[MUD-Dev] Re: Recursive look

[Adam Wiggins]

On Wed, 21 Oct 1998, Ling wrote:
> I've called this 'recursive look' coz that's exactly what it is.  Best
> done with an example.  Character enters a room.  She will get a short
> [snip]

I liked the idea when you first mentioned it, and still do.  Perhaps there
should be other interactions - if you start doing something which requires
your mostly undivided attention (such as combat) then you stop getting
the messages.  Less rigorous activities (ie, speech) will still give
you the messages.  Also - it should keep track of what you've seen
before (sort of an automatic brief mode).  If you walk through the room
ten times a day it should only give you the most terse of descriptions,
plus anything that has changed from usual.

> Out of interest, how do people feel about mundane messages like arrival
> being 'spiced up'.  Instead of:
> 
>   Bubba arrives from the east.
> 
> It becomes:
> 
>   Bubba walks in from the east.
>   Bubba strolls in from the east.
> 
> And so on.  Would this become annoying?  I think the chances are it'll
> probably be an overwhelming yes.

I like it quite a bit when I see it used (although it's usually
fairly limited).  Especially if it conveys information about the
character's state:

Bubba walks in from the east, smiling.
Bubba limps in from the east, dripping blood.
Bubba runs in from the east, panting.

In the first case, they did a "smile" social just before leaving
the room.  In the second case, they are heavily wounded.  In the
third case, they were walking quickly and are low on stamina.

Adam W.