Mudlet / News: Recent posts

Mudlet and Carrion
Fields have joined forces to bring MUDding to
the Steam desktop.

Carrion Fields has been a dominating MUD ever since it's inception over 30
years ago. With a slick user interface developed in Mudlet's very own Geyser
it is now taking text-based gaming to the masses by providing an application
on Valve's own video game distribution service,
Steam, and the Mudlet team
have agreed that CF can use it as the official client to do so.... read more

Over a year in making the most advanced mud client even more powerful there
have been 26 new features added, 67 improvements, 65 bug fixes and 148 behind
the scenes infrastructure changes so we can keep making Mudlet your number one
choice.

The Mudlet development team are proud to announce the release of Mudlet 4.18.
Thanks to everyone who pitched in and made Mudlet a nicer place for everyone.
Read on for a short rundown on some of our more exciting improvements.... read more

Gone are the days of static JPEG maps on your game 's website. Create
dynamic, beautiful and fully explorable maps directly from your Mudlet map.dat
file.

Originally designed for Arkadia, fellow GitHub user
Delwing has unbranded and released an
outstanding new resource for Mudlet game administrators and player fans alike.
Named mudlet-map-browser-script, this repository is the ongoing development to render Mudlet
map files in an Internet browser.... read more

Once upon a time, in the realm of Mudlet, where adventurers embarked on epic
journeys through virtual worlds, there existed a team of dedicated developers
who tirelessly worked to enhance the mapping experience. Their goal was to
create a seamless and efficient system that would allow explorers to navigate
the intricate labyrinths and vast landscapes with ease.

In the early days, the mapper API functions were simple yet effective. They
allowed users to perform map operations using their scripts, but with a caveat
– each function call would trigger an immediate map refresh, causing a cascade
of updates that could slow down the process, especially when performing bulk
operations.

Recognizing this limitation, the developers introduced a new function called
centerview(), which would center the map around the player's position. While
a helpful addition, it soon became evident that more flexibility was needed.

As time passed and the community grew, the developers listened to the whispers
of the adventurers, and in response, they unveiled the updateMap() function.
This powerful tool empowered users to refresh the map without altering the
player's position, granting them greater control over their mapping
experience.

Yet, the developers were not content to rest on their laurels. With each
update and refinement to the mapper API functions, they diligently
incorporated automatic map refreshing capabilities, making the process of
mapping more convenient and intuitive.

However, a lingering challenge remained – the need to balance efficiency and
performance, even during the most intense mapping sessions, where bulk
operations were a necessity.

It was then that the developers stumbled upon an ancient technique, shrouded
in mysticism, known as "debouncing." This powerful incantation allowed them to
keep track of all pending map updates and execute only the final one after a
brief pause, ensuring that multiple map operations would trigger a single,
seamless refresh.

With bated breath, the developers implemented this technique, and the results
were nothing short of magical. Users could now perform bulk map operations
with unparalleled fluidity, as the map refreshed effortlessly, without any
noticeable delays or performance hiccups.

Today, the realm of Mudlet basks in the glory of this remarkable achievement,
and adventurers from near and far continue to explore its vast virtual
landscapes, secure in the knowledge that their mapping experience will be
smooth, efficient, and truly immersive.

And so, the legend of the mapper API functions and the debouncing technique
lives on, etched into the annals of Mudlet's history, a testament to the
unwavering dedication and ingenuity of its developers.... read more

Want your MUD to be compatible with the most modern MUD client available?
Implementing some basic telnet sub-option negotiation can elevate your players
' experience to the next level. Read on for some suggestions and a sneak peek
into a new feature available next release.

Mudlet is a very advanced MUD client and implementing the following techniques
in your MUD server can help leverage the power of these features, making your
MUD stand out from the crowd and draw in more players. Thankfully using these
techniques will not alienate players should they choose to use a different
client, they simply will not see the benefits of choosing Mudlet.... read more

Want your MUD to be compatible with the world 's most advanced MUD client?
Implementing some basic telnet sub-option negotiation can elevate your
players' experience to the next level. Read on for some suggestions and a
sneak peek into a new feature available next release.

