Wow!!
Thank you for all the richly described instructions Fejoa!
I'm sure now with all that help, I will be able to make it run - I'll start tinkering on the game source. If after some months I become more comfortable with the source code and understand it's architecture, I'll for sure tag along on Github and help out with bugfixes where I can.

Speaking of architecture - I can clearly see it's object orientated, but does it uses any Design Pattern consecrated in the gang of four ? How would you describe the game engine ? Tidy, logical, neat ? Has a good structure in the big picture ?

I imagine, given with such a huge numbers of features and mechanisms interacting with each other, that one would simply NEED to have a good structured game engine to properly scale the complexity and numbers of features.

Anyway Fejoa thank you very much for time you spent on the post, and thank you for believing me This will prove invaluable in my self-learning programming journey! I'll post a reply here saying how it went with VS. (I'm sure trying it out with VS2017, shouldn't be a problem).

PS: yes, I'm actually fine with just using the last version of the original DEVs - this version and the latest github version, I would imagine they aren't that different architecture/codewise ?

Hello!

Would somebody consider giving me some hints as to how one would build IVAN with VS2017 ?

I started with c++ about a year ago and make small projects such as these to improve my skills in programming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwaRNmZJdo (read video description for project details)

While maybe my grasp on game loops, and design patterns got a bit better, I'm still lagging behind when it comes to actually building a project - I'm very anxious to make this work on the IDE I use and so I'd be really, really grateful if somebody would lend me a hand with this !

EDIT: I forgot to also ask this: would making the source code work on VS 2017, somehow brake "stuff" ?, like generate bugs where there wouldn't be in the first place?

Strange, even thou i downloaded the indicated CVS it still has the bugs... the one from the download section
http://www.attnam.com/projects/7/IVAN_CVS

You should change the date thou if the CVS is the latest, or near latest with the fixes. It says 2009 January

Just throwed in some ideas. I was so hasty some of them didn't even make much sense.

But the idea to make a sort of hall of fame where those who succeded are there, and maybe give them a last line amongst other chatty lines would be cool.

And bassed on your alignment when you finish the game you get to be a bad ruller or a good one. Sort of change the story once you restart it and make people talk about the tiranic or good *insert player name here.

Anyway not stressing out this too much. I can't do much with no coding skills, well i do have basic concepts been around C++ a bit but not at the level where i could change much.

Also, what language do you need to know to program ivan?

Ah, thank you capristo!
Wait, this is the source code right? How do i run it ? I presume i need a compiler.

In spirit of what IVAN offers, meeting other instances of yourself, resurrecting them and such i feel that exactly in that spirit would fit the following features:

- modify the storyline telling a bit so that when you go for the first time to deliver the message to Petrus he will also add something like
"There were other worms like you before who tried"
*Ask about those before - and then paste the dead people list

At the end of the game you are being held at Petrus as a champion and you can talk with that character when you create a new game having some humorous lines and of course kill yourself if you feel up to the fight. Story wise we justify that the evil frog just ressurected, if the game was beaten once.

(Or i don't know, even take the place of a ruller or something of that sort i am not too familiar with the hierarchy in IVAN, and then challange yourself)

And add the ability to be female if wanted at game start.

I feel that these features if added are not to affect the original style of IVAN.
Your turn to hit me.

EDIT: And maybe text color? to highlight important stuff.

Bah! Ok spoil me - how do you not die on land mines?
And i remember back in the years i played that there were these screaming monsters that brake everything thats glass and you included. How do you deal with those?

And the third one...
http://www.attnam.com/wiki/Talent
Where exactly can you see what talent or con your newly created character has?

Joke, since you are one of the Vets around here.
Nameless is from Transylvania?
In other words since transilvania is NOT a country, but a province is he from Romania?
I've read the readme from IVANT

"Created by Nameless
(IVANT is short for IVANT Some More - think really bad Transylvanian accent )"

Wow, i just watched through the gallery. Freakin amazing art work!!

And the pictures from meeting are freakin awsome, i mean unbeliveble fun !! I mean the stuff they did was just out of this world.

Are the people that were there still active on the forum?
Maybe i can make an invite here in Romania-adventure land

(I shoot with the bow also! )