Saturday, April 23rd, 2004:
StarLock Beta in One Week
Saturday, March 15th, 2003:
StarLock Promo Ad
Tuesday, February 18th, 2003:
BBS Site of Interest + StarLock Screenshots
8 New StarLock Pics: New screenshots from StarLock have been posted to the screenshots page here. You'll find plenty of recent development news as well.
Wednesday, January 1st, 2003:
In Case You Missed It
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2002:
StarLock is Just Around the Corner
Lunatix Review Contest: It's not quite too late to get in on the review contest, for a chance to win one of several Lunatix Online subscriptions. More information on how to take part was posted to the Lunatix forum in this message.
Thursday, July 25th, 2002:
Long Time, No News - Here's an Update!
Lunatix Online News: Amazingly, Prowler Productions' flagship game continues to grow, with more then 2400 accounts registered and almost 300 paying subscriber accounts. In a day when players still demand free, free, free, a browser-based game with this many subscribers is very successful. If you have not already tried Lunatix Online, play here. Part of the recent growth comes from a very well-received, redesigned tower ad, which has been used at MPOGD as well as TopWebGames. Lunatix also received a very favorable review at MPOGD last month. It's not uncommon to see upwards of 30 players online at once, with 50 or more on during some peak hours (right after midnight, for one).
StarLock News: It's frustrating enough to underestimate the difficulty involved in developing a game... it's even worse to overestimate the amount of free time available to work on it. Such has been the case with StarLock, in a seemingly endless series of on-again, off-again development cycles. Already a year past-due, the present plan is for beta testing later this year, with a full launch by December. This is still a very tentative schedule, as so much else draws away the time that could otherwise be invested in StarLock development. The initial launch will most likely be the beginnings of an epic, with all the undone areas being added as it grows. Check the StarLock page for udates on progress.
Monday, December 10th, 2001:
What's Going On at Prowler Productions
Second, StarLock is still in development. A "hopeful" beta test date of December (now here) is evidently impossible. On the bright side, some important decisions concerning the subscription model have been made. People will be able to play StarLock for free, on an account that doesn't expire. There won't be a "free" trial. Players will be awarded free play time each day, and may optionally purchase more time (or a subscription). For more information, check out the FAQ.
Third, I already have ideas for two new games. One would be perfectly suited for browser-based play. The other would make a very unique online multiplayer action/adventure game. Until StarLock is completed though, both ideas have to remain on the shelf. The success of our current project will have a lot to do with the direction we take next.
Sunday, July 22nd, 2001:
Hosting Another Game; Advertising; More!
We're finally giving "advertising" a shot, on what's probably the best site for independent game listings and news coverage (mpogd.com). We started with two banners for Lunatix Online (LUNATIX1 and LUNATIX2), but found that the second banner was getting twice the clicks as the first one. A few visitors of our forum also indicated they liked the second one best, so we removed LUNATIX1 from the rotation. Because everybody seems to like "free" stuff, we're also adding a banner for The Prowler Portal which can be seen HERE.
For those who are curious, yes, StarLock is still in development. It has been my primary focus for many months. As always, it's coming along nicely but nothing has been set for a release date (or even an exact open beta date). The official page needs an update, which has simply been less of a priority than actually working on the game. Some of the new developments include MIDI (probably the first/only browser game with an original musical score - let alone music at all) which can easily be disabled for those who prefer a quiet game. More graphics -- Improvements to the engine -- It's becoming more MUD-like, and should really appeal to fans of RPG, MUDs, Sci-Fi, and Interactive Fiction.
Sunday, July 8th, 2001:
New Online AND Offline Games
I wrote a game called WaterQuest (Legend 1: The Journey to LifeLake)
more than 10 years ago, during the second semester of my first year of
college. This is a cool, challenging, single-player EGA action/adventure
game which has just been gathering dust on a diskette (literally),
unreleased before now. I had planned to sort out some data space problems
that prevented it from being "compiled" into a stand-alone .exe game (so
that it wouldn't require the QBASIC.EXE interpreter). Well, I've finally
decided just to release it as-is. You can download the full version of
WaterQuest 1 (complete with source code) from my
Games
page. Click the image below to view a page of screenshots.
You'll need QB.EXE (or QBASIC.EXE, available for free from Microsoft) to play, as well as a utility such as Mo'Slo (or SLOWDOWN.COM, which is included) to slow down a DOS window on today's MUCH faster computers to emulate a 25Mhz machine. See the README.TXT first for information. Run the game via the WQ1.BAT file. I hope somebody out there might find this game enjoyable, even though it's old and outdated. Although it's difficult at first (two hits and you die), you'll find items to help protect you (to withstand 4 hits, and finally 8 hits), you'll learn to fire at (or avoid) monsters, and if you're brave enough, you'll find the fabled LifeLake! Remember to find and use the "SAVE" huts!
Also available now, as mentioned previously, is the Open-Source game BlackNova Traders. Prowler Productions is hosting a copy being run by Morkeleb. Check it out, and see if you've got what it takes to become a master trader, and dominate the galaxy!
Thursday, June 21st, 2001:
All the web-gaming you can handle - and MORE!
