HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: crosby@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Matthew Crosby)
Subject: Re: User-Selected Difficulty levels
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 02:41:00 GMT

In article <81904@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccocsme@prism.gatech.EDU (StatMan) writes:
>Howdy,
>  I am currently developing a TADS text adventure, and came up
>with an interesting problem. How difficult should I make it? Then,
>I thought about letting the user enter the difficulty level he/she
>wants. I would let it be confined to easy/medium/hard. I dont
>think the development would be that hard. Mainly,  the differences
>between the difficulty levels would be limited to the availibilty
>of needed items, methods for solving certain puzzels, and the
>addition/subration of "clues" in the description text.
>
>I then wondered if I should let the player fully "win" the
>game at easier levels, or have the game leave the player
>with information that there was more to look foward to in
>the next level.
>
I can't think of any games like this, but a few games had several solutions
to various problems, with the easier solution being penalised.  Perhaps
the best example of this I can think of was Wishbringer.  There where
certain puzzles that could be solved in two ways:  By using the stone to wish
for something, or some other way.  At the end, however, you where penalised for
using wishes:  The optimal solution was with no wishes.  This worked kind of
well, and was kind of neat, except

1)  This applied to only a few of the puzzles.
2)  The game was so easy anyway, and the puzzles so easy, that often you didn't
    even need to use the wishes the first time.  (Note that it wasn't until the
    end that the game told you to avoid wishes)

Heres an example (the only puzzle I solved with a wish first):
Spoilers, I suppose.


Well, there was a pit with a platypus in it.  You could rescue the platypus
by one of two methods:
1)  Wish for rain, so the platypus could swim out.
2)  Get a stick you found and put it in the hole so the platypus could climb up
    it  (I recall the parser being kind of picky about the wording for this)


-- 
-Matt
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the net!
mcrosby@nyx.cs.du.edu    -or-    crosby@cs.colorado.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: magnus@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson)
Subject: Re: Computer writes a book?
Organization: Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Sweden
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 10:06:15 GMT

In article <1993Jan26.084928.16437@ulrik.uio.no> rivero@sol.cie.unizar.es writes:
>that was from RACTER, was it?  I read a reference to Racter in Scientific Amer.
>time ago, probably in computer games. There was a Racter vs Eliza match, funny,
>showing how RACTER routines can make fool a sophisticated parser as Eliza is.

Sophisticated parser? Eliza? Most versions of Eliza are very
simple-minded indeed and don't actually do any parsing, just pattern
matching. 

>I dont know if racter source is avalaible. In fact, I dont know if the program
>is avalaible actually from any place. 

Racter is a commercial program, so I'd be very surprised if the source
is available. I've seen (and used) a version for the Macintosh; that
was a few years ago and I don't know if they still sell it. Let me
just say that in real "life", Racter isn't quite as good a
conversationalist as one can be led to believe. The texts quoted in
the articles (and ads) are probably edited, or at least the most
interesting parts have been selected. 

              Magnus Olsson                | \e+      /_
    Department of Theoretical Physics      |  \  Z   / q
        University of Lund, Sweden         |   >----<           
 magnus@thep.lu.se, thepmo@seldc52.bitnet  |  /      \===== g
PGP key available via finger or on request | /e-      \q
From: Whitten@Fwva.Saic.Com (David Whitten)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Subject: Re: User-Selected Difficulty levels
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 21:08:31 GMT
Organization: Science Applications Int'l, Corp. - Computer systems operation

ccocsme@prism.gatech.EDU (StatMan) writes:
>Howdy,
>  I am currently developing a TADS text adventure, and came up
>with an interesting problem. How difficult should I make it? Then,
>I thought about letting the user enter the difficulty level he/she
>wants. I would let it be confined to easy/medium/hard. I dont
>think the development would be that hard. Mainly,  the differences
>between the difficulty levels would be limited to the availibilty
>of needed items, methods for solving certain puzzels, and the
>addition/subration of "clues" in the description text.
>
>I then wondered if I should let the player fully "win" the
>game at easier levels, or have the game leave the player
>with information that there was more to look foward to in
>the next level.
>
>Anyway, I'm wondering what the general feeling is about this.
>In the text adventures I've played, there hasnt been this ability.
>
>Marty Esterman
>ccocsme@prism.gatech.edu
 
I personally like the idea of being able to solve an adventure all the way
thru at the easy level, and then being able to play it through with the
same general structure but complicated by some objects not being as easy
to find, or with puzzles to solve before I get certain objects.
 
