Author: Harlequin Jones (---.rr.com)
Date: 09-26-2003 01:53
Here is one possible application of graph theory to an RPG in a sci-fi setting:
Each solar system is a node; paths between solar systems are bi-directional vertices. These vertices are weighted by travel time.
The interesting aspect: if the characters' travel distance is limited (because of fuel requirements or some fundamental physical limit), then space has geography. This can be interesting if you want there to be key systems as chokepoints between to empires or isolated systems that are rarely visited (and, thus, home to outlaws). You can even add wormholes as oddball vertices between distant systems.
The disadvantage is that it requires a computer to determine the shortest distance from point A to point B. Even if this was determined by a character's navigation roll, the GM still needs the computer (or a hefty printout) to get an accurate results.
Most sci-fi games treat galaxies as mostly- or fully-connected graphs (you can get anywhere from everywhere); this alternative is more work, but interesting and fun.
It was this application that got me into graph theory in the first place.
HJ
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