We've recently traded links with
The Violet Sector, a very cool
web-based multiplayer game from The Vision Studios:
We've just moved (again) to a new server. Now, instead of sharing
a powerful system's resources with 20 or 30 other high-traffic sites, we
have full use of a dedicated server that's even more
powerful than the previous shared one! The move was pretty fast, all
things considered, at around three days to move and configure the entire
site and all the games. So far, things are zooming! This is the major
step we needed to make in order to have the resources to launch
StarLock
later this year. This also means lag-free play for every game we host!
We couldn't do this without the subscription income from
Lunatix Online, so if you're
here for the free games, please give Lunatix a look as well (you do get
ONE two-week free trial period - no obligation - to check it out).
Their site states:
The Violet Sector is a FREE multi-user, multi-platform turn based game. Join a legion and battle against other players all around the world for domination of the galaxy! Strategise and team up with friendly pilots to dominate sectors and hyper to new areas to beat the enemy. In other big news, Morkeleb is about to set up and administer an Open Source game called "Black Nova Traders" (appearently a web-based game similar to and inspired by the classic TradeWars BBS game). Look for this game to be added to the Prowler Portal soon - he's hosting it here - sponsored by Prowler Productions and Lunatix Online.
We also want everybody to know that StarLock is still in development. We are expecting to begin beta testing within a few months - perhaps by late summer or early fall (nothing definite though). A bigger, official update will be posted to the StarLock page (with new screenshots and info) soon. I doubt any other browser-based game has been in development for so long. Most browser-based "space" games are heavily slanted toward strategy (build up a base, attack, take over the galaxy). StarLock isn't like that at all. As an RPG, it takes much more time to plan and develop than a strategy game. We're certain it will be worth your wait, and something unlike anything you've seen before. :)
If you're a Lunatix Online player - or if you've EVER played, we have big news. In Spring 2002, the first-ever REUNION will be held in Wichita Kansas (the home of Prowler Productions). Many players are already excited, making plans to attend. For a game with a comparatively small player base, the response to this has been wonderful! For all the details, keep an eye on the offical reunion site. at the link above.
With the distribution of our last batch of t-shirt prizes, we're now offering a variety of other prizes to Lunatix Online winners. Beat the game and take your pick from cool Lunatix ball-caps, mouse pads, or desk clocks (my personal favorite). Although t-shirts are no longer offered as prizes, you still have the option of picking 2 free months of subscription time as your prize. The Prize Page will be updated soon to detail and display these new prizes. As a bonus, when you pick a prize (except for free time), you get a couple of bonus freebies.
Saturday, February 24th, 2001:
New Lunatix T-Shirts: WIN or BUY ONE!
We're pleased to announce our new T-Shirt design. A small batch will be
printed soon, to give away as prizes to those who win the game (our last
batch has been reduced to a single medium shirt and two larges, of the
original “plain” styles 1 and 2). Approximately 15 of these new shirts will
be printed to give away as prizes. When these are gone, we will no longer
be offering T-Shirts as prizes. However, we plan to substitute their absence
with other prizes, such as mouse pads. Scroll down past the shirt logo
images for information about how you can BUY your own t-shirt!
Scared that there won't be any shirts left by the time you win? Or, want to own one now without waiting until you win? Now's your chance. For a VERY limited time, you can reserve a shirt of your own. We're taking orders from now through Wednesday, February 28th. Because this is planned to be our FINAL batch of Lunatix T-Shirts, we're going to add any orders we receive to the batch we request from the printers (15 as prizes, plus any that are ordered through the end of the month). If you want one, order now!
To order a shirt of your own, you will need to pay using PayPal (purchase by credit card). If you've been a paying Lunatix subscriber for a few months and would prefer to pay by mail, contact wyndo@prowler-pro.com for information about getting your order to us in time. The price is $20 per shirt (order as many as you like, but we can't offer any discounts). This is expensive for a T-shirt, we know. However, you get a FREE MONTH of Lunatix Online time for each shirt you purchase -- a good deal if you were going to add a month to your subscription anyway.
You have to purchase by 2/28/2001 to reserve your shirt. The following day (March 1st), the order will be taken to the printers. When you order, make sure you tell us your name and mailing address, what SIZE of shirt you want (Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large), your Lunatix character name, and mention that the $20 payment is for the Lunatix T-Shirt offer. Feel free to email us if you have questions.
Although we don't plan to offer T-Shirts as prizes once this new batch is gone, we may still occasionally sell more. If this offer has expired, email us for information about the possibility of putting in a future Lunatix T-Shirt order.
Friday, January 26th, 2001:
New Version of JabberChat - 1.1a
Our JabberChat Perl CGI real-time web-based
chat script has just been updated to version 1.1a, which now works with
Netscape 6. We're sometimes asked why a "freeware" program such as this
costs $25 to license. That's easy, when you think about it. Software under
BSD or GPL licensing is designed to be modified, re-used, and distributed
free of charge. Don't confuse this with freeware. Freeware is rarely
public domain. Freeware is copyrighted software made available "for free"
in its original form. JabberChat isn't "shareware" either (which would
imply that a fully-featured version must be purchased). The $25 license
fee for JabberChat is to obtain the rights to make modifications to the
script, its graphics, and related files. Think about it this way. If
you download a freeware video game, you don't have to pay to use it, and you
don't have to pay to obtain a "full" version. However, you aren't allowed to
edit the binary to remove the author's information, add features or fix
bugs, or make other changes (unless the author has granted permission to
do so). The same is true of JabberChat. Since the script is essentially a
collection of source code, it's easier to make changes -- in fact,
it may even be tempting to do so. Please remember that unless you've
purchased a license, it's illegal -- and smaller companies feel the
effects of piracy, perhaps moreso than the big boys.
