introducing plugh
awhile back I mentioned that I had started to work on a new dungeon-crawling game that i was hoping to set up on Gemini:
bbs.geminispace.org/s/smolgaming/22820
Now that the project has grown quite a bit, I've realized that it probably doesn't make much sense to wait till it's 100% finished before releasing something, like I did (more or less) with my previous Gemini games. So here is the new subspace for plugh, a successor to xyzzy (see previous post) that actually works the way you might expect it to.
Right now the code works, but it needs some pretty serious refactoring before I can get it running on gemini. I mentioned before that there is a lore document that gives a sort of road map listing a number of features that I'd like to add, although who knows if or when they'll all get implemented. Maybe I'll eventually post everything to a repo and invite contributions, as there's quite a lot. It's all in Python (because I suck at C and I don't know Rust or Go) and the codebase weighs in at about 250K right now.
In any case, there are already quite a few features implemented already that make it suitable for a pre-alpha release:
- a variety of objects and NPCs that can be interacted with in various ways, as well as special objects that affect gameplay
- a sentiment system for NPCs (you can befriend NPCs or piss them off based on your actions)
- a grid-based dungeon that can be explored, complete with secret exits
- Zork-like TUI with added minimap akin to a roguelike
- procedural generation that resets at the start of every week, so you get a completely new dungeon to explore weekly
That's it for now. I will continue working on the refactoring and let you all know when it's ready to check out. I will probably put up the pre-alpha on my existing capsule, but I'm working on getting a different place to put up future versions.
#smolgaming #zork
2025-07-21 · 10 months ago · 👍 fab, clseibold, pista · 🎉 1
3 Comments ↓
🌧️ candycanearter [✍️] · 2025-07-21 at 12:26:
this looks very cool! how are you going to store user actions though? are you going to use client certs?
☯️ dragfyre [OP/mod] · 2025-07-21 at 12:36:
@candycanearter yes, I expect client certs will be unavoidable for this one due to the game's complexity. as well, although the pre-alpha will probably be single-player only, the plan is for the game to be fully multiplayer - so basically a MUD that resets weekly. certs will then allow users to manage their identity and such, so they can compete, cooperate, and communicate.
🌧️ candycanearter [✍️] · 2025-07-22 at 18:43:
makes sense! ill try to remember to check it out when it releases