[MUD-Dev] Re: skill system

[Richard Woolcock <KaVir#dial,pipex.com>]

Koster, Raph wrote:
> 

[snip my bit about the players knowledge of how powerful opponent is]

> > This could be added into my recognition code quite easily, ... [snip]
> >
> I hate to ask, but how on earth do you guys manage to store all that
> data? :)

For each person online:
   For each person (or 'humanlike' mob) that person has met:
      8  bytes of pointers (could be 4 with a single linked list).
      15 bytes of name (the person's, keep meaning to use a 4 byte int ID).
      4* bytes of 'labelled' name (i'm probably going to take this out though).
      4  bytes of information they know about the person (may add another 4).

*a pointer - uses 4 bytes when NULL, potentially as many as 15.

Remember I don't have many players - even on my old mud I never had more than
around 70-80, so I'm not expecting thousands (or even hundreds) once the mud
is finished.  When I finish trimming it, it'll take 16 bytes per person online
per person they have met.  I could make this more efficient if I had to by
using a single linked list, or by only loading up people as you meet them.

KaVir.