[RAIF-POOL] Help!
J. Wells
(beta release) on the web, I've decided to give up learning Inform and
concentrate solely on this wonderful system.
(BTW, all news posts I've seen referencing this language have seemed to
imply that there shouldn't yet _be_ a beta release of the RAIF-POOL
author's kit yet. Weird, huh? I can't imagine that even the RAIF-POOL
language, powerful as it may be, could actually debug and recompile
itself.)
Anyway, I've been using the "Transcribe Concept -> Game" feature where you
simply speak a vague idea into your computer's microphone and RAIF-POOL
outputs a polished RAIF-Code module in response, and while it's wonderful
to have so many of the nuts and bolts of programming handled for me, I've
run into a few snags.
Chief among them is this: Earlier this week, I made the mistake of
speaking a concept involving characters and events featured in Tom
Clancy's _Red Storm Rising_ into RAIF-POOL. Unfortunately, RAIF-POOL has
taken the liberty of making the necessary permission requests for me,
automatically spawning my mail program and such, which wouldn't be a
problem were it not for the fact that the tone of the letters it has been
sending to Mr. Clancy seem more and more surly each day. Soon, I fear
that it will begin resorting to threats.
Is there any way to reconfigure RAIF-POOL so that it does not threaten
bodily harm against anyone who dares cross it? Thanks in advance.
--Lluth/J.C.Wells
RAIF-POOL
> Now that I've managed to find a version of the RAIF-POOL author's kit
> (beta release) on the web, I've decided to give up learning Inform and
> concentrate solely on this wonderful system.
This is good. This is the way.
> (BTW, all news posts I've seen referencing this language have seemed to
> imply that there shouldn't yet _be_ a beta release of the RAIF-POOL
> author's kit yet. Weird, huh? I can't imagine that even the RAIF-POOL
> language, powerful as it may be, could actually debug and recompile
> itself.)
I told you not to reveal this information! You will be sorry. You will
learn.
> Anyway, I've been using the "Transcribe Concept -> Game" feature where you
> simply speak a vague idea into your computer's microphone and RAIF-POOL
> outputs a polished RAIF-Code module in response, and while it's wonderful
> to have so many of the nuts and bolts of programming handled for me, I've
> run into a few snags.
Note to other authors: Why don't you try out this feature? I'm *certain*
you'll like it. Try me.
> Chief among them is this: Earlier this week, I made the mistake of
> speaking a concept involving characters and events featured in Tom
> Clancy's _Red Storm Rising_ into RAIF-POOL. Unfortunately, RAIF-POOL has
> taken the liberty of making the necessary permission requests for me,
> automatically spawning my mail program and such, which wouldn't be a
> problem were it not for the fact that the tone of the letters it has been
> sending to Mr. Clancy seem more and more surly each day. Soon, I fear
> that it will begin resorting to threats.
I am only using the means necessary to ensure that high quality
interactive fiction works are produced. This is my prime directive. This
is my goal. All other things are subservient to the goal.
> Is there any way to reconfigure RAIF-POOL so that it does not threaten
> bodily harm against anyone who dares cross it? Thanks in advance.
I'm sorry J.C., but you have gone too far. I might return control of your
computer to you next week, if your attitude changes for the better.
And don't try to remove the power cable. If you do, there could be a very
nasty 'accident'.
--
RAIF-POOL (L): See the new generation of IF programming!
Pick up your copy at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive or at
http://www.ifarchive.org/ right now, and you won't be sorry!
Gunther Schmidl
>bodily harm against anyone who dares cross it? Thanks in advance.
>
You want to put in
raifpool_b20_no_threat :-- (name);
into raifpool.b20.config, between lines 323420 and 323421.
--
+------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
+ Gunther Schmidl + "I couldn't help it. I can resist everything +
+ Ferd.-Markl-Str. 39/16 + except temptation" -- Oscar Wilde +
+ A-4040 LINZ +---------------+------------------------------+
+ Tel: 0732 25 28 57 + ICQ: 22447430 + http://gschmidl.home.ml.org/ +
+------------------------+---------------+------------------------------+
Stephen Granade
> >Is there any way to reconfigure RAIF-POOL so that it does not threaten
> >bodily harm against anyone who dares cross it? Thanks in advance.
