(Message inbox:96)
Return-Path: edan@netcom.com
Received: from mail.fwi.uva.nl by gene.fwi.uva.nl with SMTP (5.65c(FWI)/3.0)
          id AA05111; Tue Feb 16 12:34:10 1993
Received: by mail.fwi.uva.nl from netcom2.netcom.com  with SMTP (5.65c(FWI)/3.0)
          id AA11112; Wed, 17 Feb 1993 05:35:43 +0100
Received: by netcom2.netcom.com (5.65/SMI-4.1/Netcom)
	id AA21870; Tue, 16 Feb 93 20:34:10 -0800
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 93 20:34:10 -0800
From: edan@netcom.com (Edan Shalev)
Message-Id: <9302170434.AA21870@netcom2.netcom.com>
To: stolk@fwi.uva.nl
Subject: protocol


some thought I had regarding the protocol to increase speed, overall
performance and security.

1) Make a local bitmap of the current scene, so when an object is redrawn
only redraw the object instead of the entire scene. Timestamping
scenes would also help, so clients can save them so they dont have to be
sent over the line..

2) This is a graphical mud right? so why bother letting players without
the proper clients to play?  Currently the clients are limited in the
sense they have to "filter" out commands (@DFSblahblah) everybit of data
should be sent to and from the server in a @ or # form.. this includes
all the mud commands.  If the clients are written properly and the server
will only allow clients to be connected.. this will prevent anyone from
exploiting the commands manually. (given all clients are distributed
in executable form only, no source code)

3) a more effient communication between the client and server will also
enable features such as real-time animation, sound and many other
features found on the commercial multi-user graphical games I currently
play.

-----

update on macintosh client...

I havent had time to do major work on the client in the last few weeks
but it does work. here is a list of what features it has and features I
still have to implement.

Already Implemented
-------------------

o Bufferd Keyboard
o scrollable text display
o movement buttons (mouse driven movement)
o pre-defined macro buttons (Score) (Inventory)
o Digitized Sound (I threw in a few quotes from Bart Simson, digitzed!)
o Serial Connection (modem or direct)
o B&W 

re: digitized sound, It was very easy to implement.. My next addition
will be to have various movement sounds for the different creatures..
ie: plutonians, when moving (micro_x) will produce a "suction" digitzied
sound. If you do not like the sounds, they can be turned off.  

if anyone doesnt like the fact I have implemented Sound into my client,
I will be happy to remove it.

TO DO LIST
----------

o Appletalk/TCP connections (who knows.. this looks like a tough one)
o Color (this is not a problem, just havent gotten to it :)
o Filter out #CMDS (for some reason the modem echo's back the #CMDS)
o User definable macro buttons (very easy, just need time to implement)
I just have to clean it up a bit and I will work with Bram in getting the
Mac client up on the lysator.liu.se ftp site.]

-Edan