[MUD-Dev] Re: Spell components, chemistry, and the like...

[JavaAl at aol.com]

In a message dated 98-11-10 00:43:58 EST, you write:
[snip]
<< liquid/gas forms.
 
 I guess what this all boils down to is: does anyone have any
 ideas on handling the three forms of an element (compound/item/
 whatever) that won't fill an encyclopedia volume? I already
 have COFORM_ to handle things like "powered"/"liquid"/"shavings"
 and so on, as well as COTEMP_ (temperature), COSIZE_ (measurement)
 but I'm not sure what to do with elements, since I'm also allowing
 for plants, blood, mud, swords, whatever to be a spell component.
 (Room->vnum, obj->vnum, and mob->vnum are also allowed for spell
 components: "You need to be in the temple, with a silver staff,
 and a priest to cast resurection.") >>
...

Okays... this is how I would go for it.

If spells are going to be used primarily for combat, then I would worry only
about the main forms that you find things in because you are not going to have
time in the middle of a fist fight to boil Gold, or vaporise a diamond.
However.. for more involved spells, I would solve the problem by making the
spell components actual objects, and (not know about the MERC engine much) if
you need to 'boil gold' use object swapping, i.e. have a liquid gold object in
storage that you can swap in when you type 'boil gold' for the sold gold
object.

Al.