RE: Distribution schemes (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages for MUD drivers)

["Koster, Raph" <rkoster#origin,ea.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ian Macintosh [mailto:iman#issystems,co.nz]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 8:49 PM
> To: mud-dev#kanga,nu
> Subject: RE: Distribution schemes (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages for MUD
> drivers)
> 
> I've been fiddling with some of the more basic ALife ideas.  Dunno if
> it really classifies under that banner though.  Here's a simple
> example.
> 
> You have a few properties on mobs.  Thirst, Hunger, Fear.  Now each
> mob will only obey one 'drive' at a time.  Each drive gets a chance to
> calculate it's importance, and the one with the highest value wins.
> That way, the thirstier an antelope gets, the closer and closer it
> gets to the waterhole, even though it can see the lions.  Finally, the
> lions nail one of the antelope, and the rest get to drink.
> 
> Even with that kind of simplification, I'm still biting deeping into
> the CPU.  Also, I'm on very early days with the AI system.  I'm
> getting all kinds of 'strange' behaviour from the AI code that I need
> to get to the bottom of before I can say if it's even feasible.

Stop now. :) We went down this road with Ultima Online. With a model very
similar to what you describe (though we used food, shelter, desire, taken
from Maslow).

Ask yourself whether anyone cares if an antelope falls in the woods if there
is nobody there to see it. Then assess your design and ask yourself some
tough questions about your objectives with the system.

-Raph




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