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From: buzzard@TheWorld.com (Sean T Barrett)
Subject: Re: Techniques in Adventure Game Design
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Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 06:01:20 GMT
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Andrew Plotkin  <erkyrath@eblong.com> wrote:
>PAP wrote:
>> You carry with you the following:
>>    A longsword, over the shoulder
>>    Ring of Valcor, on your left ring finger
>>    Bronze Axe, inside a small pouch
>>    Leather Armor, worn around your torso
>>    A small chest, carried by a mule
>>    An amulet of antiquity, worn around the neck
>>    A gleaming gem, carried in your hand
>
>> These descriptions, while verbose, tell the player what, how and where
>> they are carrying an item on their person. It is alright if you choose
>> the more traditional method described previously. But what if you want
>> to set the stage for the character within your story? Shouldn't he or
>> she have a personality all their own?
>
>In general, I agree, but I find this example very bland. It adds words
>without adding any information. So you wear your leather armor around
>your torso -- better than wearing it on your earlobes, I guess.

An actual first turn from "Heroes":

  >INVENTORY
  You are carrying:
    a dagger (in ankle sheath)
    a length of wire (in left tunic pocket)
    a set of lockpicks (in left sleeve pocket)
    a vial of grease (in right cloak pocket)

This character also automatically removes objects from pockets
and returns them to pockets as needed, inspired by a conversation
here on raif a long time ago (I think you, Zarf, in fact suggested
that this might be appropriate for a mountain-climber game or
the like), and by the nooks in Shade.

The idea here is that I was trying to differentiate the five
player characters in as many ways as possible, and it seemed
like this idea--the smooth professional thief who has to keep
his hands free--would work well, despite the entirely pedestrian
nature of the extra information about the pockets. (Admittedly,
this information isn't as redundant as 'around your torso',
although it is equally irrelevent, at least.) They make no
real difference in the gameplay, since the pocketing is all
automatic, although I guess maybe this allowed me to have a
severe inventory limit on non-pocketable items (I forget now).

Some players have said that the thief was, in fact, their
favorite character, and I like to think that touches like
the above were a contributing factor. But here it was
explicitly to *differentiate*; the other four player
characters have normal inventory lists.

SeanB
