[MUD-Dev] Multiply oriented interactive worlds...

[Justin Rogers]

Hello,

    I've been reading some of the interesting conversations on keeping
maintaining
population state and I've thought that this would be a nice time to
ask about
implementations of and possibly submit information for what I call a
multiply
oriented system.  In this system we create closed loops of programming
that work
well and hopefully never crash and then allow the variable to enter
into that code
in a controlled manner.  In my schema someone might implement the
population
example using the following structure on NT (other examples for UNIX
and what
not would be easy as well)

ProgramA is a Mob program that works off of world data for your MUD.
This
program controls how Mobs interact and try to fight/cohabitate with
one another.
We control all programming variables and interactions so that
inherently this
closed system can develope, be watched, and will hopefully never crash
(the program,
not the operating system)

ProgramA has a single PIPE open and accepts function calls on this
pipe.  These function
calls are well defined and well written so that invalid variables are
not going to crash
the program.  Information such as what mobs are in a certain room,
what those mobs
are doing, saying, etc..., and also a set of functions to control
those mobs from the
remote process.

ProgramB is the highly interactive module that players connect to that
works off of
the same world data as ProgramA.  When a player enters room X,
ProgramA asks
ProgramB for information about NPC's / Mobs in that room and the
information
is returned.  If player A is fighting Mob B then based on information
in Mob B
ProgramB carries out the fight and updates the Mob using functions and
either kills
or lets that Mob live (and even gain EXP)...  And ProgramB can
obviously update
Player a accordingly.

Barring system crashes it will be possible for ProgramA to run
constantly (in theory)
and since ProgramB is an internet based program taking user
interaction it is possible
that ProgramB will be taken down or have to be restarted at some
interval.  Across the
drops of ProgramB, ProgramA will still develop at a regular rate and
will be fully
functional when ProgramB comes back online.

Just a thought.

    - Justin Rogers, CEO DigiTec Web Consultants





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