Outcrops
Player Classes
Test Sets
An outcrop is a permanent fixture in the game that players perform most tests on. (Most notably, hit with rock pick) Outcrops can be named a number of different things, including:
Rocks and Minerals
outcrop
Rocks
boulder
block
Minerals
vein
sand
pebble
crystal
The type of rock/mineral is stored in the property formtype.
Specimen is a special formtype of rocks that are stored in the rock musuem.
Sample is the formtype that is given to objects that have been created when a player hits an outcrop with a rock pick.
Powder is the formtype that is given to objects that have been created when a player powderizes something with the pocket knife.
Thinsection is the formtype that is given to objects that have been created using the thin section machine.
Sand is a very peculiar formtype that should probably be looked at being implemented differently. It is possible to "get" a "sample" of sand, which returns a "sand" formtype.
*NEVER* recycle outcrops that are in the game without explicit permission from a professor. Even then, it is strongly suggested that you simply move the outcrop in question out of play (For example, into one of the rooms in the Ice Station Zebra)
You can create new outcrops as well, the process is detailed in this manual's how to's.
A player class is a group of players in a particular group. Every player belongs to a certain player class. For example, all people who participated in the graphical version of the 2000 experiment are in their own player class, all of the people who are in the text version of the same experiment are in a separate player class. You must create a new player class before every experiment to separate one year's results from another year's results. Players must then be assigned to a group after all players are created or be assigned to the group automatically when each player is created. To see the list of current player classes, just look at the children of $g.geoplayer (Geology Explorer (#2066))
A test set is a list of tests that a player can perform on a rock or mineral, but it is not just any list. It is the smallest list of required tests that are needed in order to positively identify that rock. For example, a geologist first pours acid on a mineral and it fizzes actively, then they look at it and discover that it has a white vitreous appearance. If after these two tests they know beyond a doubt that this is Calcite then the test set would include a fizzes actively with an acid bottle item and a white vitreous appearance item.
The format of a usual test set entry is as follows:
{"test name", "instrument name (or nothing)", "test result", list of how to complete this test_set}
For our example in the first paragraph, this is the complete test set (This is actually in the game. Check out ;#463.test_set
{{"pour", "Acid Bottle", "fizzes actively", {}}, {"appearance", "", "white vitreous", {}}}
Order is important when creating test sets because the order that the test set is in, determine's the order that the tutor provides remediation. For example, if they haven't poured acid on this sample, they will point that out first, and will not say anything about appearance.
Rocks use test sets as well, but because of the increased complexity of rocks, there is a similar increase in complexity in their test set. The format of a normal rock test set is:
{{"rock type", "", "type of rock", {list explaining how to tell that this rock is igenous, metamorphic, or sedimentary}}, {other
tests (like the mineral test set}
One example would be the Phyllite test set
{{"rock type", "", "metamorphic", {{"texture", "", "crystalline", {}}, {"view", "Hand Lens", "foliated", {}}}}, {"grain size", "", "micaceous medium", {}}}
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock because it has a crystalline texture and is shows foliation when viewed with a hand lens. Phyllite is distinguished from other rocks of this type because it has a micaceous medium grain size.
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