8bit

Well this suggestion might cause some reaction, but let me suggest allowing bots to move, attack, harvest, trade, and do anything else they want to do. Of course this only serves my own needs, since I enjoy programming bots. However, if the server has very low participation, then why not? Just a suggestion. 8bit

Hi everyone. First, I'd like to thank Entropy for creating a game that encourages player participation and contribution in code development. Second, I want to point out that those contributions have not only aided Eternal Lands--they have enabled and offered amateur programmers like myself, a place to experiment, learn, and create. It is research opportunities like the one offered by Eternal Lands that help to foster innovation in technology. I've been working on some generic pathfinding, flocking, and avoidance routines, and I've been having a lot of fun. I've learned about packets and how to determine what the server can and can not allow. For me and other amateur programmers like me, Eternal Lands has become a classroom. As far as I know, Eternal Lands one of the only MMORPG servers that allows this kind of "open source" playing field. However, for obvious reasons, limitations must be applied to bots because they are capable of competing with humans. But I see something evolving here that needs a special look by Entropy, by the Ant programmer, by anyone that has ever written a trade bot or guard bot. I will lay my idea out here for everyone, and I will hope for both positive and negative comments and suggestions. 1) I envision a map that allows free roaming bots--free to move, free to trade, free to do combat almost anywhere on the map, with an exception: a) There would be several small areas that were non-combat. Perhaps at the town center. 2) Some bots may be friendly, and some may not. 3) Some bots may be like the rabbits or deer, and roam around, all controlled by the game server. 4) There would be no client interface to this map, and therefor it would not need any graphic creations or sounds. It would be up to the bot programmer to create a graphical client if they wanted one. 5) Humans could go to this map if a client was created, even a text only client, but the work load would not be the responsibility of current EL programmers, it would be the responsibility of the bot programmer or the community that was created because of this new proposed map. In other words, this is a map that has no client until one is written by the programmer. The primary inhabitant of the map, after all, is bots, not humans. 6) The focus of the map would be research and education. I believe computer science enthusiasts and other programmers would support the map financially just like they do with the game as a whole. In other words, you pay to play. 7) The protocol does not need to deviate from what is already established, with a few exceptions: a) Actors come in to view at more reasonable distances, like 200 or 500 steps away. This is optional if it makes it difficult on the server. aa) Running out of food might be a more serious matter. This is optional. 8) The map would be vast. At least 100000 by 100000, maybe bigger. This would perhaps be the biggest issue because the current EL server is probably not designed to handle maps that large, and it would probably be too taxing on the server. 9) The map would not need to be designed by hand, but it could be. In any event, the map "files" should not be given to the bots. The discovery of the map, obstacles, and other resources on the map would be strictly up to the bot to discover. If that information became public, then so be it, but in the beginning, it would be up to the bot to figure out. 10) Combat would be a large part of what happens on this map. So would trade. 11) Most difficult of all is that weapons could not be bought. They can only be produced. Funding for the map would come from the bot programmers and should adequately provide for the operation of the server such that purchasing weapons from the real world would be impossible. This guarantees that programmers will be forced to play by the same rules. This is optional. Some of the things I've outlines here are very difficult for the current EL server to offer, and some are no problem. I hope to get some comments about this idea. 8bit