#19: Hobgoblins, Part One -- Verbs

[ShannonA]

#19 in the series is now available, on inconsistency in games. Read it at http://www.skotos.net/articles

Boring or insightful? Offer your comments here.

Shannon

[GaioMacareg]

Television series often have a number of people writing the scripts for the show. As a result, consistency can become a serious problem, especially in daly shows that run for several years. As a result they long ago implemented a concept called a bible. A show's bible lists the main characters and their personalities, major events in their past, and things like what is found in thier rooms. It lists what settings have been used and what the props are and what each room looks like. I propose that a similar thing would be mandatory for anything that has multiple authors.

Each MUD should have its own bible, listing the major NPCs and a good bit of detail about each. The major sites, the descriptions of the world, what plots have already been coded in and what ideas the world-builder has for the development of the world in the future. It should also have a glossary listing any verbs already in use, including in local applications. Anyone working on the MUD would have access to this document and would then be expected to check the list before inventing their own verbs. If there are inconsistencies, a complete list like this will make them easier to track down and to resolve. It would also cover things like naming conventions for people from various parts of the gameworld, dress styles, and so on. Keeping things consistent, not just for the coders, but for the world's feel.