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From: whitten@netcom.com (David Whitten)
Subject: Re: Plot Ideas
Message-ID: <whittenDM0r7K.8oB@netcom.com>
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Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 00:11:44 GMT
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Carl Muckenhoupt (baf@max.tiac.net) wrote:
: The idea of a plot-fixing Deus Ex Machina has been tried.  In Sierra's
: "Robin Hood", most minor oversights on the player's part are swiftly 
: remedied by Little John:  "Well done, seeing through the sheriff's spy 
: like that!  By the way, after you left, we found this letter on him..."

: In graphic adventures, where no amount of additional overhead is small, 
: branching plots are rare.  The plot-fixer gimmick prevents unwanted 
: branching.

Hmm, I hadn't thought of the limited case of using the plot fixer to
prevent branching.  I was thinking of using it more as the Directoral
Story Manager similar to the ideas in the OZ project.

IE: actually having a demon that would keep track of a story's progress
and maybe give the protagonist another way to solve the problem.

I think this is a flaw of simulationist I-F. Since the protagonist
can do all kinds of things, its easy to wander around and have no
ideas about what the goals of the story are. (Presuming the goals
and Plots are what makes it a story to begin with)

David (Whitten@netcom.com) (214) 437-5255
