IFComp 2015: Onaar

By Robert DeFord. Not finished.

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Onaar is a fantasy parser adventure. You leave an orphanage to go on a ship, which wrecks on the shore after being attacked.

The prose and plot are bog-standard, but what makes it fascinating is that it tilts heavy on the simulation end of the scale, far heavier than a typical IF game.

I’d almost say this plays more like a single-player MUD; there’s a large map with lots of consumable items (unfortunately, yes, hunger is persistent) and after taken an item can reappear later. There’s a “malady” system that different items can cure. There are stats like “Health” and “Mana.” There’s skills like “Speech” and “Thievery”. There’s an alchemy system with 18 different possible ingredients.

Roze Thorn: Wicked-looking thorns that are about two inches long, and needle-sharp.

Tanzy Pod: Small, red pods about the size of your little finger.

Tung Seed: Flat, oval, brown seeds that are about an inch in diameter. They have a shiny, hard outer shell.

It is very large. I was still trying to understand all the game’s systems when my 2 hours of judging time were up.

There are lots of characters to converse with, although they tend to be information dispensers more than nuanced portraits.

– (Available topics) –

APP (apprenticeship)
MAR (marauders)
SAR (Saarina)

> t mar
“After what I saw in the square when I arrived, I am a little worried about the marauders that they say are causing trouble here.”

“I am deeply concerned; I don’t mind telling you. Kasmarii, the founder of Soquim, is the greatest Alchemist that the world has ever seen. He retired shortly after I set up shop, but he still lives in town. After the first attack, he told me that he’d heard of this band of marauders in his travels, and that there is a rogue wizard who is their leader. He then told me that he knows a way to eliminate the rogue wizard. After that, he left to gather the rare ingredients that he said he needed, but that was days ago, and he has not returned. No other Alchemist, myself included, knows what to do in his absence, so it’s up to the Municipal Guard to keep us safe.”
New topic: RAR (rare ingredients)

A lot of my time playing was just trying to stop to gather all the information from the world setting hose.

This is probably most comparable to Gotomomi, but I found it more enjoyable. I think because a.) the game is extrodinarily clear about what objects you can take and which directions you can go, b.) there seems to be a lot of flexibility straight off the bat to accomplish your goals; for instance you need some money to buy an alchemical robe, and I had to pause to think if I wanted to just sell the clothes I had or gather resources outdoors to sell. Gotomomi had similar options but they felt harder to get to.