have their owner and principal coder as different persons.

Oh gosh, if only I had that privalidge! Hohoho!

I'm not socially inept - I can do fine in socially situations - I just prefer to avoid them. Is there room in Mu*s for an anti-social mouth breather, or must I be socially inept?

I think you have to be socially inept in order to spend all your day maxing out predefined statistics in an endless format.
Though, I'm sure you're free to give it a shot if you please.

On a serious note, I didn't really find out about RP until after Mu*s were considered outdated, and most RP took place in graphical engines. I would like to know more though.

Same here, as I'm sure I've said in another topic: I found out about roleplaying in forums. I then, subsiquently, moved on to World of Warcraft.
Then, I was in a magical position of having knowledge and frustration to then begin writing my own MU* engine.
It's about a year and a half since I started, now. Probably my best programming project to date!

[tNok85]

Same here, as I'm sure I've said in another topic: I found out about roleplaying in forums. I then, subsiquently, moved on to World of Warcraft.
Then, I was in a magical position of having knowledge and frustration to then begin writing my own MU* engine.
It's about a year and a half since I started, now. Probably my best programming project to date!

What language are they usually written in?

[Lord Dullard]

I should note that my somewhat deadpan comments about MU*s are the result of having played on them for years.

MU* flavors are each written in their own esoteric languages, most of which are like very gimped, dumbed-down real coding languages. Learning one will not provide you with a working knowledge of others, although some of the flavors are strikingly similar and close enough for you to effectively learn both at once (MUSH and MUX, for example).

MUX and MUSH are mostly for more social games*.

MUCK is mostly for... well, I try to stay away from MUCKs.**

MUDs and other flavors tend to be more combat/mechanical-oriented***.

* - This is a general trend, not a rule.
** - They are full of furries and Japanophiles.
*** - This is a general trend, not a rule.

The best way to go about finding a game that suits your needs is to decide which you are more interested in: writing and roleplaying a story, or playing a more mechanically-oriented game. The various flavors, RP systems, and individual MU*s will contain fluctuating levels of story-driven roleplay and mechanically-driven combat. Some are purely one or the other, some are a balance of both, some are heavily focused on both (WoD or Shadowrun games, for example).

[Fayrik]

Same here, as I'm sure I've said in another topic: I found out about roleplaying in forums. I then, subsiquently, moved on to World of Warcraft.
Then, I was in a magical position of having knowledge and frustration to then begin writing my own MU* engine.
It's about a year and a half since I started, now. Probably my best programming project to date!

What language are they usually written in?

This has me confused a little bit!
The best answer I can come up with is that I use C# to program my MU*. If that's not the answer you where looking for then please ask me again, and I'll try giving you a better answer in light of new context!

MUCK is mostly for... well, I try to stay away from MUCKs.**

Mostly? Regardless of what a MUCK is mostly for, would you care to expand on the technical spesification of a MUCK?

[Lord Dullard]

Sure. It's a MU* variant with a primary language (MUF) which uses a code stack, and another secondary language which I think was called MSI or somesuch which is nested. It's notoriously easy to write server-crashing infinite loops in MUF. It's been a long time since I delved very far into either MUF or MSI, though. MUCKs come with a set of code functions which are more well-suited to social interaction than detailed game mechanics. Which is not to say that you couldn't use one for detailed game mechanics, if you had a mind to do so (and I've seen it done).

[Sowelu]

MUCK has MUF and MPI.

Writing and using a MUF program looks kind of like this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

] @program teleport.muf
] i
> Inserting code at line 1.

: main
  stod
  dup not if
    me @ "Incorrect location specified." notify pop
  else
    dup owner
    me @ dup rot = if
      dup "Teleporting..." notify swap moveto
    else
      swap pop "You don't own that location!" notify
    then
  then
;

] c
> Compiling...
] q
] @create Wand of Teleportation
] @action jump=wand
] @link jump=teleport.muf
] jump #12345
> Teleporting...

Writing and using MPI looks kinda like this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

@desc me=She is wearing {exec:clothes/{prop:outfit}} today.  She is {exec:height} tall.
@set me=outfit:normal
@set me=clothes/normal:a {exec:clothingcolor} shirt
@set me=clothingcolor:red
@set me=inches:64
@set me=height:{div:{exec:inches},12}'{mod:{exec:inches},12}"
] look me
> She is wearing a red shirt today.  She is 5'4" tall.
@action changecolor=me
@set changecolor=h
@lock changecolor=$nothing
@fail changecolor={store:&arg,clothingcolor,me}
] changecolor blue
] look me
> She is wearing a blue shirt today.  She is 5'4" tall.

