[MUD-Dev] RP=MUSH/PG=MUD

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <Pine.GSO.3.95q.970627181424.16440A-100000 at uhunix2>, on 06/27/97 
   at 09:33 PM, Nathan Yospe <yospe at hawaii.edu> said:

>On Fri, 27 Jun 1997 clawrenc at cup.hp.com wrote:

>:Counter: I've changed my exits model enough that anything of this
>:nature would have been difficult to stick to, and would be difficult
>:to map to now.  Currently I support two disperate exit models:  exits
>:as objects in the current room, and exits as verbs bound to the
>:current room (variation: occassionally exits as verbs bound to the
>:player character object).  The next problem of course is that I
>:stylisitically encourage contextual exits ("door", "bar", "street"
>:etc), as vs the compass directions (and pleasantly tend to place the
>:compass directions as leading to things you don't want to go towards).
>:
>:This is not to say its impossible, just that the model needs extensive
>:adapting.

>Likewise. My model has four primary object types that make up the
>world. (everything else being support, and all internal objects being
>derived from one of the above.) I have the Physical (Items), the
>Controller (Character - there is a big difference between a character
>and the Physical body), the Location (Rooms, Fields, Regions), and
>Boundaries. (Bulking Containers are not actually part of the world,
>from this point of view.) Boundaries are not so much exits as 2D
>bounds to Locations... 

This is an approach I've been thinkiong about for some time: moving
exits from being discrete entities (no matter how implemented) to
having a defined boundary where the bahaviour of the boundary varies
depending on location.  As a method it has a lot of appeal, even if
the code support is nastier.

Still pondering on this one.  Discrete exits work great for text mode
wjhere the definition of relative position is tenuous at best. 
However it maps poorly if at all to 3D coordinate systems.  Generic
boundary definitions would seem much more flexible there.

>but they fill the same role as an exit. When
>an exit is created, it can be accessed by a player spacially or
>contextually, IE "go forward, turn right, go, go toward the big oak
>door, aproach the door, open the door, go through door, close door,
>lock door, run" or toward couple verbs ("enter bar" coupled to a
>boundary on the outside of a bar) or coupled triggers ("bar", which
>makes "<motion verb> bar" active.) This is easy enough to build in
>context, as a lot is handled by defaults, but nearly impossible to
>adapt out of standard models.

Quite.  There was an earlier thread postulating the ability for
players to name any object or location in the game privately to
themselves.  Thus, while the location may be labelled, "Harry's Bar",
and have a large sign saying such, and be referred to as such by many,
a player would be able to assign a new private name to it for himself:

  > l
  You are outside Harry's Bar.
  There is a large flashing sign saying "Harry's bar".
  > name bar the pit.
  Okay.
  > l
  You are outside the pit.
  There is a large flashing sign saying "Harry's bar".

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
...Honorary Member Clan McFUD -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...