Dear esteemed coders,
I'm looking for some fantastic, brilliant people who like text-based roleplaying games -and- can code.
My strength is world building and game design and my weakness is coding. I'm hoping to find some people who code well and if they're interested in the other parts (fleshing out the world and/or staying as staff when the game opens to the public) that's grand too.
The world is created and the systems have been designed; what is needed now are eager and willing coders who would like to turn the designs into a reality (fantasy?)
The world is set in a fantasy Tudor-ish time period with ten different nations comprising ten different anthropomorphic animal species.
The minimum we'd need to get started is a 'physical' game world to roleplay in, a web client for people to use to connect to the game, and the basics of a game system with commands that allow characters to move through their environment, interact with objects in the game, and be able to converse and interact with other characters.
If it's possible, it'd be good to have a system where new coders would be able to easily join in with existing coders without having to learn an entirely new skill set.
I can be reached on Discord as Weasel#4755 and on Telegram as @thewanderingweasel or by email thewanderingweasel@gmail.com
I hope to hear from some of you!
Stats, HP, Luck, and Senses
Since programmed, stats could be diminished due to injury intoxication etc, or improved sth (both temporary)
Stats and senses can be increased (x^2+20=y*1.5)
Agility - How nimble your character is.
Intellect - How smart your character is.
Intuition - How wise and intuitive your character is.
Speed - How fast your character is.
Strength - The strength of your character.
Stamina - How long your character can last during strenuous activity (fighting)
HP - How durable your character is.
Luck - As you improve the stat 'luck' your character has an increased chance for good luck, either during combat or simply by walking around and finding something. This stat increases as follows - Every third level you gain allows for combat rerolling. The interstitial levels increase the chances of happening upon something. For these, the typical finds would be a single coin, but could be something better if the luck rolls are unusually high
Senses
-Sight
-Crepuscular sight
-Nocturnal sight
Hearing
Smell
Descriptors
During character creation high stat in strength gives choices like strong, sturdy, big, strapping, etc
Most are independent - Tall, short, fat, colours, etc.
Height is based on the above; more precise height compares your PC with the one they're looking at (PC2 is the same/barely/considerably/etc taller than you).
Stat, HP, luck, and sense rate of increase - x^2+20=y*1.5
lvl/cost (lv 2 costs 14, 3 costs 16)
1 = 0
2 = 14
3 = 16
4 = 19
5 = 24
6 = 30
7 = 46
8 = 56
9 = 67
10 = 80
11 = 94
etc
Hit points in this game are a stat. They can be increased like any other stat (see stats for rate of increase). New PCs start with one hit point. If you intend to play a character that never engages in combat, you won't have a lot of need to spend points improving your HP. However, if you do expect to engage in combat, even by chance, it's a good idea to spend some points on hit points.
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HP healing
Damage is healed by time. In order to heal at all, a character is required to eat food appropriate to the diet of their species until healed (any character can eat any food normally). For slow healing, eat the appropriate food. For medium healing, a bandage can be applied by anyone, skill or not. For faster healing, a character with the appropriate skills can apply a bandage. The higher the healer's relevant skills, the faster the wounds heal. This is not rolled but is calculated from the raw stats/skills.
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easy version - HP points equal HP
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Complicated version - body part HP (is this even needed?)
Ashstone
Ashstone as a political entity encompasses the Isle of Ashstone, the tips of the peninsulas to the north and south of The Isle, and the distant fortresses of Eddystone, Blackstone, Highstone, and the forts of Aston and Eaststone on the isle of Astest.
The Isle of Ashstone lies in the middle of the Ashstone Strait. The Isle is the tip of an extinct volcano, and the stone comprising the island is made of compacted ash. This stone was used to build the fortresses and palace of the island, which made it appear from a distance that the walls and buildings had be summoned right up from the ground. The volcanic nature of the island has created underground cracks that have allowed several springs to percolate fresh water up through the cracks in the rocks in a few places which were turned into public fountains (and one private fountain adjacent to the palace.
The Isle has no resources of its own, but has a little agrarian land on the peninsulas. Some docks and causeways connect some of the smaller islets to the main city. Some space between these has been infilled and now has buildings on it. In this area, it's typical for houses to be built on piles due to the tides and flooding. It's a sketchy place.
The positions of the Isle of Ashstone and the distant fortresses have given the ruling Aithoni family dominance over the region's trade, as the best shipping lanes pass through the Ashstone Strait. The Isle itself guards the east entrance to the West Sea.
Ashstone and the peninsulas are prone to fog which is often heavy. This combined with the tricky currents and rocky geography makes maritime navigation challenging for the locals and quite difficult for captains who have not sailed these waters before, which gives the Ashstonian traders and captains even more control over the straits and regional trade.
The city is temperate; warm and sometimes hot in summer, cool and occasionally snowy in winter. The topography is rugged and the mountains nearby are too high to utilise.
Ferries big and small shuttle people back and forth across the strait.
Main city
is Brugge/London-like economically, gotland/gibraltar/singapore/venice-like geographically.
Can give cities and districts names in the main language as well as their own species languages.
All taxa generally more tolerant in city than in their homelands
Owned/run by a rich and devout trading family (like medicis). Enforce to their best abilities peace between the different species in the city, as trade flows better without conflict. Expansionist with wealth. All military is hired mercenaries except leaders. Venice/Medici/London/singapore like.
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In city, particular jobs fall to those better suited to them –
Bears are often dockworkers, guards, etc. At home they are known vintners.
Horses make good messengers outside urban areas and good couriers in them. They make good guards, dockworkers, wagondrivers, etc. At home they are good with agriculture and are often seen selling in markets.
Badgers tunnel, work stone and metals, mine, and are good with numbers and often work in banking They tend to get attached to their home, wherever that may be.
Foxes make good coach drivers, diplomats, performers, vintners, punters, traders, and selling.
Wolves are increasingly turning to mercenary and guard work. They are good woodworkers and sculptors, and are good with writing and knowledge in general. They also make excellent cooks.
Squirrels are good for things such as repairing roofs, steeplejacks, etc. They also make good burglars for obvious reasons.
Cats are known for excelling in the following professions – Entertainers, fisherfolk, builders, and merchants.
Rabbits are known to be good musicians and entertainers, cooks, couriers, weavers, tailors, and market sellers.
Social and Cultural Norms
Worldwide
All taxa can eat both meat and veg. For obligates, the opposite doesn't sit particularly well with them, but they can eat it and it will sustain them. Diet is used in healing, they have to eat the right food to heal.
There is parity between sexes.
Nobody thinks same-sex relationships are anything unusual.
Interspecific pairings are also not seen as unusual.
Both of the above are considered 'barren' marriages (no offspring are produced from these pairings)
Surrogates etc are common for those in barren (and occasionally non-barren) marriages, and surrogacy/adoption is not unusual.
Duelling is legal
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Ashstone is a free-to-play game. Additional character slots and such can be purchased (nothing can be bought that alters the game balance or gives your characters any game-system advantage. These are just for the boost in coolness factor).
You'll need an account to make a character, and you need a character to play the game.
Once you sign up for an account, you'll be able to set up your character. You'll be able to choose your species, stats, and starting skills.
A tutorial is available for new players to teach you how to move through the game and interact with other peoples' characters and objects in the game.
The game is for players 18 years and up. Despite this, we do expect players will behave appropriately.
Harassment of players will not be tolerated.
Be a nice player. Your characters can be as nice or mean as you like.
Do not disclose another players' alts to anyone if you happen to know them.
Do not cheat. We might notice. We might not notice. We might notice and talk about you behind your back because of it. You never know. We might give you a stern talking to. We really don't want to do that.
Breaking these rules can result in disciplinary action including suspension or ejection from the game.
Basic steps to play
Make an account
Make a character
Explore the world
Talk to and interact with PCs and NPCs
Optional
Craft things
Engage in combat
Character sheet
Character Creation
creation
Distribute skill points (Skill and stat increases have different curves)
intro quest
There is an introductory quest for new players to learn the game commands.
Systems
Stats
Skills
Combat
Healing
XP and PC improvement
Playing the game
interaction with PCs
interaction with NPCs
interaction with environment
SEARCH DISCORD, Barq, FX, Ferzu etc for coders. Search 'text game' etc. Post on furry ad boards, personals, google muck/mud coders/fans,
Open to some players before systems are complete? Would allow for determining what needs to be added/changed
Make it so staff can 'pause' game for plot/other reasons. Entire game will temporarily freeze while an announcement notification shows. Staff can send messages to individuals, rooms, and game.
'Parent company' name - I don't want my name visible. VWV Games? VWV Group? X Group Gaming?
Limit updates to systems to once a year at most?
Free to play with adverts, can pay for monthly subscription for no adverts, extra character slots, etc?
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Skills required to start game
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Attack
Defend (rolls might be automatic?)
heal
Language (Aithoni(=common)?
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should map out rooms to map on city map before building
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PC death - Lose X percentage of levels. Immune to death for 1 - 7 days (in hours)?, chosen randomly per death. The PCs are not notified of when this timer expires)
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We should start with one plotter. Once the game grows enough we can add another plotter or two. They should not work together. Before plots start, they need to be fully outlined so we don't get plots that the plotter is making up as they go.
Could have architect and furnishing skills to let PCs describe their own rooms? Rooms should cost rent per room per location (A one room flat, two rooms adjoining, two disconnected rooms, etc
webclient - google for ideas/existing ones
Hosting -
programming
Cost to operate? Could have adverts on website and in web-based clients
Could have some pay to play where bonuses are given (extra ch. slots, exp for a new character(s), etc)
'users manual' for builders and staff and players
translocation (PC,s NPCs, vehicles (carts, ships, boats, coaches, livestock)
https://www.reddit.com/r/MUD/comments/u1nqm5/im_a_professional_copywriter_with_a_decade_of_mud/
https://www.reddit.com/r/MUD/comments/bi604r/browserbased_mud_clients/
Start with just a webpage and a muck? Can this be improved into an ICO-like game?
Player accounts
Game Proper
Login
Welcome info, including messages
room for new PCs to start in
exit for experienced players
to PC's temp room (rented, can be purchased)
exit for new players (new accounts obligate)
to intro quest
intro quest
commands
moving, talking, interacting with the world, interacting with PCs and NPCs. Option for more education - buying, selling, wearing, etc. Combat, healing, is optional education, as is crafting etc. (do later)
housing
default (rental), purchasing the default, renting elsewhere, buying elsewhere
Commands
first tier Say, pose, move rooms. (heavy on freeform at this point)
Second tier
Character sheet (viewable on web or in game)
Web-based client
Webpage
Character creation
Webclient
Server
OS
Game
Objects
characters
stats
skills
commands
move between rooms
say
emote
Staff commands
'build'
In game-space (game environs)
First rooms
Welcome to Ashstone!
*full desc of game
Ashstone is a text-based, anthropomorphic role-playing game in a Tudoresque setting. While the lands are large and diverse, the exact setting is the well-off city-state of Ashstone (similar to modern Singapore or Renaissance Venice). There are ten nations and nine player character species to choose from.
In this game, there are no character classes; any player character may purchase any skill at the same rate. If your character would like to specialise or if they would like to be a generalist or somewhere in the middle, the options are yours. You can be a warrior. You can be a pacifist. You can be a priest, then a thief, then a baker all without losing or changing your skills.
Ashstone is primarily roleplay-focused with game systems and rules to enhance the roleplay and atmosphere. As the game evolves and grows, new skills, abilities, places, species, and other things will be added.
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*ooc rules
Ashstone is a free-to-play game. Additional character slots and such can be purchased (nothing can be bought that alters the game balance or gives your characters any game-system advantage. These are just for the boost in coolness factor).
You'll need an account to make a character, and you need a character to play the game.
Once you sign up for an account, you'll be able to set up your character. You'll be able to choose your species, stats, and starting skills.
A tutorial is available for new players to teach you how to move through the game and interact with other peoples' characters and objects in the game.
Ashstone refers to two geographic entities; the main city-state's island as well as all the lands near and far owned by the powerful Aithoni family. The game is set primarily in the former.
*more ooc rules
The game is for players 18 years and up. Despite this, this is not an adult game and we do expect players will behave appropriately.
Harassment of players will not be tolerated.
Be a nice player. Your characters can be as nice or mean as you like.
Do not cheat. We might notice. We might not notice. We might notice and talk about you behind your back because of it. You never know. We might give you a stern talking to. We might have to suspend or kick you off the game. We really don't want to do that.
Do not disclose another players' alts to anyone if you happen to know them.
Breaking these rules can result in disciplinary action including suspension or ejection from the game.
*The World
The known world of Ashstone encompasses ten nations including the city-state of Ashstone. Some of these nations are at war, some are so close their crowns have united. Peoples from all these nations have come to live on the Isle of Ashstone where they must coexist, some willingly and some without a choice.
Ashstone was a barren, rocky island before the wealthy Aithoni family recognised its strategic value and claimed it as their own, settling there a few centuries previously. Over time, they transformed the island into the largest and wealthiest city in the known lands. The Isle of Ashstone is situated in an important strait which gives them control of the majority of trade. The ability to tax foreign ships passing through their waters as well as trade via their own merchant vessels has given unimaginable wealth and power to the Aithoni family.
The Aithoni keep to themselves and speak a language unknown to the others of these lands. They also look unlike any of peoples known to the inhabitants here.
*The Game System
Characters and environments
Player characters get skills which can be improved by spending experience points.
PCs also get stats, hit points, and senses. These can also be increased with experience points, but cost more and the cost increases faster.
PCs interact with their environment, other PCs and with NPCs via simple commands. The most important are 'saying', which lets your PC speak, and 'pose' which allows you to do non-verbal things as well as movement (north, east, etc.)
In the game there are items that exist in the game world which you can pick up, give away, and perform various other actions. These include weapons, clothing, food, trinkets, and more.
Explain die rolling, explain how stats and skill work together etc