Wednesday, January 24th, 2001:
More Navigation Bar Goodies
The Dink Smallweb page has been removed,
although its contents (D-Mod zips, the FAQ, the Forum, The Dinkanoid
High Score List, etc) remain in case anybody is linked to it. The
"change" will be that the news will be archived on the "old news" page, and
the main page will redirect to this site. I'm glad to have contributed to
the success of Dink Smallwood by coining the term "D-Mod" (yep, that was
me), providing the first-ever 3rd party D-MOD (Scar of David), writing an
authoring FAQ, providing a start-up skeleton D-MOD, and making other
contributions (encouraging others, answering questions, a forum, etc). It's
been fun, and while one never knows what the future may hold, our other
new projects (such as StarLock) require our
attention. Instead of leaving a dead site sitting around, it's better to
provide links to GOOD information (I've done this on the navbar here).
If you are interested in linking to the Dink Smallweb for the purpose of
"nostalgia" or so people can read and enjoy our old news, link to
www.prowler-pro.com/smallweb.html.
This is esentially the old Smallweb home page renamed. Make
sure you note that the page is now "archived" and that no further updates
are planned.
I'm almost finished with the new user-friendly site design. I've added a poll
in addition to the site search, plus the best links for additional information
about the different things we've "specialized" in from time to time (BBS games,
web games, Dink Smallwood D-Mods, etc).
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2001:
Good Links Added
True to my recent comment on the
StarLock page about the utter
lack of respect people tend to have for web-based games, I came across
this
topic on the MPOGD.COM forums. The person in the message later comments:
Grrr.... Say that web-based games don't have the appeal that you want,
but DON'T say they don't have as much effort put into them. That's
not always the case.
I have added numerous links on the navigation bar, to good Game, CGI script,
and Interactive Fiction (adventure game) sites. I also plan to add a section
for BBS games. I wanted to provide these for the various types of people who
visit our site -- whether you're interested in our BBS games, web games,
games like "The Insanity Circle," or CGI scripts.You see, I believe people that work hard in making an online
(non web based) game have put more effort into it GFX and
gameplay wise...
Saturday, January 20th, 2001:
Gambit's Maze Factory is READY!
Gambit's Maze Factory
is now online, and already features dozens of cool mazes for your enjoyement.
What many have found even more fun than playing is creating
mazes to add to the maze library. Try it. It's free!
Development of StarLock continues, despite the lack of a recent update to the official page. Before the game launches, the site will probably be redesigned anyway.
Frequent visitors of this site may notice that the look has changed. Enjoy!
Thursday, November 16th, 2000:
PipeLine, 2-Player Strategy Game, PLAY FREE!
PipeLine
is now available for play. Beta testing is almost finished,
and we're not anticipating another full game reset -- so join now! Game
play is totally free (additional features are available to subscribers of
Lunatix Online). Be sure to read the
instructions
if you're not already familiar with how to play.
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2000:
Web Game News. World at War, Pipeline, & More!
As we mention at the bottom of the
Prowler Portal, we're always ready
to host new web games at our site, even if we didn't develop them.
This helps bring more attention for other developers since the Prowler
Portal is already actively visited. It helps us too, by bringing more
content for your enjoyment. Blue Dragon has brought his multiplayer
strategy game World at War to the Prowler Portal.
Those of you who remember the BBS game “Global Wars” will already
know how to play. Global Wars was based on the board game “RISK.”
Take over the world by moving and attacking with your troops.
Anna and Steven have been pretty busy with other things, bringing StarLock development back to a crawl. I'm sure this is disappointing news to many. However, it will be finished... soon... I think. A big portion of the “guts” of the engine work great. Many months of development are already behind us. Don't worry -- just wait as patiently as possible.
To pass the time productively, I've have started working on a new 2-player strategy game for the web, called Pipeline. I'll launch an official Pipeline website soon. I think it will be fun and addicting. It's based on a pen-and-paper game I loved as a kid. The web version will feature the ability to join/start multiple games, play turn-based, and possibly chat. I haven't decide what other features to add, yet.
We're considering offering licensing to people who'd like to add web games to their site. We already license Lunatix Online (it's very expensive) to other gaming sites (pay for play), and we're considering licensing/selling Pipeline, Solitary Confinement, maybe the Lexter games, and even new projects to other sites. Depending on the size of the game, they could be very cheap to purchase ($10 to $25), or even free (with some games having a free “shareware” version lacking all the features of the full version). If you run a game site -- or any kind of web site where you'd like to add games for your visitors -- please email wyndo@prowler-pro.com and let me know! I'd like to get feedback on how popular web games might become.
Monday, September 25th, 2000:
CoCo Quest Updates
I've been updating the
CoCo Quest site quite a bit recently.
I've added thumbnail pictures for most of my CoCo 3 games, as well
as 5 full “disk images” containing the remainder of my old CoCo
games (at least, the ones I've found so far). I've even put several
adventure map scans online there. If you remember the Radio Shack
Color Computer (TRS-80), go check it out! These days, emulators are
available to “mimic” them right on your PC or Mac! The CoCo (Color
Computer) is vintage, classic computing at its finest! Check out
the first games I ever wrote, 10 to 13 years ago!
Monday, July 24th, 2000:
Lunatix.NET Operating Without License
Brandon Burch of GKC Designs has refused to discontinue using our
Lunatix Online software despite repeated warnings and notices that
his license has been revoked for breach of contract. Instead of
removing the game as we asked, only the new player sign-up screen is
gone (appearently to prevent people from being notified that they're
operating illegally). If you are a subscriber at lunatix.net, you
should be aware that you are paying to use pirated software, and
that your subscription money is being paid to an individual/company
who is profiting illegally from our program. Because many people have
gotten confused over the difference between the two sites, remember
that lunatix.net is where the illegal one is located --
lunatix-online.com is
our own site, and we invite you to come play here. :)
Sunday, July 23rd, 2000:
We're Also WWW.ProwlerProductions.COM
This site is now accessible using
www.prowlerproductions.com.
It's a secondary domain name we've added (we're not getting rid of
www.prowler-pro.com). You don't have to use the new one to get
here. It's longer to type, after all, but it seemed to make sense for
making it more “intuitive” to find our company site. Either will work.
Sunday, May 14th, 2000:
StarLock Development Has Continued
Once again, development of
StarLock has
continued. Prowler Productions' follow-up to
Lunatix is poised to
set a new standard for web-based gaming. We're often asked if it's
like other “space” games already out there. It isn't. You've probably
noticed that they're often cookie-cutter games, showing very little
originality, having no purpose other than to destroy the universe.
You've never seen a game like StarLock, which is why we have to keep
most of the details very secretive at this stage in development -- but
stay tuned!
Thursday, March 9th, 2000:
More About PayPal - $10 For Free!
Quite a few people have already taken advantage of this PayPal offer using our
referral link.
I think there is still some confusion, so I hope this answers your questions.
1) Most importantly, PayPal is easy to use. Very easy. Don't be scared.
2) You do not have to subscribe to Lunatix. You can still get $10 for free.
3) See #2. PayPal is offering you $10 even if you never intend to buy!
4) You need a credit card for verification only..
5) Your card is only charged if you spend more than the initial $10.
6) You don't have to buy anything. You can just cash out! See #2.
7) Unfortunately, the offer is only good for US residents right now.
8) There aren't any hidden charges. Using PayPal actually is free!
9) To see what the Wall Street Journal says about PayPal, click
here.
10) Take a look at some of the
uses
for the PayPal service.
11) To get started, use our
referral link.
Monday, March 6th, 2000:
New Credit Card Site & More!
Want $10? For free? Use our PayPal
referral link
to sign up for this new, free service that allows you to transfer money to
anybody with an email address. It sounds like a scam, but (thank goodness) it
isn't. For a limited time they're giving you (and us) $10 just to make an
account there. The best thing is, it's free (no fees or charges). If you play
Lunatix Online
and you plan to use a credit card to subscribe, we are now
using PayPal
exclusively for these orders. When creating your account, make sure it shows
wyndo@prowler-pro.com as your referral.
Do you remember the classic Radio Shack / Tandy Color Computer? I grew up on the COCO2 and COCO3. Well, I've launched the CoCo Quest web site to look for all the games I wrote over a decade ago. Check out this page on classic computing!
Finally, our Solitary Confinement beta went well. Actually, nobody reported anything at all. The two bugs fixed were ones we found ourselves. So, it's bug-free? Must be. Nobody replied to tell us what kind of computer they use and the game's speed and performance either, so I guess it worked for everybody on every system.
Saturday, February 26th, 2000:
Solitary Confinement
We've done it again! We've brought another great game to the web. Check
out Solitary Confinement,
now in open beta phase. Let us know what kind of results you have so we can
fix any bugs and figure out what minimum system requirements we should
recommend. Correspond with
wyndo@prowler-pro.com
about it.
Special thanks to BetaZine for helping us spread the word about the S/C testing phase. If you've never checked out their site, you should! BetaZine is a great place to find out about current and upcoming game betas and tests in which you may participate.
Friday, February 11th, 2000:
The Prowler Portal
Prowler Productions has just launched
The Prowler Portal,
a front-end site for our web-based games
(Lunatix Online,
Lexter, StarLock, etc). We're now able to offer
Froggy Racing
(a multiplayer web-based CGI game developed by Robert Fogt of
BlueSparks) as part of
the Prowler Portal. You can try
Froggy Racing
as a guest (your game doesn't get saved), or use your
Lunatix Online
name/password to play for real. Remember that since you're only allowed
one character in Lunatix Online and that you just get a single 2-week
free trial there, the same is carried over to
Froggy Racing.
Are you a web game developer who'd like to get more exposure for your company or web site, or do you need a place to host your game for free? Prowler Productions is seeking partnerships with web game developers to add more content to The Prowler Portal. If you have (or are developing) an original, fun web-based game and would like to learn more about partnership opportunities with Prowler Productions, send email to wyndo@prowler-pro.com.
Tuesday, January 25th, 2000:
Cupid-Slayer Is Here!
