[MUD-Dev] UI Issues: Anti-scripting techniques

[coder at ibm.net]

On 09/10/97 at 09:15 AM, Maddy <maddy at fysh.org> said:
>Previously, clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote....
>> In <E0xGPqU-0004ON-00 at crucigera.fysh.org>, on 10/01/97 
>>    at 08:06 AM, Maddy <maddy at fysh.org> said:

>> >Surely if something interesting is spotted, the character should stop
>> >there and then offer the chance to resume the journey?  
>> 
>> Why should it?  It was already been instructed to walk on a
>> predetermined path.  Why should it stop?

>Because by implication, if you type "go London" you actually mean "go
>London and keep an eye out for stuff".

Disagreed.  If I've gone to London twenty times before, I'm likely to
mean, "Go to London and ignore everything until you get there." 
Similarly, if I'm chasing my family's murderer, I'm sure as heck not going
to be interested in anything en route unless it directly applies to
catching him, even if I've nbever been to London afore.  

The key question of course is that the character would stop upon finding
something "interesting".  The problem is that the definition of
"interesting" is entirely contextual as well as dependant on intent, and
thus not resolvable by the game system.

Thus, I prefer the strictly robotic approach.  The character does or
attempts to do, exactly what it is commanded to do, and no more.  It is
then up to its human player to suitably react and correct for that
mechanical aspect.

>> Should the character stop because it saw something it deemed,
>> "interesting"?  What is interesting?  Should it stop because it saw
>> gold?  What if Boffo had seeded the entire path with small fragments
>> of gold leaf, thus causing Bubba to have to stop and examine each one,
>> while Boffo could run ahead?

>Ah that is going too far in the other extreme.  I'd imagine it'd say that
>the ground is covered in gold leaf and that once you've seen it - you've
>seen it.  But then since you're running you'll be less likely to notice
>things anyway.  From my point of view, "interesting" is anything that the
>character doesn't expect to see.

Okay, In the first room he drops gold leaf, in the second the ripped off
head of a monkey, in the third he urinates on the ground, in the fourth he
blazes the trees, in the fifth he does nothing (which by now is unusual),
in the sixth he leaves a cairn of stones, in the seventh... etc.

The definition of "unusual", or "unexpected" is not resolvable by the game
system as it is both context and intent dependant.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...