[MUD-Dev] Request for ideas

[Freeman]

> From: Ian Collyer [mailto:i.collyer at ntlworld.com]

> There are two problems which prevent a closed ecosystem from
> working in a MUD environment.

The funny thing is, we don't have a closed ecosystem in the real
world.  As I understand it, there is a constant influx of energy
from the Sun.

>   Scenario 1. Players cannot interact in a meaningful way with the
>   ecosystem
 
>     This basically a closed simulation with the players as mere
>     passive observers, great if that is what your players like but
>     it reduces the significance of the ecosystem to little more
>     than eye candy.

The appeal of a closed system to me is in its use as a tool by which
the players could manage their environment.  Or potentially
mismanage it.

Well, and it's also appealing because it sounds like a real
challenge to implement.  A person could learn a lot from attempting
to implement it, even if they never succeeded in doing it.

>   Scenario 2. The players' characters are part of the ecosystem
 
>     Much more interesting but inherently unstable.  The root
>     problem here is that your ecosystem is no longer closed,
>     players login and logout and new players join the MUD.  The
>     fluctuating number of concurrent characters in the game make
>     it impossible for any sort of equilibrium to be reached.  > >
>     An interesting question is how one could model evolution and
>     natural > selection in such an environment.

Oh yes, that would be pretty cool, too!

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