A SAMPLE STORY FOR YOU TO USE Because comp314 is a computer science course and not a creative writing course, it seems fair that we should offer you the skeleton of a story that you can use for your ADVENTURE submission. You are welcome to strike out on your own and craft a story of your choosing, but we won't penalize you for implementing the story we sketch here. Repeat: There is NO PENALTY for using the story we provide here. The point of this project is not to become a writer of interactive fiction, but a writer of large object-oriented simulation programs. The following is a sketch of a simple game idea that you should be able to relate to; it doesn't mention every feature you'll need in order to complete the project requirements, nor does it detail a complete puzzle with all plot points carefully mapped out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE STORY: DUNCAN SPELUNKIN' It is 12:01 am on Tuesday morning. You, our protagonist, are standing outside Duncan hall in the middle of the night, and you have a comp314 project due in just under 24 hours. You really intended to get things done ahead of time, but somehow it just didn't work out. Perhaps you start out with only an ID card (with some limited number of Tetra points---the game's currency---on it), your old laptop (an ancient Dell that doesn't even have wireless), and a vague idea of how to get your comp314 project working. You don't even know where your partner is; you'd better try to get in touch with him/her soon, or you could be in real trouble. The goal: Finish your comp314 project by 11:59 pm. In order to make this a puzzle, the player must achieve several objectives in and around Duncan Hall. For example, you might need to gain entrance to Duncan Hall (your ID won't work after hours), by asking some graduate student (hanging around outside) to let you in. Duncan Hall itself should be represented by a number of rooms; here's a doodle of how they might be laid out: +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | DUNCAN HALL - FIRST FLOOR | | Reference: http://www.cs.rice.edu/~keith/DuncanHall/plan.html N | | | W-+-E | | | < I N S I D E > S | | | (out to | | | (stairs to 2nd floor) (stairway to 2nd parking | | | \ floor landing) / lot) | | | \ \ / | | | \ \ / | | | West Entry ----- "Street" ------ Martel Hall ----- McMurtry | | | | (long hall) (main lobby) Auditorium | | | | | | | | - - -| - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - | | | | | | West Arcade East Arcade | | | | | - - -| - - - - - - | | | | | < O U T S I D E > | | Symonds II Lab | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ In this example, you should be able to go NORTH from the West Arcade to the West Entry, whereupon EAST should take you to the "Street" (the long hall in Duncan); WEST, then SOUTH must retrace those steps to take you back to the West Arcade. Your Duncan Hall ought to have second and third floors, accessible by going UP and DOWN the staircases. There should be a few offices where important game events occur. Continuing with our example quest: In order to complete your comp314 assignment, maybe the player must first load the RFCs onto his laptop, which means you need to find an Ethernet cable (mislaid in a Duncan office?) and then find an Ethernet jack (hidden behind the chairs in the auditorium). You then try to READ the RFCs, but they're utterly incomprehensible, so you now need to find your TA (this will require navigating Duncan Hall). Once you talk to the TA, you understand the RFCs perfectly (this is fiction, remember!), and can now proceed with the project. You'll probably need to USE your laptop, schedule a time and place to meet your partner, etc. Hopefully you see how this puzzle can unfold. The example described here is quite linear, and other elements (including the REQUIRED ITEMS from the project assignment) will need to be included to make this a finished game. Some final ideas along these lines: * What if your partner doesn't want to help you finish the project? Part of the puzzle might be figuring out some way to convince him to help. (This, the "troll that must be appeased," is a time-honored trope of text adventure games.) * You'll need to come up with a way to express the passing of "human time" (the 24 hours to finish the project) in your game's internal CLOCK. What else might happen over the course of 24 hours that your game might be able to express? (Hint: "CS STUDENT NEEDS FOOD BADLY.") * Your Duncan simulation can be as accurate as you like; for example, you might also build an elevator, the 2nd floor exit at the back of McMurtry Auditorium, even the fire escape by the front door. Did you know that there is a secret 4th story that can be used to quickly travel from one end of the building to another? (No, seriously, this is true.) * Another true Duncan fact: There is currently a big problem with THEFT of laptops and other computer equipment. * You know, there's a shuttle bus that stops by the steps outside the East Arcade every few minutes. (Might be handy for some of the assignment's requirements.) * In general, the more aspects of the real world you wish to simulate, the more opportunity you have to show off the power of your game engine. Not everything in the game needs to be in service of the main "plot" of the adventure, either; "atmospheric" elements (campus locations with amusing descriptions, non-player characters, operable equipment, etc.) go a long way toward creating a sense of an immersive world. [Here's an example: Duncan is a good place to start this story; a better place might be at your dorm room or apartment. Now when you sit down to build the game world, all you need to do is look around your room for ideas of objects to construct and describe.] * The nice thing about having a deadline for the project (er, that is, the virtual "project" in this game world) is that it gives your story a convenient ending. After 24 "hours" in the game, you're either finished or you're not. Did you turn in the project on time? How many points did you score along the way? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This story sketch was meant to get you started if you feel you have nowhere to start from. It is intended as an armature on which you can build a complete game that will satisfy the project requirements. If, after reading this, you're still stymied by the prospect of developing a text adventure, make an appointment to meet your TA (along with your partner) and we'll brainstorm something together. Happy adventuring, ---The comp314 wizards # vim: sw=2 ts=2 sts=2 et tw=78: