Scepter of Goth
        
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       ║1   ...........Posted: 2025-09-17...........   1║
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       I had the pleasant experience of playing the first MMORPG with one of the people
       involved, who also happens to be a co-author of The Internet Gopher Protocol:
       Bob Alberti. I met him because I interviewed him for a documentary.
        
       ## Bonus material
        
       Here are some images I got from Bob Alberti himself, including handmade maps.
        
 (IMG) handmade map 01
        
 (IMG) handmade map 02
        
 (IMG) some other map
        
       An open source version: https://github.com/shelches/scepter
        
       ## Review of stats!
        
       Looking at code of a 40+ year old MMORPG to minmax my fighter.[1]
        
       this game seems to me a bit brutal.
        
       The code: https://github.com/shelches/scepter/
        
       line where character sets stats on creation:
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/log.c#L141
        
       dex dodging, attacking first, running?
        
       piety: resserection penalties? luck?
        
       in the code it's abbreviated str, int, dex, pty, con
        
       this isn't everything but it'll do (not all inclusive)
        
       also idk which weapon skill is best for this kinda build
        
       Looks like there are criticals? But unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there's
       any way to increase the chance, except for just leveling up?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L88
        
       your weapons can break!
        
       some kind of calculation for time until next allowed attack (cooldown)
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L367
        
       ## Strength (str)
        
       Affects your ability to carry heavier objects
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd1.c#L177
       i think it's like str * 10
        
       ... and even steal heavier objects.
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L1124
        
       Also affects if your hit lands.
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L72
        
       Decreases hit cooldown/strike more often?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L367
        
       ## Constitution (con)
        
       Affects vulnerability to monster's drain ability?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L364
        
       Prevents you from permadeath!
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd2.c#L704
        
       Involved in calculating if you're too exhausted to strike!
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L276
        
       ## Dexterity (dex)
        
       Affects logic for if the monster hits you or not (?)
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L259
        
       Affects chance of landing a hit
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L160
        
       Affects steal chance
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L1075
        
       ## Piety (pty)
        
       Your DM goes down when you wake up the DM?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd4.c#L15
        
       It seems like monsters will sometimes attack or not attack a player based off
       their piety, or something?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L153
        
       Affects how much money you spawn with when you ressurect?
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd2.c#L742
        
       Bless spell
       https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/spells.c#L139
        
       # my fighter build
        
       You die in this game. A lot. I considered intelligence and piety two stats I
       could leave at minimum, while for a fighter, strength, dexterity, and
       constitution are the most important. The minimum you can have is 5, so that
       leaves us with 45 points to divide amont our three selected stats.
        
       * Strength: 18: land those hits (+3 bonus?), carry heavy, hit harder, hit
         faster/more often
       * Intelligence: 5
       * Dexterity: 9: dodge those hits (only a +1 bonus?)
       * Piety: 5
       * Constitution: 18, crucial for not permadeath and absorbing and enduring
        
       Skills were a bit hard for me to reason about. I think I just will play the game
       to really figure out which skill/weapon type is best for which scenarios
       kinda...
        
       ## Footnotes
        
 (HTM) [1]: Looking at code of a 40+ year old MMORPG to minmax my fighter.: https://fosstodon.org/@someodd/115222607021233114