<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster --> <!--X-From-R13: Rreevpx Xbarf <thagureNbayvar1.zntahf1.pbz> --> <!--X-Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 07:14:51 +0000 --> <!--X-Message-Id: Pine.SV4.3.93.971031014153.19794A-100000@online1 --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: 3459128B.3627#kusd,kusd.edu --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00187.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00190.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00179.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00196.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00189">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00189">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00189">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Derrick Jones <<A HREF="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com">gunther#online1,magnus1.com</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 02:20:12 -0500 (EST)</LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Thu, 30 Oct 1997, Sauron wrote: > > Depending on what you are using to write this... > > > > A non-realtime hive mind: information is exchanged and linkage occurs when > > two members of the hive meet. The hive has a central information net that > > can be accessed by any member, any member has full knowledge of the hive > > to the time of last central unit contact. > > > > as has been said b4 on the newsgroup, the problem w/ this implementation > is that you have a bunch of individuals w/ the same knowledge, not the > same "mind". in other words you don't have a single entity (which is > what i'm trying to do) you have a bunch of little entities all knowing > the same thing. that doesn't mean they all act the same. First, by 'all act the same' I assume you mean this in the larger scale, and not literally. (would be interesting in itself to create a truely single-minded race where all members attempt the same actions at the same time at different locations, but I wouldn't conscider that a hive mentality.) To establish a hive mentality you need to disect the mind of its members into the Group Mind (information, abilities, and instructions shared by the hive) and the Local Mind (the stuff to which the individual alone has access), as well as create some mechanisms for a two-way exchange between the two. Picture for example an ant searching for food. The motion of the ant is a random walk, moving about and reacting to its surroundings with its Local Mind. If the ant finds food, a bunch of other ants are on the scene shortly. How? The first ant somehow (last I heard the exact mechanism is still a mystery) communicates its location and the fact that there is food to the Group Mind, which then sends other ants over to aid the first in its food gathering. What aspects are controlled by the Group and Individual differs from species to species. An ant conlony will assign tasks to each ant, and equip that ant (to the best of the ant/hive's ability) with the knowledge needed to accomplish that task, while the actual tasks are handled by the individual assigned to the task. The individual, in turn, reports 'important' information back to the hive, which then re-assigns its members accordingly. I've actually toyed around a little with a borg mob. I assumed a flawless, continuous connection between Local and Group minds. As one borg learned information/skills/tactics, every borg learned the same things. The main problem I faced was that if the borg were allowed a sufficient foothold in an area, they became impossible to kill. For example, if enough borg were attacked by fire, all borg became resistant to fire; if they faced enough characters wielding swords, their dodge/block/parry skills would improve for the entire race. I soon found that players would quickly run out of ways to kill the borg, much like the Star Trek version. While my original goal was to create a nigh indestructable race, I found that they became unwieldy and unplayable. I'll probably never release them unless my players _really_ piss me off. Gunther </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00212" HREF="msg00212.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> coder#ibm,net</li></ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00196" HREF="msg00196.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Michael Hohensee <michael#sparta,mainstream.net></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00179" HREF="msg00179.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Sauron <dlove#kusd,kusd.edu></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00187.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] string parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00190.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Skill Listing - Part II</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00179.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00196.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00189"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00189"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00170" HREF="msg00170.html">Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 07:14 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00172" HREF="msg00172.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 07:51 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00209" HREF="msg00209.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 02 Nov 1997, 19:06 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00179" HREF="msg00179.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, Sauron <a href="mailto:dlove#kusd,kusd.edu">dlove#kusd,kusd.edu</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 23:05 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00189" HREF="msg00189.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, Derrick Jones <a href="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com">gunther#online1,magnus1.com</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 07:14 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00196" HREF="msg00196.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, Michael Hohensee <a href="mailto:michael#sparta,mainstream.net">michael#sparta,mainstream.net</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 22:09 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00212" HREF="msg00212.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 02 Nov 1997, 20:57 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00223" HREF="msg00223.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, Derrick Jones <a href="mailto:gunther#online1,magnus1.com">gunther#online1,magnus1.com</a>, Mon 03 Nov 1997, 09:18 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00230" HREF="msg00230.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Tue 04 Nov 1997, 04:19 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>