Would this make a decent game?
Jeff Johnson
Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
done-to-death, ...?
(Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
2) You're a superhero who has lost his memory. You don't know what your
powers are, and you can't use them until you know. Of course, you have to
get them all back in order to save the planet, or the galaxy, or something.
(And you're on some asteroid or something where you can't just walk up to
someone who'll tell you who you are and what you can do....)
3) You're the captain of a starship whose crew mutinied because of a disease
they contracted which drove them mad. Only you and the prisoner you were
transporting seem to be unaffected. He's gone down to the surface of the
planet you're orbiting for some undoubtfully sinister purpose, and you need
to stop him, assuming you can even get off your crippled ship. (I have this
one more thought out than any of the others. There's even a map somewhere,
if I can excavate it.)
4) You've been abducted by an alien drone which has tested you to see if
your species is acceptable slave labor. However, the drone is captured by an
enemy ship before it can relay this information back to the motherworld. It
seems both the drone's race and this enemy ship's are rather nasty, and if
one of them ever gets the upper hand in their war (i.e., they win), it won't
be long before they come sniffing around the Earth. You have to make sure
that the enemy ship doesn't unlock the secret of the drone's deflector
shields (the drone's race's advantage), while at the same time preventing
the drone from transmitting its information about humans if you (and it)
should
happen to get free. Of course, getting back to Earth would be a plus....
Will Grzanich
Jeff Johnson wrote:
>
> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
> way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
> done-to-death, ...?
I think the first is a bit iffy, but the other three sound pretty neat
to me. I'd like to see them. :)
-Will
--
-= "Soul Brother #1" =- | Check out my out-of-date webpage at
"All you need is love." | www.cen.uiuc.edu/~grzanich!
-John Lennon | Aged like a fine cheese!
Den of Iniquity
Well, I'm hardly a veteran, but...
On Thu, 4 Dec 1997, Jeff Johnson wrote:
>(Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
>1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
>parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
>through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
The problem a lot of people have when approaching i-f is to think up the
plot of a large puzzle when they might be better trying to think up the
plot of an interesting story, then put the puzzles in where they seem
appropriate. Easier said than done.
Having said which, there are probably a lot of people who wouldn't mind
playing puzzle-driven i-f if written well, so don't let me put you off.
>2) You're a superhero who has lost his memory.
Amnesia is peculiary popular in this medium. Something to do with the way
your character is generally undefined at the commencement of many pieces,
because it's either that or introduce the character through a wodge of
text or through well thought out output to commands (tricky). The
super-powers thing could be interesting, but I think I'm getting an
incremental puzzles feeling from this one again. :)
Your other ideas are interesting. I don't know how you feel about
puzzle-driven plots as opposed to plot-driven puzzles. Even if you think
that, for now, your writing could use some practice, then remember that so
could your coding, so coding what might seem to be a trivial piece could
teach you something useful for when it comes to coding your masterpiece -
there's the coding itself, plus the play-testing/debugging and the
experience of actually finishing something - there's a lot of unfinshed
projects out there... I know I've given up all hope of writing anything.
:)
--
Den
M. Wesley Osam
In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>, "Jeff Johnson"
<pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
> way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
> done-to-death, ...?
>
> (Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
> 1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
> parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
> through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
This sounds a little bit like Graham Nelson's "Jigsaw". You might try it
(it's a great game) and see if there are ways to make your idea less
similar.
> 3) You're the captain of a starship whose crew mutinied because of a disease
> they contracted which drove them mad. Only you and the prisoner you were
> transporting seem to be unaffected. He's gone down to the surface of the
> planet you're orbiting for some undoubtfully sinister purpose, and you need
> to stop him, assuming you can even get off your crippled ship. (I have this
> one more thought out than any of the others. There's even a map somewhere,
> if I can excavate it.)
All the others are good ideas, but this sounds the best to me.
