From: "Patrick Dughi" <dughi@IMAXX.NET>
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 7:17 AM
> I have recently begun seriously looking at a system of swapping
> zones out of memory when not in use. This does raise a number of issues
> though;
>
> - zone resets; i don't want to force a zone through _x_ resets and
> _y_ mob_activity turns each time they return to active status. However,
> if I don't, things from spec_procs, mob_progs, or simple random
> distribution of mobs (wanderers) will be messed up. I could just reset
> the zone once and give it a number of mob turns, which would get most of
> it running. Wouldn't exactly be true to form though.
I would save positions and anything else you feel is important to a seperate
file. Also great for a little world persistance across reboots.
> - commands which depend upon a mob/obj/room's existance. goto,
> where, and locate being forefront in my mind. How could you tell that the
> silvery shield was held by the grey warrior unless I loaded every zone
> into memory, ran though the zone reset, and then looked for it?
Modify the spells to have a limited range, so locate object and similar
effects only work if you're near the zone (assuming you load them up by
proximity of players). If you need the search capability for immortals (do
they really need to access a zone they aren't building in?), I'd probably use
an index file with names and locations and/or an online hash index.
> - ? something else i've missed perhaps?
If you switch out objects, you either need to make standalone instances of
players' equipment, do selective object switching, or leave objects completely
in memory.
> I'm sure someone else has had to deal with this before; how have
> you handled it, or how do you think it should be handled?
If you want more bang for the buck, switch out room and mob long descriptions.
That's where most of your memory will be recovered, and you don't generally
search descriptions anyway.
Sam
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