Owing to the MUD Pies tutorial, I''ve been tinkering on and off for a while writing a MUD. Right now I''ve got it to the point where it''s working fine as a chat server either with telnet or a easier to look at windows client. However, getting this far has made me think... I have no means of hosting my own MUD because of the network I''m on and the firewall I''m behind. If I write a MUD with a Windows server (like in the tutorial), are there places I could have it hosted so people outside of my own network could access it? I did a brief google search for it, but it seems like at least the first few I pulled up are Linux servers (Genesis MUDs, SilverDen, etc.) and from that I''m assuming they wouldn''t take kindly to a Windows based server application. My question then, is what''s the best way to find a home for a Windows based MUD server? Should I rig up my own means of hosting it somehow, or are there other hosts I just haven''t found yet? Should I just not write the server in Windows specific code? If so, should I use another language, like Java? If that''s the case, I''d really appreciate a link or two to some tutorials on programming servers in that language. Just wanted to get some clarification before I got too far into it only to have to start over. -Arek the Absolute Your face is a figment of a man with no head, your mask, it is evil, and your fish, it is dead!

One option you have is to simply port the server application. It depends on how much windows-specific code you have going right now, but as long as you used Winsock the Unix/linux equivilants should be the same. Threads shouldn''t be any more dificult to deal with in *nix than they are in windows once you understand the platform. I doubt theres a windows MUD server, even more doubtful that there''s a free one. Windows game server providers tend to be a) expensive and b) limited to games like counter-strike.

The other option is to get a cheap, low-power-use computer (via epia maybe) or an older server off ebay and a cable/DSL with a decent upload. MUDS aren''t typically heavy on bandwidth usage.

Ravyne, NYN Interactive Entertainment
[My Site][My School][My Group]

You could see what''s listed on Mud Connector (www.MudConnector.com) - and I''m not sure of the name now but I have contact with a company that host Muds... I''ll post it later when I find the info.

Dave "Dak Lozar" Loeser

I''m looking around on hosting services and such, but I figured while I''m doing that I might as well ask another variation on the question. After all, seeing as my grasp on this subject isn''t as firm as it probably should be, I may be mistaken in thinking I can''t host the MUD on my own computer anyway. Here''s my situation:

I have a cable modem connection, but the biggest problem (as it seems to me) that prevents me from hosting my own MUD is the fact I''m on a small home network which includes a router and a firewall, which naturally makes connecting with other people somewhat difficult. First question along this reasoning, is it possible (and reasonably achievable) to allow connections to a server program? Second question: Client programs need an IP address to connect to. How does this work when a network''s involved? For example, if I access a webpage that tells me my IP address, I get a different address than the one if I check my IP Config on this computer. Is either of them useful to people connecting from outside of the network?

Sorry if I seem ignorant here. I tried to throw away what I think I know about this sort of thing, because I figure it would be even more annoying if I stuck absentmindedly to wrong ideas.

Any suggestions on this would be keen.

-Arek the Absolute

Servers are high maintainence so it's better to host it yourself on your net connection because you will need physical access to the server.

It's also a heck of a lot cheaper since you're not paying for anything extra. You already have a computer and you already have the connection.

MMOs of any form are not hobby projects unless you have access to a high speed connection to your house or whatever.

Ben


[ IcarusIndie.com | recycledrussianbrides.com ]

I'd like to take this moment to express my gratitude to foofightr! It took me a while to get in touch with a friend off my network to test it, but once I did things connected properly. Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

Of course, thanks to everyone else too, but for the reasons KalvinB stated, I'm glad I can serve things off of this computer for now.

-Arek the Absolute

[edit] - I'd just like to ask if anyone else's had this problem... For some reason I couldn't post this reply in Mozilla, the Reply to Topic button (after typing in my message) didn't do anything, so I ended up posting this in IE. Weird thing is, I'm able to post fine in other forums like the Lounge...

[edited by - Arek the Absolute on August 18, 2003 10:50:30 AM]