XML: The Core of the Skotos article

In regards to the proximity prepositions, wouldn't it be easier to only define as true those prepositions that can be used in reference with that object, and have all other prepositions default to false. That way you don't overlook a possible preposition. I'm not sure how it works, technically, so I don't know if that is possible.

Also, is it possible to have an object which consists of two unique objects? For example, I was thinking of a shield that is divided in half. Each half can be used as a shield, say for a right handed person and a left handed person, but the two shields could be brought together to form a single shield, which would then have magical properties and be treated as a single object until divided again.

There are other objects that might require this functionality, like a cane sword. A sci-fi game might have even more requirements. This is basically a question of objects which, when put together, must be treated as a unique object with its own properties.

[Zell]

Jeff,

Originally posted by JeffCrook:
In regards to the proximity prepositions, wouldn't it be easier to only define as true those prepositions that can be used in reference with that object, and have all other prepositions default to false. That way you don't overlook a possible preposition. I'm not sure how it works, technically, so I don't know if that is possible.

That is how it works, actually. If you're coding XML by hand you only enter the true-valued prepositions -- however, next time the server exports the object into XML, it fetches the exhaustive list of prepositions and adds them as attributes, which explains why they're all present in the article.

Also, is it possible to have an object which consists of two unique objects? For example, I was thinking of a shield that is divided in half. Each half can be used as a shield, say for a right handed person and a left handed person, but the two shields could be brought together to form a single shield, which would then have magical properties and be treated as a single object until divided again.

There is no obvious support for this right now but it's not too tricky -- you'd just create an object that acts the way you want the combined objects to work, and when the player does combine them you sneakly swap the two separate objects for the combined one. So you really have three objects and just switch them around.

One could imagine a more general system that tries, somehow, to more generally combine two items into one, but it's not obvious how that would work, programming difficulties aside. What happens if you combine a squirrel with a sword?

Zell

[Karl]

Southern barbeque.

Originally posted by Zell:
What happens if you combine a squirrel with a sword?

That's easy. A vorpal squirrel.

[Darren Brimhall]

Think I'll just stick to creating my stories and let somebody else play with the XML code.
Yes, I just saw what it'll take to make a sword. Bad touch typest or not, I'm not going to even try writing all of that out.

Darren brimhall

[Danielo]

Relax. It's not as hard as it looks. Like Zell said, a lot of the code is added automatically for the sake of completeness.

Now when you get to rooms.....

[ShannonA]

Originally posted by Danielo:
Relax. It's not as hard as it looks. Like Zell said, a lot of the code is added automatically for the sake of completeness.

Exactly. The way our developer system works, what you probably do is:

1) Find an Ur-sword that's already been made. (This is sort of like a Platonic ideal.)

2) Make a descendent of that Ur-sword, which inherits all of its properties.

3) Go in to our editor interface, which totally isolates you from the XML code, and enter the text of what you want to change into text-input boxes. (IE, you could change its weight or its length or its "brief", "look" or "examine" description.)

4) The editor spits out the XML code totally invisible to you.

[Seidl]

Yes, but Shannon, when will those outside the magic skotos walls get to use the developer tools?

-=- Matt

[ShannonA]

Originally posted by Seidl:
Yes, but Shannon, when will those outside the magic skotos walls get to use the developer tools?

Our current plan is to start taking new applications for StoryBuilders on 4/1. This will still be a pretty limited set of people.

We *hope* to offer some version of the tools to the general public this Summer, but that may get held up as we work on the mysterious Game #3.

I plan to talk more about our current plans for world building in my Trials, Tribulations & Triumphs for ... uh ... 1/18/01. Seriously. Unless something else gets in my way before then.

Shannon