November 2001

• Digimask Technology. Matt Owen
• • Digimask Technology. Ian Macintosh
• Call for submissions to Game Programming Gems 3 Andrew Kirmse
• Virtual environments for education? Edward Glowacki
• • Virtual environments for education? Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
  • • Virtual environments for education? Bruce Mitchener
  • Virtual environments for education? Ola Fosheim Grøstad
  • Virtual environments for education? Dr. Cat
  • Virtual environments for education? Mats Lidstrom
• Playing NPCs Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
• A Hello, and thanks... o. rchaeus
• NPCS Mr Dylan Tovey
• • NPCS Travis Nixon
  • NPCS luke@rocketship.com
• Story in MM*s [was ] Joe Andrieu
• player-driven content? Sasha Hart
• • player-driven content? Paul Schwanz
  • • player-driven content? Bruce Mitchener
• (no subject) J C Lawrence
• • (no subject) Koster, Raph
  • (no subject) Peter Tyson
• WebRPG Travis Casey
• [TECH][SURVEY] non-mainstream languages? Bruce Mitchener
• • [TECH][SURVEY] non-mainstream languages? Brian Hook
  • [TECH][SURVEY] non-mainstream languages? Nathan F. Yospe
  • [TECH][SURVEY] non-mainstream languages? Mats Lidstrom
  • [TECH][SURVEY] non-mainstream languages? Bruce Mitchener
• "sweeping change"? Sellers, Mike
• • "sweeping change"? Michael Tresca
  • • "sweeping change"? Sellers, Mike
    • • "sweeping change"? Michael Tresca
    • "sweeping change"? Freeman, Jeff
    • "sweeping change"? Matt Mihaly
    • • "sweeping change"? Sellers, Mike
• Re[4]: Expectations of in-game reality Travis Casey
• Cynical at a young age T.A.J.BARTON
• Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) Brian 'Psychochild' Green
• • Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) John Mariotti
  • Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) Matt Chatterley
  • Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) Sean K
  • Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) Don Healey
• Some survey results... Andrew Wilson
• • Some survey results... Matt Mihaly
  • • Some survey results... Jeremy Noetzelman
    • Some survey results... Andrew Wilson
  • Some survey results... Dr. Cat
  • • Some survey results... Andrew Wilson
    • • Some survey results... Dr. Cat
  • Some survey results... Derek Snider
  • • Some survey results... Andrew Wilson
  • Some survey results... Matt Mihaly
• Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Michael Tresca
• • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Dave Rickey
  • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Ryan S. Dancey
    • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Richard Aihoshi aka Jonric
      • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Leland Hulbert II
        • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Richard Aihoshi aka Jonric
          • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Matt Mihaly
        • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Paul Schwanz
        • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Dave Rickey
    • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Sellers, Mike
    • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Ryan S. Dancey
  • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Valerio Santinelli
  • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Koster, Raph
  • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Michael Tresca
    • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Brian Hook
    • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Lars Duening
    • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Ola Fosheim Grøstad
      • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Phillip Lenhardt
        • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Lars Duening
      • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Matt Mihaly
      • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Travis Casey
        • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Matt Mihaly
          • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Travis Casey
    • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Don Healey
    • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Michael Tresca
      • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Matt Mihaly
      • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Paul Schwanz
      • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Travis Casey
        • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Phillip Lenhardt
        • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Don Healey
        • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Koster, Raph
  • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Ling Lo
  • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Ryan S. Dancey
  • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Paul Schwanz
  • • Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead Michael Tresca
• [DGN] The Human Condition Kwon Ekstrom
• Multi-protagonist stories. Paul Schwanz
• • Multi-protagonist stories. Matt Mihaly
• licensing Adam Martin
• • licensing Vincent Archer
  • licensing Travis Casey
• Tabletop RPGs and Inspiration (was: no subject) Sami Kosonen
• Licensing PnP RPGs was "sweeping change"? Brian Hook
• • Licensing PnP RPGs was "sweeping change"? Richard Aihoshi aka Jonric
  • Licensing PnP RPGs was "sweeping change"? Freeman, Jeff
• Good Writing (was: Role-Playing Games Are Not Dead) Brian 'Psychochild' Green
• New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Marian Griffith
• • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
  • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) John Buehler
    • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Bruce Mitchener
    • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Marian Griffith
    • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
  • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Bruce Mitchener
  • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Marian Griffith
    • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Mark Eaton
      • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Marian Griffith
      • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
      • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Travis Casey
        • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
          • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Travis Casey
        • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Andrew Hefford
        • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Paul Schwanz
  • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Matt Mihaly
  • • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Marian Griffith
  • New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) Paul Schwanz
• Storied Games Paul Schwanz
• • Storied Games amanda@alfar.com
  • Storied Games Lee Sheldon
  • • Storied Games Dave Rickey
    • • Storied Games Travis Casey
    • Storied Games Paul Schwanz
    • • Storied Games Marian Griffith
      • • Storied Games Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
      • Storied Games Lee Sheldon
      • • Storied Games John W. Pierce
        • • Storied Games Lee Sheldon
          • • Storied Games jsmithn@hotmail.com
  • Storied Games Matt Mihaly
  • • Storied Games Miroslav Silovic
    • • Storied Games Derek Licciardi
      • Storied Games Matt Mihaly
      • • Storied Games amanda@alfar.com
        • • Storied Games Matt Mihaly
          • • Storied Games amanda@alfar.com
            • • Storied Games Matt Mihaly
• Player Manipulation of Environment/New Laws Paul Schwanz
• • Player Manipulation of Environment/New Laws Bruce Mitchener
  • • Player Manipulation of Environment/New Laws Paul Schwanz
  • Player Manipulation of Environment/New Laws Marian Griffith
• Player Manipulation of Environment Paul Schwanz
  Marian Griffith wrote:
  
  > 2) The game world must be large enough to absorb the player's
  > ability to affect it.
  
  > The more freedom the players have to affect the world the big-
  > ger that world has to be, or the they will rip it apart sooner
  > or later. Probably sooner. This however requires some
  > serious change to the way games are organised, including the
  > fact that for games to be experienced as lively they need to
  > be extremely dense, which directly conflicts with their need
  > to be big. Of course currently players have no ability to
  > affect the world in any meaningful way, which lead to the game
  > feeling stale and to repetitive gameplay.
  
  In addition to localized affects or larger game worlds, I think it
  may be a good idea to have changes become more difficult as they
  move toward an extreme. This is also a method for absorbing a
  player's ability to affect the game world in entirely detrimental
  ways (since typically, the extremes will be seen as detrimental).
  
  For example, let us consider the recent discussion of extinction.
  
  Before I offer some ideas for how to avoid extremes such as
  extinction, I should probably outline my goals. I am not interested
  in realism, per se. I am interested in a game world that seems more
  alive, though. I am also interested in a game world that provides
  richer and more varied interaction. As a player, I would like to be
  able to reach out to touch the world around me and feel it change
  ever so slightly. This may help explain why I don't like something
  like static respawn sites, and yet have no real heartburn about the
  fact that the birth rate of rabbits may not be in keeping with what
  one expects to find in the real world.
  
  To further illustrate this (or to beat it to death, depending on
  your perspective), I imagine I am pursuing realism in interactive
  gameplay in a manner not unlike a 3D animator pursued realism in the
  movie Dragonheart. I can imagine the director of the movie taking a
  look at the 3D animations and complaining that the dragon didn't
  seem real enough. What?! Of course the dragon doesn't seem real.
  It's a dragon. They don't actually exist, you know. Yet what the
  director is really saying is that the dragon doesn't seem alive
  enough for the movie's audience to really make a connection to it.
  That's kinda how I feel about the online games I've played.
  
  So what does the animator do to make the dragon seem more "alive?"
  He looks back to real life. What helps an audience connect to an
  actor? The actor's facial expressions certainly contribute. So the
  3D animator studies Sean Connery's facial expressions when
  delivering lines and incorporates those into the dragon's facial
  animations. Voila! The dragon now seems more real and more alive.
  It is easier for the audience to connect to it. But we all know
  dragons are still just fantasy.
  
  Hopefully, this helps explain why I'd like to so something like
  A-life in a virtual world. It doesn't have to be entirely
  realistic, but I'd like to expand interaction, make the virtual
  world seem more alive, and be able to connect to that world in a
  deeper way. In any case, on to my idea for using genes and natural
  selection to help avoid extinction. (Please forgive my obvious lack
  of understanding as to how these things actually work in real life.
  If you feel compelled to correct the more blatant mistakes for the
  sake of real science, I'd welcome such intervention.)
  
  Raph mentioned recently that increasing birth rates to respond to a
  threat of extinction is one of the surest ways of moving a creature
  toward extinction. At least, that's what I took away from the post.
  Since this seems rather counter-intuitive, I've been meaning to ask
  him for details. It is entirely possible that what I'm about to
  present may also suffer from some holes, rather counter-intuitive or
  otherwise. I'd love to hear more about this, especially from those
  who have experience in such areas.
  
  When it comes to responding to extremes in animal populations,
  however, I don't think we are limited to simply increasing spawn
  rates. While I haven't fully fleshed out the idea, I lean toward
  having various "genes" that automatically respond to player actions
  in a way that functions something like a crude sort of natural
  selection. This is off-the-cuff, but I'll give a simple example.
  
