[MUD-Dev] Seductions of Sim: Policy as a Simulation

[J C Lawrence]

On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 11:20:13 PST8PDT 
Jon A Lambert<jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> Here's an article I found very interesting...  I thought I'd share.
> YMMV

Thanks -- that was a good'un, especially given your (and my) interests 
in making the game much more of a simulation.

What particularly provoked me was the discussion of the flaws and
short-circuits in Simhealth -- not so much in the particulars, but in
the concept of divining what the base principles and assumptions of
the simulation were in abstentia of the model.  This is exactly the
sort of thing that intrigues me, and is exactly the situation we are
in with (gawds I hate SGI keyboards -- gotta bring my nice IBM PS/2
KB's in) with MUDS.  

We have, willy nilly and usually unintentionally, created an organic
system which is based on many short-circuits in exactly the same
manner as a classical simulation is based on short-cicuits, simplistic
assumptions, degraded models etc.  However, unlike a classical
simulation we actually have no concept of *what* is being simulated.
We merely have a crude concept of the character of the simulation, not
the model, its mechanics, or their interaction.  We just throw the
players in, heat to "gore" and watch.

Perhaps this area could be made semi-rigorous?  An evolutionary
pseudo-science filled with the usual claptrap which attempts to
predict and characterise various model forms and their
pseudo-sociopoliticocultural (sic) effects?  There's a lot of depth in
there to play with.

Hurm.  

My social engineering genes are itching.  This is *delightfully* fun
stuff.  Good thing I didn't get into genetic engineering as toddler.

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