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Article #1294Interactive-Fiction Game Needs Adventure Writers
From: Craig Andrew Tollifson
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:50
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:50
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5784 bytes
Fellow Gamers, Writers, and interactive fiction enthusiasts: We are the makers of a new fantasy Text-Based On-Line Multi-Player Role-Playing Game. This new game system is one of the most powerful game systems EVER developed (In the spirit of games like Gemstone III on GEnie, and MUD on Unix). It includes such features as Non-Player Characters being controlled by artificial intelligence. Interactive fiction and automated questing. Realism to rival even on-line LIVE gaming! We are in search of CREATIVE and EXPERIENCED Game Masters and/or writers interested in helping us finish scripting our world (adventures, NPCs, shops, etc). Anyone who's played games like Ultima(tm), know how much work it takes to bring a computer world and NPC's to life. As a GM you must be able to commit time and energy to learning our comprehensive development manuals and scripting enjoyable plots and characters. Most of your work can be done on your own computer using our powerful, but incredibly simple to use, scripting language (IF-THEN's). Our game is NOT geared towards HACK-SLASH (hunting) since our NPC's help guide users through hundreds of quests. Role-playing is stressed (NOT being ranked #1 or being the highest level), murder is against the law, and death is permanent. This is a world where every effort has been made to create a REAL society and political/economic structure. The milieu for this world is a dark chaotic old-world fantasy (not a world of happy-go-lucky adventurers in search of fame and combat). Fictional writing skills would be a distinct advantage. Because this new game system is so huge, detailed, and complex we need make sure you're truly motivated to do the work involved. We really must emphasize that we are looking for people who know how to create adventures and quests not centered on only HACK & SLASH! NPCs will need to communicate about an abundance of things and therefore need full background and families to support them. Some knowledge of databases or random access files will help you greatly. Every object (even duplicates), creature, and room has to be manually created in script or touched up on-line. This game is NOT currently open to the public but we will be on a national network when we go public. We are NOT looking for people who just want a free ride in the game. You will be required to pass a test in script development before becoming a part of our team. After that, we'll give you FREE access to our system which is available through SprintNet (TELENET) free of charge to you. We will also require a signed non-disclosure agreement to be faxed (or US MAILed) to us. If you are interested in being a GM for this new innovative system, leave me MAIL telling me a little bit about your experience as a GM and any experience you have with MP games. If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass the word along! Thank you for your time, James AOL: BloodWrath GENIE: J.DICKE1 NVN: Prophecy EXEC-PC: James Dicke INTERNET: despair@csd4.csd.uwm.edu or bloodwrath@aol.com -------------- FEATURES -------------- Some of the more unique features of this game as in ALPHA test version are: COMMUNICATION: - speak in several different languages - use empathy to hear people's thoughts and whispers - game-wide communication channels - shout through portals such as a window or in a direction PLAYER CHARACTER REALISM: - class-less and level-less system: rarely will you ever see a number - sectional armor that can also be layered - practice improves your skills, lack of practices diminishes them, sparing with a friend using a wooden sword is just as good as mortal combat NON PLAYER CHARACTERS: - move around and have a life (work, go to lunch, head home, sleep) - can hold conversations with players OR other NPCs - remember their fiends and enemies (and who has attacked them) - awareness: they can run from monsters or help out a friend; show a guard your membership badge to enter restricted places - bribes, gifts, showing a badge, and actions can all trigger events - they are an integral part of the ongoing quests and plot lines, and they know if you've completed previous quests for them ENVIRONMENT REALISM: - weight and encumbrance and object conditions: if you don't fit through a hole, toss your inventory through first or just a torch to help see - put things on top of other objects (like a table) - watch battles or spy on people from completely different rooms - engrave your name on your own sword WORLD HISTORY: - non-typical creatures and races (no Orcs or Halflings or such) TRAVEL: - travel in parties or multiple groups, automatically following leader(s) - look in a direction or through a door before you go there SHOPS & RESIDENCES: - shops are run by NPC's not a sign on the wall or an external program - haggle over prices with shop keepers - rent an inn room or a home to stash the goods you can't carry with you - own your own shop and reap in the profits COMBAT: - all vivid and changing text that's colorfully descriptive, no numbers - ability to set the amount of skill spent on parrying - pick up your missile weapons after the battle if they haven't broken
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!despair From: despair@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Craig Andrew Tollifson) Newsgroups: misc.writing Subject: Interactive-Fiction Game Needs Adventure Writers Date: 21 Jan 1993 20:50:52 GMT Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Lines: 106 Distribution: world Message-ID: <1jn2bcINNknn@uwm.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4 Originator: despair@csd4.csd.uwm.edu