Magister is a free roguelike game, currently in development. It is part of a larger project to develop a C++ framework for implementing roguelike games.

Traditional CRPG implement an economic style of play, where players concern themselves largely with finding the most efficient use for a set of limited game resources (spell points, hit points, potions, gold). Successful play gives access to more resources; these are used to overcome greater challenges, which in turn provide still more resources. Gamers call this ‘the treadmill’.

While I often enjoy this style of play, I don't particularly like it. My reasons are these. First, it is repetitive and frequently dull, as any gamer will tell you. Second, it exploits a sometimes unfortunate human compulsion: the urge to acquire and perfect. Players strive to improve their characters the way others work to complete a stamp collection. This drive is productive in other contexts (like programming), but amounts to wasted effort here. Third, it de-mythologizes the game setting by encouraging players to view the substance of that setting as a collection of safe, predictable commodities. Consider the magic system in a typical fantasy CRPG: is it frightening, mysterious, or awe-inspiring? Is it in any sense ‘magical’? No; magic in these games is merely useful. And how could it be otherwise when it is mass-produced to seemingly industrial-age tolerances, as predictable and safe (for the user) as a box of cereal?

Magister requires little or no treadmilling; the character begins the game just as they end it: an extremely powerful magic caster. However, though the player has ready access to the most powerful spells, they will find that using them safely is another matter.

To cast spells in Magister requires ‘charges’ from one of the four elements. Charges, in turn, can be freely summoned by the Magister at any time and in any quantity. The catch is this: charges can only be summoned in complete sets (one each of air, earth, water, and fire), and any one spell uses charges from only one of the elemental realms. Most spell casting therefore leaves unused charges, and if these are not used within three turns, they injure the caster. Additionally, most spells have specific targeting or contextual requirements that prevent them from being cast arbitrarily. Others present some danger to the caster. By ‘concentrating’ for a turn, the Magister can disperse several unwanted charges, but they cannot move or defend themselves while doing so. Powerful spells create more unused charges, so players must plan their actions with considerable foresight to use them safely. In Magister, magic is dangerous, both to friend and foe.

Magister is written in C++. The first release will target Windows, but the code is readily portable and will be made open source, so builds for other platforms may be forthcoming. As of October 2007, the game is perhaps half finished. I expect it to be ready for release sometime in 2008. View this screenshot if you just can't wait.