[MUD-Dev] Rooms, 3D arrays, etc.

[coder at ibm.net]

On 25/05/97 at 10:32 AM, Michael Hohensee
<michael at sparta.mainstream.net> said:

>	So why not set up such a 3D array, with a default description  based
>on terrain type.  For the rooms that actually get "created", you 
>simply give it a special description.  In this system, "exits" should
>be  replaced by barriers.  In effect, you should be able to go in any
> direction you please, as long as there isn't something in the way. 
>The  default would be to allow you to change position in the array.

Yup.  This is actually a workable idea, especially f you code in some
form of compressing array (a simple RLE would do fine, even better if
capable of handling several dimensions).  Multi-dimensional arrays can
get big, quickly.

If you think about it, even the standard MUD form of rooms with
individual descriptions etc could be handled by having a stored set of
coordinates for the player and then deriving the description from
there (this got discussed a while ago).  eg co-ords x,y translates to
the Throne Room, which has the following pat description and the
following list of objects in it.  It just takes a lot more overhead
than the current DB approach.

>	Heck, this could get even more interesting if we made it a 4D 
>array.  The standard 3 dimensions you move around in, and the 4th
>would  be time.  It would make time travel an easier thing to deal
>with.  Ie,  Archon goes back in time, and moves two rooms east.  He
>then comes back  to his original time, popping up in the room
>corresponding with his  original position.

The problem here is preserving state changes at the various "time
levels".  Consider the cimple form of two players crossing the same
ocean.  Bubba  crossed two hours ago IRL, and Boffo is crossing right
now.  If you go for the 4'th D == time, then you should be able to
move some distance in the 4th D and find Bubba still crossing the
ocean (even if you can't interact with him for obvious reasons).  

<<Light goes on!  I *could* use my roll-backs in the DB for this sort
of stuff.  It would be awfully epensive, but I could do it.>>

I think you'd be better off modelling the 4th D to some sort of
"parallel dimension", but not time.

>	This circumvents problems that you currently get with diku-style 
>rooms...

DIKU.  <shudder>

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
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