Interactive
Fiction
by Deborah
Gray
"You
drove west from London all day in your new little British sports car. Now at last
you've arrived in the storied land of Cornwall.
Dusk has fallen as you pull up in front of Tresyllian Castle. A ghostly full moon
is rising, and a tall iron gate between two pillars bars the way into the courtyard.
What would you like to
do?"
- Opening paragraph
of Moonmist
Before computers had the capability to display pictures, computer games utilized
text to stimulate the player's imagination. These games are known as both text
adventures and interactive fiction (IF). Although graphics have been a part of
computer games since the 1980s, a small community of enthusiasts has kept the
interactive fiction flame alive. Interactive fiction is still being created, and
several programs have even been written to allow a player to play the games on
her Palm Pilot. Due to the element of discovery that is inherent in a game, the
mystery, science fiction and fantasy genres are the most popular in interactive
fiction.
Most interactive
games are produced in one of two formats: TAD or Inform, and need to be played
through an "interpreter" for your computer to understand the game. To play a TAD
game, you use a TAD interpreter and to play an Inform game you need an Inform
interpreter. How to Play
Interactive Fiction and Text Adventure Games has the programs you need for
download and information on installation.
You can also play them
directly off the Internet, from Infocom
Games Playable Online. This
is a great resource. Infocom was the biggest producer of IF in its
heyday. Here you can play a number of their games using telnet,
a program that should be already installed on your computer. Simply
click on the telnet link on the very top of the page. Note that
although they provide the login needed, they don't note that
a password isn't necessary, although the program asks for one.
All you do is to hit Enter.
Suggestions for starter IF games are:
- Plundered Hearts - a tongue in cheek bodice-ripper
- Moonmist - a mystery
set in a fog-shrouded castle
- The Lurking Horror - a horror story set at a snowbound
university
- Curses - a puzzle hunt through a huge, cluttered attic
- Anchorhead
- a Lovecraftian horror story set in New England
Links
At 40, Deborah Gray
is a token younger woman at SeniorWomenWeb along with culinary
columnist Gabriella True.
She lives with her husband in the Northeast of the United States
with new baby, Lawrence, a stray cat and far too many pairs of
shoes. Since she was diagnosed with MS, she is sometimes tempted
to fight senior women in the supermarket for use of the scooters.
You can e-mail her with
questions or comments.
©2002
Deborah Gray for SeniorWomenWeb
