download the installer from
rubyforge.org/frs/download.php/73276/install_carps.exe
First install win32console:
gem install win32console
Then follow the instructions for ‘Using gem’.
# # Install the gem
sudo gem install carps
# Initialize the carps user directory. Run this as your everyday user.
carps_init
CARPS, the Computer Assisted Role-Playing Game System, is a tool for playing pen and paper RPGs over the Internet.
CARPS differs from other such systems because CARPS is not a ‘real-time’ system. It suits people who want to log on once or twice a day, take a turn, and then log out again. While OpenRPG could be described as being similar to a chat-room, CARPS is more similar to an email client.
CARPS is an extensible system: game rules are provided by ‘mods’.
CARPS supports these mods by providing:
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Text-mode user interfaces for the players and the dungeon master.
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An easy to use probabilistic API which not only rolls the dice, but can report the probability of various game events occurring.
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Automated static character sheet verification, according to a schema defined in YAML. For example, a game might require your strength to be an integer.
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Support for the semantic validation of character sheets according to game rules. For example, a game might require the sum of character’s attributes to be below a certain maximum value.
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Together the validation features allow a mod writer to encode game rules cleanly, as they do not need to consider the possibility of receiving an invalid sheet.
CARPS has other strengths:
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Anyone can play or host a CARPS game! All you need is an email account.
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As a consequence of this, CARPS is completely decentralized. No-one can stop you using CARPS once you download it.
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CARPS is designed to be secure. Multiple email security options are supported, and all CARPS messages are cryptographically signed to prevent spoofing.
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You can instruct CARPS to use your favourite text editor and terminal emulator.
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CARPS is easy to configure because it includes a wizard.
However, CARPS is new and the following features, which you might take for granted, are not yet supported:
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No GUI
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No support for maps
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No chat - all communication goes through the Game Master.
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Games are currently invite only, at the discretion of the Game Master.
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Security mechanisms are not well audited.
For users:
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ruby 1.9
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rubygems
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openssl
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highline
For developing CARPS, you will also need:
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hoe
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rake
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newgem
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cucumber
Instructions are present in the CARPS wiki
* http://github.com/elginer/carps/wiki
Copyright 2010 John Morrice
CARPS is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
CARPS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with CARPS. If not, see www.gnu.org/licenses/.