Great game and concept. I came up with a couple of suggestions. You should expand on the asynchronous multiplayer gameplay; it is quite unique. I know of one game, Super House of Dead Ninjas, where you would encounter enemies with names of other players, funny.
Suggestions:
- Persistent characters, unlock new words and combinations permanently by progressing through the catacombs.
- Temporarily learn new words from other players in the dungeon, by reading it. Forgotten after death.
- Unlock new ways to communicate, for example by adding items (staffs, crayons, paint) that can add color to messages. Enabling you to communicate from afar (EG: green = good, red = bad).
- Add the ability to change or erase text. For example: a scroll that erases all text from a floor. A taff that erases a single line of text. Monsters that erase text when they walk over it.
- 2 or 3 of the most used message combinations by a player should appear as top choices. Add shortcuts to each word like in other menus: a) b) c) etc.
- Invoke a scroll (magic words) onto a wall. Anyone reading it will be affected by it (one time use only).
- New item type: Traps. Place a 1 time use trap and lure monsters into them, or...
- New object type: Containers, such as chests, to place an item (or trap) in it for the next player that comes along. (perform drop action on top of a chest to place it).
- New object types: Altar that can recharge a single item and fountains to refill an empty flask.
- Soul spirits: After death your spirit comes back as one of 2 types. A helpful spirit that guides a player to the stairs and reveals traps. A vengeful spirit, upon death you may type the name of a player and it will chase that player on that floor. To this player the spirit is invulnerable. If it touches the player, it steals 1 (highest level) item and disappears forever. Other players can kill the spirit and it may drop the last of the stolen items. (still fleshing out this idea).
- Add secret areas with hidden entrances through walls. Reserve writing on walls for this purpose alone (new command: shift w - write on wall). Normal messages on floor only (w - write on floor).
- Player transformations.
1) A player bitten by a vampire may turn into one. Each turn you lose 1 health. Recover health by drinking their blood. Healing spells no longer work on you.
2) A player bitten by a lycanthrope (eg: werewolf) will transform into one at random. This increases all your stats (att, health, hasten), gain scent(similar to telepathy), but you also go berserk and become uncontrollable. You hunt down all monsters ignoring danger. After a while you turn back into your human form.
- A cure potion or scroll turns you back into a normal human permanently.
Keep up the good work!