This semester I've been writing a text-based computer game for my Arthurian Legend class. It's been quite a process, because I started out with no programming experience. After way too many hours, I have almost completed "Sir Galahad and the Quest for the Holy Grail: A Text-Based Adventure."
Let's have a look at a sample from the game:
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Kitchen
You stand in the kitchen of Camelot. At the south end of the room, a large boar roasts on a spit over a fire enclosed by only a few stones on the floor. Streams of light pour through windows in the stone wall high above your head, landing on long table that's assumedly used for food preparation. The table is cluttered with plates, knives, and other various utensils.
At the north end of the room, a passage leads to the castle's armory. The great hall lies through the west passage.
Sitting on the table is a flagon.
>get flagon
Taken.
>look at boar
A large boar, probably killed yesterday in the hunt. You look closely into his (mostly dried-up) eyes, trying to sympathize with his misfortune. However, the delicious smell of roasting pork prevents you from feeling TOO sorry for the thing.
>look at fire
As the flames heat the boar, juices drip into flames and sizzle.
>get boar
And how do you expect to that? It's a 150 lb boar, not a packet of peanuts.
>look at table
The table is a rough, wooden table strewn with various kitchen implements. Dirt, food, and dried blood and ale stain the table's surface and are ground into the nicks and cracks in the wood. The sanitation leaves something to be desired, in your opinion.
>get implements
You don't really want those. What are you going to do, use them as weapons? Besides the cook would kill you if he found you stealing his stuff.
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Here's another sample (albeit a gorier one) from the game:
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>east
You follow the path to the east, and enter the hut.
Hermit's Hut.
You are in a small thatched-roof cottage. There are no windows, so it takes a few moments for your eyes to adjust. When they do, you notice that the hut is smaller than most of Camelot's bedrooms and there's no windows. The only real furniture in the room is a small table sitting in the center of the room, with a few books sitting on top of it. The floors are made of dirt and small pallet of hay sits in the corner, apparently serving as the hermit's bed. The whole place smells a bit like manure.
Out the door, to the west, lie the crossroads in front of Camelot.
You see a shovel here.
A very old man sits at the table in the middle of the room. You assume he's the hermit who owns the cottage.
>get shovel
Taken.
>smite hermit with sword
With a quick blow, you strike down the hermit. He lays motionless on the ground. What have you done?!
>look at hermit
He's a bloody mess. He won't be healing knights any longer.
>dig dirt with shovel
You begin digging. Soon you unearth a small box of Cracker Jacks. Good job. You've slain a hermit and destroyed his cottage all for a box of Cracker Jacks.
>get box
Taken.
>look at box
It's empty. There's not even a prize in it.
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So those are some examples from the game. Yes, it takes quite a bit of imagination to enjoy, but it's been quite fun writing it.
If anyone is interested in playing it, let me know by leaving a comment or emailing me. I can post a link to download a TADS (the language its written in) interpreter and I can email you the game file when I get it completely polished within the next week.
Labels: Fun, Life
