Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Looking for an honest opinion
From: Shadow Wolf <shadow_wolf@softhome.net>
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Neil Cerutti <cerutti@trans-video.net> wrote in news:amuudq$9fka0$2@ID-
60390.news.dfncis.de:

> In article <idyk9.3613$cb.66700443@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>,
> Doug Tabacco wrote:
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I'm pretty new to the IF scene, although I've played several of
>> the older Infocom ones (Moonmist was always a particular
>> favorite when I was younger). Anyway...
>>
>> I was looking to write my own game, but I need an unbiased
>> opinion.  I'm trying to decide which language would be the best
>> to choose given my past programming background.  I know I could
>> just read the manuals and see for myself, but I'd rather get
>> the opinions of people who've actually used the languages in
>> real life.  I have some experience with Java and C, and a LOT
>> of experience with PHP, which is very similar to C.  From
>> looking over manuals, it seems that TADS might be my best
>> option, but I'd love to hear what you guys think.
>
> Check out the "Cloak of Darkness" page at
> URL:http://www.firthworks.com/roger/ for examples of a single,
> short game developed in several popular IF systems.
>
> It also contains brief descriptions of the development process in
> each system assayed. That should be a better starting point than
> just reading the manuals.
>
> As primarily an Inform programmer, I would say this about Inform:
> Inform code has some properties similar to well-written
> English--it's easier to read than to write. The syntax is
> trickier than it looks from reading the source code. It will take
> some practice before it is easy for you to write Inform source
> from scratch.
>

_Much_ trickier -- from the questions I've seen on this newsgroup (both by
programming newbies and by those experienced with other languages,) the
whole "double-quoted strings print _and_return_" has caused more confusion
than any other feature in any of the major languages. (Inform, TADS, Hugo,
Alan).

I definitely second Neil's recommendation of the Cloak of Darkness page.

--
Shadow Wolf
shadow_wolf@softhome.net
Stories at http://www.asstr.org/~Shadow_Wolf



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