[MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #142 - 4 msgs

[Albert]

At 12:57 PM 8/25/99 -0500, you wrote:
>On Tue, 24 Aug 1999, Koster, Raph wrote:
>
>> Don't know where the subject line went on this one...
>
>I don't even know where it came from! Thats what I get for coming back to
>the list after a 2 month vacation. =]
>
>Anyways, more ideas. 
>
>We are trying to create a simulation right? Then why bother with making
>actual complex ecologies...why not just give the illusion of a complex
>ecology? Example: When Captian Bubba hops in the flight SIMULATOR he is
>given the illusion of flight through a hydralic mounted pod and a 2-d
>screen.
>
>Using a mud base that uses resets we can easily give this illusion.
>Another Example: In an area there is a group of trolls and a bunch of
>deer. If either the trolls or players (most likely) kill off the deer then
>the deer reset dies for a RL day or so. This then triggers the troll reset
>to die off as well. Simple.
>
>To make things more interesting, the troll reset could be given to another
>area structure. Possibly a neighboring area which has more food.

Better yet, make everything stuck to a fixed algorithm. If you allow
players to destroy every instance of one particular mob, that mob will
be extinct in a matter of minutes. I believe everyone on this list can
attest to that, and no amount of ecosystem balancing will solve it, unless
you're willing to take some pretty bold steps that would deter players
from coming to your mud. If you wish, you could minimize the effects of
player killed mobs by introducing a small...small variation into the
algorithm that calculates the population for both sides. Otherwise, I
sincerely challenge you to create a balanced ecosystem that adapts
aggressively to the whims of players, without requiring constant imm
supervision or excessive amounts of code.

--
Albert
http://home.earthlink.net/~thecheezeman
http://conceptual.virtualave.net



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