--
"Why do you look so skeptical?" M. Wesley Osam
"Because I've seen too much." wo...@iastate.edu
"Then why do you keep looking?
"Too much is never enough." -- Bill Griffith, "Zippy the Pinhead"
Graham Nelson
> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
> way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
> done-to-death, ...?
>
> (Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
> 1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
> parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
> through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
This one was done to death when I did it, and that was a couple of
years ago now. It's been done about twice more since.
> 2) You're a superhero who has lost his memory. You don't know what your
> powers are, and you can't use them until you know. Of course, you have to
> get them all back in order to save the planet, or the galaxy, or something.
(Try "something".) This reminds me somehow of the game on "Whose Line
Is It Anyway?" (a TV improvised comedy show in the UK) where the four
contestants have to act out a scene as superheros. Each person gets
to decide the special power of the next.
The most evil thing I ever saw was when Ryan Stiles (I think) came on
and Josie Lawrence said "Thank God you're here, Rhyming Couplet Boy!"
> 3) You're the captain of a starship whose crew mutinied because of a disease
> they contracted which drove them mad. Only you and the prisoner you were
> transporting seem to be unaffected. He's gone down to the surface of the
> planet you're orbiting for some undoubtfully sinister purpose, and you need
> to stop him, assuming you can even get off your crippled ship. (I have this
> one more thought out than any of the others. There's even a map somewhere,
> if I can excavate it.)
Promising (if somewhat derivative of the classic, and classically
tedious, Russian sci-fi film "Solaris"). It could make a rather
drab initial map, if you're not careful, though.
> 4) You've been abducted by an alien drone which has tested you to see if
> your species is acceptable slave labor.
The Leather Goddesses await...
> However, the drone is captured by an
> enemy ship before it can relay this information back to the motherworld. It
> seems both the drone's race and this enemy ship's are rather nasty, and if
> one of them ever gets the upper hand in their war (i.e., they win), it won't
> be long before they come sniffing around the Earth. You have to make sure
> that the enemy ship doesn't unlock the secret of the drone's deflector
> shields (the drone's race's advantage), while at the same time preventing
> the drone from transmitting its information about humans if you (and it)
> should
> happen to get free. Of course, getting back to Earth would be a plus....
Well... is it really plausible that Evil Race #2 isn't able to
capture a single spacecraft belonging to Evil Race #1, except
possibly the one you happen to be on?
--
Graham Nelson | gra...@gnelson.demon.co.uk | Oxford, United Kingdom
Lucian Paul Smith
Jeff Johnson (pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com) wrote:
: (Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
: 1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
: parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
: through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
Seven words: "Time: All Things Come To An End"
(ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/infocom/tatctae.z8)
*Grin* Sorry, someone beat you to it ;-)
: 4) You've been abducted by an alien drone,...
I like all three of these, but I like this one the best. Of course,
everything depends on implementation, so I'd suggest writing a short
little sample game first, just to get your feet wet. Personally, I wrote
'Comp97' before writing 'The Edifice', and it helped immensely.
Oh, and for the only other game I know which dealt with alien abduction,
try 'Alien Abduction?' from last year's competition:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/competition96/abduct/abduct.gam
(Hmmm, I guess 'Starcross' from Infocom also deals with alien technology,
too. Both these games sound quite different from your idea, though.)
Good Luck!
-Lucian
Kenneth Fair
In article <ant051252868M+4%@gnelson.demon.co.uk>, Graham Nelson
<gra...@gnelson.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>> 2) You're a superhero who has lost his memory. You don't know what your
>> powers are, and you can't use them until you know. Of course, you have to
>> get them all back in order to save the planet, or the galaxy, or something.
>
>(Try "something".) This reminds me somehow of the game on "Whose Line
>Is It Anyway?" (a TV improvised comedy show in the UK) where the four
>contestants have to act out a scene as superheros. Each person gets
>to decide the special power of the next.
>
>The most evil thing I ever saw was when Ryan Stiles (I think) came on
>and Josie Lawrence said "Thank God you're here, Rhyming Couplet Boy!"
Ooo, I remember that one. Evil, evil, evil.
--
KEN FAIR - U. Chicago Law | <http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/kjfair>
Of Counsel, U. of Ediacara | Power Mac! | CABAL(tm) | I'm w/in McQ - R U?
"Any smoothly functioning technology will be
indistinguishable from a rigged demo." Isaac Asimov
Zachery J. Bir
On Fri, 5 Dec 1997 20:40:40 GMT, Kenneth Fair
<kjf...@midway.uchicago.edu.REMOVEME> wrote:
>In article <ant051252868M+4%@gnelson.demon.co.uk>, Graham Nelson
><gra...@gnelson.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>(Try "something".) This reminds me somehow of the game on "Whose Line
>>Is It Anyway?" (a TV improvised comedy show in the UK) where the four
>>contestants have to act out a scene as superheros. Each person gets
>>to decide the special power of the next.
>>
>>The most evil thing I ever saw was when Ryan Stiles (I think) came on
>>and Josie Lawrence said "Thank God you're here, Rhyming Couplet Boy!"
>
>Ooo, I remember that one. Evil, evil, evil.
>
[Background for those unfamiliar with WLIIA?: It's a improv game. The
winner has to read the credits in the style of the host's choosing.]
My favorite moment of all time was when the winner had to read in the
style of an Australian soap opera star...
He stumbled (apparently drunk) for a moment, fell on his face, and
remained prone throughout the credits.
Zac
Mikko P Vuorinen
>In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>, Jeff Johnson
><URL:mailto:pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
>> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
>> way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
>> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
>> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
>> done-to-death, ...?
>>
>> (Expecting a done-to-death on the first one, but I could be wrong)
>> 1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
>> parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
>> through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
>This one was done to death when I did it, and that was a couple of
>years ago now. It's been done about twice more since.
How about something like in the TV series Early Edition in which a guy
gets tomorrow's newspaper today and thus knows what will happen on that
day. For example the player knows that something disasterous is going to
happen and he tries to prevent it by using all his knowledge of the near
future.
--
)))) (((( + Mikko Vuorinen + mvuo...@cc.helsinki.fi
)) OO `oo'((( + Dilbon@IRC + http://www.helsinki.fi/~mvuorine/
6 (_) ( ((( + GSM 050-5859733 +
`____c 8__/((( + + I made this.
Patrick Kellum
>>In article <ant051252868M+4%@gnelson.demon.co.uk>, Graham Nelson
>><gra...@gnelson.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>>(Try "something".) This reminds me somehow of the game on "Whose Line
>>>Is It Anyway?" (a TV improvised comedy show in the UK) where the four
>>>contestants have to act out a scene as superheros. Each person gets
>>>to decide the special power of the next.
Cool, I used to watch this on (I belive) Comedy Central (cable channel in
the US) Great show, 100 times better then anything here.
Patrick
---
A Title For This Page -- http://www.syix.com/patrick/
Bow Wow Wow Fan Page -- http://www.syix.com/patrick/bowwowwow/
The Small Wonder Page -- http://smallwonder.simplenet.com/
My Arcade Page -- http://ygw.bohemianweb.com/arcade/
Jeff Hatch
Jeff Johnson wrote:
>
> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
> way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
> done-to-death, ...?
[snip]
I personally think that all of the ideas you mentioned are interesting
enough to make good games if you did them well, and none are good enough
ideas to be interesting without a bit more plot development than what
you've said so far. (How's that for a vague answer?)
The first one is indeed done-to-death, but if your game is the best in
the genre, who cares if the premise is old? Admittedly, I've played
Infocom games almost exclusively, so I haven't had the chance to get
sick of the premise. Heck, I haven't even played Graham Nelson's
version of this plot yet! Maybe the diehard IF aficionados won't like
your game no matter how good it is.
