Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale/Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso/Dr. Doyle/Hypertext and Writing/Interactive Fiction.FAQ

Text File | 1994-10-08 | 23KB | 413 lines

Frequently Asked Questions on rec.arts.int-fiction:        Updated Apr 14, 94

     1)  What is the purpose of this news group?
     2)  What topics are appropriate here?
     3)  What languages are available for writing text adventures?
     4)  Where can I get references and papers on Interactive Fiction?
     5)  What happened to that great publisher of adventures, Infocom?
     6)  Where can I get walkthroughs for specific games?
     7)  What is IF anyway?  What *are* you people talking about?

You may want to save a copy of this file for future reference, rather than
post a frequently-asked question.  This file is updated periodically.


1) What is the purpose of this news group?

Rec.arts.int-fiction is a news group for discussion of Interactive Fiction
(IF).  We do talk about adventure games here, but the discussions are from the
viewpoint of "the advancement of Interactive Fiction".  Discussions range from
Adventure games and Interactive Fantasy to Hypertext, with emphasis on the
development of IF as a new literary genre and/or a new form of computer-based
art/entertainment.  Discussions of adventure implementation languages is
appropriate in this group, as well as ideas on applying popular technologies
(such as Object Oriented programming) to problems in Interactive Fiction
development (such as environment representation, parsing, and natural language
generation).


2) What topics are appropriate here?

Topics related to Interactive Fiction design, theory, and implementation are
appropriate.  Please don't post questions about specific adventure game
puzzles to this news group, as it was set up only for discussions of the
*development* of Interactive Fiction.  Please post your queries about specific
adventure game puzzles to rec.games.int-fiction, not here.  Discussions of
traditional MUDs (multi-user dungeons) belong on rec.games.mud.*, although
discussion of multi-player IF theory is certainly appropriate here.  Info on
LARPs (live-action role playing games) can be found in rec.games.frp.*.

Posting to more than one group is not a good idea.  Select the appropriate
news group and post only to that one.  Just as you would not post questions
about how to solve a specific game in this group, please refrain from posting
questions on IF design and implementation in rec.games.int-fiction.

Controversial viewpoints are sometimes posted here; when you post a dissenting
view, remember to attack the idea, not the person.  Let us debate, not battle.


3)  What languages are available for writing text adventures?

Here are the most frequently mentioned ones:

ADL:    Adventure Definition Language by Ross Cunniff ([e-mail]) and
        Tim Brengle.  No object-oriented programming, but still a robust and
        flexible system.  LISP syntax.  Excellent parsing capabilities.
        System includes a debugger.  Source code (in C) is available.
        Package includes sample adventures, and standard definitions for
        verbs.  Runs on DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Unix, and VAX; could be ported
        to any platform.  ADL is available from your comp.sources.games
        archive.  For example:  ftp wuarchive.wustl.edu, and get files under
        /usenet/comp.sources.games/volume02/adl

AdvSys: Adventure Authoring System by David Betz.  Written-up in BYTE
        magazine, May 1987.  This was probably the most well-known adventure
        system, but recently seems to have been eclipsed by TADS.  LISP
        syntax, fully object-oriented language.  Source code is available for
        compiler and interpreter (written in C), so the language highly
        portable.  An ANSI C version is also available on the IF archive.
        Unrestricted for non-commercial use.  No debugger is available.
        Available on various IF archive machines.  A library of standard verb
        and class definitions is available from the IF archive (ftp.gmd.de)
        as /if-archive/programming/advsys/standard.adi.*.  See also the
        source code for "Elves87", a large adventure (3800 lines) which
        serves as a coding example, in /if-archive/games/source/advsys/elv*.

AGT:    Adventure Game Toolkit, by David Malmberg ([e-mail])
        and Mark Welch.  Shareware, available on many BBS archives.
        Registration fee is $20.  Not an object-oriented language.  Syntax
        resembles natural English.  Documentation (150 pages) states that no
        programming experience is required.  The standard definitions cover
        the ordinary commands, and a meta-language is provided to create your
        own commands.  Many games have been written in AGT (over 35 are
        described in the documentation), with source code available.  AGT
        runs on MS-DOS, Macintosh, Atari ST, and Amiga.  Available from
        Softworks, 43064 Via Moraga, Mission San Jose, CA 94539.  Or see
        /if-archive/programming/agt/orderfrm.agt on an IF archive site
        (ftp.gmd.de or wuarchive.wustl.edu).

ALAN:   Adventure Language, by Thomas Nilsson and Gorfo ([e-mail],
        [e-mail]), Sweden.  Syntax similar to English.  The main
        difference between ALAN and the others is the non-programming design
        of the language (thus, it's a good choice for non-programmers).  Not
        an object-oriented language, but verbs attached to an object can
        override the global definition of a verb.  Source code not available.
        Manual includes a tutorial on adventure game design.  System is
        distributed free by email from the ALAN owners only, no BBS or ftp
        sites.  Send email to [e-mail] with a one line message
        of the form:  SEND <request>, where <request> = AMIGA, SUN, VMS, or
        PC (for complete distibutions including executables, documentation
        and demos), TEXT or POSTSCRIPT (for documentation only), or INFO (for
        an overview).  A port of ALAN to the MAC is planned.

Inform: An Infocom-compatible language.  Compiled programs can be run using
        the Infocom interpreters which are available for most machines.
        The documentation is excellent, and contains many good ideas on
        principles of Interactive Fiction development.  Even if you choose
        another IF development language, you should read the Inform manual.
        Available from ftp.gmd.de under /if-archive/infocom/compilers/inform

OASYS:  Object-Oriented Adventure System by Russell Wallace
        ([e-mail]).  Written in C++.  Not a formal
        object-oriented language; procedures are called methods and types are
        called classes, but it does not support inheritance, encapsulation,
        or messages.  Has documentation and two sample adventures.  Control
        structure is user-defined so fuses, daemons, etc, are not a problem.
        System is public domain (no restrictions of any kind on use or
        distribution).  Runs on MS-DOS, could be ported to others.  Posted to
        comp.binaries.ibm.pc, vol 20, issues 081-083 in 1992; available from
        ftp archives of that group, or ftp from ftp.gmd.de under
        /if-archive/programming/oasys (Zoo archive plus "the missing file").

TADS:   Text Adventure Development System by Michael Roberts.
        ([e-mail] or [e-mail]).
        Shareware.  Object-oriented language, including multiple inheritance.
        Syntax similar to C.  Source code for TADS is not available.
        Excellent documentation (including tips on adventure game design) for
        those who register (which is recommended).  Full featured
        source-level debugger.  Includes a library of standard definitions of
        verbs and object classes.  Large example adventures written in TADS
        are available.  The Unnkulian games were written in TADS (contact is
        Dave Baggett, [e-mail]; the Unnkulian source code is not
        distributed).  TADS runs on MS-DOS, Macintosh, Atari ST, Amiga, and
        various minicomputer platforms.  Available from many ftp sites,
        including:

           msdos.archive.umich.edu: msdos/games/adventure/tads.zip
           atari.archive.umich.edu: atari/Games/Tads/tads.lzh
           mac.archive.umich.edu:   mac/game/gameutil/tads#.#.cpt.hqx
           ftp.gmd.de:              if-archive/programming/tads

         If you can't download a copy, you get it from:
            High Energy Software, P.O. Box 50422, Palo Alto CA 94303.
         The $40 shareware fee covers the code and documentation.

Each of these systems contain a compiler and an interpreter for the compiled
"virtual machine code" (except for Inform, which uses the standard Infocom
interpreter).  All are text-only systems.

For a more detailed description of IF languages, plus advice on writing your
own adventure, see Nathan Torkington's "Adventure Authoring Systems FAQ"
posting, which has appeared here in rec.arts.int-fiction, and is saved on
ftp.gmd.de.

