Random algorithm

[Dave Cragg]

Malte

It looks like I miscalculated the upper limit, or have goofed  
something entirely.

The script I ran first was this:

on mouseUp
    put the milliseconds  into tSeed
    set the randomSeed to tSeed
    put empty into field 1
    repeat 5
       put random (1000)  & cr after field 1
    end repeat
end mouseUp

This always gives me the same sequence:

671
250
597
371
78

When I use the script below, I get a different sequence each time as  
expected (so long as I wait at least 1 second between clicks.)

on mouseUp

    put the seconds  into tSeed
    set the randomSeed to tSeed
    put empty into field 1
    repeat 5
       put random (1000)  & cr after field 1
    end repeat

end mouseUp



On 13 Nov 2008, at 07:36, Malte Brill wrote:

> Dave wrote:
>
> > The  maximum number it can be set to seems to be 2130706432.
>
> Hi Dave (and all)
>
> I am not too sure about that, though I would love to know if there  
> are upper limits. On my Intel mac I get:
>
> 9
> 4
> 34
> 30
> 25
> 21
> 16
> 12
> 8
> 3
> 33
>
> on each run of the following script:
>
> on mouseUp pMouseBtnNo
>    repeat with i= 2130706432 to 2130706442
>        set the randomseed to i
>        put random(34) & cr after fld 1
>    end repeat
> end mouseUp
>
> So it does not appear to be upper limited at 2130706432. Given the  
> game writers perspective to this, I really like the way the random  
> algorithm the way it is implemented in Revolution, as a seeded  
> algorithm can be used in many ways in games. It prevents the ability  
> to cheat with undo systems in casual games, or even lets you set up  
> whole galaxies without stuffing memory.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Malte
>
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