WebStation: Building Zombies

Zombies and Puppets and Pets, oh my!

General rules and operation of Zombie objects on Furrymuck:

Zombies are objects that can be created by a player and remotely controlled to act like they are alive. The owner of the Zombie object can force the object to move and speak and do things as if it was a real player. The Zombie object will report back to the owner what it sees and hears.

Guidelines: A player should create no more than 2 Zombies. Each thing will count against the "things" quota. We wish to limit Zombies to 2 or less so as to not spam the database, and not use more computer power up and cause lag. If you have special need for more then 2 Zombies, check with the Zombie Wizard.

Anyone found using a Zombie to violate any of the standard rules for a player (PG language in the park, no harassment, etc.) will be BANNED from using Zombies.

Zombies can not be used as bugs, a Zombie object set Dark will not function. Zombies named the same as a Player can not function.

Building a Zombie by hand: You create an object, and set it's Z and X flag. You then create an action on yourself that will allow you to force the Zombie to do what you want. Here is an example:

1)   @create Feep        (Creates an object called Feep)
          Object Feep created with Dbref #12345  (remember number)
2)   @set Feep=z         (makes it a Zombie)
3)   @set Feep=x         (make it xForceable)
4)   @flock Feep=me      (Set the ForceLock so You can use it)
5)   @action zom=me      (you can call the action anything you like)
6)   @lock zom=me&!me    (this action must always fail, me&!me is false)
7)   @set zom=h          (the action must be set h to allow MPI to work)
8)   @fail zom={force:#12345,{&arg}}
          (This uses the fail section of the action to run the MPI
           program that sends your commands to the Zombie. The #12345 of
           course would be replaced with the # of your Zombie.)
9) @lock Feep=me         (optional - so no one runs off with it)

Now, drop Feep, so its in the room with you.

Ok, you have created the Zombie object, and you have put an action on yourself that allows you to control it. Now what do you do with it? Well,

     zom say hello

Should make your Zombie say hello.

     zom look

Would make your Zombie look at the room its in and it would display back to you something like:

Feep> You are standing in a wide field.... (or whatever)
     zom west

Would make your Zombie move through an exit to the west. Just about anything a player can do, a Zombie can do.

Locks and lockouts:

Any exit locked against a player, will be locked against that player's Zombies.
Any exit set Z will be unusable by a Zombie object.
Any room set Z will prevent a Zombie from transmitting back to the owner what it sees or hears in that room, and they will be prevented from entering by being bounced back.
Z locking only works against Zombie objects. @Lock against any or all players will work against the Things they may try to Force around.
Any Zombie set Dark will prevent it from transmitting back as well.
Any Thing named the same as a player cannot be Forced.

Note: Any "THING" you own can be "forced" with the MPI Force function, it does not have to be set "Z" to allow this. The "Z" flag enables the transmission back to you of what the Zombie sees and hears. Anyone found using the MPI Force function to annoy, spoof, or otherwise cause trouble will be BANNED from using these functions. If you are going to use Force on an object that is NOT going to be set Zombie, include _puppet?:yes on the object so it will display in WhoSpecies and who.

Version 2.2fb5.27 of the server includes the Xforce-flag and the @flock function to better control security of the MPI FORCE command.

The latest version of WhoSpecies will show a Zombie's name and sex enclosed in [square brackets]. It will also show the Species then the name of the Owner and [asleep] if the owner is not on line.

"who" will also list Zombies as puppets.

Other useful programs: see pet #help - will make objects follow you