[spoon-discuss] Re: [Spoon-business] DimShip redo

[Wonko <dplepage@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Quoth Glotmorf,

> {{ _Nomilogue 8: Who Mourns for Adonis?_
> 
> Change Rule 493 to read as follows:
> 
> {{ _DimShips_
> 
> DimShips are objects used to adjust a Player's virtual (perceived) dimensions
> by applying positive and/or negative modifiers to eir real (actual)
> dimensions.
> 
> A. Definitions
> 
> A.1. Real Dimensions
> 
> A Player's real dimensions are dimensions that are not modified or adjusted in
> any way.
> 
> A.2. Virtual Dimensions
> 
> A Player's virtual dimensions are the values of eir real dimensions, plus the
> buoyancy and minus the ballast of whatever DimShip e is currently occupying at
> the time.  A virtual dimension cannot differ from the corresponding real
> dimension by more than |100|.

So then, something like, say, a radar tower, which adjusts players' radar
dimension to be 3 higher than it would be otherwise suddenly doesn't have
any effect?

> A.3. Buoyancy and Ballast
> 
> A DimShip's buoyancy and ballast are, respectively, the amounts added to and
> subtracted from the values of real dimensions of an occupying Player to
> produce eir virtual dimensions.  A single DimShip is limited in ballast and
> buoyancy to 50 each, though each can be a combination of modifiers to be
> applied to different dimensions.  E.g. a buoyancy of 10 style, 10 respect and
> 10 charm would be a total buoyancy of 30.
> 
> A.4. Coupled Ships
> 
> A coupled DimShip is two or more DimShips connected together and functioning
> as a single ship.  Ballast and buoyancy for a coupled DimShip are still each
> limited to 50, but are multiplied by the number of single ships in the coupled
> ship.  E.g. if a coupled ship contains three single ships, and the coupled
> ship's buoyancy is set to 10 respect, the modification applied would be +30
> respect.

So if you couple twenty DimShips and launch at +50 Score, you win an
infinite number of times?

> B. Ownership
> 
> B.1. Purchase
> 
> A DimShip can be purchased for 100 score points.  The DimShip must be given a
> uniquely identifying name at the time of purchase.  Newly purchased DimShips
> begin Landed.
> 
> B.2. Equipment
> 
> Objects that can be added to a DimShip are called DimShip Equipment.  These
> objects are not automatically purchased with the DimShip; they must be
> purchased separately.  DimShip Equipment includes:
> 
> B.2.1. Guns
> 
> Guns can be purchased for 10 points, and count as 10 respect buoyancy and 10
> charm ballast against the DimShip's buoyancy and ballast limits.  Guns can
> only be added to a DimShip while the DimShip is Landed.

'Count as 10 respect buoyancy against the DimShip's buoyancy limits'? What
does that mean? You automatically float up 10 Respect when you get them, I
assume, but is it permanent? Can you then rezero your DimShip's buoyancy and
not care about the Gun anymore?

> B.2.2. Armor
> 
> Armor can be purchased for 10 points, and counts as 5 respect buoyancy, 5
> style buoyancy and 10 charm ballast against the DimShip's buoyancy and ballast
> limits.  Armor can only be added to a DimShip while the DimShip is Landed.

Ditto.

> B.2.3. Pilots
> 
> A pilot can be hired for 10 points, and will then charge 2 points per nweek
> starting with the following nweek unless and until the Pilot is fired.  A
> Pilot can board and disembark a Landed DimShip, or can move from a single
> DimShip to another within a coupled DimShip, or can move from one DimShip to
> another if their ballast and buoyancy are the same.  If the DimShip the pilot
> is moving to does not belong to the Player who hired the Pilot, the owner of
> the DimShip must explicitly permit the Pilot to enter on the public forum.

I've looked around through the rest of this, and I see absolutely no use for
Pilots. What are they good for?

> B.3. Giving a DimShip
> 
> A Player can give a DimShip e owns to another Player.  Guns and armor
> installed on the DimShip are transferred along with the DimShip.  Pilots on
> the DimShip are only transferred if the giving Player explicitly says so and
> if the receiving Player explicitly accepts them, whereupon said Pilots are
> considered to be hired by the receiving Player.  A DimShip containing Players
> other than the recipient or Pilots not belonging to the recipient can only be
> given if the recipient explicitly accepts it.
> 
> B.4. Scrapping a DimShip
> 
> A Player can Scrap a DimShip e owns, which removes it from eir possession and
> destroys it.  A Player receives half, rounded down, of the value in points of
> the DimShip e Scraps, calculated as the sum of buoyancy and ballast capacity,
> plus 10 for each Gun or Armor installed at the time of Scrapping.  Pilots
> inside DimShips being Scrapped are considered to be Fired; no points are
> returned for Pilots.
> 
> C. Use
> 
> C.1. Launching and Landing
> 
> A DimShip is put into active use when it is Launched.  A DimShip is taken out
> of active use when it is Landed.  Launching occurs at the end of the nweek.
> Landing can occur at any time, and results in buoyancy and ballast being set
> to 0.  A DimShip reduced to 0 buoyancy and ballast capacity Lands
> automatically.

