55 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
55 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
What is wMUD?
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=============
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wMUD is a MUD code base. It is written from scratch, using GLib and CURL.
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Although it is just another MUD code base, I tried to add unique features, and
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also tried to make it as flexible as possible.
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What are the key features?
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==========================
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wMUD stores everything in an SQLite3 database, and everything really means
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everything. The whole world is dynamic, and most of it can be defined without
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touching the code itself. Possible directions, areas, rooms, items, mobs,
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races, classes and all important apects of the world are in the database
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backend, and as such, can be reloaded runtime without stopping the MUD.
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wMUD is modular. Except the basic commands, everything is loaded via dynamic
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modules (well, on systems which support it). This again helps flexibility, as
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commands, spells, and many more can be loaded or unloaded runtime. This, of
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cource can sometimes cause funny things in game play (characters disappearing
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because of unloaded race), but everything can be explained with a good story.
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Or, if you are not creative enough, you can simply disable this functionality.
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wMUD is a threaded application using GLib's GThread functionality. All tasks
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are done by separate threads, so the game can run as smoothly as possible. The
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game world is ran by one thread. Database updating is done by a separate
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maintenance thread. This may cause some lags in the database update process,
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but whenever it causes trouble, wizards can force the maintenance thread to
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start immediately. The Out-of-Game chat functions also run in different
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threads.
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Why writing a new codebase?
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===========================
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The MUD codebases out there (well, the ones that are freely available) are a
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bit outdated. Yes, I know that in the world of MMORPG games even MUD is
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outdated, but who cares?
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The other part of the story is that I needed challenge. Writing such a software
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while creating a world to run in it is a huge job. However, creating a world in
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a codebase that does not really support the features I need requires a lot of
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coding. I realized it early during the world building with CircleMUD, so I've
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decided to create a new codebase even if I have to recode everything from
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scratch. As GLib, SQLite3 and CURL are at my hands, even if I'm just trying to
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get to know them, it was not that hard.
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How can I help in development, or add my own stuff?
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===================================================
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wMUD's development, so as other MUD codebases', is no easy task. Although each
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thread is coded in a separate file (except the game thread), threading makes it
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even difficult. I try to make this task as easy as possible with comments and
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an API reference, but this is also a hard goal to accomplish. If you really
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want to mess with things, the file HACKING is just the place for you.
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