From: usdgog@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Greg Granger) Subject: Re: More on MUDs (Was Re: VR Worlds better than Reality) Date: 7 Aug 91 17:07:33 GMT Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA In article <1991Aug06.164154.4807@acs.ucalgary.ca> jsbell@acs.ucalgary.ca (Joshua Bell) writes: >You can get 3-D, high frame rates, and 3-D stereo sound with 50 players >fairly easily, IF you move the graphics/sound processing away from the central >computer. You probably need only about 1k-byte per .1 second bandwidth, but >its got to be fairly reliable. Processing power: I'd say at least an Amiga >2000 or a 386sx clone w/ VGA for a standard screen, probably double that >for a true VR (goggles/gloves) Well thinking in terms of a 'full' 3D stereo sound VR Mud I expect the bandwidth would be a bit higher. CD quality sound (so my banish howls would really scare someone) would require a 88K/s (16 bit sample) and would have to be bidirectional (176K/s), but I'll assume some compression and general kleverness, so lets call it 100K/s. You are certainly right about the graphics it would have to be handled at the local level (may 1000 sq meter volume (10x10x10), but for the most part this information could be highly compressed (like fractal equations (IFS?) could be sent and calculated on the fly to fill the volume (anyone got a good guess as to the power needed for something like that?). The game would likely have to have some kind of 'build-in' delay to compensate for players 1/2 a planet away (is that enough distance to cause a noticeable delay?) and it would allow 'room' between players of different levels (higher level players could move faster than lower ones). Of course moving through transparent honey might be annoying enough to drive low levels away ???? You would also need to be able to animate several objects at once smoothly ... ? So anyone want to hazard a guess at the more 'full-blown' system above ? Note I haven't even considered input devices, but I rather like the idea of a sensor suit and a suspended movement harness (really give the physical body a work too). I want 'vR' (if you catch my drift). One more question ... anyone want to play mystic and guess when we will be able to affordably build such systems? Greg PS: Can you imagine the programming tools?