Is this game a BBS-like? reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 16:06 Hey guys, I'm the developer of a game called '[Warsim: the Realm of As lona](http://store.steampowered.com/app/659540/Warsim_The_Realm_of_Asl ona/?beta=0)' it's a text-based (command prompt window) Ascii kingdom management rpg with an emphasis on proc gen and player choice. BBS games were a bit before my time and I've never played any but I've had countless comparisons on forums, our reddit community, in steam reviews and so on with people comparing the game to BBS games. Warsim is a singleplayer game so I feel like already that's a pretty big glaring no, but perhaps there are other things I'm missing. So my question is, would this qualify as a BBS-like? Any help would be appreciated, just mildly curious! :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HerpieMcDerpie · 2020-07-03 16:59 Plenty of BBS games were single player. Based on the Steam page video and screenshots, I'd say this qualifies as a BBS-like game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 16:59 Ooh that's awesome. I don't know why but I assumed BBS games were all online. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mholger · 2020-07-03 17:42 They were! But they weren't all multi-player, in the modern sense anyway. While you had to go online and access a BBS, which had many users, and those users could all play games that were hosted by the BBS, the games themselves didn't necessarily allow for a shared gameplay experience between users, effectively being online single player games. It was perfectly normal back in the day, but thinking about it now, it's a pretty weird concept, lol! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JumpingJax · 2020-07-03 17:52 I agree this does look bbs like. Basically it's the ASCII/ANSI that takes you back. I went ahead and purchased it (Steam Summer Sale) - Let's see how you do :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 18:09 Oh that's awesome, thanks for the support! I'd love to know what you think :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 18:11 That is a strange concept actually haha, thanks for explaining it to me! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JonnyRocks · 2020-07-03 18:22 Its because a bbs was histed by some guy on his computer. You lucked out when someone had two phones and two people could be dialed in at the same time. They were also lical because it costed a lot of money to dial long distance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 18:27 Damn, again this is fascinating to try and wrap my head around. I'm 25 and I feel like this stuff is way beyond my time haha. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gexgekko · 2020-07-03 19:33 Actually that concept of connecting to something to play singleplayer games is similar to flash pages like Kongregate or Miniclip (with a lot of technical differences of course, but the concept itself...) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 19:39 That's true I suppose. I used to spend a hell of a lot of time on newgrounds as a kid. Submitting terrible flash games dreaming of being a game developer LOL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gexgekko · 2020-07-03 20:07 I used to be like you but I've never finished all the games I've started. Also text-based as I'm not good at designing graphics, but someday I'll launch my own "Warsim" like you did ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-03 20:11 I can't wait to see it when you do! :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NuSkooler · 2020-07-03 23:15 Went ahead and purchased... Definitely has a BBS door feel. In fact, you could totally port this and have a BBS/telnet able version. Not the best for monetization of course :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JumpingJax · 2020-07-03 23:54 Well 4 hours of game play in it today. I'd say you have something there. I appreciate the lack of graphics actually. It's less distracting. Reminds me of a combo between an old BBS game "Empire" and maybe some Angband. I will be playing more :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- anras · 2020-07-04 01:15 Many were like that, but some were larger. I was a co-sysop on two BBSes: one which my friend ran in his room that had one line - it was for files and door games mostly, and a bigger one that ran Worldgroup and had 9 lines initially, but eventually the owner/sysop got a T1 and ran it as a business, so it had I believe 48 lines. Mostly a focus on teleconference and multiplayer gaming (Doom, Warcraft II, etc.) on the latter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ozznixon · 2020-07-04 03:03 What language did you write this in? I have been developing many BBS systems, and engines to make non-socket solutions work quickly as a BBS "Door" (what we used to call BBS games). Feel free to email me direction - ozznixon at gmail. Ozz ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Android8675 · 2020-07-04 04:54 Cool game, a few years back I described [Sanctuary RPG: Black Ed](https://www.gog.com/game/sanctuaryrpg_black_edition) as kind of a BBS-like game, but didn't call it that at the time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-04 09:37 Nice, Warsim has been compared to Sanctuary before too though I wouldn't say they're very similar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-04 09:38 It's written entirely in C++, 500k lines of messy c++ haha. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-04 09:39 Thanks for the support! My primary focus for future ports are Mac/Linux/Android, but maybe we'll get a BBS port who knows haha. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-04 09:41 Thanks for the kind words! First I've been compared to Angband but I'll take it, and I just checked out empire and it looks interesting. Really glad you've enjoyed the game so far and hope you continue to :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Android8675 · 2020-07-04 19:50 I agree, it’s the text. Mostly. ANSI art is always cool too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-04 22:12 Yeah definitely! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ShooterJennings · 2020-07-04 23:46 Very exciting! Can’t wait to dig in ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-07 08:08 Let me know what you think :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ozznixon · 2020-07-08 20:44 Which OS did you focus on? Linux you can cheat with inetd or xinetd - it can redirect stdin and stdout over the socket so you don't have to code it. Windows can do the same but you will need to buy a couple inexpensive apps for 32bit windows to redirect screen i/o in doorway mode. If you are serious of doing this, email me and we can work on getting you online. If it is ready, I can host if needed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-09 01:06 It's windows at the moment, I'm planning on looking into android/linux/mac ports when the game comes out of early access but still a while from that yet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-09 01:07 It's windows at the moment, I'm planning on looking into android/linux/mac ports when the game comes out of early access but still a while from that yet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- richorr70 · 2020-07-23 21:56 Looks really cool! The look and feel are definitely on point with an 80's BBS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-07-24 16:16 Thanks man! :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-08-02 05:47 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-08-04 12:52 Hey mate, that's really cool. I don't even fully understand how that's possible or how it works. Could you show me/explain it? :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-08-06 04:04 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-08-06 10:07 Are users required to already have a copy already? or would it be a way for people to play the full game for free? Just checking cause this stuff's still a mystery to me, it's cool it's able to work as a bbs though. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-08-06 14:35 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-08-06 14:41 Right, well I have no problem you keeping it up for you and your friends and stuff :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-08-06 16:20 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Huw2k8 · 2020-08-06 16:37 Yeah that would be awesome dude :)