Stillborn - a MOO with cyberpunk themes, post-apocalypse, Lovecraftian horror, and morbid allegories - Games

[B]New OP pictures to go along with the latest pwipe![/B] Before moving onto the details, Stillborn is a MOO (MUD, object oriented), which is a type of MUD (multi user dungeon, or multi user dimension), which is in layman's terms a text-based virtual reality. Stillborn's base code (HellCore, on which HellMOO/HateMOO/InfernoMOO/other 'Hellshards', as they're called, are all based on) places heavy emphasis on visuals and the usage of colors to make it easier to interpret and more pleasing to look at, while Stillborn has also had many changes of its own implemented since conception. The setting can only easily be described as a post-apocalyptic Lovecraftian horror dark science fantasy world with cyberpunk elements. Gameplay looks something like this: [IMG]https://i.gyazo.com/a29e46ec0e8ea5be7d88da3e8698624e.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.gyazo.com/a3431a3eed7e8ba8c08b199d3f20af93.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.gyazo.com/d5d7328dc90de68ecabd2ab6ae08428a.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.gyazo.com/9c921f5982b6b64916791c8937215df8.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.gyazo.com/6f319eb7abaab2ecc0233790997abe72.png[/IMG] And now, the details. [URL="https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1530506"]Some of you might have seen a thread I posted about a project titled Eldritch Wastes, which made a whole lot of promises, and promises by themselves aren't really worth much.[/URL] In essence, Stillborn [I]is[/I] Eldritch Wastes, but I feel it deserves some explanation. Here's a rough timeline. [QUOTE]- Sometime in late 2015, Eldritch Wastes is conceived. It starts with a MOO core named RPGcore. The screenshots on the previously linked thread are using this system. - Eldritch Wastes quickly became HellCore based, mostly owing to the incredibly complex systems within it which were seen to have extreme potential for expansion - I became a programmer for InfernoMOO sometime around mid-2016 (something which enjoyed some relative popularity on Facepunch, following HellMOO's shutdown in ~2010 -- I wasn't there, so this is a rough approximation) - [B]Eldritch Wastes, then titled SotlaMOO, corrupted and became completely unusable[/B] - Stillborn has continued development ever since and has been extended in many ways, mostly in the creation of new systems[/QUOTE] Stillborn differentiates from Hell/InfernoMOO in many ways, most of which concern core systems, so they'd be quite different to someone playing InfernoMOO and then Stillborn. Stillborn's design of development mostly takes after the examples of complexity and depth offered by games such as Cataclysm: DDA, Dwarf Fortress, NEO Scavenger, and Fallout 1/2/New Vegas. The most important new developments are listed below: [QUOTE]- Stillborn is heavily RP encouraged and maintains a serious atmosphere, as opposed to the comedic tone of Hell/InfernoMOO; see more details on the RP policy on the ingame help database - Most HellCore games are in reality their own variants of HellMOO's world, aptly titled 'Hellshards', such as HateMOO, InfernoMOO, HumanityMOO (not sure if this was actually HellMOO code), and some others; Stillborn's world is created from the ground up by me and a few other programmers - Stealth mechanics exist, both usable by players and non-players - Survival mechanics are emphasized a lot, lot heavier -- not starving or dehydrating is set to be an actual post-apocalyptic struggle, as is the stress/insanity which may result from unspeakable conditions - Various AI improvements in order to create an 'immersive simulation' of sorts, mostly pertaining to the ability of AI to sustain their own needs -- for example, bandits in the outskirts, if they aren't able to steal or buy any food from passing merchants, are able to scavenge for food, or butcher their kills to keep themselves alive, while creatures without hands such as wildlife will have to resort to feeding on corpses or ramming into plants to knock fruit loose - Heavy emphasis placed on world events and politics which can rely on NPC population or abilities to do certain things -- for example, if you were to put an end to a supply by which a scavenger clan gets their food, they may either die off or migrate, which can make things safer or more dangerous depending on your affiliation with them - Systems for entire story arcs or safe access to areas or improvement depending on faction relations, ala Fallout: New Vegas - 'Permadeath', which is less 'you can never roleplay with this character again' and more like forced rerolling, to provoke players to think twice before doing something potentially stupid, and also to tip the scales of balance should someone suffer this fate; for example, the leader of a gang having given you problems for a long time bit the big one, and is nowhere near as fearsome (permadeath isn't quite 'start from square 1', XP is returned based on the player's achievements and other accomplishments in their extended life, but it's still considerable enough to be a fate to avoid) - Programmed sound systems, to allow for an easily installed distribution of sound and music to enhance immersion - Some other stuff I can't quite remember; I've done a lot of different things[/QUOTE] Now, unlike big lists of promises, [I]all of the above is already created and implemented[/I]. New systems and code gets written by the day, sometimes the hour. Other areas of Stillborn development concern my frustration with Hell/InfernoMOO, primarily the fact that most builds are required to be certain ones or else one is useless. In Stillborn, I hope to make nearly every skill useful in its own right. Fishing, for example, is a necessary skill in many different ways now, especially since food is an important need to worry about, especially if you're so far away from civilization that the way back is dangerous, so far as to not be possible without provisions, or a combination of both, not including other potential issues which may arise. Something which also bothered me was the lack of necessity to fulfill certain needs, with focus being on the RPG-like elements of levelling up and becoming more straight-up powerful. (This isn't a criticism because those games were designed for such a thing.) Such things are to be different in Stillborn so as to provide things for one to fight over, be it territory, that last piece of unspoiled meat in the immediate wasteland, or to silence a witness of a dark secret. [URL="https://discord.gg/pc3W44C"]Fucktons more information can be acquired from our Discord server[/URL]. Here you can ask practically any question if it wasn't answered by this thread. As of now, Stillborn is still very early in development, but lots of progress has still been made. Stillborn is considered in a beta testing phase, and we're accepting requests for characters for people who'd like to test, provide feedback on what exists, and help us catch bugs and generate ideas for more content for what's there. Please leave feedback, ideas, or questions in the Discord server should you have any, so that the community of Stillborn, and the project itself, grows where it can. If I've left out information which may be critical to a comprehensive understanding of the game/certain aspects of the game, please say so so I can improve this OP. [B]You can log into the MOO at [U]sabbath.online:666[/U]. You may request a character for your e-mail address at the login screen.[/B] If you want to read the help index or mailing lists (forums pretty much) without logging in, see [url]http://sabbath.online:777[/url]. [B]Stillborn has recently wiped player progress for a new stage of testing including an entire new backdrop of areas![/B]

You've already managed to address the one thing that plagues all the MOO's: a total lack of development and new content. I'm interested to see how this turns out.

> RP enforced no thanks, hellmoo went through this and its basically admins getting very angry when people play a game as a game and wanting the game part of the game to work instead of ~just roleplay everything~ [editline]7th June 2017[/editline] the rest of the features sound great but the fact RP enforcement is enough for me to be completely turned off, because that also usually precludes a series of attitudes where PVP is regarded with disdain

[QUOTE=kevinspacey;52321461]> RP enforced no thanks, hellmoo went through this and its basically admins getting very angry when people play a game as a game and wanting the game part of the game to work instead of ~just roleplay everything~ [editline]7th June 2017[/editline] the rest of the features sound great but the fact RP enforcement is enough for me to be completely turned off, because that also usually precludes a series of attitudes where PVP is regarded with disdain[/QUOTE] RP is really only 'act within the confines of the game world'. if you can use game commands to convey your character's actions and never use the emote or pose commands once, everything's 100% fine. we don't expect you to type 500 sentence paragraphs but i can respect your opinion on the matter. but with regards to 'just roleplay everything' we're very adamant about making features for things when there are not features for those things.

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;52321521]RP is really only 'act within the confines of the game world'. if you can use game commands to convey your character's actions and never use the emote or pose commands once, everything's 100% fine. we don't expect you to type 500 sentence paragraphs but i can respect your opinion on the matter. but with regards to 'just roleplay everything' we're very adamant about making features for things when there are not features for those things.[/QUOTE] ok that sounds more reasonable. i might check this out later today

[QUOTE=kevinspacey;52321525]ok that sounds more reasonable. i might check this out later today[/QUOTE] it also at least requires you respect the IC/OOC barrier. don't metagame or hold out of game grudges and that sort of thing.

Looks awesome, already scoped out the discord and got an account setup but forgot to post in the thread, these guys are legit making a labor of love over here. Definately one to keep your eye on.

i updated the OP with the IP. i figured i should have put it there the first time, but i didn't want people connecting to it and being discouraged at a lack of an automatic character creation. we're working on that, but it isn't much a priority until it's ready to rock 100%.

came in warily pessimistic and found myself pleasantly surprised snappy fixes to lots of problems minutes after they're brought up, it's pretty shocking and very welcomed. most importantly its fun. :smile:

Anybody played this extensively yet? I loved playing HellMoo back in its heyday and this looks like it could be a lot of fun. I'm a big sucker for lovecraftian horror too. Just not sure whether I should invest time into it yet

[QUOTE=Funion;52334664]Anybody played this extensively yet? I loved playing HellMoo back in its heyday and this looks like it could be a lot of fun. I'm a big sucker for lovecraftian horror too. Just not sure whether I should invest time into it yet[/QUOTE] It's still very much in construction. Right now the only area that's close to being fully fleshed out is the city of Nakavas, and everything outside it is pretty much just a portion of a search-table and a room description.

who're you on the discord/MOO, beanz? [editline]10th June 2017[/editline] also yeah, it's very much in construction. i'm doing my absolute best figuring everything out and getting it fixed.

