Re: New PeBM game through internet

From: rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie (russell wallace)

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 16:15:38 +0000

In <Bvx8vG.9qn@mach1.wlu.ca> wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U) writes:

>>> I do not know the proper unix
>>> format for writing a program that can edit my mail file. Basically I want
>>> a program that will take any message with a certain suject, and append it
>>> to a file in my home directory.

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, or whether it will work on your
Unix system, but how about:

kermit -s mbox

On unix1.tcd.ie where I am posting this from, this will send all mail
messages to one's PC in plain ASCII format (the mail program only uses a
formfeed character to separate the messages). So if you get people to
send orders with a special identification line at the top, then the
program will have no difficulty extracting the orders from the mbox file
once the latter is downloaded.

>Now comes your input. How would you like to control your fighters through
>the fight. What would you like to have control of during character
>generation other then just the name of the character. I have also though of
>having alignments for the characters and the like as player controllable. So
>please give me some feedback if you get the chance or have an idea.

Plain one-on-one arena fighting is unlikely to provide a basis for an
interesting game. How about the following: Each player (any amount of
players can play simultaneously) has a party of maybe 6 characters
dumped into a large arena, littered with obstacles, traps etc. and also
with weapons, supplies and whatever scattered around. When players meet
up they can either fight or join forces, but ultimately there can be
only one surviving party. Thus you could use your ideas about arena
combat, but also have strategy and diplomacy in it.

As for the characters, I would favour for each character having
attributes like strength, toughness and so on, and having a certain
number of points for each character to spend between the attributes.
Since you're having it as low-tech weapons only, you might as well put
in magic or psychic powers also (you could work this into your storylnie
by saying that the local star puts out more high-energy radiation than
the Sun does, or something like that, and that this caused mutations
conferring psychic powers).

For the combat system, I would say do something like, pit the
characters' weapon skills against each other, then if one character hts,
determine whether his weapon gets through the target's armor, and if so,
determine hit location (thus a blow to the head would be lethal, a blow
to the arm would impair the target's ability to fight, and a blow to the
leg would mostly immobilize him). I can post more detailed suggestions
on these isssues if you like.

--
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem"
Russell Wallace, Trinity College, Dublin
rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie

References

Olympia
wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)
Fri, 09 Oct 1992 23:45:16 +0000
Re: Olympia
skrenta@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rich Skrenta)
Sat, 10 Oct 1992 18:17:25 +0000
New PeBM game through internet
wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)
Sat, 10 Oct 1992 19:59:40 +0000

Referenced By

Olympia
wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)
Fri, 09 Oct 1992 23:45:16 +0000
Re: Olympia
skrenta@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Rich Skrenta)
Sat, 10 Oct 1992 18:17:25 +0000
New PeBM game through internet
wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)
Sat, 10 Oct 1992 19:59:40 +0000