[MUD-Dev] Player Created Object System

[Philip]

With the recent discussion about bread, I thought I'd come up with something
for my own use and to share with all of you. Comments and suggestions
welcome and requested ;)

-Philip Loguinov, "Draymoor"
   -Lead Developer, "N^2" RP Dev Code

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Player Created Objects, Freeform Approach:

[Important Note: This system assumes a system with no base difference
between players, items, and objects. When the term "Object" is used,
it can refer to any one of these, although it will usually mean an
item] Uses a multi-command recipe system (Note: Memorized Recipes may
be forgotten under proper conditions)

There are three methods to make PCOs.

  A) Creating your own recipe.

  You are put into an editor. This editor has lists of all your
  available ingredients, separated by object classes.

  You choose an object class and are set in that mode.

  You create your own recipe for an object and it is approved and you
  may follow the memorized recipe or write it down.  Objects created
  like this are allowed to have a unique description and are set to
  norestring.

  B) Following a recipe.

  You obtain a recipe and follow it to the letter. This is easy for
  beginners, and much more reliable than the other two systems, but
  the objects you can create will probably be mundane. Useful for
  daily cooking and commonplace objects but won't create any sort of
  masterwork.

  C) Freeform:

  You create a recipe as you go along the creation process and the
  object is given a standard object description. The object may be
  restrung. This is useful for experimenting with a recipe before
  actually applying.  Recipes

----------

A recipe has three elements. Ingredients, Tools, and
Manipulations. Each step on a recipe involves at least one of each of
these.

Tools:

  Any conceivable object or object part may be used as a tool, for
  every body has tool ratings. On an object, each manipulation is
  given a stat and optional flags. Often, two tools will be used. A
  primary tool and a context tool. For example, if you are beating a
  molten rod of steel on a forge, the mallet is the primary tool,
  while the forge is the context tool. It is conceivable to make a
  forge from ice, but the molten metal would melt it.

Ingredients:

  Only certain raw materials may be used as ingredients (Unless item
  retooling is allowed. This would be useful, say, repairing a broken
  sword blade requires reforging it). Any tool may be applied to a
  material, but not all manipulations work. You can't fill a brick
  with water, for example.

Manipulations:

  This is the heart of each step in creation. A manipulation will
  require one or two tools, and an ingredient. The manipulation is the
  actual workhorse, and each one is an actual skill (Some, like
  stirring, will be so easy that they are irrelevant, while others,
  like folding a sword blade, may take years to learn). Manipulations,
  like any skill, may take other skills into account. A manipulation
  will look at the statistics of the tools that apply to it and then
  it will modify its actions based on those statistics. A 0 in a
  statistic means that it is useless with a given manipulation and
  will accomplish nothing. A negative rating means it will cause harm
  to the ingredient. Then it will look at the ingredient and modify
  its statistics based on its job. The object will be modified and its
  name may be changed.  All raw ingredients will be standardized, and
  only certain raw materials may be used with certain manipulations,
  so name changes based on material should not be a problem.

  Note: Manipulations usually only affect specific object
  parts. Careful examination of any object should reveal all it's
  parts and their material, within reason.

Examples of Raw Ingredients (Not necessarily complete):

  metal (different types)
  wood
  hide
  stone
  hide
  scales
  bone
  fabric (different types)
  flesh
  gem
  cotton
  wool (unwoven)
  <different basic foods>

Examples of Manipulations and their Tools (Not a complete list):

  fold metal (requires a bashing object. Anything from a mallet to a
  metal fist could conceivably be used)

  heat (requires a source of heat, and probably tongs to keep from
  getting burned. Works on a time period. Note: this can be used for
  forging a weapon, cooking food, or something else I haven't thought
  of.)

  spin (turns cotton fiber into cotton thread. Requires a loom)

  weave (turns any sort of thread into a fabric of the same
  type. Requires one of those weaving machines)

  knit (turns any sort of thread into a fabric. Requires knitting
  needles)

  stir (mixes different foods together in a bowl. Amount of stirring
  may effect the quality of the food or have no effect at
  all. Requires a place to stir and something to stir with, which
  could be any phallic object)

  drench (stick something in water. Requires a source of water (or any
  liquid) and possibly something to stick it in with.)

  pour (pour one thing into another. Of course, it requires to
  pourable objects)

  cut (split something into two smaller objects at a
  proportion. Requires something that can cut the object's material
  (hardness ratings? :) and a proportion between the two new objects.)

  burn (stick something under an open flame. Requires one open
  flame. Not two.  Only one *_* )

  solder (meld two metal objects together. Forms a multipart object
  from one of them and destroys the other. Requires a source of heat
  hot enough for one of the two metals to melt, but the bond is
  stronger if it's hot enough to melt both )

Concluding Statement:
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This system, I feel, could be used anywhere from smithing, to cooking,
to Herbalism, to alchemy, to freeform magic (With energy or material
components as your ingredients/tools, and somatic/verbal components as
your manipulations).

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