Brian M. Slator, Donald Schwert*, Bernhardt Saini-Eidukat*, Phil McClean**, Jon Abel, John Bauer, Brian Gietzen, Nathan Green, Yongxin "George" Jia, Tammy Kavli, Lucas Koehntop, Bhaskar Marthi, Vidyalatha Nagareddy, Acey Olson, Kishore Peravali, Daniel Turany, Brad Vender, James Walsh
Computer Science, Geosciences*, Plant Science** Departments
North Dakota State University
Planet Oit is simulated on a MOO (Unix) server:
Client software is
<the player logs on as demoplayer> Welcome to the NDSU/CS Geology Explorer MOO We are implementing Planet Oit for you to explore in order to learn something about geology. For more information on this project, point your web browser to: http://www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu/~slator/ For an online user's manual, point your web browser to: http://www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu/~slator/html/PLANETX/planet-x-userman.html PLEASE JUST CREATE *ONE* CHARACTER FOR YOURSELF (TO USE EVERY TIME) Problems? email slator@badlands.nodak.edu *** Connected *** Planet-X You are standing in the middle of the expedition staging area on the surface of Planet Oit. You see a spaceship on the ground with its bay doors open, exposing a laboratory within. A glorious panorama spreads out on all sides. There is a Way Station here * To the North is a Seashore * To the Northeast are the Hills * To the East are the Old Mountains * To the Southeast is a Laboratory * To the South is a Desert * To the Southwest are the Plains * To the West are the Young Mountains * To the Northwest is a Lake Obvious exits are: Down Station North Northeast East Southeast South Southwest West Northwest As a player in the Geology Explorer You have reached no goals yet, and you are playing at the beginner level. You have a general goal: to 'report' all the rocks and minerals you find and a specific goal: to 'report' the location of Native Copper. Native Copper is a reddish metallic mineral. Native Copper is used in electronics. You can expect to find Native Copper in Desert (#147) In particular, you should look in Plateau with Fissure (#350). To see this message again, type '@showgoal' or 'showgoal' => LOOK ME demoplayer You see a player who should type '@describe me as ...'. It is awake and looks alert. => @DESCRIBE ME AS "AN INTREPID ADVENTURER BOLDLY GOING WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE Description set. => LOOK ME demoplayer an intrepid adventurer boldly going where no one has gone before It is awake and looks alert. => HELP ME The Geology Explorer is a game and a "learn by doing" environment for teaching the Scientific Method and deductive reasoning in a synthetic exploratory virtual world. To play the game, you identify rocks and minerals on Planet Oit and you score points for each one. Normal game play will include the following steps: 1. You log on to the game using a name and a password this transports you to the surface of Planet Oit 2. You are assigned a general goal and a specific goal 3. You acquire the tools and INSTRUMENTS you need from the STORE on your space ship 4. You explore the planet, seeking your goals 5. You REPORT the rocks and mineral to score points Hints: You will find the "help" system very useful See especially: "help instrument" and "help <verb>" (where <verb> is one of hit, pour, scratch, streak touch, view, taste, or smell) If a tutor visits you, pay attention Watch out for wild animals Welcome to Planet Oit! => HELP NATIVE COPPER Native Copper (mineral) color: reddish heft: very heavy texture: smooth acid reactive: 0 streak: Faint, copper-colored luster: Metallic hardness: from 2.5 to 3.0 a soft reddish metal that is a simple substance (ELEMENT), easily shaped, and allows heat and electricity to pass through it easily (LDOCE, 1978) => SOUTHEAST Laboratory You are standing in the laboratory of a spaceship, you are surrounded by many instruments. A sign on the wall says, 'You can buy field instruments to the East.' The sign continues: 'You can use these lab instruments by bringing samples back here.' * To the East is a Shopping Center * To the South is a Rock Museum * To the Northwest is Planet-X Obvious exits are: East South Northwest You see Thin Section Machine (#365), Bunsen Burner (#576), Rock Powdering Machine (#603), X-ray Fluorescense Spectrometer (#590), Rock Crusher (#753), Laboratory Densitometer (#714), Mass Spectrometer (#763), Aqua Regia (#566), X-ray Diffractometer (#299), Heavy Liquids (#604), Magnetometer (#578), Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometer (#592), and Derrick Drill (#586) here. => EAST Crazy Eddie's Geology Equipment Emporium Crazy Eddie's is the place to go to fill all your geology field equipment needs. Aisle after aisle of merchandise makes this place into a maze. You could easily get lost in here without assistance. A large sign on the far wall reads: Trouble finding what you're looking for? Look it up in our catalog! (Never mind the cost -- everything is free) Obvious exits are: West You see Crazy Eddie and Catalog here. Crazy Eddie says, "Hello, demoplayer. Welcome to Crazy Eddie's Geology Equipment Emporium! Crazy Eddie says, "I've got the best deals on Planet X!" Crazy Eddie asks, "Can I get you anything?" => LOOK CATALOG **** Crazy Eddie's Mail Order Catalog **** Item Price | Item Price Acid Bottle (#597) $ 1.00 | Light Meter (#556) $25.00 Altimeter (#675) $ 100.00 | Magnet (#580) $1.00 Anemometer (#568) $ 30.00 | Microscope (#612) $25.00 Barometer (#410) $ 50.00 | Rock Pick/Hammer (#370) $40.00 Black Light (#625) $ 30.00 | Sextant (#554) $100.00 Compass (#561) $ 200.00 | Sonar (#593) $200.00 Flowmeter (#598) $ 100.00 | Spirit Level (#335) $5.00 Geiger Counter (#751) $ 178.00 | Streak Plate (#542) $0.50 Glass Plate (#583) $ 0.50 | Tape Measure (#626) $10.00 Goniometer (#613) $ 1.00 | Thermometer (#223) $5.00 Gravimeter (#708) $10000.00 | Transit (#364) $10.00 Jack Hammer (#368) $ 300.00 | Water Level Gage (#615) $5.00 => HELP HARDNESS hardness: Mineral's resistance to scratching on a smooth surface. Mohs scale of relative hardness consists of 10 minerals, each scratching all those below it in scale and being scratched by all those above it: 1) talc, 2) gypsum, 3) calcite, 4) fluorite, 5) apatite, 6) orthoclase, 7) quartz, 8) topaz, 9) corundum, 10) diamond Crazy Eddie twiddles his thumbs. => SAY SELL ME A ROCK PICK You say, "sell me a rock pick" Crazy Eddie quickly disappears for a moment. He reappears carrying a Rock Pick/Hammer (#2757), which he gives to you. You have accumulated $40.00 in charges. => SAY SELL ME A GLASS PLATE You say, "sell me a glass plate" Crazy Eddie quickly disappears for a moment. He reappears carrying a Glass Plate (#2758), which he gives to you. You have accumulated $40.50 in charges. <the player travels back to the Plateau with Fissure> Plateau with Fissure You are in an exotic place with a great view of the surroundings. This plateau, sometimes called tableland, is a large level area raised above the adjacent land. There is a fissure here (a narrow opening or crack) -- it is dark within, you cannot see inside. You see wild flowers and green trees here. A condor circles lazily overhead. * To the South is a White Dune * To the Southwest is a Desert * To the West is a Cinder Cone Obvious exits are: South Southwest West You see dark green-grey coarse-grained outcrop (#1902), light green granular medium-grained outcrop (#1905), reddish metallic crystal (#2008), black opaque submetallic crystal (#2019), dark brown opaque submetallic crystal (#2021), light gray banded granular outcrop (#2046), dark greenish-black coarse-grained outcrop (#2077), and dark gray fine-grained outcrop (#2083) here. =>WEST Cinder Cone You are standing at the base of conical hill formed by the accumulation of cinders around a volcanic vent. The landscape here is brown and black, there is very little in terms of green growing things. The air smells faintly of sulphur. * To the East is a Plateau with Fissure * To the Southeast is a Desert * To the South is a Reddish Butte * To the Southwest is a Cave Obvious exits are: East Southeast South Southwest You see dull reddish porous medium-grained outcrop (#1923), dark gray fine-grained outcrop (#2082), black smooth glassy block (#2087), and grayish white rough glassy porous block (#2100) here. <the player is visited by the tutor> A clap of thunder splits the air, and a tutor appears in your midst The tutor appears to be speaking to demoplayer TUTOR: You just left Plateau with Fissure containing your goal: Native Copper The TUTOR bends at the waist and disappears in a puff of smoke <the player returns to the Plateau with Fissure> => HIT REDDISH CRYSTAL You hit reddish metallic crystal (#2008) with your hands. Nothing happens => SCRATCH REDDISH CRYSTAL WITH GLASS PLATE reddish metallic crystal (#2008) does not scratch Glass Plate (#2758) Note: reddish metallic crystal (#2008) is soft enough to bend. Is is very malleable. => REPORT REDDISH CRYSTAL AS NATIVE COPPER Checking: reddish metallic crystal (#2008) against Native Copper (#673) You are right! reddish metallic crystal (#2008) IS native copper You score 10 points! You have satisfied your primary goal! You score 500 points. <the player is assigned a new goal, and continues the game>