The Castle Doctrine - An online perma-death house robbing and defense simulator. - Games

The Castle Doctrine is a game made by a guy called Jason Rohrer, released just a few days ago in an alpha state, meaning it's still under development and what you see here is a very early version of the game. But what is it? [B]The game has a very basic premise:[/B] - You and everyone around you are thieves. - You have to protect your safe and family by placing traps around your house. - You have to outsmart other players, who have laid traps around their houses to kill you, if you attempt to steal from them. - Death is often quick and to be expected unless you really take your time. It's perma, too, so you lose everything. [B]Lets have an example, shall we?[/B] Here's your house as you'd see it, laid with traps awaiting other thieves. [img]http://puu.sh/2ifF6[/img] There's 2 simple traps here. First off we have an electric floor, which will permanently stay on after the player steps on a switch, voiding any chance of escape, and forcing them into a win or lose situation. 2nd trap is a bulldog behind a door, which will chase and eat the thief. So it's a 50/50 chance of death or win here. Here's what it looks like for the thief: [img]http://puu.sh/2ifT8[/img] Alright, so as I said, this would leave the thief with a 50/50 chance. A good thief wouldn't leave anything to chance so they come prepared - they buy tools. What a smart player would do to avoid these traps would be to saw through one of my walls, and maybe snip the wire to the electric floor disabling it, giving them a chance to escape if they instead run into my bulldog trap. And this is where the game becomes fun, it's just constant trying to outsmart others in attempt to get that little bit further. [B]That's not all![/B] Because people can only rob you when you're offline, or robbing someone else, you'll sometimes come back to your house with things changed. Maybe a wall will be saw'd down, or maybe simply your wife has been shot in the face by another player. Here's an example of what I'm talking about - in how another player didn't leave anything to chance, and I came back to my house to walls saw'd down. [img]http://puu.sh/2igdG[/img] One of the cool things about this game is, because it's about outsmarting others, you'll be outsmarted sometimes and you'll want to know how. This game has a "security camera" feature, allowing you to watch other people rob (or die trying) your house. Watching someone being outsmarted by your trap is just the most fucking glorious thing ever, but if you're outsmarted then you know where a weakness in your house is, and you can fix it up. [url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/15/the-castle-doctrine-cheater-caught-on-camera-subjected-to-zero-tolerance-crackdown/]As a bonus this feature has been used to catch hackers[/url] :v: The game is $8 at the minute, 50% off what the final price of the game will be. If you're considering buying it right now you'll be happy to know the game is quite active with players. I recommend picking it up if you have a bit of spare cash and this looks like something you'd enjoy. Do remember it's alpha still though, so things will be changed and more stuff will be added in the future. You can get it here: [url]http://thecastledoctrine.net/buy.php[/url] Here's a few things I've contributed to on the unofficial wiki to help those wondering what is going on: [url=http://castledoctrine.wikia.com/wiki/Category:House_Parts]List of parts used in building your house, and what they do.[/url] [url=http://castledoctrine.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Items]List of parts you can use to aid yourself in getting to someones safe.[/url] [url=http://castledoctrine.wikia.com/wiki/Getting_Started]Getting started.[/url]

this game looks awesome

Glorious.

That looks really fun.

It's amazing. I bought it for the hell of it.

Yea, been playing it for a bit longer now and I'm really enjoying it. Takes an hour or so to get used to the do's and don'ts then it gets really rewarding. Sitting with a fairly decent house at the minute and robbed about 6 people. Life's good! Only downside I think is that people can use cheap means of defense, but that just makes it all that more rewarding when you steal their shit. Here's a guy who attempted to rob my house: [img]http://i.minus.com/iYDNfjRUR0P9L.gif[/img] rip

I am terrified of attempting to rob others houses..

There's one guy who has a glitched house where a pitbull spawns right in the entrance, careful. Also the top guy, 110k and his is impossible, I've tried at least 50 times.

Noooooooo! I managed to rob $1000 but then I didn't notice my pitbulls move.. so I died in my own house.

[QUOTE=Inf3ction;39929025]I am terrified of attempting to rob others houses..[/QUOTE] First thing you should do when you walk in a house is walk back and forth just to check no dogs have noticed you. (And also to see where the family comes from, if they're alive and hidden). Take it slow, bring a good amount and varied set of tools and use the fact that you can see slightly behind a single wall block to your advantage. Should be safe if you do that, and also, don't be afraid of leaving a house if you can't find a weakness without posing risk to yourself.

Some geezer called Spyder on Steam just told me about this

I think I may have found someone exploiting because I can not find any method of getting to their vault :S - Nevermind. [img]http://i.imgur.com/UKgoGgs.png[/img]

The amount of different attack vectors you have to think of for this is awesome... [editline]16th March 2013[/editline] What is it with my attackers and clubbing JUST my wife? is it cause she's right there?

Wife has some money, kids don't, I believe.

Oooohhh. Can I rotate parts?

The really impossible ones are annoying, because the creator can prove it's fair because he knows exactly what combination of switches needs to be up/down to open it up. Whereas everyone else would have to bruteforce it, dying over and over again.

"You will then be able to download all of the following DRM-free distributions:" Isn't releasing an MP game DRM free a little silly? I mean what's to stop me from going on TPB and getting it that way?

[QUOTE=markg06;39932512]"You will then be able to download all of the following DRM-free distributions:" Isn't releasing an MP game DRM free a little silly? I mean what's to stop me from going on TPB and getting it that way?[/QUOTE] Common decency.

Because people will crack it anyway, so you might as well not waste your time implementing DRM that will at best hamper them for a week then serve only to annoy your playerbase.

[QUOTE=markg06;39932512]"You will then be able to download all of the following DRM-free distributions:" Isn't releasing an MP game DRM free a little silly? I mean what's to stop me from going on TPB and getting it that way?[/QUOTE] Probably an account system?

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/CbOjXUV.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Mellowbloom;39932117]The really impossible ones are annoying, because the creator can prove it's fair because he knows exactly what combination of switches needs to be up/down to open it up. Whereas everyone else would have to bruteforce it, dying over and over again.[/QUOTE] True, but the creator doesn't have tools to use to his advantage. There is still a point where it's really impossible though, but normally those would be listed on the first page of houses. Still an alpha game so hopefully things like this will be took into consideration as development gets further. [editline]16th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=markg06;39932512]"You will then be able to download all of the following DRM-free distributions:" Isn't releasing an MP game DRM free a little silly? I mean what's to stop me from going on TPB and getting it that way?[/QUOTE] It's online. You need a spot on their server. I had to enter a key to play.

I've always wanted a game like this! Too bad I have no money right now :suicide:

Bought this, love it so far. Is it a bug if it says someone is robbing you then when you check the tapes once their gone it says none found? (Just checked in again, like 20 people tried to rob my house and only one guy succeeded.)

[QUOTE=PredGD;39937459]I've always wanted a game like this! Too bad I have no money right now :suicide:[/QUOTE] Go rob someones house then.

I found a bug where it tells me on the tape that they didn't die, but in fact they did.

[QUOTE=PieClock;39937944]Go rob someones house then.[/QUOTE] But there are no deadly traps, where is the fun in that?

I would love to have a go at this game but I don't have any money on my credit card :(

If i die i have to rebuild my house? or am i missing something [editline]17th March 2013[/editline] OH RIGHT permadeath. How did someone make a house and solve it where the first square inside the door is a pitbull :/

Aww it's an MMO? :( I REALLY like the idea of this game but it seems better suited for private rooms. I think it'd be easier to manage stealing/defending from 32 - 64 people than it would be going against hundreds or thousands. Still looks fun though. I'll definitely follow its' development.