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From: magnus@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson)
Subject: Re: {Re: Re: Adv. generators}, Puzzles & Pulp IF
Message-ID: <1992Nov12.203225.14960@pollux.lu.se>
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Organization: Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Sweden
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Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 20:32:25 GMT
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In article <BxKq2w.IKD@acsu.buffalo.edu> goetz@acsu.buffalo.edu (Phil Goetz) writes:
>Strangely, I find I remember the general mood of good adventures before I
>can recall the specific puzzles.  Probably a hint that we really don't play
>for the puzzles.  

Sure, that's why it's called interactive *fiction*, as opposed to
"puzzle solving games". There are some games (Fool's Errand and Three
of one (?) for the Mac leap to mind) that are basically a collection of
puzzles, with little or nothing of a story to tie them together. Nice,
but quite different from IF.

>Perhaps computer fiction has not yet advanced to the point where we can
>dispense with exotic locales, otherwordly events and characters, or
>high-action scenarios.  That is, we're still pulp comics.

You may have a point there, but I'd prefer to compare to SF / Fantasy
rather than to pulp comics. And there's a term for what many (most?)
IF players seem to be after - Sense of Wonder. (I've got a feeling
there must be a connection between being a hacekr and liking SF&F).

I don't think we should speak about IF being primitive because its
devotees are looking for Sense of Wonder. In that case, you should
judge e.g. Tolkein and Zelazny as primitive pulp literature, and wait
for the SF & F genres to "advance" to a state of total drabness.
<Shudder>.  

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