04-05-2003, 08:42 PM
Hi,
Levels is enough, games just make it multiple levels.
I never could understand how this would work. Let me explain my understanding, and perhaps you'll point out where my mistake lies:
When the program starts, the memory it will use is initialized to zeros.
When a game is started, the seconds since (whatever) registers are used as the base seed for everything in the dungeons.
For each dungeon level,
-- the layout of the level is generated, along with the monsters, etc.
-- for all the "random" effects on that level storage is allocated and initialized (this is where the bug is -- some stuff is not initialized and so stays zero)
When a player's character enters a dungeon level, the information for that level (including the storage for the random effects) is loaded.
OK, now here is what I don't understand. Since the storage for the level is loaded when you enter the level, then the values in that storage overwrite what was previously in those memory locations. The stuff that was mistakenly initialized to zero (i.e., not initialized) would still be zero regardless of what was in that memory before. Now, when a new game is started (without quitting Diablo) the last game will have left miscellaneous junk in the memory it used, and this junk will be what is in the uninitialized space -- and that is where the randomness can come in. So I can see it becoming random after multiple games, but I can't for multiple levels.
So, what is wrong with my understanding of how the game works?
--Pete
Levels is enough, games just make it multiple levels.
I never could understand how this would work. Let me explain my understanding, and perhaps you'll point out where my mistake lies:
When the program starts, the memory it will use is initialized to zeros.
When a game is started, the seconds since (whatever) registers are used as the base seed for everything in the dungeons.
For each dungeon level,
-- the layout of the level is generated, along with the monsters, etc.
-- for all the "random" effects on that level storage is allocated and initialized (this is where the bug is -- some stuff is not initialized and so stays zero)
When a player's character enters a dungeon level, the information for that level (including the storage for the random effects) is loaded.
OK, now here is what I don't understand. Since the storage for the level is loaded when you enter the level, then the values in that storage overwrite what was previously in those memory locations. The stuff that was mistakenly initialized to zero (i.e., not initialized) would still be zero regardless of what was in that memory before. Now, when a new game is started (without quitting Diablo) the last game will have left miscellaneous junk in the memory it used, and this junk will be what is in the uninitialized space -- and that is where the randomness can come in. So I can see it becoming random after multiple games, but I can't for multiple levels.
So, what is wrong with my understanding of how the game works?
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?