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Interactive Fiction Competition Opens
Sargent1 writes "The 2004 Interactive Fiction Competition has opened for business. The yearly competition, now celebrating its tenth anniversary, is for short pieces of interactive fiction. At this point IF authors can sign up to take part in the competition, and everyone can learn how to judge the games when they are released in October of this year. If you're not sure what interactive fiction is, take a look at Slashdot's recent review of Twisty Little Passages, a book on interactive fiction from Adventure (and earlier antecedents) to present day."
Ahh I remember those, the only thing that ran on my old 286
Open door
You cant open this door
Close Door
The Door Isint open
Attack Door
Your Hand Hurts
Get Life
You go outside, blinded by the sun, you procede to the comic book store only to be beaten up on the way there, you then return home only to be taunted by CowboyNeal.
Ye see a FLASK. Obvious exits are NORTH, SOUTH, and DENNIS.
Ye find yeself in yon dungeon. Ye see a SCROLL. Behind ye SCROLL is a FLASK. Obvious exits are NORTH, SOUTH and DENNIS.
What wouldst thou deau?
>go dennis
Ye arrive at DENNIS. He wears a sporty frock coat and a long jimberjam. He paces about nervously. Obvious exits are NOT DENNIS.
>talk to dennis
You Engage Dennis in a leisurely discussion. Ye learns that his jimberjam was purchased on sale at a discount market and that he enjoys pacing about nervously. You become bored and begin thinking about parapets.
More here.
So I see this story has the pacman icon. Pacman, however, is not a good example of interactive fiction.
You are at the center of a maze. To your front and rear are rows of dots that recede into the distance.
> forward
As you move forward, your open mouth causes you to consume a dot.
> forward
Your bulbous body thrusts forward once more, another dot disappearing into your maw.
> back
You turn around. In the distance you can see a ghost, coming right for you!
> down
You can't go in that direction.
> up
You slip into a side passage, continuing to dine on dots. Ahead there is a turn to the right.
> right
You turn, but a ghost is waiting for you right around the corner. There is no time to react, and you run right into it.
You are dead. Your score is 14/1000.
Play again? (y/n)
Your game is going to RULE! Systems written with IF in mind, having been worked on for years, will tremble at your amazing parser and world model.
Interactive Reality may require a larger investment in order to get a satisfieing level of game play, but the rewards are better, not to mention the graphics are like none other, and the tactile interface is truely ground breaking.
Unfortunatly, i am a broke student and can't afford to play. My stack of quarters will only go so far, so I am stuck in the "pinball" level.
I don't like the cut of your jib, young man!
Cue 150 comments of
"yeah but nobody wants to buy a text-based game"
Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
You find yourself inside a dark room. There is a locked door in front of you. You have a key in your hand.
Input: open door
The door is locked.
Input: use key
What for?
Input: use key with door
You can't use the key with that.
Input: look door
The door is plain brown. There is a lock keeping it close.
Input: use key on lock
You get shocked.
Diego
diegoT
Right. It's also curious why people read books when we have all these excellent movies.
>Y
You open SUBMISSION. It is an article on FREE SPEECH that bashes the Bush Administration. You possible actions are (P)OST, (R)EJECT, or (T)EST FOR DUP. (P/R/T)
>T
Archives shows that this article is a duplicate of one posted 8 hours ago. POST anyway? (Y/N)
>N
Article posted!
Well, that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?
Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)
http://www.lawrenceperson.com/