Collaborative server for experimentation.

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License:  Something that allows anyone to play with it, preferrably
allowing commercial use.

Listed options:

GNU  May present problems with commercial use.
BSD
Artistic
X
Public domain (disclaiming all responsibility)
Beerware  ;)
Free to anyone who makes a contribution

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Mix-and-match modules, for flexibility/understandability.
(The answer to "Do we hardcode or softcode this?" is often "Both")
Dynamic linking, even!

Modules mentioned: OS-ness?

Bootstrap (module handler)
Database storage/persistence (relational/OO)
Telnet server
Client/server messaging
language modules: (accessability to players counts!)
	Byte-code VM
		compiler
	Various interpreters
	Existing embeddable languages: Python, Perl, Tcl, etc.
	Compile to machine-code
Client graphics control
magic
movement
Rooms & objects
Coordinate based location
Spatial data structures
on-line building
Event manager
Command Parser
Command Executor
Random modules faked by VM system.

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Names:  OpenMUD?  gnuMUD?  PDMUD?  SlimyMUD?
Something better is needed.

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Not everyone has the same interests.
Some things that people want:

An advanced server.
An experimental server.
A commercial server.
A tutorial server.
A bunch of mix and match pieces.
Rapid development environment.
A distributed server (platform independence, too)
A portable server (posix?)
A scalable server
A sophisticates in-game language.
A many-player (100s) server.

Some people (Jon A. Lambert, for example) might only be interested in
a plug-in language.  I don't think this is a problem, because a simple
MUD to plug it into shouldn't be very hard to write.

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Use the Java VM?


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Is Cold suitable for this? (Why bother?)


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Choice of implementation language?

C
C++
Java
A mix?

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maintainers and sub-maintainers?

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security model is something that this approach doesn't provide, so it'll
have to live mostly in the documentation.

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Didn't cover everything, like what goes into the VM.
Mud language deserves it's own summary

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Interfaces:
Language needs functions, callbacks, Unique IDs.
Explicit events, or just callbacks on notification requests?

Modules need:


Calling convention:  C?  Arranged backdoors?  We may be able to pick more
than one.

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OO-ness?  Too much?  Too little?

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Project home:

Frost.slimy.com (600 MHz Alpha Linux, 160 Kbit net connection, all mine)
is available for web hosting, source hosting, running servers, etc.
(mud.slimy.com, pdmud.slimy.com, openmud.slimy.com, www.*, etc.)

Better homes may be available, but haven't been offered.

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