Mudlet is a very advanced MUD client and implementing the following techniques
in your MUD server can help leverage the power of these features, making your
MUD stand out from the crowd and draw in more players. Thankfully using these
techniques will not alienate players should they choose to use a different
client, they simply will not see the benefits of choosing Mudlet.... read more

A breakdown of some interesting statistics in the world of Mudlet.

MUD gamers of the world unite.

In a true sense of open data and free information, Mudlet's Project Leader
Vadim Peretokin would like to announce the availability of statistical data on
Mudlet's web servers via stats.mudlet.org.... read more

A breakdown of some interesting statistics in the world of Mudlet.

MUD gamers of the world unite.

In a true sense of open data and free information, Mudlet's Project Leader
Vadim Peretokin would like to announce the availability of statistical data on
Mudlet's web servers via stats.mudlet.org.... read more

Looking for inspiration for your next MUD wilderness or perhaps your tabletop
RPG? Use Mudlet to create realistic maps with fractal noise generation
techniques.

I have always had an interest in fantasy world maps. The inspiring thoughts of
medieval battles for land and plundering pirates from far away islands
combined with an interest in what fractal
noise can generate
graphically sent me on a quest to see what Mudlet could create, rendered right
in the built-in mapper.... read more

As we wave goodbye to 2023, it's been quite a ride for all of us in the Mudlet
universe! Here's a laid-back look back at the cool stuff we've done this
year:

1. Speed and access for all :

We've been busy bees ensuring Mudlet remains quick while packing it with new
goodies. Big shoutout to Raspberry Pi for keeping our tests consistent. And
hey, we made Mudlet much friendlier for our pals using screen readers –
because everyone deserves to game in style!... read more

Interested to learn about Mudlet's early history and the work done on the
recent accessibility update? Andruid from writing games has put out an
interview with Vadi, the project lead - check it out!

... read more

Hey macOS folks!

If you're a Mac user who has been encountering issues upgrading Mudlet to
4.17, then you're not alone.

The issue is related to a 3rd party cross-platform update backend service that
does not support the functionality that 4.16 → 4.17 upgrade specifically
requires. Unfortunately, the person responsible for maintaining the backend
has been unresponsive for a couple of years, and it is uncertain if the
updating backend will continue to work in the future.... read more

A follow-on to
4.17.0 that
fixes tab windows going permanently bold, the F6 keybinding, and nested
buttons.

link

We are excited to announce the release of Mudlet 4.17! (What is
Mudlet?)

Screenreaders

A major improvement in this release is the increased accessibility of both the
main display and the code editor. Previously, screen readers were unable to
read text within these areas, but we have now made them accessible - allowing
players with visual impairments to more easily use Mudlet. These improvements
were made possible through the generous support of our Patreon
community, with a total of 1800USD paid out
in bounties to fund these enhancements! We would like to take this
opportunity to thank our Patreon supporters for enabling us to make these
improvements - and if you aren't already a Patreon supporter, we encourage you
to consider signing up to help us continue to improve and develop Mudlet.... read more

Hey there! We’re excited to pilot a new bounty program for Mudlet, our free
open-source project! (What is Mudlet?)

We're giving away a total of $1,000 USD for solving various issues or
implementing new feature requests. The payout for each task will depend on the
type of issue and will range from 20 to 30 to 50 USD. So, whether you're a
seasoned developer or a newbie looking to get your feet wet, there's probably
something in here for you. This program is a win-win for everyone involved, as
it allows developers to earn money for their contributions while also helping
to improve and innovate Mudlet!... read more

Mudlet is committed to providing a fast and responsive display for our users,
and we want to make sure that it stays that way even as we add new features
and improvements. That's why we've recently conducted some performance
benchmarking to ensure that Mudlet's display remains quick!

