GarfunkeL
Racism Expert
So while I was trying to build this world: http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=46106
I wanted to use it for something and a interactive fiction, TEXT ADVENTURE, came to my mind. I've dabbled with ADRIFT and before that with AdventureGameToolkit so I have tiny bit of experience with this. I wrote my "design doc", though it's pretty bare bones at the moment, as I'm trying to flesh out the main plot and the quests/puzzles the player has to overcome. What my INNOVASHUN! is, is that because the game presents a fish-out-of-water situation upon the player's character, there are two different ways to solve/beat the game: escape or adapt, depending on whether player thinks the New Land is FUCK YEAH! or ITZ.
Land of Mises (working title)
Player is the captain of an explorer sailing ship, out from a generic renaissance/early modern period-setting where women's lib is more akin to mid/late 20th century. Thanks to a storm, his ship sinks and the player is marooned on a deserted beach on a previously unknown continent, which turns out to be a extremely patriarchal/misogynistic feudal society.
I went with the Bioware solution of 4 thingamangies per path:
PLAN ESCAPE (1): Ship (11), navigation (12), supplies (13), crew (14)
PLAN ADAPT (2): House (21), title (22), blessing (23), retainers (24)
Devil is in the details:
11. Ship strong enough to brave the voyage home. I'll go with something like a caravel, since that's what Kolumbus used. It's small enough to believably exist in a society with some shore-based seafaring commerce and is easy to handle plus requires a very small crew. Player must purchase/capture one to escape.
12. Navigation-tool. Sextant/octant (probably latter). Made out of wood with brass mirrors. Requires a skilled artisan to make, under the supervision of the player, so he can navigate with stars the route home. Players needs to find an artisan, pay him for the work and get the raw material. Make brass a holy material used by the CHURCH so it overlaps with 23.
13. Supplies for a voyage of about 4-5 weeks (length of Columbus' first trip was five wks). Water+barrells, salt meat, dried vegetables, biscuit. Fishing line, extra sails. Instead of resource hunting minigame, this would all come from a somesort of rich merchant/wholesale vendor to whom the player must complete a quest. Overlaps with 24 as the quest is to get rid of bandits plaguing the vendor's caravans.
14. Crew of about 20 souls to handle the ship. No local sailor would go, as they think the WORLD ENDS AT HORIZON or something similar / chuch has banned and burned previous explorer, etc. Player, appalled by the condition of local women, rescues bunch of them and trains them to be a ad-hoc, improvised sailing crew. Overlaps with 21.
21. Player decides to stick around and ensure that he has a good life, so he needs a house. I'm thinking that he will encounter a particularly cruel fellow with a chattel of slaves or perhaps a harem of some sorts and can slay him, earning himself a sizable house to live in and staff to run it. Overlaps with 14 as the other choice is to free the slaves and convince them to escape with the player to the BETTER WORLD!
22. Player needs a title as otherwise he is nothing but a free target in a feudal society. Gifted by a local ruler, earned through bribery? Quest? I'm little stumped here about details.
23. Blessing of TEH CHURCH, which absolves the player from guilt of killing the house owner and ensures his status for the future as esteemed gentleman. Could overlap with 12 if the resources for sextant would be controlled by church.
24. Retainers and men-at-arms. Otherwise player is helpless against the other local lords. These would be the bandits plaguing the merchants of 13. Player convinces them to join him as his troops, absolving them of their previous crimes - perhaps rewarding them with some of the slaves from the inherited harem from 21, too?
*********
PC would leave the beach he marooned in, would stumble to a decently luxurious country manor/house, be welcomed in and then, while getting a tour from Mr.MoustacheTwirlingVillain experiences the blight of the opposite gender first hand. This leads PC to killing Mr.MTV. What would be a suitable scenery? Poor living conditions, physical and sexual abuse? Nonchalant offer to "enjoy the servants as you will" during dinner?
I'm thinking that the PC will have two choices - either poison Mr.MTV or through discussion/event get into a duel (which PC will win thanks to being Heroic Swashbuckler).
After that PC needs to make a choice of either freeing the slaves/harem/staff or retaining them and taking Mr.MTV's place, leading PC into "realizing" the needed goals which could be solved in a free form. I haven't thought about their details yet.
""""""""""""""""""""""
That's about it so far. Game might have combat. ADRIFT includes a possibility for it but I've never tried to implement it but could look into it. That would transform it from pure adventure into semi-RPG. And yes, it would involve tastefully done rape, in the ADAPT! path, at least.
Also, in case this doesn't get totally ripped apart by the Hivemind AND I can get off my lazy ass and actually start writing it, would there be helpful minds - proof-reading at first and beta-testing at later part would be required.
I wanted to use it for something and a interactive fiction, TEXT ADVENTURE, came to my mind. I've dabbled with ADRIFT and before that with AdventureGameToolkit so I have tiny bit of experience with this. I wrote my "design doc", though it's pretty bare bones at the moment, as I'm trying to flesh out the main plot and the quests/puzzles the player has to overcome. What my INNOVASHUN! is, is that because the game presents a fish-out-of-water situation upon the player's character, there are two different ways to solve/beat the game: escape or adapt, depending on whether player thinks the New Land is FUCK YEAH! or ITZ.
Land of Mises (working title)
Player is the captain of an explorer sailing ship, out from a generic renaissance/early modern period-setting where women's lib is more akin to mid/late 20th century. Thanks to a storm, his ship sinks and the player is marooned on a deserted beach on a previously unknown continent, which turns out to be a extremely patriarchal/misogynistic feudal society.
I went with the Bioware solution of 4 thingamangies per path:
PLAN ESCAPE (1): Ship (11), navigation (12), supplies (13), crew (14)
PLAN ADAPT (2): House (21), title (22), blessing (23), retainers (24)
Devil is in the details:
11. Ship strong enough to brave the voyage home. I'll go with something like a caravel, since that's what Kolumbus used. It's small enough to believably exist in a society with some shore-based seafaring commerce and is easy to handle plus requires a very small crew. Player must purchase/capture one to escape.
12. Navigation-tool. Sextant/octant (probably latter). Made out of wood with brass mirrors. Requires a skilled artisan to make, under the supervision of the player, so he can navigate with stars the route home. Players needs to find an artisan, pay him for the work and get the raw material. Make brass a holy material used by the CHURCH so it overlaps with 23.
13. Supplies for a voyage of about 4-5 weeks (length of Columbus' first trip was five wks). Water+barrells, salt meat, dried vegetables, biscuit. Fishing line, extra sails. Instead of resource hunting minigame, this would all come from a somesort of rich merchant/wholesale vendor to whom the player must complete a quest. Overlaps with 24 as the quest is to get rid of bandits plaguing the vendor's caravans.
14. Crew of about 20 souls to handle the ship. No local sailor would go, as they think the WORLD ENDS AT HORIZON or something similar / chuch has banned and burned previous explorer, etc. Player, appalled by the condition of local women, rescues bunch of them and trains them to be a ad-hoc, improvised sailing crew. Overlaps with 21.
21. Player decides to stick around and ensure that he has a good life, so he needs a house. I'm thinking that he will encounter a particularly cruel fellow with a chattel of slaves or perhaps a harem of some sorts and can slay him, earning himself a sizable house to live in and staff to run it. Overlaps with 14 as the other choice is to free the slaves and convince them to escape with the player to the BETTER WORLD!
22. Player needs a title as otherwise he is nothing but a free target in a feudal society. Gifted by a local ruler, earned through bribery? Quest? I'm little stumped here about details.
23. Blessing of TEH CHURCH, which absolves the player from guilt of killing the house owner and ensures his status for the future as esteemed gentleman. Could overlap with 12 if the resources for sextant would be controlled by church.
24. Retainers and men-at-arms. Otherwise player is helpless against the other local lords. These would be the bandits plaguing the merchants of 13. Player convinces them to join him as his troops, absolving them of their previous crimes - perhaps rewarding them with some of the slaves from the inherited harem from 21, too?
*********
PC would leave the beach he marooned in, would stumble to a decently luxurious country manor/house, be welcomed in and then, while getting a tour from Mr.MoustacheTwirlingVillain experiences the blight of the opposite gender first hand. This leads PC to killing Mr.MTV. What would be a suitable scenery? Poor living conditions, physical and sexual abuse? Nonchalant offer to "enjoy the servants as you will" during dinner?
I'm thinking that the PC will have two choices - either poison Mr.MTV or through discussion/event get into a duel (which PC will win thanks to being Heroic Swashbuckler).
After that PC needs to make a choice of either freeing the slaves/harem/staff or retaining them and taking Mr.MTV's place, leading PC into "realizing" the needed goals which could be solved in a free form. I haven't thought about their details yet.
""""""""""""""""""""""
That's about it so far. Game might have combat. ADRIFT includes a possibility for it but I've never tried to implement it but could look into it. That would transform it from pure adventure into semi-RPG. And yes, it would involve tastefully done rape, in the ADAPT! path, at least.
Also, in case this doesn't get totally ripped apart by the Hivemind AND I can get off my lazy ass and actually start writing it, would there be helpful minds - proof-reading at first and beta-testing at later part would be required.