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Message 301 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jul 19 16:58:18 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: TWISTed_Util

I am writing to announce #9004, TWISTed_UTILs.
It is mostly what you can do with the various weapon verbs,
and the different msg's and features you can add.
I listed the currant verbs in the desc, and I gave an
idea of what each verb could or does do in the 
verb itself. (I.E To see what it does, list the verb.)
I defined what they could do in simple terms, so as
not to confuse anyone. (No cryptic text)
TWIST
As I develope new stuff, I'll post, or if you want to add
stuff lemme know.
--------------------------
Message 302 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 21 12:58:16 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      Quinn (#19845) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Please Keep Our Discussions...

...which purtain only to your dissatisfaction with my actions as Grand_Master 
to *gms or private mail.  This annoying tendency to conduct flame wars 
regarding internal RPG affairs in front of the whole world must stop, if only 
to preserve the honor of the RPG.  Noone here is trying to subvert whatever 
noble ideals you hold true for the game, but I feel that I have acted in a 
justifiable manner in re-instating Tindy in a probationary manner (which I 
have told her) with a watchdog (TWIST) to FIX HER STUFF and learn what NOT to 
do as a GM.  If she learns, great, if not, we can boot her.

And no, there is no heirarchy among Grand_Masters, however, since Miles is a 
new and relatively untested Grand_Master, I wanted to make sure that things 
were being done properly.  Faced with no evidence except the allegation that 
there was a buffer in Moriah's posession that contained a conversation between 
Miles and Tindy, I wanted to see more before keeping her from fixing her 
things.

If you agree with the decision, great.  I might not have done anything if I 
had heard anything about it directed to me.  I don't always read *rpg-stuph 
immediately, thinking that anything of import to GMS or SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION 
might be sent to, oh, say, *gms?  Or Grand_Master?  What a thought.

Anyway, let's keep the administrative discussions among the admins, shall we?  
I'm tired of having our soiled boxers hanging over the door of LambdaHouse.

Thank you
darkrider
--------------------------
Message 303 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 21 16:22:18 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: My Widget

 
    Okay, I fixed my backup/restore widget like darkrider asked me 
to. If there's enuff intrest I'll put it on my FO.
  Listing for the backup verb:
 
  1: "Usage: backup <widget> [for <player>]";
  2: "This records a player's stats, so's I c'n bring 'em back if I need ta.";
  3: "Line 17 added to record a player's current potential, since \"pot\" is
 missing from $local.rpg.atts.";
  4: if (!$local.rpg:trust())
  5:   return E_PERM;
  6: endif
  7: gamer = iobj;
  8: boss = this.owner;
  9: this.player_db = {};
 10: this.last_player = gamer;
 11: resume = 1;
 12: if (valid(voodo = $local.rpg:get_doll(gamer)))
 13:   for stat in ($local.rpg.atts)
 14:     if ($command_utils:suspend_if_needed(3))
 15:       boss.location:announce("Suspending operation.");
 16:       resume = 1;
 17:     endif
 18:     if (resume)
 19:       boss.location:announce("Recording....");
 20:       boss:tell("Recording....");
 21:       resume = 0;
 22:     endif
 23:     char = voodo:get_att(stat);
 24:     this.player_db = listappend(this.player_db, char);
 25:   endfor
 26: endif
 27: this.player_db = listappend(this.player_db, "pot");
 28: boss:tell(gamer:title() + "'s info's been saved.");
_29_ gamer:tell("Your info has been saved. ");
 
  Listing for the restore verb:
 
  1: "Usage: restore <widget>";
  2: "Lines 27 and 28 added to patch missing item in $local.rpg.atts.";
  3: if (!$local.rpg:trust())
  4:   return E_PERM;
  5: endif
  6: x = 1;
  7: gamer = this.last_player;
  8: boss = this.owner;
  9: resume = 1;
 10: if (valid(voodo = $local.rpg:get_doll(gamer)))
 11:   for stat in ($local.rpg.atts)
 12:     if ($command_utils:suspend_if_needed(3))
 13:       boss.location:announce("Suspending operation.");
 14:       boss:tell("Suspending...");
 15:       resume = 1;
 16:     endif
 17:     if (resume)
 18:       boss.location:announce("Restoring...");
 19:       boss:tell("Restoring...");
 20:       resume = 0;
 21:     endif
 22:     char = this.player_db[x];
 23:     voodo:set_att(stat, char);
 24:     x = (x + 1);
 25:   endfor
 26: endif
 27: char = this.player_db[x];
 28: voodo:set_att(stat, char);
 29: boss.location:announce(gamer:title() + "'s info has been restored. (In
 theory)");
_30_ boss:tell(gamer:title() + "'s info has been restored. (You hope.)");
 
                        "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 304 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jul 22 00:45:30 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: pot

"Pot" isn't a missing attribute.  It isn't an attribute.  $local.rpg.atts is 
SUPPOSED to be a list of OBJECTS.
--------------------------
Message 305 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jul 22 13:07:40 1994 PDT
From:    Nosredna (#2487)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: archival

I have archived messages 1-200 on 
parcftp:/pub/MOO/contrib/mail/rpc-news.931216.
--------------------------
Message 306 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jul 22 23:01:43 1994 PDT
From:    Miles (#50636)
To:      darkrider (#7003) and *RPG-News (#9551)

> Faced with no evidence except the allegation that there was a
> buffer in Moriah's posession that contained a conversation between
> Miles and Tindy, I wanted to see more before keeping her from
> fixing her things.

Maybe if you actually read your mail, you might refrain from such manipulative 
statements, but maybe not.
--------------------------
Message 307 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Jul 24 12:02:18 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: dr's idea of weapons inflicting differing amounts of damage

that seems to be on the money, i.e., clubs not doing the same amount of damage 
to leather armor as does a two-handed sword. i'd be willing to put together a 
proposed list of how different weapons would affect different types of armor, 
if i thought it'd be of use.  
along those same lines, of course, the weapons' effect against armor should be 
permanent in terms of the degradation of the armor. likewise, fighting a 
monster that has weaponry, one's weapons could be damaged as well. but haven't 
we been through this before? i'm supposing that it'll take a fair amount of 
coding to actually acomplish it, which is why it hasn't already been put into 
effect.  

as to the whole thing with tindy being de gmed and the associated "flame 
wars", i refer you to my post 112 on *rs. i would like to reiterate my idea 
that before anyone is gmed or degmed, the g_ms speak with each other and are 
in agreement. twist's idea  of a gmrb is interesting but i wonder if it isn't 
a kludgier solution than is necessary. :) seems the big problem with this 
degming was that dr wasn't in on it, and was approached by tindy before he'd 
had a chance to go through his mail and respond.   
--------------------------
Message 308 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Jul 24 17:24:44 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: oops. i rmmed something i wrote from here..oh well..i get to rewrite 
it.

i agree, moriah, dr did act to hastily in regming tindy. on the other hand, i 
think it was an act of carelessness more than spite. in any event, a more 
important issue seems to be making the process of gming and ungming more clear.
while we as gms can give input about this process, the actual bit grant is 
still in g_m's court. hopefully, they're discussing what that process should 
be now on *g_m.  for however whoever has screwed up, i think they'll be better 
off working tegether to prevent future mishaps than they well be picking away 
at each other's mistakes.  
--------------------------
Message 309 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 09:33:21 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      Moriah (#50459) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: oops. who's gonna kill me :/

i sent a post to *gm thinking it was another name for #9551. then i saw it had 
appeared on tales of the innebriated gm so i tried to @rmm it. unfortunately, 
it wound up removing moriah's post to 9551. 
heh.
sorry about that.
for those of you who didn't get to read her post, it was a brilliant 
chatisement of dr. 
--------------------------
Message 310 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 10:08:07 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: weapons vs. armor

Here is my .02$
Using the .special_damage prop of a weapon,
the various weapon vs. armor effects could be shown.
I.E. a club does damage through its impact, not through any edge
damage was reduced, this would go along way to show
that the damage from a club isn't mitigated by armor (at least not as
much as damage from a sword)
Ya follow?
Questions/comments?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 311 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 11:20:54 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: My cencorship

No prob, i've a copy offline and will re-forward it next post.

Would some G_M please fix the list so that only G_Ms and the author of a post 
can remove the post?

Thank you
-M
--------------------------
Message 312 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 11:27:43 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The "Tindy-gate" affair

>seems the big problem with this degming was that dr wasn't
>in on it, and was approached by tindy before he'd had a chance
>to go through his mail and respond.

Why does dr have to be "in on it"? Quinn has deGMed many times
without dr being "in on it."  So has dr without the expressed
"permission" of other G_Ms.  Phantom has also back when he was
active.

Miles knew of Quinn's rebuking Tindy and Quinn's warnings. He
took this into consideration.  dr didn't bother to even check the
facts before undoing a fellow G_Ms decision.

He states that "Miles was an untried G_M" .. if he didn't have
confidence in Miles, he shouldn't have made him a G_M. And the
ludicrous pronouncement that dr should have been "copied"
with all documentation, is hogwash.  Some RPGers do not trust
dr (me for one) and wouldn't agree to have anything "copied" to
a G_M with such a history of chaotic and disruptive behavior.
(Evidence this rash upstaging of his co-G_M).

Bottom line? IMHO dr was wrong to upstage Miles.  He has admittedly
done it without reading his mail and without consulting with the
G_M that did it.  This is highly irresponsible and unprofessional.
I'm told that every other active G_M agreed with Miles. Seems that
dr didn't check with anyone else.

So, what is dr saying? That he doesn't have to read anything, or check
with anyone else when he makes a decision, but that everyone
else has to get his ok before making a decision? I thought this was
a group character. Sounds more like someone has too big an ego
to me.

-M

--------------------------
Message 313 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 14:45:31 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Problem with initiation chamber

The initiation chamber is making an error (or undocumented stat boost for 
newbies).  I died recently, and noticed that the following stats were not 
reset to 0, but to a fixed number.  I tried it several times Thursday (21st) 
and again today to see if it was fixed.  Here's the buggy stats:
Skill      #   total
magic      18  (39)
heal       35  (74)
time       12  (51)
fire       12  (51)
slow       12  (63)
storm      12  (63)

These stats are the same every time I initiated, and right out of the 
chamber... no training or casting was ever done.
I can see an enhanced heal, perhaps for better morale.. but I thought the 
highest skill score was 25 (?).

-Rax (reporting the birthing boom of lotsa newbie/mage/clerics)
--------------------------
Message 314 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jul 25 21:22:27 1994 PDT
From:    Ogwul (#43860)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Let us step forward...

Whats done is done.  Let us not dwell on past events which we cannot change.  
The incident regarding Tindy has stirred up quite a hornets nest, but lets not 
just fume at each other--let us use this to spur constructive thought on how 
to avoid these problems in the future.  I refer to post 500 of *rpg-news by 
TWIST.
In that post, TWIST recounts what was discussed by he, Miles, and I regarding 
a 'system' for GM approval/suspension and education.  I am all for this 
advancement.  But, in order for it to succeed, there must be input from 
you--all of you interested in the well-being of the LRPG.
If you have any suggestions at all regarding this proposed system, please post 
them here so that all may discuss them.  Then perhaps we can leave this behind 
us and step forward toward a more lucid, structured RPG system that we can all 
be proud of.

                                           -- Ogwul
--------------------------
Message 315 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jul 26 23:13:55 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: piles of stuff

Why not hack #259:birth, to have it
sweep any gear (not money) left from a kill, when the monster
is birthed? The sweep could check the .mine {} before granting
said beastie new gear.
comments/questions?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 316 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Jul 27 11:58:51 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Ogwul (#43860)
Subject: i'll reiterate my thoughts on granting and removing gm bits.

contrary to twist's proposal of a gm bit granting board, i think the process 
should be kept simpler. if his proposal goes through, we'll have to worry next 
about election procedures, length of term, who gets to vote and such.
instead, i think that the g_m's have the ability to make fine decisions. but 
that they need to define and agree amongst themself as to procedure. one 
possibility is to post a notice to #9551 and to *rs about a change in gm 
status on a player, asking all  responses be sent to g_m. or if that seems to 
hassle oriented, you could leave out posting to *rs or to both *rs and #9551.  
further, how about setting a time limit on responses? in other words, say i 
was up for a gm bit, you'd post it either to g_m or to wherever and wait a 
minimum of a few weeks before making a decision (to allow for everyone to have 
a chance to get in their two cent's worth. ) if there's a lot of controversy, 
wait till it subsides before making a decision.  
i suggest that a minimum moo age be placed on those granted a gm bit, or more 
specifically, a minimum rpg age,to insure that new gms have a feel of how the 
rpg here works before being granted gm status.  because, for example, tindy's 
python might be perfectly acceptable on some other rpg moos of a more violent, 
dog eat dog nature.  
um, i think that's all i had to say. i feel like i left something out.  
anyway, what do you all think of that? 
--------------------------
Message 317 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Jul 27 12:43:55 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Sponsoring a GM Applicant

Lately I have been suggesting to prosepective GMs that they get a current GM 
to 'sponsor' them...i.e. make sure they are qualified, and be the person who 
shows them 'the ropes', answering the slew of questions the person will have 
about how to do things.

Basically, I do this to keep GMs from getting all sorts of repetitive simple 
questions unless they are interested in helping, and as an attempt to let the 
GMs decide who they think is qualified without a G_M having to personally 
interview them at length.

dr
--------------------------
Message 318 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Jul 27 16:19:35 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: I thought this was over...

...and I really wish it were.  Perhaps what we need is a little more distance 
between business and personal relations here.  At any rate, I *do* read my 
mail (it is forwarded to me somewhere else, where I also conduct my RL 
business, so I see it fairly quickly) and respond to anything worth responding 
to.

I do NOT, however, read *rpg-stuph every day.  That is a players' area, and 
for the most part, if I think the GMs are having a problem, I read *GMS.  
Hence the name.  *rpg-stuph is NOT, *my* mail.

Now, I understand that there is an ARB election going on, and that some folks 
have vested interests in spreading minor incidents all over the MOO as though 
they were major scandal in order to damage my credibility as a candidate.  
This shite happens in a campaign of viscious virtual politics, and even if it 
hurts my campaign, I would still buy the perpetrators a beer if they came to 
visit (well, if they drink beer :) .  Regardless, understand that there may be 
a secondary motivation in continuing this silliness, if only hurt feelings, 
and that it is NOT the case that the RPG is about to expire from gross 
mismanagement.

In the immortal words of David Byrne:
        "Same as it ever was."

(Or was that a fukn Rolling Schlock beer commercial? :) 
--------------------------
Message 319 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Jul 27 22:01:11 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: gm review

Hope nobody complains next time a bit yank has to be discussed and voted on, 
while some corrupt GM is giving out potential to player killers and randomly 
smiting innocent gamers.

If a policeman sees someone whacking people's heads off with an axe, he 
doesn't call in a jury before taking away the goddamned axe.

Remove the GM bit for a probationary period until all the G_Ms (or whatever 
body) can agree on a permanent action.  darkrider's re-instatement of Tindy's 
bit undermined Miles's credibility and authority as a Grand_Master.

It was not a fair action.  HE should have asked the other Grand_Masters how 
they felt about the matter before taking such a drastic action.  Tindy would 
not have been hurt by having her GM bit removed for a while.  She had no large 
well-trafficked area that would have broken.

Players, however, COULD have been hurt, abused by Tindy, or some players could 
have wrongly benefitted from her "generous unofficial personal endowments".

darkrider has disregarded the authority of other Grand_Masters before.  He 
once removed MY GM bit (while I was still a Grand_Master), breaking all of 
Darkrime!  While he wears a public guise of impartiality, his actions do not 
always reflect his words.

-Quinn
--------------------------
Message 320 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 11:12:39 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Impartiality indeed :) 

I am most certainly not impartial, Quinn, I am a person and I do make personal 
decisions.  However, part of what is important to this person is the RPG, and 
I try to make sure that there is some consistency in the way things are 
handled.  Maybe next time we make a Grand_Master we should give them a two 
week tutorial on how not to step on the other G_Ms, and perhaps I need a 
refresher.

However, when I tried to wake you up, Quinn, to get your feelings on this 
silliness, you ignored me.  Miles is on rather sporadically if at all during 
the day, and I couldn't talk to him.  Moriah wouldn't talk to me if I offered 
her a $5 million contract to do spoken word recordings.  And none of the dire 
things you mention in terms of Tindy 'abusing' anyone came about.

Anyway, this has little do to with Tindy.  Quinn, you obviously remember when 
I removed your bit, after you refused to talk to me substantially about 
gathering a posse as a Grand_Master to murder a player killer.  I most 
certainly did break Darkrime, folks, and Quinn then paid attention to what I 
had to say about G_M's not gathering vendetta groups because someone was 
playing within the rules, evil or not.  Crude, but effective when dealing with 
someone who, at the time, was little more than a hotshot brat, and a new G_M 
of my creation.

Now, if I acted hastily in this case, which everyone and their brother says I 
did, I apologise to Miles.  I still have confidence in Miles' ability to deal 
with code, and I will have to grow to have that same confidence in his ability 
to administer the RPG.  This I have not done, but if Miles wants to actually 
work out some new policies with me, that's great too.  We can both learn from 
the experience, instead of honing our flamethrowing skills.  (Hrm...sounds 
like a cool weapon... :)  

dr
--------------------------
Message 321 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 11:28:46 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: My two Bits.

I was there when Quinn lost his GM bit WAY WAY back when.
He wasn't gathering a posse to kill a player character, he was
arriving to help stop a fight that had already killed no less
than 15 players already. If you want any other details about
that lemme know.

What about the other GM's who were on when Tindy got her bit back?
Moriah wasn't the only one on (actually I don't think she was on)
I was on, as was borax, anj, and possibly keelah (I'm not sure about
that last one.) I think Taskmaster might also have been on (or he came
on shortly there after). NONE of us were talked to about it, granted
none of us are G_M's, but still most of us had dealings with
Tindy one way or another.

I don't think the real issue is Tindys bit. I personally think the
real problem is that one G_M has made another look the fool. As
far back as I can remember (about 3 years) G_Ms never have
second guessed each other.

TWIST
--------------------------
Message 322 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 11:40:44 1994 PDT
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Problem with the Initiation Chamber

Thank you, Borax, for that cool bug report.  Somehow the stats on #74 were set 
to something other than 0 for the ones you listed.  While it is cool for the 
newbie mages, it is not really fair to those who had to start at 0, so I reset 
them all to 0.

Please, GMs, don't change the stats on #74, unless you have a VERY good 
reason, which you post here. :)  It makes the G_Ms' jobs a little easier.

darkrider

ps. ins was also starting at 1, but that was prolly not noticed.
--------------------------
Message 323 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 13:21:15 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259), Isagi (#21077), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: >>YAWN<<

    Just to let you guys know, I'm working with Tindy on her python on toning 
it down.  It really should only be able to do as much damage as you are big.

    I mean, someone like me (human size 10 in rpg terms) would take less 
damage from the constrictor than say.. Flug (size 38) would.

    It's really death by suffocation you know, eyes popping out, face turning 
blue..  ^_-  So maybe it should take a while?

    Now, back to why I really posted here.  I'm debating linking Death 
(#51082) with this list - to stalk anyone who starts up the revoking GM-bit 
discussions.  This goes for GM's and G_M's too.

    I'm not afraid of any of the other G_M's since I know of a way to revoke 
their G_M status and rewrite all of G_M's things.  Don't ask me on how I know, 
but I do.

    I'm into system security, and the RPG is wide open as far as I'm 
concerned.  ^_^

  --  Isagi the bored programmer
--------------------------
Message 324 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 13:51:57 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: I need YOUR input  ^_^

    Since there seems to be an overabundance of non-communication between us, 
I'm starting a schedule of GM meetings.

    So far Miles, Dred, and I will be able to log onto the MOO after 10PM EDT 
on Thursday.  If you can also, please reply to this list that you can.

    If not, then please post when you are available (or not available) so that 
I can move the time around.

    For instance, I can't log on after Sundown on Friday night, and won't be 
able to log back on until EENT (End of nautical twilight - Complete darkness) 
on Saturday night.

  -- Isagi the little Anterran
P.S.  My post on *rs about changing G_M bits was true (about a month + 1/2 
ago) before Miles stiffened the security on the doll's scheduling.  ;>
--------------------------
Message 325 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 14:36:27 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: untruth

>Moriah wouldn't talk to me if I offered her a $5 million contract to 
>do spoken word recordings.
 
I have stated publically:
I do not trust darkrider.
 
In truth,
I do not respect darkrider and have little tolerance for his 
silly, childish antics.
 
But,
I have NEVER @refused him, @gagged him or failed to respond to
some question or discussion about RPG matters with him.
 
Please quit misrepresenting facts to the GMs, dr.
 
-M (Wondering why her name was even brought up. I'm not
a G_M and wasn't even connected at the time.)
--------------------------
Message 326 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 14:46:24 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Mooriah

Mooriah, the point was that you were not logged in when I needed to know what 
was up with this buffer you supposedly captured that was damning evidence of 
GM sloth.  Fortunately, you seem to have no sense of humour, that $5 million 
thing was a 'joke' in the sense of 'satire' ... i.e. blowing things out of 
proportion to prove a point, which can roughly boil down to 'you hate my 
guts'.  Your message was thus redundant.

Your lack of respect flatters me...
darkrider
--------------------------
Message 327 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 14:50:28 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: The long-awaited platform outline:

I was recently approached by Cypres (AKA dr_beaky) #54787 to sponsor it for 
GM-hood.  If it requests the same from you, please ask it for clarification of 
the following post on it's ARB-Ballot.   (I believed it says something to the 
effect of: 'no reimbursement for projects largely ignored by the public, ie 
RPG areas')

>  Date:     Fri Jul 22 20:17:21 1994 PDT
>  From:     Doctor_Beaky (#54787)
>  To:       *ARB-Petition:Doctor_Beaky (#8690)
>  Subject:  The long-awaited platform outline:
>  
>  The MOO theme as it stands (`a sprawling mansion and its
>  environs') is very flexible. There are very few so-called
>  unthemely creations that cannot be modified to conform, if only to
>  honor those who set up this milieu.
>  Therefore, the only type of creation that would lead me to a `no'
>  vote is that which doesn't benefit the public.
>  (either something unusable by the public by virtue of programming
>  or something ignored by a signifigant number of people, for
>  example, an RPG area)

Okay.. go back up 5 lines and read that again!
>  
>  I realize that this is the briefest of statements. More to come...

I asked it (doctor_beaky) about this and it seemed completely suprised, so 
this may all be a big mistake.  I'm interested to see if that gets it elected.

-Rax (just breaking the *GMS flame-of-thought)
--------------------------
Message 328 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 16:09:52 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: we just all love each other so much. 

quinn is of course right that yanking a gm bit from an abuser shouldn't have 
to wait for a caucus. maybe the granting of one should, though.
boy what a lot of intensity. you can't tell the players without a scorecard.  
methinks if we could all do a little less name calling and frustration venting 
here things might get a bit better.
as for isagisan...well, i'm turned around...don't talk about gmbit removal or 
he'll remove your gm bit...but he wants our input!) ha, that's pretty funny, 
is.
i agree, i don't like the flameshit that's going on. but aren't we supposed to 
be building the rpg via this subscription, be it through programming code 
input or what?
--------------------------
Message 329 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 18:13:07 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: clarity

>Mooriah, the point was that you were not logged in when I 
>needed to know 
 
Perhaps this is what you should have said then dr. Not that
I "wouldn't" talk to you.  Lets try to be clearer with our 
intent ok?
 
>what was up with this buffer you supposedly 
>captured that was damning evidence of  GM sloth.  
 
Once again, are you making a joke? or deliberately distorting
the truth? As I said before, I simply logged Miles' discussion
with Tindy.  As I indicated, I mailed it to him.  You should have
asked him for it, not me.
 
>Fortunately, you seem to have no sense of humour, that 
>$5 million  thing was a 'joke' in the sense of 'satire' ... i.e. 
>blowing things out of  proportion to prove a point, which can 
>roughly boil down to 'you hate my  guts'.  Your message was
>thus redundant.
 
I guess once again "fortunately", i fail to see your logic in
redundancy and your humor in the satiric joke. And no, I do not
hate your guts. You are reading more into my words than I said
(again).
 
>Your lack of respect flatters me...
 
Should it?
 
-M
--------------------------
Message 330 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 20:36:29 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Meeting Results

The following is a proposal and beginning charter for a proposed
GM Review Board.  This is just a skeleton outline and is being
discussed.  Please review it and forward any suggestions and
discussion.  It will be revised at the next GM meeting, 
Wednesday Aug 3 at 10pm EST.  Meet in G8's room.
 
Proposed:
 
The GMRB:
A board of no less than 7 GMs with no less than 8 months
of GMship behind them. These are elected from the Gms.
A G_M is also a GM so is eligible as any other GM for
membership on the board.  Each member has 1 vote.
 
The board will have the power of GM membership, and 
control over social issues of the LRPG such as the
economy, player relations, player GM relations, topology,
and related matters.
 
 
 
To GM:
1. A simple majority vote after 1 week of candidacy.
2. Proven programming skill.
3. Good reputation for integrity and honesty
4. An RPG player of no less than 6 months
5. A probationary period of 3 months with a formal
vote and review at that time.
 
 
 
To deGM:
1.G_M may de-gm as his discretion and submit the gm to
the board for review and state the reasons. The board must
review the GM and state the permanancy of the GMs status 
after 1 week.
2. The board may have the power to deGM a GM if it deems 
it necessary for the cooperative functioning of the LRPG and
maintaining the ethical standards of GMship. A majority by a
3 vote margin is necessary for deGMing.
 
--------------------------
Message 331 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 20:49:03 1994 PDT
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GM meeting held on July 28, 10pm EST

GMs present at the GM meeting (no important order, just how I logged it at the 
time) 

Taskmaster (#46102) 
darkrider (#7003)
G8keeper [Moriah] (#61219)
Dred (#49925) 
Isagi (#21077)
Frobno (#49397)
TWIST (#37972)
Borax (#45216)
StarDancer (#82267)
PB (#50224) 

The previous note by Moriah is a general consensus by the attendees. Some of 
us do have logs of the whole meeting (I don't, Moriah and Borax do, I know) if 
anyone wants a raw copy, I suppose.

Next meeting on the GM board is Wednesday, August 3rd, at 10pm EDT.

                                             - TM
--------------------------
Message 332 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Jul 28 21:06:51 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The Proposal...

Clarification:  I am not in agreement with all or even most of the draft 
proposal.  I think it needs a lot more discussion, whether or not you agree, 
so please come to the next meeting if you can, and in the meantime let's 
attempt to tender suggestions as to what the scope of the board should be, and 
whether there should be on in the form suggested by the note.

dr
--------------------------
Message 333 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Jul 30 14:27:48 1994 PDT
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Security 'holes'

Well, someone just erased all the messages on *gms for whatever 
reason...luckily I was able to retrieve them.  I appreciate the fact that some 
GMs seem quite interested now in finding security 'holes' that they can 
exploit, but if I catch you acting on them rather than telling me, I will be 
most unfriendly.  I don't need all the extra work, frankly.

I really hope that we don't have to give up the time honored RPG tradition of 
trusting our GMs not to screw up the system.

darkrider
--------------------------
Message 334 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Jul 30 20:25:09 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The Generic Bug

  I've just made the Generic Bug, which is a part of the 
first-generation stealth-monster. It has been set so it (hopefully) 
won't make the monster it's linked to ambush anybody fresh out of 
the initiation chamber, but that needs to be tested further. 
  I've also toned the Python down considerably, and it seems to 
present little challenge to an experienced PC. Now all I need to do 
is find some newbies willing to take it on. :}
                      "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 335 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Jul 31 18:43:03 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: [Change Requested] #74:arm - prevent beings with 1 or less hands from 
wielding..

    Could one of the G_M's change #74:arm to reflect that a two handed weapon 
can't be wielded by a player with less than two hands?  Same thing goes with a 
single handed weapon - and possessing no hands to wield it.

    This change would support some programming I've done to remove players' 
(and monsters') hands.

    Pretty please with kobolds on top?  ^_^

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 336 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Aug  3 14:25:37 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: RPG Jeopardy!  'Huge security loophole'

    A:  What is '#46:check_notification'?

    Congratulations, Mr.  umm..  Isagi - you win the daily double!  AND The 
lovely trip to the Bermuda triangle!

   <sigh>  Been there, done that.

    ^_^

    Seriously guys[, girls, its, and E's] - here's something that has nary a 
check to :trusted and is running with G_M's perms.

    Just wanted to let you know that.  ^_^

  --  Isagi the little Anterran  [Unnofficial debugger for the RPG]
(Now if only I could this #@*&?! PaintJet to work with OS/2..)
--------------------------
Message 337 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 07:08:35 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Heres an idea to get us more players..

Why don't we plan a war?
All players interested could be given one of those
pin cussions that prevent death, and teams could be drawn up.
The teams could be based on exp, and a GM could act as 
sponsor to each team (giving information, and status of the other
teams). A reward of potential (say 50 oints?) could goto
the winning team, with smaller awards for second and third.
The goals of the team could be to stay alive, gather items from the
other groups, or resuce the maiden type things.

I think this would help put a competative edge back into the RPG
Questions/comments?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 338 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 07:20:02 1994 PDT
From:    Gilmore (#34435)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Why prevent death?  Why not add the fightin' edge of playing for keeps?
--------------------------
Message 339 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 07:59:22 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Why prevent death?
Easy, if players can die and lose what they have worked for,
they wont want to play. (I.E. one 9000 exp character can EASILY
kill 15 or 16  2000exp characters..I've seen it done)
--------------------------
Message 340 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 08:07:36 1994 PDT
From:    Gilmore (#34435)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

If the rewards are great enough, people will play.  You'll just have to make 
sure that the "teams" are evenly divided, so a low-exp character can pal 
around with higher-level ones and work together for safety.
--------------------------
Message 341 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 08:21:56 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: wars

It might be neat to have random players of comparable skill be yanked by the 
"gods" into an Arena.  The winner gets some pot.  If you teleport out, your 
opponent automatically gets the pot.
--------------------------
Message 342 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 08:51:48 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

maybe if they were to not get killed but disqualified?
--------------------------
Message 343 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 13:09:17 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: more wars...

I like the war idea, with Twist and anj's ideas combined... 
Isagi made some pin cushions that prevent death, but even better would be a 
modified version, a 'flag' for each player.  Make a 'take-a-number' type 
machine dispensing the flags.  Each time someone takes a flag from the 
machine, their stats are measured and the flag turns into a team color 
(evening out the teams).
When the player recieves a death blow, they lose their flag and are teleported 
to their homes with a friendly 'You haven't really died, but you don't have 
your flag anymore due to simulated war-death.  You are officially out of the 
war.'.
Perhaps this is a good time to give the player a score sheet of their personal 
kills and the team standings. (A Sports Page, if you will.)  Players should 
not be able to re-enter the war after 'war-death'.

Just a sketchy outline of more ideas...
-Rax
--------------------------
Message 344 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 13:47:26 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Arena and Wars

Quinn's arena idea sounds cool, just make sure if you are teleporting people 
around that they are already in an RPG area, or in some other way acquiescing 
to be toyed with by LRPGods.

wrt wars...why not give the players something to war about?  Playing a game of 
'capture the flag' is fine, but it's so obviously staged that it doesn't add 
much to the overall flow of fantasy...perhaps artifacts worth having, or a few 
evil players leading a band of nasty creatures (GM supplied) etc...I was 
considering sprinkling a few castles around my area, cool safe places that 
generate cash, etc.  People might kill for one of those...

darkrider
--------------------------
Message 345 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug  4 21:02:20 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Generic Knowledge Reactor

  I've just made a reactor that c'n have knowledge loaded onta it. 
I'd like some feedback, comments or suggestions RE #8822. I've made 
a kid, #4327 aka Help Reactor for the squats.
                          "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 346 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug  5 00:49:51 1994 PDT
From:    Curator (#30246)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: NEWS FLASH!

ATTENTION all GMS and G_Ms. There is now a RPG display room located down from 
the foyer in the Museum. Please, please, go to the foyer and 'register #object 
in registry' for all RPG generic objects you own. And please go take a look at 
the room, and send any further ideas to me.

--Keelah.
--------------------------
Message 347 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug  5 06:43:12 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

the war should maybe give potential to the winning side, maybe a point per 
player. but like all great ideas :) who's gonna do the work?
--------------------------
Message 348 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug  5 08:16:56 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The work?

I'd be willing to do the work, or atleast get things started.
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 349 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug  5 15:02:04 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Dislexia strikes GM!

This is just a correction for Tindy's last post (546 on *gms).
The knowledge reactor for AHaBs she made is #8228... #8822 is a wand that I 
made.  Imagine my suprise, reading that it was a knowledge reactor too! :)

-Rax
--------------------------
Message 350 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Aug  6 04:46:39 1994 PDT
From:    Soundchaser (#62871)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: WOW!!!

Natural disasters can really put you behind the times. You people have been 
busy!
I am not sure what happened with Tindy, but the response was impressive. It 
looks to me that the resulting argument has been blown out of proportion. Egos 
and lack of communication are excellent fuels for controversy. I really don't 
see any reason to create some sort of `governing' body. It will just take up 
some more of these peoples precious time. Like Quinn said, a `court' can't 
solve an immediate problem. Anyway, that's my two cents on that.

How about this for a possible solution to the `economy': 
It was mentioned earlier that to have an economy there had to be finite 
resources. That could be a pretty easy fix. Let us say that there were only 
fifty PCs and fifty NPCs, for a total of one hundred LRPG dolls. And lets 
assume that if a player was maxed out on equipment that the cost of that 
equipment would total one hundred gold pieces. To create the finite resources, 
the RPG despensor could be limited to output only 10000 gold pieces worth of 
equipment/money.
Just an over simplified example, but it could be made to work.

Well, I hope to be here more often now. I have a new computer thanks to the 
wonders of fallen trees and insurance. It is a great, but inconvenient way of 
upgrading your computer. Hurricane + Tree + Insurance = New Computer + New 
Stereo. :)

Soundchaser <-- Anyone have any blueprints for an Ark? -->
--------------------------
Message 351 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug  9 08:52:38 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: meeting this week?

are we having one?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 352 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug  9 13:23:54 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: Wednesday August 10th @ 10PM EDT Meeting

    We're going to hold another meeting in G8's library as usual.  Time is 
once again 10 PM eastern standard time.

  I've written up some things for guidelines on gaining sponsorship to become 
a GM, and I'll be ironing it out with you guys, as well as other stuff.  
Including the continuation of the GMRB (We need a better anacronym..) doctrine.

    All are invited as usual, this includes G_M's.  Quinn, you were 
unfortunately absent from the last two meetings, we'd like your input.

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 353 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug  9 13:42:03 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: meetings

Excuse me, Saggy.  I didn't even KNOW about the first two until reading the 
minutes on this list.  Besides that, I can't always be on without idling 
through call-waiting taht I cannot turn off because it ain't just my phone.
--------------------------
Message 354 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug  9 19:46:30 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: #258:exit_ok

I plan on changing this to #258:exit_ok(new), which no longer checks the 
gnarly callers() stack for GM perms, but will check a .blessed_exit property 
(set by :bless_exit which is already in place).

I've hacked ~magic_db:teleport to call :bless_exit before its :moveto, but 
want to make sure I get all the other GM movetos before I put the new thing 
into place.

The reason for all this is that there are two many ways of getting around the 
fatigue by using legitimate moveto verbs owned by GMs.
--------------------------
Message 355 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Aug 10 13:01:20 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The generic monster (#259)

    Pardon me, but may I ask why #259.doll == #82507 and #259.alive 
defaults to 1? I'm asking 'cause las night I was asked to deal with 
a child of the generic announcer/follower (#18936), which is a 
descendant of #259.
   I did eventuly manage ta put the thing (named "Swarm of biting 
flies") in generic player repellent (#15571), but I'd 'preciate any 
tips or advice for the future.
                         "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 356 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Aug 10 13:21:12 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Thank you dr :}

--------------------------
Message 357 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Aug 10 19:48:01 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Transcript of Isagi, darkrider, and Profane on GM-ship [WARNING: LONG]

[Begin transcript]

Profane says, "pardon if I interrupt, but i am interested in becoming
LRPG GM. so i talk to a grand_master."

Isagi smiles, "OK."

Isagi notes that the current way of becoming a GM is to ask a current
GM to sponsor you.

darkrider [to Profane]: Find a GM that will be your teacher/mentor.

darkrider nods.

Profane [to Isagi]: Ah. Tell me more.

darkrider [to Isagi]: Do you want to find someone to write up the
criteria for sponsorship?  We should have a standard lecture.

Profane loves to get standard lectures(tm)

Isagi wrote up the standard criteria already - and sent it to someone,
he pipes it to the MOO.  :>

Profane whispers, "So um what's the first step in this sponsorship
business"

Isagi prefers a list format as such '{"str", 7, "end", 6, stat, val,
stat, val}

You say, "Well Profane, could we talk openly?  I prefer open speech
so that others may learn.  ^_^"

Profane says, "Well, i don't want to interrupt the high-brow tech
talk going on :)"

You say, "First off if I were to sponsor you, you'd have to match my
expectations.  I only require three things of you."

You say, "First off is proven programming skill."

You say, "This is both for normal MOO programming as well as RPG
programming (NOT a catch-22)."

Profane never done no RPG programming tho

darkrider nods.

Isagi would be satisfied if he saw you write some RPG code (that even
though it didn't work because you were a GM) that worked and was umm..
(Loss of words..  I'm hitting the thesaurus..)

!!!!  #51082 (Death) just killed Quinn

________SUGGESTED WORD: unique
________ACCEPT [Y/n] Y

Isagi @TYPO's umm --> unique

darkrider [to Isagi]: Interesting?

darkrider o.

Profane says, "Unique, eh? Bwahahaha"

You say, "I also would want a complete overview of what you were
going to build as a GM, with sample code, descriptions, and other
stuff.  I would not mind having this stuff mailed to my 'home'
account if Quota and posting on the MOO is a problem."

darkrider tickles your noodle with this delightful proposition:

It pages, "I wish all the *GMs* would do that :) "

darkrider [to Profane]: And your firstborn child.

Profane . o O ( ''even though it didn't work...that worked''? )

Profane already gots an outline of that

You say, "Not the firstborne child, but a loved pet would do.  ;>"

Profane just gotta type it up

Profane says, "No! You can't have my cats! I won't let you!"

You say, "What I mean by details is >30K worth of stuff - code,
descriptions, outlines of behaviours, as much as you can type up."

Isagi notes he'll probably never sponsor anyone with those
requirements, "But let me add - StarDancer actually satisfied them.
So it can be done."  (And she's only thirteen.  ^_^)

Isagi . o O ( |-----------------------,o,">  (Cat on a steam turbine) )

Profane has disconnected.

Isagi  >) (evil alien smiley)

Profane has connected.

Isagi . o O ( |-----------------------,o,">  (Cat on a steam turbine) )

Isagi  >) (evil alien smiley)

darkrider says, "I have to go to a meeting (ick) ... I will be back inna
while."

Profane says, "Um. odd. my last connection froze up. I didn't see
anything since you asked for my cats. didja say anything?"

Isagi bows.

Profane says, "Enjoy."

You say, "What I mean by details is >30K worth of stuff - code,
descriptions, outlines of behaviours, as much as you can type up."

Nosredna [to darkrider]: ok I added to help $object_utils telling
you about suspending

Isagi notes he'll probably never sponsor anyone with those
requirements, "But let me add - StarDancer actually satisfied
them.  So it can be done."  (And she's only thirteen.  ^_^)

darkrider [to Nosredna]: Thanks :) 

darkrider goes home.

Isagi smiles, "Domo yduJ-sama."  ^_^

Isagi's going to hunt down some poor hapless mortal.

Isagi bows.

________;#75947.mine[1]:moveto(me)
________=> 0
________[used 360 ticks, 0 seconds.]


________wield chain

________You wield your chainsaw.

Profane says, "Heck, i could fulfill those. it wouldn't take me long,
i've got my stuff planned out, i just got spit it out on paper, or
phosphor, or whatever"

Profane says, "Well, anyway, say I get someone to sponsor me, what next?"

You say, "Phosphor, preferably, that way I can translate easier.  ;>"

You say, "When someone sponsors you, then a review board votes on
whether you can become a GM."

Profane says, "A board of other GMs, i take it."

You say, "If they vote yes, then you go through at least  a three
month probationary period with GM privilages."

You say, "We'll tell you what's right, wrong, what shouldn't be done -
and if you're not sure about something ask a 'senior' (is that the
right word?) GM or GM."

Profane says, "Um, and how does one recognize a ''senior'' GM?"

You say, "GM's can not kill players  - no matter how annoying they are,
or how much you hate them.  You can't change their stats for favours,
or out of maliciousness."

Profane already understood all that.

You say, "A senior GM is either a GrandMaster, or someone like me,
who's been a GM for at least 6+ months."

Profane nods.

Isagi's just rattling stuff off his head from the last GM board meeting.  :>

Profane says, "i.e. a GM gotsta be ethical and stuff"

Profane raises an eyebrow.

Profane says, "Y'all have board meetings?"

Isagi nods, "Last one was Wednesday of last week.  I'm probably going to
post to the GM's mailing list that the next one's this Wednesday @ 10PM
EDT (This is our  normal time, but lots of people are fashionably late  ^_^)

Profane nods.

You say, "We usually have it in 'G8's library'."
Profane says, "is this like an open meeting?"

Isagi shrugs, "We've never had players at them."

You say, "I'm not sure."

Profane says, "Hmm, maybe I'll set a precedent ;)"

Profane will crash the secret inner workings of the GM conspiracy!
________@quota profane
Profane says, "Uh, yah."
________Profane has a total building quota of 50,000 bytes.
________His total usage was 13,823 as of Mon Aug  8 06:02:40 EDT.
________Profane may create up to 36,177 more bytes of objects, properties, or 
verbs.

Isagi forgot, "Oh yeah - in order for us to make you a GM, you also need to
have the quota to build an adventure.."  ^_^

Isagi . o O ( Adventure, scene, story, idea, or co-operative project
with <an>other GM<s> )

Profane says, "yeah, i figure that. hafta apply to the ARB."

Isagi should copy this down.  ^_^


[End transcript].
--------------------------
Message 358 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Aug 10 21:24:53 1994 PDT
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

The newest copy of the GMRB proposal is now on a $note I made, #77999. It's 
readable and writable by only GMs also, so it'll cut down on the mailing/cut & 
paste stuff we've played with lately.
--------------------------
Message 359 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug 11 09:58:11 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: how about a better descript for chainmail than something to watch 
over you?

maybe a vest of interlinked rings of steel, protecting one's torso, upper arms 
and groin. ? and what about a prop which makes the wearer tire from the heat 
of wearing stuff?
--------------------------
Message 360 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Aug 11 11:44:08 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Committee on the GMRB

@peek 4263 on *social-issues if you haven't already.  Who can sum it up more 
succinctly? :) 
dr
--------------------------
Message 361 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 12 07:10:13 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: wearer tiring from wearing chainmail, etc.

For any of you who are interested, the exits on my island already do something 
like this - the rational being that they are long trails in a hot and humid 
environment.
Basically, if the person passing through the exit has an RPG doll, 
doll:check_fatigue is called based on the encumbrance of the doll and the 
length of the exit.  (Interestingly, this is the only place I've seen this 
verb called and the only place I've seen .fatigue affected (ass opposed to 
.insanity))
Feel free to check it out/critique it/use it as a parent/etc...  I'll even 
write up a very quick help on it :)

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 362 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 12 07:17:14 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: jungle trails

Oops - forgot the important info - the object# of this exit is #59106.  (Its 
parent is currently a generic exit, but if there's a better parent for it, I'm 
willing to change).

I've also been working on a version of the skill-check exit which requires the 
user to be carrying or wielding (selectable) an object - it can remain open 
once someone passes through it for a selectable time, and can be matched with 
another exit (so the other exit will bo open when that one is).  This exit has 
not been tested - the reason I'm mentioning it here is in case any other GM 
would like to play around with it - I haven't had as much time as I'd like 
recently to work on it, and figured someone else may like to play with it.
The object # of this exit is #6706

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 363 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 12 10:34:27 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: [Bryanna (#85293):  GM Bit?]

Date:     Fri Aug 12 10:28:00 1994 PDT
From:     Bryanna (#85293)
To:       Grand_Master (#2693)
Subject:  GM Bit?

To whom it may concern:
   I would like to become a GM.  Could you please inform me of what
I have to do.  I feel that my programming ability is adequate, what I do
not know, I will learn.  Furthermore, I believe my ideas to be both tastefull
and fulfilling to use for adventures that I would create.  If I may prove
worthy of a gm bit, I promise not to abuse the power.  Please inform me of
any qualifications I need meet, and I shall meet them.
Thankyou for your time.
        Sincerely,
          Bryanna.
--------------------------
Message 364 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 12 11:29:46 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Bryanna

I'd like to sponsor Bryanna for a GM bit.
I have spoken with her, and her idea for an area
Is withing her abilities to program, and is
a good idea (actually she has 2 ideas, and both sound good)
She is planning on making her area very interactive.
Anyone have any problems with her?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 365 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 12 13:46:48 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: *rpg-dev

For those who don't: @subscribe *rpg-dev and catch up on some of the latest 
messages re: changes to :look_gear and new natural weapons system.
--------------------------
Message 366 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Aug 13 08:19:34 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: the war

I have the basic outline for the war
anyone interested in reading it, let me know.
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 367 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug 16 09:59:09 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

i've been getting requests from players who want to know if there's a way to 
check their experience. i'm not sure if they're even really supposed to know. 
what's true? and if it's okay, how to they see it?
--------------------------
Message 368 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 19 14:13:38 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: #74:wielding - I like it

    This will help us with the bloat problem, somewhat.  Since it is now 
optional to create natural weapons for monsters to use.

    I'm not entirely sure how this would affect gameplay, but if Cennortu lost 
his six tentacles - and they the number for the generic tentacles was just 
grafted six times into his 'inatural_weapons' property, then there would be no 
need to actually create the six tentacle objects.

    'Course players couldn't look at his tentacles any more, but that's beside 
the point.  We'd save the db bloat of six tentacles..

    Just to let everyone know, I'm not picking on Quinn's Cennortu (Even 
though picking on him has become some other's pastime  ^_- ).

    I hope this post is legible, since the flu does nothing for my head..  :<

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
(Now to start switching from .mine to .inatural_weapons..)
--------------------------
Message 369 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 19 14:22:55 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: [REQUEST] Change to #74:hit_aggressor

Change line four in #74:hit_aggressor from

if (this:wielding() == {} && (!is_player(this.character) && this.wielding == 
this.natural_weapons))

to

if ((!is_player(this.character) && this:wielding() == this.natural_weapons)) 
|| (this:wielding() == {}))

    This change will let monsters wield their weapons when disarmed, but will 
not make players wield their weapons when unarmed.

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 370 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 09:21:47 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: the economy

i've been trying to figure out where to put my time to good use in the rpg. so 
i approached miles, my sponsor, and asked. he suggested i work on ways to 
improve the economy, complete with recommendations. so i've posted to *rs a 
few times. my post on the 21st caused a flurry of responses, from which i drew 
up a basic plan for the rpgeconomy improvement.  i sent a note to rs again, 
saying what seems like a good strategum (184 on *rs) and will re-present those 
ideas here.  

first, things are screwy so that if you're just starting in the rpg, things 
are hard to come by; while if you're more experienced, they have little value. 
so to fix the first part of that, let's start out new initiates with some 
small amount of money, maybe 50 silver..i dunno. we'd have to keep some sort 
of track of who gets money, so new players couldn't kill themselves off and 
stockpile that money, though.  
to fix the second part, we need to make weapons and armor and such more dear. 
we've talked about degradation of stuff for a long time, but never did 
anything about it. seems we're waiting for the perfect solution. why not start 
at a small tune up type of solution, then work on fine tuning...  
for degradation, how about new weapons start out with 100 points. --those 
bought at a store, for example...weapons sitting around unused by players lose 
a point a day, weapons used lose 2 points a day. 
then, as the second part of making things harder to come by, how about a 
master verb on all weapons and armor, so that they only get dropped some 
percentage of the time. i say master verb so that the monsters of inactive gms 
don't keep dropping stuff like there's no tomorrow. the idea, in other words, 
is that if i go kill a kobold which carries a sai and a shield, for instance, 
instead of being able to kill it maybe 100 times in a day and getting a sai 
and shield each time, i'd only be able to get the sai or the shield, let's 
say, 20% of the time.    the master verb could be written in such a way as to 
allow for customization by individual gms.     in case you're concerned about 
why a monster wouldn't drop it's weapon when it dies, a simple customizeable 
message like, barry the demon refuses to relinquish his weapon, even upon 
death, could be added.  

i think if we put these changes into action, the economy would get a lot 
better. for frills, we could add monsters which steal from players and some 
type of rpg food, necessary for a player's strength and peace of mind.

taken one at a time, i believe (and i say i believe 'cause my programming 
skills are shoddy) theses changes would be fairly easy to accomplish. unless i 
hear otherwise, i'm going to start bugging everyone to help me get them 
accomplished. 
--------------------------
Message 371 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 11:40:30 1994 PDT
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: anj's ideas

Whoa. Food. I -like- that idea. It's so obvious, I'm surprised I haven't heard 
it brought up before.

We really do need something other than weapons/armor/equipment for people to 
spend their money on. And this is perfect. Everyone's gotta eat. How can you 
fight well on an empty stomach? And it's just as endless a drain on the 
economy as resurrecting monsters with cash is an endless supply. No one ever 
gets enough to eat. Considering day after day...

I think we should seriously seriously consider this. I don't think it would be 
too hard to implement except for the doll modifications. It would probably 
mean more laggy tasks in that regard. But probably worth it.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 372 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 11:44:24 1994 PDT
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Food.

Hmm. And since I own Mazer's Generic Consumables, I could easily make an RPG 
child of them. I probably will asap. Someone wanna build a 
restaurant/tavern/inn or adapt existing ones to serve food?
--------------------------
Message 373 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 14:12:52 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: two bits

Here is my two bits on the food idea:
make the need for food work like fatuige, as a player moves from room
to room the level of Fat rises...food will solve this
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 374 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 14:14:54 1994 PDT
From:    Gilmore (#34435)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

I second Twist's idea.  Add fatigue whenever an "attack" is entered, as well.  
Of course, you'd need to come up with some tick-lean way to have your fatigue 
actually affect you.  Skill penalties perhaps.
--------------------------
Message 375 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 14:21:38 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: hungry players...

Hey! cool idea.  But just to make it lifelike... how about making generic 
corpses edible! :)  After all, we're going to have some starving newbies on 
our hands.

-Rax
--------------------------
Message 376 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 15:20:49 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Food...

We thought about this years ago, and decided at that time that it was just too 
much of a pain in the ass from a player perspective to have to carry around a 
roast beef and remember to 'bite' it every once in a while, or whatever...not 
to mention the problem of players munching on a chicken wing while fighting (I 
guess if it cost action points that would work but,..) ... but if you folks 
want to do food, go crazy, I guess.

Fatigue is good regardless, including for moving around (running!) ... 
teleporting out might also cause some fatigue in addition to the .ins stuff.

bild

p.s. Should someone be able to die from insanity?  What should the penalty be 
for going stark raving mad?
--------------------------
Message 377 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 17:03:18 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: food

Well, one idea would be to slow the rate that people's fatigue heals unless 
they are carrying food when they rest... then the food gets consumed (or at 
least have the option to eat the food to help raise fatigue faster - but only 
if resting when eating).
I think fatigue already comes into play as a skill modified - the .fatigue 
property ofn a skill is multiplied by the .fatigue of the player to get a 
penalty when using the skill - though I don't know how many of those 
properties are set..
Of course, the food idea could lead to different types of food with different 
costs that affect diffient skills - maybe make it generic enough that you can 
drink beer to make your strength/endurance go up, but your int/dex/wis/etc go 
down, instead of just some rations that help your fatigue go down...  if the 
food gets generic enough, you can do lots of different modifications...
And lastly - #74:check_fat*igue this none this - adds the players fatigue and 
does a check against stamina.. also affects the player's .act prop so they 
can't do quite as much after this check is done...  if this were on all exits, 
you'd have the monsters with a slighter advantage (kinda... I think  there are 
a couple tricks involved still) because the player won't be able to do as much 
as a monster when entering the room the monster is in...
. o O ( I hope that last bit made sense...)

Quis
--------------------------
Message 378 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 17:58:24 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Food!

Food!
   *Excellent* idea, an food *is* perishable. (Make food objecs 
magnetic?) One way ta do it 'd be encumberance = load + int(.fat / x)
and slowness = slowness + int(fat / x)
   I don *think* that'd cost too much 'cause they're jus 
simple calculations. But I dunno for sure.
                     "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 379 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 18:10:10 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: death via insanity

I don't think insanity should be able to kill,
*BUT* I think if a player has a high enough .ins they might
lose (on a permanent basis) some of the 'mental' stats (int, wil, ect)
questions/comments?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 380 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 20:23:01 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: i wouldn't thing that food would necessarily have to spoil.

dried goods could be available through elias. but maybe more expensive foods, 
hot meals, etc. would have better quality in terms of length of effect, how 
drowsy you'd get from eating you fill and the like.

back to the economy. weapons should degrade. new players should start out with 
a small amount of cash, perhaps 50 silvers, and a .chance_of_drop on generic 
monster to hang on to weapons and armor at death could be set to 20%.

--------------------------
Message 381 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 22 22:02:05 1994 PDT
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: RPG food

I like the food idea as well. But (as usual) I see some extra problems 
crestiing.

How will the proposed food system handle logged off characters? Will it be 
only for active characters, to re-vitalize them amist active intervals, or a 
more general system (ack, no) for everyone?
How about starvation factors? Sure, we can raise that fatigue level really 
high, but what about those damned stubborn players who could care less? Do we 
fix them so they lose major stats (i.e. STR, END, AGL) unless they chomp on 
something? Like one point for each per day(again, real time day, or active 
period days) until they eat? 
Also, we'd have to think of how to report the famishment to the player. Is 
this a ~dungeon verb call, or a :schedule call?  Again I bring up the time 
issue, because as we know (or will know now, heh ;) that the doll's inactivity 
will stop the :schedule from being fired off until the player returns to an 
RPG area that will :invoke it to start up again.

I'm throwing this into the mix; hopefully we can get some answers, because I 
think some of these questions actually might hinder this (and hopefully I 
didn't repeat anything else someone said before me)  
                                 - TM
--------------------------
Message 382 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug 23 07:07:27 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: all this talk about food is making me hungry.

sure, it'd only have to work on active characters.and i think starvation 
should eventually be able to kill off a player, just like in real life. the 
question of how long it would take to starve should have some sort of relation 
to how long it'd take in real life then. and that would depend on one's size 
in the first place. a fat man would last longer than a thin one, but would be 
less agile and perhaps stronger.   
until now, i've neveer even thought about the idea of how real life time 
relates to the rpg time scenario; but i think it must be pretty warped. How  
often dwill characters have to eat during rpg play to make this a worthwhile 
change? maybe once every couple of hours? at that rate, if someone can last 
for a couple weeks without food? than an rpger could go 72 hours...  
i suppose as dred works on this system, he'll get a feel for its inherent 
problems and will both let us know how he's progressing and what kind of 
problems he's stuck on.
--------------------------
Message 383 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug 23 08:13:26 1994 PDT
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: more food

It's my feeling that food shouldn't work off of fatigue. As the system is now, 
fatigue gets restored when you rest or sleep. But hunger certainly doesn't get 
restored when you sleep! If anything, it gets worse.

Perhaps we should add yet another stat (oh joy). Maybe energy?

However, some of the concerns brought up are still valid and need more 
thought. Like how it will link in to the dolls and what happens under certain 
conditions. Starvation, etc. That's the tough part.

As far as being spoiled, dried, etc., that can be handled on the food object 
itself, and shouldn't be hard to do. 

Dred
--------------------------
Message 384 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug 23 13:21:49 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: food

We could add a ~doll:heal_bonus() which is boosted or decremented by how much 
food a player has eaten.  Too little, they heal more slowly.  Enough, normal 
to increased healing.  Too MUCH, a bit slower healing as well.  At least with 
fatigue.  One gets pretty sluggish after a big meal.
--------------------------
Message 385 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Aug 23 20:08:40 1994 PDT
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: food for thought.. er, thought for food

One of the benefits (I believe) about the LRPG is that (to a point) you don't 
have to commit to RPG activities 100% of the time.
For example, players can RPG for about an hour, decide that they don't want to 
RPG and do something else on Lambda (i.e. Scrabble, gab, etc) and not have to 
worry about RPG things for that time period.
I'd suggest we keep our food system along the same lines. Another example 
would be a player staying logged off the MOO for, oh, a week, and started to 
RPG again after 2 days after their return. Do we force this player to eat  9 
days worth of food, or 2 days?
Our dolls sort of leave all scheduled tasks in 'suspended animation' if the 
player related to the doll isn't in RPG areas. Maybe we can make some kind of 
proportion based on current time and the doll's .last_action time.
I think I better shut my mouth or Dred'll give me this system, heh.

                                             - TM
--------------------------
Message 386 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 26 08:02:14 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259), *RPG-News (#9551), and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: "'nother hole

    This time all KOQs are owned by Grand_Master himself, so pending either 
Quinn's or dr's blessing, I may sell more in Sruli's Shoppe. ;>

    This may also go with the sabers and other useful items.  :>  Please note 
this completely depends on how kosher the G_Ms feel about me using a security 
hole..

    If you want it this way - then please send mail to me.  (That way they 
can't hang me immediately  ^_^ )

  --  Isagi the little hacker
--------------------------
Message 387 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Aug 26 21:01:28 1994 PDT
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Borax and Quinn

From the feedback on *rpg-stuph and here, it seems to me that the bonus to 
healing when you eat food is the way to go. I'd like to make it mandatory but 
it seems like it would be a pain all around. But it is something new to buy. I 
think we definitely need more variety of products to spend money on. 
Otherwise, what else do you do with all that treasure that you get solving 
puzzles and slaying monsters?
--------------------------
Message 388 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Aug 27 17:28:28 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: in case i forget...

Here's some things I'd like to see done, but problem won't do tonight:

(1) Disable encumbrance for GM owned monsters.  Too much trouble/processing to 
have them select what to drop, or be choosy about what to get.  Perhaps hack 
:look_self so players don't see how exactly much they're lugging around.  Just 
show wielded things, for example.

(2) Install :blessed_exit.  This is more difficult that I thought at first.  
It means hacking all :movetos in GM code to use it.  Aiee.  I guess each 
individual GM could @grep for :moveto in their objects...

(3) FIX THAT DAMNED WALL SPELL
--------------------------
Message 389 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Aug 28 00:00:37 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: bryanna

Anyone have a problem with bryanna being a GM?
I'd like to sponsor her...
(yes miricals do happen)
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 390 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Aug 28 15:03:14 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: more fun than a barrel full of monekys...

when quisinart's coconuts .condition degrades below zero, to they turn from 
weapons into food?
--------------------------
Message 391 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 29 11:26:14 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: i'd like to sponsor phoenix! as a gm.

he seems to be able to code pretty well and is actively finding bugs in the 
rpg. take, for instance, his orb of the storm, which allows him to cast storms 
with phenomal power, as high as he wants...
in talking with him, he's said that he's told g_m about some bugs but to no 
avail. i haven't really sensed any problems with him and am open to whatever 
anyone has to say about him, of course. he'd like to work on a gambling 
casino..a place to spend rpg money.  
--------------------------
Message 392 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 29 16:06:06 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Just in case somebody wants to know....

    I did a little checking, an outa 1481 dolls, 1,234 belong to 
players, 224 belong to monsters, leaving some 23 odd voodoo dolls, 
and odd they are indeed:
Peg-legged Skeleton's Voodoo Doll (#38154) Joe's Scrabble Arena (#38335),
 Cliff Huxtable's Voodoo Doll (#54603) Yona_Hedgehog's Voodoo Doll
 (#56105), Lan's Voodoo Doll (#53073) olive branch (#55210), Jennifer's
 Voodoo Doll (#26422) short flared miniskirt (#54699), Barney's Voodoo
 Doll (#27838) war helm (#13406), Vague's Voodoo Doll (#19560) south
 (#56449), Avallach's Voodoo Doll (#55067) Alie's Alley (#59086),
 GORGORMA's Voodoo Doll (#53610) room #1111 (#59256), The_Leopard's Voodoo
 Doll (#59859) Butler (#58565), Bugbear's Voodoo Doll (#61159) Recyclable
 #60101 (#60101), Heather's Voodoo Doll (#50881) A hair ribbon from
 Jasmine (#58768), Southwick's Voodoo Doll (#65729) greaves (#63872),
 Jiro's Voodoo Doll (#65840) Limbo (#65296), Liquid's Voodoo Doll (#67067)
 The Safe (#65100), manowar's Voodoo Doll (#64794) staff (#70648),
 Insomnia's Voodoo Doll (#73800) Scorpion (#71147), NiteBlade's Voodoo
 Doll (#76130) Recyclable #67988 (#67988), Litl'Bit's Voodoo Doll (#74734)
 Flowers (#76409), SparkDrift's Voodoo Doll (#32352) Recyclable #76016
 (#76016), Film_Buff's Voodoo Doll (#78068) a bottle of fine champagne
 (#77844), dolmen's Voodoo Doll (#77734) studded leather jacket (#59334),
 Nimra's Voodoo Doll (#79627) Recyclable #79255 (#79255), Katrina's Voodoo
 Doll (#79779) south (#79663), Jander_Sunstar's Voodoo Doll (#74165) sai
 (#65933), Gwawrddurr's Voodoo Doll (#39802) Recyclable #80760 (#80760),
 whip's Voodoo Doll (#45874) battleaxe (#81166), Europa's Voodoo Doll
 (#75917) Recyclable #72397 (#72397), and Tamalai's Voodoo Doll (#4991) cm
 (#56948), and #442, which has neither name nor character attached.
   Dunno what any of this means, but I'd guess these dolls have 
somethin wrong with 'em.
                        "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 393 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 29 18:20:48 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: the next post by me is a forward from phoenix! outlining his idea for 
the grand casino. 

please feel free to ask him whatever you'd like. he asked me to add that he'd 
like his GM to be a second character so that all his verbs don't run with gm 
perms. *grin* 
--------------------------
Message 394 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Aug 29 18:22:26 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: [Phoenix! (#61982):  GM?  Me?]

Date:     Mon Aug 29 13:24:35 1994 PDT
From:     Phoenix! (#61982)
To:       anj (#59447)
Subject:  GM?  Me?

Anj has said that he will sponsor me as a GM.
I understand that Grand_Master likes his GMs to have grand plans, mine is:
The Grand Casino.
That should help the economy!

Wager your hard-won gold, win .pot, a minus on your .total, various strange
objects!
Of course, the Grand Casino will have intricate games, complex puzzles, and
contests of strength, mind, and endurance.
The Grand Casino will also be something of an adventure.  Normal players will
just gamble, but some of you might want to try and TAKE OVER THE CASINO!
At least until someone else takes it from you.

All games will be fair...NOT!
The current owner is more than slightly corrupt.  When you take it over, you
can make the games fair, or not, as you please.  The more corrupt you are,
the faster they'll take it away from you.  Of course, the fairer you are, the
less your weekly income.

Some of my other ideas include a 'telekinesis' skill that lets you wield an
extra weapon.  Naturally, this skill ain't easy to train in.

My programming qualifications...
I've found a few bugs.  Only one of them has been fixed, but that's the
Grand_Master's business.  Some of the bugs are trivial, like programming
errors.  Some of them are good for some minor stuff, like Plausible
Teleportation and Guest Flooding.  One of them is so powerful I can use it to
kill anything killable.  Tested it out, took out a wyvern with one shot.

As a GM, I will try to uphold LMOO's standards of integrity and good
programming.  I will try to make my adventures interesting and fun.

Sincerely, Phoenix! the Prospective Game Master.

P.S. GrandMasters:  When you're interested in the bugs again, let me know and
I'll send you the list.
--------------------------
Message 395 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep  1 16:34:06 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Security

hole?  Lines 50-54 of #331:spell seem to be a security problem, though I 
currently lack the quota to test it myself.  It seems like _anyone_ could 
write a magic_effect spell (oops - verb) on a room and have it affect the 
strength of any spell cast in that room - namely storm.  --Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 396 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Sep  2 12:39:30 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Problems with #331:spell

    Maybe a change to line 50 to reflect

if ($local.rpg:trusted_verb(area, "magic_effect"))

    ... would work?

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 397 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Sep  4 08:52:31 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: the gmrb proposal #77999

has this just died by the wayside?
--------------------------
Message 398 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Sep  4 17:06:31 1994 PDT
From:    Phoenix! (#61982)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GM Newbie Help...

I understand there's an ftp site for newbie help.
I'd like it's name and location.  (newbie as in new Gm)
--------------------------
Message 399 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Sep  5 13:09:25 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259), Isagi (#21077), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Am I really that EVIL?

    I think an item quota of around five items is good, with no 
experience/apathy/willpower modifiers.  ^_-

    Seriously, 20 is a good number.  But I'm not sure why empathy (or any 
other attribute) should change that?

    I'm definately for Phoenix!'s (CONGRATS!) idea about the evil ones coming. 
 Now all we need is to fight them.  Xythian and I may pull something together 
in that regard.  >)

    Anyone ever remember fighting Mecha Samurai #1?  Imagine if it didn't 
start out as strong as a newbie player..  >)  Never forgets enemies, gets 
linearly stronger whenever it bounces off armour, stalks victims, etc..  (This 
is real, that's why it's 20K in size)

    As for the toll booths, if you can get past a Mecha, then you can pass for 
free (good luck..).  Did I mention that their claws remove limbs?

  --  Isagi is getting >too< realistic for his own good
P.S.  I'm going to nominate Profane for GMship in a few days, as soon as I 
iron out a few wrinkles in code w/ him.
--------------------------
Message 400 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Sep  5 14:17:34 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551), Quinn (#19845), darkrider (#7003), and Isagi 
(#21077)
Subject: Nomination for GM-ship

    Not to sound too official, but I'm proposing that we make Profane a GM.  
I've been working with him for the past (2 1/2?) weeks and debugging his code 
and talking to him about responsibilities as a GM.

    He's 80% from finishing his creations (he only needs a Quota increase) and 
his current machinations seem to work well. ^_^

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 401 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep  7 14:09:24 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GM meetings

Are we going to continue with them?
TWIST

I'd like to.
--------------------------
Message 402 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep  7 16:23:18 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GM meetings...

I'd like to continue the GM meetings too.  Can we draw up an agenda of what 
we'll discuss for the next one?  It might eliminate some confusion.

-Rax
--------------------------
Message 403 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep  8 08:28:43 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

well, how about discussing the gmrb?
--------------------------
Message 404 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 13 14:41:29 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: gmrb

Meetings are cool, but the real impetus for the gmrb seems in retrospect to 
have been someone with a political axe to grind in other arenas.  Now that it 
is irrelevant how I look by denying GMS the right to *directly* access the 
command to create and eliminate GMS (and saving us a political nightmare of 
wasted time, but who cares about why I *really* do things), &c, there is no 
particular reason for the push to continue.

After thinking about it, I consider that a more organized GM community would 
be a good thing for all of us...it looked for a little bit like some true 
group projects might be started, at which point I was almost GLAD of Moriah's 
vendetta, if only to kick some other butts into action as a side effect.  
Perhaps we can still manage to do something *productive* with the little 
unlagged unsocial-life time bites that remain to us.

So if you want to create some sort of council or social protocol to help get 
stuff like this off the ground, and on the MOO, go crazy...and have fun with 
it.

See ya
darkrider

ps.  Couldn't you call it the High Council or something?  :)  I'm tired of 
review boards.
--------------------------
Message 405 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 13 15:04:51 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GMRB

>group projects might be started, at which point I was almost GLAD of Moriah's
>vendetta, if only to kick some other butts into action as a side effect.

dr, I'm tiring of your incessant persecution complex where I am concerned.
Actually, you mean very little to me.  I'd quite forgotten about you, to tell 
the truth.

Any help I've given the GM meetings for the GMRB has been for the sake of the 
RPG and other GMS.  I've only been one of the participants.

*IF* I truly had a vendetta, you'd have no doubt of it's existence.

Have the meetings not been going on? TWIST? What's happening with them? I've 
been truly busy
lately with a new job, classes and net problems..

-M
--------------------------
Message 406 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 13 16:37:19 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Thank Goodness

My point was simply that regardless of what you want to call it, and for 
whatever reason you posted direct attacks on my actions, not to mention 
unrelated attacks during ARB campaigns (in response to my claim, long ago and 
still held, that Moriah was unsuitable for the job), your unsuccessful attempt 
to usurp certain powers had the BENEFICIAL side effect of getting people 
thinking about more productive uses for GM gathering/organization.

However, I love the use of pseudo-psychological terms like 'complex', along 
with little empty acts of bravado...bravo, bravado. :) 

At any rate, I see you got a spell-checker to spare us your butchery, and a 
life to spare us your continued presence.  Please keep at it.

dr
--------------------------
Message 407 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 13 17:18:46 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

For all our sakes, dr, shut up! sheesh. I disagreed with your politics being 
what I wanted the ARB to reflect and campaigned against you. I never attacked 
you, or waged my own "attempt to usurp certain powers" that you or anyone else 
had. Sheesh, I'm too busy for that silliness dr. Please, spare us this 
unwarrented parinoid delusions. You just aren't worth bothering with. Ok? Get 
on with constructive posts .. -M
--------------------------
Message 408 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 13 23:40:06 1994 PDT
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Woo

So, as a newbie GM are there any standard lectures(tm) or help texts I should 
be reading, other than Quinn's little thing on making monsters at parcftp?
In the meantime, I've just been @dump'ing the rpg core-objects and browsing. 
I've seen some problems, which I'll spew here for lack of knowledge of a 
better place to spew them:
#46:weight, lines 6-8 could just be replaced with
  if(info = this:trusted_verb(foo, "encumbrance"))
Tho it's not actually broken. #74:invite(), line 40 however is
  elseif ($object_utils:has_callable_verb(who = which.character, "act")) =>
  elseif ($local.rpg:trusted_verb(who = which.character, "act"))
#74:hit_location_names(), line 2:
  return this.character.locations || etc.. =>
  return $local.rpg:trusted_prop(this.character, "locations") || etc.
#18754 (Generic Light Source) also has a number of 
$object_utils:has_callable_verb calls that should be changed to 
$local.rpg:trusted_verb. No doubt there's more, I didn't look for any others, 
just noticed these in passing.
#46:def_pc() and #74:encumbrance() both use ``STR'' as a variable name, which 
works, but is bad form.
#74:encumbrance(), line 3 could also be changed to use :trusted_verb, for that 
matter.
#74:receive_damage(), line 36: the ''hitloc'' in the call to :special_damage 
should be changed to ''loc''
Also, would be nice if :special_damage was called e.g. :special_damage(whoby, 
me, <other args>) to make it consistent with the other weapon property verbs 
such as :dam and so forth.
#18754:light(), line 20: this.location will usually be the player, so what you 
want here, I believe, is this.location:room_announce_all_but(), instead of 
this.location:announce_all_but()
Why do #74:death_effects() and #74:combat_effects() handle LISTs of objects, 
yet we have #74:magic_effect that only handles one object? Is there a 
particularly good reason why there should only be one magic_effect per 
character, or could this be made consistent with the other 2 verbs?
#74:look_gear() - Now that we have :look_gear_msg(), the crest stuff (for 
shields) could be moved to that verb on the generic shield, and removed from 
this verb.
Also, I'm not crazy about :look_gear_msg removing the gear from the regular 
list of ''X is wielding ...'', but I can't have everything :)
--------------------------
Message 409 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Sep 17 12:29:24 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: for those of you who object to macros...

check out fo s3 (#59847). although maybe this is old news...i dunno.
--------------------------
Message 410 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Sep 18 09:32:27 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New 'generics"

Ok, my generic skill-check + item exit has been tested - object #6706
Its basically a generic Skill-Check exit that requires an item as well, but 
can be kept open for a selectable amount of time, and can be matched with an 
exit going the opposite direction (so if one is open for a time, the other is 
open also).

I also have 2 verbs on the new quis_utils (#80739) I've made - 
:add_to_beneficiaries and :reached_limit - which are usefull if you want to 
keep track of the # of times someone has solved a puzzle with their current 
doll (if you want to reward them x amount of times).  Some sample code is:
#72796:give_reward   this none this
...
if (!this.quis_utils:reached_limit(player, this))
    "Give reward to player.";
    this.quis_utils:add_to_beneficiaries(player, this);
endif
...
The object needs a .beneficiaries {} poperty and a .limit NUM property.

I've also simplified #74:receive_damage a bit to use on some special natural 
weapons I've made (the eyestalks on the beholder) that can be 
damaged/destroyed by attacking them.  Let me know if you're interested 
(they're unreadable now).

Quis
--------------------------
Message 411 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Sep 19 22:43:47 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: body areas

I'm having a problem placing custom body areas on a monster.  I have 3 named 
areas in 7 locations, but from the code in #258:attack, I'd expect at least an 
$ambiguous_match, but its not working at all.  The doll.body_areas is:
#35160:get_att("body_areas")
=> {#42222, #66919, #66919, #75812, #75812, #66919, #66919} 
When I try the line 36 in #258:attack as an eval, it works fine:
;#35160:match_body_area("eye")
=> #42222  (eye)
;valid(#35160:match_body_area("eye"))
=> 1
and when I try with the body area "head"
;#35160:match_body_area("head")
=> #-3  <$failed_match>

At this point, it looks like it should work.  But when I do the attack, I get:
hit beholder's eye
You can't find anything resembling a "eye" on Xanixar.

If I try with 'head' I get:
hit beholder's head
You take aim for Xanixar's head.
etc...
Does anyone know what the problem with this is?  Thanks.

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 412 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 20 04:04:05 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: helping out a new player today, i noticed that 88 is parented to #3. 
no big deal,

but i tried to light up a torch in there, without looking at what kind of room 
it was first. and it stayed dark...maybe we parent it to something like 16020, 
or add a verb that says the room absorbs the light of your <light emitting 
obj>. ?
--------------------------
Message 413 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Sep 20 12:51:54 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Hook for light...

The call that the light sources use to see if the room is lit or whatnot is 
:illumination_check() ... only called on the room if it has the verb.  I 
change those calls to 'trusted_verb' when I have a chance.  The Initiation 
Chamber should NOT be lightable...so put the message about the light seeming 
not to shine in there.  Bear in mind the torch will still smoke.

dr
--------------------------
Message 414 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep 21 08:43:17 1994 PDT
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

As per a couple of GM requests, I've raised the price on my Kombat Arna arcade 
game (located in Puff's Tavern) to 2 gold coins. Formerly, it took either 
silver or gold, and only one coin for either. I'm doing this for the sole 
reason that I am allowing stats to still be raisable there (but no change to 
inj or ins from the time entering to leaving), and this is the reason that 
it's so well used. - TM (supporting inflation)
--------------------------
Message 415 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep 21 18:49:58 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and *RPG-Stuph (#21259)
Subject: watching bug fixed

A bug in the RPX Generic Room (#16020) which was causing folks to see what was 
going on in rooms they had been 'watching' after they left them has been 
fixed.  The illumination code has undergone an overhaul for tick-conservation 
and cooler behaviour, tell me if you notice any problems...

darkrider
--------------------------
Message 416 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep 21 22:27:09 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: problem in #258:attack

I found my problem in #258:attack - why it isn't working with custom body 
locations.  Line 36 is:
elseif (valid(area = doll:match_body_area(where)))

doll in this line is the doll of the _attacker_, not the target - it should 
call :match_body_area on the target's doll on this line.
I'm not sure the best way to fix this - maybe add a check for the dobj having 
a valid RPG doll and then using that doll in the check - add all that to the 
if statement.
Maybe something like:
Inserted before line 29:
if (!valid(targ_doll = $local.rpg:get_doll(dobj)))
   player:tell("Are you kidding?  ", dobj.name,"'s just an innocent 
bystander.");
elseif (!where)
...
Then change the doll:match_body_area to targ_doll:match_body_area

I think that's all thats needed, but I'm tired tonight.  Thanks to any G_M in 
advance who fixes this.

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 417 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep 22 13:43:48 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: claiming

Since unique items are immune to sweeping, can we make the immune to claiming 
too?  I have some prize objects that disappear when the monster rebirths, and 
I can't see players wasting their claimed quota on them.
For now I've got a verb that politely refuses, but heck it's a one-liner to 
save all uniques.  Why not?

-Rax
--------------------------
Message 418 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep 22 18:52:07 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: in the process of making a shuriken, i noticed some of the stats of 
other weapons seemed off...

for instance, a crossbow and a longbow do the same amount of damage, weigh the 
same and are far less dodgeable than a club. i'm going to try going through 
the stats..after which i'll post proposed changes here to see what you think...
--------------------------
Message 419 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Sep 24 10:39:05 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New spells

PLEASE please.. if we do make somemore spells, can we do something more 
creative and interesting than setting their scroll in a room with all the 
other spells?

Like.. make a spell a reward for a puzzle or something?
sigh
-M
--------------------------
Message 420 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Sep 24 19:34:08 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: New spells

I was thinking about (when I get more quota) making a fireball spell - similar 
to firebolt, but harder to learn and more draining to cast, that attakcs 
everyone in your .aggressor list.  I also have a haste spell I made, which 
uses the .slow stat (basically I rewrote slow on #328 for my own magic db 
which detects if the original verb was haste or slow and calls the apropriate 
code, though the best your .slowness can get to is 2, so its more usefull to 
counteract slow spells.  (Your base .slowness is 10).  I was also thinking of 
putting the fireball on another item I want to make eventually (as my area 
comes together completely) - using the .heat skill, since it doesn't seem to 
be used.
Something else that would be neat is a magic-resistance spell - it affects the 
.magic_effects property on your doll - sets it to some object with a 
:magic_effects verb that gives the player a magic resistance of an amount and 
a duration both based on the qual of casting the spell.  (Or with a little 
more modification of the doll's :magic_effect verb, the spell could raise _or_ 
lower the magic resistance of a creature).
Yet another idea for a spell (which may already be used - I haven't looked at 
the spells on the Rod of Abyssia in so long I don't know what they do) is 
something that increases the .ins or .fat of the players - no actual damage, 
though.
Then there's that GM ability to disperse spells - we could always make that a 
spell, though the spell itself would probably better if it was aimed at one 
specific storm (or one storm owned by one monster).  Lastly, with a little 
modification to :armour, a stoneskin-type spell could improve the armour of a 
player (though if we do that, it may be better to have armour, at least of the 
metal type, lower a player's ability to cast spells, otherwise what use would 
the armour spell really be...)
Just a bunch of ideas, most of which I spouted off at the top of my head. :)

Quis
--------------------------
Message 421 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Sep 26 01:27:47 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: #51757 Generic FO-using AHaB

  Well, for your amusement an whatever, I've made #51757, the 
Generic FO-using AHaB. Amaze your relatives, confound your 
friends! <grin> As usual, Xorch c'n demonstrate... BTW since it's 
only 5 verbs an 1 prop, (swiped from Delores' FO-using puppet) How 
'bout puttin it inna family tree? I mean it's got lots a 
applications...
                        "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 422 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Sep 28 14:27:05 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *AHaB (#55820) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: info on ahabs

  Would someone please point me to some working examples of the 
following:
 
        .room_actions
        .expected_responses  
        .emote_reactions 
        .entrance_reactions   
        .exit_reactions    
   Thanks, in advance for time, consideration, etc...
                  "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 423 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep 29 13:58:17 1994 PDT
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693), *RPG-News (#9551), and *RPG-Stuph (#21259)
Subject: [New Grand_Master Persona: Isagi(#21077)]

    The title should explain a few things.  With darkrider's and Quinn's 
go-ahead, I'm now one of the controlling aspects of G_M.

    Now, to get a few overdue things done..

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 424 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Sep 29 14:01:34 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693), *RPG-News (#9551), and *RPG-Stuph (#21259)
Subject: Re: [New Grand_Master Persona: Isagi(#21077)]

 Yahoooo!
                        "Tindy"
--------------------------
Message 425 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Oct  4 07:36:01 1994 PDT
From:    Nightbreaker (#89395)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Generic Sky (#6022), outside room (#364), updating for new technology.

I ask that the outside room be altered to have a real sky.
The model for these alterations is #53603 (Outside Room with Sky).
This will require two verbs of one line each and one property (leave the 
help_msg property out).

I see no reason why you can't maintain most of the old verbs for a few months 
to maintain backwards compatibility.

The new verbs and properties should take up very, very little quota, even 
distributed over 539 rooms.

For those of you who are interested in what is going on, you may find the 
following objects of interest:

#6022     Generic Sky
#63286    Generic Enhanced Sky
#53603    Outside Room with Sky
#73275    Generic Floating Room      [in Generic Sky]
#8812     Sky Feature Object
#67296    Sky Help
#11722    Random Dest
#10065    Upwards Sky Exit
#11407    Downwards Sky Exit
#62698    Thunder and Lightning

Sky help is #67296 and can be accessed from any descendant of the Generic Sky.
Type '?sky-index'.
--------------------------
Message 426 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Oct  9 11:33:36 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: PPmonster

Question:
With the Pickpocketable Monster, I can do a resolve with every player in the 
room (er.. RPG player) and do a :notify_pickpocket(theif) for each one that 
notices the theft.  This way, each player can decide for them selves whether 
to interfere with the theft or not.
BUT, how can ( or what would be an easy way ) of notifying the victem (NPC) 
that the player decided to help him out and either  attack the theif or alert 
him?
Parsing the strings AND checking for aggression seem to be slow and tedious.. 
any ideas?
--------------------------
Message 427 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Oct 11 12:47:30 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: RE: PPMonster

Moriah> ... notifying the victim (NPC) ...

    Monster:notify_payment might be a place to start, with the amount that 
they receive (lose) as a negative number.  <shrug>  Any more ideas?

    Now, as to notification when someone attacks - How about keeping a 
timestamped list of pickpocketters, and run through it from 
Monster:notify_attack?  'Let's see - player is attacking player, the victim is 
in my picketpocket list, and the victim tried to pickpocket me 30 seconds 
ago..  so the attacker must be trying to help me out'  Unfortunately, this 
system is subject to the whims of lag on forked tasks 
(#46:do_attack_notification)..  :<

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 428 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Oct 12 17:04:46 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: No lights?

I was told that for the last little while, people have found it impossible to 
buy light sources at either Sruli's or Ye Olde Chain and Cow... what up?

Do we need more stores to sell them?  They do degrade and eventually recycle 
themselves...

dr
--------------------------
Message 429 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 13 06:48:46 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: light sources...

i think balls of brightness are being squirreled away because they can be used 
to power isagi's light sabre...and if they're not used they don't 
degrade...but a torch can be had from my loft just by searching it..if you'd 
have one from it...
--------------------------
Message 430 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 15 17:14:10 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Balls of Brightness and Sruli - seems to work

  |Sruli, gimme bob
Sruli says, "That will be 9000 worth of copper, please."

  <shrug>

    Question dr, what prompted your original post to *GMS about the 
'unavailable' BoBs?  Do I need to post on *RS to tell the players that Sruli 
also sells BoBs, besides Elias'?

  --  Isagi hasn't programmed enough lately, lag _bleah_
--------------------------
Message 431 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 20 06:17:25 1994 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

seems like the higher one's thieving skill, the lower one's empathy would 
be...no?
--------------------------
Message 432 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 20 11:55:09 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: bug in #52018:destroy

Line 8 in #52018:destroy (generic collective RPG think I think..) has a slight 
bug in it - or more properly, the way the help is defined is incompatible.  
The help states that the argument is optional ->  :destroy([money_object]) => 
result
Line 8 does:  return this.recycler:_recycle(@args); - this assumes that an 
argument was suplied to :destroy - if it isn't, you'll get a range error onl 
line 2 of #4455:_recycle.
Possibly, @args should just be replaced with object on line 8 - line 2 gets 
object either as the argument, or this.

Quis
--------------------------
Message 433 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 20 19:35:54 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: the trap...

I recently had a problem with a player getting ahold of my Wyrm Spear.
It is an object you are only supposed to get once, and once only.
This player kept getting the item. I have taken it from him on *ATLEAST*
four occasions (I have mensioned it to Isagi, and borax also I believe)
Needless to say, I don't know how he keeps getting it, nor do I have the time
to find out.
My solution to the problem was to trap the spear, so that it punished 
anyone who somehow got the spear a second time, which they legally shouldn't
be able to do.
If any of yo uhave a problem with this, let me know.
Btw, the character was Elendil.

TWIST
--------------------------
Message 434 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Oct 21 14:50:55 1994 PDT
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and *rpg-development (#20779)
Subject: Major GRRRRRRRR!!!!

OK, some of the :invite code, and a line in :attack, were twisted (in an 
undocumented fashion) such that monsters were not attacking back for several 
hours today (thank Slither for actually reporting that to me :) ... I took out 
a bunch of :invite code that needs rethinking (the original is in 
#74:invite_isagi_broke) and changed the second-to-last line in #74:attack to 
doll: ... from this: ... 

Check your monsters and rewards, everyone, some of your beasties prolly went 
down without a fight, and please document your code (especially if you are 
Grand_Master and dr might have to come in and put out fires)!

dr

ps.  Actually, Isagi might not have been the offending GM, I just named the 
verb that because 
:invite_that_Isagi,Miles,Ogwul,Quinn,darkrider,orTheGodsThatBe_broke was just 
too silly. :) 
--------------------------
Message 435 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Oct 21 17:56:37 1994 PDT
From:    Frobno (#49397)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: Elendil

 
Several months ago, `Elendil' asked me to make him an RPG armour item, which I 
politely declined to do, citing various obvious reasons.  Sometime later, I 
happened to @audit myself, and found that a piece of my generic armour (my 
magic, touch-activated armour) was in Elendil's possession. I also received 
mail from Kristia, who had noticed he had my armour and was attempting to wear 
it, which caused tracebacks. (This is not surprising, since many of the props 
were purposely left unset. The generic armour had no coverage or protection 
settings, so would not have done him any good anyway) 

Anyway, my point is, he obviously saw nothing wrong with teleporting items I 
was working on which were actually IN my virtual "hands." I've had no such 
trouble with him since then, but I offer this as corroborating evidence to his 
behavior patterns.

--Frobno
--------------------------
Message 436 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 22 09:30:39 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      Frobno (#49397) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: Elendil

Ok, I was with Elendil when he _found_ Frobno's armour, in the kobold mines, 
by the sea serpent (whatever that rooms is called).  I didn't want to take it 
at the time, so he did... he definitely did not teleport it there.  Someone 
else may have, or something else could have happened - maybe Frobno died while 
testing and happened to be carrying the armour at the time - its happened to 
me before - someone found one of hte natural weapons I created because I'd 
died without paying attetion.. and didn't think about all my equip being 
dropped...
I don't know a thing about the spear...

Quisinart/Quizno
--------------------------
Message 437 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 22 11:48:12 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: slither

I would like to sponsor slither as a new GM
Does anyone have a problem with it?
Comments?
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 438 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 22 14:06:59 1994 PDT
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Monsters not attacking

Well, hmm, some monsters may now be attacking, but others are still not.
Why? Cause of this bit 'o code in #74:hit_aggressor():

 8:    if (this.wielding ==  {} && !is_player(me) && this:wielding() 
==this.natural_weapons)
9:      this:arm();
10:      return $failed_match;
11:    else

Note the effect? If your monster uses only natural weapons, it will never 
attack. This is a bad thing(tm).
So, some kindly G_M please fix it.
Thanks,
-Profane
--------------------------
Message 439 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 22 15:44:07 1994 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Slither 

She's got my vote.
---> Cori
--------------------------
Message 440 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Oct 23 07:28:26 1994 PDT
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: #74:hit_aggressor, lines 8-11 broken?

if ((this.wielding == {}) && (!is_player(me)) && (this:wielding == 
this.natural_weapons))
    I've put in some extra parens to embellish what I did with that code.

    Look at this - if the character is wielding something [this.wielding != 
{}] then the code should not stop the attacks.. Otherwise - check if the 
attacker is a monster.

    If the attacker is a monster, then continue, the only problem that I see 
is where a monster only has no weaponry in its .wielding list and only uses 
natural attacks.  That last hack [this:wielding() == this.natural_weapons] was 
put in in case :wielding changes in the future and somehow inserts more 
weaponry beyond the normal natural weapons.

    I'll take the blame for this one, since I was trying to fix some earlier 
code that completely prevented monsters from rewielding >anything<.  As for 
the broken invite - I'll shrug on that.  Never touched the verb..

    I'm going to change line 8 to do a check on the monster for a verb to see 
if they are a 'natural monster'.  I'm still thinking of a good verbname.

    Basically if the verb returns '1' then the rewielding sequence won't fire.

    Line eight should (soon) look like:

if ((this.wielding == {}) && (!is_player(me)) && (this:wielding == 
this.natural_weapons) && !(me:natural_attacks()))

     Since the verb is !d, this should work. (I hope)

  --  Isagi's not programming too well lately.
--------------------------
Message 441 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Oct 23 17:13:02 1994 PDT
From:    Freeze_Baby (#73979)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Elendil

Irregardless of wheather or not he FOUND the item or not, Elendil DID know
that it caused tracegbacks in combat, preventing him from being damage, _HE_
told me about it and too keep his lil' buggie hush hush... yeah right...
anyway he INTENTIONALLY exploited it at the time KNOWING it made him invunrable
And was PISSED at me cuz I turned it in... poor baby, anyway my feelings
on this matter are good ridence, ALTHOUGH, I will say this, Twist's spear
which _I_ have not seen nor looked at may be the fault, as sometimes twist 
makes
items without really considern what he is doing. IE the magic ring that you
don't haveto carry, the drink from undines pool that basically lets you make a
GOD character in the rpg.
--------------------------
Message 442 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Oct 24 17:45:24 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      Freeze_Baby (#73979) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: what rock have you been hiding under?