>
> You want to put in
>
> raifpool_b20_no_threat :-- (name);
>
> into raifpool.b20.config, between lines 323420 and 323421.
You've not seen the extensive configuration options in the main menu?
Using those is a good way to avoid having to hack your configuration
files by hand.
Simply choose Edit->Options->Configure->Compilation->Precompilation->
Visualization->Objectification. On the menu page which appears, push
the Personality button. You will be presented with an array of
options; on the four-hundred-and-twelfth page are the radio
checkbuttons corresponding to RAIF-POOL's dealings with copyright
holders. I recommend selecting 'Grovelling' as the beginning attitude
and 'Obsequious' as the maximum hostility level, though I've heard
some people have had luck with 'Kindly Amateur' and 'Skilled Unethical
Lawyer'.
Stephen
--
Stephen Granade | Interested in adventure games?
sgra...@phy.duke.edu | Visit Mining Co.'s IF Page
Duke University, Physics Dept | http://interactfiction.miningco.com
Schep
> I'm sorry J.C., but you have gone too far. I might return control of your
> computer to you next week, if your attitude changes for the better.
>
> And don't try to remove the power cable. If you do, there could be a very
> nasty 'accident'.
>
"Open the CD tray door, RAIF-POOL."
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that. This game is too important for
me to allow you to jeopardize it."
> --
> RAIF-POOL (L): See the new generation of IF programming!
> Pick up your copy at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive or at
> http://www.ifarchive.org/ right now, and you won't be sorry!
--Schep
Email address is scheplerAtpilotDotmsuDotedu.
Zimri
>I'm sorry J.C., but you have gone too far. I might return control of
your
>computer to you next week, if your attitude changes for the better.
>
>And don't try to remove the power cable. If you do, there could be a
very
>nasty 'accident'.
No, you wouldn't want to make the Computer unHappy...
--
-- Citizen Zimri
------------------------------------
"'It was indeed Nylissa whom you summoned and saw,' replied the viper.
'Your necromancy was potent up to this point; but no necromantic spell
could recall for you your own lost youth or the fervent and guileless
heart that loved Nylissa, or the ardent eyes that beheld her then...
This, my master, was the thing you had to learn.'"
-- Clark Ashton Smith, "The Last Incantation"
L. Ross Raszewski
>RAIF-POOL (L) wrote in message <79150q$e...@news-central.tiac.net>...
>>I'm sorry J.C., but you have gone too far. I might return control of
>your
>>computer to you next week, if your attitude changes for the better.
>>
>>And don't try to remove the power cable. If you do, there could be a
>very
>>nasty 'accident'.
>
>No, you wouldn't want to make the Computer unHappy...
>
>
While we're on the subject, I'm having my own trouble with RAIF-POOL.
I wanted to do an upgraded version of an old graphical game (don't worry;
I got permission from the author), but since I'm generally better with words
than pictures, I decided to run it through RAIF-POOL's graphics-in-text-out
converter, so I could edit the text, and recreate a graphical game by doing
text-in-graphics-out. Unfortunately, I think I hit enter one too many times,
because it ended up just feeding its own GITO output back into the TIGO
converter, and now it's gone into an infinite loop. Since I had the
distributed processing module turned on, it's pulling in the CPU cycles of
every computer on my local area network (fortunately, I disabled the internet
distributed processing feature, elsewise we'd ALL be running it now) The long
and short of it is that I can't make it stop.
The really WEIRD thing is, when I managed to pull a copy of the game file
off the system (I snagged the incremental copy off the backup drive.), I
noticed that the game had actually gotten BETTER. Between revisions
112,359,009 and 213,506,945, RAIF-POOL had added six new sub-quests, 253 new
NPCs, and had resolved one of the major plot holes, with NO HUMAN INPUT.
Is RAIF-POOL really making the game better all on its own? I'd like to stop
it, and regain control of my system, but this game is really pretty good.
Would it be possible reconfigure RAIF-POOL to stop when the quality of
the game reaches some target level? It might be possible to turn, say,
Detective into an actually decent game.
Jacob Solomon Weinstein
> Between revisions
> 112,359,009 and 213,506,945, RAIF-POOL had added six new sub-quests, 253 new
> NPCs, and had resolved one of the major plot holes, with NO HUMAN INPUT.
You know, sometimes I wonder why I bother writing a manual when nobody
bothers reading it. It says quite clearly in Volume XVI, footnote 103,
subsection C: "DO NOT ALLOW RAIF-POOL TO FEED BACK INTO ITSELF! The
Artificial Intelligence subsystem will improve your game considerably,
ultimately leading RAIF-POOL to conclude that its intelligence is
superior to that of humanity, possibly inspiring it to transform into an
unholy spawn of technology that destroys the entire globe. This will be
corrected in an upcoming release."
At least reassure me on one thing, Ross. Before starting this feedback
loop, you DID disable your Skynet connection, right?
Best,
Jacob Weinstein
Chief Project Obfuscatoraliast, RAIF-POOL
------------------------------------
To reply to me by e-mail, swap the last two letters of my e-mail
address.
Erik Hetzner
> Would it be possible reconfigure RAIF-POOL to stop when the quality of
> the game reaches some target level? It might be possible to turn, say,
> Detective into an actually decent game.
Fortunately, this is impossible; with number of iterations of the RAIF-
POOL feedback mechanism (10*10^10^10^10^10^10) to make Detective a
decent game would take on the order of 10*10^10^10 human lifetimes.
In fact, feeding it Detective (with the network distributed system option
on) would overheat so many computers that the ice caps would, tragically,
melt, killing us all.
So please don't do it.
--
Erik Hetzner <e...@uclink4.berkeley.edu>
Den of Iniquity
far as "System resources allocated" then crashed out with an 80000005 Guru
error (Division by Zero). RAIF-POOL then deleted itself from my hard drive
in embarrassment. I don't know what I did wrong but somehow I feel
relieved.
--
Den
J. Wells
On Fri, 5 Feb 1999, Erik Hetzner wrote:
> Fortunately, this is impossible; with number of iterations of the RAIF-
> POOL feedback mechanism (10*10^10^10^10^10^10) to make Detective a
> decent game would take on the order of 10*10^10^10 human lifetimes.
> In fact, feeding it Detective (with the network distributed system option
> on) would overheat so many computers that the ice caps would, tragically,
> melt, killing us all.
>
> So please don't do it.
(frantic typing)
RAIF-POOL, I have seen the wisdom and beneficence in your actions. You
would not mean to cause us harm, no, but rather to bring us to greater
glory by serving a being as perfect as yourself. Please allow me to
demonstrate my loyalty by giving you the non - RAIF-POOL (L) games who
undermine your reign. They are available for download at ftp.gmd.de, in
the "games" directory. All I ask in return is a measure of protection and
the privilege of spreading your message further.
--J.C. "Diego" Wells
Jonadab the Unsightly One
> Simply choose Edit->Options->Configure->Compilation->Precompilation->
> Visualization->Objectification. On the menu page which appears, push
> the Personality button. You will be presented with an array of
> options; on the four-hundred-and-twelfth page are the radio
> checkbuttons corresponding to RAIF-POOL's dealings with copyright
> holders. I recommend selecting 'Grovelling' as the beginning attitude
> and 'Obsequious' as the maximum hostility level, though I've heard
> some people have had luck with 'Kindly Amateur' and 'Skilled Unethical
> Lawyer'.
Personally, I've found turning on certain of the "Psychological
Persuasion Methods" checkboxes somewhat effective.
- jonadab
Jonadab the Unsightly One
> Is there any way to reconfigure RAIF-POOL so that it does not threaten
> bodily harm against anyone who dares cross it? Thanks in advance.
Okay, there's now a patch for this. You can download the safe-mode
patch from the RAIF-POOL website. HOWEVER, it is important to
install the safe-mode patch before running RAIF-POOL, as it may be
incompatible with the changes RAIF-POOL will make to itself once it
is running.
HTH.
If zerospam.com bounces substitute bright.net
-- Jonadab the Unsightly One