Teaching my kid to code with a modern MUD
Her fascination with coding extends beyond video games. She desires to create her own digital world. To facilitate this, her father crafted a modern, web-based MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) called "Canon". This game allows her to dismantle anything and everything to understand its mechanics, much like the early days of coding.
Canon, a nod to the classic MUDs of the past, is designed with a contemporary twist. It is built on a tiny scripting language named "Cant" and operates in a text and image-based environment. The game's primary strength lies in its player-generated content, which can be examined, duplicated, and altered by users.
The game's appeal isn't limited to young gamers. If you enjoy roleplaying, text adventures, or have nostalgia for the early days of telnet and the internet, you might also find Canon intriguing. For those who remember HyperCard, a simple programming environment that democratized coding, they will appreciate the parallels with Canon.
HyperCard, a product of an LSD-inspired creation in 1985, was a game-changer in the 1980s. It allowed users to build interactive, multimedia stacks through a simple GUI, without needing to know programming languages. The language, HyperTalk, was designed to mimic natural language, making it accessible to non-programmers, much like how Canon is intended to be accessible to young, curious minds.
Much like HyperCard, Canon is heavily constrained by its metaphor, yet these constraints also make it highly accessible. The game's simple rules allow for complex creations, mirroring the way HyperCard stacks led to a plethora of diverse content in the early internet era.
In essence, Canon is a modern interpretation of the MUDs of the past, designed to give today's children the same empowering experience that Bill Atkinson provided to early programmers through HyperCard. It's a blend of creative freedom and mechanical constraints, a recipe that made HyperCard so groundbreaking and continues to make Canon a joy for its young creator.
Written by urgent.news from Hacker News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