Please try 'rub #31913' without holding the ring...see what happens.
or maybe you should goto the undines liar and drink some water....
all that happens is you get damaged.
Maybe its you who doesn't think ahead?
--------------------------
Message 443 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Oct 24 22:13:19 1994 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: twist

I don't think TWIST should lose his bit.  I understand getting angry when you 
think someone is taking advantage of your creations.  Many folks fucked Alaria 
to get unlimited lives and boosted stats.  I was sorely tempted to just have 
her rip them apart, but that wasn't in keeping with her character.

Next time, TWIST, you should consider some fiendish _VR_ way of getting 
revenge.  Even the stat lossage that occurred COULD be explained in a VR way.  
I don't know the background of the wyrm spear, or how one gets it.  You could 
have its guardian blocking entry by the transgressor to your Sea area, or make 
it work TERRIBLY for later times it is used.

(You could hack :critical_miss for some particularly nasty results: "It breaks 
in half and plunges through your chest, killing you instantly."  BUt you 
should give at least one "close call" before such a dirty deed.)

To summarize: I don't especially agree with what TWIST did, but I do 
understand it.  I certainly don't think he should apologize, since he believes 
Elendil was taking advantage of him.  But he should perhaps restore his stats 
and work on some _other_ more general, more VR way of handling these 
situations.

-Quinn (posting here to hide new ideas from pesky prying players)
--------------------------
Message 444 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Oct 25 09:27:53 1994 PDT
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: The spear

Ah hah!  I've found TWIST's bug!  (Well, Profane pointed it out to me) - you 
can just kill whoever has the spear and take it from them - what a nifty 
little way to cheat to get the spear more than once... But wait - 
player-killing isn't cheating - is it?  No one here seems to think so (I've 
heard very little if any complaints about it - especially from GMs)
So, now its ok to damage people's stats because they kill another player?  I 
don't think so.  Since there is a perfectly legal way to get the spear more 
than once, I am willing to repair Elendil's stats, unless TWIST can prove to 
me toat Elendil did actually use a bug to steal the spear.  (Hell - he can't 
code stuff without bugs (or so he thinks) - how could he find one himself?)  I 
also feel that the verb should be removed or modified to non-permanently lower 
the stats if he doesn't want people to use it more than once - this will 
prevent people who _legally_ obtain the spear a second or more times from 
using it (which is the idea).. I do wonder why he didn't think of this himself?

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 445 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Oct 25 14:46:45 1994 PDT
From:    Borax (#45216)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Spear with a TWIST...

I also understand TWIST's need to grant something as powerful as the Wyrm 
Spear only once.  He was (and is) trying to make an honest effort to keep 
players from receiving an unfair advantage that may unbalance *all* of the 
puzzles on the MOO.  (all of the combat-solvable ones, anyway)
I don't believe his efforts, should be flamed by the same GMs he is trying to 
help... In fact, by GMs that are in the position to help him *fix* the problem 
instead of creating friction.
Ok... practicing what I preach, suggestions:
Along with having the spear puzzle locked to players that have solved it 
before, have the spear unwieldable by players in the list of players that have 
solved the puzzle.
@verb spear:wield this none this rxd
@program spear:wield
if (player in this.solvers)
  player:tell("You have flashes of the gore and violence you committed last 
time you wielded the ", this.name, " and cannot bring yourself to wield it 
again.");
else
  return pass(@args);
endif

-Rax
(The guy without some silly line after his signature... except this one.)
--------------------------
Message 446 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Oct 26 16:18:43 1994 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: hey....

I am going to be recycling the swamp area soon, in favor of a 'new' area.
if anyone would like a piece of it/from it let me know.
The new area will be 'themely'. heh
--------------------------
Message 447 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 27 11:30:08 1994 PDT
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Bug report with doll.misc_notes and resurection

The doll verbs (read/write/erase)_misc_note seem quite useful for
keeping track of per-doll information, like whether or not that
character has solved a puzzle, and so forth.  However, I've noticed
that none of the objects that can resurrect characters from the dead
reset the .misc_notes property.  This means that puzzle information and
such-like is lost.  Isn't this a bad thing?
 
Can I plea for people with resurrect-ers to do the proper thing with
misc_notes?  Or, I'd be glad to volunteer to write a general-purpose
save_doll/restore_doll routine if people'd like that.
 
Thanks!
 
   -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 448 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Oct 27 23:54:54 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Twist, you don't have to recycle the swamp.. just think of a themely link. -M
--------------------------
Message 449 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Oct 28 13:44:41 1994 PDT
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: MOO-fu

Yes, my little temple/academy to teach MOO-fu is now open. Please feel free to 
stop by and send me your comments, constructive criticisms, suggestions, bug 
reports, corrections of Japanese grammar, etc. Be sure to read #12911 and 
#35684 for some technical notes about MOO-fu and a silly ''history'' of the 
temple.
I plan on expanding the services of this temple, adding another AHaB to train 
PCs in various abilities/skills. Suggestions for appropriate skills welcome.
To gain rank in MOO-fu, the PC will have to complete various quests (as soon 
as I have quota to implement this bit). These quests should mostly be peaceful 
in nature. I am looking for ideas here. Either existing puzzles elsewhere I 
could have PCs go and solve and come back, or new ideas you'd like to see. 
Please MOO-mail me suggestions.
If you would like to have your monsters use MOO-fu, do the following: Put 
#11281 somewhere in the monster's doll's .natural_weapons list. Write a 
misc_note on the monster's doll named "temple_rank", containing a number 
between 1 and 15 inclusive.  The higher this number, the better the monster is 
at using MOO-fu. You prolly want to put an .imoofu property on your monster, 
too.
e.g. @prop monster.inatural_weapons {#11281} ... @prop monster.imisc_notes 
{{"temple_rank", 6}} ... @prop monster.imoofu 12 ... ;;monster:birth()
N.B. You don't have to have the monster wear a ghi (child of #69882), since 
that is the PC interface for MOO-fu, and not really designed for monsters. 
Won't hurt, though.

Arigato gozaimasu,
-Profane
--------------------------
Message 450 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Oct 28 18:45:20 1994 PDT
From:    Freeze_Baby (#73979)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and TWIST (#37972)
Subject: RE: UNDIEN and other VArious TWIST miscodes

Ok, TWIST...
I'z not try'n ta' pick on ya or nofin hun... BUT these thingyz I HAVE 
tested myself and showed Quinn...

Undie'z drink thing first...

Ok, you drink 50 times, go terminate your character, go to alaria and get
restored, in 15m you have 1000000000 in all stats, because SOMEONE didn't use
the scheadual prop, and went with simple suspends...

OR

you go do the same things and just terminate, then wait and get 10000 in each
stat...


NOW

your wonderfull ring.

You simply write a verb that will ERROR out when you get the message about
your magic_Effect being reduced and volia you have a perminate up'ed MR...
Simply because you didn't use scheadual again...

Anyway twist, I do not thinky you should LOSE anything, just think alittle more
b'fore you do somethin' and TEST damn it TEST things more, if you need
help testin' ASK, I'z be more then happy ta' try and missuse thingyz till you
have them HACK proof. I've shown GM's YOUR misscodes along with others as a 
PC and as a GM and will continue to do so, cuz I like RP, and not missuse.

Anyway TWIST, I know what happens with your stuff, not cuz I looked at it,
but because I'z DONE it. PERIOD.

Thanx hun, and don't feel bad, cuz I think alot of your stuffie has GOOD
potential, just needs ta' be de-buggied.
--------------------------
Message 451 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Oct 28 18:48:21 1994 PDT
From:    Freeze_Baby (#73979)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Ring

BTW about time for the ring non-holdin' backlash! :) But finally good :)
--------------------------
Message 452 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Oct 29 22:28:20 1994 PDT
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: StarDancer

*I* am in charge of the cultist area. If you have any complaints direct them 
to me.  Dred has done a fine job with his areas so get off his case! .. Now.. 
as for VR in a text world, it takes some real creativity to paint a picture 
with words and interaction. People that can are true artists.  We are 
extremely fortunate to have quite a few of these gifted souls here.  This 
talent is what makes for good GM areas.  Vision, creativity, and good 
programming skills (or at least the ability to ask and learn.)  Making a good 
VR interface is essential to making good RPG areas.  This ability is essential 
to being a good GM and creating good RPG areas.  I'd say, that most *ANY* time 
we can make a good VR interface instead of just another FO, it is enhancing 
the RPG.
For the record, I agree with Dred.  There should be a better way than an FO 
for this.  I liked his idea of an NPC with the info.
-M
--------------------------
Message 453 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Oct 30 19:10:54 1994 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      Freeze_Baby (#73979) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: your outa date..

The backlash on the ring has been there for *ATLEAST* 6 months...

How does one get better stats from my undines pool, when all the water does
is damage you?
could you please do it, then show me?
--------------------------
Message 454 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Oct 31 13:16:17 1994 PST
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: :drink

Hmmm, TWIST... what were you doing so stupidly the first time before you had 
to change the code?  Or do you remember...?  THat code was different for the 
longest time I remember...  I don't think Kristia (or FZB don't even remember 
who now...) was complaining about the code _now_... just how stupid you've 
been with it in the past - not testing/thinking it through (not that the rest 
of us are immune to stipidity too... in fact I noticed this one bug the other 
day that I can't quite remember now...  though it was in code that was broken 
anyway...)
--------------------------
Message 455 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov  2 15:44:43 1994 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      Quisinart (#63546) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Look you little fuck.....

>>>@audit TWIST
>>>@audit quisinart

Both lists look the same. Simple objects. Yet, some how, *I* am the poor GM.
Quisinart_with_the_bigger_asshole_than_his_mother, MAYBE you should *LOOK*
at the code on the pool, *BEFORE* you try to make me look bad.
The code Freeze_baby is talking about *DID* exist.
It was also fixed about 6 *MONTHS* ago.
Just to make things easy for you, the verb is #51503:drink.
I wouldn't want to have to waste time looking for verbs on my code,
when you could be writing trash about me.
Get a life. Or atleast find something real to complain about.
I think yo uwere mad at me for trapping my code because you were helping 
elendil to cheat. Opps.

Grow up. Shut up. Leave. I don't care which you do, but please do us all
the favor, and do one of them.  
Have a nice day.
The_worlds_worst_GM_according_to_Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 456 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov  2 17:26:48 1994 PST
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      TWIST (#37972) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Look you little fuck.....

Not only are you an idiot, you can't read either.  I _did_ happen to say that 
the code _used_ to be there, so obviously I knew it wasn't there anymore... 
duh.
. o O ( I know - I'll trap :receive_message so if I get mail from someone I'm 
refusing, it'll screw with their stats... and :tell to do the same with people 
I'm gagging.  Whoopee )
BTW, it seems someone can get an .inj of 100,000,000 and still not die... why 
is that?
In fact - I bet thats a very safe way to improve your heal - drink for a bit, 
then heal, then drink, then heal, etc...  I like it - my heal's kinda low...  
For that matter, how hard are you to kill with a negative .inj?  And how 
strong are your spells with a negative .ins?  I think if you drink 20-30 
times, then go to the spring and rest, then leave (assuming you rest and heal 
_before_ the time passes - what, 15 minutes total?) you end up with all these 
negative values.  Strike 2, Twist.  
Very interesting Audits, btw, what do you have, 1 object over 5K?  With me 
having 5 over 10K?  I didn't bother to count the number over 5K...  I didn't 
bother counting the number of verbs either... I'll leave that as an 
exercise...  

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 457 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 04:40:55 1994 PST
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Stardancer

1. The cultist area isn't open because I haven't finished fixing the bugs 
there. AND I'm expanding the puzzles and don't want people bothering it until 
it's done.
2.  The reactor is !r because I want it to be !r.
3.  Who are you to tell me i do nothing here?  @audit Moriah  @audit tindy.. 
sheesh.. 
 
Tindy, grow up. 
-M
--------------------------
Message 458 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 11:52:46 1994 PST
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: drink

Bummer, I was wrong about drink allowing negative .inj and .ins.  Oh well :)
--------------------------
Message 459 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 16:02:06 1994 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Mooriah 

Moriah 
> 1. The cultist area isn't open because I haven't finished
> fixing the bugs
> there. AND I'm expanding the puzzles and don't want people
> bothering it until it's done.
Goin by your performance with the shopkeeper and Elias I c'n 
confidently expec' the cultist area ta be up by some time inna 21st 
century... 
> 2.  The reactor is !r because I want it to be !r.
Great reason, 'specially since it's a semi-public objec...
> 3.  Who are you to tell me i do nothing here?  @audit Moriah
> @audit  tindy.. sheesh.. 
How 'bout @quota Cori, an @quota Moriah, hunh? There's a *major* 
difrence there.
> Tindy, grow up. 
> -M
Like you forget I'm 13. *You're* s'posed ta be the adult here, 
maybe *you* otta ack like it?
--->Cori 
--------------------------
Message 460 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 18:55:00 1994 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: tindy

Can't wait to see your area, Tindy?  Have I missed it somewhere?
--------------------------
Message 461 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 21:56:34 1994 PST
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

If you're really 13, perhaps someone should wash your mouth out with soap and 
teach you to respect those that have more experience than you.  Since you act 
13, i expect you are 13. And if you think Cori has *stuff* .. lets compare 
quota.  Since you don't  have a clue about how Elias, Shopkeepers or 
reasonings behind their purpose or VRness, I'll let the !r remark go.  Since 
you are only  13, I suppose allowances should be made for inexperience and 
brashness.  When you've made something of consequence, we'll talk again. Until 
then, this conversation is at an end. -M
--------------------------
Message 462 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov  3 22:22:12 1994 PST
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

How does one disinherit a child of your creation? -M
--------------------------
Message 463 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Nov  4 05:09:08 1994 PST
From:    Gilmore (#34435)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Oh come on.  You think you can just hide behind "oh I'm 13" whenever you do 
something childish? You aren't fooling anyone.  Or at least you aren't fooling 
me.
--------------------------
Message 464 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Nov  4 06:22:36 1994 PST
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

this isn't news...it's gossip...so while we're at it, i'm gonna try to enrol 
in a class in qbasic since my programming skills suck.
--------------------------
Message 465 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Nov  5 18:20:44 1994 PST
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: doll.act et all

I'm not sure how much has been done cleaning this up, but I know there's a 
problem with it in :invite (and possible elsewhere, since I think it was being 
adjusted somewhere else as well).  I've come up with a general psuedo-code 
(could definitely use some work, this is just an idea on how .act could be 
used to get the desired results - it may be more tick intensive than what 
originally was there, so please just use it as an idea....) that may fix teh 
problem and allow isagi to remove the uncommented line (and _maybe_ even 
shorten :invite quite a bit...).
Whew - don't you love rrun-on sentances?  The rest is quite simple I think...
Ok, I haven't gone through the code in detail recently, but this is the 
general idea.  Whenever you make an attack, there is a cost involved in taht 
attack based on the speed at which you can make it.  :hit_aggressor is the 
verb used, so you want to do modification to .act in that verb (and that's the 
_only_ verb you want to modify .act in to keep things easy to understand - if 
verbs other than hit_aggressor are used to execute an attack, they would have 
to modify .act also).
When someone attacks, they would raise the .act value of all the creatures in 
their .aggressor list by the 'cost' of that attack - based on the creatures 
slowness and teh weapon's slowness and maybe other factors.
The attacker would also have their .act value dropped by the cost of the 
attack: doll.act = doll.act - cost;
Then, :invite (or maybe another verb which calls invite) would be moddified to 
have something _similar_ to:
while (this.act > 0)
this:act();
endwhile
Obviously there would need to be more (and this is where running out of ticks 
may be a problem and may make this whole idea unfeasable...).
Remember, each time :act is called, it will lower that creature's .act value, 
so say a person attacks a Kobold with an attack that costs 20 points, and the 
kobold responds with an attack that costs 11.  The kobold would get 2 attacks 
back (since their attack is twice as fast).
Ok, I just noticed one other problem, and a solution escapes me at the 
moment...  once this starts, I think it will continue until the tasks run out 
of ticks - each creature just attacking continuously...  Lets take the 
previous example...
The player attacks once - his/her .act goes to -20.  Then the Kobold attacks 
twice, raising the player's .act to -9 and 2, while moving itself to 9 and -2 
(value after first and second kobold attack).  Now, the player's :invite verb 
will call :act again, attacking the kobold... and this wil continue forever.  
One way which may work to limit this is not allow player's :invite verbs to 
work - they have to do each attack manually - meaning no auto-fighting.  I 
don't know if this is a good idea (and this problem may invalidate the whole 
idea...) 

I hope this is helpful to someone, or helps spark a better idea by someone.

Quisinart
--------------------------
Message 466 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov  9 10:37:46 1994 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: A non-flame.

 Has anybody seen or played with Veklondir's amulet(#37952), by 
Frobno? My only prollem with this *great* item is there's only 1... 
 It mite be too powerful as is ta be unleashed in quantity, but it 
*does* solve the storm-traceback prollem. <sigh>
 Anyway, I think other people otta lookit it an give Frobbie a 
back-pat or something...
                     ---> Cori
--------------------------
Message 467 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov  9 13:16:56 1994 PST
From:    Frobno (#49397)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Veklondir's amulet

 
Yes, Veklondir'a amulet is quite powerful as a magic item. For those who 
haven't seen it, here's how it works:
 
You must be wearing it and have at least one hand free to touch or grasp it to 
activate it. It is powered by any storm spells that are active in the room of 
the wearer. (Its description changes when you look at it depending on the 
power level of the storms, too, so you can tell whether it will work or not.) 
Once there is enough storm energy present in the room, touching it will make 
it absorb that energy into itself, sweeping those storms from the room. Right 
now I have the activation threshhold set at 200 points of total storm quality 
before it will switch on. So, you've got to have a number of good ones up. The 
amulet stays powered for the number of seconds equal to the total storm power 
it absorbed.   

While you've got the amulet on, and so long as it has power left, it amplifies 
your base firebolt skill by half the amount of your :total() skill...this 
makes it *very* punchy if you're an accomplished mage.  For instance, in my 
case it would make my base firebolt skill 74, giving me a new :total() skill 
over 200.   I had always intended this to be a unique item, and I have not 
released it into the general RPG world yet as a "winnable" item until I add 
the mechanism which will limit how many times it can be used.  

Erm, right now it's broken, actually. I had halfway changed it to use the new 
:att_schedule mechanism, but then I found out that attributes are only checked 
for switch back every ten minutes, which is a little longer than I wanted
As soon as I fix up a few other things I'm tinkering with, I'll have it 
working again.
 
--Frobno
--------------------------
Message 468 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov  9 13:48:42 1994 PST
From:    Frobno (#49397)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Nazhk is on the loose


[[ Please keep the following information confidential to GMs ]]

I finally gave my Rakshasa creature a very primitive :behave() sequence to 
follow, so Nazhk, my test prototype, is now out roaming the RPG.
 
Anyway, Nazhk wanders about, and occasionally mindprobes a random RPGer in the 
room with him. He then wanders away to get alone and attempts to mimic 
something "friendly" to that person and walks to join that person. Sometimes, 
he attacks his mindprobe victim if they are in a room which allows combat. 
(Right now, his attacks are only about 60% of the time).  
 
I just thought I should post this in case he startles any GMs. Nazhk does not 
descriminate when picking targets. I should point out that he will not mimic
wizards or GM characters, though.

It should be interesting to see the reaction players have to Nazhk. For now, 
it'll be our little secret, eh? Eventually, everyone willl know about him, but 
in the meantime, let's see how much "surprise" he provides.

--Frobno
 
As I've said, his current behavior is very primitive. I hope to be adding some 
features to make him MUCH more stealthy and underhanded.
--------------------------
Message 469 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Nov 13 09:27:09 1994 PST
From:    G8keeper (#61219)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Mine failures

Evidently, the  .mine list is screwing up and being changed yet again.  Here 
is a list of that the .mine list now says on my kobolds.  SIGH
'
heretical kobold (#3032)  Location: #1131Cemetery
'       fishing line (#21653) west (#88832) female4 (#86851)
Sorceress (#3760)  Location: #3771Machine Room
'       staff (#65391) heavy robes (#82151) Pittdom (#61484)
fanatical kobold (#3764)  Location: #1131Cemetery
'       Hallway (#78804) e (#53971)
one-eyed goblin (#3777)  Location: #3768Bottom of Mine Shaft
'       crystal (#3761)
proud kobold (#4048)  Location: #43514Office
'       dagger (#5956)
chip-shouldered kobold (#4049)  Location: #1131Cemetery
'       The deep end (#75963) north (#88712)
'       Josheroo was here Rich!!! (#63082)
nervous kobold (#4050)  Location: #1131Cemetery
'       north (#79757) Copper_Band (#3863) w (#10268)
'
PLEASE.. fix this.
-M
--------------------------
Message 470 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Nov 13 09:35:08 1994 PST
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

 I'm REALLY getting tired of resetting the .mine lists.. i think i'm going to 
write a verb to do it.  <sigh> *bah.. I feel better now. -M
--------------------------
Message 471 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 16 18:22:59 1994 PST
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: CHILDREN!

    Much better, now we're fighting amongst ourselves where the silly mortals 
can't see us.  ^_^

    [I'm not joking - I like this much better than backstabbing in Public 
Forums]

    I'm going to profile the whole attack and magic sequences and come up with 
something before week's end.

    As for the broken .mine lists, more code for me to put on the RPG recycler.

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
P.S.  I'm back for good now, new local Net connection.
--------------------------
Message 472 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov 17 07:48:34 1994 PST
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

what's with the multiple round of attacks from one swing?..people getting 
killed in other rooms, minutes after they've left battle..who changed what, 
and why no notice anywhere?
--------------------------
Message 473 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Nov 19 16:35:31 1994 PST
From:    Quisinart (#63546)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Grand_Master (#2693)
Subject: re: changes to ##74:invite

The commented return on line 40 allowed monsters to attack... right now the 
.act value will go negative and never get positive again, so the monsters will 
all stop attacking pretty quick... thats why it was commented out - to fix 
that problem.
(At least thats what I thought the fix was supposed to do when it was added...)
I can say that monsters have stopped defending themselves again.
--------------------------
Message 474 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Nov 21 18:48:59 1994 PST
From:    Miles (#50636)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Abaddon (#88570)

Abaddon has asked about getting a gm bit. Opinions? I'd like to just turn this 
over to a review board, as mentioned in the past.
--------------------------
Message 475 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Nov 22 12:24:31 1994 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: #74:recieve_damage() calling :special_damage()

In line 36 of #74:recieve_damage(), we make a call to a weapon's 
:special_damage() verb. HOWEVER, a quite useful (to me anyway) argument is not 
passed in the call. The attacking character is NOT passed, unlike all other 
calls to a weapon's :attack(), :pen(), etc. verbs are.
This is 1. Inconsistent, and 2. Annoying for those of us who wanna check who's 
attacking with the weapon.
Could some kindly G_M fix it? Something like:
  special_damage = weapon:special_damage(whoby, me, loc, armour[1], qual);

This breaks the old arg sequence, tho it would then be consistent with the 
:attack(), :pen() etc. verbs. Or just tack 'whoby' onna end. Heck, I don't 
care. So long as it's in there.
Arigato Gozaimasu,
-Profane
--------------------------
Message 476 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Nov 22 20:34:15 1994 PST
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      Profane (#30788) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: #74:recieve_damage() calling :special_damage()

>  In line 36 of #74:recieve_damage(), we make a call to a weapon's
>  :special_damage() verb. HOWEVER, a quite useful (to me anyway)
>  argument is not passed in the call. The attacking character is NOT
>  passed, unlike all other calls to a weapon's :attack(), :pen(),
>  etc. verbs are.

