Interactive Fiction Writing Techniques
Glenn P.,
On 26-Jul-1996, Stuart Allen wrote:
> I also find that not feeling safe in any location is an interesting
> experience -- weighing up the want to explore the location futher with
> the want to get the hell out of there!
Uh, forgive me if I've missed something -- but isn't this very situation what
the "SAVE" command was created for...?
--_____
{~._.~} "There are a hundred ways in which a boy can injure -- if not
_( Y )_ not indeed kill -- himself. The more advennturous he is and the
(:_~*~_:) greater his initiative, the more ways he will find. If you protect
(_)-(_) him from each of the hundred, he is sure to find the hundred-and-
========= first. Though most men can look back on their boyhood and tremble
========= at the narrowness of some of their escapes, most boys do in fact
W.T.P. survive, more or less intact, and the wise father is the trusting
========= father."
=====================================
:: --= Glenn P. =-- :: --"The Enchanted Places", Chapter 21,
:: c128...@GTI.Net :: By: Christopher Robin Milne.
Stuart Allen
It is my belief that the better you understand something the better you can
make use of it. Given this I have been thinking of some of my favourite
fragments of interactive fiction in an attempt to understand what makes them
so appealing.
The first thing that springs to mind is the real time, next move counts, type
of scene. For me, the "two drinks" scene at the end of Plundered Hearts is a
perfect example of this where there is no room for mistakes or time to
investigate further. Basically what this boils down to is that a potentially
life threatening move MUST be made next due to circumstance, not choice.
This effect, for me anyway, is quite appealing and dramatic and is only
enhanced by being a sequence of moves, one after another, all equally as
important. Having said this I belive that it is probably best for these type
of scenes to be reasonable simple to get correct, saving the more difficult
puzzles for times when the player does have time on their side.
Another simple example of time that I have always found worked to great
effect is in The Lurking Horror where you read the sign-in sheet and see a
name. Several moves later you recall where you had heard the name before.
As I said, simple, but effective.
Oddly enough, one of my most powerful and memorable experiences in
interactive fiction is from Melbourne House's The Hobbit. Even without
reams of fancy prose this game managed to provoke an emotional reaction from
me on several occasions. I have narrowed this down to being due to the
fact that the characters are not developed through text describing them but
through their actions. A much more powerful technique.
I also find that not feeling safe in any location is an interesting
experience - weighing up the want to explore the location futher with the
wand to get the hell out of there! This brings me to the point in The
Hobbit where I had managed to get out of the Goblin's caverns (somewhere I
did not feel safe) only to realise that Thorin had been left behind
somewhere inside and would need to be found and brought out. A tough
decision, but I got him. :)
Well, I'll stop there because I don't wont to bore you too much with the
personal side of my gaming experiences. The purpose of this exercise for
me, as I stated before, was to try to find out what made these scenes
so memorable, better understand the techniques used, then be able to
apply them effectively in my own interactive fiction.
If anybody has any such experiences I would love to hear about them and
to hear what it is that you think made them so memorable.
Regards,
Stuart.
Stephen Granade
In article <4t937a$e6u@cdn_news.telecom.com.au> stu...@telecom.com.au
(Stuart Allen) writes:
[memorable scenes clipped]
> If anybody has any such experiences I would love to hear about them and
> to hear what it is that you think made them so memorable.
The one I remember best was from Planetfall. And *not* Floyd's, ahem,
scene. Instead, it's...
[spoiler space]
..right after you enter the lab with the mutants. You run through, open
the door, and then are in the race of your life, with mutants hounding at
your heels. I had an excellent idea of where to go, but the thought that
"Gee, if I'm wrong, I'm stuck in a room where mutants can suck my liver
out my nostrils" was quite tense.
Stephen
--
Stephen Granade | "You fools! Money doesn't put fish
sgra...@phy.duke.edu | on the table! FISH puts fish on
Duke University, Physics Dept | the table!"
| -- Mr. Smartypants, from The Tick
FReDRiK RaMSBeRG (WILdcARD)
A piece of good tension and a rather simple solution, which gave excellent
suspense when I played it,was ...
<SPOILER FOR SUSPENDED>
...stealing the toolchest from the humans and fleeing into the damaged
computer area, probably damaging the robot in the process. A kind of
sacrifice you had to make, although it could later be repaired. All in
all, I have to say Suspended had a very appealing concept and I still
consider it one of the most interesting Infocom games to play.
/Fredrik
Stuart Allen
"Glenn P.," <c128...@GTI.Net> writes:
>Uh, forgive me if I've missed something -- but isn't this very situation what
>the "SAVE" command was created for...?
I don't think that it is the purpose of the "SAVE" command to give the player
such a complete sense of security that it removes any tension from the game.
It's a tough call though, weighing up the hassle of starting again coupled with
having the true experience of being in a real time situation that has risks
versus having the safety net of a save file and thinking, oh well, if I die I
can always do it differently next time. Not very suspenseful or realistic.
Regards,
Stuart.
Stuart Allen
The example quoted by Fredrik covers a whole other aspect of interactive fiction. This
being that with the readers ability to make choice comes the responsibility of wearing the
consiquences of your actions. I think the quoted scene from Suspended is good in that the player
must make a sacrifice in order to complete the assigned task. Something that will make the player
think and maybe even *feel* before they type rather than having a game comprised entirely of low
risk and minimal repercussion moves. This helps to move the game away from being nothing more
than a shallow string of intellectual challenges and more towards being a good story that has a
puzzle aspect.
Regards,
Stuart.
Stuart Allen
sgra...@quirky.phy.duke.edu (Stephen Granade) writes:
>The one I remember best was from Planetfall. And *not* Floyd's, ahem,
>scene.
Being chased by another character while having a fair idea of a safe escape
route is a great example of what I was refering to. The formula of the task
being easy but the risk being high is a winner if you ask me. It still creates
the required suspense but usually rewards the player with the feeling of
accomplishment and relief in the end.
Regards,
Stuart.