[MUD-Dev] Re: Some thoughts on languages and users - was: Ma

[J C Lawrence]

On Sat, 2 May 1998 02:18:53 -5 
Jon A Lambert<jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> On 28 Apr 98 at 22:15, Chris Gray wrote:

>> I won't comment much more here (my brand new computer awaits me),
>> but I like Jon's idea of building everything out of components,
>> which can then be disassembled (or further assembled). Lots of
>> stuff can be handled that way, but, as usual, there will be lots of
>> annoying exceptions, too! Things like fluids would need special
>> handling, as would situations where the original components still
>> maintain some of their identity.

> <Gasp!> Oh crap... fluids and gases.  This is excellent thread
> material. Anyone? Help!

Two bits:

  I found that getting rid of the room concept entirely massively
improved the general C&C performance due to reduced rescheduling.  It
turned out very rapidly that the majority of C&C failures and thus
reschedules were due to container contention.  Objects trying to enter 
or leave the same room at the same time caused contention for the
room's containment list.  Further work on reducing the C&C checks as
close as possible (ie without undue penalty) to ONLY the attributes
checked or processed on an object got most of the other gains.

  Fluids and gases beg for a coordinate space.  Once you have that you 
can use variations on fluid flow mechanics:

    How much X is there here?

    Is there less X below me?  Move there.

    Is there less X beside me?  Move there.

    Is there enough less X above me to pull me up?  Move up

    etc.

Now waves, and surfing on those waves is another matter.

<Yeehaw!>

--
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...

--
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.