Depending on the way this is done, you get two or more games for the price
of one.
 
And if you have played through the game in easy mode, you know it is possible,
you get a feel for the way it has been written, and you have adapted to the
ideosyncracies of the parser.
 
David (whitten@fwva.saic.com) US:(619)535-7764 [I don't speak as a company rep.]
From: mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com (Mike Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Subject: Realism in IF (was Disch's _Amnesia_)
Distribution: world
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 93 20:04:56 GMT
Organization: High Energy Software, Palo Alto, California


In article <neilg.727737126@sfu.ca> neilg@fraser.sfu.ca writes:

 >  Well, with any type of fiction there's always a line between realism
 > and tedium, don't you think?

This is an excellent point.  I've never seen any IF that comes close to
being realistic, and I don't believe that there's any hardware available
today that would make it possible (and we software designers wouldn't
know what to do with such great hardware even if it were available).

Maybe someday.  For now, though, I think that the success of a piece of
IF doesn't depend on how closely it simulates the real world, but rather
how well it evokes a world from its simulation.

 >  Interactive fiction is meant to be reasonably interesting and fun,
 > isn't it?

And this might be an even better measure of success.


Mike Roberts                               mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com
High Energy Software                       415 493 2430 (Voice)
PO Box 50422, Palo Alto, CA 94303          415 493 2420 (BBS)

"Time to ring in the new year, and watch as it transforms itself
from a beautiful promise of tomorrow into the ugly reality of today."
   --- Lars Fusco
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com (Mike Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Subject: multi-player IF (was Re: FAQ))
Distribution: world
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 00:41:41 GMT
Organization: High Energy Software, Palo Alto, California


In article <1993Jan20.155942.10580@Princeton.EDU> jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU
writes:
 > Michael J. Roberts, if you're reading this: have you considered adding
 > multi-player capacity to TADS? It would require a large amount of
 > effort, I imagine, but it would be an incredible advantage.

We'd like to do it at some point, but I don't anticipate having time
to think much about it in the near future.

--
Mike Roberts                               mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com
High Energy Software                       415 493 2430 (Voice)
PO Box 50422, Palo Alto, CA 94303          415 493 2420 (BBS)

"Time to ring in the new year, and watch as it transforms itself
from a beautiful promise of tomorrow into the ugly reality of today."
   --- Lars Fusco
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: dpn2@po.CWRU.Edu (Damien P. Neil)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction,comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: User-Selected Difficulty levels
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 02:57:22 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: b63519.student.cwru.edu

In article <81904@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccocsme@prism.gatech.EDU (StatMan) writes:
>Howdy,
>  I am currently developing a TADS text adventure, and came up
>with an interesting problem. How difficult should I make it? Then,
>I thought about letting the user enter the difficulty level he/she
>wants. I would let it be confined to easy/medium/hard. I dont
>think the development would be that hard. Mainly,  the differences
>between the difficulty levels would be limited to the availibilty
>of needed items, methods for solving certain puzzels, and the
>addition/subration of "clues" in the description text.

If you want an excellent example of this, look at _Monkey Island II_ by 
LucasArts. It has two user-selectable difficulty levels. In the "easy" 
level, about half of the puzzles in the "hard" level are left out. On the 
easy level, a biginner has a fair to middle chance of winning. On the hard 
level, I have found it to be exceptionally nasty.
-----
Damien Neil   dpn2@po.cwru.edu    "Until somebody debugs reality, the best
Case Western Reserve University    I can do is a quick patch here and there."
CMPS/EEAP double majoring masochist               - Erik Green
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: aa382@Freenet.carleton.ca (Marc Sira)
Subject: Star Saga I & II (and III?)
Reply-To: aa382@Freenet.carleton.ca (Marc Sira)
Organization: The National Capital Freenet
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 00:09:35 GMT


The talk of multiplayer IF brings to mind the Star Saga series published
in 1988-89 by MasterPlay...probably the best "Interactive Literature" I've
seen, and certainly the best multiplayer game (based on the "Rekon"
system, I believe).

