D&D on Facebook

[drewshi]

So, it looks as though Wizards has created an online D&D on Facebook. If you have an account, check it out. I'll let you know what I think when I get though my first adventure.

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=3972

[grimwell]

That link isn't working so well...

[ignimbrite]

you doubled up on the http at the start of the link, it should be:

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=3972

[drewshi]

you doubled up on the http at the start of the link, it should be:

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=3972

Thanks for that. I'm still getting used to the features here. I fixed the original entry.

[tesral]

Not even.... not even starting to go there.

[Chi]

I will have to check that out kinda sounds like fun!

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

ya thats a no go

[drewshi]

Sadly, there's nothing to it. You choose your character and so far I, as the player, have done nothing. I went on an adventure that the system determines whether I succeed or not. I don't even get to push a button to roll any dice! I failed my adventure apparently. I didn't have time to read the entire outcome and when I did, the game was offline. I think Wizards didn't realize so many people would sign up and they couldn't handle the load. The same thing happened to Scrabble when the makers of the game put up their official version.

I'll give it one more go and read how badly I supposedly did later this afternoon when it comes back on line, but I think I'll be quickly dumping this application.

[DMMike]

Is it entirely text-based? The article made it sound more point-and-click than anything else. Guess I'll go check it out...

In the meantime, does anyone know of a good source of text games? Like Zork before graphics? I tried downloading some in the past, but they didn't work so hot. I would love to see an online text-based game. Limited options, unlimited imagination.

"You stand at the entrance of the castle. A bridge crosses the moat to the south. Exits are N, W, E, S.

/attack drewshi

There is no drewshi here.

/sulk

I don't understand "sulk."

/go north"

[MortonStromgal]

Is it entirely text-based? The article made it sound more point-and-click than anything else. Guess I'll go check it out...

In the meantime, does anyone know of a good source of text games? Like Zork before graphics? I tried downloading some in the past, but they didn't work so hot. I would love to see an online text-based game. Limited options, unlimited imagination.

"You stand at the entrance of the castle. A bridge crosses the moat to the south. Exits are N, W, E, S.

/attack drewshi

There is no drewshi here.

/sulk

I don't understand "sulk."

/go north"

"Ye are now inside ye castle, your options are north, south and fred"

/fred

"He waves and points north"

/go north

"infront of you is a grand table filed with all sorts of things your are going to have to read through in order to find out what you can do, you try to just type in random gibberish but the text goes on and on and on, never stoping filling up your screen with junk about whats in the room until you notice the word flask is repeated several times so now you have an idea of how to get out."

/get ye flask

"you can't get ye flask"

/#&$*(&$

"I don't know how to #&$*(&$"

[Webhead]

In the meantime, does anyone know of a good source of text games? Like Zork before graphics? I tried downloading some in the past, but they didn't work so hot. I would love to see an online text-based game. Limited options, unlimited imagination.

Check out www.homestarrunner.com (http://www.homestarrunner.com). Not only for general awesomeness (of which the site has plenty) but in the "Games" section, there's one or two of "ye olde text-adventures". I still haven't figured them out yet, but they are kinda cool and bring back fond memories of the many nights I used to pull my hair out playing Shadowgate on my old Mac.

Man, I miss Shadowgate...

*/hit thyself*

"Masochism is a sign of impending mental collapse..."

Greatness...:)

[DMMike]

Shadowgate haunted me plenty, but on the NES.

Thanks for the Homestar link - the dungeon 3 game was hilarious! I died once in it. That sneaky hag.

[Valdar]

I remember one such game that wound up with an "intsword" and an "intbow" when they converted the server from 8 bits to 16, and did a text find and replace in all the code to change the "long" 16-bit integers to regular "int" 16-bit integers... Possibly the origin of the intelligent sword...

[Webhead]

Shadowgate haunted me plenty, but on the NES.

I played Shadowgate on the NES as well. The Mac version was superior. It lost a lot in translation to the console...except color. Black-and-white Mac screen and all...

Thanks for the Homestar link - the dungeon 3 game was hilarious! I died once in it. That sneaky hag.

My pleasure. Believe me, there are many hours to be wasted on that website between the cartoons, games and various oddities. I love it.

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

sounds lame to me. is there a point to it?

[Webhead]

sounds lame to me. is there a point to it?

What sounds lame?

[Ben Rostoker]

Obviously the facebook app.

Cause Homestar Runner rocks!

[drewshi]

sounds lame to me. is there a point to it?

Sadly, I don't so. Like the fourth edition rules, Wizards is going for the least common denominator, the folks with the little attention span. They admit in their forum that they wanted this to be a game where you made few choices as that would require them to do more work. (They didn't put it that way, but they might as well have.)

[Stormhound]

Then there's the game from about six years or so back...can't recall the name...that you downloaded to your computer and it played itself. Lots of silly monsters and treasures, but you literally fired it up and then watched...no input required, or even really allowed.

[DMMike]

Well the Facebook app is free, and Wizards is a corporation, so the app serves no greater purpose than marketing tool. To that end, they want to draw people into their lovely new 4E product, and not get them addicted to a free game.

Homestarrunner is pretty cool too, but the text games are more satire than they are serious. Too bad, the authors obviously have the background and the training to make good games. Maybe it's not in the corporate vision? :)

[Webhead]

...Homestarrunner is pretty cool too, but the text games are more satire than they are serious. Too bad, the authors obviously have the background and the training to make good games. Maybe it's not in the corporate vision? :)

Of course. That's the name of the game at homestarrunner.com. It's all about poking some fun and sharing nostalgia for the old-school games. Strong Bad's favorite games are the old-school variety anyway. :)

I just beat Thy Dungeonman 3! Woot! Take that, flask! :D

[DMMike]

SPOILER WARNING!

The Facebook application, after having watched it (NOT played), is like a bad commercial: when you realize it's coming on, you find something else to do, and it just goes ahead and runs without you.

How very disappointing.

[drewshi]

SPOILER WARNING!

The Facebook application, after having watched it (NOT played), is like a bad commercial: when you realize it's coming on, you find something else to do, and it just goes ahead and runs without you.

How very disappointing.

Yeah, I was surprised by that. I finished my second adventure and was successful, but I didn't get to see it through myself. I even bought healing potions this time and got to use one, but I had to walk away halfway through the adventure. I made it through, but I took some hits. I could have failed though the way they run it and I never would have had the option to use my other healing potion.

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

doesn't that app take away the ver lifeblood of dungeons and dragons? Free choice?

[Chi]

Has anyone heard of or played this one yet.
http://www.sryth.com/ci.php?f_c=pv.inc&f_t=tmd2 It is ok But you don't role obviously and you only half choose your charecter. You dont know though whether you are a dawf a human or halfling.

[Thriondel Half-Elven]

Has anyone heard of or played this one yet.
http://www.sryth.com/ci.php?f_c=pv.inc&f_t=tmd2 It is ok But you don't role obviously and you only half choose your charecter. You dont know though whether you are a dawf a human or halfling.

i don't know if i could ever get into a game like that. i think the thing about DnD that interested me the most and reeled me in was the free choice. You know: be who you want, what you want, do what you want and when you want. etc.

thats why the elder scrolls games are the best. free choice.

[Chi]

i don't know if i could ever get into a game like that. i think the thing about DnD that interested me the most and reeled me in was the free choice. You know: be who you want, what you want, do what you want and when you want. etc.

thats why the elder scrolls games are the best. free choice.
Don't get me wrong I like the real thing anytime over these little on line ones

[Ben Rostoker]

Then there's the game from about six years or so back...can't recall the name...that you downloaded to your computer and it played itself. Lots of silly monsters and treasures, but you literally fired it up and then watched...no input required, or even really allowed.

That is called Progress Quest and it is my favourite Online RPG because it is what all RPGs online boil down to now in days.

I'm 'playing' it right now in fact. I'm a level 79 Demicanadian Robot-Monk.

[nijineko]

i play nemesis myself. (talk about ancient games!!!) this (also something i inherited from my dad) was a game originally programmed for the kaypro actrix computer using cp/m. total d&d rip-off, but great fun. it would use ascii text to form the dungeon and you would wander around it. literally. the cursor was your guy, and you actually moved around the screen. not like nethack. (that's fun too.)

you have your pick of 14 races and three alignments, which combined with your stats determine what classes you have available to you. you start in the castle, where you can visit the armory to buy and sell equipment, the armorer to make equipment (and give them magic abilities!), the archives to research random items you found in the dungeons below, the inn to rest and recover, the hospital to recover faster for money and get conditions removed, and the dungeon. there are 10 dungeon levels, except nine is inexplicably missing, and i can attest that it does weird things once you get below eight.

all of the class levels still have individual names, and the monsters are straight out of certain source materials! ;D

still, even after all this time (and having to use a cp/m-dos coverter to play it, not to mention dosbox to emulate the slower cpu) it's lots of fun. and it's only ~300kb with the emulator. now that's a program that should be hosted online for people to play!

[grimwell]

Progress Quest for the win baby!

Concerning the D&D Facebook application... those apps tend to be very shallow on the average so I never expect much from them. Ever. Most are absolutely pointless so playing them is more about exploring the neat system until I get bored of it. The PackRat Facebook app held me the longest, before I grew weary.

I don't fault the apps though. The sites are about connecting with people and creating reasons to talk. They are deliberately shallow and require you to make them deep if you so choose. In many ways, PnPG isn't so different. The bulk of folks register only to find people; very few are crazy enough to post in here with the rest of us. :)

[drewshi]

Progress Quest for the win baby!

Concerning the D&D Facebook application... those apps tend to be very shallow on the average so I never expect much from them. Ever. Most are absolutely pointless so playing them is more about exploring the neat system until I get bored of it. The PackRat Facebook app held me the longest, before I grew weary.

I don't fault the apps though. The sites are about connecting with people and creating reasons to talk. They are deliberately shallow and require you to make them deep if you so choose. In many ways, PnPG isn't so different. The bulk of folks register only to find people; very few are crazy enough to post in here with the rest of us. :)

You know, it's funny. The game has a section telling you which of your friends are playing and I've so far sent some strength to one of them, but that's about as far as the connecting goes.

I've managed to re-equip my character with the loot I've found so far, but that's the extent of my choices in the game. I woke up this morning to find I was once again defeated and sent back home without the option of again letting me use the potion of healing I had on me to continue.

Oh, and no one dies in this game.

[Mead]

Welcome Fighty McFight! Your account has been created.

Haha. It really is just like ProgressQuest. What a waste.

[mrken]

Your too young to understand. ;)

[Stormhound]

That is called Progress Quest and it is my favourite Online RPG because it is what all RPGs online boil down to now in days.

I'm 'playing' it right now in fact. I'm a level 79 Demicanadian Robot-Monk.

LOL...I had a character up into at least the 60s, back on my old computer. Guess I'll have to DL it again and "play" some more. :lol:

[Ben Rostoker]

LOL...I had a character up into at least the 60s, back on my old computer. Guess I'll have to DL it again and "play" some more. :lol:

The PVP is even better now. :)

[Stormhound]

The PVP is even better now. :)
So I'm noticing. And the roleplay is at least twice as good as it ever was.

[drewshi]

So, they have another system failure and now they've got a notice up saying the game won't be available until 12pm pst today and when it is the players will most likely have lost data. They will most likely have to load the last save time data which was 12 noon on Friday.

Sigh.

[Mead]

Your too young to understand. ;)

Or too old (34). It definitely seems to be written to the younger gamers. I mean really.. Facebook?

[grimwell]

Or too old (34). It definitely seems to be written to the younger gamers. I mean really.. Facebook?

Age has nothing to do with it. I'm fast approaching 37 and have no problems with Facebook. The average person on MySpace is actually 36 years old.

Comfort with technology, interest in social networking on the internet... things like those are factors and have nothing to do with age.

[Mead]

I'm plenty comfortable with technology, but always considered Myspace and Facebook and the like to be geared mainly toward the highschool and undergrad college crowd. Guess it probably was, and they stuck with it, and I just haven't noticed all the time gone by =P

[drewshi]

I'm plenty comfortable with technology, but always considered Myspace and Facebook and the like to be geared mainly toward the highschool and undergrad college crowd. Guess it probably was, and they stuck with it, and I just haven't noticed all the time gone by =P

I find MySpace to be a little too kiddie-like. I prefer Facebook because it not only has more of a grown-up feel to it, but they also have applications that allow people to connect like this D&D game. It's funny because I see that MySpace is starting to have such applications as well.

[drewshi]

All right, here's a perfect example of a flaw in the game. (Yes, I'm still playing it. There's something about it, as dumb as it is, that makes we want to get to a higher level.)

Here is the text from the last encounter:

The path was blocked by a slumbering hill giant. Not wishing to wake the beast, Bleeker attempted to sneak by it instead.

Bleeker made a Dexterity check with a difficulty of 12 . . . and rolled 4

Bleeker stopped to swipe some gold from the giant. He stumbled and dropped some coins, waking the giant, who gave him a mighty swat before he could escape.

Bleeker took 6 damage.

Bleeker received 16 XP and 3 gold.


Why did I get experience for doing nothing? Because I managed to escape? Is this part of the 3e and 4e systems?

[DMMike]

One - we're organizing an intervention to get you off that awful app, drewshi.

Two - The XP were probably reduced. A Roleplaying Award, perhaps? :roll:

[drewshi]

One - we're organizing an intervention to get you off that awful app, drewshi.


I can quit any time I want to. It doesn't control me!







Oh, look! I picked up a five more gold pieces for helping these folks get their cart out of a bog.


Shiny.:help:

[Mead]

hehehe

[grimwell]

You know, the one thing that really keeps me from getting lost in this little Facebook app is the fact that I can't get it to load up reliably. I've done one adventure since it launched. Beyond that I've tried to do many things and landed on the error page.

Anyone else seeing that?

[Chi]

You know, the one thing that really keeps me from getting lost in this little Facebook app is the fact that I can't get it to load up reliably. I've done one adventure since it launched. Beyond that I've tried to do many things and landed on the error page.

Anyone else seeing that?
I have not that on most apps that are not just a simple game and make. Anything that seems like it would need any kind of structure to run gives me an error page.

[grimwell]

I figured out the potions. You have to use them real time. If you start a quest and walk away, you miss that option.

[grimwell]

I've managed to get the application to work enough to get to 5th level now. It's still buggy in that pages don't always load; but it's OK. It's not great!!! but it's OK.

The single largest let down for me is the fact that the encounters don't grant any semblance of character consistency. One of the quests I went on was to investigate problems in a graveyard. On the way to solving it I did some tomb robbing... which wasn't what I envisioned when I made my little dwarven warlord. ;)

Beyond that, it passes the time and has random loot for the win.