💾 Archived View for gemini.theuse.net › textfiles.com › rpg › ltuaerpg.1 captured on 2022-01-08 at 19:50:07.
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GB> Question: What does RPG stand for?
Role Playing Game.
There are plans afoot to market a BBS Role Playing game.
__ ______ __ __ ____ ______
/ / /_ __// / / // __ \ / ____/
/ / / / / / / // /_/ // /_
/ / / / / / / // __ // __/ The Roleplaying Game
/ /___ / / / /_/ // / / // /___
/_____/ /_/ /_____//_/ /_//_____/ Copyright (c) 1993, Dac.
Premise:
~~~~~~~~
You and your friends (up to 150 other players) are trapped in
separate rooms in a nice modern motel. All exits are sealed, and
proof against tampering/gross damage. A complex delivery system
allowes for movement of items, but not people, between the inside
of the room, and the outside of the room. Food is delivered
daily. Wardrobe has enough changes of clothes for eight days,
and laundry facilities are provided once a week. (Exceptions are
possible, described later).
You have a comfy chair, a single bed, toilet/bathroom, and a 1989
vintage PC/AT Computer, running an unregistered [crippleware]
version of 'TNT', (an offline mail reader.) Connected to the
computer is a dumb-modem, 2400bps, which has a telecom
connection. The only number the phone line is connected to is
'1'.
When the number is dialled by the modem, you are connected to
a computer running 'Osiris' (touted in this RPG as the worlds
worst BBS package), and you have two choices - log off, or start
a TNT session. TNT enables you to pick up, and send mail. The
only echomail area available is LTUAE. All players can send and
receive messages via LTUAE, and no other way. There is no escape.
The Object of the game:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The object of the game is to drive "The Gerry" mad.
Players start by lurking for at least one day (the computer will
make as many connection attempts as possible, but Osiris will NOT
give you more than one mail bundle per day). Each player
downloads their mailbundle, and reads it with TNT. You are
forced to use TNT's editor, which significantly impairs your
ability to quote, and limits you to a 50 line maximum message.
Each game starts with a computer simulated "The Gerry". It
starts out like a clueless newbie, and unless educated with
'flames' and 'zorches', it will go around in circles asking each
new player their age, shoe-size, and bank balance. See the
section on 'The Gerry' for further details.
The other stock LTUAE players are
'The Solo';
Appears at random, and sends a cogent precis of the week's
happenings. Doesn't ever reply to players. Useful to get a
running jump at the current LTUAE state of play.
'The Heppell';
A stoneage version of The Gerry. Incapable of all but the most
redundant conversation. Had a built in tendancy to say
'Macintosh' every message, and leer at girls. 'The Heppell' has
been known to be stopped by judicious use of UUENCODED gifs (see
'addons', 'powerups', 'saving-throw'). If you are a victim of a
message from The Heppell, you lose one net.friend, and gain one
net.enemy. (saving throws are possible)
'Statistician';
Posts weekly and monthly, noting players scores in terms of
messages sent, kilobytes sent, originality rating, niceness
rating, number of net.friends, number of net.enemies, number of
flames posted, number of UUENCODED messages sent, and average
weightings against each other player in the game.
'The Den';
Appears regularly, tells a random story that may or may not
include references to Calvin and Hobbes, Astronomy GIFS, going to
Canberra Fests, or life in Dubbo. The Den bestows (temporary)
gifts upon players with admirable skills, but he has a short
fuse, and is quick to anger, revoking his temporary gifts
instantly the simulation detects he's been flamed, zorched, or
described with any diminutive term.
'TWILTUAE';
A potpourri of the best and lamest quotes during the past week.
DCOTW awards are meted out to the most deserving clueless gits.
People who feature regularly in TWILTUAE get special bonuses,
which may be used for addons and power-ups, but beware of being
sycophanted, in which case you may be penalised with a personal
pogrom order from The Dac.
'The Dac';
Players are to avoid The Dac at all costs. The Dac can remove
all addons and powerups, (saving throws are allowed), and only
very rarily will the simulated Dac hand out bonuses. Everybody
is the enemy, The Dac serves as a random element in the game.
Sycophants beware, the Dac simulation is not gulled by
sweet-talking. The Dac has the special ability of officially
designating players as 'olbies', and to advance in the game,
getting oldbie status is imperative!
'The Pip';
Players without dictionary skills may find themselves attacked by
this pedant simulation. May be counted on as a net.friend,
except in Statistician reports, where any messages to/from The
Pip count towards your total net.enemy score.
'The Weinel';
The secondary goal of LTUAE is to be placed in The Weinel's
killfile. This can be extraordinarily easy for the newbie to
achieve, so the program has an inbuilt preventative measure,
which overrides the Weinel's attention, until the player has
gained sufficient points to be considered 'a recognised oldbie'.
The Weinel may randomly distribute bonus points to players at any
time. If not restrained by the group as a whole, the LTUAE echo
becomes overrun with messages from The Weinel, and TNT/Osiris
limitations begin to adversely affect the number of messages a
player can receive. In the worst case, galloping echobloat can
develop, and the simulation will end, forcing nobody to win.
'The Dooles';
Wiccan, friend of the earth, and of all animals except the iccky
ones, the Dooles is a random element in the game. Should the
simulated Dooles latch on to you, your charisma is decreased to
zero, and all of your net.friends become neutral, unless you can
get them to send you a message (see 'saving throw'). The Dooles
can occasionally give clues as to how to defeat The Gerry and The
Weinel, but mostly the simulation will produced endless messages
about cats. Any mention of 'cat' in a players message will
almost certainly attract the attention of The Dooles, and is not
recommended except for the most sturdy flamer. The Dooles can be
temporarily disabled by a strong flame/zorch, but failure can
result in catastrophe. Many have wrought a flame against Dooles
and lost the plot in the aftermath!
'The Tricia';
Pregnant and barefoot in the net.kitchen, The Tricia metes out
her own special blend of mild sarcasm, warm welcome, notes on
home-cooking, running a small discriminating BBS, and how to live
a puritan life in the suburbs. Hands out bonuses to sycophants
and random players, but can be quick to anger if ignored. Saving
throws against The Tricia will not work, due to implied divine
intervention.
'The Sparrow';
LTUAE's most tenacious simulation. If badgered by The Sparrow,
you instantly gain three net.enemies, and lose three net.friends.
(Negative enemies/friends are not permitted) Saving throws
against The Sparrow do not work (see 'The Tricia'). Ignoring
'The Sparrow' is the best course of action, but if you dare to
prolong the contact with further messages, you can get a discount
on the net.friends lost and net.enemies gained. Weird
formatting, and repeated statements to the effect that you have a
belief in the moon being made of green cheese, can help you if
you are latched on to by The Sparrow. The Sparrow does not post
on Sundays, and is the only simulation to be so restricted.
'The Heitman';
A legal eagalitarian simulation. Bestows bonuses upon those who
are doing well according to the Statistician (but not -too-
well). People posting too many messages get net.brickbats and
gain one net.enemy if the player is singled out by The Heitman.
Can revoke any and all addons with any or all messages, and has
ultimate veto power amongst the simulants. During the cricket
season he is best not disturbed. If you are the victim of a
posting from The Heitman, and you don't publicly post the correct
interpretation of the simulation's terse verbiage, then you gain
one net.enemy, and lose a random net.friend. The Heitman can be
bribed by offering bonuses, but only if you're a recognised
oldbie. No saving throws are possible against this character.
'The Rod';
If The Rod sends you a negative message, you gain one
net.enemy. The Rod is seasonal simulation, and will sometimes
not be seen for months and months. The Rod can bestow bonuses
upon the authors of especially fine messages, but mostly he
increases your net.enemy count, and is very bad news. Saving
throws are possible. If you are the victim of a 'Hmmm'
message-altering quote from The Rod, you are infliced with an
additional net.enemy, and lose half of your charisma rating. The
Rod can be outmanuevred if you have the 'sensayuma' powerup.
Noted for its vulgarity and lack of player database access
[limited memory].