Lost
Equipment.
This needs a browser which is JavaScript-enabled. It's been tested with Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4 (Mac and PC) and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 (PC). I recommend Communicator/Navigator.
Contact.
Please tell me what you think! I'm
Hew Wolff
. If you have problems, please report the browser version, computer type, and any JavaScript error message you see.
Background.
This came out of the idea of getting lost in hypertext; it's kind of a poor man's
Myst
. It's a single web page with lots of JavaScript, and a few images. I like the idea of an addictive game built from lightweight free tools. Feel free to play with it: get the code from the page source, and download the list of images with your browser.
Work done recently:
(30 Sep. 2000) There are new "wall" and "shadow" images. Memory use should be reduced.
(12 Sep. 2000) Treasures come in 4 cute flavors. The screen is bigger. The remaining treasures count is a rough estimate. The text is simplified.
(30 Jul. 2000) Burrowing is allowed, which is how each new level becomes more complex. To compensate for burrowing, unthreatened treasures drift back toward the center. The maze size is not limited. The treasures' movement is more random. There's a little "animation" for each new level.
(26 Jan. 2000) The open space is increased; this makes more terrain visible and makes the chase more interesting.
(18 Jan. 2000) The treasures are all fast, and wander a little if the player is not close (I think this reduces "nests"). The text for the start-over button is rephrased to make it clearer.
(11 Oct. 1999) Treasures ignore the player unless they're close: this seems to make the chase both harder (since the treasures don't gather so much in dead-end "nests") and faster.
(10 Oct. 1999) The player does not choose the size of the maze; instead, they get a new, larger maze when they catch all the treasures (like a new level of a video game). The player image flashes when they start a game or catch a treasure. The number of treasures is now determined by the size of the maze. Bug fix: in Explorer 5 PC, the dotted focus rectangle lingered confusingly on the last image clicked. Bug fix: it was possible to start sitting on a treasure.
(8 Oct. 1999) Made wall density increase radially, for more variety of terrain. Bug fix: clicking on a non-corridor cell left a "(working...)" message displayed. Bug fix (not user-visible): bad assertion on goal speed. Each treasure now has its own random speed.
(8 Sep. 1999) Added cute "feet" and "diamond" images.
(17 Jul. 1999) Status area, instead of "alert" dialog, shows treasures left and other messages. The worst response time is about 20% less.
(6 Jun. 1999) Changed treasure movement (more like player movement).
(22 May 1999) The horizontal gaps in the table are gone.
(21 May 1999) All the settings are described in words, not numbers. The "Congratulations" message tells how many treasures are left.
Work to be done:
Ed LeBlanc: I tried for a long time (about five minutes) to catch the last treasure, but couldn't. Finally I gave up, pressed the button for a new game, and then Netscape went away completely. Netscape 4.7 Mac OS9. Now, after another game (I got to the second level), I went to check the Netscape version, then clicked the 'back' button, and then there was just a blank board full of grey squares. No wall, corridors or anything.
Bug: Mark Mitchell reports Opera 4.2 doesn't work.
Make nicer images. The wall image should have empty corners (red brick?).
Keep a "score".
More interesting message/reward at the goal.
Add "monsters" to avoid.
Reduce function size and nesting.
Bug: IE 5 PC doesn't flash images, or do the animation.
Bug: IE 5 PC doesn't show update messages consistently.
Bug: IE 5 PC sometimes shows the new images as the window background color (browser bug?).
Could have "secret doors" (which look like walls), or moving walls...
Finding treasures could progressively reveal a "map" of the area where the user can make the jump to the next level.
Bug: Navigator 4 Mac seems to run out of memory quickly.
Test on other browsers.
Does JavaScript do garbage collection? If not, reduce my memory usage.
Add a message for browsers that can't read JavaScript.
Could revisit old mazes by saving random seed.
Replace constant globals with functions.
Speed it up.
Add mazes with more structure (maybe corridors of uniform width, guaranteed connectivity).
Put the maze code in a Maze object.
Provide hints, or an auto-wander feature.