Xref: utzoo rec.games.frp:1792 comp.sources.wanted:2776
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!burl!codas!usfvax2!pdn!tsc3b21!Elric
From: Elric@tsc3b21.UUCP (Frank )
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,comp.sources.wanted
Subject: Re: programs for frp
Message-ID: <220@tsc3b21.UUCP>
Date: 17 Dec 87 13:24:20 GMT
References: <4897@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: tsc3b21!crash
Organization: Transportation Systems Consulting, FL
Lines: 72

in article <4897@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, flaig@cit-vlsi.Caltech.Edu (Charles M. Flaig) says:
>
> [ some deleted comments...]
>
> As I see it, several possibilities remain, each with drawbacks:
> 
> 1) Dice rolling - Probably not faster or easier, but it _IS_ more
>    secretive, and harder to lose on the floor...
> 
> 2) NPC generation - Probably okay if you need simple NPCs, and don't
>    worry about the total character making sense.  Definitely a bad
>    idea for key NPCs...
> 
> 3) Weather simulation, etc. - But I do all of these things on purpose
>    if they are meaningful, otherwise a whim suffices as well as true
>    randomness.
> 
> 4) Map displays - These can look very nice, but I see no advantage
>    over having them on paper, especially if you want to see large
>    areas or compare several maps at once.
> 
> I don't really mean to discourage you from trying, I just wanted to
> point out the results of my own past attempts at this sort of thing.
> While computers are very useful for relatively simple (ie. mechanical)
> solitare games, most FRP games require a large variety of support, so
> the parallel format of spreading sheets and books across a desk seems
> much more usable than the (relatively) cramped serial form of a CRT
> display. 
> 
> --Charles Flaig

I agree.  And I have attempted some code at various times as my enthuasm
reaches its peek ;-).  The points mentioned above are good ones, however:

1.  The computer is good at inventory of miscellaneous items that (some)
	GM's must keep track of.  My code was set for AD&D and so I planned
	on maintaining charges on wands, elapsed time on rings which expire
	after a certain amount of time, etc.

2.  As in #1, I also used the inventory mechanism to record where individual
	items of importance were located.  For instance, if 2 out of 3 objects
	are needed to gain some objective, the program was to track where the
	objects were.  (A real pain, even for the computer, when the object
	was in the possession of another band of NPC adventurers...)

3.  I had not put this in my code (yet), but I considered a random dungeon
	generator for quickie games which would last only an hour or two.
	(Actually the code for the random dungeon works, but the map drawing
	was "unimplemented".)

4.  Combat is always tedious, and so 6 formulas and 6 lines of initialized
	data takes care of the combat tables (excellent also for my TI-59
	calculator).  But I'd like to see an efficient method of handling
	the incidentals -- "you're hit by Falferd and your potion ... [the dice
	rolls and the result is ... 15 out of 20] ... is destroyed!"

Does anyone see other good applications?  I agree with those few postings
of people that have written some code in this area, since most of them will
recognize the shortcomings.  Not enough data can be displayed at once with
a standard 24x80 screen, which results in too many keystrokes to get where
you want; clumsy handling of large inventories like those of a mage;
difficulty tracking game time (unless this could be automated some how--
so that combat inquiries log time, but what other time consuming ventures?).


"Use the Source, Luke.  Feel it flow through your fingertips..."
-----
Frank (crash) Edwards
...!codas!usfvax2!{pdn,jc3b21}!tsc3b21!crash
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