Star Saga was to be released as a trilogy, but MasterPlay (and Cinemaware,
which the second installment was published through) went out of business
before part III was made available.

My question: Does anyone know anything about the possible future of part
III? I'd kill to find out how the various facets of the story are resolved,
even if only in a linear (ie. novelised) manner. Has anyone ever spoken to
Rick Dutton, Walt Freitag, Andrew Greenberg, or Mike Massimilla?

Like publishing a mystery with the last page missing, there should be
legislation preventing this sort of thing B-).
-- 
Marc Sira                    |
toh@micor.ocunix.on.ca       |  "Your god drinks...p-p-peach nectar!"
aa382@freenet.carleton.ca    '
From: zyzzy@stein.u.washington.edu (Zyzzy Galore)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Re: Questions about Tongue Pierces
Date: 21 Jan 1993 20:15:52 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: stein.u.washington.edu

robert merithew writes:
>
>For how long after the pierce was talking painful?  For how long did
>you noticably talk funny?  I have to teach for two hours at a time
>this semester and want to know how this would affect it...
>
I got my tongue pierced on a Friday, and by Monday it was healed enough so
that I could teach fine.  It does gets sore from talking, though, so don't
talk much outside of that.  Maybe a three-day weekend is better.  

>The faq says that one usually downsizes the barbell after the swelling
>goes down.  How long after the initial pierce is this?  Does one
>*always* have to downsize?  The nearest piercing place is a bit of a
>drive for me - I want to know how much planning I'd have to do.
>
I can't imagine not downsizing; I did just a little and my barbell is
still too long (but it's fun to play with ;) ).  A wait of five days to a
week is normal. I did mine in four, but it hurt like shit to have the
barbell changed (way more than the piercing).  It's worth it to go back
and get the right size and have it professionally changed.

>For how long after the pierce was eating spicy foods a problem?  I
>love hot food.
>
Spicy, hot, cold etc. was no problem.  Just beware of eating too fast and
taking large bites.  Chewing on your pierce before it's healed will send
you through the roof.  Live on mashed potatoes for a couple of weeks.

>Now that you've had it for a while, how do you like your tongue
>pierce?  I really enjoy my other pierces so far...

It's great!  It's worth the recovery time and pain!  You feel like you
have really earned something.  And with a tongue pierce, you can show it
at your discretion.  People who know what to look for notice; others don't.

my 2 scents,


-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------
   Zyzzy Galore  > > > > > > > > > > >  zyzzy@u.washington.edu
                                 ART NON PROG RESS / V R A S P 
---------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: gonnella@stsci.edu
Subject: which ear? who knows.
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 16:04:04 GMT


I break the pattern - I have two right ear pierces and one left ear pierce.

I remember many years ago there was symbolism in the ear you chose to
pierce (mainly if you were male). the left meant you were straight, the right
that you were gay, unless you were in England...etc etc.  Junior High kinda
stuff.   I think it's just a matter of taste.  My hair flops on my left side,
so I double pierced the right side since it shows more. *shrug*

D.


Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: isto@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Pekka Isto)
Subject: Re: amphallangs and other penis piercings
Keywords: piercings, body art
Organization: University of Helsinki
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 08:45:07 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.231006.958@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu> mtonaszu@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu (Marc Tonaszuck) writes:
>Hi, everybody...I'm looking for information about penis
>piercings..

There should be a good FAQ, check it.


>especially about the pain involved and what kind of
>preparations one should take before getting one.

A had a Prince Albert (PA) and nipples done at the same time. The pain
from the PA was more intense but very short. I think that the nipples
were more annoying. The only preparation I took was a good shower.


>  What exactly is the
>procedure involved?

