<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology --> <!--X-From-R13: Oqnz Ivttvaf <nqnzNnatry.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 14:16:47 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.SGI.3.96.990723140505.10586F-100000#zazu,angel.com --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: E117kLg-0004hs-00#kanga,varesearch.com --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:adam#angel,com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00040.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00042.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00039.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00042.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00041">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00041">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00041">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Adam Wiggins <<A HREF="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 14:11:41 -0700 (PDT)</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Fri, 23 Jul 1999, Tony Wilkinson wrote: > I'm interested to hear your views on how important or interesting you feel > a virtual ecology is with respect to multi-player on-line games. Although > I'm writing this from a massive, persistent world point of view (i.e. UO) I > see no reason why similar principles couldn't be applied to other formats. > It's an area I feel is still in infancy but I'm sure that it could play an > important role in the future of these types of games. > > I am specifically talking about animal/monster species (and individuals) > having particular attributes which when applied to an ecosystem, allowing > the individual animals to behave in an intelligent manner whether they are > interacting with a human player or not. I've written a number of > simulations which focus on giving the species and the individual animals a > multitude of attributes including things such as bravery, food level, > eyesight, friendliness to their own species, friendliness to specific other > species etc (you really can create a lot of attributes if you think about > it a while :). As a mud designer and programmer, all this stuff is quite interesting to me. However, as a player, I really don't care. Stuff with far-reaching implications like this is rarely aparent to the player who is seeing it from a "ground-level" point of view, similar to an ant looking the grooves in the tire of a car and wondering what it all means. The important thing to me, as a player, is that the mud be dynamic. Too many have fixed locations where it's always a certain time (night or day), weather, certain mobiles loading here and doing nothing, etc. Which makes it predictable and boring after a few runs. My favorite areas have always been those that are highly dynamic; the creatures in them wander a long ways, often with specific tasks. For example, the Roo hunters on Shadowdale (not sure if this is part of stock SillyMUD or not): there were two mobiles, the roo hunter, who wandered around attacking the roos and skinning them, and then the roos themself, who tried to gang up on the hunter. They played a constant game of cat-and-mouse whether or not players were around. On your first visit to the area, this wasn't very aparent, but after a few visits (or if you took the time to observe careful on your first visit), you saw what was going on. Very simple, but at the same time dynamic and challenging. If you can achieve this kind of effect with an ecology, then great. But if you're doing it just for the sake of academic "coolness", without any thought to how it contributes to the overall enjoyment and atmosphere of the game, I think it's rather a lot of work for not much of an effect, except for a very difficult to balance gameworld. Adam W. _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00039" HREF="msg00039.html">[MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Tony Wilkinson" <tony.wilkinson#dial,pipex.com></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00040.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] mud vs. mush membership</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00042.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00039.html">[MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00042.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00041"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00041"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00048" HREF="msg00048.html">[MUD-Dev] OT: Raph & Kristen absent for a bit</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Mon 26 Jul 1999, 01:46 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00046" HREF="msg00046.html">[MUD-Dev] [ScryMUD] Splitting development, code re-organization.</A></strong>, Ben Greear <a href="mailto:greear#cyberhighway,net">greear#cyberhighway,net</a>, Sun 25 Jul 1999, 06:59 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00044" HREF="msg00044.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: combat/injury</A></strong>, Greg Miller <a href="mailto:gmiller#classic-games,com">gmiller#classic-games,com</a>, Sat 24 Jul 1999, 00:51 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00039" HREF="msg00039.html">[MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Tony Wilkinson <a href="mailto:tony.wilkinson#dial,pipex.com">tony.wilkinson#dial,pipex.com</a>, Fri 23 Jul 1999, 20:56 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00041" HREF="msg00041.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</a>, Fri 23 Jul 1999, 21:16 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00042" HREF="msg00042.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Jp Calderone <a href="mailto:exarkun#flashmail,com">exarkun#flashmail,com</a>, Sat 24 Jul 1999, 00:51 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00054" HREF="msg00054.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Brian Carter <a href="mailto:muddev#wyrms-of-malice,com">muddev#wyrms-of-malice,com</a>, Mon 26 Jul 1999, 16:51 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="00053" HREF="msg00053.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Ilya, SCC, Game Commando <a href="mailto:Ilya#gamecommandos,com">Ilya#gamecommandos,com</a>, Mon 26 Jul 1999, 16:51 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00056" HREF="msg00056.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] The Virtual Ecology</A></strong>, Albert <a href="mailto:thecheezeman#earthlink,net">thecheezeman#earthlink,net</a>, Mon 26 Jul 1999, 19:12 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>