Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure (More info?)
Usually, when I tell people I write text adventures, I get one of two
responses: "What?" or "I tried one of those once. Couldn't make it do
anything." (A few people say "I loved those!", but not very many.)
Text adventures are hard to get into, if you don't know what you're
doing. I admit this. You type something, the game says "I don't know
how to do that." You type something else, the game says "I don't know
how to do that either." You give up.
It's a common problem. The commands are actually very straightforward;
but if you're not used to them, you won't figure them out by blind
guessing.
So I decided to write a game that would solve that problem.
* The Dreamhold: A Tutorial Text Adventure
The Dreamhold is my interactive fiction tutorial game. It's designed
for people who have never played IF before. It introduces the common
commands and mindset of text adventures, one step at a time. There's
an extensive help system describing standard IF commands, as well as
dynamic hints which pop up whenever you seem to be stuck.
Of course, you can turn off the hints and the tutorials, and play The
Dreamhold as a real game. The puzzles are not extremely difficult, but
they should offer some challenge to both experienced players and
newcomers. (If the challenge is insufficient, there's an "expert" mode
which makes some of the puzzles harder.) There are also many optional
bits to explore beyond the main storyline.
I've tried to create a game which rewards many species of adventurer:
the inexperienced newcomer, the puzzle-hurdler, the casual tourist,
the meticulous explorer, the wild experimenter, the seeker after
nuances and implications.
To download The Dreamhold, see:
<http://eblong.com/zarf/dreamhold.html>
Or you can play it on the Web, as a Java applet. (But the Java version
doesn't allow you to save your progress.)
--Z
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
I'm still thinking about what to put in this space.
Usually, when I tell people I write text adventures, I get one of two
responses: "What?" or "I tried one of those once. Couldn't make it do
anything." (A few people say "I loved those!", but not very many.)
Text adventures are hard to get into, if you don't know what you're
doing. I admit this. You type something, the game says "I don't know
how to do that." You type something else, the game says "I don't know
how to do that either." You give up.
It's a common problem. The commands are actually very straightforward;
but if you're not used to them, you won't figure them out by blind
guessing.
So I decided to write a game that would solve that problem.
* The Dreamhold: A Tutorial Text Adventure
The Dreamhold is my interactive fiction tutorial game. It's designed
for people who have never played IF before. It introduces the common
commands and mindset of text adventures, one step at a time. There's
an extensive help system describing standard IF commands, as well as
dynamic hints which pop up whenever you seem to be stuck.
Of course, you can turn off the hints and the tutorials, and play The
Dreamhold as a real game. The puzzles are not extremely difficult, but
they should offer some challenge to both experienced players and
newcomers. (If the challenge is insufficient, there's an "expert" mode
which makes some of the puzzles harder.) There are also many optional
bits to explore beyond the main storyline.
I've tried to create a game which rewards many species of adventurer:
the inexperienced newcomer, the puzzle-hurdler, the casual tourist,
the meticulous explorer, the wild experimenter, the seeker after
nuances and implications.
To download The Dreamhold, see:
<http://eblong.com/zarf/dreamhold.html>
Or you can play it on the Web, as a Java applet. (But the Java version
doesn't allow you to save your progress.)
--Z
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
I'm still thinking about what to put in this space.
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