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From: "Sam Hulick" <shulick@guava.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: Gameplay theory: leaving object behind..
Message-ID: <1995Sep9.193243.15076@news.cs.indiana.edu>
Organization: Vallen Software
References: <1995Sep8.233605.25903@news.cs.indiana.edu> <42sejk$opl@globe.indirect.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 1995 19:32:32 -0500
Lines: 50
Xref: nntp.gmd.de rec.arts.int-fiction:8143 rec.games.int-fiction:9429

jdyer@indirect.com (Jason Dyer) writes:
>Sam Hulick (shulick@guava.ucs.indiana.edu) wrote:
>
>: Let's say you're playing a game, and you explore a place thoroughly (or
>: so you think).  Then a few minutes later, you take a ship to another
>: country, but then realize that you needed something back in the other
>: country!  Would you RATHER have a game not let you board the ship
>: without a few things? (i.e. a message prints "You get the odd feeling
>: you forgot something")  Or would you rather be able to leave anyway, and
>: later find out you forgot an item or two, and restore an older game?
>
>Three options:
>
>1. Before leaving, the game asks "Do you want to save your game now?"

Kind of obvious that they left something behind, then.

>2. All the objects in question will have been taken by the time the
>player gets to the transport. For example, if they need a spray paint
>can in the next country, put it next to an object required to get
>to the transport. This won't necessarily assure that the player will have
>the objects, but it will make the possession of them much more likely.
>3. When leaving, have the game say [The game is now in an unsolvable
>state. You may want to undo that last move.] but still allow the player
>to go ahead.

I was thinking about a wimpy mode.. i.e.

>wimpy on
Game is now in wimpy mode.  The game will never reach an unsolveable
state.

So then I would code things like this:

 ...  if player is about to board the ship
      {
         if (wimpy is on and player doesn't have this & this & that)
            "You feel like you've forgotten something.  Better go back.";
         ! ..otherwise, board the ship.
      }

This way, the player can decide for themself if they want the game to be
tough & mean, or not let them pass important things up.  What do you
think?

-- 
--- Sam Hulick ------------- shulick@indiana.edu ---------------------
Systems Consultant        | Homepage:
Indiana College Placement |    http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~shulick/
  and Assessment Center   | PGP public key available on request
