December 1998
- Hex-grid mapping Matthew R. Sheahan
- Hex-grid mapping Jon Leonard
- Hex-grid mapping James Wilson
- Hex-grid mapping Jon Leonard
- Hex-grid mapping James Wilson
- Hex-grid mapping Par Winzell
- Hex-grid mapping quzah [sotfhome]
- Hex-grid mapping Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping Ling
- Hex-grid mapping Jon A. Lambert
- Hex-grid mapping Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping Alberto Barsella
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Pericolo DiMorte
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) quzah [sotfhome]
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) Pericolo DiMorte
- Hex-grid mapping (example from PSL empire) James Wilson
- ADMIN: Personalities... J C Lawrence
- Hex-grid mapping (fwd) Nathan F Yospe
- Hex-grid mapping (fwd) J C Lawrence
- Electric Communities' E Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Electric Communities' E Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- mud client development systems greear@cyberhighway.net
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Benjamin D. Wiechel
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems J C Lawrence
- mud client development systems Per Vognsen
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Scatter
- mud client development systems Per Vognsen
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- mud client development systems Jon Leonard
- mud client development systems Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Chris Gray
- Stack-Based NPC AI Eli Stevens {KiZurich}
- Stack-Based NPC AI Mark Gritter
- Stack-Based NPC AI Marc Hernandez
- Stack-Based NPC AI Richard Woolcock
- Stack-Based NPC AI Par Winzell
- Stack-Based NPC AI David Bennett
- Stack-Based NPC AI Mik Clarke
- Stack-Based NPC AI Felix A. Croes
The implicit assumption in the above posts on NPC AI is that the player
enters a full-blown game world in which NPCs are already fully formed.
Gamespot currently has an interesting feature about a game in which
the player starts not as a lowly adventurer but as a god, and where
the NPCs learn from players:
http://www.gamespot.com/features/bandw/index.html
I'm including the text of the relevant pages for the archives.
---
Page 3 of 5
Clash of the Titans
While the above-described scenario already seems to be the basis of a
complex game, it is actually only the backdrop for the main element of
Black and White - the raising and training of Titans. This is the
component that takes the game beyond what Molyneux has done in the
past. Imagine a complex artificial life simulator, along the lines of,
but more complex than, games such as Mindscape's Creatures or P. F.
Magic's Virtual Petz series.
There are numerous creatures that roam Eden. You choose one of these
and place it in a pen, where you begin raising it. You can choose wild
animals such as tigers and lions, domesticated animals like sheep and
cows, or even any of the villagers to raise. Lionhead's plan is for
the Titan to become a representation of the player in the game. As
Molyneux describes it: "We want anybody to be able to take any living
thing, to train it and to treat it however they like, and for that
thing to be totally and completely unique to them."
Molyneux demonstrated this facet of the game by employing a raised
lion. It roamed the countryside, towering over the tribesmen,
literally one hundred times their height in scale, as they ran around.
It was an amazing-looking creature, a towering, half-humanoid feline
with impeccable posture and a noble face. This was the example of a
lion who had been raised with kindness. The same beast under less
desirable circumstances was an altogether different creature. It began
to hunch over, its coat took on a darker hue, and its face twisted
into a frightening snarl. To further demonstrate the versatility of
the Titans, a cow was shown, or more accurately, a cow standing
several hundred feet tall, doing a spinning kick. As these two
examples illustrated, the Titans should prove an interesting game
mechanic indeed.
As you grow in power, so will your Titan grow in physical size. As you
learn spells, your Titan will watch you and learn as well. Then it
will go out and act as an agent of battle on your behalf. "When you do
something cool," explains Molyneux, "it will actually turn around and
look at you. And his face will actually smile and it will cry and it
will laugh." To elaborate, imagine as you continue casting a fire
spell in a straight line. Your creature will curiously watch you, then
eventually begin casting the spell in the same manner.
Molyneux hopes people will become attached to their creatures, as they
watch them become more experienced and grow old throughout the course
of the game. This emotional attachment is a good possibility: The
Titans are incredibly lifelike. For instance, if one cuts itself as a
baby, it will retain the scar throughout the game. Adding to this
lifelike quality is the fact that the creatures are being animated
with an interesting system, a combination of prerendered animations
and interpolation that will allow for almost infinite variety.
Page 5 of 5
Single and Multiplayer
Details on the game specifics are somewhat vague, but Molyneux has
grand plans. The single-player game is planned as an open-ended set of
events based in a persistent world. There will be no "levels," just an
expanding playing area for you to try to dominate. And the
single-player and multiplayer games will be interchangeable, allowing
you to take your creature back and forth between the two.
There are also vague plans for an online persistent universe, but
discussions of such structural elements are both theoretical and
premature at this point, considering the basic system is still being
tested and tweaked. But that's the nature of Molyneux's design
philosophy, and one that has permeated Lionhead. Jonty Barnes says it
best: "The only way to really make a game good is to play it to
death."
But what Black and White promises is more than just another strategy
game with a new take on an old idea. It is a new idea altogether. The
fact that the game will allow you to play how you want, as a vile
tyrant or the paragon of good, and that the game will actually change
to represent that, is exciting. And the implications for the gameplay
are many. You can spend all of your time raising the ultimate good
Titan, but Molyneux describes how your creature is affected by
exterior circumstances, such as kidnapping: "It goes through this
horribly torturous experience, which affects its personality. It is
going to be horribly psychologically scarred by this experience."
Nurturing your Titan is a pivotal part of the game, but a dynamic
environment will continually test your abilities to guide your Titan
and your worshippers.
As of yet, Lionhead hasn't even hinted at a release date. Educated
guesses put the game in late 1999, but it could be as late as the year
2000 before Black and White is available to consumers. Until then,
GameSpot will keep you updated on this ambitious project.
---
Felix Croes
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Introduction Adam J. Thornton
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Introduction ApplePiMan@aol.com
- Introduction Mik Clarke
- Thought Treasure Adam Wiggins
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Nathan F Yospe
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Adam Wiggins
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- Netscape's "Gecko" Browsing Engine (fwd) greear@cyberhighway.net
- Error tolerant UDP data streams J C Lawrence
- Error tolerant UDP data streams James Wilson
- Error tolerant UDP data streams J C Lawrence
- Error tolerant UDP data streams Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- ADMIN: (IMPORTNANT) Server down time and possible service interruption J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Error tolerant UDP data streams Darren Henderson
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) Benjamin D. Wiechel
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) Michael Willey
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc (long) Thinus Barnard
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Ling
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Travis S. Casey
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc (long) Marian Griffith
- MUD Design doc (long) Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Sunny Gulati
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Benjamin D. Wiechel
- MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc (long) Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Emil Eifrem
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Mik Clarke
- MUD Design doc (long) Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Hex grids. quzah [softhome]
- small dev-mud invite Chris Gray
- small dev-mud invite J C Lawrence
- mud client development systems Sunny Gulati
- mud client development systems Jay Carlson
- mud client development systems J C Lawrence
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Jon Leonard
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Mik Clarke
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Alex Oren
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Dan Shiovitz
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Mik Clarke
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... Greg Connor
- AFAP: As fast as possible, non linear... quzah [softhome]
- Graphic design, client questions Thinus Barnard
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions Jo Dillon
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions Jo Dillon
- Graphic design, client questions Thinus Barnard
- Graphic design, client questions Sunny Gulati
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions J C Lawrence
- Graphic design, client questions Jay Carlson
- Graphic design, client questions Ben Greear
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-to-Peer Koster, Raph
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-to-Peer Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-t o-Peer Koster, Raph
- More Laws, was DIS: Client-Server vs Peer-t o-Peer J C Lawrence
- More Laws Niklas Elmqvist
- More Laws J C Lawrence
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Michael Willey
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Adam Wiggins
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Sunny Gulati
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) quzah [softhome]
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) David Bennett
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) quzah [softhome]
- Some useful links Niklas Elmqvist
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) Chris Gray
- Response (Was MUD Design doc (long)) J C Lawrence
- example custom protocol and its uses Chris Gray
- client stuff... Andrew Wilson
- Developing a MUD for the first time? Alex Oren
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module J C Lawrence
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module T. Alexander Popiel
- [DevMUD] Database module Jay Carlson
- [DevMUD] Database module cynbe@muq.org
- [DevMUD] Database module Felix A. Croes
- Re[2]:MUD Design doc (long) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- [RRE]AAAI 1999 Fall Symposium: Narrative Intelligence Bruce Mitchener, Jr.
- (fwd) DESIGN: Proposed topic of Discussion (Injecting Pure Signal) J C Lawrence
- Terragen Vadim Tkachenko
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Bobby Bailey
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Robin Carey
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.01a Bobby Bailey
- META: 1998 Topic Summary Jon A. Lambert
- [RELEASE] Insanity To Infinity (I:I_OS) v.02a Bobby Bailey
- ADMIN: New text formatting rule for MUD-Dev J C Lawrence
- More Laws Jon A. Lambert
- More Laws Travis Casey
- MUD Design doc - Combat Jon A. Lambert
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat cynbe@muq.org
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat quzah [softhome]
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Adam Wiggins
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat quzah [softhome]
- MUD Design doc - Combat Dr. Cat
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat J C Lawrence
- MUD Design doc - Combat James Wilson
- MUD Design doc - Combat Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc - Combat James Wilson
- MUD Design doc - Combat Nathan F Yospe
- MUD Design doc - Combat diablo@best.com
- MUD Design doc - Combat Kristen Koster
- MUD Design doc - Combat Chris Gray
- MUD Design doc - Combat Scatter
- MUD Design doc - Combat Koster, Raph
- MUD Design doc - Combat Kristen Koster
- MUD Design doc - Combat Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- MUD Design doc - Combat T. Alexander Popiel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Till Eulenspiegel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Travis Casey
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Ling
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Till Eulenspiegel
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Justin Robinson
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Alex Oren
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Matt Wallace
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Andy Cink
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Marian Griffith
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Koster, Raph
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Holly Sommer
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Adam Wiggins
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Matt Wallace
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. D. B. Brown
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Mik Clarke
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Vladimir Prelovac
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Nathan F Yospe
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Jon A. Lambert
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Travis S. Casey
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. J C Lawrence
- Levels versus Skills, who uses them and when. Petri Virkkula