Origins of MOB....

[EQ2Playa432]

<div><em>Non-lore question. (I think :smileytongue<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></em></div><div> </div><div>So, just wondering where the origin of the term mob came from. I remember reading it on EQ1s boards back in the day, but forgot. Can anyone help?</div><div> </div>

[troodon311]

<div></div>I think it means <u>M</u>oble <u>OB</u>ject.

[Xita]

<div></div><p>back in the days of Diku mud database objects that could move were called mobile objects, then shortened to MOB. I think the term has been around since the late 80's</p><p> </p>

[lillin]

<div></div><div></div><p>Dr. Richard Bartle co-wrote the first virtual MUD ( multi user dungeon ) in 1978.</p><p>He gave a speach at the Austin Game Conference last year and took credit for the term Mob.  Which was derived from mobile enties in the game.  Thinking back think it was thier original players that coined the term, it was a while back. </p><p>There ya have it, i'm sure he wouldn't of lied to everyone in that room lol.</p><p>Message Edited by lillin on <span class="date_text">03-13-2006</span><span class="time_text">03:58 PM</span></p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div>MOB goes back to the first MUDs (<strong>m</strong>ulti-<strong>u</strong>ser <strong>d</strong>ungeon).  It means <strong><u>Mob</u></strong>ile Object.

[Zard]

<div></div><p>If MOB is shorthand for <strong>M</strong>obile <strong>OB</strong>ject then what would you call a <strong>S</strong>tatic <strong>OB</strong>ject?  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p> </p>

[EQ2Playa432]

<div></div><p>Thanks for the quick response!</p><p> </p><blockquote><hr>lillin wrote:<div></div><div></div><p>There ya have it, i'm sure he wouldn't of lied to everyone in that room lol.</p><hr></blockquote><p>Lol.</p>

[Pudaan]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>DeathMutant wrote:<div></div><p>If MOB is shorthand for <strong>M</strong>obile <strong>OB</strong>ject then what would you call a <strong>S</strong>tatic <strong>OB</strong>ject?  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p> </p><hr></blockquote>INC SOB!!

[Xita]

<div></div>Lucan

[Cusashorn]

<div>I'm not gonna argue with the history, but why would they call NPC's as Mobile OBJECTS?</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Wouldn't mobile object take meaning more directly to equipment you can pick up and carry, more than monsters and creatures who can roam around?</div>

[Duhulk]

<div></div><p></p><hr>but why would they call NPC's as Mobile OBJECTS<hr><p>Cause these things were written by computer science geeks. Everything in the game was an OBJECT of some type.</p>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<div></div><p>Remember,</p><p>It was a <strong><em>huge</em></strong> leap in programming when it went from pure text play, (ala: ZORK), to actually being able to <em>move</em> in computer games.</p><p> The first MUDs came out when the top end-memory was 128 kilobytes (not megabytes or gigabytes)--usually just 64K.</p><p>When I got out of service in 1972, the up and coming profession in college at the time was key-punch operator.</p><p>Computer Science majors had to run pograms that were a lot less sophisticated than your average pocket calculator, (come to think of it there <em><strong>were</strong></em> no pocket calculators in those days--we used slide rules) that used boxes full of thousands of individual punched cardboard cards.  The top end, (university), computers filled an entire room for a single computer, and still used vaccum tubes.</p><p>PONG was the equivelent of an 'x-box' in those bygone days.</p>

[AbsentmindedMage]

This is something I didnt realize.  I had figured creatures were called MOBs as a short hand for Monster or Beast.  As we refer to other things which are not attackable as NPCs (Non-Player Chararacters).<div></div>

[thesilverf]

<blockquote> </blockquote><p>That's pretty interesting that these go back so far.</p><p>I'm not all too familar with the design of these early games, but it was at the dawn or pre-dawn of Object Oriented programming.  I'd have to believe with multiple users you would want more extensible design. </p><p>An Object in programming terms, is an instance of a class, like Flippy would be an instance of the Gnoll Class (likely not that simple though)   I have to wonder if they were using the terminology at the time. </p><p>It's interesting really, I've heard that those early muds had a serious impact on message board, chat room technologies. </p>

[Xita]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>Cusashorn wrote:<div>I'm not gonna argue with the history, but why would they call NPC's as Mobile OBJECTS?</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Wouldn't mobile object take meaning more directly to equipment you can pick up and carry, more than monsters and creatures who can roam around?</div><hr></blockquote><p>database objects</p><p> </p>