[MUD-Dev] RE: Methods to Reduce Ecological Wipeout

[Michael.Willey at abnamro.com]

     ____________________Reply Separator____________________
     Subject:  [MUD-Dev] RE: Methods to Reduce Ecological Wipeout
     Author:   mud-dev at kanga.nu ("Koster, Raph" <rkoster at origin.ea.com>)
     Date:          8/12/98 3:13 PM

>The breakdown occurred when all the food was grabbed and all
>the creatures were killed before they managed to find any.
>Given this, the computation power spent on the AL code was
>wasted and therefore the AL code was disabled.

I have a question - Did the food shortage result from critter
overpopulation (were they grabbing it from each other), or
from players (did the players grab it from them)?

If the answer is that the players scarfed all the food, then
I wonder why?  Was this food beneficial to them as well?

The point I'm leading towards is this: Does it necessarily
follow that your critters and your players should consider
the same substances as edible?  I know very few people who
subsist on grass, tree bark, leaves and twigs, or nuts and
berries.  :)  That relieves the competition on at least one
segment of your critter population.

If you make a distinction between herbivores and carnivores,
then you divide your critters into two groups:  one group that
isn't competing with the players for resources, and one group
that is, but makes for much tougher competition.  Players and
other carnivores will consider herbivores as appropriate food
sources, but at least they won't be killing them off *and*
consuming their food sources at the same time.