[MUD-Dev] Introduction Systems

[John Buehler]

Ben Chambers writes:

> File storage is done using ASCII.  That means you have an 8 bit per
> character.  999 would require 24 bits or 3 bytes.  Then you have to
> store for each of those numbers, a name, which with an average
> length of 4 would take 4 bytes.  That is twelve bytes for each
> character.  Then you have to record that for each character.  I.E.

  1. Go binary.  Save bits.

  2. Every player won't be introduced to every other player.  This is
  particularly true once you start to pursue larger player bases.

  3. Provide a mechanism that lets players accept a character's
  'chosen' name, eliminating the vast majority of your storage
  requirements, and permitting very long names.  Most people will just
  accept a character's offered name.

To illustrate the 'chosen' name thing, consider that I have chosen the
name Tormanth for my character.  We meet and I say /introduce, which
produces the text "Hello, my name is Tormanth", followed by the text
"Do you wish to remember this character as Tormanth?".  You say yes,
and no information is stored along with my character's ID number in
your database.  We use a total of 16 bits (plus whatever you need for
you record structure).

At another time, you might see a character stealing something, but you
haven't been introduced.  So you use the /name feature and assign your
own name to that character.  That introduces a full record, with the
text string you've selected.

Optimize for the common case, which is people being perfectly willing
to accept another character's advertised name.  Only when you run into
"Conan the Barbarian" do you demure from that, preferring to call him
"Dingie".

JB

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