[MUD-Dev] Spellcaster, or Waving Hands

[Jon Leonard]

J C Lawrence wrote about SPELLCASTER: 
[snip to part about round-based vs. real-time games]
clawrenc at cup.hp.com  = ">"
michael at sparta.mainstream.net = ">>"

>>A better idea would be to introduce the effect of "timing" to
>>spellcasting.  Sure, you can gesture through the spell real fast, but
>>is that really enough time for the magical forces to accumulate and
>>be shaped?  Of course not!  
>
>This would seem to depend on your magic model.  If you have externally
>generated forces which need time to fulfill, then yes.  If the forces
>are entirely internal/resource based (ie my model), then no.
>
>>Likewise, going too slowly allows some
>>energy to escape...  The client can oversee how much time there is
>>between keystrokes, and pass this information to the server.  (or
>>just possibly tell the server how much energy the spell is supposed
>>to have).
>
>Hurm.  If the timing were bound to the client this would work.  If it
>were bound to the server it would seem woefully susceptible to net lag
>variations.

An approach I've been considering to this kind of problem is to have all
actions take some time, and be "in progress" while they are happening.

In essence then, "clap" would mean "wait for current gesture to end, then
start clapping, then X time later finish clapping."

Similarly, "west" really means "start walking westwards, and stop upon
reaching something interesting"

This doesn't solve cases of severe net lag, but nothing can do that.

It has other benefits, too:

It limits how quickly players can move between areas to a reasonable speed.
It changes descriptions from "Boffo is here." to "Boffo is walking northwards."
Players can be interrupted in the middle of actions, and interrupt their
own actions.
 
----

Since this is my first post, I should give a little background.  I'm a chip
designer, but I've been working on a MUD as a hobby.  It's been in progress
since I tired of the limitations of the LP I was on.  Currently it's a
passable lisp interpreter with an underdeveloped game on top.

Also, I have a dedicated network connection to my home computers, and if
anyone on this list wants a home for an interesting game, it's available.
(Unfortunately the link is only 28.8 -- It's out of my own pocket.)

>-- 
>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...

Jon Leonard  (Oh no!  Another Jon L.)