MUSHcode is an awful lot like MPI except that it uses different parentheses.  Like, instead of
@set me=height:{div:{exec:inches},12}'{mod:{exec:inches},12}"
you'll have
&height me=[div(get(inches),12)]'[mod(get(inches),12)]"

I've seen people write elaborate space sims in MUF, where you have a massive ship made up of several rooms, you can navigate it around massive regions of space that are created and destroyed in the database as you move through it, where you can pick up and haul cargo etc.  I've also seen people write very simple competitive games, like sparring or darts or something, in MPI.  Really the only limit is how creative you are, and how long of statements you're willing to write (yay ten lines of code stored in one variable).  That and how high the server lets your stack grow...

Anyway I used to be a guru-level MUF author and I'm probably still one of the better security experts, though I haven't done much with that in a long time.  Yeah I left a little security hole in that teleport program but it's not a big one, just a fun one, and besides you'd need to set it M2 and L for anyone to abuse it...

[Sowelu]

And apologies for the doublepost, but if anyone wants me to hop on somewhere and help introduce them / help them with MUSH or MUCK code, or with building in general, I'd be happy to help.  I've been getting way out of practice, and I think I've finally gotten over my insane burnout from being the head coder of Yimu.  The next person who asks me to be head coder gets set on fire.

Hell, even just building (not coding) is fun and easy.  On both MUSH and MUCK, these commands are the same:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

@dig Forest
> Room created with dbref #12345.
@tel #12345
@desc here=You are in a shaded wood.  Light filters through the leaves and makes sun-dappled patterns on the ground.  You hear babbling water to the west.
@dig Stream
> Room created with dbref #23456
@open West;w=#23456
@desc w=There's a stream that way.
@succ w=You approach the stream.
@osucc w=goes west to the stream.
@odrop w=enters from the forest to the east.
w
> You approach the stream.
@desc here=You're standing at the edge of a babbling stream.  Small pebbles line the streambed.
@open East;e=#12345
@desc e=There's a forest that way.
@succ e=You enter the forest.
@osucc e=enters the forest to the east.
@odrop e=arrives from the stream to the west.

Congratulations, you've just built an area.

I've seen people recreate the Zork games on a MUSH, complete with all the game-ish logic and everything.

EDIT:  Wow.  I didn't realize it at the time, but all of a sudden I'm all "Oh please god let me code something for you".

I'm currently programming at work, working on 'droid apps at home, and have a couple other projects going too including a MPI one that I plan to expand into MUF as well.  I think I have a coding problem.

[MrWiggles]

I know PennMush, is mostly written in C++, Rhost I think is C++. Pennmush Softcode is something like Lua, with a few other things in there.

-------
Heh, you are a wii bit behind Sowelu.

Its now somewhat simpler! Or less command ensuing.

@dig Forest=West;W,East;E;out;o
The other commands are more or less the same, but parents save you a lot of time.

At least for Penn and Tiny.

As most games, have their owner and principal coder as different persons.

Oh gosh, if only I had that privalidge! Hohoho!

On Navitas, I am one of the programmers, but principal designer. My head coder is someone at met and psedo stole away from Avatar Mush.

Softcoding is pretty easy, and digging rooms introduces you to several iterative concepts in softcoding.

In a few months if you try at it steadily you'll be producing stuff like...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

UFUN-WHOWHEREDISPLAY [#3]:

Code: [Select]

muname()[space(46)][header(Activity Log)]%R[border(26)]%R[lalign([xget(#234,DAT-WHOWHEREALIGN)],[header(Name Zone Room Idle Conn)])]%R[setQ(z,[unique(sort([iter([lwho(%#)],zone(loc(%i0)),,%B)]))])][setQ(l,[iter(%Qz,sort(zwho(%i0),loc),,%b)])][iter(%QL,align([xget(#234,DAT-WHOWHEREALIGN)],[ansi([switch(lflags(%i0),*wizard*,hy,*roy*,c,*builder*,m,*NPC*,r,hw)],name(%i0))][if(orlflags(%i0,wizard royalty),%B%i0)],[setq(z,zone([loc(%i0)]))][switch(%Qz,-1#*,[ansi(hx,Twilight)],[ansi([xget(%Qz,dat-zonecolor)],[name(%Qz)])])][if(orlflags(%i0,wizard royalty builder),%B%Qz)],[ansi([xget(loc(%i0),dat-namecolor)],[name(loc(%i0))])][if(orlflags(%i0,wizard royalty builder),%B[loc(%i0)])],[switch([idle(%i0)],<60,etimefmt($2Ss,#$),<3600,etimefmt($2mM $2ss,#$),<86400,etimefmt($2hHr $2mm,#$),etimefmt($2dD $2hHr,#$))],[switch([Conn(%i0)],<60,etimefmt($2Ss,#$),<3600,etimefmt($2mM $2ss,#$),<86400,etimefmt($2hHr $2mm,#$),etimefmt($2dD $2hHr,#$))]),,%R)]%R[border(26)]%r[ansi(b,\\[ansi(hy,Wizard)]%B[ansi(c,Royalty)]%B[ansi(m,Builder)]%B[ansi(r,NPC)]/)][rjust(Total Connected\:%B[nwho()][setq(0,nwho())][space(3)][if(gt(%q0,[xget(#234,dat-conrecord)]),[attrib_Set(#234/dat-corecord,%q0)]Record\:%B[xget(#234,dat-conrecord)],Record\:%B[xget(#234,dat-conrecord)])],50)]
And that will give an end product like this:

[Fayrik]

EDIT:  Wow.  I didn't realize it at the time, but all of a sudden I'm all "Oh please god let me code something for you".