Alright, this is one of the silliest and strangest
games I've ever made. You must save humanity by defeating the evil angel
of Love. Playing is simple (just click, click, click) but winning can
be difficult. Battle Cupid on 5 levels to save the world. Cupid-Slayer
is completely FREEWARE. If you like it (and even if you don't) we
encourage you to send it to all your friends! There is nothing to install.
Just run cupid.exe and away it goes! You'll need Windows 95 or
Windows 98 (Windows 2000 and Windows NT might work too). You'll need the
runtime library “MSVBVM50.DLL” which should already be in your
c:\windows\system directory. Anyway,
click here
to download Cupid Slayer 1.0 and have fun with it!
We wanted to release this in time for Valentines day. Now, it's back to work on other projects such as Lexter 3 (mentioned below) and our upcoming StarLock online SCI-FI RPG.
Tuesday, January 4th, 2000:
The Year 2000 Is Here!
Ok, if you're going to go by a calendar, at least get it right. :)
While the Year 2000 is a pretty cool thing (and a great excuse to
party) it's not the new millenium just yet.
What's in store for you from Prowler Productions this year? We do
plan to complete and open
StarLock,
our next big web-based multiplayer game. We also have a few other smaller
ideas -- some just-for-fun games like
The Insanity Circle
last year.
One of these just-for-fun games is second sequel to our classic puzzle game Lexter. We're giving this challenging puzzle concept game a face-lift by expanding the top-down view to show a better sense of depth. Lexter 3 (available only for Windows 95 or higher) will also include some new levels and new features. Lexter 3 will be freeware, possibly with puzzle expansion pack (priced cheap) available. Stay tuned for details, and information on how you can become a Lexter 3 Tester.
In the meantime, brush up on your puzzle-solving skills by playing any of our six existing Lexter games! The original Lexter is DOS-based (written in early 1993) and can be downloaded HERE. The DOS-based sequel, Lexter 2 (written in late 1993) can be downloaded HERE. Three additional Lexter games (Lexter, Lexette, and Lex Junior) are available for online WEB-based play at our Exertion Javascript Games site. Our last Lexter-style puzzle game, called BillyBob is available HERE and was designed for Windows 3.1 but works ok with Windows 95/98 too. It was our first stab at a Windows-based Lexter game in late 1994 and is still pretty fun today. Several other stand-alone DOS and Windows games are available at our GameZips page. Many of them are quite old and very outdated by todays standards, but they're all free!
Thursday, December 2nd, 1999:
StarLock Development
The S.A.G.E.
project has been temporarily suspended as we focus our efforts on
StarLock
once again. StarLock is our 2nd web-based RPG/Adventure. Unlike
Lunatix Online (which is our first),
this one has a heavy sci-fi theme with wide rendered scenes and gameplay that spans thousands of
locations. Visit the
StarLock
web site to check in on our progress frequently!
Monday, November 15th, 1999:
A New Free Game For You!
It's the final day of voting in the 5th annual
Interactive Fiction Competition.
Now, Lunatix: The Insanity Circle is available to the public...
FOR FREE! Download the game
HERE
or read more about it (and see the screenshot thumbnails)
HERE by looking
in today's news (11-15-99). Let us know what you think, and if you get stuck
and need a hint, let us know that too!
Monday, October 25th, 1999:
Our SAGE Site Is Open.
Before you ask, no we haven't abandoned
StarLock.
It's true that
development has been paused over the last few months, but it isn't dead.
With that said, welcome to our new project - SAGE. Visit the official site at
www.prowler-pro.com/sage.
SAGE will be available initially for Windows (95/98/NT), but will later be
ported to the web so SAGE games can be enjoyed online
as well.
Saturday, October 16th, 1999:
Play and Vote on Adventure Games!
Here's something for everybody who remembers (or would like to try)
Interactive Fiction (those text games where you move around by typing
“N” to go North, “Get Book” to pick up a book, and “Read Book” to read
it). The 5th annual Interactive Fiction contest is currently underway.
You can play 37 free adventure games and all you have to do is cast a
voting score (1 to 10) on at least five of them by November 15.
Most of the games require an interpreter to run (TADS, Inform, or Alan). Basically this is an "engine" which you can download for your computer (most are available for PC's, Macintosh, Unix, and more) to run the games. The official contest site at www.textfire.com has the information you'll need to play these games as well as the offical rules for judging them.
The competition games are available from any of these sites:
Note that the competition is sponsored by the rec.games.int-fiction and rec.arts.int-fiction internet newgroups, not Prowler Productions.
Wednesday, September 15th, 1999:
Lunatix: The Insanity Circle
Other projects (StarLock, Pro-Seek) have gotten sidetracked temporarily
while Mike Snyder works on an adventure game (nowdays known as
“Interactive Fiction”) for submission in the 5th annual Interactive
Fiction competition (COMP99). If you remember adventure games from
days gone by (Zork, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Collosol Caves,
and dozens of others) then you know what I'm talking about. Adventure
games are (surprisingly) alive and well with many new ones being released
all the time (the biggest, most comprehensive repository for downloading
adventure games is ftp.gmd.de).
I've also been hanging out a little in two Interactive Fiction newsgroups:
rec.games.int-fiction
(for adventure players) and
rec.arts.int-fiction
(for adventure authors).
Tuesday, August 31st, 1999:
CGI Scripts Are Available!
Our CGI Voting Booth “ProwlerPoll” is now available for download at
www.prowler-pro.com/prowlerpoll.
We've also started on a brand new free script to help make your web site
better. Get all the info on this new project at
www.prowler-pro.com/pro-seek.
A CGI Scripts page has also been added to link to our cgi programs at
www.prowler-pro.com/scripts.html.
Saturday, August 28th, 1999:
Prowler-Pro.Com Is Back!
We were never really gone but our domain name took much longer
to transfer than anticipated (our technical contanct info at Internic had
gotten changed somehow). However, it's back and working again now. If you
notice any broken links to pages at our sites, please send email to
wyndo@prowler-pro.com
and let us know about it.
Sunday, July 25th, 1999:
Introducing “Prowler Poll”
It's not quite ready for public release, but our new
Prowler Poll
Perl CGI program is running and can be seen on the navigation sidebar here. We
expect to have it finished shortly and we'll make it available for free
download. You'll be able to easily add your own poll/voting questions to your
web sites!
Wednesday, July 21st, 1999:
Our Info Page
An About Us
page has just been added. It contains links to personal info pages for
Mike Snyder, Anna Kasl, and Steven Tucker. If you're interested in finding out more
about the people behind the games, visit it! At this time, the only personal
page with any info is
Mike's, but the others will be added.
Tuesday, July 20th, 1999:
Added Shilla to Links Page
We just traded links with the web-based fantasy RPG “Shilla II” at
www.shilla.org and
added the shilla
banner
to our banner exchange script and listed the site on our
links page.
Saturday, July 17th, 1999:
Lunatix Online “Actions Contest”
It seems like everybody has good suggestions for “actions” to add to
Lunatix Online (and JabberChat). To help encourage those creative thoughts,
Prowler Productions has just announced an “Actions Contest.” Read all the
info at the Lunatix Online
Official Web Site.
Saturday, July 17th, 1999:
New Links Page Added
A better links
page has been added. Not only does it list the other sites we've traded
links with, but it also includes information on emailing us with a link
exchange request. We are particularly interested in linking to other
web games and online gaming sites.
Saturday, July 17th, 1999:
Two New Game Sites Linked
Two sites recently contacted us for trading links.
ArchMage
is a free multiplayer web-based RPG, reportedly very active!
Black Dragon Software
is the home of "The Magic of Vitael" DOS-based RPG. Banners from both
sites have been added into our
Banner Exchange
script for better exposure.
Tuesday, July 14th, 1999:
Brand New: JabberChat
Prowler Productions has just released a free CGI-based (Perl) program
for chatting on the web! While it's not a new idea by any means,
we think JabberChat is unique among its competition and very worthwhile. If you run a web site and
you're allowed to upload CGI programs (like hit counters, guestbooks, or
whatever) then you can probably run JabberChat. Go ahead and demo it now, and
download your free copy from the
JabberChat
web site!
Tuesday, July 14th, 1999:
Prowler Productions - A New Look!
The look of the Prowler Productions home page has changed some. The new
layout should be easier to navigate now. We've placed a random link
exchange banner at the top of the page for better exposure for sites which
link back to us (this is in addition to being listed on our
links page).
Trade links with us!
--- Thursday, June 17th, 1999 --- |
StarLock Development:
After a 2-month delay in development, the
StarLock project is
underway again. Check out all the latest info on this exciting
web-based game -- and visit often!
---
Sunday, March 7th, 1999
---
Official StarLock Web Site:
Check out the official StarLock home page at
www.prowler-pro.com/starlock
and bookmark it! Development of our second web-based RPG has begun! Stay
tuned in the weeks and months ahead as we bring this new world to life.
---
Wednesday, March 3rd, 1999
---
Our Next Game:
Since our current project (Lunatix Online)
is nearly finished (only a few minor things remain to be done), we're now in
the planning stages of our next online multiplayer game. Not much has been determined, and
nothing has been coded yet, but it will be Sci-Fi. StarLock will be
available for play at no additional charge. A subscription to Lunatix
will be a subscription to StarLock as well -- how cool is that??
Development of “StarLock” will begin soon and we anticipate having a playable beta online sometime in the summer. Stay tuned for more information about it, including a new web site to chronicle its progress. After this, we have the concept for a third web-based game as well!
Go Play Lunatix:
If you haven't already tried it, go to
www.lunatix-online.com
now and check out Lunatix Online: Global Insanity Crisis. After
many months of hard work, we're finally putting the finishing touches on
it! Feedback has been very good so far! We're told that this is
the MOST entertaining web-based game some people have ever
played. This is very encouraging, and we hope to continue this success
with StarLock. Until then, be sure to check out Lunatix Online.
--- Tuesday, December 8th, 1998 --- |
Partly because of the recent server down-time, and partly because it will still be undergoing beta development until around the end of December, we have extended the free trial week to a full FOUR weeks. This is only temporary though. The standard new player trial week will return later this month.
Two Possible Directions:
As mentioned in the 10-24-98 update, we have two possible projects to consider
after the completion of Lunatix Online. If LOGIC (Lunatix Online) does well,
we have an awesome idea for a follow-up game... not a sequel, but a brand new
web-based game that should have all the makings of another hit. We don't plan
to release any information about this idea or the plot yet, but it's just as
zany as Lunatix.
If, however, LOGIC does not meet with the same success we've seen in
the two BBS versions (Lunatix BBS Door Game
and Lunatix for Worldgroup),
we have a concept for a stand-alone RPG/Adventure game, possibly with
Internet multiplayer ability. Both are large new projects, not remakes of
any of our older games, but at the current time we haven't decided which one
to begin after the completion of Lunatix Online.
MajorBBS/Worldgroup Page Links Fixed:
WOOPS! Some of the file links on our Worldgroup Games
page had not been updated and were... well... broken. We believe they're all fixed
now. Sorry for the confusion.
Due to some unfortunate snags, LOGIC will not be compatible with
Netscape 3.0 as was originally planned. It's currently 100% compatible with
Netscape 4 and about 95% compatible with MSIE 4 (the 5% incompatibility is
from things like the window.scroll() method and the ability MSIE gives to
click multiple links even while a CGI is loading).
Yes, We Will Offer Franchising:
Since we've had several inquiries about Lunatix Online franchise specifics,
we'll work out the details soon. We plan to target it at $450 to other
gaming sites for a 150-user version (1 instance). $700 for an unlimited user
version (1 instance), $800 for a 200-user version (up to 3 instances). Or,
$1,000 for an unlimited user version, up to 3 instances. None of this is
absolute, and we'll need to sit down and solidify the specifics soon.
What's On the Horizon?
We expect to be working on Lunatix Online even into the beginning parts of
1999, mainly because of the new features we're planning to add and the
prospect of “bugs” that will crop up from time to time and need fixed. After
this, nothing is decided. If LOGIC takes off really well and receives a good
response, another multiplayer web-based game might be a good idea. However,
at this time we're leaning toward something possibly stand-alone with
a multiplayer option. Sedition Factor (a stand-alone game using the
Dink Smallwood engine) is also planned, possibly before we begin our next
multiplayer project.
Lunatix Online (Questions and Answers):
I've gotten some email about it, so here are some of the things I've been asked,
and some of the things that haven't been asked yet but very well could be.
Q: I've played “Lunatix” before. What is Lunatix Online?
Q: I've never played it. What is the game about?
Q: Cool. Is it a MUD? A 3-D Action Game? What is it?
Q: When will Lunatix Online be ready to play?
Q: Can I buy Lunatix Online for $15 like the BBS Version?
Q: Can I buy Lunatix Online for $300 like the WG Version?
Q: Isn't this just a BBS Game?
Q: Wow! How can I play this game?
Q: How will IGM's be implemented?
Q: What are the client requirements? Are they pretty steep?
Q: Oh, so it's a Javascript Game? That sucks.
Q: It would be way cooler if it were a TCP/IP game.
Lunatix Online:
It's in the works and looking good. A playable alpha will most likely be
ready this month! Lunatix Online: Global Insanity Crisis (LOGIC) is a web-based
version of our classic Lunatix BBS game. This is going to be the best version ever,
playable over the internet with out-of-the-box Netscape 3, Netscape 4, or
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4! Players get a free week of play to evaluate the
game (and it will be VERY easy to sign up). After the first week, players can either
just quit... or... subscribe as a full player for $5 monthly.
A Prowler Products web site for Lunatix Online will be launched soon (the disabled link at the
top of this page will go there). Already, a 3rd-party Lunatix Online web page
has been created and is HERE!
More information is coming, including some of the features, a description of
the game, the story, and a few screen shots and graphics.
A brand new
forum
has been set up especially for this project. Be sure to check it out for the latest info!
If you'd like to add to the discussion, simply
register
your name (a 1-time thing... takes only 30 seconds to do... it's absolutely free) so
the forum will recognize you.
Mike Snyder, the driving force behind the programming side of the business,
has been programming games since 1987 (a very long time). Before Prowler
Productions, DOS-based BBS games were marketed under the "N-E-Ware" name.
More recently, D-Mods for Dink Smallwood have been distributed independently.
Realizing that this is altogether senseless, we're consolidating. :)
---
Tuesday, October 24th, 1998
---
Lunatix Online will be OPEN Soon:
It won't be finished finished, as in completely finished for a
while, but only because we're planning to add new features that have never been
available in the BBS versions. Also, IGM (add-on) support is going to take some
thought in order to make it take advantage of the multiplayer abilities. However,
the game has been in testing for over three weeks now with very good results.
Local Graphics work great and speed up the game play quite a bit. The final
downloadable graphics ZIP is expected to be around 2 Megabytes.
---
Friday, October 9th, 1998
---
Official Lunatix Online Page is up:
The current URL is www.cxo.com/~lunatix/logic which
will be change to www.prowler-pro.com/logic when our domain
name is working. Look there for the latest Lunatix Online info, and don't forget about our
Lunatix Online Forum
for discussions about the game's development.
---
Thursday, October 8th, 1998
---
Our Domain IS coming:
We're told that www.prowler-pro.com is just awaiting its addition to the internet routing tables.
It could happen tomorrow... maybe Saturday. I don't really know.
A: Lunatix Online: Global Insanity Crisis (a.k.a. LOGIC, a.k.a. Lunatix 6.0) is a brand new project.
It's a web-based game, based on the same concepts, settings, and situtions of
our popular BBS game, with lots of new features. Instead of playing it on a BBS,
you play over the Internet with your Netscape or MSIE web browser.
A: Lunatix thrusts you into the crazy world of Imenz Aine, an insane asylum headed up
by the somewhat-unscrupulous Dr. Armand Hammer. No longer must you waste away in
your padded cell awaiting your next shock therapy session -- leave your room and
roam the hall, fight against other patients (players), play pranks, flirt with
the nurse or other players, chat, visit the cafeteria, enter your closet for
rigorous battle against “shadow monsters” to increase your experience and gather
Crazy Bucks to spend on new weapons and defenses like a broom or a cook's apron.
Visit with Socrates, Napoleon, Ghengis Khan (and you thought YOU were crazy) among
others, and attack the poor helpless (yeah right) cafeteria lady when you're
ready to level-up. Lunatix puts you smack-dab in the middle of this crazy existence!
A: None of the above, but if I had to pick, it's probably more like a MUD. But,
at the same time, it's not. Lunatix has traditionally appealed to people who aren't
big Mudders (although there are always exceptions). Choice are made by selecting
options. Step into the closet... Fight a Shadow... Return to your room...
Step into the Hallway... Go the the Cafeteria... Talk to Socrates. Unlike MUDs
where you basicly type your commands, the game control in Lunatix is mainly
menu-driven. In other words, Leave your room by clicking "Leave my room" as opposed
to typing the command out yourself. Is a menu-driven approach more restrictive
than a command-driven one? Yes... but it's also much easier for new players
to jump right in and learn the game in no time at all, without getting frustrated
because they don't know what to do. For veteran patients, it makes game play
go much smoother as well.
A: That's hard to say, but the quick answer is “as soon as possible.” It will
most likely be playable in a “beta” stage before all the features are finished, and
will probably be continually improved during the first few months.
A: Lunatix Online probably won't be for sale in the traditional sense. This is a
gaming site to bring players in, as opposed to a way to send players away. In a sense,
it's like a restaurant... you can dine there, but the building isn't for sale.
A: You can't buy a restaurant, but you can own your own franchise, right?
We're strongly considering this, targeted at $450 to other sites that offer
similar subscription plans to players.
A: No. Lunatix Online will keep the same general “play style” as the BBS
game because it's tried & proven, but that's just the beginning. Much more is planned
for the web version. This includes REAL graphic stills (no more nebulous ANSI's),
a fully-functional in-game teleconference (including millions of different channels,
teleconference actions, whispering/paging, and more), new options like player
marriages (with full-scale wedding ceremonies which friends can attend online),
teams/gangs, optional player profiles (real as well as character), IGM's that
are actually interactive (for instance, sit around and play poker with other players),
and lots more!
A: Stay tuned for continuing details. When the game opens, new players
can sign up and get a week of play FOR FREE! This will allow you to evaluate the game
and see whether or not you like it. If you don't, simply drop out of the game.
If you enjoy it and would like to continue your patient past the first week,
simply sign up for $5 a month (we might even offer discounts when signing up
for several months at once). You can't lose!
A: This will be worked out as the game progresses. We definitely want to
make it so that IGM's can use all the features of the game, including the teleconference
chat and other multi-player interaction. At this time, we haven't decided whether or not
the IGM development tools will be avaiable for free... or for a charge... or
not at all.
A: Oh, not at all. In fact, we're hoping to make the game run on any
Netscape 3, Netscape 4, or MS Internet Explorer 4 browser (It will require
800x600 resolution or higher). We would try to make
it even MORE compatible, but some of the features needed just to make the game work
at all weren't implemented until Javascript 1.1 came along. This means we aren't
planning to add Shockwave or Quicktime or any other plug-in... and if we do,
it will be optional. We want the game to work for as many people as possible.
I just hate going to a site and I don't have the right plug-in... I typically
just point my browser someplace else instead. Who wants to jump through lots
of hoops just to play a web game?
A: <grin> no. The guts of Lunatix Online consist of related CGI
programs which run on the server. However, there are some things that are best
suited to client-side programming (messages, some input validation, heartbeat
signalling, and so forth).
A: ...meaning a game on CD with awesome graphics which communicates through
the internet, like Ultima Online or something. I totally agree with that opinion. In fact,
that could very well be the next likely incarnation of Lunatix or another adventure/RPG
idea I've been milling over. However, we have to start somewhere and development
of Lunatix Online (web-based) is already well underway.
---
Wednesday, October 7th, 1998
---
Waiting on our Domain Name:
www.prowler-pro.com still isn't working. I honestly have no idea why
not. My web host says they are waiting on information from Internic, but I
thought all of that was taken care of two weeks ago. Argh. Hopefully it'll
start working soon and that URL will bring you straight here.
---
Monday, September 28th, 1998
---
Welcome to Prowler Productions.
...featuring a new look and our own Domain Name (www.prowler-pro.com). Prowler
Productions, as a company, has been around since 1996, sparked by our flagship
game, Lunatix version 5.xx (for Worldgroup/MajorBBS). Two other Worldgroup BBS
products (Mystic Messages 2.xx and “Distant Places” for WG T-LORD) have also
been released under the Prowler name.