It depends on the piercer. My PA was made from urethra trought the lower
part of the glan. Some piercer do them the other way round, some insert
a tube with a hole into piercees urethra and pierce from outside thru
the hole into the tube.


Pekka
From: dwatanab@mothra.nts.uci.edu (Dana Watanabe)
Subject: R.a.b
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 26 Jan 93 19:11:25 GMT

>i also must admit that i never thought of piercing another body
>part until i started regularly reading this group...if i get up the
>guts someday i'll be sure to post it!

hell neither did i...
not that im pierced heavily
but i know i couldnt have gone for an ampallang
--
If we were still going barefoot the world would be a
much softer place.
				   ,
IravethereforeIam Prod.           dana watanabe
From: kmac@cisco.com (Karl MacRae)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Maybe this newsgroup *is* ok....
Date: 26 Jan 1993 21:03:00 GMT
Organization: cisco Systems, Menlo Park, California, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: glare.cisco.com

In article <1k3uloINN4om@spim.mti.sgi.com> dauber@tattoo.mti.sgi.com (Jeff Dauber) writes:


In article <4619@unisql.UUCP> ray@unisql.UUCP (Ray Shea) writes:




	Wow, cool, snide responses from Jeff AND Ray in the same day.


	It almost feels like a good newsgroup again.



		-Karl



  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  Karl Elvis MacRae	Software Release Support	Cisco Systems
  kmac@cisco.com -or- batman@cisco.com     415-688-8231   DoD# 1999  FJ1200
  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
	  Buy a clue? Sorry, I spent all my clue money on beer.
					-Chris Jercha
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: ericm@microunity.com (Eric Murray)
Subject: Re: nipple pierce
Organization: MicroUnity Systems Engineering, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 00:27:41 GMT

In article <1jj34sINN490@shelley.u.washington.edu> miolnir@stein.u.washington.edu (Miolnir) writes:
>I'm considering getting my left nip pierced and I'd like to hear
>from people who've had just one done. Does it feel "off balance"
>or are there any problems with just one.

Yea, now I have a horrible list to the left.
I walk sort of sideways like a crab or Lon Cheny in _Frankenstein_. 
I have to hang a fishing weight in my right ear
in order to 'straighten up' as it were...



No, really, there's no problem.  As a bonus, you
get to sleep on the other side when the thing's healing.



--
  Eric Murray                                             ericm@microunity.com
      "Archiving the net is like washing toilet paper!"- Leader Kibo
From: kmac@cisco.com (Karl MacRae)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Re: removing circular barbell in nipple?!
Date: 21 Jan 93 18:19:46 GMT
Organization: cisco Systems, Menlo Park, California, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: glare.cisco.com

In article <1993Jan21.115031.1@hamp.hampshire.edu> bcorkum@hamp.hampshire.edu writes:
>I have a very important question about the circular barbell in my left
>nipple.
>
>HOW THE HELL DO I GET IT OUT?

	Pull very very hard.... =B^)


>Sorry about the yelling.  I know that at least one of the beads is supposed
>to unscrew.  I have tried turning both of them in both directions and had
>no luck.
>
>Is there some special technique I don't know about?

	No, it's just on too tight. YOu might try having someone else
	help, and if that doesn't work, you may have to take pliers to
	it. Which, again, would be bettr done by someone else.


			-Karl


  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  Karl Elvis MacRae	Software Release Support	Cisco Systems
  kmac@cisco.com -or- batman@cisco.com     415-688-8231   DoD# 1999  FJ1200
  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
	"When I die, I'd like to come back as your knickers"
						-Prince Charles
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: renault@CAM.ORG (Pierre Renault)
Subject: Re: donating blood
Organization: Communications Accessibles Montreal, Quebec Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 04:26:35 GMT

Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: ebail@ctp.com (Erik Bailey)
Subject: Re: nipple pierce
Organization: Cambridge Technology Partners
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:24:57 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.155147.18480@noao.edu> kneale@noao.edu (ruth a. kneale) writes:
>well i don't have a nipple pierce but your statement here caught
>my eye.  i have seven earrings in the left ear and only one in my
>right.  i must say, though, i haven't ever felt off-balance.

I've got two earrings in my left ear, and one in my right. It used to be
two & zero. I've never really felt "off-balance", although I did get the
right-ear pierce to have something on that side.

>i also must admit that i never thought of piercing another body
>part until i started regularly reading this group...if i get up the
>guts someday i'll be sure to post it!

Heh... Same here! I've been reading this group for a while, and way back
then I had no bodymods... Now I have nipples & a PA, and maybe more to
come! :-)

--Erik

-- 
Erik Bailey   | Cambridge Technology Partners      | The usual disclaimer
              | 304 Vassar St., Cambridge MA 02139 | applies: this post is
ebail@ctp.com | (617) 374-8418                     | mine, not my employer's.
      /earth is 98% full; please remove any excess inhabitants.
From: perez@andromeda.rutgers.edu (William Perez)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Re: Questions:Frenum/apallang/PA
Date: 25 Jan 93 01:37:29 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

>1)How long did your piercing take to heal?  How long was it until you
>could masterbate/engage in sex?
I had a Prince Albert done about 6 months ago.  It wasn't a painful
piercing at all -the anxiety was worse-to my surprise.  However, i felt
a flash of uncomfortable-ness...I think I'm rather tolerant to pain.
It healed after 3 weeks - apparently the fastest healing piercing
I refrained from any sexual activity until it felt right - that was
about 4 -5  weeks after.... when the tingle stopped.
>2) Any complications(other than sitting down to pee for the PA)...like
>what kind of cleaning regimine did you have to undergo?
I don't sit to pee (except the first few weeks) and sometimes stream/splash
but not badly... I guess I'm too lazy to sit... etc.  I didn't undergo any
cleaning regimine...as long as you are reasonably healthy, your urine acts
as a disinfectant.. I had no probs.  I think Gauntlet likes to profit by
selling lots of Hibiclens and such which is actually a surgical scrub. I
would never put that stuff on a piercing ... terrible.  your body knows
how to sort itself out ... have some faith in your body's healing powers
and let it be - don't do anything to it... you'll only make it worse.
>3)How does it affect the sensations you recieve during sex, and the ones
>your partner recieves?
At first, it greatly enhanced sensations during sex but now I'm more
comfortable with it and know how to 'work it'.  I've also been a 'receiver'
and personally I enjoy both greatly!
>4) Does it interfere with oral sex, or make it uncomfortable for you
>partner to perform oral sex on you?   
I haven't experienced any uncomfortable-ness... sometimes oversensitive in
the early stages...
>5) Will it be necessary to now use a condom when engaging in sex (I'm in
>a monagamous, disease free relationship) to pretect the piercing from
>infection from the vagina/anus/mouth?
I would strongly recommend this until you are sure you are properly healed...
you'll feel it/know.
 
Enjoy!
-- 
"peace, unit-E, L-ov-E, and having phun!"

WILL-E <perez@andromeda.rutgers.edu>
From: SCHWARZ_SM@DIR.TEXAS.GOV (Only 335 days until Christmas!)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
Subject: Septum
Date: 24 Jan 1993 21:40:26 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

In response to heather's question about the septum:  I got mine a year ago.  It 
was not bad at all.  It was comparable to an ear piercing.  Healing was 
fast.  On the order of 3-4 weeks.  I have bad allergies, so I was a bit 
concerned about sneezing/blowing, but this did not turn out to be a problem.
Just be sure that the placement is correct.  A lot of people want to put 
it below the cartilage.  It should be in the front of the nose.  If you 
feel up inside your nose, you will feel that there is a place near the tip 
with no cartilage.  This is where the ring should go.  I have had no 
problems with mine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stan                 |  "Have you ever been in love with someone you hardly
stan@dir.texas.gov   |   knew?" - Oingo Boingo  "Good for Your Soul"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: lemay@netcom.com (Laura Lemay)
Subject: Re: Which ear? Why?
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 20:07:13 GMT


I'm left handed.  I pierce whatever's nearest to that hand. :)


-- 
*********************************************************
Laura Lemay                              lemay@netcom.com
writer of trifles in shadows and blood
*********************************************************