[MUD-Dev] Re: Prepositions and parsing

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.GSO.3.95q.970512111845.24271A-100000 at uhunix2>, on 05/15/97 
   at 07:22 PM, Nathan Yospe <yospe at hawaii.edu> said:

>On Fri, 9 May 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:

>Oh, BTW, my welcome, Marian... Chris invited you of his own volition,
>I hadn't mentioned it yet. (Chris: I was about to suggest the same
>thing, and had coresponded a bit with Marian before you invited her.
>Good timing. =))

Thanks.  Marian and I have traded quite a few ng articles over the
last months.  I figured it was about time we got some members of the
RP contingent in the list.

>:I really want to to make objects generic.  I want some player to be
>:able to take some clothes, a couple branches and a broomstick, make a
>:scarecrow, cast a spell on it to animate it, and Voila!  Have a
>:mobile.  I want a player to be able to take a couple pebbles, put them
>:in a small box, seal the box, and instantly have a rattle.  It this
>:interpretive behaviour of objects that I think is the *real* key.

>Believe it or not, I have actually got the first one in Physmud++.
>This is a direct result of the definition of a Character: an object
>that _controls_ the set of connected (or related) objects that
>compose its body. 

<slap forehead>  Obvious really. I should have seen the connection
from our limb-based discussion.  <rub forehead>

>As for the second... we are getting into rough
>waters. 

Agreed.  There is an implicit translation from a collection of
discrete objects into an aggregate whole which assumes a new set of
mechanics (shake, rattle and roll) without having the blessing of an
explicit statement causing a pre-determined state-change.

>I would be interested in any ideas as far as this goes, as I
>have been trying to achieve a complete model of this for GURU for a
>while. At this point, I define functional objects, and any collection
>of components that constitute the required mandates for that
>functional object become an instance of it, when acted upon.

Capiche.  The problem then is to automaguically detect such nascent
instancec and auto-translate them into instances of the functional
object.  The next problem of course is then that you need to have
prototypes for all the possible behavioural types.  (Ooops, got a
rattle but forgot to have a bell, got a car but forgot to have a
go-cart, etc)

I'd really dislike it if the only solution were to have to derive all
possible functions (and their language interpretation (eg "rattle" as
a verb)) from base mechanical/physical principles defined in the MUD
world.  (ie server logic:  They're small objects.  they're hard, they
don't weigh much, they are in a box with thin walls, the box walls are
also hard and have enough tensile strength to make noise when hit, the
box and pebbles together are lights....etc etc etc Voila!  We have a
rattle!  The Eagle has landed!)

--
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...