Virus-Farm
This game simulates a dumb terminal intrusion into a remote computer system
and navigation of its file system via an MS-DOS-like (DorkSoft’s VF-DOS, “the
operating system that is more susceptible to a viral attack than any other”)
command line interface. Players are given free rein to investigate
directories, display the contents of classic Usenet tfiles “saved locally”,
and remotely execute up to six programs per day… all with an eye toward
establishing and maintaining a viral infection on the remote system, with some
secure files yielding more prestige and higher points when successfully
infected. Played in a BBS door context (already halfway to the game’s premise
with the players’ good behavior on a remote computer) individual players
would not only seek out new and uninfected files but also seek to clean and
re-infect those burdened with the virii of other players