GETTING STARTED
In this page of "Getting Started", we will briefly introduce some pertinent information that will help users better understand MOOsburg project.
The MOOsburg project was initiated more than two years ago. It is an Object Oriented Multi-user Domain (MUD) designed around the setting of downtown Blacksburg, Virginia. The project team has Dr. John M. Carroll as advisor. Brian Amento, Dr. Jonathan Kies, Michael Mellott and Craig A. Struble are the founders of MOOsburg. The developing team also includes Joshua Chapel, Julie Meadows and John Mirick.
The definition of MOOsburg evolves with time. It may be thought only as an interactive interface to the Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV). In fact, it is much more than that. We know that BEV has connected many people from the town of Blacksburg to the Internet. It also contains many different forms of communication for people to experiment with. However, the services provided by BEV have not really given users a virtual community, where they could meet and interact.
MOOsburg distinguishes itself by letting its users (BEV members) congregate and interact with each other in real time. This forum offers the town of Blacksburg an electronic meeting place, human interaction in a virtual reality, and a gaming environment that can change dynamically. The goal of MOOsburg is to build a resource that enhances traditional web-based tools with the real-time interactive features that MUDs provide.
MOOsburg begins as a text-based system, supporting only the traditional telnet interface or traditional MOO clients. The new version of MOOsburg, named MOOsburg ][, is a giant leap from the earlier ones because it is Web-based, which means that MOOsburg now has a new interactive interface, with the capability of displaying graphical images (maps, icons, etc). The implications of having a Web-based MOOsburg are several, one (and the most exciting one) among them being the potential to add VRML worlds, which if implemented will undoubtedly add an exciting new dimension to the power and usefulness of MOOsburg. In addition, a Web-based interface obviates the need for the user to remember specific commands for interaction in the MOOsburg, and the user can just follow his or her way through icons and buttons. A MOOsburg programmed in Java can do wonders for its interactivity.
A graphical component to MOOsburg in the form of web pages will provide users with multiple media in which to express themselves.
We shall talk about how to get logged in the Overview of MOOsburg Web Pages. Next, we provide the beginners of MOOsburg with some commonly used commands. They should be sufficient for getting started. As we shall see later, most commands have the form of simple English sentences:
1. say {text} or "{text}.
Note: Says out loud, so that everyone in the same room hears it. This is so commonly used that there's a special abbreviation for it: any command line beginning with a double-quote (") is treated as a 'say' command.
2. emote {text} or :{text}
Note: Announces to everyone in the same room, prepending your name. This is commonly used to express various non-verbal forms of communication. In fact, it is so commonly used that there's a special abbreviation for it: any command line beginning with ':' is treated as an 'emote' command.
3. page {someone} [text] or '{someone} [text]
Note: Call a connected user in the MOOsburg. You can optionally send a message to the user, too.
4. whisper "{text}" to {user}
Note: Whisper the message to another person, if the recipient is in the room.
5. @who
Note: This form lists all of the currently connected players, along with the amount of time they've been connected, the amount of time they've been idle, and their present location in the MOO.
6. look
Note: Shows you the name and description of the room you're in, along with a list of the other objects that are there.
7. look {object}
Note: This form of look lets you look at a specific object. Most objects have descriptions that may be read in this way. You can look at your own description using 'look me'. You can set the description for an object or room, including yourself, with the 'describe' command
8. @exits
Note: Prints a list of all conventional exits from the current room. A conventional exit is one that can be used simply by typing its name, like 'east'.
9. North, n; South, s; East, e; West, w; Up; Down
Note: Used to move your character north/south/ease/west/up/down when this direction is available.
10. out
Note: This can be used to get back out of many of the places in MOOsburg. Typing out will normally get you back to the street you were on before entering the store.
11. @describe me as {description}
Note: Sets the description string of your character. This is the string that is printed out whenever someone 'look' at you.
12. @quit
Note: Disconnect from MOOsburg.
