• Scepter of Goth
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• ╔─*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*──*─╗
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• ║2* ........................................ *2║
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• ║1 ...........Posted: 2025-09-17........... 1║
• ║2* .............Tags: gaming .............. *2║
• ║3 ........................................ 3║
• ║1 ........................................ 1║
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• I had the pleasant experience of playing the first MMORPG with one of the people
• involved, who also happens to be a co-author of The Internet Gopher Protocol:
• Bob Alberti. I met him because I interviewed him for a documentary.
• ## Bonus material
• Here are some images I got from Bob Alberti himself, including handmade maps.
• handmade map 01
• handmade map 02
• some other map
• An open source version: https://github.com/shelches/scepter
• ## Review of stats!
• Looking at code of a 40+ year old MMORPG to minmax my fighter.[1]
• this game seems to me a bit brutal.
• The code: https://github.com/shelches/scepter/
• line where character sets stats on creation:
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/log.c#L141
• dex dodging, attacking first, running?
• piety: resserection penalties? luck?
• in the code it's abbreviated str, int, dex, pty, con
• this isn't everything but it'll do (not all inclusive)
• also idk which weapon skill is best for this kinda build
• Looks like there are criticals? But unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there's
• any way to increase the chance, except for just leveling up?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L88
• your weapons can break!
• some kind of calculation for time until next allowed attack (cooldown)
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L367
• ## Strength (str)
• Affects your ability to carry heavier objects
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd1.c#L177
• i think it's like str * 10
• ... and even steal heavier objects.
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L1124
• Also affects if your hit lands.
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L72
• Decreases hit cooldown/strike more often?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L367
• ## Constitution (con)
• Affects vulnerability to monster's drain ability?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L364
• Prevents you from permadeath!
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd2.c#L704
• Involved in calculating if you're too exhausted to strike!
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L276
• ## Dexterity (dex)
• Affects logic for if the monster hits you or not (?)
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L259
• Affects chance of landing a hit
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L160
• Affects steal chance
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd3.c#L1075
• ## Piety (pty)
• Your DM goes down when you wake up the DM?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd4.c#L15
• It seems like monsters will sometimes attack or not attack a player based off
• their piety, or something?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/matt.c#L153
• Affects how much money you spawn with when you ressurect?
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/cmd2.c#L742
• Bless spell
• https://github.com/shelches/scepter/blob/2e04898cd8c523fbad849d5da86b9b421a3a77d0/spells.c#L139
• # my fighter build
• You die in this game. A lot. I considered intelligence and piety two stats I
• could leave at minimum, while for a fighter, strength, dexterity, and
• constitution are the most important. The minimum you can have is 5, so that
• leaves us with 45 points to divide amont our three selected stats.
• * Strength: 18: land those hits (+3 bonus?), carry heavy, hit harder, hit
• faster/more often
• * Intelligence: 5
• * Dexterity: 9: dodge those hits (only a +1 bonus?)
• * Piety: 5
• * Constitution: 18, crucial for not permadeath and absorbing and enduring
• Skills were a bit hard for me to reason about. I think I just will play the game
• to really figure out which skill/weapon type is best for which scenarios
• kinda...
• ## Footnotes
• [1]: Looking at code of a 40+ year old MMORPG to minmax my fighter.: https://fosstodon.org/@someodd/115222607021233114