[MUD-Dev] Focus on Hocus Pocus

[Hulbert]

> From: Matt Chatterley [mailto:mpchatty at hotmail.com] wrote:

> I'm planning out a system whereby the Mud implementation holds the
> *components* of magical spells - effects, types of spell,
> elements, and so forth.
 
> A player wizard would take a bunch of reagents, some time, a bit
> of thought and imagination, and create a sequence of events and
> effects, which cumulate to the spell that he wants.
 
> He can then write this spell down (either as a one-shot scroll, or
> in a spellbook). In short, all spells in the game would be created
> by players, using provided tools - some wizards would be the
> 'programmers' of magic. In fact, programming is probably quite a
> good analogy. The tool I intend to provide will most likely use a
> simple form of pseudocode.

As has been said...take a look at mage-2-mage.  And if you find a
version newer than .89, let us know :)

My take on the idea was amazingly similar to mage-2-mage before I
read it, and even closer now.  But I had a couple of expansion
ideas.  Some come from the book FROST, by Mark Garland & Charles
McGraw, from Baen books.

First off, magic is a language.  Mage-2-Mage is a good
representation of a mgaic language, but you can also make up your
own.

Second, though magic is a language, no one know that language.  Each
mage has his own 'language', that translates into the Language of
Magic(LoM).  Thus, you cannot simply copy your friends spells, say
the same words, and get the same result.  It takes translation.  You
have to figure out which magic words your friend is speaking, then
figure out what those words would be for you.

Third, magic can be 'bound' by a mage.  By placing your own binding
phrase into a spell, you make it your personal spell, and harder for
others to translate, understand, or interupt.

Now, then...Implementation.

First, start with a understandable language...Mage-2-Mage works
here.  Second, 'translate' the understandable language to a nonsense
language... 1 to 1: Fire=vira, Wind=lokua, Air=mlpht, etc.  This is
known as "True Magic."

Third, each mage chooses a binding phrase when the character is
made.  This phrase is associated with some number, hidden inside the
system.


This number is used to mutate the "True Magic" words into a special
language, just for a single binding phrase.  Thus, each character
knows his own magic words, but not anyone else's.

When trying to understand someone else's spell, the mage's skill is
used to decide if the mage can tell by "feel" what each word from
the spell translates to in "his" language.  Get enough right, and
you can use the spell yourself, using your own words, or try to
interrupt the spell.

High enough level mages have a small chance to discover the "True
Magic" words.  This allows them to use True Magic words in their
spells, which makes them more powerful, and means they don't require
a binding phrase.  For example, even a non-mage would get a result
if he says "vira lokua".

In this way, mages can protect their magic through use.  Spells can
be traded, by formula: Fire wind is a good spell.  But not exacts.
If the reciever of the spell doesn't know the word for Wind, he's
out of luck.

Binding phrases are priceless.  If someone else knows your binding
phrase, they can complete translate your spells, and completely
control them, without your permission.

Whew...long post...sorry.

Lee
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