Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!samsung!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!Pezely@udel.edu From: Pezely@udel.edu (Cowboy Dan) Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: Re: Toward a Typology/Topology of Virtual Worlds Message-ID: <11743@milton.u.washington.edu> Date: 25 Nov 90 01:15:42 GMT References: <11583@milton.u.washington.edu> Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu Organization: HITL, R+D Cowboys (EntityOS Group, UDel) Lines: 27 Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson) writes: > >Has anyone thoughts along the lines of how we might create a typology, >based on the topology, of virtual worlds? This typology might include >everything from the static "world" of the written page to the ultra- >dynamic, interactive virtual worlds that we more often speak about >here. Looking at this issue before, we developed a Detail Level which provides a mechanism for allowing low-end cyberspace decks to be almost as functional, even if not as efficient, as the high-end ones when connecting to a world. This detail level does not have to be limited just to the graphical messages but can also be used for trimming bandwidth for dial-up connections, long distance transmissions, etc. So, with this, even the text based MUDs can be seen as a virtual world with very simple i/o. All that the current MUDs would need to connect to our systems would be a translator for the `go west' (or whatever; it's been a while since I've been in the mud) commands to the VEOS protocol for changing position or location. -Cowboy Dan