[MUD-Dev] Task Parsing

[Stephen Zepp]

Greg Munt wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 28 Dec 1997, Stephen Zepp wrote:
[snip]
> How do you handle limited memory resources? If the actor being assigned a
> task is in a part of the world that is currently swapped out to disk,
> what do you do? Do you have to bring it back into memory to enable the
> actor to process the assigned work? Or is the result of the work
> calculated, and the results applied, when that part of the world is
> brought back into memory? (I.e. it is not loaded into memory unless a
> player needs it) (I believe Nathan does something like this?)
> 
> Of course, I'm assuming you have an in-memory db, supported by disk
> caching.

Umm, bad assumption, I guess.  Being still new to the deep details, I run
everything in memory, supported by file saving. Eventually I will be moving to a
more db oriented style, but right now everything is handled with in memory lists
( I own the server, p90 with 64 meg, not been a problem with resources so far.
).

Primarily, an "estate" is a relatively close knit set of locations, centralized
around a portion of the overland map.  Unless specifically directed, workgroups
will not wander far from their established estate capital.  Currently, the test
estates are running within a 10x10 open movement terrain map, one map with 8
estates in competition for resources, one set of 2 linked maps, ( 20 X 10,
basically ), and then another running all by itself, to try and map out the
intereactions of "competing" estates.

Trade of resources is a concept that's designed in, but not currently
implemented, where you have caravan workgroups lead be a leader with trade
skills, who will travel to other estates to carry out any trade tasks you have
agreed upon with other estates.  I'm working on a regional supply/demand system
design in the background, not much on that other than a dynamic exchange rate
system.

Z