The Battle of Walcot Keep
| The Battle of Walcot Keep | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Steve Breslin, Eric Eve, Lindsey Hair; illustrated by Michael Bechard |
| Publisher(s) | n/a |
| Release date(s) | 13-Jun-2004 |
| Authoring system | TADS 3 |
| Platform(s) | TADS 3 |
| Language(s) | English |
| License(s) | Freeware |
| Multimedia | |
| Color effects | none |
| Graphics | illustrated |
| Sound/Music | none |
| Ratings | |
| Cruelty scale | Template:N/a |
Introduction
This game explores a number of key programming and structural features of IF, emphasizing complex spaces, and AI agents. The game is multi-threaded, but the player (as a ghost) cannot influence the outcome. Even while the game challenges the felicity of report for multiple NPC actions per turn, the game also makes aesthetic statements about agency and the role of PC as observer.
The Game
The first thing that happens in the game is that the player-character dies. He then, as a ghost, observes a medieval battle between NPCs, across a spatially complex area. Earlier IF featured monadic rooms, but this game features a very open space: guards firing arrows from towers, attackers swinging on ropes from one room to another. All of this is animated by a state-of-the-art NPC-AI system.
Notable Features
- Thoroughgoing automated NPC behavior.
- Complex space, visually connected rooms.
- Possibly the first multi-threaded game whose resolution cannot be influenced by player action. Possibly a critique of agency or critique of multi-threaded game design.
Links
- The Battle of Walcot Keep (archived) - at Baf's Guide