Complete & Total IF newbie needs a little guidance
Jeff Jones
games today. Could some kind soul point me to a FAQ, or some good websites
to get started? I would really like to learn more about these games, and how
to play them.
Thanks,
Jeff
Jeff Jones
or 4 posts a day
"Jeff Jones" <jtj...@netins.net> wrote in message
news:9fhkag$peb$1...@ins21.netins.net...
Goober
> Nevermind. I found stuff on it. I just noticed this group only gets about
3
> or 4 posts a day
And so you posted a reply?
A good place to start is the i.f. archive (do a google search)
Make sure you play zork1 and 2 to warm up and learn the conventions, then
Babel, anchourhead etc.
Ulrich Schreitmueller
> A good place to start is the i.f. archive (do a google search)
> Make sure you play zork1 and 2 to warm up and learn the conventions, then
> Babel, anchourhead etc.
In fact, Zork is about the worst place you can start as a newbie to interactive
fiction. While it is a classic, it also has many flaws that no IF-writer today
would get away with without being showered by criticism.
Start with something a little easier.
Uli
Aris Katsaris
Goober <g.pr...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xq7T6.1480$YB3.3...@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com...
> A good place to start is the i.f. archive (do a google search)
> Make sure you play zork1 and 2 to warm up
<g> Best possible suggestion if you want one to never get into
Interactive Fiction at all...
Classic doesn't always equal good...
Aris Katsaris
Jaroslav
>or 4 posts a day
No very popular, but still worth reading for IF fan. Keep in touch.
--
Best wishes!
Aza
Robb Sherwin
<ulrich.sch...@student.uni-tuebingen.de> wrote:
>In fact, Zork is about the worst place you can start as a newbie to interactive
>fiction. While it is a classic, it also has many flaws that no IF-writer today
>would get away with without being showered by criticism.
On Tue, 5 Jun 2001 19:53:11 +0300, "Aris Katsaris"
<kats...@otenet.gr> wrote:
>Classic doesn't always equal good...
You revisionist BASTICHES!!! Why, why, if it wasn't for Zork...
Kidding, kidding.
Seriously though, Zork is still the game I give out to friends and
whatnot who express an interest in IF and have played no other games.
I agree that anyone putting a Zork-style maze, or a passworded-style
Cyclops or lazy fantasy into any of their games in 2001 would probably
get slammed with a choir of on-line jeers, but when it's *all* new to
you it's still fun. I think there's just the right mix of reward,
interesting objects, things to do, and mystery when it comes to the
house, the forest, and the canary at the beginning of Zork I.
Plus, Zork hates its player. That's still the best way to handle the
inevitabilty of a restricted parser. Get *mean*. Well, funny and mean,
but mean nonetheless.
(I would state that the oddly-angled room, Round Room, and that lizard
keeps me from giving Zork II to anybody who's new at these things.
I'd sooner give a newbie Seastalker.)
Robb
=-=-=-=-=-
Robb Sherwin, Fort Collins CO
Knight Orc Home Page: www.joltcountry.com
Reviews From Trotting Krips: ifiction.tsx.org
Jeff Jones
"Jaroslav" <d...@uni.net.ua> wrote in message
news:9fjai2$n0a$1...@gateway.naverex.net...
Thanks. When I said 3 or 4 posts a day, I was only looking at new subject
headers. I neglected to count posts within threads. But still, 3 or 4 new
subjects is pretty light from what I'm used to. I frequent. the comp.sys ...
game newsgroups and am used to seeing hundreds of posts a day, and about 2
dozen new subjects ;)
Anyway, thanks to all who did respond. I'll start learning at About.com's IF
Center.
Jeff
Neil Cerutti
>On Tue, 05 Jun 2001 18:25:08 +0200, Ulrich Schreitmueller
><ulrich.sch...@student.uni-tuebingen.de> wrote:
>>In fact, Zork is about the worst place you can start as a
>>newbie to interactive fiction. While it is a classic, it also
>>has many flaws that no IF-writer today would get away with
>>without being showered by criticism.
>
>On Tue, 5 Jun 2001 19:53:11 +0300, "Aris Katsaris"
><kats...@otenet.gr> wrote:
>>Classic doesn't always equal good...
>
>You revisionist BASTICHES!!! Why, why, if it wasn't for Zork...
>
>Kidding, kidding.
I love Zork I too. Destroying that certain somebody in that game
is still one of my favorite IF experience. I also, in a bizarre
way, look back on some of the red herrings with great fondness.
The brain-hours I wasted on that stupid crack in the back of the
damp cave were golden.
>Seriously though, Zork is still the game I give out to friends
>and whatnot who express an interest in IF and have played no
>other games. I agree that anyone putting a Zork-style maze, or a
>passworded-style Cyclops or lazy fantasy into any of their games
>in 2001 would probably get slammed with a choir of on-line
>jeers, but when it's *all* new to you it's still fun.
I take it you make yourself available for hint requests, too? ;-)
--
Neil Cerutti <cer...@together.net>
Knight37
>Then millions of people must have been wrong.
>
>Marco
There's "good for it's time" and "good by today's standards."
I thoroughly enjoyed Zork, I can even enjoy it today for it's nostalgic
appeal, but I don't consider it a good work of IF by today's standards.
IF - You've Come A Long Way, Baby. ;)
So, anyway, as for games I *do* recommend to newbies...
Photopia
John's Fire Witch
Balances
well that's a start.
--
Knight37
Interviewer: "Can you... destroy the earth?"
The Tick: "EGAD! I *HOPE* not! That's where I keep all my STUFF!"
Peer
http://interactfiction.about.com/games/interactfiction/cs/beginner/index.htm
This will answer most questions.
Int-Fict. is written in a special file-format. Several formats are
available, but I suppose 95% of all games are in TADS- or
INFORM-format. You will need an so called INTERPRETER for your
computer to run the game-file.
Interpreters for TADS:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/programming/tads/executables/
Interpreters for INFORM:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/frotz/
And here are the games:
TADS format game-files:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/tads/
INFORM format game-files:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/zcode/
Since there are HUNDREDS of games, it's frustrating to find the good
ones. Here is a reasonable list:
http://www.igs.net/~tril/if/best
Last but not least it may be a good idea to visit here:
http://www.wolldingwacht.de/if
Joachim Froholt
Marco Thorek wrote:
> > Classic doesn't always equal good...
> >
>
> Then millions of people must have been wrong.
Well, if I knew some person who had never played a graphics adventure, I
sure wouldn't give him Kings Quest I AGI as his first game! :-)
Joachim
Ulrich Schreitmueller
Good point. If someone had never driven a car before, you wouldn't put them
into one of those old things that needed a crank to start, either...
Uli (who loves his classics, but likes to enjoy them in perspective)
Sam Kabo Ashwell
on 6/5/01 8:11 PM:
> Then millions of people must have been wrong.
>
> Marco
Millions of people frequently are. Pick your own example.
SKA