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From: neilg@kits.sfu.ca (Neil K. Guy)
Subject: Re: Game system most similar to Infocom?
Message-ID: <neilg.766569845@sfu.ca>
Followup-To: rec.arts.int-fiction
Sender: news@sfu.ca (seymour news)
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
References: <1994Apr17.071028.16005@news.unr.edu>
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 1994 08:04:05 GMT
Lines: 38

planders@shadow.scs.unr.edu (Preston Landers) writes:

>I've played around with some text adventure authoring systems (namely a 
>registered copy of AGT and GAGS.)  I'm looking for people's opinion as to 
>which system produces games most similar to Infocom games.  I've got a 
>lot of idea rolling around for games, and want the best system.

 This is question is probably more suited to rec.arts.int-fiction;
follow-ups set appropriately. r.g.i-f is about playing games; r.a.i-f
is more about writing them.

 As for your question, that really depends on what you mean by the
"best system." Different systems have their strengths and weaknesses.
Also, when you say "most similar to Infocom games" do you mean in
terms of their appearance or their internal structure?

 Graham Nelson's "Inform" compiler can create game files compatible
with any Infocom game interpreter; games that use the same internal
structure (more or less) as Infocom games. Whether they behave like
Infocom games is really up to you - the Zmachine format seems pretty
flexible - but if you want to make something that looks *exactly* like
an Infocom game, check it out.

 Michael J. Roberts' TADS system is based upon a very different game
format, but can be used to produce games very similar in style to the
Infocom classics. I'm using the system myself as I rather like it, and
a number of other authors have successfully published games written in
TADS - particularly the Adventions folks. 

 Obviously both TADS and Inform have their own peculiar advantages and
disadvantages. For more details I'd pick up a copy of both programs -
Inform is freeware and TADS is shareware - and compare them. You should
also look at Nathan Torkington's authoring system FAQ, published
regularly in r.a.i-f.

 - Neil K.
-- 
  49N 16' 123W 7'  /  Vancouver, BC, Canada  /  n_k_guy@sfu.ca
