Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction

     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 read more about Interactive Fiction theory?
     5)  Who is doing R&D in Interactive Fiction?
     6)  What happened to that great publisher of adventures, InfoCom?
     7)  What is IF anyway?  What *are* you people talking about?

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?  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 adventure game puzzles to rec.games.int-fiction, where they are
more likely to get a favorable response.  (Readers of rec.games.int-fiction
love to trade hints on games, while readers of this group want to talk design,
theory, and implementation).  Discussions of MUDs (multi-user domains) belong
on rec.games.mud.  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.

3) What systems are available for developing interactive fiction (or
adventures), and where can I get the software?  Here are a few of the most
frequently mentioned ones:

 ADL:    Adventure Definition Language by Ross Cunniff (cunniff@fc.hp.com) and
	 Tim Brengle.  No object-oriented programming, but still a robust and
	 flexible system.  LISP syntax.  Excellent parsing capabilities.
	 Source code (in C) is available.  Runs on IBM PC, Amiga, Atari ST,
	 Unix, and VAX, could be ported to any platform.  ADL is available
	 from your local comp.sources.games archive, for example:
	   ftp ftp.uu.net, under /usenet/comp.source.games/volume2/adl

 AdvSys: Adventure Authoring System by David Betz.  LISP Syntax, fully
	 object-oriented, very powerful.  Written up in BYTE magazine, May
	 1987.  This was probably the most well-known adventure system, but
	 recently seems to be eclipsed by ALAN and TADS.  Source code is
	 available for compiler and interpreter (written in C), so the
	 language is portable to all platforms.  No debugger is available. 
	 A good choice for the hard-core language hacker or LISP enthusiast.
	 Available on comp.sources.games archives, for example:  
	   ftp ftp.uu.net, under /usenet/comp.source.games/volume2/advsys

 ALAN:   Adventure Language, by Thomas Nilsson and Gorfo (thoni@softlab.se,
	 gorfo@ida.liu.se), Sweden.  Syntax similar to English.  The main
	 difference between ALAN and the others is the non-programming design
	 of the language.  No object-oriented programming features.  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 alan-request@softlab.se
	 with a one line body of the form:  SEND <request>, where <request> is
	 TEXT or POSTSCRIPT (for documentation), AMIGA, SUN, or VAX/VMS (for
	 executables).  A port to MSDOS version is in progress, and a MAC
	 version is planned.

 TADS:   Text Adventure Development System by Michael Roberts.
         (73737.417@compuserve.com).  Shareware, object-oriented programming
         capabilities.  Source code for TADS is not available.  Excellent
         documentation (including tips on adventure game design) for those
         who register ($40).  Example adventures written in TADS are
         available.  The "Unnkulian" games were written in TADS (contact is
         Dave Baggett, dmb@ai.mit.edu; source code for the Unnkulian
         adventures is not available).  TADS runs on IBM PC, Macintosh, and
         Atari ST.  Available from many sites, including:

           msdos.archive.umich.edu: msdos/games/adventure
           atari.archive.umich.edu: atari/games/Tads
           mac.archive.umich.edu:   mac.bin/game/gameutil (via Appletalk only)

         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 (recommended).

Each of these systems contain a compiler, an interpreter for the compiled
"virtual machine code".  All are text-only systems.  Many of these systems are
downloadable from your local source server or archive site.

4) Where can I read more about Interactive Fiction theory?  Some recommended
background reading on 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"
  (1991, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, ISBN 0-201-51048-0).  This book extends
  the work that Laurel began in her PhD dissertation.

  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, 800-521-0600.  (Half price for students).

The following are also recommended:

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

  Thurber, Macy & Pope. "The Book, the Computer and the Humanities"
  (Aug '91 issue of T.H.E. Journal (Technology in Higher Education)
  Discusses a project to foster critical thinking using a computer with
  hypertext and interactive elements becomes a humanistic new medium.

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:
  Prinston 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 Thiry-Six Dramatic Situations" (1916).  Boston:  The
  Writer, Inc.  (617) 423-3157.  ~$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.

  Propp, Vladimir. "Morphology of the Folk Tale" (1968).  University of
  Texas Press, Austin.  Written about the same time as Polti's analysis.

Artcom (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 dag@hpsemc.cup.hp.com, with Subject: ArtCom.

David Graves has 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 sumarizes 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 spring of '91.  To receive all three papers, send mail to
dag@hpsemc.cup.hp.com, with Subject:  Papers.

5)  Who is doing R&D in 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.  A good first reference for their
work appears the journal PRESENCE:

       Bates, Joseph, 1992.  Virtual Reality, Art, and Entertainment.
       PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 1:1, 133-138.
       MIT Press.  Cambridge, MA.

The article's bibiography contains references to their more technical papers.

In 1989, the Oz folks conducted a search for those doing reseach and
development in Interactive Fiction.  Many individuals responded, stating their
interest in the results, but the search revealed only the Oz project itself,
and the team of Brengle and Graves.  (See references above).  Many others are
developing IF using traditional methods, of course.

6)  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 did not stay with the
  company.  Infocom became a label, and Activision went through a radical
  reorganization.  Finally, Mediagenic was formed.  Medigenic was (and still
  is) 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.

7) What is IF anyway?  What *are* you people talking about, anyway?  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".  This allows the system do
     plot generation on the fly -- 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.