If ns were made by infocom...

FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
Jeff, the NS staff writer, made this post in our dev forum, and I thought it was funny enough to repost here.  Feel free to add your own...

---

I tried, originally, to convince Charlie to make NS an Infocom mod, working off their robust text engine. Something like:

You are standing in the Reactor Room Hive Chamber. You are a Skulk. There is a light mist in the air. Exits: SW, W, N.

:inventory

You have four claws, your massive teeth, and a belly full of parasite projectiles.

:look belly

I can't do that.

:sw

The West Vent-Way

:look

This vent is glowing red with ambient reactor energy. It is very cramped, too small for a marine. It seems to turn left up ahead.

:look belly

I can't do that!

<etc... am I showing my age here? Should I have just called it a MUD?>

Comments

  • SlycasterSlycaster Limited Edition Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 24Members, NS1 Playtester
    lol flay, that's great.  We need someone to actually write that into a text engine. That would own. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
  • FamFam Diaper-Wearing Dog On A Ball Join Date: 2002-02-17 Member: 222Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Oh dear, oh dear. Addicts! You nutters! You should be just like <a href="http://www.natural-selection.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=Profile;CODE=03;MID=70-1013971886" target="_blank">me</a>. A perfect example of how to play NS and remain sane.
  • RhoadsToNowhereRhoadsToNowhere i r 8 Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 33Members
    Dude, I *want* to play text-based NS.  I've even got the source code of my own text-based game lying around, and since it's pretty easy to modify, maybe I'll just give it a shot... <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
  • UnquenqueUnquenque Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 13Members
    Docking bay.
    You are in the main docking bay of the UCC Bast.  Ladders lead down to the east.  There is an elevator to the west.  There is a dark exit to the south.
    There is a menacing skulk here.

    <b>> kill bob</b>
    I don't know the word "bob".

    <b>> kill skulk</b>
    What do you want to kill him with?

    <b>> the hmg</b>
    There was no verb in that sentence!

    <b>> kill skulk with hmg</b>
    Oh, no! The skulk has devoured you!

    *** You have died ***

    Now, let's take a look here... Well, you probably deserve another chance. I can't quite fix you up completely, but you can't have everything.

    Refinery
    There is an alien hive here.
    There are two lurking Onoses here.

    <b>> quit</b>
  • QUADQUAD Join Date: 2002-07-17 Member: 963Members
    >pick your team.

    ::marines

    >you have joined the TSA marines. Please pick a weapon.

    ::light machine gun

    >where would you like to spawn?

    ::look refinery

    >the refinery is empty

    ::spawn refinery

    >you are in the refinery
    >a Skulk has entered the refinery

    ::kill skulk

    >how?

    ::with a gun doofus

    >doofus is not a weapon, please try again
    >you have been eatin by the skulk
    -------------------------------

    (MUDs are obviosly too cumbersome for us marines <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->)
  • CMEastCMEast Join Date: 2002-05-19 Member: 632Members
    I used to write text games on my C64 when I was about... 8 i think <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->

    Graphics were evil, all those numbers.

    May I suggest just having the words "You cant do that" for almost everything. Oh and make sure that you can only use something if you give its full and exact name like "Fire parasite projectiles at the marine in heavy armour" Thatll make sure people get the names right <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

    Oh and make the game really linear so you cant do anything without doing something else first.
  • GwahirGwahir Join Date: 2002-04-24 Member: 513Members, Constellation
    You are on the landing pad outside Hera.  There is a comand console, and a waiting-to-be-built turret factory here.  Exits: N, W.

    > Build turret factory.

    You begin building the turret factory, you can hear a clicking noise.

    > use cc

    What's a cc?

    > use command console

    You aren't done building the turret factory yet!

    > stop building turret factory

    You stop building the turret factory.
    The clicking is getting louder and more frequent

    > use command console

    You can't!  It's already in use.
    The clicking is getting louder

    > look up

    You see two skulks clinging to the ceiling, they don't seem to have noticed you yet.

    > kill THEM!!

    Huh?

    > Kill skulks

    with what?

    > Kill skulks with hmg

    you don't have one.
    One of the skulks saw you and has bitten you.

    > kill skulk with lmg

    You score several hits on the nearest skulk when it dissappears in thin air.
    You can't see the other skulk, but hear more clicking.

    > commander!  Where the heck are you?

    commander: sup?

    > give me an hmg!

    you don't have an hmg to give me.

    > commander request hmg

    commander: sure no problem, just don't die.
    an hmg materializes next to you.
    The skulk leaps from a dark corner but misses you.

    > grab hmg

    you have the hmg

    > equip hmg

    it's already equipped.

    > why didn't you tell me before?!

    tell you what?
    The skulk claws you, weakening you further.

    > kill skulk

    The skulk dodges your attack and bites deep into your body, killing you.

    Well, you seem to be dead, that's okay your commander already made an infantry portal.

    queue number: 5
    queue number: 3
    Infantry portal destroyed.

    Oh dear an Onos has destroyed your only way back, lets hope the commander can build it again.

    waiting....

    command console destroyed, all marines killed.  Alien team wins!
  • BillBill Join Date: 2002-08-08 Member: 1108Members
    Well here is my expierence with text based games:

    >You are at an intersection in a darkhallway, there are paths leading east and north

    Walk forward

    >"walk" is not recognized

    step forward

    >"step" is not recognized

    go north

    >"go" is not recognized

    move north

    >As you approach the darkness an angry Skulk leaps from an open vent

    Make love to it

    >You are thinking of a different game

    Shoot it

    >You do not have a gun

    hit it

    >The skulk devours you whole <!--emo&:bob:--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/bob.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bob:'><!--endemo-->
  • MavericMaveric Join Date: 2002-08-07 Member: 1101Members
    hey, i have one:

    you are on the marine side. your current inventory is: Light MG, Pistol, Knife. You are at your main base, there are several dead bodies, many blood splatters, and other asorted limbs. It is very messy. You currently have out your Light MG.

    Exits: N, E, W

    :n

    This is the main entrance hallway that leads to the Marines main base.

    Exits: S, N

    :n

    This is a big room, with several pipes with what materials you dont know about. There is a level 1 here.

    Exits: S, NE

    :shoot level 1

    You shoot at the level 1, but miss horribly. The level 1 aproches, licking its powerful jaws with its toung in anticipation.

    :shoot level 1

    You shoot at the level 1, only to miss and graze its' back. The skulk is quite mad.

    :shoot level 1

    You shoot at the level 1 again, aim ever improving, you rip one of its limbs to gory bits. perhaps you should kill it, befor it kills you.

    :kill level 1

    You fill the level 1 with enough lead and depleted uranium from your Ligh MG to sink a star cuiser.

    :ne

    You enter another room, this time there is a Level 5 there.

    Exits: SW

    :shoot level 5

    You shoot at the huge level 5; not missing you hit it dead on, but it aproches rapidly.

    :shoot level 5

    You shoot again, and hit it; but the bullet gets absorbed into the huge monstrosity's body. Your clip has expired.

    :reload Light MG

    You reload your Light MG. The level 5 is cloing fast!

    :shoot level 5

    You completly empty your clip into the beast, all in the skull and upper body... but it still lives.

    The level 5 has used its powerful jaws and has reduced your skull to a gory and bloody mess. Perhaps you should've killed it, instead of shooting it. <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->

    Your score of a possable 80000:

    5

    Play again?

    :n

    Exit Program?

    :y


    heh. <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> what do ya think of that? <!--emo&:0--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'><!--endemo-->
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