Interactive Fiction

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 N2 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 • N2 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: buzzard@nothings.org

Interactive Fiction