Comments on: IF Comp 2008: Violet

By: David Fisher

David Fisher — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:48:48 +0000

Perhaps I should write one…. Anyone know where I’d start?
There is some information about writing IF here: http://jacl.game-host.org:8080/dfisher/if4.html

… and if you felt like trying another one room game:
http://jayisgames.com/archives/2008/01/suveh_nux.php

David Fisher

By: Fede

Fede — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:52:49 +0000

The in-game hints were great but not perfect. I had no idea where to find a lighter for example :)

By: Zephyrtron

Zephyrtron — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:17:45 +0000

That’s a shame Theory, since you can just ask for hints in game… I thought even the hints were well written, revealing but satisfying still.

By: Theory

Theory — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:15:32 +0000

This was going really well for me, then it was ruined by needing to look up a hint. Violet’s puzzles can be solved in any order, but the walkthrough gives you all of them in a big old list that I had to scroll through, reading in the process solutions for the puzzles I hadn’t encountered yet (thankfully, there weren’t too many left at this point).

Everyone Dies suffered the same fate when I couldn’t work out the exact syntax needed for the final line. What else could “on the [spoiler removed]” possibly mean? Grr.

Hopefully Nightfall will be a success from start to finish. Not that the others weren’t superb as well. :)

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:01:19 +0000

I’ve just finished Violet and well, I feel a little bit cheated. The pen puzzle I would never have got to without using the hints. And I feel that highlights a systemic problem with IF, it can essentially become a game of “Guess what the writer was thinking when they wrote this!” and you will probably be forced to resort to hints which for me, removes the satisfaction of finally finishing the game. [Can IF even be called games? Do you play them or read them? I suppose those are questions for another time...]

I’m not sure if you could even have a freeform IF, the time spent writing every possible outcome or solution to every puzzle would be a mammoth undertaking. And this rigid linear path makes IF all but unreplayable. I really like the idea and nostalgic feel of IF but some of the implimentation really needs work.

Perhaps I should write one…. Anyone know where I’d start?

By: Zephyrtron

Zephyrtron — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:46:51 +0000

Also… possibly the best ever evocation of a credible and affecting relationship in any form of media/creative stuff I’ve experienced in *years*.

By: Zephyrtron

Zephyrtron — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:43:46 +0000

Wow. Violet really is staggeringly good.
That’s about as close to feeling like games can elicit the same emotional response as films, books or comic books that I’ve come to… well, ever.
I’ve done no work today just playing with this, but it all seems worth it.

By: Riff

Riff — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:51:03 +0000

Here is the master list of reviews for all the games in the competition.

By: roBurky

roBurky — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:37:23 +0000

That was very good. And very funny.

By: solipsistnation

solipsistnation — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:21:37 +0000

That was pretty awesome.

I have suggested that my wife the grad student try it out. She said “Oh good, just what I need.” But she’s a big text adventure fan from way back, so I hope she does…

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:45:40 +0000

Had to resort to the hint for getting rid of the key, feel so stupid for not seeing that.

By: Down Rodeo

Down Rodeo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:28:26 +0000

Aw, that was so nice :)

I’ll check out the other two as well, but I’m really happy now.