[MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.GSO.3.96.970814042027.31H-100000 at dryslwyn>, on 08/13/97 
   at 08:41 PM, Martin Keegan <martin at cam.sri.com> said:

>On Tue, 12 Aug 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:

[Private name spaces and users naming the objects they see]

>> >I remember you mentioned this on r.g.m.diku last year. I really
>> >dislike the idea of players being able to rename things arbitrarily (
>> >I think you renamed a waitress "Boopsie" ), as it will destroy any
>> >internal consistency the game has. 

>Well, if the effect you're trying to achieve involves loads of old
>druid blokes crouched round a dolmen chanting their magical
>incantataions, and the player hears their names: Drynhirth, Eltanel,
>Griniath, Renfrwyn and Calidorn, you don't want someone (*) renaming
>them Knknkqqkl, Samfox, Dagon, and Azazoth, as this destroys the
>consistency of the world.

Why does this destroy internal consistancy?  The renames are private
to the characters that assign them.  Thus while Bubba may do the name
assignments you see above, and would then see those names about the
dolmen, Boffo would still continue to see the same old original names
as he as *not* assigned new names.

Note also that I don't give NPC's names.  They may state that they
have names, and may encourage players to use those names, but the
system will not report a "You see XXX here." until the player has
assigned XXX to that body.

>(*) does anyone know who Knknkqqkl *was*, BTW ;)?

<ponder>  

It rings bells for one of the characters in "The Far Sea".

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...