Blank-- You haven't visited this zone.
Safe-- No warning sounds were heard here.
Nightfall-- You could hear Nightfall humming here.
Suck-Sand-- You could hear the suck-sand bubbling here.[NOTES: This "taal" game as ressurrected in February, 1999 should be functionally identical to the one which originally appeared here in December 1996. In case you care, the original game's engine was a complied C program that I wrote driven by a shell script. I have now re-written it entirely as a Perl script. As I started to rewrite it, I realized I had forgotten just how corny Nightfall's 'messages' sounded-- even though they were pretty much intended to be a bit overboard from the beginning anyway, just in keeping with the general feel of things on this site. :-) So, I decided to just leave the cornball words of encouragement just the way they were. Re-writing the code, however, also got me thinking again about some 'enhancements,' and so a new, more challenging (and slightly less cornball) version of this game will be available eventually. ...But, even then, this old "Classic Taal" will continue to be available for play too... just because. --MK]
As you look about the denning tree, Nightfall silently disappears into a cubby-area and returns holding two long sticks. They look much like spears, but without the spear-points. She offers you one of the sticks and asks, "How would you like to play a game of Taal..?"
"What's 'taal'..?"
"It's a game we like to play in times of peace and plenty. Sometimes we call it "counting coup." We designate a part of the woods for the game, and the object is to tag the other players with your taal stick before they tag you. It's lots of fun, and helps improve our tracking and stalking skills as well."
"I... I don't know, Nightfall-- I mean, there's no way that I or any other human could possibly win this game-- you move through the trees with a silence that I could never even hope to equal, and your senses are so much more keen than mine. I can't help but think this would be a *very* short game if we were to play it..."
"Quite possible," Nightfall grins, "but I think we can make this a more even match with a few changes to the rules. How about this-- first, I'll choose a hiding place at the start of the game, and I'll not move from that spot unless I hear you."
"But, I'd *never* find you then-- I must admit that you seem to be almost *invisible* when you hide still and quiet in the trees."
"Ah, but I'm not yet done explaining, my friend. To help you find me, I'll start softly humming a little tune at the beginning of the game, and continue humming until one of us is tagged." Nightfall hums a strange, yet beautiful and haunting song. "In addition, this humming will make it more difficult for me to hear your footfalls as you approach."
"Even the most melodious of forest-dwelling birds could not approach the beauty of your singing voice, Nightfall... Yes, I think that will work."
"Now, we'll limit this game to the small wooded area between here and the stream. This will keep the game from taking too long and help keep you from any danger. However, I must warn you that a pool of suck-sand opened up in this area some turns ago, and you may fall into it if you're not careful. Keep your wits about you, and keep your ears open for the sound of the spring bubbling, and you should be safe." Nightfall then offers you the taal-stick again and smiles at you as she offers her challenge. "Ready?" she asks.
"Ready!" you reply with a grin, taking the taal-stick firmly in hand.
[NOTE: This game should work with about any browser that supports forms-- even text-based browsers such as lynx (though be aware that older versions of lynx do not support forms correctly). No Java? No fancy new browser? No problem! :-) ]
The forest is represented as a 5 x 5 grid. For each turn, you may choose one of two actions: (1)moving from one zone (grid square) to another, or (2)leaping into another zone to use your taal stick.
For each of these two options, you must indicate which direction you want to move or use your taal stick by selecting a direction-- north, south, east, or west. [If you are at an edge of the forest grid, then not all of these direction choices will be available, since you aren't allowed to go outside of the grid area.]
After you choose an action and a direction, then click on the Perform Action button to make your move.
As you move from one zone (grid square) to an adjacent zone in the grid, you might receive a warning message indicating that you can hear Nightfall humming or the suck-sand bubbling depending on your proximity to them.
You will receive a warning message if Nightfall or the suck-sand is in a zone which is next to the one you are in-- either north, south, east, west, or diagonally.
Remember that you may only move north, south, east or west-- you may not move or use your taal stick in a diagonal direction.
You keep a map of your movements by making scratch-marks on a piece of tree bark. For each turn, you will see this map as it changes, indicating your position and tracking where you've been and the places that you've heard Nightfall humming or the suck-sand bubbling. The scratch-mark symbols on the map appear as follows:
Blank-- You haven't visited this zone.
Safe-- No warning sounds were heard here.
Nightfall-- You could hear Nightfall humming here.
Suck-Sand-- You could hear the suck-sand bubbling here.
Your current location is marked by a wide border around one of the squares (if you have a graphical browser) or by square brackets around the character symbol (if you have a text browser).
You win the game by moving to a zone adjacent to Nightfall and then using your taal stick in the direction where Nightfall is located. If you miss Nightfall (you incorrectly guessed Nightfall's location), then Nightfall will hear your action (everyone shouts as they leap with their taal-stick, don't 'cha know), and will instantly get you no matter where she is located within the grid. If you walk into the zone where Nightfall is hiding (i.e. not using your taal-stick), then Nightfall will hear you and get you then as well. If you walk into the suck-sand, you will get mired there and you'll have to call for Nightfall to help you out [which she will do, but only after she has tagged you with her taal-stick :-) ]. At the end of the game, regardless of the outcome, the actual locations of Nightfall and the suck-sand will be marked on the map.
A few tips: