PDD inspired Crowd Sourced Text Adventure
By baci on Nov 15, 2011 in Creepy Stuff, Geeky, Help Wanted, Weird Stuff, Where in Duluth?
Before Call of Duty and Elder Scrolls, there were these quirky little things called Text Based Adventures. Primitive on the graphic front (with NO graphics in them), these were the first dungeon crawlers and computer based rpgs like Minnesota’s own Oregon Trail. In 1982, this was super addictive stuff. Well, as I’m an active user of Goolge Docs, I came to realize that it might be possible to use their forms and spreadsheets to “crowd source” the content for a text based “pub crawler” or some text based questing game based in the PDD ethos.
Sorry, this is where my mind goes when I’m feeling ill and home alone from work for the day. So I started a test survey. It’s not perfect or definitive and really just a test so I can have a bit of crowd sourced data to try and put together in game form. Once there’s a few entries, I’ll make a game out of it. I hope to refine the survey to better automate the process. So, take a few minutes and unleash your inner geek. BTW, This is NOT an official PDD sponsored thing and no folk bands will be hurt in the programming of this game.
Yes, I said PDD Ethos.
There was a similar game based on being a fur trader in the Boundary Waters. I used to rip off the Indians.
My favorite line from Oregon Trail was “wolverines are impervious to bullets.”
Couldn’t get enough “Zork” as a high schooler. Had to hand draw maps and take notes to play the game. Adding graphics (“Myst” etc) felt a bit like seeing the movie rather than reading the book. In terms of exercising the imagination, it’s been a downhill slide since then.
“It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.”
“You encounter a political conversation, suddenly it is attacked by a troll.”
We played one in the Unix class I took back when I fantasized about doing our own VNC hardware (ha ha ha).
It was about looking for a paper down a well or some such.
Thanks for the entries, I need more!!
Spirit Mountain = You stand at the top of the hill, the wind is blowing so hard that you can lean into it. The ice on the hill is slippery and you must watch your step so you do not tumble down the hill. The clouds move quickly overhead and you are so cold all you can do is mutter obscenities.
*laugh* Reminds me of being back in high school and working on a MUD, plotting the rooms oh-so-carefully on graph paper.
Playing around with this may be the perfect escape from family over Thanksgiving…
The steam tunnels alone could be a MUD.
Bonus points for running it on a TRS80.
Carla, what do you mean by ‘VNC hardware’?
C’Mon guys, I need 5 more at least, the survey only takes a couple of minutes…make it simple and to the point! More, these are really great!
This will be good. Can’t wait to see what comes out of this. Give me sometime and I will have a few places for you.
Thanks R!! The more, the richer. I’ll be lacing this test together over the holiday weekend.
Sounds good. I have friend that may be interested too. I’ll send him the details.
Keep us updated with a new PDD post once this comes together! I’m curious to see how it all turns out.
Yep..you betcha Bad Cat!
I am working on a spot for you, but I have to get the history for it…