User Epics (Stories)
An agile attempt to create concrete stories illustrating why various users might get some value out of particular broad strokes. User Epics are usually of the form: As a [user role] I want to [some task the user wants to do] so that [some benefit that accrues to the user].
For example:
As a shopper
I want to be able to see the prices on items
so that I can figure out what I can afford to buy.
[Ed: I'll work on a macro for writing these to make it a bit more automated.]
The Game World
As a player
I want a world to exist
so that I can enjoy playing in it.
Character generation
As a player
I want to be able to generate a character
so that I am able to play the game
Combat system
As a character
I want to be able to fight a creature
so that I can resolve conflict (in a bloody and violent manner)
As a group
I want to be able to fight other groups
so that I can resolve large scale conflicts (in a bloody and violent manner)
Sciences
As a designer
I want to be able to add autonomous event-generating systems to the world
so that I can easily add to the story and increase believability
AI
As a designer
I want to be able to create believeable characters without much work
so that I can create more content quickly
As a player
I want to play a game that's interesting even when there's no one else on
so that I can play any time without having to get other people to play
Roles
As a player
I want my character to have some intelligence
so that mundane character-maintenance tasks are handled automatically if I want them to be
As a designer
I want to create a single character who will behave differently in different circumstances
so that my NPCs will be less 2-dimensional
Event Model
As a designer
I want to be able to express the interaction of items in the world independently
so that I can reuse the two separately.
As a designer
I want to think about things which happen in the stories I write only in the abstract
so that I need only think about the story itself
Spacial Indexing
As a designer
I want to place objects in the FM world in the way I think about them
so that I don't have to worry about Cartesian/complex geometries
As a player
I want to have space represented in an efficient manner
so that I can quickly find out about nearby objects
As a player
I want to play a game which can model interactions over distance, flying, area-affecting spells, 3 degrees of freedom of movement, etc.
so that I don't feel like I'm playing another Diku MUD
Stories
As a player
I want to play a game that reads like a novel
so that I find more meaning in what I am playing
As a player
I want my character to remember the events which are significant to her, and later to be able to describe these events to others
so that the world is an environment of collaborative storytelling instead of just a game
As a player
I want to have what I say affect the world as much as what I do
so that the world feels like it's made up of people who listen to me
As a designer
I want a way of creating realistic in game situations which have consequences and resolutions
so that the game flow feels more realistic to the player-characters.
As a player
I want to discover a world with a unique history made up of lots of stories
so that it feels like the world evolved
Data persistence
As a player
I want my stuff to be where I left it when I log in
so that I can own things
As a player
I want the world to mostly stay the same, but still be capable of change
so that my words and actions (and those of others) have real and lasting consequences in the world
Distributed server
As an player
I want to play with many other players from all over the globe on a responsive server
so that so that I can interact with as many different people as possible.
The Pattern
As a designer
I want to be able to compare any two things
so that conflict resolution becomes possible for any given situation
As a player
I want to see my character improve in a realistic manner
so that I can feel a sense of accomplishment
Quality
As a player
I want some objects to be unique
so that my interaction with them does not feel mundane
As a player
I want to find qualitative as well as quantitative differences in the objects I buy
so that the FaerieMUD world displays the kind of nuance I find in the real world
As a player
I want my level of skill to be reflected in what I do
so that I have tangible evidence of my improving skills
As a designer
I want to be able to create a wide variety of artifacts
so that my content is interesting and hard to predict
Properties
As a player
I want to be able to ask for specific descriptions whether the designer thought of them or not
so that suspension of disbelief is maintained
As a designer
I want to be able to add extras description and behaviour to items
so that I can create items that are unique and interesting
Statistics
As a player
I want my character's actions to affect other characters, items and so on in a qualifiable manner
so that I can see actions affect the world as a whole
Relationships
As a player
I want NPCs to treat me differently based on our previous interactions
so that all interactions have real and lasting consequences
Oaths
As a character
I want to be able to swear a binding oath with other characters
so that honour will have true meaning
Magic
As a player
I want to be able to manipulate the world in ways beyond the rules of physics
so that the world is fantastic and engages my imagination
NLG
As a player
I want the descriptions, stories and interactions in the world to be coherent
so that my disbelief is suspended and the world I interact with is not predictable
As a player
I want to read new descriptions whenever I look at something differently
so that I feel like looking around is worthwhile
As a designer
I want to write the basic story and have as many details filled in as possible
so that I can focus on writing more stories
NLP
As a player
I want to interact with the world in natural language
so that I interact with the game world using the same words and actions I use to interact with the real world
FM Client
As a player
I want a custom interface to the world
so that I can have efficient access to the information most relevant to me
As a player
I want to connect to the FM world
so that I can play the game
Client Protocol
As a player
I want to have several clients to choose from
so that I can pick one that fits my style of play
Species
As a player
I want to play in a world that has a diverse yet logical catalog of species
so that the world has increased realism and I can choose to play a unique character.
As a designer
I want to have a system of creature-creation which lets me easily make lots of different variants on a single creature type
so that I can make the world a complex and diverse ecosystem.
Assemblies
As a designer
I want to create complex objects made up of smaller objects
so that objects can function in complex ways
As a player
I want to take things apart
so that I can find out how they work
Spirit
As a player
I want to have something left of my play when my character dies
so that I don't feel like I've lost everything
AnimatedObject?
As a player
I want to be able to play many different kinds of characters
so that the world will take on many different layers of interest
As a designer
I want to have groups of people act in concert without modeling all the details
so that organizations behave in believeable ways
Verbs
As a player
I want to be able to make my character do things
so that I can play the game
Skills
As a player
I want to see my characters learn
so that they can do new and interesting things
As a designer
I want to create new skills
so that I can enable players to do more
Content Tools
As a designer
I want to create content quickly and easily
so that I can make the FM world as big and interesting as possible
Artifacts
As a crafter
I want to be able to create things that are useful in the FM world
so that I can have a non-adventure role
As a player
I want all man-made items within the game to have a justifiable and provable source
so that the game world makes logical sense
As a player
I want the items used in stories to be tied to those stories
so that the stories continue to be told, and continue to be real after they have happened
Content
As a player
I want to find interesting things to do and see
so that it engages my attention and provides a rich gaming environment
Emotions
As a player and/or designer
I want to have characters react in believeable ways to various events
so that players are encouranged to play their characters, rather than play the game.
See also
— Scotus - 17 Apr 2004
— GedTheGreysHain - 18 Apr 2004