Offhand, I personally like #2 the best, but you'd obviously have to do
more work to develop that idea than any of the others.
-Rúmil, who really wants to play the great post-Infocom games, but has
no time
Jeff Johnson
>> 4) You've been abducted by an alien drone which has tested you to see if
>> your species is acceptable slave labor.
...
>> However, the drone is captured by an
>> enemy ship before it can relay this information back to the motherworld.
>Well... is it really plausible that Evil Race #2 isn't able to
>capture a single spacecraft belonging to Evil Race #1, except
>possibly the one you happen to be on?
Good point. How about this: Normally, when captured, ships from Evil Race #1
self-destruct. That's the first thing you have to prevent!
(And not trying to sound like a suck-up or anything, but I must say I'm
honored to have received a reply from the creator of this wonderful program!
I'm still reading the designer's manual, and I hope to do a lot of
experimentation this weekend. r.a.i-f better gear up for a SLEW of
questions!)
Jeff Hatch
Jeff Johnson wrote:
[snip]
> honored to have received a reply from the creator of this wonderful program!
'Tis a normal feeling, I suspect.
I was not very impressed with Curses. And I haven't played any of Mr.
Nelson's other games. And I disagree with several of his choices in
designing Inform--for instance, the complete lack of "type safety" in
variable declarations. The first time he replied to one of my posts, he
was (essentially) shooting down one of my pet ideas. And I hope to
create an authoring system that's better than Inform.
But still, every time I see that he's replied to anything I've posted, I
can't help but think: Wow! THE Graham Nelson, father of post-Infocom
interactive fiction, responded to one of MY messages!
-Rúmil, who certainly isn't sounding like a suck-up :-)
FemaleDeer
They all have possibilities. You could even do # 1, although it has been done
before.
I like #3 best. #4 sounds rather limited, not enough of a plot, it would
probably be a short game.
Inventiveness and creativity are essential for writing good games, but THEN
comes the programming...
So, good luck.
FD :-)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Femal...@aol.com "Good breeding consists in
concealing how much we think of ourselves and how
little we think of the other person." Mark Twain
Trevor Barrie
In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>,
Jeff Johnson <pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
>2) You're a superhero who has lost his memory. You don't know what your
>powers are, and you can't use them until you know. Of course, you have to
>get them all back in order to save the planet, or the galaxy, or something.
>(And you're on some asteroid or something where you can't just walk up to
>someone who'll tell you who you are and what you can do....)
This one sounds cool - I've been wanting to see a good superhero-genre
game for some time. (Seen a couple of superhero parody games, but no actual
superhero games.) And if you do one, I won't have to write my own.:)
The other ones sound cool too, but this one particularly stood out for me.
Trevor Barrie
>But still, every time I see that he's replied to anything I've posted, I
>can't help but think: Wow! THE Graham Nelson, father of post-Infocom
>interactive fiction, responded to one of MY messages!
Father of post-Infocom IF? Isn't that laying it on a bit thick? I don't
believe was the first of the major IF authoring languages currently in use,
after all. (As I recall, TADS is the older of the "Big Two", but I'm sure
there were significant languages before it as well.)
Jeff Hatch
Not just for Inform. When I first discovered the IF-archive several
years ago, Graham Nelson was the undisputed best IF author, or at least
that was the impression I got. Now other authors like Andrew Plotkin
and Gareth Rees have written games that seem to receive equal praise,
but as far as I could tell Graham Nelson was the first major freeware IF
author.
I'm writing my own IF authoring language AND beginning plot development
for my first two games. I've planned for years to write my own system
and my own games, so it's only natural that I should look up to the man
who's excelled in both areas.
But I was describing my gut reaction to seeing Graham Nelson's name in a
thread I started, not stating my beliefs. I agree that "Father of
Post-Infocom IF" is a more grandiose title than even Graham Nelson
deserves. The credit for the modern interactive fiction revival belongs
to many people.
-Rúmil
Graham Nelson
>
> I was not very impressed with Curses. And I haven't played any of Mr.
> Nelson's other games. And I disagree with several of his choices in
> designing Inform--for instance, the complete lack of "type safety" in
> variable declarations. The first time he replied to one of my posts, he
> was (essentially) shooting down one of my pet ideas.
No offence meant. I'm sorry if I seemed rude. You did appear to be
re-inventing wheels at the time, (but then Inform wasn't a very original
thing to do, either).
I rather agree about type safety, in fact. But it's too late now.
> And I hope to
> create an authoring system that's better than Inform.
And the best of luck to you!
> But still, every time I see that he's replied to anything I've posted, I
> can't help but think: Wow! THE Graham Nelson, father of post-Infocom
> interactive fiction, responded to one of MY messages!
Oh, dear me, no, I really can't accept that. THE David Baggett and
THE Mike Roberts, among any number of others -- the AGT people, for
instance -- have at least as good a claim.
David A. Cornelson
In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>,
"Jeff Johnson" <pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
>
< snip >
STOP! I've been down this road and it leads to hell. Hmm, let's see, I've
been playing I-F since Dungeon (Zork I + II + III all in one game for
those who paid for it) came out on the PDP-11/70 we had in tenth grade. I
wrote....excuse me....COMPLETED my first game for this years competition.
Over the past seventeen years I've thought up about FOUR MILLION stories
and started half of them!
My point is this. Don't ask us what WE think! Just drum up some story
that you feel comfortable COMPLETING using Inform (recommended) or Tads
and start CODING. Get the feel for the language, the stumbling blocks of
how to do this and that and push yourself to FINISH the job.
I suggest a very limited, short game, with a couple dozen locations, an
NPC or three, and a few clever jokes. The competition is a good motivator
since you have a deadline now, September 30, 1998. Most will forgive
pretty much everything in an authors first game because as I have been
welcomed, so too shall you.
Don't listen to Graham or Andrew or anyone else. Just pick a story that
you like, even if has been done to death. If you COMPLETE a game, you
will feel much better...and the second game you write.....well, it better
be original because then we WILL hammer you for repeating past themes.
Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
"talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
experience.
David A. Cornelson, Chicago
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Neil K.
dcorn...@placet.com (David A. Cornelson) wrote:
> Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
> "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> experience.
Mine too.
Heh.
- Neil K.
--
t e l a computer consulting + design * Vancouver, BC, Canada
web: http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/ * email: tela @ tela.bc.ca
Jeff Hatch
David A. Cornelson wrote:
>
> In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>,
> "Jeff Johnson" <pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
> >
> > Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
>
> < snip >
>
> STOP! I've been down this road and it leads to hell.
> Don't listen to Graham or Andrew or anyone else. Just pick a story that
> you like, even if has been done to death. If you COMPLETE a game, you
> will feel much better...and the second game you write.....well, it better
> be original because then we WILL hammer you for repeating past themes.
>
> "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> experience.
I personally work harder on IF after discussing my ideas with Mordraug.
And he's given me some good ieas, too. Better to get feedback from one
or two individuals, though, not an entire newsgroup.
-Rúmil
Andrew Plotkin
David A. Cornelson (dcorn...@placet.com) wrote:
> Don't listen to Graham or Andrew or anyone else. Just pick a story that
> you like, even if has been done to death.
Hey, that's what I always say too.
I get annoyed if the idea *and* the plot *and* the events *and* the
background have been done before. But if it's an idea you're excited
about, you're much more likely to come up with your own twist.
Never try to figure out what *we* want. "It only wastes your time and
annoys the pig..."
> Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
> "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> experience.
That too.
--Z
--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
Allen Garvin
In article <wosamSPAMBLOCK-ya0240...@news.iastate.edu>,
M. Wesley Osam <wosamSP...@iastate.edu> wrote:
>In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>, "Jeff Johnson"
><pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
>
>> Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
>> head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
>> your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
>> done-to-death, ...?