If you can't find what you want on a local archive, try ftp.gmd.de in Bonn,
Germany.  Under /if-archive you can find IF languages, completed games, and
archives of discussions on rec.arts.int-fiction and rec.games.int-fiction
(under if-archive/programming/general-discussion/*).

You can upload files to ftp.gmd.de into /incoming/if-uploads; if you do upload
something, notify [e-mail] explaining what it is and what it runs on.
The ftp.gmd.de if-archive has recently become mirrored in the US, at
wuarchive.wustl.edu, in /mirrors/if-archive.


4)  Where can I get references and papers on Interactive Fiction?

The Oz Project, directed by Joseph Bates at the Carnegie-Mellon School of
Computer Science, is developing technology for high quality interactive
fiction.  Their goal is to provide users with the experience of living in
a dramatically interesting simulated world that includes simulated people.
Their focus is on the simulations behind the interface, which they call
the deep structure of virtual reality.

You can order technical papers produced by the CMU "Oz" team by mail.  Fees
include copying and postage.  Within the USA and Canada send $2 per paper,
outside of US and Canada send $5 per paper.  Checks or must be payable to
a US bank (made out to "Carnegie Mellon University").  Cash (US$) is also
accepted (carefully wrapped), or money order.  Include your return address!

        Computer Science Documentation
        School of Computer Science
        Carnegie Mellon University
        5000 Forbes Avenue               info request: [e-mail]
        Pittsburgh, PA  15213-3891              phone: [phone]

  Title of CMU Computer Science paper:                               CMU-CS#
  -----------------------------------------------------------------  ------
  Towards a Theory of Narrative for Interactive Fiction.             89-121
  Glinda: Natural Language Text Generation in the Oz IF Project      90-158
  HAP: A Reactive, Adaptive Architecture for Agents.                 91-147
  Integrated Natural Langurage Generation Systems.                   92-107
  Integrating Reactivity, Goals, and Emotion in a Broad Agent.       92-142
  Building Emotional Agents.                                         92-143
  An Architecture for Action, Emotion, and Social Behavior.          92-144
  Dramatic Presence.                                                 92-195
  The Nature of Character in Interactive Worlds and the Oz Project.  92-200

Some recommended reading related to Interactive Fiction includes:

  Buckles, Mary Ann. "Interactive Fiction: the Computer Storygame
  'Adventure'" (University of California at San Diego, 1985).  Focuses only
  on the original adventure game.  Limited in scope, but a fun read for any
  hard-core fan of Interactive Fiction theory.

  Laurel, Brenda.  "Towards the Design of a Computer-based Interactive
  Fantasy System" (Ohio State University 1986).  See also her "Computers as
  Theatre" (Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, 1991, ISBN 0-201-51048-0, new
  edition in 1993, ISBN 0-201-55060-1).  This book extends the work that
  Laurel began in her PhD dissertation, which addresses the problems in
  automating plots which integrate the player's actions.

  Meehan, James.  "The Metanovel:  Writing Stories by Computer" (Yale 1976)
  Meehan used the natural language technology of Roger Schank's Yale group
  to construct some primitive Aesop's fables.

  Sloane, Sarah.  "Interactive Fiction, Virtual Realities, and the
  Reading-Writing Relationship" (Ohio State University 1991).  Sloane presents
  her views on narrative theory, as well as analyizing IF R&D in progress at
  CMU (led by Joe Bates) and at Interactive Fantasies (Brengle and Graves).

These four PhD dissertations are available for ~$50 each from University
Microfilms, [phone].  (Half price for students).

Also highly recommended:

  Lebowitz, Michael.  "Creating Characters in a Story-Telling Universe"
  Poetics, 13, 171-194. (1984).  Poetics is a periodical; check your library.

Here are references on "rules" for story generation.  Most of these authors
never guessed computers would exist, but that shouldn't stop you from using
their work as the start for your "AI rule base" for plot unit integration.