Actually, it's right under your nose..    weapon.location is the attacker.

                                         - TM
--------------------------
Message 477 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 08:39:50 1994 PST
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      Taskmaster (#46102), Profane (#30788), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: #74:recieve_damage() calling :special_damage()

TM writes "weapon.location is the attacker."   Is this ALWAYS going to
be the case?  What if someone wants to make a "dancing sword" which flies
into the room when attacking?  Or someone wants to shoot a cannon, which of
course can't be held in one's hands?  Is there some reason why such things
can't be made?
 
   -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 478 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 08:43:39 1994 PST
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      Jamethiel (#91447), Profane (#30788), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: #74:recieve_damage() calling :special_damage()

It's obviously not always the case.... but a quick fix if you needed it.
'whoby' should probably be tacked on the end of the arg list, not to break 
anything... (course, like you suggested in the first place).

                                       - TM
--------------------------
Message 479 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 12:42:19 1994 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: :special_damage()

I think Slither is right ... the .location will not always be the attacker, a 
case in point being natural weapons like fists.  Sux that we have no RPG 
wizards, or we could tack a args length check into peoples' special damage 
verbs and keep from breaking stuff.  Ahh, well, they hate us, what can I say? 
:) 

Anyway, might as well have it be the same args order as the other, similar 
verbs ... how many verbs are we talking that need modification?  
:special_damage() is relatively new, so prolly most of the GMs who are using 
it are still active.  Shall we just set a date and time and change it?  GMs 
can put the args length check in there temporarily to keep from having to be 
in at that time ... 


dr
--------------------------
Message 480 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 17:04:05 1994 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: special_damage

If you're going to change the args, they should be the same as :critical_hit, 
and :special_damage should be added as a real verb and not just an alias for 
the other #82 properties.

I really didn't see how this was needed, to tell ya the truth.  You can just 
use :critical_hit if you want some special damage.
--------------------------
Message 481 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 19:54:43 1994 PST
From:    Miles (#50636)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: [Abaddon (#88570):  About my request for a GM bit]

Date:     Wed Nov 23 19:52:57 1994 PST
From:     Abaddon (#88570)
To:       Grand_Master (#2693)
Subject:  About my request for a GM bit

Please keep in mind I am a comp. programming CIS major in college,
and I know how to program turbo pascal, QB, a little C++, and a little
fortran.  While I haven't created anything on lambdamoo yet, what
I'd wish to do most is start GMing my own place for awhile.  This
doesn't necessarily mean I want it added to lambda moos already
existing adventure areas.  Though if anyone likes my ideas, I would
gladly add on.  I also, if it matters, have been GMing fantasy games
(like D&D) since I was 10, and now I am 26. 
                         Thanks,
                         Abaddon  aka Walking_Dude
--------------------------
Message 482 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 23 20:29:46 1994 PST
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: I've send my standard speech/criteria to Adaddon (#85570) for GM-ship

    I think he'll [he?] will be looking for some GM to tack onto for a 
sponsor.  If he does, then I can email you with the criteria that I've set out.

    As Profane can tell you, they're pretty rough - and require some time on 
your part to help along.

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 483 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov 24 05:27:08 1994 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Happy thanksgiving folks
Twist
--------------------------
Message 484 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Nov 24 15:16:26 1994 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: special_damage

I added special_damage as a way to hook certain damage done by a weapon 
directly into the total amount of .inj points incurred, PROVIDED the weapon in 
question penetrated the armour.  critical_hit is checked (and shortcuts the 
rest of #74:receive_damage) *before* the armour check.  While I suppose I 
could have done a critical_hit on the weapons that do special_damage that 
checked the armour, and spewed the appropriate messages for misses, etc, it 
seemed like a waste to have the same code in two (or more) places.

special_damage is specifically for things that armour would not protect 
against, but would need to be brought into contact with the creature's `skin' 
or innards to take effect.  Poison, enchantments, paralysis, etc.

dr
--------------------------
Message 485 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Nov 25 11:04:04 1994 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Monetary Gems!

I think I am finally almost finished with my monetary gem project. (whew)

The Generic LRPG Monetary Gem is #25600. I invite all you GMs to read the help 
for that object; it explains much about how to use them. If you wish to create 
gems for your areas, I urge you to use Susa's gem dispenser #68399 instead of 
just creating a child.

Now, gems aren't any good unless you can change them for gold and vice versa. 
So I have created The Starlight Gem Shoppe #29129, with the proprietor Ulrich. 
This project is why it took me so long to do this.

The shop is not open to the public yet. I am ready, however, for all you GMs 
to start coming in and testing it out for bugs that I missed. In fact, that's 
what this letter is for. heh. Please come by and see how easy/hard it is to 
buy/sell/appraise gems there. Mail me any bug reports.

Hopefully, if all goes well I'll throw open the shop for business in the next 
week or two. I hope you all wait to start using monetary gems until then...

Dred
--------------------------
Message 486 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Nov 30 15:24:59 1994 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Here's REAPER!

OK, tomorrow afternoon LMST I will be @reaping all those characters who have 
not done ANYTHING in the RPG in three months or more.  That is about 600 
players.  If you care about your character, go kill something.  Otherwise, 
just sit tight and my will be done. :) 

Grand_Master (sometimes).
--------------------------
Message 487 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Dec  1 14:32:23 1994 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and *RPG-Stuph (#21259)
Subject: *Gaming, anyone?

Is there any interest in having another mailing list here to talk about 
MUD/MOO games that AREN'T necessarily LRPG and AREN'T necessarily on LambdaMOO 
at all?  If there is a good response, we could perhaps create one using G_M's 
quota to keep it from being subject to the vagaries of a single user's quota.

dr
--------------------------
Message 488 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Dec  6 08:00:36 1994 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Gem Shoppe

Well, I haven't gotten too many bug reports about the Gem Shoppe. I know that 
there has been some activity there since Ulrich somehow ended up with gobs of 
copper...

I'd like to open the shop soon. Any more GMs want to try it out and see if it 
works all fine and dandy? I'd sure appreciate it.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 489 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Dec  6 17:55:19 1994 PST
From:    yduJ (#68)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Matching Room #3879

I'd like to chparent the Matching Room to #27777, the Self-Cleaning Room.  I 
have recently at Yib's request made the Self-Cleaning Room only clean 
optionally, and of course I would make the default to *not* be self cleaning 
on Matching Room.  I'm asking for discussion here because the RPG rooms are 
descended from it.  I don't think any problems would be created by this 
chparent.  Any objections?
--yduJ (speaking for Nosredna)
--------------------------
Message 490 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Dec  6 19:38:21 1994 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Gem Shoppe

Oops. I forgot to mention that the shop is #29129.
--------------------------
Message 491 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Dec 25 08:43:52 1994 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: special_damage

This should, first of all, be its own verb.  Secondly, it should take the same 
args as critical_hit.  It shouldn't be aliased with damage and such, since it 
doesn't even take the same args.

I'm for breaking any existing verbs, because I doubt there are many.  Give 
them the extra useful args and let them be fixed when they break.
--------------------------
Message 492 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Dec 27 17:49:53 1994 PST
From:    Isagi (#21077)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259), *RPG-News (#9551), and Isagi (#21077)
Subject: Tracebacks with Sruli's shoppe, Mecha Samurai broken

    For once it's not my fault!  ^_^

    Seems that the Mecha's parent was recycled!  See what happens when seven 
or eight crucial verbs and properties disappear from one of your creations??

    I'm going to refund all of the broken Mecha Purchases - just Email me.  
I'll verify the purchase against my logs and make good on the bad purchase..  
:<

    Until I finish getting the Mecha working as SquATs, please, oh please, 
don't purchase or try anything with them..

    Now, if Borax gets recycled and I can't use the SquATs..  I need a good 
parsing AHaB that'll follow a 'master' around..  ^_^

  --  Isagi the little Anterran
--------------------------
Message 493 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jan  2 11:17:39 1995 PST
From:    Nosredna (#2487)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Phantom's stuff

Oh, crap.  I asked for volunteers for Phantom's stuff a while back, and got a 
few, and then, like an idiot, I permitted these messages to be expired, and so 
I no longer have them, now that I'm ready to actually do the @grants.  Uh, so 
which of Phantom's objects are vital RPG things that must not be reaped?  May 
I have some volunteers for these objects?  Thanks!
--Nosredna
--------------------------
Message 494 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jan  2 14:39:47 1995 PST
From:    Hellspawn_Mutant (#56872)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Double Attack and the dropping of natural weapons...

My claws are finally done, and they do all I want them to do, save for two
things:

1) I remember when I FIRST started training on sais, that after a while,
   when I fought with one in each hand, I'd get two attacks in one swing.
   How's this done?
2) These things are supposed to be surgically grafted.  The player keeps them
   even after death...  How do I keep them from being dropped, though, or
   eaten by the wyrms?  I thought natural weapons couldn't be dropped.
   Is there a property I can set, or will I need to hack the verbs?

thanks,
HM
--------------------------
Message 495 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan  3 09:43:00 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Gems

Okay, it's been long enough. I think the Gem Shoppe is sufficiently debugged 
and is ready to open.

I'm about to announce it on *RPG-Stuph. So all you GMs should feel free to 
create monetary gems as treasure. The gem-grabber (which makes a child owned 
by Susa) is #68399 and the command is a simple:

#68399:grab_gem(OBJ recipient, NUM true value, STR name, LIST aliases, 
STR|LIST description)

You should probably provide all those arguments because you won't have the 
perms to change them later on. (Except GMs can set the true and appraised 
values)

Dred
--------------------------
Message 496 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan  3 11:21:53 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: More on gems

I should probably mention (since I forgot to in the previous message) that the 
generic monetary gem is #25600.

Help #25600 will show you how to set up your monsters, and even your 
shopkeepers if you'd like, to use gems, appraise them, and accept them for 
payment.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 497 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jan  9 06:11:20 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Phantom

  I otta mention that Phantom's about ta be reaped. I have mosta 
his stuff that looks important, but I'm outa quota. I hope somebody 
else's willing ta take the rest, or 'least lookit over.
               --->Cori
--------------------------
Message 498 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan 10 14:57:57 1995 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Phantom's Stuff

> Phantom has a total building quota of 518,000 bytes.

I see no reason why useful things taken over from defunct GMs should not come 
with the quota to maintain them ... however, I can see why a wizard might 
hesitate to @grant it, given that you might just accept things you CLAIM are 
cool, then @recycle them and take the quota.   There is no way, at present, to 
*bind* quota to a particular object, so that it gets recycled if the object 
does.  I guess you just have to ask nice and promise to play nice.

Of course if the wizards don't like you, yer screwed. :) 

dr
--------------------------
Message 499 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan 10 17:19:54 1995 PST
From:    Dagard (#86886)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Binding Quota

Actually, it wouldn't be that hard to bind the quota to something... put a 
wizard-owned recycle verb on the object, and when it gets recycled, have the 
owner's quota 'shrunk' by however big the object was when it was @granted.
Or not, just a suggestion.
Dag
--------------------------
Message 500 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan 10 19:47:33 1995 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re:  Binding Quota

Well, what if someone just stripped all the verbs and properties on the object 
off and re-weighed the now feather-light object?  You'd have to have 
#0:rm_property, etc.  On the other hand, you might be able to make the object 
more efficient in its code, and actually shrink the size of verbs or 
properties, and it would be a shame to lose that quota for actually 
benefitting the MOO by using less space for the same effect.  Hmm.

dr
--------------------------
Message 501 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jan 13 09:01:41 1995 PST
From:    Nosredna (#2487)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: phantom, going going gone

last chance to rescue Soulwraith or Asina from the wrath of the reaper.
--------------------------
Message 502 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Jan 14 17:41:01 1995 PST
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Automatic healing task fixed

As you may or may not have noticed, the task that goes around healing
dolls has been broken for the last few days.  It turned out that a doll
had its .inj set to E_TYPE, which caused #1140:heal to crash and burn. 
 
The guilty doll was #3734.  I reset its .inj, and all the other dolls seem
to be okay.  I don't know how #3734.inj got messed up or if it'll
happen again, so be careful out there!
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 503 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jan 20 10:15:54 1995 PST
From:    Miles (#50636)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: yoof & gm bit

i'm intending to give the evil Euphistopheles a gm bit, barring any 
objections; he is an imaginative programmer and i lack the time to continue 
keeping up with the rpg, so will transfer a number of objects to him.
--------------------------
Message 504 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Jan 20 14:07:36 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: RE: Yoof

  Well I for 1 *totally* approve. I'm lookin forward ta what Yoof 
decides ta add ta the game. 8}
                  --->Cori
--------------------------
Message 505 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Jan 21 08:21:07 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: the `evil' Yoof

And here I thought he was already a GM...
--------------------------
Message 506 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan 24 12:20:22 1995 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Eeeeeeeeevil!

Evil is good.  Urm, I mean...
Have fun, uuf.
--------------------------
Message 507 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Jan 24 12:38:02 1995 PST
From:    Gilmore (#34435)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Bad is good, baby! I'm the MIDNIGHT BOMBER what BOMBS at MIDNIGHT! Yeah baby, 
YEAH!
--------------------------
Message 508 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Jan 25 04:33:51 1995 PST
From:    Moriah (#50459)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Yoof

Although I don't relish having any more contact with Yoof than I already do, 
*IF* he will keep his personal agenda out of the RPG circle, I don't care. 
Though, I'd really prefer not to see him here, he may add some creativity.  -M
--------------------------
Message 509 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Jan 28 08:10:43 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Generic Natural Weapon (#50181) :used()

So it appears that someone has renamed #50181:used() to "used(hmm)".
The side effect of this is that used() now passes to #82 (the generic weapon).
In line 5 of #82:used() if the .location of the weapon is not the wielder, it 
returns -200. Now, natural weapons such as fists and my own lovely MOO-fu were 
not intended to be directly wielded by their users. Consequently, this verb 
will always return -200, and anyone using their fists or MOO-fu or whatever 
will always miss their target.
My personal suggestion is to change the reference to `this.location' in line 5 
of #82:used() to `args[1]', which would eliminate this whole problem.
But maybe there's a good reason for the way it is? Who knows? Not me.
--------------------------
Message 510 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Jan 29 01:20:14 1995 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New Grand_Master

I've made Profane a Grand_Master, since he seems active and capable.  Welcome 
him, boys and girls!
--------------------------
Message 511 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Jan 29 07:54:24 1995 PST
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and *rpg-development (#20779)
Subject: modification of #82:used()

I have replaced `this.location' with `args[1]' in line 5 of #82:used().
This means fists and natural-type weapons should work again.

-Profane
--------------------------
Message 512 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Jan 30 18:33:32 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: magic_effect v. magic_effects

So for my first bit of changing around the LRPG core, I'd like to make 
#74:magic_effect() more like #74:combat_effects(). i.e. handle multiple 
effects.
(I note that :combat_effects() is called on the attacking doll, and that 
:magic_effect() is called on the defending doll, but that is not what I'm 
seeking to bring in line.)
I see no real reason why there shouldn't be more than one magic effect onna 
doll.
Comments? Suggestions? Flames?
(No, I have not yet greped thru alla RPG objects to see which use 
:magic_effect.)
Yer humble new G_M,
-Profane
--------------------------
Message 513 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Feb  2 17:37:23 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Two things

1. Any ideas on the best way to distinguish if a weapon is a blunt weapon, 
slashing weapon, piercing weapon, or whatever?
A new prop on the generic weapon, perhaps? Parent types such as `Generic Blunt 
Weapon'?

2. Any objections to adding a bit to :look_gear (or maybe a new verb) to show 
if a PC has any forcewalls and/or storms up?
--------------------------
Message 514 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Feb  2 22:31:26 1995 PST
From:    Carl_Kolchak (#46102)
To:      Profane (#30788) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Two things

>  1. Any ideas on the best way to distinguish if a weapon is a blunt
>  weapon, slashing weapon, piercing weapon, or whatever?
>  A new prop on the generic weapon, perhaps? Parent types such as
>  `Generic Blunt Weapon'?
>  

Ouch - not a good idea. By doing that, you'd add a lot more bytes to all 
~weapons, not just the parent itself.
Actually, I've toyed with this myself, and think the best way to to add a list 
prop to some DB object, and have the list contain parent objects of those 
types of weapons.
It'd be just another G_M maintenance task, but would save space.

                                           - TM
--------------------------
Message 515 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Feb  4 09:33:58 1995 PST
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      *rpg-development (#20779) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New :magic_effects() verb

I have added a new verb to #74 - :magic_effects(), as well as a new property - 
.magic_effects
These are similar to #74:combat_effects in that they allow multiple objects to 
affect a character `magically'.
#74:magic_effect() has been modified to check this verb.  If any object in 
.magic_effects returns a non-numerical value, the spell will fail 
(:magic_effect returns a value of -200).
#74.magic_effect is now relegated to holding numerical values only, as a sort 
of `magic resistance' score.
A kludge has been hacked in #259:birth to set a monster's .magic_effects if it 
has an .imagic_effect property with an OBJ value. PLEASE change to using 
.imagic_effects on your monsters. Note that the value of .magic_effects is a 
LIST, thus monster.imagic_effects should equal {monster.old_imagic_effect}
A kludge has also been hacked in #74:set_att to send mail to any GM who 
attempts to set a doll's .magic_effect to an OBJ value. I did not find any 
objects that did this in my (perhaps cursory) search (other than the 
aforementioned birthing case), but just in case..
I have taken the liberty of altering any doll with an .magic_effect with an 
OBJ value to clear the .magic_effect property and set the .magic_effects 
property = {<old_.magic_effect>}
It is my eventual intention that #74.magic_effect and #74:magic_effect() go 
away entirely. But for now you have yer backwards compatibility, mostly..
To help in this `going away', change your objects that are setting a numerical 
.magic_effect to add the object's # to .magic_effects and then write a 
:magic_effect verb on the object to return the value you were setting.
Has this missive been coherent? If not, contact me (Profane).

-Profane
--------------------------
Message 516 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Feb  6 13:04:15 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

I want to remind you GMs that the Gem shoppe is open now. I've been getting 
some customers. A nice gem would make a great treasure....the gem dispenser is 
#68399...
--------------------------
Message 517 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Feb  7 08:52:19 1995 PST
From:    Grand_Master (#2693)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Reply-to: Profane (#30788)

The .magic_effect propety on #74 will soon be going away. The only thing left 
to be done prepatory to this is to track down any objects that set/unset this 
property. I've only found two that do this, but with the proliferation of 
unreadable verbs, there are quite possibly more.
If you have such an object, you will have to do a few things to be in line 
with the new paradigm:

Add a :magic_effect verb to each item. This verb need merely return the 
numeric value you were setting before. e.g.

@verb <item>:magic_effect tnt rxd
@program <item>:magic_effect
return <number>;
.

Then, where you were setting the .magic_effect before, set the character's 
.magic_effectS property:

doll:set_att(setadd(doll:get_att("magic_effects"), this));

And similarly, when you are done:

doll:set_att(setremove(doll:get_att("magic_effects"), this));

You could also take advantage of the scheduling features on the dolls, but I 
won't get into that here.

Secondly, those of you who are checking a doll's :magic_effect (in custom 
spells, for instance) will probably want to switch over to using 
:magic_effectS instead.
Where before you had:

if (qual = doll:magic_effect(@args, <spell skill>) <= 0)

You will want to use:

if (typeof(effect = doll:magic_effects(@args, <spell skill>)) != NUM)
  return effect;
elseif ((qual = qual - effect) <= 0)
target.character.location:announce_all(target.character.name, " seems 
unaffected by the spell.");

Or something similar, depending on how your verb is set up. This gives the 
option for you to customize the `unaffected' message and for magic_effect 
objects to abort the spell without that message.
(#74:magic_effect will probably not go away tho, but it'd be nice if everyone 
used the same verb.. Be aware that :magic_effect and :magic_effectS will 
return different values!)

Questions, comments, flames, compliments even should go to Profane
--------------------------
Message 518 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Feb  9 21:09:08 1995 PST
From:    Nosredna (#2487)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Optional self cleaning for RPG rooms

I chparented the Matching Room to #27777, the self cleaning room, as I 
threatened to do a couple times on this list.  If you own a descendent of this 
(any RPG room, that is), you can get self cleaning behavior by using 
@self-clean on.

#10161 had a conflicting property, ".delay".  I just removed the property and 
set it to its old value after doing the chparent.  Now, should you make #10161 
self-cleaning, the .delay property will do double-duty: for whatever it is 
presently used for, and for choosing how long a trash item may remain in the 
room before getting cleaned.  Its previous value (two hours) was quite 
reasonable for this purpose.  No other rooms that I didn't already own had 
conflicting properties.  (I had one, I coped with it.)

