[MUD-Dev] Simulated Populations

[Nicolai Hansen]

Vladimir Prelovac wrote:

>  I am just having a look at this from the programming side of view. If
>you are going to have large numbers of mobs moving from one location to
>the other (ie. hunting, searching for food, going to war...) you will have
>to spend a *lot* of CPU time calculating shortest paths. And I still dont
>know an efficient way to handle this. Maybe there is a way to build this
>database with some kind of implemented solution to this problem within it.


What he was talking about was single mobs going out on adventure. The
solution to the large army problem would be rather easy, as a large army
would follow the paths of its generals (that would be a kind of a huge
group).

I would personally consider exploring a more interesting / harder to code
part of the simulated population. For example, the dwarves do not know
excactly *where* the elves live, and need to explore to find the enemy
towns.
An approach seen in several strategy games (command & conquer style as well
as more advanced games), but rarely with a good solution.

And this part is *excactly* what will keep a small population alive - they
are able to hide from the enemy.

Without this factor, one population will take over, and conquer everything
in sight.

- Nic




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