From: lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Questionnaire.  Please look at it!
Date: 26 Jan 93 18:13:19 GMT
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada


Hi folks.

A friend of mine and I are trying to develope a computer game that
incorporates everything we've always found lacking in the games we
play.  We're interested in finding out if we've forgotten anything.

This all began when we started getting fed up with Reach for the
Stars by SSG.  Playing against the computer was boring (it just can't
beat you), and there was nothing for the second player to do during
the first player's turn when playing head-to-head.  We also found
several bugs that allowed you to cheat.  Not to mention the game's
tendancy to crash.  We then found Anacreon, a shareware game by
George Moromisato, which was quite an improvement, despite the use
of text graphics, and the multitude of commands which were locked
out in this demo version.  

We now have the framework for the game we want to design.  It will
(eventually) be a head-to-head real-time game (via modem) with the
goal of conquering the galaxy (or a small chunk of it).  Where you
come in is like this:

Just fill in the following questionnaire and e-mail it to me at

	lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca

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PART I:  This section of the questionnaire is optional.  We're just curious
	 to find out a bit about who is answering.  Call it 'pre- market
	 research'.

Name (optional):

Occupation:

Province/State/Country of Residence:

Age:		Sex:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART II:  This section is to determine the type of system you own, and your
	  interests in computer games.

A] Make of computer:

(If your system is not an IBM or IBM clone, please skip to section B.)

   Operating system:

   RAM:

   CPU Type:

   Math co-processor (Y/N):

   Video card type:

   Modem (Y/N):		Baud rate:

   Mouse (Y/N):

   Microsoft Windows (Y/N):		Version:

B] Please indicate the categories of games you regularly play and/or own
   by deleting those you do not.

   RPG/Adventure (Eye of the Beholder)

   Arcade/Adventure (Gods) 

   Simulation I (Test Drive or Flight Simulator)

   Simulation II (SimEarth or Railway Tycoon) 

   Combat Simulation - Action (A10 or Wing Commander)

   Combat Simulation - Strategy (Patriot or Command HQ) 

   Sports (Links or Baseball)

   Classic (Chess)

   Other (please list as many as you wish)

   Please list all the games you own and play regularly (ie. regularly 
   enough to keep it on your hard drive).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART III:  This section is to determine what you would like to see in the
	   particular genre of game that we are designing - galactic
	   exploration and conquest.  Please indicate how you feel about
	   the importance of a listed feature being in the game by placing
	   an 'X' under the appropriate column, with '0' being of no importance,
	   and '5' being of great importance. 

Feature					  	  0   1   2   3   4   5  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turn-based game, with each player being       > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  alloted an amount of time to complete all     |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  actions.					|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Real-time game, with all actions being taken  >	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  into account as they are made.		|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Human vs. human option, using modem.	      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
3-dimensional galaxy with 3-d graphic 	      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  representation.				|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Detailed planetary budgeting, determining     >	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  fleet construction, technology level,		|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  mineral and agricultural production, foreign	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  aid, etc.					|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Simple or no planetary budgeting (let the     > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  program take care of the nitty-gritty)	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Ship design, allowing for design and	      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  construction of unique classes of warships	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  or transports.				|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Scenario editor, allowing for construction    > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  of set circumstances.				|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Random galaxy, with new configuration for     > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  each game.					|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   |
Emphasis on combat.			      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Emphasis on exploration and diplomacy.	      > |   |   |   |   |   |   |
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Variable computer opponent type - 		|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  opponent aggresiveness		      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  opponent difficulty level		      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Detailed combat resolution, allowing for      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  changes to attack or defense strategy during	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  combat.					|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Simplistic combat resolution, determining     >	|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
  outcome given the current situation. 		|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
						|   |   |   |   |   |   | 
Microsoft Windows 3.1 support.		      > |   |   |   |   |   |   | 

Please comment on anything we missed that you could suggest for a game of
this type.







---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for your help!


 _______________________________________ 
|                                       | '..err..of course I suck blood.' 
| "--whether you are quiet and ALIVE or | 'I don't believe you.' 
| quiet and DEAD makes no difference to | 'I've got a straw right here PAL! 
| Cerebus."                             |  You want a demonstration?!'
|       - Cerebus the Aardvark          |                   - The Tick 
|_______________________________________| Chuck Turner -> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer