Material and Object concepts

[DoctorMO]

Hello everyone,

What I find most difficult to understand is why so many MMOs don't even take the example the english language provides in how to organise and conceptualise objects and materials for instance:

I was playing the new tutorial (good tutorial btw) and the Miner gave me 'a molten iron' I suspect this is because the game engine can only deal with solid objects in specifics when the language wants to deal with a mass noun (a material) and should read 'some molten iron'; but to make this distinction the engine must understand the difference between an object and a material for instance:

Objects are solid, pure or combinations which can always be handled and stored without aid and are counted as a basic number of how ever many you have.
Materials are not solid, they are either liquid (water), gases (hydrogen) or granular (sand), they almost always require some kind of suitable container which in turn is an object it's self and are measured in quantity or weight specifically grams / litres / etc and can often be mixed to produce either none reactive mixtures or reactive secondary materials or objects depending.

My wish is for Planeshift to incorporate a more logical objects and materials model in which the system knows the difference between an object and a material and also knows when an object can contain a material so that the tutorial in the future will go: "you were given [0.5kg] of [molten iron] in a [crucible]"

And then as a secondary wish I want to be able to combine the use of container objects with furniture objects and mixtures to provide a stable platform for all sorts of reactions and unexpected experimentation by users for different skills to be born out of the users experence as much as their characters.

[steuben]

ok...
for the first wish, write it up. include sample database and coding structures. you have 5 pages. note: given the currrent _alpha_ state and reccommendations may not be implemented sooin.

for the second wish. write it up. include sample database and coding structures. note, all structures must alklow for idic/fdnic. and reduce the load on settings/art depart for asset development you have 10 pages.

[bilbous]

just curious here what are idic and fdnic?

As for the rest, if that is as serious a suggestion, steuben, as it appears to be, perhaps more discussion could occur in Development Deliberation. I for one think the basic idea is good but do agree with the basic sub-text of your response that it will not be easy nor is the engine quite ready for it. In a way though it would seem similar to the magic system and might well be necessary for alchemy/herbalism.

[DoctorMO]

ok...
for the first wish, write it up. include sample database and coding structures. you have 5 pages. note: given the currrent _alpha_ state and reccommendations may not be implemented sooin.

You know including some encouragement or personal opinion can be beneficial at times.

Now when you say 5 pages are you talking thread pages? or is there some other thing I'm not aware of?

object definition table:
....
container, boolean

object container definition table:
object_id, (how ever joined to object table)
size_limit, int
weight_limit, int
... Other limits possible (temperature)
suitability, small int (0, normal bag; 1, grains; 2, liquids; 3, gasses)
resealable, boolean

And then...

table material type:
material_type_id, unsigned int, auto increment
name, char
description, char
... Other definition properties

table material groups:
group_id, unsigned int, auto increment
container_id, unsigned int (where is this material group)

table material:
material_type, unsigned int (what is it)
group_id, unsigned int  (where is it)
amount, unsigned int (how much of this amount)
.... Other material properties.

P.S. I won't be contributing because of the walking bug which really infuriates me when playing, animations + walking speed god damn it.

[steuben]

idic: infinite diversity, infinite combinations
fdnic: finite diversity, near infinite combinations

Now when you say 5 pages are you talking thread pages? or is there some other thing I'm not aware of?

5 letter pages, 10 point times new roman. 1.5 inch left and right margin, 1 inch top and bottom margin.
basically write it up as you would if you said the say thing to your boss/prof

[DoctorMO]

OK thanks for the explainations.

5 letter pages, 10 point times new roman. 1.5 inch left and right margin, 1 inch top and bottom margin.
basically write it up as you would if you said the say thing to your boss/prof

I see, I made sure when I was younger never to put myself in a position where such a thing would be required; not because of an inability but because I find the whole process to be rather dull and pointless in the modern age. I could write a lib to do it but I'm happy just knowing that I've given you the chance to read the ideas and ask any questions and thus propose a solution to a problem you will have before you get to that point.

Oh and idic I would gather is impossible even in the real world; finite diversity would limit the idea since things must be defined; although having a class might give you the graphics boost you need.

[steuben]

I made sure when I was younger never to put myself in a position where such a thing would be required; not because of an inability but because I find the whole process to be rather dull and pointless in the modern age.

hate to say it. but any kind of decent job irl is going to require it. and any freelance work is going to require even more of it.

[DoctorMO]

hate to say it. but any kind of decent job irl is going to require it. and any freelance work is going to require even more of it.

I hate to be the embodiment of the exception, but I have the first and do the second with bloody common sense. Although perhaps my heart just isn't in it since I could write at least an A4 page of none [word removed] normally. It's just the more I read about the project the more angry I get, the more I just wish you didn't exist because nothing is better than license.txt

[steuben]

ahh the coders we love to hate. because they never have to maintain the mess that they make. tell me how many projects have you gotten where the coder did exactly that? how many projects of those where completely rewriting the code was not an option?

btw hi EvanCarroll