Re: Olympia: men as inventory

From: cedman@714-725-3165.nts.uci.edu (Carl Edman)

Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1992 21:01:40 +0000

That is a very clever idea. If it had been proposed at the beginning of the
game (and I had been around then) I would have been all for it, but so I think
that one should consider a few points carefully and only do it if each one of
them can be solved.

1. This would be a huge change to the game and probably and equally huge change
to the code - I would guess the biggest in either regard since Olympia began.
That means that (again, I assume) that Rich would have to rewrite or change a
large fraction of the code in the game to Do The Right Thing. It also means
that the transition and the change in the database would have to be handled
very smoothly (a lot more than recent more minor changes) and carefully, if the
entire current state of the world is not going to be completely scrambled. I
would only advise this change if The Implementors know that they have a lot of
time on their hands.

2. The game would lose a lot of flavour. Elite units like the Black Company or
specialist units with high skills like many employed in entertainment,
engineering or shipbuilding wouldn't any longer be possible. To avoid that I'd
suggest having a lot more 'types' of people than three. Examples are: Actors
(good at entertainment) , Construction workers (more efficient at making boats
and buildings), Bowmen (only they can use bows,crossbows in combat), Cavalry
(get bonuses if there are horses for them), Elite (warriors which fight two or
three times as well as normal men), Miners (work particularily well in with
mining skills). Every man in a unit with multiple men and some skills should be
transformed into one of those specialists. Every man in multiple-men units with
high skill levels should be transformed into two, three or maybe even four
specialist inventory. Specialist should be either for sale, or be trained from
the basic type of man using a teaching sub-skill.

3. Many concepts would change their meaning. I would take loyality and health
and fatigue to refer exclusively to the leader of the unit. PERSUADE and
TERRORIZE should have two effects. First, they should lower the loyality of the
leader, but they should also cause a certain percentage of inventory men to
either flee or change sides.

Lots of other small rule changes, both improvements and simplifcations under
this new model also come to mind, but I'll safe them for another post.

Carl Edman, BtA

--
Some people think of wizards as nothing more than men in pointy hats who like
to go around turning people into toads. Nothing could be farther from the
truth. Perhaps wizards should come together and agree on a saying or two to
better humanize their profession; for instance, "Wizards are wonderful!" or
"Take a wizard to lunch!" Yet I doubt this will ever occur, for wizards are by
and large a solitary breed. Still, this should not stop you from trying to
understand my procession. If you should offer, for example, to take a wizard to
lunch, I imagine he would go gladly. And if you were to tell a wizard he wasn't
wonderful, I'm sure he would be quite happy to turn you into a toad.
   -- The Teachings of Ebenezum, Vol. I

References

Olympia: men as inventory
skrenta@blekko.rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sun, 12 Jul 1992 17:07:05 +0000

Referenced By

Olympia: men as inventory
skrenta@blekko.rt.com (Rich Skrenta)
Sun, 12 Jul 1992 17:07:05 +0000