May 1998
- OT: CGDC Adam Wiggins
- OT: CGDC Mike Sellers
- There can be.. only ONE! (fwd) Ling
- There can be.. only ONE! (fwd) Matt Chatterley
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma Jon A. Lambert
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma Chris Gray
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma Adam Wiggins
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma J C Lawrence
- (fwd) AD: [custom graphical] whitestar Crossfi Jon A. Lambert
On 29 Apr 98 at 16:51, J C Lawrence wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Apr 1998 14:03:48 -0500 (CDT)
> Cat <cat@bga.com> wrote:
>
> > Consider my alternative tool, Microsoft Visual C++ - which I did, in
> > fact, choose. Had I even considered the alternative of doing a
> > non-web based Java app, as Crossfire did, rather than a Windows-only
> > .exe file, I'd be looking at a simple tradeoff. The majority of my
> > potential Windows users, the ones who do not happen to already have
> > the Java runtime environment installed, would have to go through
> > extra download time, and extra setup time. Some of them would still
> > try the game anyway, others would decide it's too much hassle to
> > bother with. So I lose that number of potential users. In
> > exchange, I gain some percentage of the users of other platforms
> > that Java runs on - most (but not all) of the non-Windows-based
> > computers out there. It's a simple question of numbers. Is the
> > number gained larger than the number lost, or smaller?
>
> I should probably note up front that your choice lost me as a
> potential customer. I have only one system out of the half dozen plus
> at home that is physically capable of running Windows (Windows doesn't
> run on Alpha's, PA RISC's etc), plus the minor fact that I refuse to
> own or use any MS products of any flavour. <shrug> Then again, my
> computing habits don't fall into any of the more commercially
> desirable mass-market demographics.
>
I would say that is definitely true of most of us. Anyone who delves
deeply into the waters of programming is bound to have tastes,
preferences, needs, and strong opinions that differ radically from the
mainstream market. I certainly understand your position on using MS
products either on technical grounds or on philosophical principles.
It doesn't necessarily matter which apply. Personally, I have different
positions depending on the various products based on technical grounds.
OTOH, In the current political atmosphere and discussions, my position
generally could best be stated as Anti-Anti-MS (and I hope the subtleties
of this not necessarily being Pro-MS are not lost here). But enough of
that. ;)
> Several points spring to mind (none with answers):
>
> You are assuming that the largest possible candidate player base is
> the (or a) driving design metric. It is especially suspect in a
> hobbiest field where the reasons driving development are typically
> much more personal and often ego/fad/genital-size/religious-crusade
> based.
>
This may be true of server authors/programmers but I don't think it's
true of game players regardless of scale. I see game players as being
largely platform atheistic. Even in a very small pie-slice of game
players you will find the Win/Mac ratios to hold steady. Still,
regarding muds, the university target audience is still strong, but the
platforms are changing.
[snip]
> This hobby horse BTW can also be viewed as a direct parallel to the
> standard OS/platform/OpenSource religions. XShipWars for instance is
> developing under X due to their personal Linux affiliations, but also
> working hard to maintain a parallel Windows port (currently likely to
> run under a freeware X server under Windows).
Nod. You can make a statement, while still being practical. And of
course they are equally free to be udderly impractical. ;)
> You are also assuming that the short term gain is being valued over
> the long term, and that the long term market state is assumed to be a
> linear extension of the current market state. I know of several
> projects under current deevlopment which are banking on the
> technologies required to run them reaching the marketplace by the time
> the product is finished (they don't exist now). Admittedly, none of
> them are games, but two of them are mass-market products. There also
> those who are banking that the current market balance will alter
> drastically by the time they hit relase, be it the collapse from
> dominance of Windows, the ascendancy of Java (and home JavaTV
> clients), or some other such.
>
I think he's made a very safe assumption. I do not foresee the
"collapse" of the Win platform anytime soon in foreseeable future. Not
in the home market. Sure in the business/commercial market it's
certainly possible. And yes, WebTV and JavaTV could have a very profound
impact looking more than 5 years down the road. But it's also a
conservative bet that a great deal of inter-operability will be
demanded by the consumer and software authors.
