Do You Want To Be Immortal?

              An article by Graham Raven

The setting for my game is pretty ordinary, being set in
pseudo medieval times and is a fantasy-based adventure
involving magic, Sorcerers, Dwarves, Warriors and everything
you'd expect to find in any Dungeons & Dragons game. It's all
been done many times before, but I aim to make it different
in some ways.

Perhaps the single most important aspect of the game play
will be player/NPC interaction. Some 250 plus characters can
talk with you and might just smooth your journey through
these lands, if you can be bothered to win their friendship.
I'm afraid that you won't be able to simply say "Hi there,
give me all your secrets!" though, you've got to work at
getting to know them, and if you fail to please(!), they'll
get bored and walk away. Making friends is essential in this
game, and it's the greatest source of knowledge available.
You will even be able to form 'relationships' with some
characters, again if you choose to work at it.

NB I've no plans for you being able to have families and
settle down in this world until version 4.0 at the earliest.
(but it is a possibility!)

I want to make the game world as rich and deep as possible.
There will be several libraries and bookshops, and therefore
needs scores of books writing (these are about half done). So
far two broadsheets have been planned, of which there will be
25 editions (a year's worth). The gossip file for this game
will be huge! (we are trying to simulate a world after all!)

Don't worry, there will also be the usual element of violent
slaughter in the game, but it had best be mindful as opposed
to mindless, or else you might run the risk of being cursed
by the gods - and that's real bad news! Even if you avoid
curses, just dying can be irksome, possibly being permanent!
My game world has its own morality. Killing itself isn't
necessarily wrong here, providing it's 'fair' ie self-defence
or by challenge. What this means in practise, you'll have to
discover for yourself. Also it's quite likely that you'll
earn more experience points by talking to someone, than by
killing them for no good reason, and if you happen to kill
the guy who knows WHAT the Scarlet jewel is, then obviously,
you are never going to find out yourself!

THINK BEFORE YOU KILL, YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE!

Like most RPGs you will probably be resurrected should you
experience an unplanned horrible death, but the operation is
often 'imperfect' so beware. Also if a dragon burns you to
ashes and the ashes are blown to the four quarters of the
land, resurrection will be extremely iffy! (as in approaching
IMPOSSIBLE!) So if you really must die, pick a 'good' way to
do it.  Poison, disease and wounds are very curable, whilst
being eaten alive, burnt to ashes and dying of very old age,
aren't!

The overall aim of the game? Oh no, that's for the player to
discover. You'll have to explore and learn as you develop.
The best quests will likely be of your own choosing, and are
just as likely to be a riddle or a search for a lost or
hidden item, as they are to slaughter some goblin horde that
has lived too long. I aim for a world which has both day and
night time, and a world in which you need to eat, sleep and
earn money, and do lots of the ordinary essential things
you'd have to do in the physical world. I also hope for some
real characters amongst the NPCs; personality is far more
important than merely the way they look on screen. Thus there
should be lovers and complete bastards, rogues, thieves,
potential best friends and those who simply ignore you, and
many more besides just like any other world.

And this is where you come in. Do you fancy the chance of
Immortality?

I'm asking for characters - your own special, heartfelt
characters, and if you'd care to make some, I can guarantee
your alter ego a place in my game world. If you visit my
website there's a form which guides you through the creation
process and with the click of the mouse your character can be
emailed to me without any further ado.

Please bear in mind though I'm not just after 'Ugg' the Giant
Warrior and 'Clandestra' the Dark Sorceress. These are both
fine and dandy, but I need to know what clothes they wear,
their favourite drinks, colour of eyes, ambitions in life.
etc. So, if you want to be 'Immortal', your efforts will be
appreciated.

website - http://grahamatraven.cjb.net

email - graham_at_raven@yahoo.co.uk




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