The Considerably Interesting Curricular Compendium |
The home of Blerns & Sob
Thursday, May 05, 2005
An Extemporaneous Museum Thing (Essay)
I hate when other people use big words that I don't know, so I understand how you feel if you don't know the word I used there. 'Extemporaneous' means 'impromptu' or rather 'unplanned, spontaneous'. Now that that's cleared up...
A couple of years ago, Rob and I went to the local museum to see a fun 'Game On' exhibition; a special temporary event all about games, from the oldest to the newest.
What's most funny is that out of all the games we played, the one we had the must fun with (aside from the cinema-screen Pong one) had to be the text-adventure game.
I'm young, so I grew up with graphics, not text. Why was the game such fun? Because, for all the missing graphics and icons, it felt like the most flexible, freedom-giving, amazingly large and difficult game ever:
You wake up with a headache.
Rob: That's nice. What now?
Brins: I don't know.
Rob: Where are you? Try looking around. (Look around)
You're in your house.
Rob: Let's leave. (Exit)
You hit the door and die. Game over.
Rob: ?! Stupid game! (I hate you!)
What did I ever do to you?
Rob: What?! (Who are you?)
I'm the narrator. What do you think?
Rob: Bah. (Commit suicide)
Game over.
After about ten minutes, we found out you had to open the pocket of a jacket which was apparently in the room and take an aspirin from it. Then you can leave - and get run over by a steamroller.
We were both amazed by the number of things you could do and say which the computer understood. Rob even had a conversation with the narrator at one point, and we had a blast trying to stop that steamroller from killing us. Strange as it may be, I have to say that text-adventures are the best multiplayer games ever. Ideal for parties! Now that would be fun.
With all the emphasis on graphical communication in games, I think it's sad that they've neglected these text-driven games. They have such a strangely mystical quality to them, and as I said the sheer vastness of possibilities with commands are astonishing. You feel more like you're in a virtual world than with graphics.
If you ever go partying with friends, see about getting one of these games round; I have a hunch that a drunken text adventure could be a real hit.
I hate when other people use big words that I don't know, so I understand how you feel if you don't know the word I used there. 'Extemporaneous' means 'impromptu' or rather 'unplanned, spontaneous'. Now that that's cleared up...
A couple of years ago, Rob and I went to the local museum to see a fun 'Game On' exhibition; a special temporary event all about games, from the oldest to the newest.
What's most funny is that out of all the games we played, the one we had the must fun with (aside from the cinema-screen Pong one) had to be the text-adventure game.
I'm young, so I grew up with graphics, not text. Why was the game such fun? Because, for all the missing graphics and icons, it felt like the most flexible, freedom-giving, amazingly large and difficult game ever:
You wake up with a headache.
Rob: That's nice. What now?
Brins: I don't know.
Rob: Where are you? Try looking around. (Look around)
You're in your house.
Rob: Let's leave. (Exit)
You hit the door and die. Game over.
Rob: ?! Stupid game! (I hate you!)
What did I ever do to you?
Rob: What?! (Who are you?)
I'm the narrator. What do you think?
Rob: Bah. (Commit suicide)
Game over.
After about ten minutes, we found out you had to open the pocket of a jacket which was apparently in the room and take an aspirin from it. Then you can leave - and get run over by a steamroller.
We were both amazed by the number of things you could do and say which the computer understood. Rob even had a conversation with the narrator at one point, and we had a blast trying to stop that steamroller from killing us. Strange as it may be, I have to say that text-adventures are the best multiplayer games ever. Ideal for parties! Now that would be fun.
With all the emphasis on graphical communication in games, I think it's sad that they've neglected these text-driven games. They have such a strangely mystical quality to them, and as I said the sheer vastness of possibilities with commands are astonishing. You feel more like you're in a virtual world than with graphics.
If you ever go partying with friends, see about getting one of these games round; I have a hunch that a drunken text adventure could be a real hit.
Brins would appreciate it if you didn't swear in your comments
<< Home
