The main window in Sell

The ILS Sell game was implemented with a Unix-based Sell Server and a MacIntosh-based graphical client program. After using the client program to connect to the Sell Server, this is the main window you saw. It consisted of two major sections. The top part is the MOOPort, and the bottom part is the dashboard.

The MOOPort

The MOOPort is a window into the virtual town of Springfield, where players could see their store, other players, and all things involved in the community aspect of Sell.

The Dashboard

This part of the main window gave information about Springfield and the player's store, and let them change various aspects of the store.

Net Worth, Liquid Assets, Profit/Loss, and Liability

These status boxes showed net worth (in terms of cash and merchandise), liquid assets (cash on hand), profit or loss (in terms of money made or lost since the beginning of the game, and libilities (how much is owed).

Home and Map

Pressing these buttons moved players to predefined sections of the game, specifically the store and the Map Room. Linear movement was done through the MOOPort.

Scoreboard

Pressing this button brings up the scoreboard, a list of the players and where they stood in the game (this was never implemented graphically).

Ledger

Pressing this button brought up a ledger with an account of all income and expenditures (this was never implemented graphically).

Checklist

Since Sell is supposed to teach players how to run a store, it keeps track of the actions a player had taken and also the actions not taken. Pressing the checklist button brought up the checklist, llisting the moves made, and the moves to think about taking in the near future (this was never implemented graphically).

Charts

Closely related to the Ledger, the Charts window was intended to graphically display which products were bringing in the most profit, and which expenses were egregious. It also was intended to give this information projected into the future, to assist in planning and promote more intelligent retail decisions (this was never implemented).

News

This is the daily newspaper -- information about Springfield was displayed here, which could have an impact on retail decisions. Also, the ads placed in the newspaper showed up here (this was never implemented graphically).

Help

This help button, available on almost every window, went to the on-line help browser.

Customize

The Customize Window allowed players to change their appearance, name, and the name of their store.

Stock

This button allowed players to see and manipulate their inventory.

Ad

The Ad Builder, was for placing ads and reviewing ads that were running.

Research

This button was to research the market, in terms of who buys what products and where to place ads to reach them most effectively.

Staff

A window where players could hire, train, and fire salespeople to work in their store (never fully implemented).

Promotions

This button was to let players participate in store promotions, like sales and sponsering little league teams (never implemented)

Yellow

This window brought up the business-to-business yellow pages. Players would browse the yellow pages for a wholesaler that sold the products they wanted to buy.

Quit

This button logged out of the Sell Server.
Original text by Cliff Chaput, Revised by Brian Slator
Last modified: Saturday, January 11, 1997, 5:17:46 PM
Send comments to: slator@badlands.nodak.edu