  Aristotle.  "The Poetics".  Translated by Ingram Bywater.  In "Rhetoric and
  Poetics of Aristotle".  New York:  The Modern Library, 1954.  Aristotle
  defines the basic elements used to construct stories and drama, although
  his model is frequently attacked by modern narrative-theory researchers.

  Campbell, Joseph.  "Hero with a Thousand Faces" (1949).  New Jersey:
  Princeton University Press.  Campbell defines the elements which are common
  to heroic folktales in all cultures, forming a single template, which is
  called "the monomyth".

  Polti, Georges.  "The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations" (1916).  Boston:  The
  Writer, Inc.  [phone].  ~$10.  This is really quite unique and
  brilliant, identifying a truly interesting and challenging subset of
  story-outlines useful in developing a plot knowledge base.  (First published
  in 1895 as "Les trente-six situations dramatiques").

  Propp, Vladimir. "Morphology of the Folk Tale" (1968).  University of
  Texas Press, Austin.  This analysis of the structure of Russian folktales
  was first published in 1928 as "Morfologija skazki".

Interactive Entertainment Design (formerly the Journal of Computer Game Design)
frequently prints articles related to Interactive Fiction.  Subscriptions are
$36 per year (it is a non-profit publication) for six issues.  Write to 5251
Sierra Road, San Jose California, 95132.  The editor (Chris Crawford)
welcomes articles from the readership; contributors receive a free one-year
extension on their subscription.

ART COM (electronic) Magazine #43 and #44 (Nov & Dec '90) were devoted to
Interactive Fiction.  These two back issues are available by e-mail.  Send
requests to [e-mail], with the one-word Subject: ArtCom.  Requests are
processed by a program, but append a personal message if you wish.

I have published a few papers on Interactive Fiction technology, which are
available by e-mail.  They are:  "Second Generation Adventure Games" (which
focuses on the physical world model, parsing, text generation, and simple
agent planning), "Bringing Characters to Life" (which summarizes the progress
in Artificial Personality over the last two decades), and "Plot Automation"
based on my presentation at the Computer Game Developer's Conference in '91.
To receive all three papers, send mail to [e-mail], with the one-word
Subject: Papers.  Requests are processed by a program, but I do read and
respond to personal messages appended to requests.


5)  What happened to that great publisher of adventures, Infocom?

Around 1986/87 Infocom was having serious financial trouble.  Their database
product, Cornerstone, was expensive to develop but was not selling.
Activision then bought Infocom.  Infocom was relocated to Mountain View,
California, but most of the staff were laid off.  Infocom became a label, and
Activision went through a radical reorganization.  Finally, Mediagenic was
formed.  Mediagenic was the parent company of Activision and Infocom.  You may
see new products come out under the Infocom label, but the original writers
have moved on.  Mediagenic went nearly bankrupt, and merged with The Disc
Company, which continues to hold the copyright (and is still selling) the old
Infocom games, now in collections of 20 games under the title "Lost Treasures
of Infocom", available in volumes I and II.


6)  Where can I get IF walkthroughs for specific games?

The IF archives sites have numerous files that walk you through solutions
to specific works of IF.  Link via anonymous ftp to ftp.gmd.de (under
/if-archive/solutions) or its mirror site at wuarchive.wustl.edu (under
/mirrors/if-archive/solutions).  Files with a .Z extension are compressed;
use "uncompress" after downloading.  Remember, if you have more questions on
how to solve a text adventure, post to rec.games.int-fiction, not to this
news group.


7) What is IF anyway?  What *are* you people talking about?

Here are some definitions related to IF:

  User Paced Sequence:  A linear sequence of fixed content.

  Progressive Disclosure:  Content is fixed, but exposure to the content
     varies.

  Point of View Shift:  The first-person viewpoint moves between characters.

  Browse Around:  The player wanders and explores an environment.

  Plot Branching:  A tree or network of fixed content.

  Physical Modeling:  The system simulates a physical universe with which
     the player may interact.

