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25577: RE: [MUD-Dev] AI not worth doing in our games?
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From: "Marc Fielding" <fielding@computer.org>
Newsgroups: nu.kanga.list.mud-dev
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 17:00:56 -0800
References: [1]
Organization: Kanga.Nu
[Amanda Walker]:
> I think this depends a bit. If the pigeons really are just window
> dressing, sure. And once players determine that they're just
> CPU-eating window dressing, they'll turn off "show pigeons in
> parks" display option (cf. client-side wildlife in AO, and
> landscape frills in AC2).
> However...
> If the pigeons respond to player actions, and mobs respond to
> pigeons, it could make it much more challenging to sneak through
> the park. Example:
> - target a mob, cast lightning bolt.
> - flock of pigeons burts out the trees, scared by the noise.
> - mobs converge on you to see what the fuss is about.
Actually, your "Pigeons, Enhanced" idea wouldn't be too costly to
implement. Just treat the flock as a "pigeon-filled object" with a
given location: the server handles flocking behavior while
pigeon-level placement and animation is completely client-side.
This way, the entire flock becomes just another AI-controlled NPC.
It's the calculation of bird-dropping ballistics you gotta watch out
for. ;)
-Marc
*******************************
Marc Fielding
fielding@cutthisout.computer.org
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