Games - Enter Gamedev: Reinventing Text Games

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Cyberdaemon 

 My last article was written more than
a year and a half ago, and you read it, nave─
right, a minute ago. This is not a temporary couple─
dox is the frequency of publication of a magazine under re─
daktsiyaAlone Coder...What I mean is that
everything written below may be a little counter─
speak to the previous article, since time
a lot has passed and some of my attitude towards
change Spectrum game development─
moose
   Briefly about this article: you are a beginner
programmer and you don’t know how to draw, but you can
The classic Spectrum doesn't need a graphic.
Based on this, I came up with a new genre.
You don't have to read any further. But I will continue.
   A little background history. When on
at the turn of the 2000s, all PC boyars fought in
firstFallout,I was still a user
Spectrum and could only watch with envy
behind the process. And then I noticed an interesting
user interface feature
this game - on the left side there was a window in which
the text described everything that happened─
went in the game: the player raised such and such a pre─
meth, examined this and so on. But the most
interesting things happened during the battle. He
happened step by step, in that window
everything was described in detail: the enemy  caused damage, the hero dealt a critical hit─
strike so many units, and the enemy
 is dead. I think I explained it clearly. Those
who at one time playedFallout,I think
remember this, and those who didn’t play or forgot - by─
look at screenshots on the Internet. (I would like─
I put it as an example of how you can do this
look in the magazine on the real Spectrum─
meh?)
   So, then a brilliant idea dawned on me
thought. After all, you can make your own on the Spectrum
analogueof Fallout,but without graphics, only in
text mode. And to implement this
you can easily and simply even in BASIC, just
I wish I could come up with my own combat system (well, that’s it─
zhet). I just started theoretically then
think it all through, but that’s all─
it became, and then was completely forgotten, so
how I gotAmiga (I'm talking about this─
sal earlier in another article).
   And now, almost twenty years later, somehow
Coincidentally, I remembered this. But
I didn't like the idea ofFallout. I'll come─
small to cross two genres - text adven─
tyuru andJRPG.Who doesn't know whatJRPG
- Wikipedia to help, and who knows - we will remember─
thread,how the battle happens there. On one eq─
the enemy is on the left, ours is on the right
command (or vice versa, depending on
some factors). The fight itself takes place
quite primitive in graphic terms.
You choose one from the team, give him
command (most often used "for─
shield", "attack", "magic"). Depending on
what was chosen happens simply─
The best animation illustrating this pro─
cess. Then you choose another hero from the group
mands, then move to the enemy team─
Mande, it’s about the same thing there. And so on
circle until you or you are killed.
   My idea is that the graphics
it can be removed altogether. Just in general─
more And conduct the battle in text mode,
That's how it is in adventure games. Here's an example. Fight, part─
howl enemy1, enemy2, enemy3, hero1, hero2:

>hero1 attack enemy1 

 (The random number generator estimates
How much health to take away from an enemy depends─
from your strength and weapons) and withdraw
a message like  "you have inflicted  
damage." Then again he suggests entering co─ 
mandu, since there are still heroes who
didn't make a move. You:

>hero2 magic  

(Alone Coder: teams need to gain grief─ 
what keys, except perhaps the spell─ 
niy, otherwise constant printing will happen once─ 
drawing.  Regarding spells, I saw 
only a couple of games like Textorcist, where rea─ 
I really should have printed them, but why not 
and no, since these are spells?) 
   Depending on the magic and spell, their
can be applied to your team (heal─
nie, increased damage), and on enemies (os─
molding, poison). Depending on this, ve─
cool random number generator (which
not just random, but working according to definition─
divided algorithm) deals damage to enemies
or treats our team. Well, and so on.
   When the turn goes to the enemies, the RNG makes
everything for them myself. It is important to find a balance here
difficulties: enemies should not be suckers,
no imbis. In both cases there will be no play
interesting. After the battle, in case of victory,
The hero's (team's) experience increases. Algorithm
This increase is thought out separately.
   Traveling the world toowill happen─
walk in the text. Nothing new here, that's it
like in regular adventure games:

You are on the river bank. In the north 
forest, in the east there is a road. 