Why lands automatically? Can't we decide to cruise at our normal levels for
a bit, perhaps to get off a shot at another ship, then fly off to another
region without having to wait for another Launch?

> C.2. Occupying
> 
> A Player can board (enter) a DimShip e owns if that DimShip is landed.  A
> Player can move from a DimShip e occupies to a DimShip e owns if the DimShips
> are in the same location.  A Player can board a DimShip e doesn't own, or move
> from a DimShip e occupies to a DimShip e doesn't own in the same location, if
> the owner of the DimShip explicitly permits.  A Player can force other Players
> and Pilots the Player has not hired off a DimShip e owns if the DimShip is
> Landed.
> 
> A Player only occupies a single DimShip at a time.

Shouldn't that last statement be a restriction, as opposed to a declaration
of fact? We don't have any provisions for the ruleset simply being wrong -
like if it says 'A Player only occupies a single DimShip at a time', but a
player is occupying two DimShips at once...

> C.3. Moving
> 
> A DimShip's dimensional location is determined by its buoyancy and ballast
> settings, offset from the Origin.  A Landed DimShip is considered to have
> buoyancy and ballast at 0, regardless of its contents or Equipment.
> 
> A DimShip moves to a new dimensional location by setting its buoyancy and
> ballast.  Players occupying a DimShip are not considered to be at the
> DimShip's dimensional location.
> 
> A DimShip must be occupied by its owning Player or by a Pilot hired by its
> owning Player in order to move.
> 
> A DimShip cannot contain or occupy another DimShip.

Maybe only implement buoy/ball changes at the end of the nday?
Theoretically, someone issuing a psuedocode structured action, as has been
done before (by you, I believe), could flip back and forth between multiple
locations with infinite speed. That would probably not be particularly
healthy for the game. (If nothing else, it would be confusing as all hell!)

Actually, now that I think about it, shouldn't you say somewhere that
players are permitted to change the b/b of DimShips they possess? Or at
least ones which they possess and occupy?

> C.4. Coupling
> 
> A Player may couple any number of DimShips e owns in the same dimensional
> location to produce a coupled DimShip.  A Player may uncouple DimShips from a
> coupled DimShip at any time; the uncoupled DimShips are considered to remain
> at the same dimensional location as the coupled DimShip.

What happens if a player occupies a Coupled DimShip, then uncouples it?
Technically, the player was occupying all of the individual DimShips before
hand; which does e occupy now? If e still occupies all of them, then one of
the above sections is wrong, as it states that this is not the case.

Also, might it not be a good idea to mention that only uncoupled DimShips
may be coupled? The above def'n seems to imply that a new DimShip is created
upon the coupling that is made up of other DimShips; what stops one from
coupling two sets of 5 into two Coupled DimShips, then coupling the two of
them together? Admittedly, I see no reason why it would ever help anyone to
do that, but then again, up until recently I saw no reason why it would be
helpful to throw Gnomes out for 5 points :)

> C.5. Combat
> 
> A DimShip Gun installed on a DimShip may, once per nweek, fire a Shot at a
> DimShip in the same realm.  The Shot causes 3d6 damage to the targeted
> DimShip.
> 
> If the targeted DimShip has Armor, each Armor absorbs 3d6 damage.
> 
> Damage not absorbed is applied to the targeted DimShip's buoyancy or ballast
> capacity, determined randomly by the Administrator.  If the damage exceeds the
> randomly determined capacity, the remainder is applied to the other capacity.

'Applied' to the target's b/b? I assume you mean that the damage is
subtracted from the b/b, but you might want to say that somewhere. The way
it currently reads, it could just as well means that the b/b goes up.

> If a DimShip's ballast or buoyancy capacity is reduced below N, where N is the
> number of Guns and Armor the DimShip carries times 10, first Guns and then
> Armor are destroyed until N is at or below both buoyancy and ballast capacity.
> Destroyed Guns and Armor no longer count as ballast or buoyancy.

Guns and Armor count as ballast and buoyancy?

> In addition to the above, if a Player possessing the Sushi occupies a DimShip
> with a Gun, e may, once per nweek, shoot the Sushi at a Player in a DimShip in
> the same realm.  This is equivalent to forcefully giving the Sushi to another
> Player, but does not require the Sushi to be owned for four ndays. (This takes
> precedence over Rule 213.)

So if you're riding in a DimShip that is also occupied by the player with
the Sushi, and your ship has a gun, your passenger can shoot the Sushi at
you?

> D. Application
> 
> The values of a Player's virtual dimensions are used in any instance where a
> rule checks but does not alter the value of a Player's dimensions.
> 
> The values of a Player's real dimensions are used in any instance where a rule
> alters the value of a Player's dimensions.  This includes instances where the
> values of a Player's dimensions are checked prior to and as a condition of
> alteration.
> 
> This rule does not apply to itself.
> 
> }}
> 
> Remove the last paragraph of Rule 213.
> 
> Repeal Rule 635.
> 
> 
> }}

-- 
Wonko

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