[MUD-Dev] Re: Role-playing [was Re: several messages]

[Ling]

On Thu, 15 May 1997, Nathan Yospe wrote:
> On Wed, 14 May 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:
> :>On Sun, 11 May 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> :
> :>> [big dumb ogre types 'look':]
> :>> You see here a big pile of coins.
> :>> 
> :>> [human types 'look':]
> :>> You see here several hundred coins.
> :>> 
> :>> [Rain Man types 'look':]
> :>> You see here 327 coins, one of which has a small scratch on its underside.
> :
> :We've debated this area of how or even if intelligence should be
> :represented inside the game world.  My own view is that it shouldn't
> :even be touched.  Leave that to the humans.  The concept of the system
> 
> Whereas I enthusiasticly embrace it, to the point that your character will
> begin to react instinctively in key with their nature, unless you assert
> concious control and restrain them. And even sometimes then. If you are

I like to think of the characters running around as having the
intelligence of a dog.  The command run won't make them run into a wall,
like some old adventure games:

	> e
	You walk into a wall and hurt yourself.
	Energy: 80%
	> w
	You walk into a wall and hurt yourself.
	Energy: 75%

So, I think I will have to make a U turn and represent intelligence in the
game internally.  Perception, at least, anyhow.

> into a barfight in spite of a player's objections.) I do take perception,
> as well as physical sensory capability, into account, and accent upon this
> perception is inherent in my internal markup language. Training yourself
> for perception helps quite a bit, and often your descriptions of the world
> are relative to your _emotional_ perceptions, to the point that racially
> specific descriptions can be imbeded into text. As can descriptions cued

Talking about emotions, for npcs, I'm toying around with giving them some
emotional behaviour and linking it to memory.  High emotions would lead to
a better recall of the event.  Like a joyful day.  Then the npcs would
appear to be a little more realistic.

  |    Ling				"Mental slavery,
_O_O_  Freshwater fish since 1976	 set my spirit free"