From 8926b369762a8ade29ff58ddd33e151501accf4d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Carl Worth Date: Sat, 2 May 2020 08:03:13 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Initial commit with a README file Giving a brief introduction to the game of Empires and why we are motivated to design a client-server API for a party game that normally requires almost no equipment. (Hint: It's about making this work when not all players can be physically present in the same space.) --- README | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 43 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README diff --git a/README b/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000..98e6f88 --- /dev/null +++ b/README @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +This repository describes a client-server API useful for playing the +traditional party game of Empires (sometimes called Families). + +This game involves each player secretly choosing a character. The +complete list of characters is read aloud at the beginning of the +game, without revealing which player chose each character. Players +must try to remember all the character names, and gameplay consists of +guessing the character that another player submitted. After a correct +guess, the guessed player is "captured" and becomes part of the +"empire" of the guessing player. At the end of the game, there will be +one winner who is the head of an empire consisting of all players in +the game. + +See the api.text for a decription of the REST API. + +Motivation +========== +As a party game, Empires requires very little equipment, (just slips +of paper for each player to write their character name on). And for an +in-person party, it's probably best to just use that traditional +method (without needing any technology to implement this API). + +However, if a group is not meeting in person, but instead using +something like a video-conference tool to get together, the +traditional approach of slips of paper may not be available. So an +implementation of the API describes here allows for players to submit +their own character names, and then for clients to obtain the complete +list of charater names without knowing which players submitted which +names. + +The API also allows for keeping track of which players have "captured" +other players to form larger empires and querying the current empire +relationshiips. + +Notably, this API has no mechanism for submitting guesses of a +player's character nor determining whether a guess is correct. The +assumption here is that the game is still played face to face, +(whether in person or via video conference or some other +technology). So guesses should still be communicated and resolved that +way. The API simplifies the tracking of empires so that players can +easily know who is still active, (whereas, in the in-person party +game, empires are made obvious by people physically moving to sit with +their empire). -- 2.43.0