DECLARE FUNCTION rpg ( player$, goal$ )
How many folds can this article have? A few at least is my guess. The first fold is perhaps due to the past and present inclusion of demons, witches, devils, warlocks, sorcerers, and more things that cause people to label the fantasy gaming industry an evil to be abolished. Getting past that hurdle has been a difficult road and all the while computer games are just another thing on the path to becoming a computer minded individual for the 20th and 21st centuries. Another fold is changing the pace of a nightly contest of wits and intelligence. Breaking down the components of the game from something that few people understand to something that fewer understand. A third fold to this article is obvious to me. How can we take our favorite tabletop roleplaying games and speed them up with a little bit of computer jargon and perhaps even some computer assisted playing.
I would assume that online gaming circles have already been doing this or at least are starting to do it. After all the general principle is the basis of all programming, in my opinion: functions and sub programs. That's right his whole this is about the program (as if you hadn't guessed it by now.) Your basic fantasy gaming session can be reduced to computer jargon and perhaps change the way you play the game. It is sort of like inserting the Matrix into our everyday gaming lives. Let's look at an example.
Setting: Fantasy World: one of the GM's devising Loading . . . . . . . . . System loaded. Let the games begin.
Zifandel: I load fireball and execute.
GM: Your system capability is low level. It'll take a bit.
Joel: I create program (Chimera).
GM: Your virtual Chimera is constructing and rendering. It's the goblins' turns. First Goblin swings and hits you Zifandel. Your fireball program had been interrupted with a carrier Loss. Second goblin swings and misses. Chimera is successfully loaded. Give your commands.
Joel: Cool. Chimera, execute function (Fire_Breath).
GM: Function (Fire_Breath) affects programs Goblin1 and Goblin2. Programs deleted. Zifandel you find 34 RAM and Joel you get 87 Bytes.
Sound odd? I'm sure after playing this way for a few months, it won't sound any more odd than.
Zifandel: I wad up a ball of bat guano and begin to cast Fireball.
GM: You're only 5th level it'll take up most of the round.
Joel: I summon Chimera.
GM: The powers that be are searching the area for a Chimera to help you out. It's the goblins' turns. First goblin swings and hits you Zifandel. Your fireball spell has been disrupted and you lose it. Second goblin swings and misses. A Chimera bounds into the clearing. What does it do?
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