Re: Empty Rooms problem


9 May 1995 17:57:14 GMT

In article <3on5g0$8na@nic.lth.se>, mol@oberon.df.lth.se (Magnus Olsson) says:
>
>In article <GDR11.95May8185248@stint.cl.cam.ac.uk>,
>Gareth Rees <gdr11@cl.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>>Magnus Olsson <mol@oberon.df.lth.se> wrote:
>>> On the other hand, if the plot element is "finding the lost city of
>>> Uxx", then the player can expect this to be linked to geography rather
>>> than to time.
>>
>>Why not use a bit of ingenuity then? Maybe after wandering in the
>>desert for 5 days, the player comes across an inhabitant of Uxx who can
>>be persuaded, or bribed, or tricked into leading the player to the lost
>>city of Uxx.
>
>SOunds like a good idea.
>
>BTW, if one is going to include a large featureless plain or whatever in
>one's game, one should make sure to catch the player's interest _before_
>throwing him or her out on the plain.
>

Well, I keep taking all of these suggestions and ideas into
account, and therefore my way of doing it keeps changing and growing
and then being honed. I think I've finally centered on sort of a
combination between ideas : Random placement will only be used for
non-important actors or events, most probably, there will be enough
direction from visual clues and plot pushes to cease all wandering
aimlessly ( unless the player chooses to do so ). To create a larger
feeling plain, there will be little movement notes that insinuate that
you have travelled for quite some time to get to this room. There
will be an edge that is just endless pretty much, that tells you
something to the effect of "You scan the horizon, and upon seeing no
signs of life to the west decide to hold off travelling further in
that direction". Actually, there will be several random choices from
a "you can't go that direction" list to give a feel of doing more than
just deciding not to go that direction. Also, there will be several
random notes on travelling long distances.
Finally, there will just have to be some rooms where something
really terribly exciting just doesn't happen :). These will probably
just end up as places for objects to be found, but might be filled up
by randomly moving actors ( such as caravans of desert travellers,
etc, etc. ).
Whatever is the case in the final project, thanks to all who
popped in ideas, and keep them coming if you have any more. I'm sure
there will always be a new way to handle this problem popping up.

Tom