examinekey is an attempt at creating a interactive role play game (or text based adventure) with a live writing challenge.
anyone who is about my age will remember text based RPGs, where your character is dropped into a room at the start of the game, and then has to move around within a virtual space using simple commands. When I say virtual space, don't think of wearing a Virtual Reality helmet, but virtual space as in doesn't exist in reality, but you're able to move about within it using the interface you're provided.
The interface back in the 80s was fairly basic. I remember spending hours of my life playing an RPG version of The Hobbit where you were presented with a picture of the Shire and then were able to "Go North", "Go East", "Go North" until the inevitable "You are eaten by a Troll with a penchant for oversized feet".
This RPG is a little different. Every day (or thereabouts based upon popularity and how busy I am) I'll write a passage of the game. The first 'screen' is online now. Read the passage, and using the comments tool within the page, make a suggestion for what you want to do next, ie. "Go North", "Get eaten by a Troll". As this isn't an intelligent game engine of any sort (ie. a computer isn't trying to work out what command you said in your comment and act upon it) you can use pretty much any natural language to request the character's next move. "Fall over and bang your head on a stone dwarf" would be more than suitable. Treat the character as a rag doll which will react to your beck and call.
Once the comments are in, I'll select the best one, and write the next portion of the game, which you can again react to using comments, and so on, ad nauseum.
There is a slight game plan, an overall concept and plot behind the game, and as the game progresses, key plotlines and characters will emerge - but how long and how gracefully they appear is down to the route you influence. Also, I'm hoping that the virtual landscape will hold up, and if you turn right four times, you'll be back where you started - but apologies from the out for if/when I get that wrong.
So, go forth and influence - and please tell your friends. This idea will live or die by the comments posted, so the wider audience it receives, the more interesting the story shall become.
September 13, 2005
More info? email me on examinekey at webponce dot com.
anyone who is about my age will remember text based RPGs, where your character is dropped into a room at the start of the game, and then has to move around within a virtual space using simple commands. When I say virtual space, don't think of wearing a Virtual Reality helmet, but virtual space as in doesn't exist in reality, but you're able to move about within it using the interface you're provided.
The interface back in the 80s was fairly basic. I remember spending hours of my life playing an RPG version of The Hobbit where you were presented with a picture of the Shire and then were able to "Go North", "Go East", "Go North" until the inevitable "You are eaten by a Troll with a penchant for oversized feet".
This RPG is a little different. Every day (or thereabouts based upon popularity and how busy I am) I'll write a passage of the game. The first 'screen' is online now. Read the passage, and using the comments tool within the page, make a suggestion for what you want to do next, ie. "Go North", "Get eaten by a Troll". As this isn't an intelligent game engine of any sort (ie. a computer isn't trying to work out what command you said in your comment and act upon it) you can use pretty much any natural language to request the character's next move. "Fall over and bang your head on a stone dwarf" would be more than suitable. Treat the character as a rag doll which will react to your beck and call.
Once the comments are in, I'll select the best one, and write the next portion of the game, which you can again react to using comments, and so on, ad nauseum.
There is a slight game plan, an overall concept and plot behind the game, and as the game progresses, key plotlines and characters will emerge - but how long and how gracefully they appear is down to the route you influence. Also, I'm hoping that the virtual landscape will hold up, and if you turn right four times, you'll be back where you started - but apologies from the out for if/when I get that wrong.
So, go forth and influence - and please tell your friends. This idea will live or die by the comments posted, so the wider audience it receives, the more interesting the story shall become.
Play the Game
Matthew KnightSeptember 13, 2005
More info? email me on examinekey at webponce dot com.
From the start..
Archives
what?
a live interactive role play game, where you get to suggest the next move. make a comment to suggest what the protagonist does next. help solve the mystery, make friends, lose weight, all for the cost of a few keystrokes.
how?
in your comments, make basic commands like "Go North", "Climb Ladder", "Example Newspaper" to suggest the next move. You can also be more specific like "scratch your chin whilst staring at the floor". The best or most useful comment will get selected, and the next portion of the story will be written the following day.
nope.. still don't get it
okay, read this.