Text-Based Game Creator?

[Raistlin1040]

So, this is a completely random thought I just had, and I'm not sureif I have any chance of following through with it. However, it would be nice to know just in case.

I was just wondering if there was some sort of site (or better yet, a program) designed with the function of creating a text-based game on the 'net.

[Flying Elephant]

I don't know about something on the net, but do you mean a text based adventure creator, like Inform, or something else?

[Raistlin1040]

I'm not sure what Inform is, so I'll just say what I'm trying to find.

A program or site or something that will give me the tools to create my own original text-based RPG. Preferably in a simplified version, but I trust that I could make sense out of most directions. I'm not looking for something the generates a game for me, but something that will let me make my own.

[Trazoi]

Do you mean a MUD, or one of the old style text based adventure games?

I know there exist programs to help authors make the latter out there; if you search with words like "interactive fiction" or "text adventure games" along with editor, engine etc. then I'm sure you'll find something. I can't remember their names off the top of my head, but I have found some a few years back.

I don't know if the same exists for MUDs, but I'd be surprised if they don't.

[Raistlin1040]

A MUD, yeah, sounds about right. I don't see the distinction between a MUD and a text-based adventure game really, but judging by the wikipedia entry, that's what I want. I was thinking more single-player, but I'm sure the basis is the same.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

A MUD is essentially a multiplayer text adventure with an RPG slant.

[Tirian]

A MUD, yeah, sounds about right. I don't see the distinction between a MUD and a text-based adventure game really, but judging by the wikipedia entry, that's what I want. I was thinking more single-player, but I'm sure the basis is the same.

If you are thinking single player, then you want a tool like Inform (http://ifarchive.org/if-archive/infocom/compilers/inform6/), which generates Z-machine format games compatible with Infocom emulators. Infocom is the most ported game format in history -- you can play Zork on a TRS-80 Model 1, a Firefox browser window, a cell phone or PDA, or anything in between, and any story you generated with Inform would be equally portable. There is (or at least was a few years ago) a dedicated community for helping new folks learn the craft over at the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.int-fiction.

I'm less familiar with MUDs, but a quick Google search of "mud editor" was quite fruitful.

[rjecth]

I am just a visitor to this site, but I had to answer your question! Try over at rinkworks.com. The site creator has a lot of text adventure games in the Adventure Games Live section (most of them are quite good). There is also an adventure games programming language available.

[Flying Elephant]

I use Inform 7 (http://www.inform-fiction.org/I7/Inform%207.html), it's really easy for a non-programmer like me. I'm pretty sure Tirian's link is to Inform 6, which I have not tried.

[Castaras]

TADS.

Text Adventure Development System.

Can't remember where I got it from though. =/

[DeathQuaker]

If you want to make a game roughly akin to "Zork," then you want Inform.

If your response is "What is Zork?" please run away before I'm forced to beat you. :smalltongue:

[Castaras]

What is Zork?

*runs* I've seen it around! I know the name! Just don't know what it is. :smallfrown:

[Tirian]

Zork is one of the earliest text adventures and was the flagship game from Infocom. It started off as one of those simplistic games where you type things like GO NORTH or ATTACK OGRE (although Infocom's advance was a mature parser that could understand commands like UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE RUSTY KEY), but over the course of fifteen games (plus a few games written by fans), the Great Underground Empire became a fleshed-out sort of place.

Unfortunately, contrary to popular opinion, it isn't in the public domain. Activision offered free downloads for the first three Zork games a few years ago, but that was just a limited time deal.

[Dhavaer]

There's a program called Adrift that can create text-based games. I don't recall where it came from, though.

[pman.512]

I don't know about any text based RPGs but I know of one classic RPG creator download:smallwink: