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Interactive Fiction at PAX

zarfzarf Registered User regular
edited March 2010 in PAX Archive
Knowing as we do that the text-adventure track are the most eagerly awaited sessions at PAX East...

(...crickets, tumbleweeds, Celtic fiddle...)

...well, I know some people are interested in the old-school IF scene. And if 60k people are showing up, "some people" could be a whole lot.

The PAX schedule is not finalized but we've gotten confirmation of two IF events: a panel discussion of modern IF authors, and the premiere of Jason Scott's GET LAMP documentary. (Both Friday evening, looks like.) Will that be all? No, I announce, there will be more.

The People's Republic of Interactive Fiction (a collective of Boston IF fans) invites you to come hang out. We will have a large suite (in the Hilton), open throughout the convention, at which you can come chat with IF authors and fans, play our games, try our nifty development tools, and eat potato chips. (We hear potato chips are good at parties.) A *bunch* of IF people are converging at PAX; if you're at all familiar with the scene, you'll see names you recognize.

Details are still being planned, but see this blog post and links:
http://gameshelf.jmac.org/2010/01/pax-east----the-if-suite.html
http://ifwiki.org/index.php/PAX_East_2010

zarf on

Posts

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    heelsheels Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    This is awesome!

    heels on
    < devious1> heels: you are worst idea person ever

    http://twitter.com/h_e_e_l_s

    www.reedpop.com
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    dardordardor Redmond, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    OMG, this is awesome!

    dardor on
    I'll take a potato chip and eat it!
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    The_ReflectionThe_Reflection Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    What is interactive fiction?

    The_Reflection on
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    ZukiZuki Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    You might know them as text adventure games. "You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike," the infamously hard Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy game, etc. Traditionally/originally they had an explorative and puzzle-solving focus but I understand a lot of people just use them as a medium for writing. There are horror IF, mysteries, etc, many kinds.

    I don't know much about the modern state of them, but I've always liked the fact that they're around. I'll try to hit up a panel or two!

    Zuki on
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    zarfzarf Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I look forward to meeting you. The field has gotten really experimental and interesting since 1989. Of course I say that because I'm one of the people who's been experimenting....

    zarf on
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    chupamiubrechupamiubre Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    This looks cool i did enjoy zork way back when. I think it might of been the first computer specif game i ever played.

    chupamiubre on
    <ZeroHourHero> I have a tiny penis
    <Qs23> I just need to get my dicks in a row
    <prox> i work for dicks
    #paforums_pax, all about the dicks.
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    dardordardor Redmond, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    What is interactive fiction?

    They are similar to MUDs (assuming that you've played them) except that IFs are single player as opposed to multiplayer. I also feel that IFs in general focus more on telling a story than MUDs do.

    dardor on
    I'll take a potato chip and eat it!
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    ZeroHourHeroZeroHourHero Allentown, PARegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I have been eaten by a grue.

    ZeroHourHero on
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    dardordardor Redmond, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Zork is so awesome.

    dardor on
    I'll take a potato chip and eat it!
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    RdrRdr Rider Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    This is pretty interested.

    I've played the Hitchhiker's game back a long time ago and I clocked in many hours in the Discworld MUD. I'll be sure to try and stop by!

    Rdr on
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    Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited January 2010
    Haha, we did something like this over the radios on the CCST last year.

    Moe Fwacky on
    E6LkoFK.png

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    NeoNeo Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I know that the GeekNights guys have scheduled a run of Action Castle which sounds like what you are asking about.

    They discuss it towards the beginning of this podcast: http://frontrowcrew.com/episodes/2010/01/19/street-fighting-secrets/

    Neo on
    -- This space for rent --
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    Bigtoy_JBigtoy_J Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I have been eaten by a grue.

    The grue actually have a cookbook with over a hundred different ways to prepare and server me. I hear I am tasty with a nice red wine.

    Bigtoy_J on
    Love George Bernard Shaw quotations.

    Also, I can count to "boat".
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    Pixel BluePixel Blue Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Hooray!

    Pixel Blue on
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    burnttoast45burnttoast45 Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I can't wait for this! Might have to finally beat Zork or Deadline prior to PAX...

    burnttoast45 on
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    zarfzarf Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I am resurrecting what is (I know) a long-dead thread to say that I had *a blast* at PAX. The two IF panels I wound up on were great; it was tremendous to see so many people interested. (And crummy to see people turned away at the doors, but that was PAX East all over.)

    I found myself running what was essentially a mini-IF-convention inside PAX -- in the Hilton next door, technically -- and there were old and new IF fans and authors hanging around the entire weekend. I think there wasn't a moment without at least three interesting conversations going on in different corners of the room.

    I will be coming back to PAX; lots of us will. (And I know there are IF folks in Seattle.) It may not be as high a concentration -- the Get Lamp premiere was a once-in-a-lifetime event -- but there is good work to be built.

    zarf on
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    Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I somewhat enjoyed the Get Lamp panel. I will admit I found myself lost in the conversation of current IF and was much more interested in the old Zork style games than the ways to revitalize the genre as a form of commercial literature. I guess I didn't realize there were people still trying to keep it alive. That part of the speech was a bit like a party I wasn't invited to as it was something very unfamiliar to me.

    That and someone broke Wheaton's Law on me in that panel - I got in, followed a few people down a row of seats only to have one of them throw his coat on the entire row and declare them saved for some douchebags that didn't get into line in time to get good seats like i had (hope that wasn't you :) )

    Lindsay Lohan on
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    zarfzarf Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Well, I'm glad you enjoyed some of it. :) And my coat was on my back, not on any chairs. I'm sure it was visible enough...

    The one-hour cut of the movie didn't really cover the modern IF movement, except for the section about trying to commercialize it. But be assured that there's *lots* of work going on -- including some of mine -- and nearly all of it is free. If we can't sell it right now, we're seeing what we can do indie-style!

    I expect the Get Lamp DVD to get more into this; it'll be more than twice as long as what Jason showed at PAX.

    Self-plug: http://pr-if.org/ has several recent IF games (free, and again, it includes a couple of mine), plus the original Adventure from 1976. Also the date for the next meetup of the Boston IF fans. Anyone who is interested is welcome.

    zarf on
This discussion has been closed.