The THUNDERDOME

[P/o Prune]

Welcome to the THUNDERDOME
The battlefield where David and Larry will compete. This challenge will, no doubt, make the Battle of Trafalgar, the battle at Waterloo (not to mention the Battle of Britain) look like a kindergarden play.

So far the rules are:

Participants: 2 (Larry & David)
David writes in V.5 / Larry writes in V.4

Rules:
David:
Minimum 10 locations, they cannot be "empty" ones. You must use at least one of ALL the features of v5 (tasks, events, variables, at least one of each type of object and one character) except for the conversation tab on characters and expressions.

Larry:
Minimum 10 locations, they cannot be "empty" ones. You must use at least one of ALL the features of Adrif 45 (tasks, events, variables, at least one of each type of object and one character) except for the conversation tab on characters and expressions.

Both:
Closing date will be 28th February 2018, or sooner if both of us finish our games.
Games MUST be fully playtested! When both games are finished they will be uploaded to the ADRIFT games website for judging by our peers.

For the rest of us humble mortals:
Theme? Can the participants come up with a theme, or should the Adrift community (however small) decide?

Other suggestions??

Missing anything?

[Lumin]

Well if they're willing to get on board with this, they are the two I'd rank most likely to be able to actually complete a game in a timely manner around here so that's a good start.

I am offering deep, in-depth reviews as prizes. I will be sure to point it out if I feel a description reveals anything interesting about their relationships with their mother.

[Lumin]

That two month deadline suggested in the other thread seems reasonable, and as for theme...idk how about a plot that must in some way involve a character losing a crucially important tool or weapon to their rival and forced to get by with a much less familiar substitute?

[P/o Prune]

That two month deadline suggested in the other thread seems reasonable, and as for theme...idk how about a plot that must in some way involve a character losing a crucially important tool or weapon to their rival and forced to get by with a much less familiar substitute?

Interesting... that should be possible to implement, I'd think.

[David Whyld]

I'm fine with those rules. Also, if anyone else wants to join in, I don't have a problem with it.

[P/o Prune]

I'm fine with those rules. Also, if anyone else wants to join in, I don't have a problem with it.

No,no!
This is between you and Larry...
I intend to have the theme from "The Good, The Bad .. etc." playing every time I check in on this topic.

[Lumin]

So how're you guys coming along?

[David Whyld]

Painfully slowly. I add a little bit here and there but I can't seem to write with v5 like I can with v4. Too many pop-up windows, too many annoyances, too many "why doesn't this work like it used to in v4?". I'll get my game done eventually but I'm not expecting much from it.

[Lazzah]

I have mainly been experimenting with the various features of v4 when I can, but I am always very busy at work in the run-up to Christmas and my limited spare time at home is taken up with eating, sleeping and regaining the strength and will to tackle another day - roll on retirement!

From what I have seen of v.4 I don't know why David makes so much fuss about it, the GUI seems so very primitive when compared to v5. I have also thought "why doesn't this work work like it does in v5!?" but I have to say that there are a few features which I wish were available in v5. I can't see how it is "quicker and easier" than v5, if I were using v4 instead of v5 I would probably take about the same time doing everything. There again, I'm not an impatient person like David admits to being.

We both have our preferences for the system we are most familiar with, me with v5, David with v4. The difference is that once this competition is over, I will not be waging a hate campaign against v4 like David has done for v5.

[David Whyld]

"Waging a hate campaign"? That's a little dramatic, don't you think, Lazzah? Sure, I dislike v5 greatly and think it's the single biggest reason why ADRIFT has gone from the most popular IF system around to almost dead, but I'm not sure I've ever waged a hate campaign against it.

Yes, v4 might seem primitive compared to v5, but where's the problem with that simplicity? It's nice, easy and straightforward and allowed hundreds of people to write games. You're the one who's complained more than anyone else here about the "rocket science" of v5 yet here you are decrying a system that favours simplicity over complexity.

[Lazzah]

Well "hate campaign" is what it has seemed like to me, David. Not a month has gone by without you taking the opportunity to slag off v5 and moan about how slow it is, etc, etc, ad nauseum. I admit that I dislike the rocket science that has, IMHO, been the equivilent to v5 what v5 was to v4, IYSWIM. I firmly believe that Campbell should've concentrated on correcting all the bugs and adding all the enhancements to the basic v5 to take it out of Beta, THEN added all the "rocket science".

The "complexity" of v5 is only apparent if you previously used v4 - which I never did. Don't forget that there are a number of Drifters who used v4 but are now quite happily using v5.

We will NEVER agree on this David - you prefer v4 and I prefer v5. End of story. Period.

[David Whyld]

I very seldom, if ever, start threads with the sole intent of slagging v5 off, but I'll reply to any threads that other people start, and yes I have a very negative opinion of v5. Can you blame me?

[Lumin]

And now I regret asking.

[David Whyld]

The "complexity" of v5 is only apparent if you previously used v4 - which I never did. Don't forget that there are a number of Drifters who used v4 but are now quite happily using v5.

With the exception of Po Prune and BBBen (maybe a few others, but I don't recall any names off hand), all of the drifters who used v4 have yet to write even a single game in v5. I guess we can also add Rotter to that list because I know he's still using ADRIFT and is likely to release a game with it one day. That's three still "happily using v5" compared to over a hundred who gave up. I guess they didn't like the complexity.

[Duncan_B]

I ported "the virtual human" to v5. My feelings basically align with David's here. I've attempted to port a couple other works of mine, but they are all somewhat large and broken in very basic ways when I open them with v5 so that they're hard to troubleshoot. I know most of it is probably due to all tasks being interpreted as generic instead of specific, but those were things I'd already more-or-less found ways to deal with in v4 using wildcards and rearranging tasks for priority.

Looking forward to The Bulldog Vs. Duke Alaric Blackmoon. Two men enter, one man leaves!