Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!amdahl!pyramid!prls!philabs!linus!alliant!werme
From: werme@Alliant.COM (Ric Werme)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Interactive game playing over an internet network
Message-ID: <2985@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Date: 11 Feb 89 23:24:11 GMT
References: <8902062212.AA05305@gnomee.pa.dec.com> <[A.ISI.EDU].9-Feb-89.18:36:57.CERF>
Reply-To: werme@alliant.Alliant.COM (Ric Werme)
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Littleton, MA
Lines: 34

With the proliferation of X, I imagine a feature of interactive games would
be a common user interface throughout the net.  Keep in mind the possibilities
of allowing individual sites or users to develop their own interface.

Once upon a time, on an ARPAnet long, long ago (1973?) the Friday hackers
forum at MIT start a discussion on a network-wide Star Trek game.  I was
C-MU, I think we had input from Perdue and Stanford.  The idea was to inspire
work on network graphics, a task that was languishing because everyone's
system was different.  We toyed around with the idea of developing Star Trek
Protocol (STP) and servers on each machine that were identical.  Each server
would be responsible for some of the postional calculations, communicating
with the other servers, and with local game clients.

This would allow each site to write custom clients and encourage people
to come up with really good, efficient, and informative interfaces for the
game players.  (And to develop automated players if there weren't enough
real people around or if you wanted some extra help.)

It had a lot of possibilities, but none of us had the time to devote to it
and nothing came of it, as far as I know.  Someone at PARC in a more
authoritative position put forth a very similar proposal, but one aimed more
at network graphic protocols than my interest in specialized clients.

In 1974 I started fading from the ARPAnet.  First to DEC, then to a dot
matrix printer companies, then to starting a company to write a music teaching
program for Apples.  Now to Alliant and the Usenet.  Maybe I'll make it back
to the Internet someday.

But I still won't have any time for STP!
-- 

| A pride of lions              | Eric J Werme                |
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