Post by andrewjay on Apr 5, 2008 22:28:44 GMT -5
Have we settled on the trivia game?
I was giving some thought to a program to manage Phallas a bit - though I know nothing about programming, so take anything I write with a grain of salt.
I think the biggest problem everyone is recognising from the start is the fact that every game has implemented new and novel rules. First things first (I think) would be to strip down the mechanics and see what they are in their most basic sense and collect a database of what has been used - hidden bad-guy groups, separate world for the dead . . . uhh, it's been a while since I played one so I'm pretty useless here . . .
But it's really just the *rules* that are the problem, not the narrative. I envision then some kind of user-friendly XML interface (see, I really know nothing about programming, just messing around with some simple Civ IV mods) where the gamemaster selects the rules they want to use, how they will interact, and gives them custom names.
Depending on roles, players will be assigned an account with their abilities. A regular villager might just have a page to log into each day and input their vote, while a vigilante might get a vote plus the option to say they're exercising their kill. A seer will pick someone to, well, *see*, from a drop-down menu of all of the players . . . their page could even include a history of their past attempts. Items and other stuff could be controlled here too ("use seer-item on [drop-down list of players]", "pass seer-item to [drop-down list of players]").
The daily narrative could be played out here too with a splash screen of the gamemaster's story (heck, the program could handily remind them of everything that has happened to make sure it all goes in) and any art-work they want to use.
Uh, sorry this isn't too fleshed out. If I could come up with some examples it might help, but I'm completely drawing a blank. Let me take a look at what's in the Archives and refresh my memory of the previous games.
I was giving some thought to a program to manage Phallas a bit - though I know nothing about programming, so take anything I write with a grain of salt.
I think the biggest problem everyone is recognising from the start is the fact that every game has implemented new and novel rules. First things first (I think) would be to strip down the mechanics and see what they are in their most basic sense and collect a database of what has been used - hidden bad-guy groups, separate world for the dead . . . uhh, it's been a while since I played one so I'm pretty useless here . . .
But it's really just the *rules* that are the problem, not the narrative. I envision then some kind of user-friendly XML interface (see, I really know nothing about programming, just messing around with some simple Civ IV mods) where the gamemaster selects the rules they want to use, how they will interact, and gives them custom names.
Depending on roles, players will be assigned an account with their abilities. A regular villager might just have a page to log into each day and input their vote, while a vigilante might get a vote plus the option to say they're exercising their kill. A seer will pick someone to, well, *see*, from a drop-down menu of all of the players . . . their page could even include a history of their past attempts. Items and other stuff could be controlled here too ("use seer-item on [drop-down list of players]", "pass seer-item to [drop-down list of players]").
The daily narrative could be played out here too with a splash screen of the gamemaster's story (heck, the program could handily remind them of everything that has happened to make sure it all goes in) and any art-work they want to use.
Uh, sorry this isn't too fleshed out. If I could come up with some examples it might help, but I'm completely drawing a blank. Let me take a look at what's in the Archives and refresh my memory of the previous games.