  Character Modeling:  The system simulates characters with whom the player
     may interact.  Characters may generate goals, actions, and emotions.
     Character modeling may be broken down into intelligence modeling and
     emotion modeling.

  Intelligence Modeling:  Rules for simulating intelligent behavior by
     characters.  This may include setting goals and making plans to
     achieve them.  Since intelligence modeling is typically focused on
     problems of logistics, it is tightly coupled with physical modeling.

  Emotion Modeling:  Representation of emotions as data, and rules for
     processing that data to derive behaviors consistent with a character's
     perceived personality.  Emotion modeling is typically focused on the
     feelings associated with interpersonal interaction.

  Dramatic Modeling:  The system has a representation for dramatic elements
     (plot fragments) and a "plot calculus" (a set of rules for manipulating
     the symbols representing plot fragments).  This allows the system do
     plot generation on the fly, while still taking into account the actions
     of the player character.

  Computer Adapted Story Telling:  A presentation of different but consistent
     experiences of the same story.  Could be achieved through point of view
     shift, browse around, or plot branching.

  Interactive Fiction:  Narrative based experiences that tend to be either
     puzzle solving or plot branching.  This term is usually applied to
     the "first generation" Adventure games -- those developed in the last
     decade.  The second generation of IF is moving towards the development
     of Interactive Fantasy as a new genre.

  Interactive Fantasy:  A first person dramatic experience.  Achieved through
     a combination of physical modeling, character modeling, and dramatic
     modeling.  (Consider the Star Trek Holodeck as a vision of a future
     Interactive Fantasy platform).

Interactive Fiction is difficult to define concretely since it is a new
artistic form, still in its infancy.  The first work of computer-based IF was
a story-game called "Adventure".  To this day, games of this type are called
Adventure games, named after the original instance.

There are many forms of Interactive Fiction, but the one thing they have in
common is that the reader is allowed some degree of interaction with the
story.  When we talk about IF in this news group, we usually are talking
about computer-based works of fiction.  A traditional book is not interactive
-- you just read it from front to back, and get the same experience every time.
Pick-a-path books, however, are interactive; this is probably the lowest form
of IF.  One goal of IF developers is to take advantage of the flexibility of
the computer to facilitate the creation of new forms of entertainment.

Adventure games are an early form of computer-based IF.  They are *subjective*
IF, that is, the player has an influence on the "plot" of the story.  The
reader can influence events via his choices about what to do next, the
ordering of his actions, etc.  In *objective* IF works, the reader has some
influence on the presentation of the story, but not the content.  Consider a
hypertext-based story, where you can ask for more information on a given
person or plot event, but you cannot influence the flow of events.  Infocomics
are an example of objective interactive fiction.

IF offers great potential, but since its appearance about a decade ago, its
growth has been plagued by two problems:  how to develop the computer
technology required to support a work of Interactive Fiction, and how to
develop stories that exploit this new genre.

Interactive fiction differs from traditional fiction in that the author gives
up much of the control of the story flow.  This is because the reader (or
player) is allowed to participate to some degree in the shaping of the plot
through his role as a character in the action.  Since the player/protagonist
will be making decisions about what he will do next, the author must allow for
multiple paths through a set of plot potentials.  The most primitive way of
doing this is through plot branching:  presenting the reader with a small set
of fixed choices, each set corresponding to a branch in a fixed set of
potential plot paths.  Unfortunately, this technique is intrinsicly limited
and has historically resulted in relatively uninteresting games.

A more interesting approach (in my opinion) is to create a rich set of plot
fragments and character behaviors which may be assembled by the computer to
allow the creation of new stories each time the program is used.  In the
finished product, the individual elements of the story can combine in new and
wonderful ways not anticipated by the author or programmer.

In this news group, we discuss the technical and artistic aspects of the
interactive fiction genre.  While we occasionally do mention "off-the-shelf"
IF products, it is typically in the context of comparing and contrasting their
structure or artistic merit.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This file of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is maintained by David Graves,
[e-mail].  Corrections and suggestions are welcome.