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone here's running a MUCK...

I'm currently programming at work, working on 'droid apps at home, and have a couple other projects going too including a MPI one that I plan to expand into MUF as well.  I think I have a coding problem.

That sure does sound like a lot of programming!

Hell, even just building (not coding) is fun and easy.  On both MUSH and MUCK, these commands are the same:
<Example>

Heh, my building system was created to be quite similar to that, but a bit more direct.

Code: [Select]

@dig Stream
> Room created with dbref #23456
@tel #23456
@desc here=You're standing at the edge of a babbling stream.  Small pebbles line the streambed.
@open West;w=#23456
Becomes:

Code: [Select]

#dig [Stream] [10] [The Forest] [You're standing at the edge of a babbling stream.  Small pebbles line the streambed.]
#link [Stream] [Forest Opening] [The Forest] [West]
The only down side to this is that direct linking works in a cube-based system, which will only allow a maximum of 6 exits per room.
Of course, it's not totally limited to just 6 exits per room, but I strongly encourage use of links over "portals" (undirected exits), as links are saved as part of the room and not arbitary information, which speeds load times...
Another plus side is that it simplifies mapping since you can draw map diagrams in grids.

[MrWiggles]

In Penn, Exits, are their own objects, which teleport you to other rooms. You can pick them up and move to other rooms, and you can set variable exits. Unlinked exits, just give the fail message if set.
----
So whats yer Mu* about, Fayrik?

[Fayrik]

So whats yer Mu* about, Fayrik?

Oh darn.
I was hoping to give it it's own thread when I'd guaged roughly how suitable the people here are, how much interest there is, and once the system was a little bit more ready, since, akin to DF, it's also only 1/3rd done.

Anyhows, I won't not answer the question for the possibility of a little bit of suspence.
It's an entirely independant system, since I hated the idea of working with a limited soft-language, and other people's code wasn't really that clear for the first steps, so I've been working from the ground up on a system called Mélange... The name comes from the literal meaning, to mean "mixture". It's not a Dune reference or anything.
The server (instance, really) I'm running is codenamed "Midnight Sun". In many ways, that would be considered the name of the MU*, but I'm planing to "brand" it along side my already existing website that I'm side-by-side developing.
As for the story.. It's set in a realm, entirely populated by Dragons...
However, the "Aura Dragons" have designed a magikal portalling device that brings "hero"s from all over the.. *gulp* multi-verse.
So, it's a kinda lame story, sure. But it's there to allow people to introduce their own lore, since I often find that most people who want to join already have characters, so forcing them to re-write or even re-create characters for a new story can drain from the original theme of the character.

Urgh, this is starting to sound more like an advertisement, sorry.

As for the doors, I personally prefer the fact you can't just come along and steal a door...Well, okay, that's exagurating. But, I programmed it from the ground up, so the movement system had to come before the.. Still pending... Item system.

[Sergius]

I've dabbled a bit, tried a few engines (drivers), I really like the ones that are softcoded more, but what I hate is that there is little code shared around, so they end up an empty shell that very few people have managed to turn into fully functional MUDs (such as HellMOO, which while I don't like much, manages to have a functional combat).

But from all the drivers I've read about and used, the best one is definitely DGD. Go DGD! DGD I love U.

Seriously. But, like most others, finding a good soft code that works is not easy. There is one that pretty much mimicks old MUDs (bad coding and all) but isn't recommended, and another that they say is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but doesn't work because it's too incomplete n stuff.

Anyway, dgdddddddd!

Also, it's free for free use, it's also free for commercial use (unless you modify the driver itself). Since you don't need to modify the driver at all since everything is softcoded, you pretty much have freedom to use it as you want for whatever project you want. Etc.

http://dgdhub.org

[MrWiggles]

Softcoders, aren't really known for sharing their code.

Its an oddity, but they're willing to share it among friends though, to a certain degree. Like, I'm willing to share, my who/where code, (Which I'm quite proud of. The one post above, is one of the more complicated ones, that I made.) and parents, other things, not so much. Like, the Shonen RP Deponent Action System, that I'm going to be using on my place, and try to get Bleach: The Beginning to start using, I consider to be preparatory program and code.

There are few places where you can get help with coding, or get spare code hanging around. Brazilian Mux, is a go to place for Mux help and code. Pennmush M*U*S*H, is also a a good place go to to get help. Rhost devver mu* should be likewise, a place to go get help, just like the other Devver mu*s listed here.
--
Truthfully, its not hard to learn, or get help with learning if you ask correctly and nicely.