Interactive Fiction A beginner’s guide

What Is IF Immersion with Text input Narrative voice More Story than Game

Classes of IF Strong story, lots of plot interaction Strong story, less/no plot interaction Weak story, lots of interaction

Choose Your Starting Point Plot Character Scenario/Incident Puzzle/Mechanic Theme Message

What IF is GOOD for Low budget Tolkein/Animation Novels IF Bias?

Topics – Real or Fantasy? Show us something new – Common mistakes Overly familiar settings Hollywood Clichés

Making your Story Interactive Using Inform

The Strengths of Inform Custom Behaviors for Unique Objects – Hats – Books – Boxes – Cards

The Strengths of Inform Limited, Built-in Simulation – Movement – Location – Containment – Clothes – Item Use (on/off)

Declarative Implementations Define new objects with custom abilities Shoes – Clothing – State for tied or untied laces – Create “tie” and “untie” actions – Add code to prevent walking w/untied laces

A shoe puzzle? Laces separate Barefoot player No laces – shoes fall off Uncrossable area

Simulation – Better or Worse? Defining “lace-ness” of other objects – String – Roots from the ground – Hair Not enough objects

The Big Secret: Nearly every puzzle = locked door or container Challenge = Transparency Shoes – Are they readily available? – Can the user find the laces? – If not – can the player build laces? – Can the player build shoes???

IF Design Problems The Shoe Example

Transparency Three cases: – Uncrossable area, findable shoes – Uncrossable area that makes it clear that shoes are needed, buildable shoes – Uncrossable area, isn’t clear shoes are needed, buildable shoes

Transparency “Natural” or “Intrinsic” properties Pot Example – Handle as shiv? – Realistic, but not transparent – Unless you demonstrate it before the player acquires the pot

Simulation Reality vs. Abstraction Constraining Interactions – Rope – Cards Emily Short – Magic transforms object shape, size, material

Complexity Linearity – boring, but necessary Shoes, Water, Paint – Design & Object Constraints – Simulation & Unexpected Solutions The N 2 Problem

Designing Flow Challenging/Engaging the player FLOW charts – – Show how events occur “in time” Sequentially Parallel Arbitrary order Interlocking components

Time and Location Time is inherently spatial Objects are inherently time-bound – Availability of objects in “play time” – Location of player in “play space”

Tips/Tricks Design advice

Starting Points Story – how does the player feel? Setting – what does the story contribute? Character – how will you do it w/o NPCs?

General Rules N 2 Problem – avoid treasure hunts Believability more important than reality Pay attention to the complexity – Map out your story – Make decisions based on feasibility

Controlling Complexity Don’t make too many objects Do the math Plot Clock Limit mobility Limit what is mobile in general Remove objects at certain points

Thanks Sean Barrett, author of “Heroes” and other IF gems, can be reached at: