Ergonomic was started in April 2002, from a single rule. It is based on a scripted interface, more like a bulletin board than a mailing list. The hope was to greatly reduce the load on administrators, but the game is now dependent on programmers who tend not to keep up. New players are accepted on an ongoing basis.
The game appears to be set in a city of sorts, with interaction occurring around stations that are linked by a rail network. It keeps going dormant, probably because it doesn't involve email; players must actively check back with the site to notice any changes. It doesn't help that the Tinkers don't update the system as quickly as it really needs.
The latest proposal was made in October 2003; interest had already been dwindling by that point, and few players have logged in more than once since then. However, the game is still open for new players, and it may even be possible to round up some of the old players if it fires up again.
Outside of the game, we have released the interface system as an open source project. This is still in its early stages, but the hope is that other games will spring up based on the same system.
Web Pages:
The official site of Ergonomic (dead link) contains some basic information about how Ergonomic came about, and allows you to join us in this little experiment. New players are welcome at any time.
The SourceForge project site, for brave souls desiring to know about the interface.
Status:
Current Players:
- Adham
- Breadman
- Elias
- Lazy
Former Prominent Players:
- Almighty Duck
- Buggrit
- carbon
- Courtesy
- Dr Duck
- mrfish
- Pepe de queso
- XOR