>>
>> 1) You're a time traveler whose machine has been damaged and some important
>> parts have been scattered throughout time. You limp along, only able to jump
>> through time to the next piece, solving puzzles (duh!) to get each one.
>
>(it's a great game) and see if there are ways to make your idea less
>similar.
It's been done to death many times, but I'm still a sucker for a good time
travel game. I'd love another one, especially a really historically accurate
one where the characters behave substantially different from 20th century
citizens.
--
Allen Garvin kisses are a better fate
--------------------------------------------- than wisdom
eare...@faeryland.tamu-commerce.edu
http://faeryland.tamu-commerce.edu/~earendil e e cummings
Barnaby Evans
Jeff Johnson wrote:
> And not trying to sound like a suck-up or anything, but I must say I'm
> honored to have received a reply from the creator of this wonderful program!
Quite. But one wonders whether a man of His capabilities doesn't grow
tired of being such an enormous frog in so tiny a pond. I think the time
has come for Nelson to extend his horizons beyond the chloistered and
insufferably sycophantic IF 'net community.
Go on, Graham (I *can* call you 'Graham', can't I?) - go out and win the
Booker! Beat the Turing Test! This whole wide world is just yours for
the taking! Make us all proud! We'll be able to say we read your news
posts when you were just a humble text adventure authoring system
designer and 'promising poet under 30'...
xx B
PS Will he deign respond to *this*? O! The breathless anticipation! The
desperate excitement of it all! I need a good lie down..
Den of Iniquity
On Fri, 5 Dec 1997, Jeff Johnson wrote:
>>> 4) You've been abducted by an alien drone which has tested you to see if
>>> your species is acceptable slave labor.
>Good point. How about this: Normally, when captured, ships from Evil Race #1
>self-destruct. That's the first thing you have to prevent!
Dunno why, but this _really_ appeals to me. Go for it!
Magnus Olsson
In article <eVzIOZS...@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>,
Jeff Johnson <pawp...@NO-SPAM.geocities.com> wrote:
>Since I've been wanting to write IF games for years now but didn't have any
>way to make them before last week, I've had a few story ideas floating in my
>head for quite some time. I would like you veterans out there to give me
>your opinions on the premises. Do you think these ideas are good, lame,
>done-to-death, ...?
The usual advice people get on the various writing newsgroups
when asking questions like this is:
Ideas are dime-a-dozen. Execution is everything.
That is, you can have the greatest idea since sliced bread, and still
produce an awful game, or you could write a wonderful game based on an
idea most people would dismiss as hopelessly trite and overused.
--
Magnus Olsson (m...@df.lth.se, zeb...@pobox.com)
------ http://www.pobox.com/~zebulon ------
Not officially connected to LU or LTH.
Dennis Matheson
In article <669j2b$k7o$1...@joe.rice.edu>,
lps...@rice.edu (Lucian Paul Smith) wrote:
>>snip<<
> Oh, and for the only other game I know which dealt with alien abduction,
> try 'Alien Abduction?' from last year's competition:
Don't forget Leather Goddesses of Phobos...
L. Ross Raszewski
>
> Good point. How about this: Normally, when captured, ships from Evil Race #1
> self-destruct. That's the first thing you have to prevent!
You know, I like, sort of. Especially if, say, the player does it before
he realizes that he's essentially doomed the human race in the process.
Graham Nelson
In article <348B67...@bohm.anu.edu.au>, Barnaby Evans
<URL:mailto:e309...@bohm.anu.edu.au> wrote:
> Jeff Johnson wrote:
> > And not trying to sound like a suck-up or anything, but I must say I'm
> > honored to have received a reply from the creator of this wonderful program!
>
> Quite. But one wonders whether a man of His capabilities doesn't grow
> tired of being such an enormous frog
Ribbit.
David A. Cornelson
In article <erkyrathE...@netcom.com>,
erky...@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin) wrote:
>
> David A. Cornelson (dcorn...@placet.com) wrote:
>
> > Don't listen to Graham or Andrew or anyone else. Just pick a story that
> > you like, even if has been done to death.
>
> Hey, that's what I always say too.
>
> I get annoyed if the idea *and* the plot *and* the events *and* the
> background have been done before. But if it's an idea you're excited
> about, you're much more likely to come up with your own twist.
>
> Never try to figure out what *we* want. "It only wastes your time and
> annoys the pig..."
>
> > Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
> > "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> > experience.
>
> That too.
>
I hate it when people agree with me....confrontation is what I live
for...oink
David A. Cornelson, Chicago
Joe Mason
In article <881615349....@dejanews.com>,
L. Ross Raszewski <rras...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Good point. How about this: Normally, when captured, ships from Evil Race #1
>> self-destruct. That's the first thing you have to prevent!
>
>
>You know, I like, sort of. Especially if, say, the player does it before
>he realizes that he's essentially doomed the human race in the process.
Hey, great idea! Of course, now that we've all heard it, it won't be a
surprise anymore... :-)
Joe
Barnaby Evans
Graham Nelson wrote:
> Ribbit.
*swoon*
I was actually (no, this is *true*) going to ask for some advice about
the game I'm working on (ie something of *genuine relevance*), but all
my thoughts have deserted me..
Jeremy A.Smith
Neil K. <fake...@anti-spam.address> wrote in article
<fake-mail-071...@van-52-2312.direct.ca>...
> dcorn...@placet.com (David A. Cornelson) wrote:
>
> > Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
> > "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> > experience.
>
> Mine too.
>
> Heh.
>
> - Neil K.
Count me in.
On a slightly different topic, I always find that if I let someone read a
story I haven't finished, then I *never* finish it, as they give me
expectations of what's to happen next in the story that I just can't
fulfill.
--
Jeremy A.Smith
To reply by Email, change the 'z' in lwtcdz to i
alt.public-relations:alt.eating-toothpast:alt.blow-dry-your-own-head
^^^ The above line of text is merely an obscure signature joke^^^
------------------Advent Calendar Issue - 24 Articles day by day--------
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Jeremy A.Smith
Allen Garvin <earendil@> wrote in article
<348b3...@news.tamu-commerce.edu>...
snip]
> It's been done to death many times, but I'm still a sucker for a good
time
> travel game. I'd love another one, especially a really historically
accurate
> one where the characters behave substantially different from 20th century
> citizens.
I'd like to see one where they *do* behave like 20th century citizens. Or
any citizen at all, really.
Giles Boutel
David A. Cornelson <dcorn...@placet.com> wrote in article
<881706372...@dejanews.com>...
>
> I hate it when people agree with me....confrontation is what I live
> for...oink
>
Alrighty then. Martha - where's my applesauce? It's time to go huntin'
piggies.
obIntFic: 10 points for providing the correct ratio between talking pigs
and annoyed pigs in IF since 1980
-Giles
Mark J Musante
Jeremy A.Smith (jeremy...@lwtcdz.prestel.co.uk) wrote:
> Neil K. <fake...@anti-spam.address> wrote in article
> <fake-mail-071...@van-52-2312.direct.ca>...
> > dcorn...@placet.com (David A. Cornelson) wrote:
> >
> > > Also, one of the first things you learn about writing is that if you
> > > "talk" about it too much, you won't write it. At least that's been my
> > > experience.
> >
> > Mine too.
> >
> > Heh.
> >
> > - Neil K.
>
> Count me in.
>
> On a slightly different topic, I always find that if I let someone read a
> story I haven't finished, then I *never* finish it, as they give me
> expectations of what's to happen next in the story that I just can't
> fulfill.
I think there are quite a few of us who are hoping that Whizzard has
a counterexample to this...
