Game Show Gives Frustrated Narrator to Text-Based RPGs

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
14,499
0
0
Game Show Gives Frustrated Narrator to Text-Based RPGs


Adventure Call takes the text-based RPGs of yore and puts a live narrator in the place of a text parser.

If you've never seen a call-in game show, you're probably not missing much. If there were one worth watching, it'd definitely be Adventure Call, a regular sketch seen on the BBC's Limmy's Show [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yy8pz] which lampoons the genre perfectly and combines it with text-based games to boot.

Text-based titles like Zork [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107044-GOG-Arrests-Zork-as-Accessory-to-Police-Quest] often use a text parser to read the input of a player, such as "go east" or "get sword," and provide a programmed response as output. Adventure Call turns that text parser into a live human, who often gets a little upset with his callers and is baffled by their idiocy.

The result is pretty hilarious, especially when callers try to "get troll." A text parser never scolds anyone or gets frustrated like Falconhoof, Limmy's Adventure Call persona.

Like a text-based game, Adventure Call players have to input their commands in the correct way or Falconhoof won't recognize them. The clip below shows what happens when Falconhoof gets into an argument with a caller that doesn't pick up his flying sandals properly. There are other clips floating around too, if you care to search for them.


Source: Kotaku [http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/24/and-in-other-pc-gaming-news-33/]

Permalink
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
Tough call this one. Yeah it's funny, but it's presenting "us" in the most stereotypical way imaginable.

Like The Big Bang Theory, I'm not sure if this is laughing with us or at us.
 

TheDrunkNinja

New member
Jun 12, 2009
1,875
0
0
I've known about this for a while now, even seeing a parody video of it with Sheogorath from Oblivion prank calling Falconhoof. My question is why is this new news?
 

Catchy Slogan

New member
Jun 17, 2009
1,931
0
0
Er, what did I just watch? And why did I just watch it? This is like a worse version of those late night quiz call things. I didn't find it particularly funny, just a bit sad really. If I was Falconhoof, I think I may want to kill myself.
 

squid5580

Elite Member
Feb 20, 2008
5,106
0
41
standokan said:
There isn't a way to kill a troll anyway is there?
Fire!!! You must burn them with fire.

That is funny. Though you should have put the "My son won money" one. That one was far better than the 2 you picked
 

Monshroud

Evil Overlord
Jul 29, 2009
1,024
0
0
Wow... We American's have such crap TV. I would totally watch that show...

I love in the first vid how he just kills the guy off because he doesn't understand what the hell a Troll is...
 

Iron Lightning

Lightweight Extreme
Oct 19, 2009
1,237
0
0
Heh, I love this stuff, although I'm not sure why it's a TV show when it would be pretty much exactly the same if it aired on radio.
 

Mechsoap

New member
Apr 4, 2010
2,129
0
0
HankMan said:
"What's a troll?"
What? How? Has this caller been living under a bridge his whole life?
I see what you did there...

OT: That is incredible stereotypical...but very funny at the same time... *head explodes*