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From: broehl@wateng.UUCP (Bernie Roehl)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Re: Super hero computer game
Message-ID: <1664@wateng.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Nov-84 10:24:24 EST
Article-I.D.: wateng.1664
Posted: Mon Nov 19 10:24:24 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 02:49:32 EST
References: <1323@sdcc7.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 38

I would *strongly* suggest the following:
	1. Design it as an Adventure-style game, with and (optional)
		arcade-style "front end".
	2. Design it to have a separate database (i.e. separate from
		the code itself) to allow creation of characters, new
		scenarios, etc. without re-coding.
	3. Code it in C.

The reason for (1) is portability; if the program knows too much about the
machine it's running on, and *will not run* on anything else.  In fact,
it is best to allow it to run on a "dumb" text-only terminal and at the
same time have a snazzy graphics package that will take full advantage of
any display hardware the user happens to have attached.

The reasons for (2) should be obvious.  The reason for (3) is again porta-
bility; almost every machine you're thinking of has a C compiler for it,
and it's possible (with some care) to write efficient portable code.

As for a choice of machine... that's hard to say.  If you follow (1), (2)
and (3) above, it doesn't really matter much, since you can port it to what-
ever happens to be the latest, spiffiest graphics machine around.  If you're
planning to market it (or even if you're not), I would suggest the IBM PC
since it has by far the largest market.  A lot of people will say the Macintosh,
but it's probably more money than you want to spend and doens't have color.
It also doesn't (and unfortunately probably never will) have as large a market
as the PC and compatables.

One further suggestion: allow easy creation of scenarios, possibly with some
separate utility.  Thus you could have users writing scenarios for each other,
or even have scenario come out monthly (perhaps with elements from each month's
issues of appropriate mags).  Something similar is being attempted by Scott
Addams (sp?), of Adventure fame, using Marvel's Questprobe mini-series.

In any case, best of luck....
-- 
        -Bernie Roehl    (University of Waterloo)
	...decvax!watmath!wateng!broehl
73:78:79:14:y:y:4.2BSD:microcomputer,software,theatre,comedy,improvisation