--Nosredna
--------------------------
Message 519 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Feb 13 09:18:17 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Nosredna (#2487), *Public-ARB (#3093), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Dalf, and the Kraken

  Jus' noticed that Dalf (#57892), is overdue for reaping. Now 
back when I got my GM bit I wannit ta work with anj an Dalf ta 
develope a new monster (the Kraken) an put tagether an adventure.
  Therefor, I'd like to take over Dalf's area (an the quota that 
goes with it), an finish the projec that got de-railed 'cause Dalf 
sems ta've lost intrest.
  I will mention that the firs stage a the Kraken has already been 
developed for Monty (#1876), my python, an Wintermoon (#58026) has 
done a lotta work on 3-D movement elseMOO (BTW this is like 'nother 
collaborative projec). For a quick aside, this means I got stalking 
behavior, an routines for 3-D movement for the underwater parts a 
the adventure.
  Anyway, I've been wantin ta do this for a while, but technical 
stuff an politics has been inna way. While I mite tend ta work in 
fits an starts (doesn evrybody?) I like ta think I gotta good track 
record for buildin intrestin objecs that don look (or ack) like 
evrythin else.
                  --->Cori
--------------------------
Message 520 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Feb 13 09:22:14 1995 PST
From:    Nosredna (#2487)
To:      StarDancer (#82267), *Public-ARB (#3093), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Dalf, and the Kraken

I must point out that the ARB does not permit me to transfer quota with 
objects.  You may wish to restructure your request now that you have that 
info.  Please include explicit object numbers of things involved in the 
project you wish to take over; I'm not interested in fussing with it to 
determine which objects are appropriate to the project and which are not.  And 
lose the fake accent when sending me mail about things like this, OK?  You 
have a brain, use it.
--Nosredna
--------------------------
Message 521 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Feb 13 10:19:08 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Nosredna (#2487), *Public-ARB (#3093), and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Dalf, and the Kraken

1)  Nossie, you gotta brain too, or why do ya think I crossposted this 
thing ta *parb? Not ta mention the the fack you don seem ta wanna 
use *your* brain.
2)  I write in di'lec, not an accent, an like Xorch'd tell ya (if 
you didn have his parent @gagged) it seems ta be a litmus-test for 
character.
3)  My previous message *wasn* a formal request.
--------------------------
Message 522 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Feb 13 12:05:43 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: doll.magic_effect

As a reminder, the .magic_effect property on the generic voodoo doll(#74) will 
be going away real soon now (tm).
Please modifies any verbage you have written which (un)sets/modify this 
property. @peek 719 on *rpg-news for more information, or talk to me.

-Profane
--------------------------
Message 523 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Feb 14 11:00:47 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Weapon & Armour Degrading

I am currently working on a system for weapon and armour degradation. Here is 
what I have so far, please comment if you have any concrete suggestions:
1. No time-based degradation (i.e. no forked task to check all the descendents 
of #517 and decrement their .condition). I'm not too hot on this idea to begin 
with and I don't like having YET another G_M forked task. Perhaps I may add 
this if I decide to finish up the implentation of the `claimed objects' thing.
2. No repair skill for PCs. Individual GMs can make whatever 
monsters/items/etc. that do repair that they want.
3. Weapons have a chance to damage upon parrying a weapon, being parried, or 
clanging on armour (check in :announce_parry(), :notify_parry(), and 
:notify_clang()) 
4. Armour has a chance to damage upon being clanged by a weapon (check in 
:announce_clang())
5. A damaged weapon will have a reduced pen, attack ,and dam.
6. A damaged piece of armour will have a reduced protection.
7. Every time we check for degrading, we first check to see if the item 
breaks. This chance depends on the current condition of the item; the more 
damaged it is, the more likely it will break.
7.b. Then we check if the item is damaged by the blow. This chance depends on 
the condition of the item and the dam and pen of other weapon as well as the 
quality of the attack or parry.
7.c. The amount of damage depends on the dam and pen of the other weapon as 
well as the quality of the attack or parry. The amount of damage for a weapon 
clanging on armour depends on the protection of the armour.
8. Wooden weapons damage more easily. Blunt weapons degrade more at a time. 
Leather armour damages more easily AND degrades more at a time.
9. Non G_M-owned items, unique items, items with a non-numerical .condition 
will not break.

I have some prototypes which you can reference for exact formulas, etc. See 
Degradable Katana(#90606) and Degradable O-yori(#12300). These have 
:make_fertile() verbs on them, so please feel free to make children and test 
them out. Tweak the formulas if you wish..
Also check out Profane_utils(#86830) :is_blunt(), :is_leather(), :is_wooden()..
Upon implementation, the :is_leather() etc. verbs would go on #46, 
:check_degrade() and :break() would go on #517, and the :notify_parry, 
:announce_clang, :attack(), :protection(), etc. verbs would go on #82 or #418, 
as appropriate.

Again, any concrete suggestions, lemme know..
--------------------------
Message 524 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Feb 14 11:54:59 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Quinn (#19845), *RPG-News (#9551), and Borax (#45216)
Subject: The Enhanced staff

  Over the nex few weeks I'm gonna be workin on Phantom's Generic 
Enhanced Staff. I'd 'priciate it if those of you who own kids of it 
'd test your copies an test for tracebacks an strange behavior.
  I'm gonna make the thing more customizable, maybe install random 
message capability (wavin arms an mutterin weird syllables is 
gettin ta be a cliche, IMO)
  Anyway, comments, suggestions etc will be lissened to...
              --->Cori
--------------------------
Message 525 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 15 11:23:08 1995 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Degradation ... 

. o O ( Hey, sounds like my life :) )

Just kidding.  OK, well, if the weapon's .dam is going to be reduced, etc, the 
repair monster needs to know what the weapon's damage is when it is in 100% 
good condition (or, as I suggest, 95% condition, no weaponsmith is able, I 
think, to restore a damaged weapon to its pristine state, because of metal 
fatigue, entropy, etc, etc).

Is the parent() of the weapon's .dam, etc, a sufficient way of telling what 
the full damage of the weapon is?

dr
--------------------------
Message 526 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 15 13:28:47 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      darkrider (#7003) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Degradation ... 

>  Just kidding.  OK, well, if the weapon's .dam is going to be
>  reduced, etc, the repair monster needs to know what the weapon's
>  damage is when it is in 100% good condition (or, as I suggest, 95%
>  condition, no weaponsmith is able, I think, to restore a damaged
>  weapon to its pristine state, because of metal fatigue, entropy,
>  etc, etc).

The scheme I have worked out would not touch the actual .dam, etc. properties. 
It instead would change the :dam(), etc. verbs on the generic weapon.
From my prototype degradable katana (#90606):

@verb katana:dam tnt rx
@program katana:dam
dam = this:get_value("dam");
return max(dam - (100 - this:get_value("condition")) / 10 * (1 + 
this:is_blunt())) || dam, dam / 2);
.
(note that the :get_value()s would be changed to direct property references 
when installed on #82, and the :is_blunt() call would prolly be to 
#46:is_blunt(this) instead.)

Thus, .dam, etc. would always be the maximum damage of the weapon. Use the 
verb instead of the property to get the `corrected' value.
As far as how a repair monster works, that's up to the GM who wants to make 
such. You could even make `weapons of quality' with a condition > 100, and 
thus a correspondingly higher dam, attack, and pen.

-Profi
--------------------------
Message 527 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 15 14:43:04 1995 PST
From:    darkrider (#7003)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: LAGMONSTER!

Well, bear in mind that all these new things being added to the combat 
sequence are likely to take a fair number of ticks, which could cause the 
combat sequence to traceback, which is pretty much bad.

Changing the property will occur only when the condition has changed, which is 
ticks cheaper, not that your formula is bad.  Anyway ... 

dr
--------------------------
Message 528 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 15 16:07:04 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: LAGMONSTER!

>  Well, bear in mind that all these new things being added to the
>  combat sequence are likely to take a fair number of ticks, which
>  could cause the combat sequence to traceback, which is pretty much
>  bad.

Well, the combat sequence already tracebacks with some regularity, which is 
pretty much bad.

>  Changing the property will occur only when the condition has
>  changed, which is ticks cheaper, not that your formula is bad.

I am not sanguine about changing around the properties.. I much prefer the 
verb method. Some tick usage stats:
:dam() and :pen() use ~90 ticks, 64 of which is due to using :get_value(); 
when installed on #82, we use direct prop references, dropping tick usage to 
~30. More than half of this is due to the :is_blunt() check (more on this 
later) The :attack() verb will drop to ~5 ticks.
All these verbs currently use 2 ticks.
The addition of a call to :check_degrade() to :notify_parry(), 
:announce_parry(), etc. adds ~175 ticks (if nothing breaks or degrades).  ~96 
ticks of this are from :get_value()s, so we drop to ~80 ticks when corified.  
So, we get an added ~160 ticks whenever someone parries, and an added ~160 
ticks whenever someone's armour clangs. Not TOO bad.
We could shave off more if we left out the checks to see if a weapon was blunt 
or wooden, and a piece of armour was leather. I put these in for `realism', 
but if you really want to complain, I can take them out.
If a weapon degrades, that's only an extra ~70 ticks, which drops to ~30 ticks 
when we change the :set_value() to a direct prop reference.
I didn't check tick usage if a weapon actually breaks, but it looks like it 
would be ~200 ticks on top of the ~80 (corified) for the :check_degrade().
Of course, I could remove all this degrading check stuff from the Generic 
Natural Weapon, thus leaving kids of those using the same # of ticks they do 
now.. This would require putting separate :attack(), :announce_parry(), etc. 
verbs on the GNW. (since an if statement check would consume more ticks all 
around)

So, um, what's my point? I don't think this will add a great deal of tickage, 
and I think the `enhancement' of adding the code is worth the cost. You are 
welcome to debate this, however.
I don't like changing the .dam, etc. properties, because if I change the 
.condition property, the other ones aren't automagically adjusted as well. 
This could get quite annoying.
But whatever..
--------------------------
Message 529 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 15 16:11:31 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

Urm, all those tick usage stats are from my prototype degradable katana 
(#90606), which I forgot to mention.
--------------------------
Message 530 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Feb 16 01:05:07 1995 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: profane's plans

I agree with modifying :dam and the other stat verbs rather than directly 
changing the properties.  Both because it's cleaner, and it won't result in 
UN-clearing a lot of properties, thus resulting in more db bloat.

As for :is_blunt and such: put them on #82 as "is_blunt is_leather etc" and 
make that verb just return $local.rpg:(verb)(this) or whatever.  Best to keep 
that determination chiefly up to the weapon.
--------------------------
Message 531 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Feb 17 22:36:56 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Armour and Weapon degrading

I have finished implenting weapon and armour degrading. It looks stable and 
working.
For those who do not subscribe to them, @peek 161 on *rpg-dev and @peek 31 on 
*rpg-stuph
Someone should probably get together a beastie that does weapon and armour 
repairs.
--------------------------
Message 532 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Feb 19 11:32:11 1995 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: weapon and armor degradation: TWIST's opin.

From what I have seen already, weapons and armor degrade *WAY*
too fast. A few battles and they are all done. The degrading
system was added to increase the 'realism' of combat..and this isn't
very realistic. My point: the armors from europe, atleast the metal
ones often survived hundreds of battle (ala the crusade) many lasted
long enough to be passed down through generations of warriors.
A few battles just seems to be a little to quick.
The same holds true for weapons. Many survived hundereds of battles.
There are several katanas that are hundreds of years old...

Another point: weapons should degrade at different rates, anaginst different
things. I.e. a club should not degrade when it striked leather, nor should
the chanse for the club to degrade be very high.. 
Lemme give a few examples:
Battle axes should degrade slowly, as they are basically a huge, thick
cleaver, mounted on a thick wooden shaft.
the Head doesn't break easy, and the edge only matters so much (its a
cleaver). Ever see an oak shaft break? takes an aweful lot.
Swords: most of the swords here are similar (save the katana). Swords were
built from tempered steel, sure they dull, but unless you crank the
flat of the blade against something, it tends to be VERY hard
to break. (I can give a technical reason for fact junkies, just ask)
Katanas were made from light, folded steel. Thats why they last hundereds of
years..tempered folded steel just doesn't break..

Armor: armor breaks down into two types: Metal, and non metal
Most metal armor is either rigid plates, or flexible pieces. Scale
and chain should survive blunt attacks with great ease.Slashing attacks
tend you cause blugeoning damage (unless it slices through the armor)
and piercing attackes only tend to leave small holes, or find existing
ones. Plate will resist all but the most powerful attacks, and often only
need to have rivets and strapps replaced. (as in plate should degrade VERY
slowly). Most attacks that get through plate are slipped through the joints,
which causes little damage to the armor.
The soft armors..leather, and Oyori show wear faster..they tend to cut,
and pierce easier (leather os just that, O-yori is bambo and leather, with
silk, with some small pieces of metal sewn in.)

I think the degrading system is a good idea, though it does take up more 
ticks. It does need to be slowed down, maybe refined.

TWIST
--------------------------
Message 533 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Feb 19 13:08:56 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Degrading

I have slowed down degrading: where before the chance of degrading went up as 
your weapon was more damaged, it is now a flat chance.
Blunt weapons now no longer damage more per blow than non-blunt ones.
Sharp weapons damage leather armour more than non-leather armour (this is as 
before), but blunt weapons do the same amout of damage to any kind of armour. 
O-yori is classified as `leather' for this purpose.
I have tweaked the amount of degrading done per blow, it should be less than 
before.
I have also changed things to save ticks for those cases when a weapon or 
armour does NOT degrade.
As for TWIST's suggestions on having each different type of weapon degrade at 
different rates; Either we put it on the generics and eat up more ticks, or we 
put a separate verb on each different weapon/armour type, which is more work 
than I want to do.
It's nice and realistic, but I think what I've got is `realistic' enough 
without going overboard.
Individual GMs can change degrading on their own objects with a custom 
:check_degrade() verb. You, TWIST, own the generic for Full Plate Armour, so 
you could make it virtually immune to degrading yourself (as you stated it was 
in your missive).
Anyway, keep the comments coming.
-Profane
--------------------------
Message 534 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Feb 21 07:39:46 1995 PST
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

vordak is interested in becoming a gm and asked me to sponsor him/her..i 
suggested he write a letter to this list stating his qualifications and 
intent..says he's a wiz on ARADIA and has made 3 working rpg weapons. ...~~...
--------------------------
Message 535 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Feb 21 13:59:22 1995 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: two things:

1) Is anyone (G_M?) gonna fix the two handed club? it uses one handed club 
skill.

2) Vordak:
I told vordak I would sponsor him, if he could show me some 
programming..anything...
He said he would..that was a few days ago...
If he can program, and has a clue, let him have the bit..
If not, well lets not have yet another do nothing with a bit..
(I gotta have job security, don'tcha know?)
thats it
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 536 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Feb 22 10:13:35 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Repair beastie

I have constructed a beastie to repair damaged weapons and armour. He is 
Bob(#67730), who resides in the academy armoury. He is +r for your edification.
He is intended only to last until some more creative GM makes a more 
featureful and crufty repair beastie.
--------------------------
Message 537 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Feb 23 10:53:19 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Reducing G_M's forked tasks

So with the vague concept that forked tasks == lag, I'd like to try and reduce 
the amount of forked tasks G_M carries around.
Two things spring immediately to mind:
1. Rewriting the generic magnetic LRPG thing so that instead of forking off n 
tasks every pulse, it forks off one task every pulse, checking a different 
item each time. Much like Quinn's heart objects.
This would of course reduce the precision of when the objects go home. But at 
the moment the smallest homesick interval is half an hour, and with only 11 
kids of the generic, I don't think imprecision will be a big problem.
2. Putting monster's :die() tasks into a queue. Instead of having n suspended 
tasks waiting to resurrect an individual monster, we have one task that 
periodically checks each monster in its queue and forks off a rebirth if its 
been long enough. This would also check one monster per pulse.
This would add one more permanently forked task, but I think it would probably 
save in the long run over having a varying number of forked :die() tasks.

Objections or comments, please.

Perhaps we could even put all those storm spell :blastforks() in a scheduler, 
too, but that seems like it would be more annoyance than its worth.
--------------------------
Message 538 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar  2 08:36:51 1995 PST
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: beastie bob

i'm thinking of adding bob to the tome. so instead of a more featureful 
beastie elsewhere, how about just replacing bob with a new bob; people 
wouldn't have to go looking elsewhere for weapons repair.
--------------------------
Message 539 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar  2 10:48:16 1995 PST
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: RE Vordak

  Well, IMO, Vordak isn GM material, Dunno if anybody's been to 
Arkadia(sp?) but Myrddin_Evermore's Archwiz there. (Need I say 
more?) I mean you don *have* ta have GM perms ta make somethin 
intresting, Borax an I kinda proved that. <grin>
                  -->Cori
--------------------------
Message 540 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Mar  4 10:33:17 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Darkness

As my last 2 posts to *rpg-dev might indicate, I've been playing around with 
making my own little room that utilises darkness. While doing so, I was struck 
with a thought:
Would anyone like darkness to be implented on the Generic Dungeon Room? (Or 
another parent type inserted between the GDR and the Searchable Room, perhaps)
Right now the only parent type I see that uses darkness is dr's RPX generic 
room, which not many people use, instead opting for the Sleeping Room.. I 
think if we moved darkness up the room hierarchy, more people might take 
advantage of it.
Naturally, there would be an option to turn darkness on or off for a room, the 
default being off (i.e. the room doesn't use darkness and you can always see).
I think this could be done without breaking anything.
If I recieve enough positive feedback on this idea, I'll go ahead with it. 
Otherwise, I'll just forget it.
..It's always struck me as odd that the Kobold Caves were fully lit and you 
didn't need torches and stuff to explore them.
--------------------------
Message 541 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Mar  6 18:22:30 1995 PST
From:    Frobno (#49397)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: :moveto warning

All GMs please be advised that if you add your own custom :moveto() to an RPG 
object, do NOT use:

 if (!$local.rpg:trusted(caller_perms()))   return E_PERM;   endif

as a security check.

The reason for this is that Frand is trusted by the RPG as an exporter, and he 
owns the @move verb on his player class (#3133).
 

Instead I would suggest simply:
 if (!(caller_perms() in setremove($local.rpg:trusted(), #47)))
   return E_PERM;
  endif

(Frand is #47)


--Frobno
--------------------------
Message 542 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar 16 10:23:54 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New item reaping scheme & claimed objects

I am preparing to finish the implentation of the claimed object scheme and 
rewrite the LRPG object reaping to account for claims.
However, I would like your opinion on one thing:
Should objects with a valid claim be safe from reaping regardless of location, 
or
Should they be safe only if they are on the claimant, in eir home, or in eir 
designated `dump'? Claimed objects not in one of these areas would lose their 
claim, and then be subject to reaping during the next reap cycle.
I prefer the second option, really. We could say that claims fade if the 
claimed object isn't in contact with the claimant's `aura' constantly or some 
such nonsense to explain it.
Note that the first option renders dumps completely worthless. Maybe we'll see 
a drop in the Squat population..
Some other scheme perhaps? Lemme know.
Oh yeah, as before, any LRPG object, claimed or not, is safe from reaping 
while being carried by an LRPG character (PC or monster).

-Profi
--------------------------
Message 543 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar 16 17:06:10 1995 PST
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

I think I'm going to slap a LOT more restrictions on my Kombat Arena. Seems 
too many people are spending 8-9 hours + there, and a lot of higher-experience 
characters make themselves too powerful. I'm thinking of making the price 
instead of 2 gold to a factorial amount depending on experience, and maybe a 
fixed amount of time to be allowed in per token. Any comments/more suggestions?
--------------------------
Message 544 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Mar 17 09:40:42 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      Taskmaster (#46102) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Kombat Arena Restrictions

>  I think I'm going to slap a LOT more restrictions on my Kombat
>  Arena. Seems too many people are spending 8-9 hours + there, and a
>  lot of higher-experience characters make themselves too powerful.
>  I'm thinking of making the price instead of 2 gold to a factorial
>  amount depending on experience, and maybe a fixed amount of time
>  to be allowed in per token. Any comments/more suggestions?

YES PUT MORE RESTRICTIONS.
The Kombat Arena is the #1 source of spamming GM's task queue. You get 2 or 3 
or more people fighting in there, you might as well forget about GM getting 
anything done.
Time limit perhaps.
Pro rate gold needed based on experience. For some perhaps-useful verbage in 
regards to pro-rating, see my utility object, #86830.. specifically 
:pro_rate(), :avg_exp(), :find_cash(), :avg_cash(), .avg_exp, and .avg_cash
Some sort of restriction/slow down on ability improvement would do just as 
well.
--------------------------
Message 545 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Mar 19 12:45:34 1995 PST
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: derth

Derth is cheating outrageously.  He somehow made a child of an RPG weapon and 
has hacked verbs on it to return thousands for damage and such.

Specifically, #64993.  I've asked TWIST to @disown that 'vorpal fork'.  Some 
GM should @disown that fucker all the way down to $thing when they get a 
chance.  In case I forget...
--------------------------
Message 546 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Mar 19 16:57:19 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: re: Derth

I noticed the Vorpal Fork in the process of checking out Derth's 
quota-application..
He got it because the Claymore was +f
I had TWIST change this, but I forgot to have him @disown. Anyway, my point is:
DON'T MAKE YOUR GENERIC LRPG STUFF FERTILE
'cause PCs will come along and cheat and stuff. If you want something to be 
used by other GMs, then you can @copy #517:make_fertile to your generic.
Unless of course you have enough security on your generic, in which case make 
it +f if ya want

Yer humble Paranoid_Control_Freak
--------------------------
Message 547 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Mar 20 03:12:21 1995 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: derth...ect.

I disowned Derths weapon..
I also fixed the +f....(sorry guys)
I am also gonna ban Derth for a while..maybe others should too..
Discourage cheating...(balh balh balh)
And now back to our regularly schedualed program..
(Its too early to type)
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 548 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Mar 21 10:30:33 1995 PST
From:    Ho_Yan (#58016)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Taskmaster (#46102)
Subject: Kombat Arena

I think it is definitely necessary to put some restrictions on the use of the 
Kombat Arena. Speaking strictly as a wizard, it is a large cause of lag at 
times. On several occasions, I've had to ask the 2-3 people in the arena to 
stop fighting for a while because G_Ms task queue was over 100 tasks. 

Typically, it gets to 50-60 tasks very easily as soon as people start fighting 
there. 

This not only lags the RPG, but also lags the rest of the MOO when it gets 
that high.

Ho_Yan
--------------------------
Message 549 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Mar 22 21:07:25 1995 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: these fucking guests...

@stats/@sheet (green this time) _guest..
Ya get many stats over 25...several in the HUNDREDS....
Someone seems to have found a hole in the code.
I say Guests auto-terminate when they log off.
This is atleast the second time *I* have seen this.
My .02$
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 550 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Mar 24 15:30:38 1995 PST
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT

SOMEONE has FUCKED the stats on my other character..
I am some 3,000+ exp below where I was.
THIS IS A PROBLEM>
I Also happen to have 1,000 points of damage on a character that hasn't 
Benn used since this weekend, and was unharmed when I logged out.
--------------------------
Message 551 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Mar 24 20:03:34 1995 PST
From:    Taskmaster (#46102)
To:      *RPG-Stuph (#21259) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Kombat Arena closed

I've closed the Kombat Arena indefinitely, until I have a chance to examine 
the quirks I've been hearing about recently, and take a stab at cutting the 
major lag it's dishing out to the rest of the MOO.
Besides, I notice now that it's not being used as my original idea was 
formulated.
My original plan was to have players see who the better player was through 
fighting, but not having to be afraid of getting killed in the process. The 
Arena has been used more or less as a "easy-skill-booster" room, which 
although it was permissable to use it as such, I don't think that hanging out 
there for hours and hours was the point....

I'll post to RPG-Stuph when I plan on re-opening it.

                                 - TM
--------------------------
Message 552 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Mar 26 20:30:50 1995 PST
From:    Snare-of-Souls (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Normal healing fixed

As players have been complaining about on *rpg-st, the normal healing
process hasn't been working.  This was because doll #4144 had an
inj of E_TYPE, which caused the healing task to die a horrible death.
Doll #4144 is the fat lazy monkey's.  I fixed it, and checked every other
doll.  The rest of them seem to be okay, so there shouldn't be
any more problems.
 
I wrote a verb that checks dolls for problems like this -- shall I put it
on a FO?
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 553 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Mar 27 13:54:55 1995 PST
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Healing task

Thanks, Slither. When I have a chance I'll log on GM and fix the healing task 
to check for non-numeric values in .inj
And if someone tracks down what's giving an error for damage there, I'll be 
even more grateful.

-Profi
--------------------------
Message 554 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Mar 28 12:08:08 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Guests

Okay, so I'm of the opinion that guest's should not have RPG characters that 
carry over from connection to connection.

A guest should have a transitory, short visit. If they want to explore the 
RPG, then they should start from scratch, especially when you assume that this 
is a brand new person each time. (ideally, of course).

It doesn't help them get a real feel for the RPG if they don't need to get 
illuminated, train, etc. 

I would like to put in a hook into the guest's reset to kill their RPG 
character if it exists. (if (doll=$local.rpg:get_doll(some_guest); doll:die() 
endif in our new local LambdaMOO guest parent :do_reset).

As a wizard, I can certainly do this, but I want to get a vote from you all 
GMs and Grand_Masters.

What's the word? Should I go ahead?

Dred
--------------------------
Message 555 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Mar 28 12:09:24 1995 PST
From:    Dagard (#49807)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

It sounds like a good idea to me, to be fair and all.
Do it... do it.... do it...
Dagard
--------------------------
Message 556 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Mar 28 16:50:50 1995 PST
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: RPG Status FO

I've made a FO which checks over the RPG looking for errors and
inconsistencies.  It makes checks periodically, or when someone requests
one.  If you use this FO you will get a one-line message when you log
on stating whether or not any problems were found on in its last check.
The command "@rpg-status" will give a detailed description of any problems
it found, and also will let you start another check.
 
Currently, the things it looks for are:
  -- GMs or G_Ms who are not players
  -- If the Master Clock's cycle or cycle2 hasn't run recently
  -- If $local.rpg.dolls contains anything which isn't a doll
  -- Checks that every doll has the following properties set to numbers:
       str, end, dex, agl, int, emp, wil, pcn, app, inj, fat, ins
 
The FO is the "RPG Status FO", and is #88856.
 
Let me know of any comments or suggestions.  In particular, it is
very easy for me to add more things to check.  Also, since the FO
checks for problems that I cannot create to test, there might
be some lingering bugs.
 
Hope this is useful!
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 557 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed Mar 29 22:12:07 1995 PST
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Claim problems

Turns out that at last count there are 606 RPG items which are
claimed by players but which aren't on the player's doll's claim list.
That is, if you look at the item it appears to be claimed, but @claimed
won't show it.
 
At the moment I don't know why this is, or what effect it will have
on sweeping, but I thought that I should bring it up.
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 558 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar 30 08:21:23 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Claim problems

My guess would be because when a character dies, their doll gets recycled. So 
there is no doll.claimed_objects at that point. But when this happens, the 
equipment.claimed_by does NOT get cleared.

So you are left with this discrepancy when the character gets re-illuminated 
and therefore has a now clear .claimed_objects (and probably not realizing 
that they need to reclaim stuff). And there are still many objects out there 
with him in .claimed_by...

Either equipment.claimed_by should get cleared when the claimant dies (which 
would mean more code, more ticks at each death), or you shouldn't keep track 
in two different places. There are advantages, though to the two that I can 
see. For the sweeper, you need to check the object as it is considered for 
sweeping so a property on it makes sense.. So probably the former, despite the 
tick cost, is the better solution.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 559 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar 30 08:55:20 1995 PST
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: Claim problems

Just to rephrase, and agree, with what Dred said, there seems to be
two choices:
  -- make it so that claims are associated with the doll, so when a player
      dies and gets a new doll, they lose the existing claims.  Or,
  -- make it so that the PLAYER is the one that stakes the claims, and
      ensure that everything remains consistent.  (Right now, players stake
      claims, but things are kept in two places, and they get inconsistent.)
 
I think it is possible to get around the tick problems of the first.  Right
now RPG items keep track of the player who claimed them, so there are
problems when the player gets a new doll.  If, instead, we have items
keep track of the DOLL that claimed them, then things become easier.
When the doll dies, the items are left with a non-doll value, which
is easy to check for.  In fact #517:claimed_by already makes a similar
check!  So doing this won't be too expensive.
 
On the other hand, the second choice shouldn't be too bad too.  The problem
right now is that information is kept on doll, which disappear.  Instead,
if we were to have a $db keeping track of which player claims each
object, then we shouldn't have the inconsistency problems.
 
So, as I see it it seems to be mainly a matter of taste which we should
go for.
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 560 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Mar 30 21:38:41 1995 PST
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Grand_Master (#2693)
Subject: BUG

I've talked with several GMs and they are all for my idea to kill guest RPG 
dolls when they disconnect.

While implementing it, I found a big ole bug that some Grand_Master should fix:

#46:die

18:  for item in ({@doll.aggressor, @valid(this.location) ? 
this.location.contents | {}})

`this' should be `me' since the value of this = #46, and it's location is 
always !valid.  The aggressor lists aren't getting cleared when characters die!

I decided not to call #74:die. There's no need to do all the weird 
notifications and trying to move the guest home. I took out the essentials and 
put them on the local guest:  dropping RPG items, clearing aggressor lists, 
and recycling the doll.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 561 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Mon Apr  3 14:19:25 1995 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: GM meeting, Please Attend!!!!!

To All you GMs, and G_M's:
We need to have a meeting to discuss this recent rash of
stat changes. Somethings wrong. WE NEED to fix it.
We also need to discuss whats been going on in/with the RPG.
Seems communication has slacked off between GMs once again (who 
would have thought it?)
I suggest Wendsday, at 8 pm est (whats that 5 pm moo time?)
Gimme feed back.
TWIST
--------------------------
Message 562 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Tue Apr  4 17:42:45 1995 PDT
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: claims, etc

Just now I went through 638 objects which had been claimed by someone,
but which weren't listed on the doll's claimed list.  For each item,
I added it to the doll's list.  (The list of such objects was so long,
that I ran out of quota keeping it!)
 
One effect of this is that some people had claimed many more items than
their quota, and had gotten away with this because the items weren't
properly recorded.  They are now!  One player used to have no items at
all on his @claimed list, and now has 42!
 
I noticed that there are some objects that are claimed by non-players that
have dolls.  Should this be?  If so, then #517:look_self has a bug.
It refers to the ".pp" property of the claimer, which doesn't necessarily
exist if the claimer isn't a player.  At the moment, object #43906
tracebacks when you look at it, due to this.
 
Finally, I think a GM meeting is a very good idea!  I'll do my best
to attend.
 
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 563 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr  6 11:30:27 1995 PDT
From:    Dred (#49925)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: E_TYPE inj problem solved

I found out, quite by accident, exactly how E_TYPE was getting into doll's 
.inj.

Note from #74:receive_damage, which is !d.

36:  special_damage = weapon:special_damage(me, dam, pen, qual, loc, whoby);
37:  this.inj = this.inj + dam + special_damage;
38:  sev = 2 * (dam + special_damage) / this.end;

If you have no verb :special_damage, from a custom weapon let's say, then you 
will get:
  special_damage = E_VERBNF

and then the next line will do:  NUM + NUM + ERR => E_TYPE, so
  doll.inj = E_TYPE

and also you'll get sev = E_TYPE which will mess up the verb further down.

There should be some more robust checks in verbs instead of relying solely on 
it being !d.

Dred
--------------------------
Message 564 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 13 10:20:11 1995 PDT
From:    Profane (#30788)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: New GM abstract

I jes gave abstract a handy GM bit..
He plans on working on a bank that gives out loans and does savings accounts 
and such. Combined with a pawn shop, no less. Woo-woo.
So if you have any suggestions in that area, let him know.
--------------------------
Message 565 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 20 02:51:15 1995 PDT
From:    abstract (#94368)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: My first post.

Okay.. I've got some ideas and I want to see what you think.
I thought about creating squats, setting their stats to around 10-15 (stats 
like end and str).  I could sell these squats to fight with players.  The more 
money, they higher the stats up to 15.  More money more stuff....
Also, instead of the pawn shop, which according to rpg players wouldn't be of 
much use, I was thinking of RPG auctions.  Once or twice a month we could hold 
an auction for something rare, like Claws, claymroes and stuff.  An Ahab would 
take the bids.
The bidding period would be a few days, so that we can make sure to get the 
highest bid.
also, I was thinking about a monster, which after you kill can become a 
poltergiest.  It would do strange things to players, lower stats temporarily, 
take weapons for a while..that kinda stuff.  Or we could just have a 
poltergiest....
About the bank, I will do that.... when I can get used to using rpg verbs (I 
use the 'normal' verbs to much and it causes holes in the programming)
abstract
--------------------------
Message 566 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 20 05:40:49 1995 PDT
From:    abstract (#94368)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

btw, some few hundred posts ago you were talking about the s3 verb and its 
contribution to the lag and how unfair it was (casts spells continuously 
without the player doing it manually)..well..it's sill around....
--------------------------
Message 567 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 20 06:08:22 1995 PDT
From:    abstract (#94368)
To:      Prui (#90864) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Players getting rich...

Ya do know that Paula excepts anything she doesn't sell... everyone is selling 
her things, apparently to no end.  Everyone is getting very rich.. I'm there 
now, watching everyone sell all the 'junk'... They're getting quite a load of 
money....
Maybe a limit could be put on how much Paula would accept, or else we're gonna 
have to have some hyperinflation on weapons/armour etc...
abstract
--------------------------
Message 568 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 20 07:58:18 1995 PDT
From:    Prui (#90864)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Paula and inflation

I increased the amount that Paula takes "off the top" of her buy-backs from 75%
to 90% (so she pays 10% of what Elias sells them for) and I als decreased the 
total number she'll buy from 1000 to 100 or 200 (100 for items that she's 
bought under 100, 200 for those over 100) so her inventory should fill up on 
the
common items pretty quickly.  Hopefully this will help eliminate some of the 
problems we've seen from her giving out so much $.  If anyone has any other 
suggestions of better ways to  handle this situation, I'd like to hear them.  
(I'll be on vacation 
until May 3rd, so I won't be replying until after that).  Thanks!
                                                                   Prui
--------------------------
Message 569 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Fri Apr 21 07:06:43 1995 PDT
From:    TWIST (#37972)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: [Riverwind (#90911):  claymore fluke]

Date:     Fri Apr 21 04:01:38 1995 PDT
From:     Riverwind (#90911)
To:       TWIST (#37972)
Subject:  claymore fluke

Wield the claymore in 1h, wield a 2h weapon(kat) in 1h, wield both in 2 hands. 
Instead of unwielding the other, you sprout 2 arms to hold them. You keep 
these arms as long as you have both weapons wielded in 2.
--------------------------
Message 570 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Apr 22 20:54:04 1995 PDT
From:    abstract (#94368)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: [abstract (#94368):  LRPG Notice Board]

Date:     Sat Apr 22 20:50:00 1995 PDT
From:     abstract (#94368)
To:       *RPG-Stuph (#21259)
Subject:  LRPG Notice Board

There's now an LRPG Notice Board in #11675.  Anyone can post notes on it, as 
long as it's acceptable and related to the LRPG.  It's for communication 
between RPGers.
abstract
--------------------------
Message 571 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Apr 23 06:09:38 1995 PDT
From:    abstract (#94368)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: hELP

Could someone please check #95818:critical_miss ..and tell me why:

#95818:critical_miss, line 5:  Type mismatch
... called from #74:attack (this == #93277), line 60
... called from #95818:hit kill, line 30
... called from #258:att*ack hit ki*ll (this == #27053), line 32

thanks in advance.
abstract
--------------------------
Message 572 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Apr 23 13:02:58 1995 PDT
From:    Jamethiel (#91447)
To:      abstract (#94368) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: hELP

Actually, the problem isn't with #95818:critical_miss.  Instead,
it seems that #95818 isn't set up properly.  It looks like the following
happened:
  You attacked something or other with your War Axe (#95818).
  In the attack routine (#74:attack), line 56, it checked to see how
    skilled you were in the weapon, so it called #95818:skill() to
    see what skill is appropriate to use.
  BUT, #95818 doesn't have its skill set!!!  <- This is the problem.
  So, in #74:attack the variable qual got set to some error value
  In line 60, #95818:critical_miss was called, with the error value passed in
  And #95818:critical_miss choked on it.
 
Hope that helps.
  -- Slither
--------------------------
Message 573 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Thu Apr 27 23:40:17 1995 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551) and Taskmaster (#46102)
Subject: the kombat arena

how about this:
you could make it free or at least very cheap to just watch two players duke 
it out...
but when two players want to fight, it could either be two gold, or based on 
experience, stats, whatever...
and when one player is victorious over another, the match is over..they have 
to pay to fight again...
and maybe limit the amount of players battling...but with the above change, 
that prolly wouldn't be necessary...
--------------------------
Message 574 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Apr 29 07:37:59 1995 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Monsters losing equipment

  I think the 3 lines after if (!$recycler:valid(foo)) mite help the 
prollem of monsters forgettin things. If that don help, we mite haveta go
ahead an add a seprate equipment list. Trouble is if the obj inna monster's 
mine list *is* invalid, there's no way rite now of tellin what it should a 
been. 
@prop this.equipment {} "r"
Note: for ease of programming, the .equipment property should be equal in 
   length to the monster's .mine property. I'm also assumin that it's gonna be 
a list 
   of parent objects.
 
@prog #259:check_mine
":check_mine()";
"Loop through the monster's mine list, removing all invalid objects, 
recovering all recoverable objects, and replacing insignificant others not on 
the monster's person.";
if (!$local.rpg:trusted(caller_perms()))
  return E_PERM;
endif
rpg = $local.rpg;
sweeper = rpg.vacuum;
mine = {};
for idex in [1..length(this.mine)]
  $command_utils:suspend_if_needed(5);
  foo = this.mine[idex];
  if (!$recycler:valid(foo))
    "Check against equipment list to see what should've been there";
    mama = this.equipment[idx];
    new = rpg.recycler:_create(mama); 
    if (valid(new))
      new.name = foo.name;
      for q in (setremove($object_utils:owned_properties(foo), "title"))
        $command_utils:suspend_if_needed(5);
        if ((new.(q) = foo.(q)) == mama.(q))
          clear_property(new, q);
        endif
      endfor
      mine = {@mine, new};
    endif
  elseif ($recycler:valid(foo) && (loc = foo.location)!= foo.owner && loc != 
this && !sweeper:in_use(foo, this))
    "The idea is for the monster ta get back anythin that was left layin 
around.";
    mine = {@mine, foo};
  elseif (loc != foo.owner && loc != this && sweeper:in_use(foo, this) && 
!sweeper:unique(foo))
    new = rpg.recycler:_create(mama = parent(foo));
    if (valid(new))
      new.name = foo.name;
      for q in (setremove($object_utils:owned_properties(foo), "title"))
        $command_utils:suspend_if_needed(5);
        if ((new.(q) = foo.(q)) == mama.(q))
          clear_property(new, q);
        endif
      endfor
      mine = {@mine, new};
    endif
  else
    loc:tell("The ", foo.name, " you took from ", this.name, " disappears.");
    mine = {@mine, foo};
  endif
  rpg:time_stop();
endfor
return this:set_mine(mine);
"Quinn 30-NOV-93 0516: Added.";
"Profane 16-MAR-95 12:40EST - Added validity check for newly created thangs.";
"StarDancer suggests scavenging for unused equipment, and putting"; 
"suspend_if_needed in all the for loops Sat Apr 29 07:00:12 1995 PDT";
<-- insert period here
--------------------------
Message 575 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Apr 29 13:07:13 1995 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: now that @claimed is running (more or less?) how about tackling the 
problem of our inexhaustable money supply?

what i was thinking about as a solution is this:
 suppose we arrive at some standard amount of equipment that players could 
claim and carry and put a price on it.  we could then limit the amount of 
money to somewhere close to that figure, based on how many rpg dolls are 
around. each time we get a new initiate, we'd have the capacity to create x 
amount more dollars of equipment.     we could create an overabundant supply 
to begin with, but not such a grossly unbalanced infinite quantity as we have 
now.  
as we come up with fancier stuff, we could inflate that figure. perhaps each 
gm would have the capability to increase the money/equipment supply in 
relation to new monsters and adventures they create.
this idea would give a storyline dimension of monsters going to elias, sruli, 
paula, for weapons and such. we could also have monsters thieving from players 
to equip themselves for battle.
--------------------------
Message 576 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sat Apr 29 16:56:46 1995 PDT
From:    StarDancer (#82267)
To:      Grand_Master (#2693) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Changes to :set_mine verb

  Ta go with the new :check_mine verb there also gotta be a new :set_mine
verb. That way the monster'll 'know' what it's s'posed ta have. I s'pect
the rpg.recycler mite be messin up, or somethin, but anyway, without a 2nd
list ta test from, ya can't s'pect the monster ta grab the rite stuff.
  I don *think* this verb's gonna need a :suspend_if_needed, but it otta 
be tested, ta see how many ticks it takes.
 
@prop this.equipment {} "r"
 
@prog #259:set_mine
":set_mine(LIST objects)";
"Set the RPG equipment this monster will be dutied with.";
if (!(caller == this || this:is_controllable_by(caller_perms())))
  return E_PERM;
elseif ((mine = args[1]) == this.mine)
  "simple redundancy check";
  return mine;
endif
rpg = $local.rpg;
sweeper = rpg.vacuum;
this.equipment = {}
for old in (this.mine)
  sweeper.protected = setremove(sweeper.protected, old);
endfor
for new in (mine)
    "Set up a master list in monster.equipment so the monster won't forget 
what it's s'posed to have.";
    mama = (new.unique || (new.owner != rpg.owner)) ? new | parent(new);
    this.equipment = {@this.equipment, mama};
  if (new.owner == rpg.owner)
    "Protect Grand_Master-owned objects in minelist from sweeping.";
    sweeper.protected = setadd(sweeper.protected, new);
  endif
endfor
return this.mine = mine;
"Quinn 30-NOV-93 0522: Only protect GM-owned gear, since that's all we can 
recycle anyway.";
"StarDancer suggests adding code to setup a master list Sat Apr 29 16:54:24 
1995 PDT";
<-- insert period here.
 
                        --->Cori
--------------------------
Message 577 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Apr 30 04:01:57 1995 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: @beasties

I have the monsters now cached daily in a property so we don't waste time 
doing a :descendants.  Actually, I should just put a hoom in AHaB :initialize 
and :recycle to add and remove them from a list.

When you specify a name, only a FULL alias is matched.  If some of you were 
matching on partials, complain, but I think most of us were giving full names 
as args, just to see the status of our own, and this makes it much faster.
--------------------------
Message 578 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Apr 30 05:30:30 1995 PDT
From:    Quinn (#19845)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: mine, once and for all

This whole "mine" thing is a twisted and confused system, and it needs 
clearing up.  Here's my (simple) solution:

If the object has its .f bit set, then it is regarded as a parent for 
equipment.  A new child is created if nothing currently on the NPC has it as a 
parent().

(A simple parent() check will be made because we only care about things 
created directly from a +f.  If we did an :isa, we may get children from OTHER 
generics within the minelist.  A simple parent() is also faster.)

Otherwise, that object's :grab_mine(npc) verb is called.  If it exists, that's 
it--we're done.  If it returns E_VERBNF, then we move the object back to the 
NPC.

What this means to GMs:

Create a :grab_mine verb on any equipment that you want to let players keep 
upon a monster's rebirth, or any equipment on which you'd like to define a 
special behaviour when it IS moved back.

The bigger hassle will be in converting all the old mine lists to the new 
format, but this isn't even required.  If we keep things the way they USED to 
be, then all the stuff will simply be grabbed back.

(No problem for US, but the players may get a little pissed.  heh.)

If you want dropped objects to stay with looters, THEN you'll have to go 
through and change your minelist objects to their generics.  I'll probably 
write a verb to do this automatically.

Anyway, I think this fixes everything.

I usually just shove things in when I get a new idea.  I'll give this a week 
of discussion.  Then again, when I give things a week of discussion, I usually 
forget about them.

Oh well.  We'll see how things are in a week.

I've put my proposed :check_mine on me.  @list #19845:check_mine, as it'll 
have the latest version of the above idea.
--------------------------
Message 579 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Sun Apr 30 10:36:27 1995 PDT
From:    anj (#59447)
To:      *RPG-News (#9551)

if you'd like to see your stuff represented in the tome, or represented 
differently, please let me know.
--------------------------
Message 580 on *RPG-News (#9551):
Date:    Wed May  3 13:04:40 1995 PDT
From:    Hahndo-Pakchi (#98723)
To:      Quinn (#19845) and *RPG-News (#9551)
Subject: Re: mine, once and for all

  I would like to point out two problems with #19845:check_mine:
  
   1) It creates a major change in the status quo. At present, 
      monsters drop most of their equipment at death. This is often 
      the only means new players may obtain same (Usually a more 
      experienced player will slay a monster such as Klaus, and 
      offer the proceeds to the novice.) I feel that this sort of 
      thing is an improtant part of the RPG, and should not be 
      removed. There is also the problem that many GMs have been 
      absent for extended periods and will not be available to 
      modify their monsters.
      
 
   2) The verb as is has no provision for the case (unlikely, but 
      darkrider can attest to it having happened at least once.) of 
      G_M becoming the owner of a recyclable object, or the case of 
      $local.rpg.recycler failing to create the required item. 
      there have been other intermittant oddities, such as a 
      grand-child of #155 (katana) being named War Helm.
      
 
  I advise installing Cori (aka StarDancer)'s verbs which may be 
viewed by @peek 776 and 778 on *gms because:
 
   1) While His Emminence will need to set the new property Cori's 
      verbs require no further intervention by other GMs need be done
    
   2) No matter what happens to the recycler, G_M's quota, or other 
      emergency, the monster should be propeerly equipped in a 
      subsequent birth-cycle.
 
   3) Cori's :check_mine verb also makes the monster re-claim any 
      unused equipment, thus preventing the formation of the all 
      too common piles of equipment around frequently-killed monsters.
 
      
  As for implementation, Cori or I will gladly assist the Emminence 
who wishes to install the aformentioned solution.
 
>Xorch
--------------------------