Initial Design of Interactive Fiction


How do you start designing a game? There are many approaches to game design: these are a few suggestions on how to begin from posters on rec.arts.int-fiction.

Who am I?
How do you deal with knowledge that the player's character presumably has?
Game prologues & introductions
Should you lead the player through your game's introduction?
Game design in general
How do you diagram interactive fiction games?
Game design in general (a different approach)
More approaches to game design.
Genre study 1: Science Fiction
A closer look at sci-fi in interactive fiction.
Genre study 2: fantasy
A closer look at fantasy in IF.
Mood establishment and plot development
Thoughts on large blocks of expository text in IF, especially in beginning a game.
PC as a specific character?
Can you make the player be a specific character?
Choosing your IF setting/genre
Some of the issues in choosing a setting for your game.
Planning your story/game
How different authors plan their IF.
Non-human point of view
Are there games in which the player isn't human?
Help on designing a game
Thoughts on game design.
Development of character
Do IF players develop during the course of a game?
How do you write romantic IF?
Not quite what it sounds like. Rather, it is a discussion of relationships in games.
Searching for a sense of wonder
How do you make people excited about your game?


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Copyright © 1997-2000, Stephen Granade