How to make a text-based RPG?

[Xhalite]

How do I make a text-based RPG cause I really want to do game design and I've learned how to do basic console programming but I need to do this as a milestone before I work with graphics and sound. Any help or tutorials? I know how to do the basics, but I need a little direction as to how to put it all together.

[Code Assassin]

Text Based RPG's are really simple as well as a fun task/project to do.

Before you begin, you should have basic knowledge of C++, that means you should know quite a bit about loops, functions, arrays, switch statements(very important in RPG's), cin and cout(or getline), and maybe some classes, as well as some pointers.

If you really want a nice looking RPG, you may want to add a save game feature(Hint: Look into files.. you'll probably also need a load game feature as well, if you choose to do this).

1. Make Some ASCII Art As A Title For Your RPG

2. Make A Menu System(Play Game, Exit, etc)

3. Make Some Type of Error System, so that if the user enters invalid input, it'll notify the user and ask him/her to try again.

4. Challenge: Instead of using numbers: Try to get textual input from the user
For Example:

Will you go left or right?
> Right

You Go Right

5. Anything else you can think of.

Good Luck.

[WinwordExonar]

What I have personally made is an ASCII interface for a game I was working on. Its all text, but using Symbols for the menus and stuff. I changed background colors with text in it to simulate menus and such. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work too. The database I used for it was just plain and simple TEXT files. It held all my perimeters for the game. Such as Guns and Armor. So hopefully this gives you some input as does Code Assasin's input. His ideas are what you should focus on, but I wanted to add #6 to that list... write out the type of game you want as a rough draft on paper first. This way you have an end goal and you can actually finish your project quicker if you know what direction to go in.

As Code says, Good luck.

[NanoBytes]

An RPG in and of itself is hard, weather it is text based or not. There isnt such thing as "the way to make an RPG" every game is different. Like WinwordExonar said, get your game on a pice of paper, then work from the bottom up, from the lowliest of functions to the finishing touches on the game. If you break it down like that then most of the principals of the game you would have learned in a basic programming class (that is for text based games)

[Aramil of Elixia]

no matter what you do, I would suggest start by making a room function.

[WinwordExonar]

My Text Based RPG had no rooms in it. I think it all depends on the type of game it is. As I was saying when you put it on paper, then you know what direction you can go with it. My game was all ASCII Mapped out on the screen. Meaning you could see where you were. Think of it as Isometric mapped but from a top down perspective. My game also was Real Time. Meaning you could see the ASCII monsters walk around the map without having to wait each turn. This is where a timer comes in handy. It was really cool back in the 90s.

Of course if your making a Zork style of Game, then Aramil is correct, make a Room Function. So again, it depends on what your wanting to do.

[NanoBytes]

Personally i would recommend ditching the idea of a text based RPG and use learn to program in windows. You can do a lot more, such as seen in OpenGL