> > So I can gain some portion of the "paltry few percent" by using Java
> > instead, and lose some portion of the "90 percent plus" majority.
> > This can only be worthwhile if the percentage of Windows users lost
> > is pretty small. But in fact, I'd be willing to hazard a guess that
> > you'd lose more than half of the people that would have otherwise
> > tried out the game. The number one problem with computer games has
> > always been that they're too hard to set up. Putting two extra
> > steps in the setup process (download the Java VM, install the Java
> > VM) is one of the worst things you could do.
>
> If your target market is defined around "anything which has a fast
> enough computer", then yes, this works. If instead you intend to
> define a narrower and more exclusive target market ("we want the
> geeks!" or whatever), then these various barriers to entry can
> causally act as selection criteria for your public.
>
Sure. Geeks may be a target audience, but do geeks really have any
common interests in the types of game they play? Do you want to target a
game at geeks who role-play, geeks who like hack-n-slash, geeks who play
chess or geeks who wargame?
I don't particularly think geeks have very much in common. Just look at
the loose confederation on this list. ;)
In fact I want Greeks not Geeks. <snicker>
It's not that I don't favor intelligence tests for entry. It's just
that I don't think "computer literacy" tests are at all appropriate and
relevant for my type of game. If I were to conduct a test to exclude
players, it would likely be centered on reading comprehension and
creative writing rather than on installation of the client software.
As always, YMMV. :)
--
--/*\ Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD Internet:jlsysinc@ix.netcom.com /*\--
--/*\ Mud Server Developer's Page <http://www.netcom.com/~jlsysinc> /*\--
--/*\ "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato /*\--
--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future. - LIST: The "MUD-DEV" MUD Development mailing list J C Lawrence
- Wired, UO, Mike Sellers
- Wired, UO, John Bertoglio
- Wired, UO, and Internet Gaming (was OT: Dr. Cat
- Wired, UO, and Internet Gaming (was OT: Koster, Raph
- Wired, UO, and Internet Gaming (was OT: J C Lawrence
- Wired, UO, and Internet Gaming (was OT: John Bertoglio
- OT: Supporting articles found for UOL play style Jon A. Lambert
- PK's: A solution? J C Lawrence
- Preview of Asheron's Call J C Lawrence
- Asheron's Call Interview with Toby Ragaini, Lead Designer, and Jon Grande, Product Planner. J C Lawrence
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources Adam Wiggins
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources Dan Shiovitz
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources Adam Wiggins
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources J C Lawrence
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources Koster, Raph
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources J C Lawrence
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources John Bertoglio
- Character maintinence - expenditure of resources J C Lawrence
- Motivations for Creating Mud-Like Worllds and Servers | John Bertoglio
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail J C Lawrence
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail John Bertoglio
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail Matt Chatterley
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail J C Lawrence
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- FW: (Fwd) Bouncing mail J C Lawrence
- Character development [was ] Koster, Raph
- Motivations for Creating Mud-Like Worlds and Servers Holly Sommer
- META -- membership Jay Sax
- META -- membership Koster, Raph
- META -- membership J C Lawrence
- Motivations (was something else...) s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- Motivations (was something else...) Richard Woolcock
- client UI written in server's language (was Some thoughts...) Erik Ostrom
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma J C Lawrence
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma Travis S. Casey
- Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma J C Lawrence
- META: Character of the list's membership J C Lawrence
- quickie CGDC report Mike Sellers
- quickie CGDC report Adam Wiggins
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately J C Lawrence
- Some essays I've written lately Koster, Raph
- Some essays I've written lately J C Lawrence
- Some essays I've written lately J C Lawrence
- Frandel 3D (fwd) Holly Sommer
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Raph Koster
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Koster, Raph
- MURKLE: Wot it is Dr. Cat
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Shawn Halpenny
- MURKLE: Wot it is Mike Sellers
- MURKLE: Wot it is Nathan F Yospe
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Chris Gray
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Chris Gray
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Ling
- MURKLE: Wot it is Oliver Jowett
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Ling
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is Ling
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- MURKLE: Wot it is jacob langthorn
- MURKLE: Wot it is Jon A. Lambert
- MURKLE: Wot it is J C Lawrence
- We're Tiny, we're Toonie, we're all a little Loonie! Ling
- META: Search features of the MUD-Dev archive J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Adam Wiggins
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary Holly Sommer
- CGDC, a summary Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Chris Gray
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Marian Griffith
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Mike Sellers
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Chris Gray
- CGDC, a summary Travis S. Casey
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary Adam Wiggins
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary Chris Gray
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary John Bertoglio
- CGDC, a summary s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- CGDC, a summary John Bertoglio
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary John Bertoglio
- CGDC, a summary Koster, Raph
- CGDC, a summary Joel Kelso
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Marian Griffith
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Marian Griffith
- CGDC, a summary Jon A. Lambert
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary J C Lawrence
- CGDC, a summary Adam Wiggins
- CGDC, a summary Jon A. Lambert
- CGDC, a summary Orion Henry
- MUD mentation system Matthew R. Sheahan
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Ben Greear
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. John Bertoglio
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Ben Greear
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Dan Shiovitz
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Ben Greear
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Adam Wiggins
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Vadim Tkachenko
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Richard Woolcock
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Ben Greear
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. Dan Shiovitz
- How to handle log-outs in a totally dynamic world. J C Lawrence
- On tanks... J C Lawrence
- On tanks... Ling
- More on LetsSystems J C Lawrence
- Attributes: Sanity Holly Sommer
- Attributes: Sanity Travis S. Casey
- Attributes: Sanity Holly Sommer
- Attributes: Sanity Holly Sommer
- Attributes: Sanity Adam Wiggins
- Attributes: Sanity Travis S. Casey
- Attributes: Sanity Holly Sommer
- Attributes: Sanity Holly Sommer
- mudschools Marian Griffith
- mudschools Matt Chatterley
- Mudschool Ling
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator John Bertoglio
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator John Bertoglio
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator Holly Sommer
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator John Bertoglio
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator Vadim Tkachenko
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator John Bertoglio
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator J C Lawrence
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator Vadim Tkachenko
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator John Bertoglio
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator Robert Woods
- Leaving characters in play Joel Kelso
- Leaving characters in play Ben Greear
- Leaving characters in play John Bertoglio
- Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Leaving characters in play J C Lawrence
- Leaving characters in play John Bertoglio
- Leaving characters in play Travis S. Casey
- Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Leaving characters in play John Bertoglio
- Leaving characters in play J C Lawrence
- Leaving characters in play J C Lawrence
- Leaving characters in play Travis S. Casey
- Leaving characters in play J C Lawrence
- Leaving characters in play D. B. Brown
- Leaving characters in play Travis S. Casey
- Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Leaving characters in play Jon A. Lambert
- Leaving characters in play s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- Leaving characters in play Ben Greear
- Request "unsubscribe calvin@orinconhi.com mud-dev" Petidomo Mailing List Server
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) Shawn Halpenny
- Is There a There in Cyberspace? J C Lawrence
- Is There a There in Cyberspace? Jon A. Lambert
- Is There a There in Cyberspace? J C Lawrence
- [OT] Web Pages Jon A. Lambert
- AR Mining System John Bertoglio
- AR Mining System Oliver Jowett
- AR Mining System John Bertoglio
- mudschools Mike Sellers
- Using HTML for a Mud character generator Travis S. Casey
- Character creation, was: Mudschool Richard Woolcock
- Character creation, was: Mudschool Jon A. Lambert
- Onchat -- Java based chat room. J C Lawrence
- A short introduction of a (quite) long-time lurker Per Vognsen
- [MUD-Dev]World Size and The "Hot House" Factor Was PK and my "Mobless MUD" idea John Bertoglio
- mudschools jacob langthorn
- world concept jacob langthorn
- world concept Jo Dillon
- world concept J C Lawrence
- world concept Holly Sommer
- world concept jacob langthorn
- OT: Java multithreading performance Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading performance Ben Greear
- OT: Java multithreading performance Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading performance Chris Gray
- OT: Java multithreading performance Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading performance Chris Gray
- OT: Java multithreading performance Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading performance Chris Gray
- OT: Java multithreading performance Ben Greear
- OT: Java multithreading performance Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading performance Chris Gray
- OT: Java multithreading performance Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading performance J C Lawrence
- META: Lost messages J C Lawrence
- Titanic's demise (was MURKLE: Wot it is) Mike Sellers
- Titanic's demise (was MURKLE: Wot it is) Koster, Raph
- mudschools jacob langthorn
- mudschools Marian Griffith
- mudschools Mike Sellers
- mudschools Marian Griffith
- mudschools Robert Woods
- mudschools Mike Sellers
- mudschools Robert Woods
- mudschools Robert Woods
- mudschools Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Schools Adam Casbarian
- MUD Schools Chris Lloyd
- MUD Schools Jon Lambert
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Orion Henry
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Oliver Jowett
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Orion Henry
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Oliver Jowett
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play D. B. Brown
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Orion Henry
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play J C Lawrence
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Orion Henry
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Travis S. Casey
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Travis S. Casey
- Combat Was Leaving characters in play Adam Wiggins
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams J C Lawrence
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams T. Alexander Popiel
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams J C Lawrence
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams John Bertoglio
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams John Bertoglio
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Ada ms Koster, Raph
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By ErnestAdam s Koster, Raph
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Ada ms J C Lawrence
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams J C Lawrence
- Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! -- By Ernest Adams John Bertoglio
- Java multithreading test source Vadim Tkachenko
- Java multithreading test source J C Lawrence
- Java multithreading test source Vadim Tkachenko
- Java multithreading test source Ben Greear
- Java multithreading test source Vadim Tkachenko
- Java multithreading test source Chris Gray
- Mud Tales John Bertoglio
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Ling
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Ling
- Nested coorindate space model Michael Hohensee
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Michael Hohensee
- Nested coorindate space model Jason Goodwin
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Michael Hohensee
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Benjamin D. Wiechel
- Nested coorindate space model J C Lawrence
- Nested coorindate space model Michael Hohensee
- Now For Something Completely Different: PK with style John Bertoglio
- Sex in Games -- ya gotta, um, yeah J C Lawrence
- Combat in the Abandoned Realms John Bertoglio
- A Metaphysics System s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- META: New list features J C Lawrence
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Mike Sellers
- OT: Java multithreading test source Ben Greear
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Ben Greear
- OT: Java multithreading test source John Bertoglio
- OT: Java multithreading test source Vadim Tkachenko
- OT: Java multithreading test source Jon A. Lambert
- OT: Java multithreading test source Ben Greear
- Plug: Got my java client to work using the java-plugin. Ben Greear
- UO's rep system, was: CGDC Koster, Raph
- UO's rep system, was: CGDC J C Lawrence
- BIAP Chat/Chat Pro (fwd) Nathan F Yospe
- BIAP Chat/Chat Pro (fwd) Holly Sommer
- Tutorial for Multi-User Environments Niklas Elmqvist
- Tutorial for Multi-User Environments Niklas Elmqvist
- skill system Andrew C.M. McClintock
- skill system Jo Dillon
- skill system Andrew C.M. McClintock
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Marian Griffith
- skill system J C Lawrence
- skill system Jon A. Lambert
- skill system John Bertoglio
- skill system J C Lawrence
- skill system s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Katrina McClelan
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system Koster, Raph
- skill system John Bertoglio
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Mike Sellers
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system Katrina McClelan
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system Katrina McClelan
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Dan Shiovitz
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system Adam Wiggins
- skill system Richard Woolcock
- skill system J C Lawrence
- skill system s001gmu@nova.wright.edu
- skill system J C Lawrence
- skill system John Bertoglio