[MUD-Dev] Supporting RP+PG

[Adam Wiggins]

[Miro:]
> Assuming that you insist on keeping linear scaler. Now let's tackle your
> example from another viewpoint: let's completely ditch the idea of
> hit points. Instead, give attributes to each would: pain level, bleeding
> level, location on the body, exposure of the flesh. Use only discrete
> values for each: low, medium, high for bleed/pain/exposure. Then expand
> the idea of location to include not just torso/limbs, but specific organs
> and muscle groups. Now keep lists of the wounds. 

This is what we've done, and I'm so happy with the result that I can
barely bring myself to play games with 'normal' hitpoint usage.
We also make heavy use of 'layers' - a layer being a material of given
properties somewhere on an object.  Thus a knight type guy would have
layers like steel chainmail, cotton padding, skin, muscle, bone, and
several organs on his torso.  An insect would be a bit simpler - carapace
over internals.  Damage is propagated down each layer, and then
basically 'translated through' to the next layer.  Thus an incoming
blow at the knight first goes through the chainmail, which probably
translates most of the edged damage into blunt damage (and may sustain
some damage to the layer itself).  The blunt damage transfers through
to the skin, and so on down until it either gets absorbed completely
by a given level, or runs out of layers and passes through the other side.
(This is fun for when high-powered crossbows manage to punch through
someone completely and possibly even nail someone else behind them.)
Naturally layers connected to a sentient being have the largest bulk
of code associated with them, to propagate pain and so forth back to the
being.

> Result is that you can TELL that player can't do something because his
> biceps is hurting too much because of the would he got from serrated
> orcish sword, which while nonvital hurts like heck and tends to reopen
> and bleed. And healers would have to treat each wound separately, applying
> procedure according to the wound. Of course, this would enlarge the player
> objects, but... it'd do so far less than tracking who-knows-who that some
> LPMUDs do.

Yeah.  The wounds list is also handy for things like poisons; they can
go on the wound list like anything else and the propagation of the
poison and your body's attempts to purge it are handled in the same portion
of code as any more obvious wound.

> Incidentally, this wound-tracking system has an advantage that player
> would have VERY specific idea that his character is in pain, and would
> think twice before getting into any sort of combat - remember, while
> you don't have to die, incapacitating wound can kick you out of the
> loop for days.

Yup.  Envision the warrior with the broken leg sitting in the pub telling
his harowing tale, which of course gets more incredible with each telling.

> Also, I think that player should /not/ necessarily know whether his
> character can or can not do something until he tries it - you don't know
> in RL, either.

True, but you can get a good idea.  We make heavy use of the '!' override,
as discussed in the movement threads.  So you get something like this:

> climb ladder
Your left arm is in bad shape; you're not sure if that's such a good idea.
> wounds
Your left arm is black and blue and aches terribly.
> climb ladder!
Gritting your teeth, you begin to ascend, favoring your left arm...