  Suppose the wild rabbit has three "genes."
  
  (h) Higher hit point gene
  (b) Faster birth-rate gene
  (c) Better camouflage gene
  
  Each rabbit has one of these genes that is dominant. Provided a
  rabbit recieves the proper nourishment, it will give "birth" after a
  certain amount of time. (This can be a simple spawn nearby, since
  our desire for more interaction with our virtual world doesn't
  necessarily require that we have rabbit sexes or preclude the idea
  of having things spawn into our world.) When it gives birth, there
  is the greatest chance that the offspring will carry the same
  dominant gene, but a smaller chance that another gene will become
  dominant. There is also a chance that the dominant gene will become
  more pronounced. We could test and tweak the numbers, but let's
  assume a 60/20/20 per cent chance respectively.
  
  For example, if a particular rabbit has the base c-gene dominant, it
  has an increased ability to "blend in" with its environment. This
  might mean that a hunter with 100% skill only has a 20% chance of
  even seeing the rabbit while out hunting for a 24 hour period.
  Given enough food, this rabbit might give birth during that same 24
  hours. The offspring will have a 60% chance to have the same base
  c-gene. It will have a 20% chance to have the h-gene or b-gene. And
  it will have a 20% chance to have the more pronounced c2-gene, which
  could mean that a hunter with 100% skill now only has a 15% chance
  to see the rabbit in a 24 hour period.
  
  What would this mean? As I think through the different scenarios, a
  few thoughts come to my mind.
  
  When a particular area of rabbits came under heavy hunting, it seems
  to me that those with the b-gene would be the first to go according
  to Raph's information. But certainly those with the h-gene wouldn't
  be far behind. This will naturally select for those with the c-gene
  to survive, especially those with higher levels of the c-gene, since
  a rabbit with the c9-gene could be effectively invisible.
  Eventually, hunters will not find very many rabbits in that area and
  move on to other hunting grounds.
  
  Since there is a chance that even those rabbits with a high level
  c-gene will give birth to a rabbit with a different gene, when a
  particular area is not hunted heavily, the area will be repopulated
  with rabbits having the other genes dominant. Soon, there may be
  lots of rabbits with all sorts of genes in that area again. If the
  area has no other natural rabbit predators, the rabbits with higher
  birth rates will tend to be most prevalent in an unhunted area. On
  the other hand, if predators are predisposed to eat rabbits with
  lower hit points, then rabbits with the h-gene may predominate.
  
  Or consider the case where someone decides to have a rabbit farm.
  As they observe the birth rates of the rabbits, they might figure
  out that those with the b-gene give birth more quickly. When it
  comes time to kill a rabbit for its pelt, which rabbit will be the
  first to go? I don't think it will be the rabbit with the highest
  birth rate. I imagine rabbit farmers will come to value rabbits
  with higher birth rates and seek to protect them over others.
  
  So under different circumstances, different genes will help rabbits
  survive or flourish. I've only mentioned three genes, but it would
  be fun to make animals with lots of genes. Some genes might cause
  increasingly smaller amounts or poorer quality materials to be given
  upon death. Some might cause a creature to have a larger awareness
  area. Some may cause animals to be more inclined to flee. Some
  might cause increasingly higher amounts or qualities of materials to
  be given while an animal is kept alive. Some might allow animals to
  give birth under harsher conditions by lowering food requirements.
  This is just a quick list.
  
  Also, what if the utility of an animal increased with age? Suppose
  you might run accross young bucks, adult bucks, mature bucks, large
  bucks, and trophy bucks while hunting deer. This might also provide
  an incentive to be more selective. Especially if your community has
  noticed that the deer population is dwindling, and has decided to
  implement deer permits and quotas. The community might have an
  incentive to do this if they need to meet (character) population
  goals to level and are concerned that an ecosystem that is too out
  of whack may drive some players to other communities.
  
  In any case, that is the basic concept. I'm not in any way
  committed to the actual numbers. I think it would take a lot of
  experimentation to see what works best, but I don't see why the
  concept cannot be made to work. I may have missed much, though.
  
  --Phinehas
• • Player Manipulation of Environment Paul Schwanz
  • • Player Manipulation of Environment Matt Mihaly
    • Player Manipulation of Environment Andrew Hefford {Coregen}
    • • Player Manipulation of Environment Eli Stevens
  • Player Manipulation of Environment Jasper McChesney
  • • Player Manipulation of Environment Paul Schwanz
    • • Player Manipulation of Environment Adam Martin
      • Player Manipulation of Environment Jasper McChesney
      • Player Manipulation of Environment Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
      • • Player Manipulation of Environment Ling Lo
        • • Player Manipulation of Environment rayzam
          • Player Manipulation of Environment Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
          • Player Manipulation of Environment Marc Hernandez
• Fw: AVATARS2001 this weekend Frank Crowell
• [NEWS] Lineage: The Blood Pledge Interview Dave Kennerly
• • [NEWS] Lineage: The Blood Pledge Interview Dave Kennerly
• Storytelling and Professionals (was: ) Kathleen Foley
• • Storytelling and Professionals (was: ) Lee Sheldon
  • • Storytelling and Professionals (was: ) Dave Rickey
    • • Storytelling and Professionals (was: ) Lee Sheldon
• not about telling stories Joe Andrieu
• • not about telling stories Freeman, Jeff
  • not about telling stories Travis Casey
• Storytelling and Professionals (was) Lee Sheldon
• A Non-Cumulative Character MMORPG? Heresy! Paul Schwanz
• Storytelling and Professionals (was) Ananda Dawnsinger
• Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Zak Jarvis
• • Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Sasha Hart
  • • Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Christopher Kohnert
    • • Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Sasha Hart
      • • Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Christopher Kohnert
  • Asheron's Call, Story and Population Density. Lee Sheldon
• Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Sanxion
• • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms vognsen@post10.tele.dk
  • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms David Bennett
    • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Sanxion
      • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Christopher Kohnert
      • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Per Vognsen
      • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms David Bennett
        • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Eli Stevens
  • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Christopher Kohnert
  • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Nicholas E. Walker
  • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Marcus Johansson
    • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Hans-Henrik Staerfeldt
    • • Tech: Pathfinding with Rooms Leland Hulbert II
• [NEWS] Lineage: The Blood Pledge Interview - Richard's blunder :) Mathieu Castelli
• Subject: New laws. (was: Player Manipulation of Environment) John Robert Arras
• Meridian 59 purchased by developers Andrew Kirmse
• • Meridian 59 purchased by developers James C. Nugen
  • Meridian 59 purchased by developers Frank Crowell
• [STORY] Story and population size Adam Martin
• • [STORY] Story and population size Derek Licciardi
  • • [STORY] Story and population size Christopher Kohnert
    • • [STORY] Story and population size Timothy Dang
      • • [STORY] Story and population size Derek Licciardi
      • [STORY] Story and population size Vincent Archer
      • • [STORY] Story and population size Christopher Kohnert
    • [STORY] Story and population size John Buehler
    • • [STORY] Story and population size Derek Licciardi
      • • [STORY] Story and population size John Buehler
        • • [STORY] Story and population size Jeff Freeman
          • • [STORY] Story and population size Travis Nixon
          • [STORY] Story and population size Wells, Thomas
          • [STORY] Story and population size Matt Mihaly
          • • [STORY] Story and population size John Buehler
            • • [STORY] Story and population size Matt Mihaly
              • [STORY] Story and population size Jeff Cole
              • • [STORY] Story and population size John Buehler
                • • [STORY] Story and population size Jeff Cole
                  • • [STORY] Story and population size John Buehler
            • [STORY] Story and population size Michael Tresca
            • • [STORY] Story and population size Matt Mihaly
        • [STORY] Story and population size Dave Rickey
        • • [STORY] Story and population size Jeff Cole
          • • [STORY] Story and population size Dave Rickey
            • [STORY] Story and population size Paul Schwanz
            • [STORY] Story and population size Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
            • • [STORY] Story and population size Andrew Hefford
          • [STORY] Story and population size Bryan "Cyngon" Helmkamp
  • [STORY] Story and population size Bobby Martin
  • • [STORY] Story and population size Marian Griffith
    • • [STORY] Story and population size Bobby Martin
  • [STORY] Story and population size Bruce Mitchener
  • • [STORY] Story and population size Sellers, Mike
    • [STORY] Story and population size Bobby Martin
• [GENETICS] Evolving prey populations Adam Martin
• Stories, why? Ian Collyer
• • Stories, why? amanda@alfar.com
• Purchase of Meridian 59 by Near Death Studios Brian 'Psychochild' Green
• • Purchase of Meridian 59 by Near Death Studios Rob Ellis II
  • Purchase of Meridian 59 by Near Death Studios Lee Sheldon
  • Purchase of Meridian 59 by Near Death Studios Sellers, Mike
• Community Building Sanvean
• doesNotUnderstand behavior in C++ (was: Spoofs) Eli Stevens
• Importance of player roles Sasha Hart
• RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) lhulbert@hotmail.com
• • RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) John Robert Arras
  • • RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) Leland Hulbert II
    • RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) holding99@mindspring.com
  • RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) Dave Kennerly
  • • RTS aspects in MUDs (LONG) Takis Kalogiratos
• Agora, a Wiki for MUD topics Bruce Mitchener