lojbo munje

Also see The Lojban MOO, also see xartum.

coi rodo

In an effort to improve my skills with Java and Lojban,

I've decided to write a text adventure game called "lojbo munje"

(which (I hope) means something along the lines of "lojban world")..

I think a text adventure would be a great way to learn lojban,

because it presents the player with descriptions (skicu) that

they must to play the game, and and gives them the opportunity to

construct simple statements... (There could even be a simple

menu driven conversation system like in graphical adventure games..)

Anyway, since I don't know lojban yet, I could use some help with

understanding the grammar and whatnot.

(I welcome help with the java side, too, if anyone's interested!)

Here's what I've got so far.

Commands

Basic game commands

• catlu - lookThe player telling the computer he wants to look would be "mi catlu"...
• skicu - describe... while the player asking the computer to describe the surroundings would be "ko skicu".

However both should be allowed when the sumti is not precised.

• clinoi - helpmaybe "ctunoi" is better, given that "clinoi" is more like "tutorial"
• klama - go

• lebna - take, like taking something from a corpse, or taking a piece off a larger object.
• cpacu - take, in the general case

• cliva - leave (a location), unboardDefinately not for things.
• tolcpacu - dropWhat about "punji" x1 (agent) puts x2 on/at surface/locus x3 ? Then again, having some lujvo for commands might be a good thing.

• citka - eat
• tavla - talk

• pilno - use (how do I say use xxx with yyy?)'You don't. Text adventures generally don't use "use".'Another good point. I was thinking of graphical games. It would definitely make more sense to have a variety of words the player had to learn.

The prompt

The prompt for "what do you want to do?" should be "mo:", while a secondary

prompt for missing information (in case of ambiguities for example) can

be either "ma:" (sumti missing), "xo:" (number missing) or others.

When the program does not understand the command, "ki'a!" is appropriate.

Another idea I remember hearing is simply to prompt using the word "ko" and position the cursor after it. However, in Infocom games, there are times when you have the ability to answer a question the game gave you instead of performing a command. If that situation arises, I think the "ko" prompt should just disappear, and the player could type "ko" to get back to normal command mode.

But yet, this raises the problem of whether the users direct the player or identifies themselves with it. In case of directing "ko" is appropriate (the user gives orders), while when indentifying, a simple bridi with "mi" implied is sufficient.

Typing "ko catlu" {you! look!} would print the description of the current room.

Directions

"berti" is the gismu for "north" ... But "mo'ibe'a" means "northwardly".

When instructing the player to move northwardly, "ko mo'ibe'a klama" is appropriate. However, when instructing it to go to a particular place to the north (either unspecified or implied), "ko klama le berti" is appropriate

(the difference is that in the latter, the trajectory is not specified, and allows for e.g. going east then north then west).

kumfa velskicu

I would like to say "you are in a big room"....

"do nenri le barda kumfa" would work for that.

However in the general case observatives without the implied "do nenri" should be preferred, because they are more concise.

Thanks!

-- Michal Wallace