CONTENTS: - Cover Letter - Features Listing - Test User Comments - GM Application . . . Message subject: MULTI-PLAYER ONLINE GAMING . We are the makers of a unique online game that allows many (10+) users to exist in a fantasy world and interact with each other. The system is very complex and handles parties of adventures wondering around the world in search of treasure and monsters. We are in need of GM's (Game Masters) who can help us with writting interesting plots and adventures for players to wander through. If you're interested in such a thing (similar to Gemstone on GENIE [but 1/6th the cost], or even Forbiden Lands ][ on Galaticom [but much more complex]), I have uploaded a file in the main file library that will give you more information. The file name is GMHELP.ZIP and you don't have to be local (Milwaukee) to apply sense most of the work is done through scripts written on your own home PC and compiled on-line. You're welcome to spread this file around and if you really want to see a demo of the system first- it can be arranged. We are not yet on-line to the public so we have time to train GMs. Send replies to me here as JAMES DICKE (on Exec-PC) or to ALDIMAR or DESPAIR wherever you see those names. Or you may send the application to the US Post Office Box listed. Thanks for your time, James Dicke [*> PROPHECY (tm) <*] Interactive Fiction Adventure System . Copyright 1987-1992 Minion Development Corporation All rights reserved P.O. BOX 25220, Milwaukee, WI 53225 . The following features listing are active features in the ALPHA test version! For some comments from users who have SEEN the system, check out the /RPG sig on EXEC-CHAT! . THE SYSTEM: - multi-user/multi-line role-playing game - not so much a game, but more an adventure in INTERACTIVE FICTION - NOT just another hack and slash ARCADE game - this game is all we do: role-players only, this is not a chat line! - you have a say in what is happens or what is created - unlimited growth potential (a billion rooms, shops, objects...) - non-static world, run by the authors- up to the minute versions - game masters are on-line and around to help you . COMMUNICATION: - speak in several different languages - use empathy to hear people's thoughts - game-wide communication channels - hundreds of action commands to add to the role-playing - shout through portals such as a window or in a direction . CHARACTER REALISIUM: - decide your complete looks (hair, complexion, specialties, etc) - class-less, level-less, system- never see a number - multi-locational body hits - sectional armor that can be layered - eat, sleep, endurance, fatigue, poisons, and diseases - practice improves your skills, lack of practices diminishes them - anyone can learn magic or use a sword or pick a lock - off-line user scripts: perform duties while off-line - polymorph into or possess other creatures . ENVIRONMENT REALISIUM: - light sources, night & day, weather, natural events/disasters - weight and encumbrance and object conditions - open/close/lock/unlock/trap objects - containers to put things inside - put things on top of other objects (like a table) - look/throw out a window to street below or in a direction - quests and ceremonies and contests - guilds and societies and gangs - situations that require team work to solve - killing players is murder and is treated as such - see/watch the things that other people are doing around you . WORLD HISTORY: - extensive well thought out world histories in fictional form - non-typical creatures and races (no Orcs or Halflings or such) - a world of adventure: many cities, caverns, and wilderness - become involved in politics and shape history yourself . TRAVEL: - travel in parties, automatically following a party leader - distance and elevation are dealt with - look in a direction or through a door before you go there - optional region display to help navigate the world . NON PLAYER CHARACTERS: - move and have a life (work, go to lunch, head home, sleep) - can hold conversations with players *OR* other NPCs - remember their fiends and enemies (and who attacked them!) - awareness: they can run from monsters or help out a friend - bribes or gifts or actions can trigger events . MAGIC: - summon creatures and demons to do your bidding - Six schools of magic with foci, learn several or specialize - channel magic power through other casters - tune your magic focus to rooms or objects for special abilities - control other creatures to make them do your bidding - variable modifiers to increase power or reverse effects of spells . COMBAT: - it's all text and colorfully descriptive, no numbers - several types of weapon damage - locational attacks: aim for body parts - weapons and armor also take damage and need repairs - criticals and stun and bleeding - timed rounds which are based on speed and weapon used . SHOPS & RESIDENCES: - unlimited shops with revolving inventories - haggle over prices with shop keepers - shop keepers buy only things that are of interest to them - you may special order equipment currently not in stock - rent an inn room or a home to stash the goods you can't carry - own your own shop and reap in the profits! . USER INTERFACE: - smooth and comprehensive three phrase sentence parser - editing keys to repeat/recall last command as well as some HOTKEYS - 600+ word vocabulary NOT counting nouns or adjectives - abbreviate any word that is a noun or adjective - quantities and groupings of objects