Re: [MUD-Dev] The grass is always greener in the other field

[J C Lawrence <claw#kanga,nu>]

On Fri, 17 Dec 1999 16:08:31 -0800 
Sellers, Michael <MSellers#maxis,com> wrote:

> JC wrote:

>> Given a rand() function that will always return the same value
>> for the same argument, yes.  Without that you merely have a more
>> expensive PRNG with odd distributions -- ie little to no gain.

> Right.  The ability to get the same PRN out of a PRNG given the
> same seed can be extremely useful in a lot of ways, if it can be
> shielded from the player.

Aye.  Given the obviousl lengths that UOL players went to
empirically calculate and then graph the stat and result curves of
UOL (there are hundreds of K of carefully tabulated results on the
web), yes, this is important.

Rephrasing:  It is imperitive that the relationship between the seed 
value and the result of the rand() not be even slightly predictable.

-- 
J C Lawrence                                 Home: claw#kanga,nu
----------(*)                              Other: coder#kanga,nu
--=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=--


_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev maillist  -  MUD-Dev#kanga,nu
http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev