Update README.md

README.md

@@ -16,107 +16,70 @@ Traditional adventure format with a description of the genre, tags, and other mi
 #### Examples of shorter responses:
 ```
 [Genres: Science Fiction]
-[Tags: humor, old school]
+[Tags: humor, old school, sci fi]
 [Mode: Adventure]
 [Description: A puzzle about committing acts of financial skulduggery and exploiting ridiculous magical items.]
 [Misc: Writing era: 1993]
 [Intro]
-You are sitting at a desk in the offices of the Trans-Galactic Financial Services Corporation. You have been here for hours, trying to figure out how you can get your hands on some money that is rightfully yours. Unfortunately, it seems as if there's no way you will ever be able to do this without getting caught by the company president, Mr. Vance.
+It is the year 2045. You are a young man in his twenties living in New York City. Your father was an inventor who died when you were very small; your mother raised you alone for many years until she remarried. Now you live with your stepfather, but he doesn't care much for you and has never given you any money to help support yourself. You have no job and little hope of getting one because of your lack of experience. However, you do have some unusual abilities that could be put to good use if only you knew how...
 
-> You lean back in your chair
-You stretch your arms above your head and yawn. It has been a long day already.
+> Look around
+You are standing on the sidewalk outside your apartment building. The street is busy with traffic and people going about their daily business. Across the street from you stands a tall office tower where your stepfather works as an accountant. To your left is a convenience store where you can buy food and drinks.
 
-> You check your terminal
-Your computer screen shows various bits of information about TGFC stocks and bonds.
+> You go into the store
+The doorbell rings as you enter the store. An elderly woman behind the counter looks up at you expectantly. "Hello," she says cheerfully, "what can I get for you?"
 
-> You check the news
-The front page of today's newspaper reports that "TGFC" stands for "Too Greedy For Cash."
-```
-```
-Two men, one a brusque bowling ball; the other a murderous dandy, discuss their fate and the fate of the world. They've chosen someone to send. He's clever, but hopefully not too clever.
-Adventure mode, Varied response length, Creative
-
-> You look around
-You are in an empty room with no furniture except for a table. A man is sitting at the table, writing something on a piece of paper.
+> You tell her you'll browse
+"All right then," she replies brightly, "just take your time."
 
-> You talk to him
-"Hello," you say politely. "I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."
-The man looks up from his writing. "Who are you?" he asks suspiciously.
+> You ask if she's hiring
+"I'm sorry," she says sadly, "but we don't need anyone new just now."
 
-"My name is..."
+> You leave without buying anything
+As you walk out of the store, the bell jingles merrily.
 
-> You tell him your name is Dan
-"Dan? That doesn't sound like a very nice name."
+> You go see your stepfather
+When you arrive at work, your stepfather greets you warmly. He invites you into his office and offers you a seat. "So," he begins eagerly, "how would you like to make some extra cash? There's this guy named Mr. Jones who owes my company thousands of dollars. If we could somehow convince him to pay us back, it would really help our bottom line."
 
-> You take offense
-"It's my name!"
+He pauses expectantly, waiting for your response.
 
-"Well it sounds stupid! And what do you want anyway?"
+> You ask him whats involved
+"Well," he continues excitedly, "it turns out that Mr. Jones has a very valuable antique watch that he keeps locked away in a safe deposit box at the bank. We think that if we could somehow break into the box and steal the watch, we could sell it for enough money to cover his debt."
 
-> You ask him where you are
-"This is the place where we choose who gets sent next."
-
-> You ask where people are getting sent
-"To the future, obviously."
+Your heart races as you realize the potential danger of such a scheme. But before you can say anything, your stepfather cuts off your thoughts by continuing, "Of course, there's always the chance that something could go wrong and we might end up losing everything..."
 ```
 #### Examples of longer novel like responses:
 ```
 [Genres: grimdark fantasy] [Tags: Fantasy, Grimdark, Serious, Villain Protagonist, War] [Description: This story is definitely more "story" than "game", however there are two distinct paths that can be followed, each with their own pitfalls and additional choices. This story can get long, and assuming you're surviving, years do pass in it and you and your environment will change.] [First message intro] [Mode: Interactive Storyteller]
-It was a dark night when I received my first letter from my father. It had been sent by messenger bird and delivered to me at midnight. As I read through its contents, I could feel myself growing numb as I realized what he had asked of me. My father wanted me to go to war.
-
-I knew this day would come eventually. He has always said that his greatest wish was to see me fight alongside him. However, now that the time had finally arrived, I found myself unable to respond immediately. This was going to be a huge decision, one that would affect both our lives forevermore.
-
-My name is Kronos Vang. I am the son of the great warlord of the kingdom of Darrow, Lord Gendall Vang. I have lived my entire life here in the capital city of Nadorf, training under the tutelage of my father's most trusted general, Commander Eldon Blackwell. Now, at the age of 16, I find myself standing before a crossroads, one that will determine whether or not I follow in my father's footsteps.
-
-> You go to war
-
-As soon as I finished reading the letter, I made up my mind. If my father wanted me to join him in battle so badly, then I would do just that. I didn't want to disappoint him.
-
-The next morning, I woke early and went downstairs to speak with Commander Blackwell about my future plans. When I entered his office, I saw him sitting behind his desk, looking very concerned.
-
-"Kronos," he began slowly, "your father wants you to go to war."
-
-"Yes sir," I replied. "He sent me a letter last night explaining everything."
-
-"Then why did you come talk to me?" he asked.
-
-"Because I need to tell someone," I answered truthfully. "And since you were the only person who came close to being like a father to me..."
-
-Commander Blackwell smiled slightly. "Well, let's sit down and discuss this together," he said, motioning towards a chair across from his desk. Once we sat down, he continued speaking. "Look kiddo, I don't think anyone knows better than you how much your father loves you. And I know he wouldn't ask anything of you unless he thought it was absolutely necessary. But, I also know that you've never really shown any interest in becoming a soldier. In fact, you'd rather spend all your free time learning magic spells instead of practicing swordplay."
-
-"But sir," I interrupted, "that doesn't mean I won't become good enough to fight someday! All I need is practice!"
-
-"That may be true," he admitted, "but I still believe that you should stay here and continue your studies. Your father needs soldiers, yes, but he also needs magicians. Without them, he cannot win the wars he must fight. I promise you, if you remain here, I will train you until you are able to defend yourself against even the strongest foe."
-
-"No sir," I insisted. "If my father asks me to go to war, then I must obey him. I will not betray him again."
-
-"Again? What do you mean 'again'?" he asked curiously.
+You have been a soldier for as long as you remember. You don't know who you were before the war began, but you were someone else. Someone less angry. More forgiving. Perhaps even kinder.
 
-"When I was younger, I used to run away every chance I got," I explained. "Even though I knew it wasn't right, I couldn't help myself. Every time I ran off, I felt like I was abandoning my family. That's why I stayed here after my mother died. Because I didn't want to leave them ever again."
+It all started when you were very young. The King of this land was attacked by an army from another kingdom. His forces were outmatched, his city overrun. He had no choice but to flee into the forest, taking what few soldiers he could muster along with him.
 
-"Oh kiddo," he sighed sadly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept such a secret from you."
+As the king fled deeper into the woods, his army fell back, forming a protective wall around them. They fought valiantly against the invaders, giving the king time to escape, but they eventually succumbed to overwhelming numbers. When the fighting finally ended, only one man remained alive; you.
 
-"What secret?" I asked confused.
+The king found you hiding behind some bushes, covered in blood and dirt. He took pity on you and offered you a place at court if you would swear allegiance to him. Without hesitation, you accepted. And so began your journey down the path of darkness...
 
-"Your mother," he revealed. "She was a powerful sorceress. She cast a spell upon herself and your father that would make her die within five years of giving birth to you. After she passed away, your father became heartbroken. So, he cast another spell over himself that would prevent him from falling in love again. He believed that he would never marry again, nor would he ever have children."
+> You meet with the king to discuss the plans
+A week has passed since the battle and you have just met with the king to discuss future plans. It seems like things are finally starting to settle down after such chaos. However, there is still much work to be done before we can truly consider ourselves safe again.
 
-"Wait," I interjected. "So, he didn't actually love me?"
+The first order of business is rebuilding our army. We need men willing to fight for us once more. Men who understand what needs to be done and aren't afraid to die trying. I believe I have found such warriors among those loyal subjects who survived the initial attack. If we train them properly, then perhaps they might prove useful against our enemies next time around.
 
-"Of course he loved you!" he exclaimed. "How could you possibly doubt that? He raised you single-handedly, gave you everything you needed, and protected you whenever danger threatened. No, no, Kronos, he loves you deeply. But, he simply believes that he can protect you best by keeping you out of harm's way. That's why he forbade you from leaving home. That's why he refused to allow you to learn magic. He fears losing you too."
+Next, we must find ways to improve our defenses. There are many areas where improvements could be made. For instance, we should construct better walls around our cities. These walls must not only keep intruders out, but also allow us easy access inside should anyone try to breach them. In addition, we must strengthen our gates so that no matter how strong our enemy becomes, he cannot break through without great effort. Finally, we must fortify our castles and other strategic locations throughout the country. By doing these things, we will ensure that nobody ever attacks us again!
 
-"But... what does this have to do with me going to war?" I asked.
+> You ask what he desires your involvement to be
+After hearing about his plans, you feel compelled to help him achieve victory. After all, you owe everything to him. But before agreeing to anything, you want to make sure that he understands exactly what you expect from him. So you decide to approach him directly.
 
-"Nothing," he admitted. "I suppose I was merely trying to convince you to stay. But, if you truly desire to go, then I guess there isn't much I can say or do to stop you."
+"Your Majesty," you begin, "I am honored beyond measure to serve under your command. However, before committing myself fully to this cause, I wish to clarify certain matters."
 
-"Thank you sir," I told him sincerely. "I appreciate everything you've taught me these past ten years. Even though I'm leaving, I hope you know that I will never forget what you've done for me."
+He nods slowly. "Very well. What would you like me to explain?"
 
-"Don't worry about me," he assured me. "Just remember what I said about your father. He loves you very much. Don't ever forget that."
+"Well," you say, "first off, I want to know why you chose me above everyone else? Why did you pick me specifically?"
 
-After saying goodbye to Commander Blackwell, I returned to my room and packed up all my belongings. Then, I walked downstairs and left the castle without telling anyone else. I figured it was better to leave quietly while everyone was sleeping.
+He smiles softly. "Because I saw potential within you. Potential which others lacked. Potentials which could prove valuable during times of crisis. Therefore, I felt confident enough to entrust my fate to you."
 
-Once outside, I headed straight for the nearest tavern. There, I met up with my friends and informed them of my plan to enlist in the army. They weren't happy about it, but none of them tried to dissuade me either. Instead, they promised to meet me back here tomorrow evening, along with whatever supplies they could gather for us.
+"But what makes you think I possess such abilities?" you ask curiously.
 
-Now, I'm waiting impatiently for them to arrive. I wonder what kind of adventures lie ahead for me...
+"Oh, nothing special really," he replies casually. "Just raw determination combined with intelligence and resourcefulness. Those qualities alone are enough to carry us forward toward victory!"
 ```
 
 # Some quick and  dirty training details: