Ok, this is just silly. And if it goes no further than a thread that makes a few people smile, it was worth typing. Please remember that apart from things like solitaire and mahjong my total experience of computer gaming extends to Myst and Crystal skull (and I only had the latter cos it was cheap in a computer fair and didn’t run right… though the little guy in the loin cloth was cute)

With all the Big Scary Warnings about what might happen to you if you go in Extras-devel, I thought it might be fun to have a game based on the idea. So I mapped it out a bit as a concept and it looks like this. If anyone actually thinks this is anything other than sheer silliness, feel free to pick up the ball and run. It’s a 3d game in my head, with the persona travelling down corridors with code written on the walls.

Name: Get-apt (I think that’s the command?)

Goal: to install apps to your device. (This should be able to run on all maemo versions, I think)

Levels: three: extras, extras-testing and extras-devel

Persona: yourself. In my head it uses the little blue pawn from the address book in Maemo5, but it could use any small mii type figure. Or it could be really clever and draw your own icon from the address book.

Level one: extras.

Environment: Light background, with grey lines of miscellaneous code written on it randomly.

Game: Player has to navigate between the lines of code, around corners, down blind-alleys etc to find the App (represented by the little blue square of an iconless app).

Problems: ‘swinging code’ which swoops out of nowhere and knocks you over unless you can dodge. If you are knocked over by code you are set back several paces.

Small bugs. These are very tiny, and can be kicked out of the way. If a bug gets you it will attach itself to you, slowing you down. Too many bugs and you will be too slow to progress. If you attract too many bugs, you will be sent back to the start of the level.

On collecting the app, player must return (by the same route) to the start, and enter the app in the ‘install box’. Pop-up “Well done! You have installed your app. Do you wish to progress to the next level?"


Level two: Extras-testing

Environment: darker, lines of miscellaneous code in black.

Game: Player has to navigate between the lines of code, around corners, down blind-alleys etc to find the App (represented by the little blue square of an iconless app).


Problems: ‘swinging code’ which swoops out of nowhere and knocks you over unless you can dodge. If you are knocked over by code you are set back several paces.

Medium bugs. They have claws. Must be dodged. If you are bitten by a bug, you will have to reboot. This sets you back to the beginning of the level.

On collecting the app, player must return (by the same route) to the start, and enter the app in the ‘install box’. Pop-up provides a plate of FeedBack which you must deliver to the Feedback Environment

Feedback Environment: like a nightmare version of t.m.o. Player must locate the right thread and deliver the feedback: choice of thread is based on the name of the app collected.

Problems: Trolls – appear very scary but are actually powerless
Mods: if you deliver your feedback to the wrong thread the mod will shout at you and send you back to the start of the feedback environment

On delivering feedback to the right thread, enter in the ‘feedback box’. Pop-up “Well done! You have provided feedback. Do you wish to progress to the next level?"


Level Three: Extras-devel

Environment: Black, lines of code in white (like a nightmare command prompt)

Game: Player has to navigate between the lines of code, around corners, down blind-alleys etc to find the App (represented by the little blue square of an iconless app).

Problems: ‘swinging code’ which swoops out of nowhere and knocks you over unless you can dodge. If you are knocked over by code you are set back several paces.

Large bugs. They have claws and fangs and look Very Scary. Must be dodged. If you are bitten by a bug, you will have to reflash. This will reset your device and you will have to return to the start of the game, and repeat levels one and two.

On collecting your app, pop-up will inform of necessary dependencies which must be found within the devel environment. (Strategy: is it better to get the app home and get back or collect all components on one trip?)

On collecting the app and all dependencies , player must return (by the same route) to the start, and enter the app and components in the ‘install box’. Pop-up provides a small bug in a little jam jar. Bug must be taken to Bugzilla’s garden

Bugzilla’s environment: room for creative artwork. In my head it’s a cross between Wonderland and a painting by Salvador Dali, with architecture by Escher. Bugzilla’s garden is meant to distract you from your task of delivering the bug to Bugzilla.

On locating Bugzilla (think Godzilla only in Maemo orange) you must open your bug jar quickly. If you fail, Bugzilla will eat you and you will have lost the level. If you succeed, Bugzilla will eat the bug. He then burps heartily, belching out a text balloon which says “Well done! You are a Maemo app collector!”

Ok, So it's all very silly. But I had a lot of fun imagining it and thought you might enjoy reading it.