Analysis Case Study: Developing a Text-Based Adventure Game Engine, Study notes of Computers and Information technologies

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Analysis Case Study: Stage

Ian Holyer

Ian Holyer

The Idea

The problem area I've picked on for the case study is The problem area I've picked on for the case study is

an engine for old-style text-based adventure games

an engine for old-style text-based adventure games

The very first adventure game ever was called The very first adventure game ever was called

Adventure (or Colossal Cave) see Adventure (or Colossal Cave) see

http://www.rickadams.org/adventure/

You can download it and play it, or play online e.g. at

You can download it and play it, or play online e.g. at

http://www.ifiction.org/

This original game is still surprisingly playable, though This original game is still surprisingly playable, though

you quickly need a walk-through, like most adventures you quickly need a walk-through, like most adventures

Typical Play

You are stranded on a tiny desert island with a single palm tree.

You are near a tree. South is a beach. There is a spade here.

go south

You are on a beach. North is a tree. There is sand here.

dig sand

You don't have a spade.

go north

You are near a tree. South is a beach. There is a spade here.

take spade

You are carrying a spade.

go south

You are on a beach. North is a tree. There is sand here.

dig sand

You find your holiday return ticket and go home.

Typical creation

Without going into details of the user interface, we Without going into details of the user interface, we

want to help a game creator to:

want to help a game creator to:

• create places (island, beach)
• create links (south from island to beach)
• create objects (spade)
• create actions (take spade)
• create puzzles (putting the above things together)
• use a non-English language, avoid programming

What we are looking for is a general game engine What we are looking for is a general game engine

which will play lots of different adventure games

which will play lots of different adventure games

Specification

We want to leave the initial specification very loose, so We want to leave the initial specification very loose, so

we have as much freedom as possible (so we will be

we have as much freedom as possible (so we will be

thinking about it

thinking about it all the time

all the time )

We want to build something very flexible, small and We want to build something very flexible, small and

sleek, using good OO design to get a lot of benefit sleek, using good OO design to get a lot of benefit

from a little code

from a little code

The initial specification can simply be to reproduce the The initial specification can simply be to reproduce the

one-page island game we saw earlier one-page island game we saw earlier

We don't want to add lots of features and complexity

We don't want to add lots of features and complexity

before tackling the problem of game authors, because before tackling the problem of game authors, because

that is what will determine success as an engine that is what will determine success as an engine

We still want to be able to refactor easily by then

We still want to be able to refactor easily by then