Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post

DonathinFrye · 03-12-2010, 03:35 AM

I remember the Maiden Desmodus accusation made by Bristlecone (I believe?); it was unfortunate and quickly withdrawn on the SOI forum. My point isn't that you must label your game an RPI if it uses RPI-engine-like features, but that it is less confusing of a branding venture if your NakedMUD "RPI" resembles the features of the engine. Of course, ARM doesn't use the RPI Engine and out-dates the engine. Never-the-less, ARM originated the term which later became a codebase, and most "RPIs" now are created with some version of this open-source engine.

To re-use the Godwars comparison, to note is that Godwars does not particularly resemble DIKU either. Godwars2 does not resemble Godwars, but KaVir's re-imagined PK MUD was inspired by his original work on the Godwars codebase and uses the familiar branding. If Mihaly created an MMORPG Pay-for-Perks Godwars3 with furry creatures and a focus on PVE as opposed to PVP, I'm sure that any zealous Godwars fans who tried it out would be sorely confused by the branding. Still, that is a choice that he could very well make, and it would be his game.

Ultimately though, a list of features that dictate whether or not an RPI is a "true RPI" is a lot easier to nit-pick against than to say that RPI refers (in most cases) to games designed with the RPI Engine, as well as other games that have emulated or inspired the design of this engine. The same features are key in both arguments, but as I've said before, it's really impossible to argue with the fact that RPI is an actual codebase.

03-12-2010, 03:35 AM	#175
DonathinFrye Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Name: Donathin Frye Location: Columbus, OH Home MUD: Optional Realities Home MUD: Atonement RPI Home MUD: Project Redshift Posts: 510	Re: RPI, RPE, and Roleplay I remember the Maiden Desmodus accusation made by Bristlecone (I believe?); it was unfortunate and quickly withdrawn on the SOI forum. My point isn't that you must label your game an RPI if it uses RPI-engine-like features, but that it is less confusing of a branding venture if your NakedMUD "RPI" resembles the features of the engine. Of course, ARM doesn't use the RPI Engine and out-dates the engine. Never-the-less, ARM originated the term which later became a codebase, and most "RPIs" now are created with some version of this open-source engine. To re-use the Godwars comparison, to note is that Godwars does not particularly resemble DIKU either. Godwars2 does not resemble Godwars, but KaVir's re-imagined PK MUD was inspired by his original work on the Godwars codebase and uses the familiar branding. If Mihaly created an MMORPG Pay-for-Perks Godwars3 with furry creatures and a focus on PVE as opposed to PVP, I'm sure that any zealous Godwars fans who tried it out would be sorely confused by the branding. Still, that is a choice that he could very well make, and it would be his game. Ultimately though, a list of features that dictate whether or not an RPI is a "true RPI" is a lot easier to nit-pick against than to say that RPI refers (in most cases) to games designed with the RPI Engine, as well as other games that have emulated or inspired the design of this engine. The same features are key in both arguments, but as I've said before, it's really impossible to argue with the fact that RPI is an actual codebase.