Assemblies.README

This project was initially tossed up as a way to give to players the
appearance that they were assembling items to create a new item.
After many tries I (Del) was able to get a working model of the code
but it lacked flexibility and any ability to add, delete, or modify
any assembly online.

After contacting Geoff Davis (azrael@laker.net) he took the code and
completely rewrote it, giving it the flexibility to handle additional
commands, options, etc. Also, routines where provided to create, edit,
and delete creatable items online. This did not include an interface
with OasisOLC, so this I created, fitting into Oasis 1.6. After George
put out Oasis 2.0 and BPL17 came out, I updated it for those as well.
To modify for earlier versions, put oasis.x code in olc.x files and
there was one change I can not remember exactly. Email me if you have
any problems compiling and it might trigger my memory.

A non-loading item is recommended for use as the "made" item. Set aside
a zone that you might want to use for quest items, assembled items,
rooms, etc.

*Geoff comments: This is the recommended approach, but one could just as
 easily use any item, regardless of it's usage in the game. One should
 be careful, though, not to use items which are limited in number.

The player is required to have the items in either their inventory or in
the room, depending on the item to be assembled and how it has been
described to the assemblies system. Each component item may be required
to be in one or the other place, and may be configured to be extracted
from the game when the item is assembled, or left for future uses. This
enables players to use what appear to be tools to create the new item.

Each assembled item can only be put together using the command you
specify. It would be dumb to fletch a cake, or bake a sword. So, for the
sake of simplicity, only one command may be used per assembled item. If
your game requires that multiple commands to be used, this addition should
be quite simple, and require little or no change to the existing
assemblies file.

The basic commands for players are assemble, bake, brew, craft, fletch,
knit, make, mix, thatch, and weave. These are performed thusly:

        <command> <name of new item>

For staff players with the appropriate permission level, creation of new
items can be performed with the following command:

        assedit new <vnum of existing object>

It is important to note that at the time this command is executed, the
creatable object must already exist in the database. If the object does
not, but you manage to get it into the assemblies editor, it will be
rejected the next time the game is restarted, and will not load as a
creatable object.

On the reverse side, to delete an item:

        assedit delete <vnum of existing assembly item>

Once created you use the command:

        assedit <vnum of existing assembly item>

This pulls up the menu (based from OasisOLC) and gives you
the short name of the assembled item. From there, you add, remove, and
change component parts, set the assembly type, etc.

As mentioned before, the items that are required to be present in order
to create an item. Items can be removed from the game, or not when the
player assembles the item. You wouldn't want to remove a stove if you 
bake a cake, only the ingredients should be removed. The items can also
be required to be in inventory or in the room that the player is in when
the assembled item command is used.

Entering "show assemblies" at the MUD prompt will list all the items
that are capable of being made, command used, and specifications for
component objects, including whether or not to extract the item and
where the item must be in order to satisfy the required components of
the creatable item.

Don't forget to add Help entries for each type of assembly command.

Please credit Geoff Davis (azrael@laker.net) for the assemblies
code, and the remaining OLC portions to Del Minturn
(caminturn@earthlink.net). Also, please do drop a note to both of us
should you decide to use this patch in your game. We would like to
hear what people think about our endeavor.


Example of assembly file (lib\etc\assemblies):
Vnum                #0 bake
Component           #1 0 1
Vnum                #99 weave
Component           #2 0 1
Component           #3001 0 1
Vnum                #3008 assemble
Component           #3037 1 0
Component           #3116 1 0
Component           #5439 1 0