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I do not know if my project (Herein refered to as Codewars) counts as a traditional RPG, but it is a game.

Codewars uses the wonderful medium of the internet and a wordprocessor (I don't have to be a mind reader to hear the "Say What!?" said in your head). More specifically, Codewars uses Instant Messaging and Internet Relay Chat (AKA IM and IRC) and a wordprocessor that has a find feature (more on that later)

The Players of Codewars use a two part code system, one part comprising of various characters and numbers in a chaotic manner (Herein refered to as the Chaos) and a second part describes what the code does exactly (Herein refered to as the Order). For the code to work, the player must have the Chaos and the Order. It is the Listmasters job
reference a list that has all of the codes, Chaos and Order.

For Players to duel againts each other and take actions(done in a IRC chatroom or something in that nature) a Listmaster is required to authenticate the players knowledge of the code, checking the Order and Chaos to see if they match. This can be done with the Find feature in most wordprocessors.

Codewars works on a principle of honesty, since there is a layer of secrecy between Listmasters and Players. It would be a shame for one listmaster to ruin Codewars by illegally leaking codes to Players. There is a fail safe, however, and that is the different lists of codes (Each different set of codes is refered to as a Domain). These different Domains ensure that if a List Master illegally leaks his codes in his Domain, the codes wont work in another Domain. This also allows for codes to be traded between players in different Domains.

The amount of characters in the Chaos of a code should reflect its power. The higher amount of characters the more powerful the code. This is called the Code Level (Code Level = # of ASCII characters in the Chaos of a code.)

I have a few problems though.

One of them is the exact system I will use for the actions being taken. For now, it consists of a simple higher number wins scheme.
Each code may consist of the the following:
Attack  - Deals damage.
Defense - Repels damage.
Move - Distance from a Player
Use - Number of times a code can be used
Turn - Number of turns it takes for code to work

I'm thinking about having a nifty Aristotle's Model comprising of the four impure elements:
Earth (Dry/Cold), Air(Hot/Wet), Water (Cold/Wet), and Fire(Dry/Hot)
the four pure elements:
Flare (Hot), Frost (Cold), Acid(Wet), and Thunder(Dry)
and the two absolute elements:
Life (Dry/Wet/Cold/Hot Present)
Void (Dry/Wet/Cold/Hot Absent)
for a complete total of ten Elements.
For now, I am not sure. I can work on it later...

Another problem is amassing all of those actions and attaching codes to them. Where am I going to get all these actions  from, and how am I going to assign random codes to them? (At this point I am thinking of getting actions from various players who have earned the right of creating an Order and using dice to making a Chaos for the Order)


An Addon: First I would like to thank you reading through thus far.
Second, I would like to say it took me a few hours to make this post. I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it. Please forgive me for the errors.

I'm very tired now, and shall go to bed.
Finally.

PM me if you wish, or contact me at Pyroaquatic@Aol.com

With much gratitude and admiration for the veterans,
Shim.

I really like the idea- and I think it's going to take me two or three read throughs to understand it completely.

I like the system- it's new and different and requires a new medium to use which we all work within (the internet). I don't think it's far away from being an RPG though. What you seem to have given me thus far is a system for combat. I believe that with work this combat could be created in a sort of- hackeresque or tron or matrix-like world. All these elements could come together to produce nothing short of an RPG that can only be played on the internet.

You could play characters in groups in a chat room created in AIM (or whatever program you use). And the listmaster could, hypothetically, be some great controlling programmer- a set of viruses to be attacked, a computer that must be hacked. He could be any and all of these things. I am reminded of Reboot (if you hated the show- sorry.)

I think you have a good idea here, keep up the good work and try to expand your world to be as all inclusive as it can. There's much potential here.

-architect-

You might look at Core Wars (RedCode) for inspiration.

Okay... I would like to make a few corrections and additions to my midnight and early hour ravings (sleep deprivation can give me such great ideas but at the cost of me sounding like a babbling idiot.)


I would like to adress the fact that despite the name of the game, Codewars isn't about computers at all (it could be, but more on that later)
The Codes are just tools to play Codewars. You can just as easily be a warrior, mage, or whatever. There is no coding. At all.

As I have mentioned before, a Code consists of two parts.  The second part is the Chaos, which is a random string of ASCII characters and offers no explanation to what the code does. The second part, called the Order offers a description of the the code and what it does but is useless without its Chaos. This is to stop people from guessing powerful codes (The Chaos is randomized anyways.) Codes can represent many different things. Keys, monsters, abilities, attacks... etc.

An Example of a Level 5 Code:

(Ee54a) = "Attack 48"

Now as for the structure of Codewars...
the game is played on a turn for turn basis, meaning one person puts down a complete Code (The Chaos and the Order) and then another player puts down a complete Code.

Oh yes, in each session the values in the Order are reset, meaning you can use codes again in another session.


As I reread my post, realize that I mention an Aristotlean Model but never explained what the hell it does. I'm thinking about using it as a magic system in the game to give flavor to each of the actions. I do not know how I am going to set up the system, but I do know it is going to have to do with combining Dry, Wet, Hot, and Cold in various ways (Possibly countering Wet/Dry/Hot/Cold)

Finally, I would like to adress the issue of Domains. Domains are simply a giant list of codes that Listmasters use to check the validity of Player's Codes. Some Domains would have cirtain styles to it, such as purely medieval actions and weapons, or an Undead Domain. The types of Codes in the Domain would match its theme.

I hope I cleared up more of the confusion and not caused anymore.
Signing off for now...
Shim.