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;52335009]who're you on the discord/MOO, beanz? [editline]10th June 2017[/editline] also yeah, it's very much in construction. i'm doing my absolute best figuring everything out and getting it fixed.[/QUOTE] Stankweasel. Shitbag/Grumbles/Bryce named it for me when I was trying to get an account created.

OH THAT'S WHO YOU ARE. that changes everything

I really, REALLY hope Stillborn doesn't become an apt name for the game's development and popularity (like with other Hellshards forks). I'll try to get me and a friend on this, I'm really liking the features so far. Seems somewhat in the ballpark of a MP Cataclysm: DDA and the fact that you named it as inspiration (including NEO Scavenger of all things) gives me a LOT of hope in this project. [editline]9th June 2017[/editline] Only thing that annoyed me in the other versions is that people with scripts (dunno if it's the right name for it, could automate actions such as ambushes) had such a huge advantage. Also the huge grind and complete goofiness in tone. But mostly the really obscure combat system and the people that exploited it.

stillborn is completely serious in tone with the dark humor of fallout 1 and 2, not the south park-like atmosphere of HellMOO. what do you think's wrong with the name? [editline]10th June 2017[/editline] maybe i should explain it a little bit; it isn't fucked up just to be fucked up. i've went over this in the discord when people were talking all about adding this disgusting shit that they thought would fit with the other depraved bits of the game and i told them there has to be a reason why things are the way they are. stillborn is called stillborn for metaphorical reasons. going beyond that would walk into spoiler territory [editline]10th June 2017[/editline] oh i see now. you meant you hope the game doesn't become 'stillborn'. heh

I was gonna go with "ironic" at first but it's technically the opposite, yeah. [editline]10th June 2017[/editline] So the hope is that the name becomes ironic and the game flourishes.

Stillborn? More like, uh... Uhhh... Battleborn! Haha!

I played HateMoo and InfernoMoo, definitely doing to check this out later.

[QUOTE][chatnet] Abaddon says, "god dammit" [chatnet] Vaud says, "wot" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "you fucking the civ cuased an error" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "NO RELEVANT ERRORS EVER SHOW UP" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "ONLY SEX ONES" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN THE LAST WEEK"[/QUOTE]

If you enjoyed Hellmoo or any of its iterations then this game is super promising and up your alley. It's pretty WIP right now but the base gameplay is down and actively being refined daily. It's familiar enough to, but a nice change of pace from, Hellmoo.

i thought this was the battleborn thread

[QUOTE=Snakebot;52338994]i thought this was the battleborn thread[/QUOTE] that's insulting

[QUOTE][mailnet] (*bug/21 Hooded Terrorist twists h...) Abaddon: fucking testers and your sex bugs. GET SOME REAL BUGS[/QUOTE] [editline]11th June 2017[/editline] [QUOTE][chatnet] Abaddon says, "WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCK THE STONE CRAPS" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "CRABS*" [chatnet] Lionel exclaims, "to see if i can!" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "PLEASE I JUST WANT TO FIX NORMAL BUGS" [chatnet] Abaddon says, "STOP DOING IT" [prognet] Wry snickers. [prognet] Abaddon says, "fuck you"[/QUOTE] fuck this stupid text game i swear to god.

just let them fuck everything, get it out of their systems

there was a funny bug where npcs who were asleep wouldn't wake up for anything so i became a serial midnight rapist thief was fun until it got fixed and then i became a wanted criminal

[QUOTE=Funion;52341559]there was a funny bug where npcs who were asleep wouldn't wake up for anything so i became a serial midnight rapist thief was fun until it got fixed and then i became a wanted criminal[/QUOTE] i bet it was fun you cheating dick also enjoy the fact I'M MAKING STRONGER UNIQUE CITIZENS THAT'LL FUCK UP YOUR SHIT (really though thanks for figuring that out)

[QUOTE=portalcrazy;52341575]i bet it was fun you cheating dick also enjoy the fact I'M MAKING STRONGER UNIQUE CITIZENS THAT'LL FUCK UP YOUR SHIT (really though thanks for figuring that out)[/QUOTE] That just makes figuring out how to get away with it in regards to specific fuck-your-shit-up NPCs all the funnier though.

Funny I should see this now that I've started playing Inferno seriously again. Maybe I'll check this out some time.

[IMG]https://image.prntscr.com/image/a2-sCSUQSwCWtJmOnyC5Kg.png[/IMG] long ago, a wise man on InfernoMOO said, [QUOTE]Admin jail is being an admin.[/QUOTE] he was right