as one - transfer of items between characters with optional price tags - call anything by an alternative name (eg. call your pet dog: Ralph) - customizable output: colors, brief, cls, prompts, spacing, notices . . PLEASE, if you haven't done so, enclose your US mailing address in an Email reply message. Your information will be treated as confidential. If you have any suggestions or comments feel free to enclose them. We're also accepting any suggestions for quests, features, magic ideology, politics, or any other ideas you may have to make a great system! ========================================================================== THE FOLLOWING ARE USER COMMENTS FROM THOSE FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO PREVIEW THE ALPHA TEST VERSION OF THE PROPHECY ADVENTURE SYSTEM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /rpg #150583 07-MAR-92 17:01 From: Dude To: ** ALL ** Re: Prophecy . I am writing on behalf of Aldimar and the game that he wrote/is writing, Prophecy. Aldimar was kind enought to give me an hour+ long tour of his game. I was completely and utterly impressed. There has never been more realism, simplicity of commands, and deep thought in any other game, on-line, multi-player, or otherwise, than Prophecy. The NPCs were talking and moving around, I was taking things off tables, from inside bags, opening windows and jumping out, drinking at taverns, talking to the city guards, and much more. It includes just about every action you could possibly think of, speach in new and exiting languages, including one of magic (thoughts which can be read my empathic characters). The character generation alone gives you a good feel for your character's looks and attitude, including a short psychoanalysis of what you would do in situation "X". . It's easy to add on to (and my understanding is that there will be GMs around to help and listen for NEW ideas for the game DURING PLAY), and the world is extensive as it is, before completion it will have bettered Lands I, Lands II (Vale), and others Tenfold, in size, completeness, creativity, and overall FUN. No going around killing things for a living, and you're not damned to the same character class. If you want to pick locks, you call yourself a thief, and even then you can play with magic. . It's a truly incredible game, and I know it's going to change the way people think of on-line gaming. For more details, write to Aldimar on here, Exec, or ODS (I believe), and leave your name and address with him. I had a lot of fun in the demo, and can't wait for the real thing. . Sincerely, Dan Vanderboom . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-Mail #149833 05-MAR-92 21:25 From: Cham To: Aldimar (private message) Re: My comments/suggestions . Aldimar took me on a little tour of the system, and the character generation, to show me some of the features of the system.. . If I had read his post, and not seen the system, I might not have believed half of what the letter claimed, but I saw it, and its incredible. The groundwork is all layed out, and the potential is unlimited. This is about as real to the actual medieval time as it can get. . I cant wait for the system to open up to the public... . First off, this system has major potential. I dunno what yer plans are as far as going up to the public, charging for it, or what not, but Id like to see it go up.. And if its pay, it will help screen out only the serious players.. . The concept of opening/closing and putting/taking items into/out of things is very cool.. . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /rpg #150343 06-MAR-92 22:19 (Reply to #150212, Reply to #150208) From: Lork To: Cham Re: More Info on RPG System! . Hi Cham, . I too am looking forward to having Aldimar's "game" see completion. I have been through the game a few times already and each "visit" there makes me dread going back to the ol' slash and kill that only Lands provides. Can't wait to venture in a honest "quest" or two with you... Talk Later, Lork . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-Mail #156815 15-MAR-92 14:41 From: Sjadoe To: Despair (private message) *RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED* FILE: rpg . Sorry it took so long, but the attached file is my evaluation of the game and whatever comments I could come up with in the way of improvements and changes. Not much left to add to the game. The programmer did a rather thorough job on it. In a word, excellent. . Prophecy: . Aside from the finishing touches to be added in the way of a few verbs and upper/lower case distinctions, I really couldn't see anything in the program that needs to be changed. The ability to look into adjoining areas is just what is needed. The various languages are excellent, and could be useful. The game-play is smooth and consistent. The Non-Playing Characters are nicely done, and if their scripts can be re-written by the game masters, then they should be able to supply information to players about various quests and areas of interest. . As for the overall layout and use of descriptive locations and items, the present setup is far beyond anything currently available in any other system and can only be described as a text-based virtual reality. I can't think of a single thing, at present, that could be done to improve the program in this area. . That's about it for the moment. If I think of anything more, I will let you know. Thank you for the tour. It was most enjoyable. I look forward to seeing the system online and running in the future. You can count on my participation if the price is not too steep. (still gotta pay those bills) I think you have a winner on your hands. Thanks again... Kurt . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E-Mail #150362 06-MAR-92 23:21 (Reply to #150208) From: Chestah To: Aldimar (private message) Re: More Info on RPG System! . Hey, just a note, I am getting pretty interested in your bbs... Im pretty frugal, and the thought of spending 1 dollar an hour to play a game sounds pretty expensive, but the extensiveness and spectacular options sound like its definately worth it. . . ------------- CUT HERE ---------------------------- CUT HERE --------------- . --------------------------------------- Game Master (GM) Application --------------------------------------- Minion Development Corporation P.O. Box #25220 Milwaukee, WI 53225 . As a GM on the Prophecy system your duties will include building adventures, play testing new software, entering data, monitoring other players, and giving tours to new users. As a GM you will be given free access to the system and scheduled hours in which you MUST be on the system. You'll have great powers at your fingers and it will not be abused- thus we must be VERY selective in our choices for GM positions. . The world setting in which you will be asked to work within: . 1) A unique and totally original mythos. Not using any stereotypes or other popular names. It would be the players responsibility to learn as he/she grew in power and experience. . 2) A system that tells players nothing more about themselves then the obvious. They will never see a number or roll a die. (This does not mean the system dosn't keep meticulous tack of statistics, skills, and everything else- which a GM must work with). . 3) A world where magic is shunned and hard to come by. Requiring skill, intellect, mana, and a talisman to master it. . 4) A world where NPC's are intelligent and wander around by themselves (going to work, lunch, home, etc). Thus requiring large amounts of scripting work to be done by the GM. . 5) A world where many styles of gaming take place: Role-playing, Politics, Hack-Slash, High Adventure, Questing, Spelunking, Riddles, etc. . 6) GM's never cheat or help players biasly. They are there to moderate. If you are caught given items to a friend or spoiling adventures, your access will be removed immediately. . 7) The majority of your design work can be done in your own favorite word processor and then uploaded to the system for compiling. . 8) Until the system is on-line, you'll be told what to design or have lists to pick from. There are certain things that must get done. Once we are on-line you'll be able to design your own scenarios and areas for adventure. . If you are interested in working in such an environment, please complete this form and return to the above address or reply in Email. There are many stages to pass before becoming a GM with on-line access: . 1) Fill out the following form. 2) Learn the ECL and ASC languages for system coding off-line. 3) Write an ECL of significant size and several ASC's to show your creativity and ability to understand the database and tools. (This is not an easy task if you don't understand the basic concepts of programming and databases). 4) If you pass all these stages, you'll have to meet us in person and sign a non-disclosure agreement. 5) Be trained even more. At this point you'll be given two 80k+ manuals and an account on the system computer. (NOTE: there are occasional meetings so you'll need to be able to drive or find a ride to NW Milw) 6) You'll be expected to check in for your mail and upload completed work on a regular basis to the system. . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fill out ALL of the following questions as best and honestly as you can: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Include the original question with your answer by typing right on this NOTE: There are no correct answers to these questions, just answer them. . --------------- CUT HERE -------------- Real Name: Phone Number: Age: Baud Rate: Column Width: Computer Type: Word Processor: # Years Role Playing: # Years as Game Master: . How do you run your games: ___ a) Run the game seriously and as real to life as possible b) Use subtle humor to add to the enjoyment c) Make jokes and puns out ot the game . What type of games do you run: ___ a) modules b) original designs c) on the fly - made up . What level of game play do you normally GM? . What is YOUR ideal world for gaming in? . What types of adventures do you like create and run? . Have you ever written an adventure game? ____ . Do you play text adventures? ____ Which? . Do you play Multi-Player adventure games? ____ Which? . Do you know what a database is? ____ . Can you program in BASIC or understand BLOCK IF's? ____ . How often do you read fictional books? ____ a) rarely b) sometimes c) often d) avid reader . How familiar are you with the fantasy genre? ____ a) very b) familiar c) little . List some the styles of fantasy your read/play: . Have you ever done any fictional writting? ____ What kinds? . What other experience do you have with computer adventure games? . How much time do you feel you could devote to GM'ing per week? . Do you attend school? ____ Which grade/major? ____ . What do you do in your spare time now? . Anything else we should know?