(You can add it to the description for romance─
There are more details about the locations, but not
it's worth trying to surpass Tolstoy or Guo─
goal...)
   Our hero, in this case, can go to
forest or along the road. How to process coman─
yes - it's the programmer's choice.  You can
strictly  "north" or "east". Or maybe just─
transform and accept commands "forest", "to─ 
horns."More will be placed on locations 
items that can be inspected and/or
take.
   Separately about visiting cities. Options
two: either make the city one location (so
simpler and easier), or split into several
co.
   Option with one location:

You are in the city of N-sk. You can visit the tavern─ 
well, the market, the city hall. Or leave the city. 

(For ownersliterary talent:
the description of the city can be colorfully expanded.)
   Commands"market","tavern","city hall"ne─
enter into appropriate dialogues. Tavern
- recreation, market - buying or selling equipment─
marriages, city hall - receiving any mis─
this.
   Classic48Kdoes not include a lot of text─
z. One kilobyte of text is approximately
one page of a paperback book.В48K
mode approximately 40K free. 1K will go to
font, 1K  for storing the game state (ge─
swarm, enemies, items, event triggers),
approximately3-5Kneeds to be allocated for code (and
maybe more). Even without music for the text
remains approximately32K - this is like32book
pages. If it’s clear, it will fit there
only four articles like this one─
you've been reading for an hour. Not a lot at all, but even a little,
if you make more locations or write according to─
detailed descriptions. Packaging will increase the quantity─
text, but still notso much.
Advanced programmers can use─
set 128Kpacking mode or switch to
our Russian clones of Spectrum. Here already
history can be described at a small level─
shoy books. But there is another option.
   It's a matter of nonlinearity. Non-linearity of the plot─
yeah, the ability to move around the entire game─
in the whole world at any moment, of course, increases
replayability. But if the plot is linear (in
the game is not supposed to be played a second time),
then you can do almost endless
the series is even in48K.I completed the first part -
download part 2 and enjoy further, and
so on until the author runs out of ideas. 
(Alone Coder: just don’t forget to remember 
edit the game state from part to hour─ 
ty. At least the characteristics and items of 
hero. And triggers for other characters can be─ 
but do not drag it into the next part so that it is 
the ability to fit everything into a password - without 
tape or disk operations, which 
for beginners in programming 
Spectrum is a separate pain.) 
   Another plus for beginners is lines─
this will greatly simplify development and debugging─
ku, because for a non-linear plot you need to learn─
There are too many factors to consider not to─
lots of stupid mistakes.

 * * *

   I think I have made everything clear, and my
got the idea. The advantages of this idea -
an artist is not needed, only a programmer. Well,
Moreover, it is very desirable for this case,
someone with literary talent. To
The locations and dialogues were beautifully painted. And
The plot itself is well thought out. But you can have both─
get along without it if you steal the plot from
some game or book.
 (Alone Coder: to avoid the effect of those─ 
kstovaya adventure, which you have on the Spectrum─ 
thousands and in which no one plays, programs─ 
the mist can gradually diversify the image 
Display: show conditional color on the screen 
position of the hero and enemies, map fragment, 
add screen shaking and energy flying out─ 
giyu from characters when hit, etc. But gla─ 
external - to enter commands, especially moving ones─ 
nation, occurred at the touch of a button, with 
instant reaction. This will allow the player 
gradually improve your skills, play this 
the game is not at the pace of a text adventure, but yes─ 
is also faster than conventional graphics, and 
get more fun per unit of time. 
And there are no graphics only for poverty: EU─ 
if the game concept is successful, then in pro─ 
artists can come, and conditional 
images can be replaced with drawings─ 
ki, at least in the styleUndertale :)) 
(Wanderer: Well, these are bagels) )