[MUD-Dev] The Endeavour Map and MUD Applications

[Justin Rogers]

[John]
> Sometime ago, I asked the list about graphic file formats which
could be
> written in an ASCII (as opposed to binary) format so I could
accomplish the
> same goal. I got a lot of help with the best alternative turning out
to be
> the PPM format (for which I again thank the list). This format is
very
> simple as it defines each pixel as an RGP triplet with a header that
> determines the overall size. The problem is the graphic editor I am
most
> familiar with (PhotoShop) does not directly support the format so I
tabled
> the idea. Recently, I purchased a copy of PaintShopPro which does
support
> PPM files so the idea resurfaced.
    I remember this thread and it was actually quite interesting.  The
problem
lied in the abundance of characters that could be used to specify
various
terrain types and the such.
    This new approach you are talking about has some other neat
ramifications
that I'll talk about below.  But since you are making high resolution,
beautified
graphics of the world and landscape you also have these available to
the user.

[John]
> You save the file as a PPM file. A program that parses each pixel of
the
> graphic creates the initial world, exits from one location to
another and
> defines the elevation.
    How does it define the exits.  Obviously this is truly a *world*
file in
which every direction can be taken to reach every other direction.
You
would have to specify quite a bit more to get *real* type exits.  For
this
height field type map there are definitely several programs out that
can
autogenerate unique worlds.  Which certainly makes more sense than
plotting
a couple million pixels...

    Your overlayed picture approach definitely has its merits...  What
I fully
propose would be the use of 16 color maps and actually define various
levels
that get transposed....  16 colors for elevation of certain heights.
The same
16 colors for cities, same for minerals etc...  Then the user can ask
for a
certain type of map within the game.
  >  map geographic
  >  map mineral

    That way you can use the basic set of colors, but you can have 20
different
types of maps.

    Also, have you looked into using a geographic database to create
your world.
I've looked into using GIS data to create a MUD exactly like the
world.  I
defined about 100 regions and then defined programs that would
populate those
regions using biological systems.  Once I had a fully functional world
model with
GIS data and vegetation data built on top I put about 400 mini ai NPCs
to work
in groups of ten and let them build and populate.  It was an ants
behind the glass
type of MUD because there was no PC integration.  But it was rather
neat to watch
and the system was there in a way that I didn't need any world
builders to create
areas.  After about 3 months all my areas were created.

    - Justin Rogers, CEO DigiTec Web Consultants





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