Thread: Poll: Text-Based Game Preferences?

I would vote the latter, however, it would be cool if you clicked on stuff rather than controlling through text. If you can use Windows.h it wouldn't be that hard to do.

If I play a text based game, I want some flexibility. If there was a flask, I should be able to type:

"Get ye flask"
"get flask"
"pick up flask:
"take flask"
"taketh ye flask"

And end up with the flask in my inventory. Having many different ways to do actions in your game makes it a lot less frustrating. Also, make sure you have a kind of help system, describing the reccomended syntax for the actions if you go with this approach.

Hope it turns out well for you.

Typing in the entire command facilitates spelling errors and extra time. The first few takes would be O.K. but after that it would really get annoying.

I would recommend either a letter or number

Code:

Take
Drop

or

Code:

1. Take
2. Drop

of course you would have to display the options to the screen everytime cause' some people can't remember what numbers/letters go with which each command.

Originally Posted by wuzzuppy_123

If I play a text based game, I want some flexibility. If there was a flask, I should be able to type:

"Get ye flask"
"get flask"
"pick up flask:
"take flask"
"taketh ye flask"

And end up with the flask in my inventory. Having many different ways to do actions in your game makes it a lot less frustrating. Also, make sure you have a kind of help system, describing the reccomended syntax for the actions if you go with this approach.

Hope it turns out well for you.

Hehe you just brought back some memories of a text game I used to play on a really old computer.. could type just about whatever you wanted.. (Was a mystery game called Moonmist or something like that) It gave freedom and was probably the only text-based game I enjoyed, had replayability, and created a visual scene. I guess it used a base set of actions that you could type whenever.

(Play with/Get/Take/Look at/Talk to)

So you could type "Play with woman" or "Look at woman" or "Talk to woman" or "Get naked". Obviously play with woman would do nothing but repond humourously. And get naked would lead to unusual results but funny.

Remember to make things descriptive and wouldn't be a bad idea to add in options that really lead the gamer nowhere, but add to the visual aspect.

I.e.
If the game finds a flask filled with green liquid.... let them "Smell it", "Taste it",, etcs... while these options don't get the gamer anywhere you can have humourous/descriptive responses.

I guess if you wanted to implement this type you would create a set of actions say (15 global) and for each object that the user interacts with it would have 15 different responses.

Just a thought... i never play text-based games..(graphics nut myself)