[net.ai] Looping in humans

milazzo.rice@Rand-Relay@sri-unix.UUCP (10/07/83)

From:  Paul.Milazzo <milazzo.rice@Rand-Relay>

Anyone who believes the human mind incapable of looping has probably
never watched anyone play Rogue :-).  The success of Rogomatic (the
automatic Rogue-playing program by Mauldin, et. al.) demonstrates that
the game can be played by deriving one's next move from a simple
*fixed* set of operations on the current game state.

Even in the light of this demonstration, Rogue addicts sit hour after
hour mechanically striking keys, all thoughts of work, food, and sleep
forgotten, until forcibly removed by a girl- or boy-friend or system
crash.  I claim that such behavior constitutes looping.

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

                                Paul Milazzo <milazzo.rice@Rand-Relay>
                                Dept. of Mathematical Sciences
                                Rice University, Houston, TX

P.S.    A note to Rogue fans:  I have played a few games myself, and
        understand the appeal.  One of the Rogomatic developers is a
        former roommate of mine interested in part in overcoming the
        addiction of rogue players everywhere.  He, also, has played
        a few games...