Re: [MUD-Dev] Virtual Chemistry

[Matt Chatterley <root#mpc,dyn.ml.org>]

On Sun, 13 Jul 1997, Chris Gray wrote:

> [Matt:]
> :> You need a fairly detailed world view in order for the various effects to
> :> be meaningful in that world, of course.
> :
> :Yeah. Varying degrees of detail depending on how much you actually have
> :possible. If you have say 15 different ingredients, allowing 2-15 to be
> :mixed at a time in any proportion to produce different effects, just
> :storing a list of those effects is impractical - we're talking about a
> :HUGE number of permutations already.
> 
> Yep, which is why it would be so nice to be able to come up with some
> kind of calculation of the result, rather than having to look up a
> result that some human has already decided on. After all, the real world
> doesn't use a bunch of lookup tables!

Absolutely! What should be required instead is some sort of recording of
the properties of things.. Hmm..

Melting point	\	Bond strengths?
Boiling point	/	Bond energies?
Standard state
Reaction speed (averaged - not with specific compounds)
Reaction energy (ditto)
Non-reactive elements (things it wont react with - in theory it should
react with more than it won't, and wildcards could be useful - or checking
against properties of other things).

Hmm, this really needs more thought. :P

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	http://user.itl.net/~neddy/index.html
"Never enter an arsekicking contest with a porcupine."-Cohen The Barbarian