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3:09 pm
January 5, 2010
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spelk
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The most graphical MUD I've experienced, that can use any MUD Client, is Medievia. It has a full representation of a map, but including the usual descriptions etc, including a world map. So it plays like a MUD layered upon an almost "roguelike interface". Basically you have an automapper built in to every page/room and you reveal/explore the world cutting through the 'fog of war' as you move.
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12:54 am
January 7, 2010
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KaVir
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Many muds have ASCII maps and the like, but that doesn't make them graphical games. It's primarily the client that differentiates a graphical mud from a text one anyway, so by its very nature a graphical mud can't just use "any" mud client.
You might want to check out the new Maiden Desmodus client though. Although I still wouldn't consider Maiden Desmodus a graphical game, their new client does a good job of introducing graphical elements. I've seen people create some pretty nice graphical plugins for MUSHclient as well.
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1:31 am
January 7, 2010
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Orrin
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Following on from what KaVir said, some other MUDs I know that use graphical elements in their clients are Aardwolf (with custom MUSHclient plugins), Batmud and Sharune. Archons of Avenshar has a very nice client too, but given that you can't play the game without it it's not a fair comparison IMO (you might as well say WoW has a nice client). IRE also have both Flash and Java clients with graphical elements.
My philosophy with the Maiden Desmodus client was very much to let the text do the talking as it were, so while there are graphical elements such as buttons, guages, icons and a map, it's still very much a text game. Each element is there to enhance the gameplay rather than simply to make the client look pretty; there are no fancy backgrounds or borders for example. This philosophy goes beyond the graphical elements to things like MXP for mouse control, sound effects, and even to the choice of Verdana as the default font.
My goal was to provide something that was more accessible and user friendly than a terminal window, but that didn't try to hide the fact it was a text game, while still retaining compatibility with existing clients.
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8:20 am
January 7, 2010
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spelk
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Post edited 7:21 am – January 7, 2010 by spelk
I think my use of the term 'graphical' may have been wrong there, and I have perhaps mis-categorise this post, I do apologise. I was really only trying to emphasise that some MUD's are giving their players 'visual aids' when it comes to the mental mapping of the environment they are gaming in. I agree with Orrin in that these aids are more to take some "strain" off the player and allow them to soak in the more descriptive elements of the game.
I find the bother of having to map out with pen and paper, or try and coax an auto-mapper of some sort to capture output and build a visual aid for my navigation detracts from the real beauty of these games which is about having the book-like descriptions come to life within the players imagination.
Thank you for making me aware of Maiden Desmodus, I wasn't aware of that one, or some of the others mentioned, I will be sure to check them out.
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11:08 am
January 7, 2010
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KaVir
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Well as I said before, there are many muds that offer visual aids such as ASCII maps – such features are pretty old hat these days, having been available as public snippets for many years.
Personally I'm more interested in seeing custom/ised clients that introduce true graphics (such as those mentioned earlier), as well as muds that provide alternative aids for visually impaired players, many of whom rely on screen readers (and therefore cannot view ASCII maps). The latter group, in particular, are an audience that won't be lured away by graphical muds such as EverQuest and WoW, so I think it makes a lot of sense to make text muds more accessable to such players. But that's really getting a bit off-topic for this board.
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