Member Discussions

In an effort to be more "Builder Friendly", we just installed OLC (taken from QuickMUD). Since we've never used OLC ourselves, we're not quite sure what to do next. We'd like to find a coder with some spare time who has been through the process of improving the Isles code to a usable state.

If you don't have the time, I certainly can handle the coding, but need some help with where to start and advice on how to avoid the usual "gotchas".

You can reach me by filling in the blanks below or note me (Ana) on the game (see .sig).

sandif townisp com


PS: No mob_progs needed.

Wow, that's hmm, shocking. Your mud's been around for quite a while and I'd quite honestly have never guessed all your zones were edited manually via the shell up until now.

Weird, can anyone else not see Keriwena's sig in tht post?

Also are you not using progs, or do you have your own?

The sig never shows for the OP until they post a 2nd time for some reason.

Well, that is weird. Thanks, Fizzy.


Idealiad, it's likely my MUSH background, but OLC and mobprogs have always seemed very limiting to me. So, we have always used Nick's Area Editor and I simply write 'specials' for mob actions.

Ahh, okay so you did use 'a' program, just not one integrated into the MUD. Not nearly as odd then, I was thinking up till now you had hand-written all of the zones, which seemed to me to be the odd part as it'd risk crashes from small typos.

That's an odd thought. Do you get crashes from typos in OLC?

No, I meant crashes from typos while hand-editing the files via vim or pico. Before you mentioned Nick's Area Editor that was what I had thought you were doing before making OLC.

You don't really risk crashes, as a file with typos in the structure won't load.

From the /docs:

Merc takes only a few seconds to load, however, so it's quite practical to use the whole server as a syntax checker.

> So, we have always used Nick's Area Editor and
> I simply write 'specials' for mob actions.

Are you planning to still write specials for builders? That doesn't really follow from making building easier by adding OLC.

Well, I was planning that, yes. At least, for my own game.

I put in OLC mainly because we want to publicly release the DeepMUD codebase. I'm having trouble getting it working because I don't know what it's supposed to do. :)

There's a lot of stuff in ROM I don't use myself, but I left it in DeepMUD because I realised others might want it (like the "trust" system). OLC is obviously on everyone's wish list. Are you saying I should include mobprogs, as well?

I'd say most people do indeed prefer some sort of scripting. Mobprogs are hardly ideal, but they're a lot easier to add to a rom based mud than something like DG Scripts would be (though they'd be a lot more ideal to most people I'd imagine).

I put in OLC mainly because we want to publicly release the DeepMUD codebase.

The one great revelation i have had in the last year is if you won't use the code, cut it out. If you guys do not actually use olc and progs, why put them in. The one thing i like about downloading a codebase is that you get to see the thought processes the developers have had in designing the game.

I was sort of shocked that you did not use progs or olc, but you certainly have a work flow and method that works well for you guys, why complicate it with things you dont use, like olc and progs.

IMO you should release the code as you use it and show the world that there is more than one way to skin a cat and that you can make a good game without progs and olc. If someone likes your base and decides to use it, then they can add it if they have need.

Just my thoughts.

A release with and a release without OLC/progs might be something to consider.

Thanks for the thoughts, Fury. I tend to agree, but since I've been warping this thing far away from ROM for almost ten years now, I figured it only polite to install the OLC myself. People have a heck of a time putting it in stock ROM, and it was meant for that.


I'm considering that, Hades, and I might release it without any OLC as well. Then again, I have found someone to help, and I might just go whole hog and redo the area files to my own specs. Thing is, I've always thought a bonus of ROM was all the free areas. Of course, that was back a while, and now everyone wants only new areas.

Am emulation of a release with ROM OLC, at least. It's intuitive and simple to use.