[MUD-Dev] Re: Levels (was: Administrative notes)

[Ling]

On Sat, 24 May 1997 coder at ibm.net wrote:

> On 23/05/97 at 10:23 PM, Adam Wiggins <nightfall at inficad.com> said:
> >[ChrisL:]
> 
> I want a choice of possible paths.  Thus I proposed the basic "think"
> verb and the possibility of a lone player deriving a new skill without
> external help.  I don't think its a *good* solution (actually I think
> its a lousey idea), but it at least offers a seperate model and
> compleatly different path to take for skill advancement.  Now at least
> the equation is:
> 
>   Want XXX skill == (Find YYY mobile/player == Get him to teach me ==
> Maybe have to do something he asks first) or (sit down and see if
> light dawns).
> 
> Still boring.  Less simplistic.  Still inelegant.  Still dumb.  It is
> at least some improvement.

Lemme try... write down how you learnt the your own skills:

Trial and error, experimentation, accidental discovery.  If you
incorporate assemblies into the game, this would be nice.  I learnt to
walk by sticking a foot out to stop me falling over.

Learning either by reciting or teachers and lots of drilling.  I learnt
the multiplication tables by reciting, I learnt Fourier Transforms from a
teacher.

Walking home and being struck by lightning, plenty of deep thoughts,
drawing what you know together.  I figured out linked lists before I knew
they were normal practice in C by sheer boredom.

Practice, bit foggy this as this overlaps with the first.  I learnt to
type from mudding too much.


Mix the ingredients, kneel in code until soft, bake for 40 minutes or
until golden brown.

> This is actually more in reference to another internal debate of mine. 
> Many/most MUDs presume an internal hidden population which keep
> everything running.  I think Jon referred to them as a the
> "Sim-Peeps".  Few to no MUDs are going to stock their city with 700
> mobiles just have a decent simulation.

I have thought about this for another mud.  I was thinking of having npcs
who wake up, go on a random walkies to the market, etc.  Theme Park
manages it, so why not a mud?  Okay, okay, Theme Park is for one person
and it's a specialised simulation.

A good reason for not having each npc depicted is that the economy could
be ruined very easily (we've been here before haven't we?).  So,
approximate this, put in crowds where you would have 300 gathered at the
market.  Make a little bit of pseudo randomness for situations like:
player knocks on 207 Alan Moss Rd.  Code works out who lives there,
creates npcs, figures out if they're there at that point in time (make up
a quick time table of their life).


  |    Ling			   "All solders leave a girl behind,
_O_O_  Freshwater fish since 1976   That worships and adores 'em,
				    But mine's here on Ghoyogi, too,
				    Which is, like, unbelievable awesome."
						- PFC Waldo DR Dobbs
			         (DR stands for Diminished Responsibility)