Surprise! (or, mith has yet another strange idea)

[mith]

I was playing the HHGTTG text game (java version), and it made me wonder how hard it would be to make something like it. Specifically, is anyone interested in trying to make something like this as a group thing? Between a group of us, we ought to be able to make something challenging, hilarious, and interesting, yeah?

[firemeboy]

I used to write games like this in basic back in the 'good ol' days'. They were basically choose your own adventure style games, nothing fancy. They were loads of fun to program, and enjoyable to see my brothers try and make their way through them...

FMB

[firemeboy]

How do you save a game in the HHGTTG game?

[firemeboy]

Never mind.

[Beaudoin]

You are sitting at a computer. The computer is not on.
>Turn on computer
I don't know how to turn on.
>Push the button on front of computer.
I don't see a button.
>Look at computer
It is grey. There is a button on the front of it
>Push button
The computer starts making noise, like it has been turned on. The monitor is still black.
>Look at monitor
There is a button on the front of the monitor
>Press button
The screen lights up. Within seconds the computer is fully loaded
>Connect to internet
I don't know how to connect
>Scroll mouse over internet icon
I don't know how to scroll
>Take mouse
I don't see a mouse
>Look at desk
On the desk are several papers, a keyboard, and a mouse
>Take mouse
I can't take it.
>Grab mouse
I can't take it.
>Pick up mouse
I can't take it.
>Throw computer out window.
I'm not holding the computer.

[rlp]

*grins*
I love these kind of games. They're fun and they generally last about as long as my attention span for any one thing can, with a few exceptions.
I have no idea of how to program such a game, but I could probably help with puzzles and plot.

[CrystyB]

i could help programming it, if i don't have to make up the maps and objects in the game...

[wordcross]

I am completely unable to fathom what i am supposed to do in the bar

[Beartalon]

I did one in BASIC, but all it did was offer the exits from a room. The game map was a 3x3 cube, all you had to do was get out.

I loved playing these types of games, especially Maniac Mansion and Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders, which I wish I could find.

[mole]

I'm in!

[mith]

I had an idea for the start, but it's only the Hy-version. I'm trying to come up with a CzarJ-friendly way to solve the first part. Should we start a private thread for this, so that everyone not actually making the thing can play it when it's done?

[jadesmar]

/in if you need someone to help with programming.
Possibly in this language, which seems built for programming these games.
http://www.inform-fiction.org/

[mith]

There's also another one called Quest, which you apparently don't need to know how to program to use. But we might want to write it from scratch anyway, depends on what we do.

[ralphmerridew]

To save in HHGG:

1) Look at the source of the web page; find out where the file hhgg.z5 (or maybe .dat) is located. Download it to your hard drive and save it. (Or root around in your browser cache for the file.)

2)
On a Unix system (Solaris, Linux, *BSD, MacOS X and others), go to
http://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinfocomXinterpretersXfrotz.html
grab frotz(whatever).tgz or xfrotz(whatever).tgz
compile and install

On a Windows system, go to
http://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinfocomXinterpretersXfrotz.html
grab WindowsFrotz(whatever) and install

On a Mac system, go to
http://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinfocomXinterpretersXzip.html
grab MaxZip(whatever) and install.

3) Run file downloaded in step 1 with program downloaded in step 2.

If anybody wants to design such a game, I'm willing to work on it as a programmer, using Inform or TADS.

[UnheardVoice]

I have a small bit of experience working with Inform. I had two "projects" that I never got around to finishing, and they have long been deleted.

[The Cruciverbalist]

Need a beta-tester?