CIS 587 Assignment 2

Fall 2001

This assignment will give you an opportunity to write a piece of interactive fiction. This will involve creating both a virtual world and a story in which the player must overcome conflicts to achieve goals and win the game.

The CIS 587 course page contains several links to interactive fiction resources. You should make use of the Inform interactive fiction compiler and interpreter or you may use the LaMothe C++ code on the text CD (Chapter 15). The download site for the Inform compiler/interpreter is: http://www.placet.com/int-fiction/win32.htm. You should work through the Inform tutorial (Alice Through the Looking Glass) and .inf source files found at: http://www.gnelson.demon.co.uk/inform/alice/index.html. The beginning writer's guide is at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/8200/contents.htm and the Inform Designer's Manual is at http://www.gnelson.demon.co.uk/dman/index.html.

Your game does not have to be based on an original story. However, your game should allow the player's actions determine the outcome of the story. You may not duplicate a game already on the CIS 587 web site. A well-designed game will exhibit the characteristics listed below.

· Competence - the game should handle the user interactions expected for a piece of interactive fiction.

· Immersiveness - the degree to which a player loses him or herself in the game world.

· Completeness - the world should have a reasonable number of room and objects.

· World Design - non-linear story with several puzzles to solve.

· Prose Quality - the room descriptions should draw the player into the game.

· Interactivity - the player should have interesting objects and environments to manipulate.

· Fun - the game should entertain the player and motivate him or her to play often.

You will need to turn in the following: well commented code (.inf file), a design document (including a map, list of objects and their interactions, puzzles), a complete walk-through of your game. Your oral presentation will be a 5 minute overview of your game. You are required to evaluate 3 games besides your own and have 3 people evaluate your game using the form on the CIS 587 web page. You are responsible for collecting and turning in the evaluations of your game.

Date assigned: 10-02-01

Date due: 10-30-01