   Writers and Artists...
Team name: AzoundriaProject name: Exploring AzoundriaBrief description: Exploring Azoundria has been around for over a year and open for about 5 months. We have over 675 players registered since our opening and a rather small but fun text-based world which we hope to expand. The front end of the game might appear simple, but behind the scenes it works off a unique scripting language capable of handling stats, items, variables, battle, chat, and a growing number of other commands. Creating and editting the game with the Editor is just as fun and easy as playing them. Target aim: The game will never be finished. I plan to keep it expanding constantly. Currently planned updates are to integrate trade, get a bigger world to explore, get more quests, improve the battle system, and add more game features. I always have a rough idea of where we're headed, but I will take any suggestions into consideration. Compensation: Friends, experience, a fun time, and the chance to express your creativity. I intend to get to know staff as friends as well as coworkers and make helping as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Unfortunately I cannot give monetary compensation. Technology: Writers use a simple and unique scripting language to program the world. PHP then reads and compiles your files to generate the game world. On top of PHP, we are integrating Flash, and intend to integrate &#106avascript and some Java Applets later. Talent needed:I would prefer people who will be able to stay active in the forum, checking into it and making posts atleast once a week. (I've had a few people who I have lost track of.)-Artists-This is a pretty straightforward job. Artists help with:-Skins for the site. I hope to have many the player can choose from in the end. -Maps of areas of the world. For use by developers and can be sold to players for their use too. -Icons for the items. When I get it working, they will be displayed beside the items. -Icons for enemies. So you can see what the enemies you're fighting look like. -Aerial pictures of places in the game. I plan to have a mini-map of what surrounds the player. -Logo. I will use the best one I recieve. Should have a transparent background. -Pictures to be used in various pages of the game. -Writers-I am looking for both professional and casual people. Good spelling and grammar is important and you should work well in a team. Other than this, there is no age restriction, and any necessary skills can easily be learned in the training process. Writers use a combination of plain text, scripting(easy to learn), and HTML(optional) in their sections. Writers build the main game, basically a series of interconnected sections that the user explores. If you've read 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books, think of one except much bigger and based on subplots. Players make decisions by clicking links on each page. You are allowed to use creativity and make most of the decisions about areas you build. Click the link below to start learning how to use the Editor:http://www.azoundria.com/exploring/help.htmTeam structure:I have a fairly non-restrictive system, governed only by the Developer Agreement. This is the set of rules that all staff and developers must follow, including myself. Read it at this URL:http://www.azoundria.com/exploring/devagree.htmOur main method of communication is the forum, so everyone can see what's going on and be part of the decisions. People are allowed to choose what the will work on, but if you are ever looking for something to do just ask. Website:Try the game at http://www.azoundria.com/exploring or http://www.xpaz.netContact:Just reply here, use the PM, send me an email(my email address in on the site), or post it on the games forum. Feedback:Fully encouraged. See 'Contact'.[Edited by - azoundria on May 31, 2006 9:01:21 PM]
  Is there anything wrong with this or a reason no one has expressed any interest? Or has just no one seen it?   ;  Looks like this would make a good opportunity to get some experience and a bit of exposure to me.  Working on a game with a community of that size would certainly make a good resume item for anyone who can supply the needed skills.  Check this one out people!   ;  Thank you for being supportive of this post and I don't know why no one is taking up on it. There is honestly no one interested in this at all?   ;  I can help you with writing.  Add me on msn or email me at KT_Barcus@hotmail.com   ;  Anyone else? I can never really get too many developers...   ;  One small thing: It's "foul" language, not "fowl." Fowl are birds.One big thing: There's no hook. Not in your post, not in your "Help Our Game Soar!" post, and not on your main page. As a developer or even as a player, why would your game interest me? "This game is a text-based MMORPG." That's your genre. That's like saying "This book is a novel." What's your story, your world, your game -- and most importantly, what's my role in it, as a hypothetical potential player?;  Where did I put 'fowl'? I thought maybe it was in the rules but theres no 'fowl' there. Maybe tell me the context and where you saw that. Your role in the game is a human being who explores the world, chats to others, improves your stats and skills, gains and uses items, battles characters/monsters, and soon also to trade. I don't have a specific storyline, most of it is based on subplots such as quests and tasks. I just established the timeframe of the game as Ancient Greece in the time of the Romans, except settled down a little and with a little more technology. The problem is this is often too long for most places where a description is needed.[Edited by - azoundria on May 12, 2006 10:06:08 AM];  You'll find "fowl" language here (under #8, "Respectful World") and here (1.2).What you need isn't a long description of everything you can do in your game. What you need is a short description that conveys the essence of the game, from the perspective of the player, written to evoke a response of "Wow, that sounds cool!" in some percentage of your audience."In the Great Arena of Azoundria, lives are lost and heros are made. Choose your weapons, pray to your gods, and prepare for battle -- fighting monsters and fellow gladiators, one-on-one or in teams of up to six players. With skill and luck, you'll win your fortune and the adoration of the crowd... without it, your body will be a stepping-stone in someone else's ascent to glory."Not much like your game, I know. It's just the first thing that came to mind when I saw "Roman." The point is the tone -- I'm trying to make this hypothetical game sound exciting. That's what you need to do for your game, if you're going to attract much in the way of help.Writing a design document might be a good idea, too.   ;  I fixed the spelling errors. So something like: "The vast and ever expanding text-based world of Azoundria, you must use your luck and skill. Complete quests/tasks, battle foes, improve your stats/skills, collect items, trade or chat with other players, and more..."Is this better?   