HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Jacob Solomon Weinstein)
Subject: New Tads game for MS-DOS
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:20:11 GMT

Save Princeton, a text-adventure game created with TADS, is now
available for MS-DOS. I've put it in a zip archive called
"saveprin.zip," which I've been uploaded to wuarchive.wustl.edu, 
in /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/games. I've also submitted it to the if-archive at
ftp.gmd.de; I hope they'll put it into the PC directory soon. 

The game has fifty-two locations, and a vocabulary of
about 980 words, which makes it about as complex as a middle-period
Infocom game. I've put a year and a half of work into it, and I'm pretty
proud of the thing.

Save Princeton puts the player in the role of a visitor to Princeton
University. You have to oust a mysterious force of invaders who have
taken over the campus. Along the way, you'll meet the archetypal jock, a
naked drunk man, the president of the university, and countless other
colorful characters. While folks who know Princeton U will undoubtably
get special enjoyment from the game, anybody can solve and enjoy Save
Princeton.

Save Princeton is shareware, with a fee of $10.
From: nelson@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Lost Treasures in the UK?
Date: 25 Jan 93 16:05:43 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <1993Jan24.155959.11492@vax.oxford.ac.uk>, I wrote:
> 
>   Does anybody know if "Lost Treasures of Infocom I" and "...II" are
> available in any easy way in the UK?  PC format would be preferable although
> actually I was intending playing them on an emulator anyway.
> 
>   Failing that, does anyone have an address or phone number of a US mail
> order outlet which will send to the UK?
> 
>   Thanks (he typed hopefully),
> 
>   Graham Nelson (Maths Institute, Oxford, UK)
> 

Contrary to what certain shopkeepers would have you believe (a lesson
you'd think I'd learn from this kind of game) LTOI is quite easy to get
in the UK, and the Virgin shop has ordered it for me.  Thanks to those
who have pointed this out.

GAN.
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: rsmith@wisp4.physics.wisc.edu (Randall K. Smith)
Subject: Wishbringer help
Organization: Space Physics, UW - Madison
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:59:42 GMT

I need to know how to "make a wish" in Wishbringer...can anyone help?

Randall Smith
rsmith@wisp4.physics.wisc.edu
From: wbdst+@pitt.edu (William B Dwinnell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Interactive fiction as virtual reality
Date: 21 Jan 93 13:23:16 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


"And not only that..." but just consider the escapist power of all sorts
of fiction. ASxxxx Sci-fi, fantasym, and romance, have all built 
entire industries on top of this!
From: positron@quip.eecs.umich.edu (Jonathan Haas)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: rec.games.int-fiction Frequently Asked Questions
Date: 23 Jan 93 06:20:26 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor

In article <1993Jan22.161727.6352@cbfsb.cb.att.com> forbes@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Scott Forbes) writes:
>
> [beginning of charming FAQ deleted]
>
>    _Deadline_
>    The original packaging included an advertisement for a radio
>    station, WPDL AM at 1170 KHz.  You will need to tune the radio
>    to this frequency (or TUNE RADIO TO WPDL) to get a vital clue.
>

This is for _Ballyhoo_, not _Deadline_.

> [remainder of charming FAQ deleted]

-- 
__/\__  Jonathan S. Haas         | Jake liked his women the way he liked
\    /  University of Michigan   | his kiwi fruit: sweet yet tart, firm-
/_  _\  positron@eecs.umich.edu  | fleshed yet yielding to the touch, and
  \/    Finger for PGP key       | covered with short brown fuzzy hair.
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction,rec.arts.int-fiction
From: blasius@gmd.de (Volker Blasius)
Subject: Re: mirror site for IF archive! (was: Infocom articles)
Keywords: if archive if-archive mirror site
Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, Germany
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 17:37:33 GMT

>Where is the IF archive site mirrored, for those of us outside Europe?

Thanks to Chris Myers, ftp.gmd.de:/if-archive is now mirrored in
wuarchive.wustl.edu:/doc/misc/if-archive.

Please upload only to ftp.gmd.de:/tmp/if-uploads and send email to me 
(blasius@gmd.de) or upload an accompanying .txt or similar file that 
describes the upload.

Volker

---
Volker Blasius
Senior Doorstop, Gesellschaft fuer Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: FUDGE suggestions (2 minor ones)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, NH.
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 93 22:29:18 GMT

doane@ra.UCSC.EDU (Jay Doane) writes:
>
>It makes even more sense to me to number the levels like
>
>-3 Terrible
>-2 Poor
>-1 Mediocre
> 0 Fair
>+1 Good
>+2 Great
>+3 Superb
>
>This retains much of the symmetry of the FUDGE system.

This would be my first choice, too, except that Andy was using the
numbers for combat results - and working with negatives is harder than
working with purely positive numbers.

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design,rec.games.frp.archives
From: jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Subject: Re: RPG: The basic rules to ARM
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 15:39:35 GMT

In article <C12s3v.IzK@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz>, cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber) writes:
> Just some comments on the ARM summary.
> 
> Fitness isn't that appropriate a name for the characteristic. Something more
> like "Athletic Ability" would be more appropriate.

Hmm, I suppose Fitnee does connotate endurance as well as short-term acts.  
Perhaps Athleticism... not very catchy though.  I'll have to consider this.

> From what I have read of the system, it revolves around two integral
> components,  the logrithmic scale and the +1d6 -1d6 task resolution system.
> 
> The logrithmic scale seems quite yucky and would put a lot of people off it
> straight away. Since the rest of the game is so simple, it seems a pity to
> have a calculator for working out logs.

Well, maybe I shouldn't put Scale right at the start... :-)  I have found 
that the five values you basically need to know (1, 1.5, 2.5, 4, and 6) 
come quickly to the memory.  I'll see if I can revamp that section to make 
it less off-putting...

> The task resolutions seems to de-emphesize the skill level. Not enough 
> variation is possible.

Note:  I need to put more examples in version 1.1.  In my play-testing 
endeavours, the difference between skill level II and III, for example, has 
a large effect on the outcome.  It does seem like variation has been cut 
drastically in terms of differences in characters, but do remember that 
there are "mods" that frequently come into play.  I'll reconsider boolean 
skills too.

> To be quite honest I don't see what is really that "advanced" about it.

I'll try and justify this grandiose title.  I do not equate advanced with 
detail and complexity... I tend to shy away from games with plenty of 
detail (in the mechanics) as I feel it restricts my imagination - which is 
the primary reason I play RPG's - and makes it less enjoyable.  SO advanced 
to me means as simple and flexible as possible.

Anyhow, thanks for the criticism.  You've given me more to think about...

> Be seeing you,
> 
> Brendon Wyber                     Computer Services Centre,
> b.wyber@csc.canterbury.ac.nz      University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
> 
> "Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

Robert Bridson (using jbridson's account)
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Re: RPG: The basic rules to ARM
From: cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber)
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 01:00:28 GMT
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

ChaOs (jeffj@yang.earlham.edu) wrote:
> In article <C18Go3.MDC@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz>, cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber) writes:

 [ Unrelated Game Design dibble deleted   :-> ]

> > "Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."
>   "In his city at Rl'yeh dead Cthulhu lies dreaming."

Actually its...
    "In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming."
   ...the character length of the english and Cthulian translations is the
   same which is clearly proof that Cthulhu is really a computer virus. :->

> Next up on rec.arts.comics:  Who'd win, Morpheus (from SANDMAN) or Cthulhu?
                                              ^             ^^^^
                                            Who?           Who?/What?
Be seeing you,

Brendon Wyber                     Computer Services Centre,
b.wyber@csc.canterbury.ac.nz      University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

"Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Re: Preferred Game Interface  ** Survey **
Date: 28 Jan 93 05:53:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.design
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <Jan27.194821.74243@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>, hallch@CS.ColoState.EDU (christopher hall) writes:
> Hello,

Yello...

>      I am working together with some peers to program a computer fantasy
> game.

Good for you. Why are you on rec.games.frp.misc?

>  We are trying to design an interface for the game that most people
> will like.  I would like to know from you people what sort of interface do
> like using the most?  Is it keyboard only, joystick or mouse only, or a
> combination of them?

Pencil and paper and dice, oh boy.


I think I'm not the kind of person you really want to ask. Maybe you'd
do better in one of the computer games newsgroups (take your pick, there
must be a gazillion of em).

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: RPG: The basic rules to ARM
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:18:19 GMT

	Some alternative comments on ARM. 

cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber) writes:
>Fitness isn't that appropriate a name for the characteristic. Something more
>like "Athletic Ability" would be more appropriate.

	Tastes differ. I think Fitness rolls off the tongue alot easier 
than Athletic Ability, and people still understand what it represents. 

>
>The logrithmic scale seems quite yucky and would put a lot of people off it
>straight away. Since the rest of the game is so simple, it seems a pity to
>have a calculator for working out logs.

	A calculator isn't neccessary. Make sure to emphasize the use of 
the table and try to round everything off to even numbers. Nothing puts 
off people faster than seeing '4.35' in a game book. (Not that you're doing 
that, but I've seen it done). DC Heroes and Torg both have explicit 
logarithmic scales while still staying quite simple. 

	More examples are definitely needed in almost all the sections, 
or it becomes easy to see things as just a way to roll numbers, however. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "You're on the cutting room floor, Chaplin.
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | Not a good place to be."
Columbia University         |                  (from the movie 'Chaplin')
Xref: sparky rec.games.design:2674 rec.games.misc:19371 rec.games.programmer:5526 rec.games.video:28732 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games:33081 rec.games.frp.misc:11821
From: hallch@CS.ColoState.EDU (christopher hall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.design,rec.games.misc,rec.games.programmer,rec.games.video,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Preferred Game Interface  ** Survey **
Date: 27 Jan 93 19:48:21 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.design
Organization: Colorado State University, Computer Science Department

Hello,

     I am working together with some peers to program a computer fantasy
game.  We are trying to design an interface for the game that most people
will like.  I would like to know from you people what sort of interface do
like using the most?  Is it keyboard only, joystick or mouse only, or a
combination of them?

     For your information the game is being programmed for IBMs and their
compatibles.  Also, the game is in a 3-D texture mapped graphics format.
Therefore, a character can see objects around them.  It is my opinion that
the "Sierra-style" interface from their earlier games is the best.  I think
that the game can be more versatile by making the person choose the words
and then type their commands.  Do you agree?  Do you know of another method
that works just as well or better?

     Please post any responses, and if you can, please e-mail a copy of
your response to me also.

                                                        Thanks in Advance,
                                                        Chris Hall

/--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|    The world cannot end today because it is tomorrow in Australia...     |
|                                                                          |
|       |________          Chris Hall                                      |
| ||OOO||________>         hallch@handel.colostate.edu                     |
|       |                                                                  |
\__________________________________________________________________________/

Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber)
Subject: Re: RPG: The basic rules to ARM
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:09:39 GMT

jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca wrote:
> Perhaps Athleticism... not very catchy though.  I'll have to consider this.

Preformance?       Physique?        Prowess?

> Well, maybe I shouldn't put Scale right at the start... :-)  I have found 
> that the five values you basically need to know (1, 1.5, 2.5, 4, and 6) 
> come quickly to the memory.  I'll see if I can revamp that section to make 
> it less off-putting...

Hero has a logrithmic system very similar to yours (but uses base 2 not 10).
Each +5 STR doubles the effective strength. It disguises this through the
use of tables.

Be seeing you,

Brendon Wyber                     Computer Services Centre,
b.wyber@csc.canterbury.ac.nz      University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

"Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."
From: meissner@park.bu.edu (Karl Meissner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Design Philosophy
Date: 27 Jan 93 01:35:52 GMT
Reply-To: meissner@park.bu.edu (Karl Meissner)
Organization: Boston University


Hi,

        I am working on a system which allows players to act as teams.
One of the biggest problems I have run into is a philosophical one...

1) What is the best way to present information that is happening at lot
of different locations at once?  (one problem is that too much information is
distracting)

2) How do I design in the ability of allowing (possibly physically separate)
players to act as a team?  (The more teamwork the better...)

Any 1) experience 2) literature 3) example systems would be greatly welcome.

                                        Karl Meissner
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: ldusseau@zeus.UWaterloo.ca (Lisa Dusseault)
Subject: Re: Preferred Game Interface  ** Survey **
Keywords: interface
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:10:18 GMT

In article <Jan27.194821.74243@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU>  
hallch@CS.ColoState.EDU (christopher hall) writes:
> Hello,
> 
>      I am working together with some peers to program a computer fantasy
> game.  We are trying to design an interface for the game that most  
people
> will like.  I would like to know from you people what sort of interface  
do
> like using the most?  Is it keyboard only, joystick or mouse only, or a
> combination of them?


Perhaps a bit off topic, but what I've always thought would be really  
cool:  If you have a figure of the character in view, then when you want  
the character to say something, you click on his mouth and a cartoon-type  
balloon appears next to him.  You type what you want to say, hit return or  
click again, and voila.   (of course non-mouse options are wonderful for  
people who get to know the game:  a code like s or S for say/speak... but  
the mouse should be available)  When/if somebody answers or speaks to you,  
a similar balloon appears next to him/her/them/it, and you click (or hit  
return) to make it disappear.

As for specifying actions with text (if this is necessary), perhaps if you  
click somewhere else another kind of text box appears.  That way you don't  
have a space reserved for text on the screen; and most of what happens  
should be communicated visually rather than relying on text.  If you have  
graphics anyway, use'em.

If you like it, tell me.  :)
Lisa Dusseault
ldusseau@zeus.uwaterloo.ca
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: skinner@fuzzy.stdavids.picker.com (Andy Skinner)
Subject: Re: FUDGE damage and scale
Organization: Picker International, St. Davids
	<1993Jan22.173529.25095@oz.plymouth.edu>
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:25:06 GMT


In article <1993Jan22.173529.25095@oz.plymouth.edu> sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:

   Yes, it is too complicated, I agree.  I don't yet see what we can do
   about it, though, except go to a subjective system.  ("Hmm, the giant
   hits you - you're incapacitated.  Let's see, the pixie does a critical
   success hit to the giant?  Alright, you scratched him.")

Jay Doane and I have both suggested a combination system, where the damage is
figured objectively, scale and all, but total wounds are accumulated
subjectively.  That way you don't have to add up fractions, since wounds
aren't accumulated numerically.  I think that what you need are:
1) all the normal strength, armor, weapon, and rolled degree parts that go
	into damage for a single blow
2) scale, to multiply damage
3) constitution (or something) some way of saying how well you stand up with
	the wounds you've got.  It would be nice to have one word that
	reflects your current condition, though.

Steffan:
   ...  This would mean that 1/2
   scale (by human standards) creature couldn't hurt a 2x scale (by human
   standards) creature at all, except on critical success.  ...

I would like Pippin to still be able to kill the troll.  If each scale holds
enough variation that a hobbit is low human scale (I think that is what
you have in your example, though I don't know if I agree) and a troll is either
high human scale or (low?) scale 2, you could do it.  If a hobbit is 1/2
scale and a troll is 2 scale, there may be problems.  On the other hand, the
troll might be 2 scale to the hobbit.  You'd have to have a list of what
creatures were what scale to what creatures.  I think I like more scales,
but accumulated subjectively so you don't have to add fractions.

andy
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Re: RPG: The basic rules to ARM
Date: 22 Jan 93 15:59:00 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <C18Go3.MDC@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz>, cctr120@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Brendon Wyber) writes:
> jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca wrote:
>> Perhaps Athleticism... not very catchy though.  I'll have to consider this.
> 
> Preformance?       Physique?        Prowess?

Keep Fitness. It's fine. It communicates the meaning you want to send
without confusion.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: jim@visix.com (Jim Edwards-Hewitt)
Subject: Re: FUDGE Objective Character Creation
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:11:58 GMT
Reply-To: jim@visix.com
	<SKINNER.93Jan18121747@caligula.stdavids.picker.com>
	<SKINNER.93Jan19134420@fuzzy.stdavids.picker.com>
	<43786@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>
Organization: Visix Software Inc., Reston, VA


>	Hmm...does anyone have a plot handy of a 2d10 bell curve?
>(Not for Fudge...just in general...)

The curve for two dice (2dN) is a triangle, with one chance of rolling a 2,
two chances of rolling a 3, on up to N chances of rolling N+1, and then
down again.  For 2d10, there are 100 combinations, so these chances equal
the percentage chance of rolling that number (1% chance of getting a 2,
etc.)

	-- Jim

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Edwards-Hewitt               jim@visix.com | Life is a game where 
President, Interactive Literature Foundation   | you play yourself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: atom@soda.berkeley.edu (Allen Tom)
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
Subject: Re: Preferred Game Interface  ** Survey **
Date: 28 Jan 1993 06:25:39 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

In article <Jan27.194821.74243@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> hallch@CS.ColoState.EDU (christopher hall) writes:
>Hello,
>
>     I am working together with some peers to program a computer fantasy
>game.  We are trying to design an interface for the game that most people
>will like.  I would like to know from you people what sort of interface do
>like using the most?  Is it keyboard only, joystick or mouse only, or a
>combination of them?
>

Joystick: Unless its an action game, forget it!

Mouse: Gets very annoying once you learn all the commands.

Keyboard: I'm playing U7 now with a mouse, and I yearn for the days
when Ultima was 100% keyboard... (It's alot easier and *faster* once 
you know all the keys compared to clicking and sliding that thing around
my desk)


-- 
+-------=Allen Tom=-------+   It is not I who am crazy,
| atom@soda.berkeley.edu  |         It is I who am MAD!!!! -- Ren
| atom@ocf.berkeley.edu   |          
+-------------------------+ wubba wubba wubba wubba wubba wubba wubba!!!!!
Newsgroups: rec.games.design
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: FUDGE Objective Character Creation
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, NH.
	<1jk7cnINN8pj@iskut.ucs.ubc.ca>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 23:46:51 GMT

hodder@geop.ubc.ca writes:
>Why not put the objective character creation system into Section F ?
>That way it's not part of the main rules but gives people an idea of
>how to make such a scheme - it's also still available for those who
>want to use it (like me!).

A vote, another vote!  Thanks!  It helps me in deciding what to do,
honest!

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.design