Game Design

[Anders Petersson]

At 1999-09-28 , Pat Wendorf wrote:
>Now that I can post to the list, I might as well post some of my
>thoughts:
>
>1)
>The server could be prototypes in a HLL until we reach a concencus that
>it's purpose is absolutely defined. i.e..  Why not make this Data
>Exchange layer in something like Python which it's easy to modify the
>major things quickly, then we can move to programming it in C++.  With
>this in mind, I'll make the Server and Client data layers in Python
>(unless someone wishes the client to be done in Visual Basic, either way
>I'm not touching C++ to do something that's going to change on a daily
>basis :)

That is a good idea indeed.

>2)
>I'm still worried that our scripting language is too complicated.  I
>finally took a look at the web page  and the current AHLL design
>encompasses many features that may not be necessary.  We are rendering
>information to a "semi-dumb" client.  In other words when a character is
>walking around on a screen, I imagine the server would send the tile map
>(upon changing to the current screen), and then all other supplemental
>information like other players on the screen, and what they are doing or
>where they are moving to.  The client uses these numbers the server
>sends across to show the proper graphics for each tile, and each
>character, and also information like ambient sounds and music could be
>sent across also... So in essence the only primitive is the "Room" and
>all scripting will center around this object. This is getting confusing
>so I'll show an example.

Ok. This is a serious question, and I won't neglect it. I confess I find it 
hard to avoid including interesting but irrelevant features. However, I'm 
worried that some of the suggestions in this direction would strongly limit 
the potential power of the game.

I'll ask to come back with a doc on what the language *need* to have.
For now, I just want to point out that the whole meaning and purpose not is 
about rendering info to a semi-dumb client. Focusing on what is needed to 
do that would miss the point.
With the suggestion in the paragraph above, you would obliviate the 
"unifiedness" of the system, actually making it more complex. For example, 
if the only primitive is 'room', what is then the player? His possessings? 
How could anyone lack abilities? How would you code online? If 'room' was 
the only primitive, every feature but rooms would have to be hardcoded. 
Even rooms would be hardcoded BTW, since nothing but source code could have 
access to those data structures (everything else is in source).

So, let me get back with some facts later, and we'll see what we can agree 
must be there - and if our opinions about the target even are compatible. 
In the meantime, tt would be interesting to hear what you consider as 
unnecessary features.

[snip: example]

>In other words, the server just keeps sending status messages, and the
>client (which has to be programmed to interperet these specific
>messages), will render the scene accordingly.  So the scripting language
>would be something like this:
>
><developer prompt>
>World(1).Area(1).Music = "Forest Song #1" <changing song for world>
>World(1).Area(1).Room(1,7).Map(1,9) = -3 <changing part of map>
>
>In essence we can control any portion of the game this way, and we still
>have the essence of the goal of the project, which is a cool online MUD
>type game where many characters can interact, and the game designers can
>change every aspect of the game while online.

First; whether we can control any part of the game in that way depends on 
how you define 'any part', but I would not agree according to the kind of 
control I'm thinking of.
Second, and this might be more serious; I don't agree with the goal as 
described. I see something more, a game where the border between designer 
and player is dimnished, to put it briefly.

>Success is as dangerous as failure,

...but vastly more satisfying. :)

>hope as hollow as fear.

Indeed, both are examples of human feelings, with all the irrationality and 
immateriality that brings. I wonder how my well my mental health is doing, 
discussing with a .sig can't be normal... ;)

BTW, does anybody have any clue about how I can get rid of these pesky 
grey, vertical bars that have started to appear instead of the familiar, 
cosy '>' to the left of the text of previous writers? I really hate it, and 
now it seems like *all* mails I reply to becomes like that.

binEng