quote: Original post by MrSandman666

Do you mean you would acutally play a hacker, running around in a world, hackig all kinds of computers or does the player have to actually hack the game?

Actually, I was thinking of a game where you were only hacking at a computer. No running around. All communications and "role playing" would be through e-mail or chat.

quote: Oh and Selkrank, where is your signature from? Lyrics?

Yes, all of my sigs are lyrics. That was My Dying Bride: Heroin Chic.

quote: And it would be good if you wouldn''t use iany more. It doesn''t offend me, in fact I like them, but some filters may block this thread when they encounter works like that.

Yes, besides, I just realized that someone might be offended by quotes like that.

-Jussi

"no conscience, one motive...
to cater to the hollow."

text based RPG huh? sounds like those old infocom games like zork and freefall. strickly text, turn-based...well sorta. i'd be surprised if another one of those games got popular then again thinking back when i played them they were the coolest...actually made you think more since you couldnt see it. leaves a lot to the players imagination.

back to the original post, "what makes a good text-based RPG?", i'd have to say lots of detail in surroundings and characters. give total freedom to the player even though more than half of the choices they might choose will kill them or get them in real trouble. i like it when games dont let you just kill whoever you want without any repercussions (ok, thats kind of lie ). if your a cyberpunk and your hacking into some companies files, you should be accountable for leaving no traces that you were there.

/* end babbling */

Edited by - xtrmntr on October 11, 2000 2:16:52 AM

quote: Original post by MrSandman666

To Selkrank:
I didn''t know that My Dying Bride had lyrics like that! I ony know one song of them and didn''t pay much attention to the lyrics.

Yes, they are very unusual for My Dying Bride. MDB''s other CDs are doom metal, 34.788%... Complete (the CD) is nothing like normal MDB.

quote: And I''m still no convinced by your idea of a hacker game. I mean, the idea is cool, but how would that be done? How would you actually hack a computer? I''m not a hacker, but I know that to hack a computer nowadays, you need all kinds of tools and research to be succesfull. That isn''t fun at all. Well, it can be a ''hobby'', but I don''t think a game could work like this.
Could you give some more details on that idea?

Normally, hacking is not realistic in cyberpunk. Just take a look at different types of hacking rules in eg. Cyberpunk, GURPS Cyberpunk (which has 3 sets of different hacking rules), the original System Shock, BloodNet and Beneath a Steel Sky. Just invent some cool system, which is fun to play but doesn''t seem overly unrealistic.

quote: SeanHowe
A computer game centered around doing stuff on the computer. Doesn''t that seem just a little bit freaky to anyone else?

It''s easier to simulate computers in a computer game than real life.

-Jussi

"My star, I saw it high and far
At the parting of the ways
A light on the edge of the outer night
Like silver set ablaze"
- Summoning

quote: Original post by MrSandman666

Well, Selkrank, Doom metal isn't quite my idea of good music (that's a matter of taste and the truth lies in the eye of the beholder, I know)

I don't want to argue about music in this thread, I just say that I listen to almost all kinds of music.

quote: Well, I guess I won't limit my game to hacking. As I said, the gamer cam choose to hack the whole game long, but he doesn't have to.

Ok. But make a good hacking system, too. Not some simple and lame solution like System Shock 2 and Deus Ex.

-Jussi

"You can't expect to see him and survive
You'll swallow his tongue of thorns
His mouth, dripping with flies
In his glorious kingdom of fire"
- My Dying Bride

Edited by - Selkrank on October 12, 2000 7:57:40 AM

Basically you''re talking about kinda a cyberpunk MUD... only not Multi User... or having the other "users" be ''bots... lok up some info on MUDS, they probably have lots of info on how to script your own stuff into a pre-existing MUD engine, or how to write your own engine...

And BTW the absolutely best cyberpunk SF novel is "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson...

-Nate

mrsandman: not sure but i would assume they had to use a parser(probably lex) but interaction with other characters was not really there in zork. i think the most you could get out of a creature/person was a grunt/grin/or nothing at all. i dont think it would be too difficult to have the characters talk back to you but now we get back to the idea of the characters having a limited amount of dialog forcing the player through a linear stroy even though it might not look like it. if thats all you're going for then it should be pretty easy, however, if you want to stun the gamers maybe you could figure out a way to randomly(limited though) talk to your character. a big task all in itself.

question: are you going for absolutely NO graphics whatsoever or might you place a few for say characters and maybe your inventory?

back to your original question: arent most games in general fantasy? even cyberpunk is a fantasy. nobody wants to play a game that mimics real life so much because its dull. if by fantasy you mean wizards and warriors type stuff then no. why not make a text-based RPG with you as a hard-nosed criminal. you could belong to a gang that gets into fights with rival gangs, pulls off hiests, and tries not to get caught. just an idea.

yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift...

Edited by - xtrmntr on October 12, 2000 3:57:46 PM