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heh, it's classified ;)

Tell me in private! I've got GS-13 classification! :D

You and Panterra working on that mud together or something? ;)

nope

Since you say it's important for the scene.. is it NMR related?

Sounds like a familiar idea, i tried gettin people to submit edits and what not at one time, little interest was shown, but i think its a koo idea anyway.

Nooooooooo you have to update NMR more!

what is it dxpac? hehe

I would like to see this go a step further with a description database that included areas and rooms too. For the reasons of some people can make really good items and spells while others might be able to make very richly descriptive bulk descriptions for those items and areas at the same time. So you could shop around for a good text description of a temple foyer or a town hall. Or item descriptions for a broadsword or a crown.



Other than for descriptions I don’t’ think the items should be kept in full database form. Perhaps like darcnes mentioned each item could be a file that contained it and its supporting components.



Using a system of variables in place of the identifying numbers so that the numbers are striped out on export and then new corresponding numbers are replaced when imported. Each item could then be compacted down into a pack with all the supporting features included with in it.



Example:

An item could be exported and then packed down into a container file.



That way each type of pack has an identifier showing that it’s a monster or item or whatever else it is. Each item pack could then be tagged with a brief description and the name of who made it along with other information.



File name could be something like:



”whateveritem.idat” for items

“whatevermon.mdat” for monsters

“whatervspell”.sdat” for spells

“Whateverques.qdat” for quests



When the item is exported into the pack:

“Spell 100” becomes “Spell #S” and any reference to “Spell 100” becomes a reference to “Spell” #S to keep the correct logical links. The same could be done with messages and text blocks since they all have number unique identifiers.



Then when the item is decompressed in NMR from the pack:

“Spell #S” and references to “Spell #S” could be given new number identifiers along with the other supporting features that it requires.



Forgive me as I now start to babble on about now about the number of benefits of storing them this way.



Creating module like groupings is one of them. Since you could zip all of the supporting parts into one zip file.



Keeping them in compressed packs would also allow for decentralized keeping of the files too. So if someone wants to make a test board and provide the remod packs used on that board they could do so with greater ease then they could with only a centralized database.



Item testing programs could be programmed so all you do is tell it what file it is looking for and it checks the entire file for errors as well as performing statistics on it based on real game variables.



Keeping them in packs also would allow for editing while the mud was running so instead of directly placing the item or monster into the game and chancing them getting overwritten you could place them into the pack first then import them into the game when ready.



Blah Blah Blah….



Now were going to need a similar system for areas….



What I’d really like to see though would be an open source version or forge of the main game engine that could use the existing data structures with out the existing room dependencies and map limitations.



Ok I have to go do something or I’m going to start getting obsessive again….





TCA

"At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."



...after the first paragraph it was just all fuzz.



-syn



p.s. is this scorpion?