Interactive Fiction Idea

[biohaz]

I've had an idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a few years...
What about (a) Myst related interactive fiction game(/s) made using inform (http://www.inform-fiction.org/I7/Welcome.html)?
It is an extremely easy system to learn and could be easily used by those who feel uncomfortable with modelling and programming.
Although it is only a text interface for gameplay, with the Glulx format allows for pictures and sounds to be included in gameplay.
Creating an interactive fiction game is also much more akin to actual writing than traditional age writing.
I think it may provide a different approach for those wanting to create ages, but without the skill necessary.

[ZURI]

Wow, that takes me back to an old DOS mystery game I played as a kid. It's basically the same idea, and was a lot of fun. Other explorers might be interested, but frankly, "I'm spoiled." If it doesn't have pretty graphics and animations - I tend to bore very easily.

Thank you though for the link... it brought back some fond memories.

[Chuckles58]

I keep an old Toshiba laptop with Windows 3.1 in order to play an old computer adventure game with the best graphics I've ever experienced:

"Adventure in Colossal Cave"

I played this quite a bit in college in the late 70's and was given a copy from a former IT guy. The best graphics may the ones your brain creates the images for. XYZZY, y'all.

[kaelisebonrai]

Heh, speaking of Adventure, wasn't Adventure partly in Carlsbad (sp?)? A friend and I once mused that with some changes, you could probably take the references of Adventure, and turn them into a way down into D'ni. (maybe from one of the fan-vent-openings). We also mused that Adventure may have been a (small) inspiration to Cyan, but, I cannae remember our reasons for that, anymore.

EDIT: hms, i must be confused with another old interactive-fiction game.. I just went to that site, and i've seen that site before, i just had thought it was Carlsbad. Weird. In any case, while I've (sadly) never played Adventure, I've heard from someone who had, that it was eerily like how they had imagined what the descent into D'ni could've been like.

[theclam]

Yay, Inform!

There have been a handful of text adventures influenced by the Myst series, yes. Some come to mind: So Far, by Andrew Plotkin (who has also been writing a massive ongoing review of Uru) sticks out for its many surreal words and insanely difficult puzzles; and the colorful Blue Lacuna, written in Inform7 by Aaron Reed, has an introduction that is reminiscent of Tomahna in various ways.

Go play 'em. They're good.

The '/look' and '/get feather' commands in Uru are a reference to an ancient text adventure. Could be Adventure, could be Zork. They're both older than me, though, so I couldn't say which one.

[kaelisebonrai]

I was more referencing the other way around, Myst/Uru inspired by text adventures. =P

But, interesting!

[biohaz]

A friend and I once mused that with some changes, you could probably take the references of Adventure, and turn them into a way down into D'ni. (maybe from one of the fan-vent-openings).

Interesting you mention that, because that was exactly what I was thinking as far as story goes. The player comes across a vent opening that follow down to a partially ruined area of D'ni.

[biohaz]

Also, if anyone is interested in writing, I have created a simple extension for Inform for making linking books.
I'll post it if anyone is interested.