<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution --> <!--X-From-R13: "Pevna Bevpr" <oycevprNorqsbeq.arg> --> <!--X-Date: Tue, 02 Sep 1997 22:30:08 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199709022012.3758500#bedford,net --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net"> </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="msg01033.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg01035.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00978.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg01035.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#01034">Author</A> | <A HREF="#01034">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#01034">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "Brian Price" <<A HREF="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 18:47:35 +0000</LI> <LI><em>Comments</em>: Authenticated sender is <blprice#bedford,net></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> > Date: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 09:18:55 PST8PDT > From: Nathan Yospe <yospe#hawaii,edu> > On Sun, 31 Aug 1997, Jeff Kesselman wrote: > :At 08:44 PM 8/31/97 PST8PDT, Brain Peirce wrote: > :>Now all that is left is the design of the generator. I'll have to > :>think about it for a while, I'm still a bit shocked by your solution. > > :lol, thats what they pay me the big bucks for ;) > > Just a note here, as someone who has, as they say, "been there".... I only > do this (but, yes, I do do exactly this) on a planetary scale, not an > interplanetary or, heaven forbid, galactic... but the biggest worry here is > repetitiveness. I can circumvent it on a planetary scale, as there are > multiple climates and geographies, and it tends to give a given planet a > certain native feel... but just barely, and not if I don't manage a little > more out of my generation algorithms... Years ago I designed a system (on paper at least) for a multi-path story system. It used three levels of primitives; a single plot element node (analogous to a micro-plot expressable in a paragraph or two), a short sequence of plot element nodes to express a subplot or minor-plot, and a long sequence of plot element nodes and perhaps subplot sequences to encapsulate a major plot line. All of these components could be combined in ways described by a set of rules as influenced by player action, random influences, and element inter-dependancy. My experience with that system suggests that a parallel system could be designed to work within a virtual area generator. Rather than working just with components, the system would work with differing sized sets of components together with combinatorial rules. This would tend to make areas feel more cohesive. However it runs into the same stumbling block that the earlier multi-path story system did,.. it is a difficult task to design the building blocks together with the combinatorial and dependancy rules. If such a system worked, it would improve the quality of the machine generated areas, but it would still repeat itself. The only real solution I can see would be to provide more building blocks. Perhaps 'dungeon dressing' techniques could also be applied to mitigate this problem. A given description could have a many to many relationship with a set of 'dungeon dressing' tables whereby random spice could be added to any room. Probably the practical solution to these problems is to use a restricted travel universe model, letting the machine generate most areas and then go in and modify the machine generated areas by hand. This would reduce the builder workload to a more reasonable level although it wouldn't do as much for reducing storage requirements. Brian Price aka Delver <blprice#bedford,net> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We have reached a level of technology where all ailments can be laid to rest by the a universal cure - death. - Delver as a mythical stone age philospher <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01033.html">Re: combat and hit points</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01035.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00978.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg01035.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#01034"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#01034"><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>Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00977" HREF="msg00977.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</A></strong>, Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Mon 01 Sep 1997, 23:32 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01075" HREF="msg01075.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Thu 04 Sep 1997, 10:46 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="01092" HREF="msg01092.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</A></strong>, Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Thu 04 Sep 1997, 19:36 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00978" HREF="msg00978.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi Muds was Character Evolution</A></strong>, Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Tue 02 Sep 1997, 00:15 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01034" HREF="msg01034.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></strong>, Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Tue 02 Sep 1997, 22:30 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01035" HREF="msg01035.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></strong>, Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Tue 02 Sep 1997, 22:36 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01040" HREF="msg01040.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></strong>, Brian Price <a href="mailto:blprice#bedford,net">blprice#bedford,net</a>, Tue 02 Sep 1997, 23:20 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01154" HREF="msg01154.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></strong>, Brandon J. Rickman <a href="mailto:ashes#pc4,zennet.com">ashes#pc4,zennet.com</a>, Mon 08 Sep 1997, 06:54 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="01165" HREF="msg01165.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Hard Sci-fi muds was Character evolution</A></strong>, Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Tue 09 Sep 1997, 06:01 GMT </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>