Proposal: Edits to Parts/Variables; Workbench
S.K.
-Amnistar
Adminned at 02 May 2007 17:05:27 UTC
Part 1: Changes to “Parts”
If there is a Rule 2.3.1 “Parts”, then rewrite the text that currently reads:
* Name: The name by which the Part is refered (any any abbreviations by which it may be refered).
...
* Initiator: The requirements that must be met for this Part to take effect.
* Effect: A description of changes to the “Machine Variables” wiki page”
so that it reads:
* Name: The name by which the Part shall be referred to (and the four-character abbreviation by which the Part shall be referred to).
...
* Size: The number and orientation of Workbench Squares that this Part would occupy if placed on the Workbench. (Examples: 1x1, 3 wide by 2 high). The number of Cells must be a positive integer. If the size is unspecified then the size is 1x1 (i.e., one Square).
* Attributes: (This element is optional) A list of any attributes that this Part has (e.g., edible, flammable, magnetic, and so on). If a Part’s description does not specify that it has a particular Attribute then the Part does not have that Attribute.
* Activation Condition: (This element is optional) A description of a condition which, if true, activates this Part. (In addition to the Activation Condition, if any, specified in the description of the Part on the wiki page, please note that the the description of another Part may expressly provide that the Activation of that Part will Activate this Part.
* Effect: A description of the effect or effects of Activating this Part. This description may include checking the State of any number of Variables and setting forth the Effect of particular States of particular Variables. Valid effects include: activating or deactivating any number of specified Parts (which may be specified by identifying the Part or the Location of the Part (e.g., “Activate any Part immediately adjacent to this Part on the right”), or, changing the State of any number of Variables, changing the Location of any number of Parts, or destroying any number of Parts. Only Parts that are part of the Machine may be affected. (example: effect of a Part entitled “Piranha”. If the Variable “Piranha hunger status” has the state “Hungry” and the Variable “Piranha life status” has the state “Alive”, and the Square immediately to the right of this Part is vacant, and the Square that is immediately to the right of that vacant Square contains a Part that is Edible, then change the location of the Piranha by one Square to the right and destroy that edible Part.)
If there is a rule or sub-rule called “The Machine in action” then also add the following text to the end of the “Parts” rule:
“Whenever the Machine becomes Standing By, all Parts become deactivated.”
Part 2: Changes to “Variables”
If there is a Rule 2.3.2 “Variables”, then rewrite the text that currently reads:
* Name: The name by which the Variable is refered (any any abbreviations by which it may be refered).
...
so that it reads:
* Name: The name by which the Variable shall be referred to (and the four-character abbreviation by which the Variable shall be referred to.)
and add the following bullet point to the end of the “Variables” rule:
” Association with Part: If this Variable is associated with a particular Part, the name and/or abbrevation of that Part. If that Part is destroyed or otherwise removed from the gamestate, then this Variable will also be deleted.”
Part 3: Workbench
If there is a rule “The Machine”, create a subrule entitled “Workbench” as follows:
The Workbench is a grid of Squares consisting of 6 rows labeled “A†through “F†(with A at the bottom) and 8 columns labeled “1†through “8†(with 1 on the left). Individual Squares in the Worbench are thus identified “1A†(at the lower left†and so on through “6F†at the upper right.
Workbench Squares are considered “adjacent” if their positions on the Workbench grid are adjacent. For example, Square 1A is adjacent to Squares 2A and 1B, but not adjacent to any other Squares. The terms “above” and “beneath” may also be appropriately used to indicate Workbench Squares that occupy a position in the same column as a given Square.
In order for a Part to become part of the Machine, that Part must be placed in vacant Squares in the Workbench. Variables may not be placed in the Workbench.
Any given Square may not hold more than one Part. Placing a Part in the Workbench is accomplished by indicating which column (or adjacent columns, if the Part is more than 1 column wide) the Part is dropped into. The Part then drops down to the lowest vacant Squares in that column. For example, if the Workbench is empty and a 1x1 sized Part is dropped in column 3 then the Part falls down to Square 3A. If another 1x1 sized Part is then dropped in column 3 it falls down to Square 3B. If a 2-wide by 1-high Part is then dropped in columns 3 and 4 then it falls down to Squares 3C-4C.
Parts “fall down” to the lowest vacant Squares in the Workbench columns that it occupies, but without changing its shape. Thus, for example, if the Workbench is empty except for “PART-A” (a 1x1 sized Part located at Square 3A), “PART-B” (a 1x1 sized part located at Square 3B) and “PART-C” (a 2-wide by 1-high Part located at Squares 3C-4C), and PART-B is destroyed or removed from the Workbench, then PART-C will immediately “fall down” and change its location to Squares 3B-4B. “Falling down” happens whether the Machine is Running or Standing By, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the “The Machine in Action” rule, occurs immediately upon the condition for “Falling down” occurring, and before any further Machine running steps may occur.
The Square or Squares on the Workbench occupied by a Part may be referred to as that Part’s Location.
There exists a wiki page Workbench which describes the location of all Parts on the Workbench. The contents of this list are considered part of the Gamestate (and thus may not be modified except as permitted by the Ruleset).
Hix:
Very Complicated. Tries to change too much at once. Is not compatible with the terminology used in “The Machine in Action”. New “activation” concept is very clunky (and broken, I think).
I think having all Parts (and only Parts) having locations is going to be confusing or at least unintuitive to many Workers, since there are bound to be both Variables that represent physical objects and Parts that represent abstract concepts. Maybe in-game “Parts” and “Variables” haven’t been given the most accurate names from a flavor perspective, but really, Parts are just special kinds of Rules that only operate on the Variables (for now, at least).