A figment of
imagination going really, really fast. Credit: Stable Diffusion AI... read more

As we wrap up 2022 for Mudlet, we can't help but feel a sense of
accomplishment for all the hard work that's been put in. While there have only
been two official updates this year, there's been a ton of behind-the-scenes
activity that will start to come to light in 2023.

One of the biggest highlights of the year was the addition of gif support,
which has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for creating engaging
and dynamic user interfaces. The sound framework also received a major
overhaul, enabling the use of both ambient and active music and sounds in
Mudlet scripts.... read more

In the land of gaming
Where adventure abounds
There's a tool that's revered
By players all around

It's called Mudlet, oh Mudlet
A GUI that's divine
For crafting your own world
And making it shine

With Lua at its heart
And C++ under the hood
It's fast and efficient
And always up to good

Whether you're a coder
Or just starting to learn
Mudlet has something
For everyone to earn

With a graphical map
And triggers to boot
You can make your game unique
And truly astute

So why not give it a try
And see what you can do
With Mudlet by your side
Your imagination is the limit, it's true!

With its powerful tools
And a community to boot
Mudlet is the best choice
For crafting your own world, tooot!

So come and join the fun
And see what you can create
With Mudlet by your side
Your adventure awaits!

By @Edru / ChatGPT
AI... read more

Ever wanted to benchmark your Mudlet setup to see how quick it is?
demonnic's newly-updated
Stressinator is just the tool for
that.

While demonnic was building the update, he was playing with it and found out
that somewhere along the lines from a release 5 years ago to now, Mudlet's
already fast display sped up by 20%. The thing is, we never put more work into
making it faster because it was already fast.... read more

In our accessibility journey for Mudlet part
1 we detailed the primary, but not
the only, challenge Mudlet's accessibility faces - the main display being
completely invisible to screen readers. We've solved this problem for macOS in
part 2 and focused our attention to
Linux next.

Linux is not just one operating system created by a single company like
Microsoft or Apple; one of its beauties lies in the fact that anyone can take
a Linux "distribution" and remix it to their needs. Programmers can also write
applications in their favourite technologies - the most popular being GTK+ and
KDE/Qt. At the same time, however, visually impaired users must be able to use
their favourite screenreader - there is a selection, though the most dominant
one is Orca - with any
application that the programmer writes.... read more

Last time in our accessibility
journey we were stuck on a very fundamental problem: with the screenreader
focusing on the input line, no text that was coming from the game to the main
display was being read out.

Solving this took a lot of research, but finally I'm happy to say - there's
been a breakthrough! Mudlet on macOS can now speak out incoming text from the
game right as it happens.... read more

4.16 update has been out for a couple of weeks and
the polls on what you liked best in it
have closed! Results breakdown is:

(5 votes) Easier Map labels (Piotr)
(4 votes) Added `setConfig` and an initial set of values (Vadim
Peretokin)
(2 votes) Add new function getCharacterName() (Stephen Lyons)
(1 vote) Handling MXP entity tags on Discworld is now correct (Gustavo
Sousa)
(1 vote) Sound files in subdirectories now work for MSP and MCMP (Mike
Conley)... read more

Summer is around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere... and so is a new
update of Mudlet! It brings easier map labels, map autosaves, and scriptable
settings.

Easier map labels

The previous version of Mudlet had a map label form that was hard to use. This
version has a much simpler map label experience, thanks to
Delwing's efforts.

... read more

While Mudlet is fully translated and playable in 5 languages, it is infamously
not accessible to visually impared players. The main reason for this is the
high-performance, custom text display we use and the fact that it is not
hooked up to screenreader software. That's why two years ago we put out a
bounty to exactly tackle this issue. Besides this,
there are also minor accessibility issues here and there in the menus that
need to be taken care of.... read more

Lottie animations - essentially an
animated SVG - are very handy to quickly give someone an idea of how an app
works. RainforestQA, for example, has one on
their homepage explaining how their QA tool works.

Wouldn't it be great to have a similar animation on
mudlet.org explaining how a MUD client works?... read more