-=- Mark -=-
HarryH
In article <8814796...@dejanews.com>, dcorn...@placet.com says...
>I suggest a very limited, short game, with a couple dozen locations, an
>NPC or three, and a few clever jokes. The competition is a good motivator
>since you have a deadline now, September 30, 1998. Most will forgive
>pretty much everything in an authors first game because as I have been
>welcomed, so too shall you.
Here's the list:
1. 20 or more locations
2. 1-3 NPCs
3. a few clever jokes.
If this represent a _very_ limited short game, how does this make mine?
1. 4 locations (originally 2)
2. 1 NPC (who simply kills you or run away)
3. jokes?
4. Number of puzzles: 7 (way more than I anticipated)
My 2 cents is to just make some locations with doors and hallway, and a
couple puzzles with daemon. Then you can be done with it in just a couple of
weeks, and have learned the language.
For Inform, I suggest that you feature some puzzles with containers and
ladders. :)
Take a look at CASK. Source code freely available.
-------------------------------------------------------
Of course I'll work on weekends without pay!
- successful applicant
Jeremy A.Smith
Barnaby Evans <e309...@bohm.anu.edu.au> wrote in article
<348E23...@bohm.anu.edu.au>...
> Graham Nelson wrote:
> > Ribbit.
>
> *swoon*
>
Control yourself, man!!
Jeremy A.Smith
HarryH <har...@iu.net.idiotic.com.skip.idiotic.com> wrote in article
<48Sj.14$Zm3.3...@news1.atlantic.net>...
> In article <8814796...@dejanews.com>, dcorn...@placet.com says...
> >I suggest a very limited, short game, with a couple dozen locations, an
> >NPC or three, and a few clever jokes. The competition is a good
motivator
> >since you have a deadline now, September 30, 1998. Most will forgive
> >pretty much everything in an authors first game because as I have been
> >welcomed, so too shall you.
>
> Here's the list:
> 1. 20 or more locations
> 2. 1-3 NPCs
> 3. a few clever jokes.
I hope it's okay if most of the locations are empty...?
1-20 NPCs?
Erm... dunno about clever jokes but some funny stuff..
> If this represent a _very_ limited short game, how does this make mine?
>
> 1. 4 locations (originally 2)
> 2. 1 NPC (who simply kills you or run away)
My NPCs wander around the game at random, chatting to each other and
conspiring against the player, unlocking doors and swapping objects. If you
keep closing the door the Gardener is opening, he berates you for it!! The
beauty of this system is that there's an incredibly complex NPC engine, and
the player doesn't even know about it!! Burble...
> 3. jokes?
Q.How many NPC's does it take to change a lightbulb?
A.I didn't understand that sentence.
> 4. Number of puzzles: 7 (way more than I anticipated)
7? My game's got none!! That's the beauty of it!!
> My 2 cents is to just make some locations with doors and hallway, and a
> couple puzzles with daemon. Then you can be done with it in just a couple
of
> weeks, and have learned the language.
All my game's got is doors and hallways, and mad NPC's running around like
psychos.
> For Inform, I suggest that you feature some puzzles with containers and
> ladders. :)
Er... here's a nice puzzle: You're looking for a videotape, and you've got
to 'become' various objects in the game. Ie, a table, a chair, etc. When
you're a table, you remember who sat on you, what objects were put there,
and so on. Better still, you get drunk, and as you move around the game,
you 'stagger' around, randomly moving from room to room and punching people
at random. But watch out for the gardener...
> Take a look at CASK. Source code freely available.
The only CASK I'm taking a look at is the one in the Pub's cellar...
HarryH
Yes, Jeremy, you're a good programmer. [Insert other ego raising phrases
here]. My point is if you're making your _first_ game, make it a trivial
one. In other words, don't try to program chess, or even reversi. Instead,
aim for Tic-tac-toe.
For your second and subsequent games, go wild!