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When implementing eating and drinking in a mud, you don't have to develop a full simulation of the human digestion system. Equally, when creating a coordinate-based world you don't need to represent it with 100% accuracy - there is simply no need. All you need to do is create a close enough approximation, and most players won't even be able to tell. The additional overhead is fairly minimal (even if you're using a resource-intensive language such as LPC) and it can really add a great deal to the game. Most of us are creating games, after all, rather than simulations.
Here is a cut&paste from Nathan Yospe's "Physmud++" - it's a good example of how effective a coordinate-based system can be:
> look
The flat green plain stretches away into a distant ridge of hills to your right. Sixty meters to your left, a crop of trees springs up, thick and forbidingly twisted. The strange, flat grass crunches under your feet, releasing a pungent scent. Ahead, thirty meters off, a twisting blue stream makes its slow, twisting way out of the small dark forest. Sparse clouds drift by overhead. Something streaks by overhead with a roar. A cluster bomb explodes ten meters off ahead to your right! A piece of turf flies by, but misses you.
> run
You start running toward the stream.
> run forest
You turn toward the forest, running as fast as you can. A roaring sound reaches your ears. The forest is thirty meters away. Something roars by overhead, leaving the impression of a silver streak in your eyes. A whistling sound reaches your ears. An impulse makes you dodge left, and a reddish object streaks by your right ear. The missile starts to climb, but impacts into the forest. You keep running. The forest is ten meters away. You dodge as branch as you reach the edge of the forest. You stop, winded, to catch your breath. You are just within the edge of a small, gnarled forest. Ahead and to each side, crooked black branches tangle together, making it impossible to pass without considerable effort. Mushrooms grow out of the mulch and rot at your feet, and there is a damp smell to the air. The sun filters through the treetops, almost entirely gone by the time it reaches you.
> look plain
You turn around and stare out through the edge of the forest. The plain stretches out into the distance. Far ahead, the flat green plain stretches away into a distant ridge of hills. Thirty meters ahead and to the left, a twisting blue stream makes its slow, twisting way out of the small dark forest. Far off to the right, a fence surrounds a complex of buildings.
> hold rifle
You pull your plasma rifle out of the leather holster across your back and cradle it in your arms.
> reload rifle
The current bolt has a full charge. You don't need to reload.
> hold grenade
Shifting your plasma rifle into one hand, you detatch a sonic grenade from the strap across your chest and prime it. A pack of about twelve Logran drones is approaching from the direction of the complex of buildings. They are about 300 meters away.
> focus logran
You adjust your optical cybernetics to focus on the pack of Logran drones. There are fourteen of them. Magnification is at x300. The pack is led by a class three hunter. The Logran drones are carrying laser rods. The Logran hunter c3 is carrying a rail cannon. They are heading in your direction. They are about 250 meters away.
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