CIS 487/587 Assignment 1

Fall 2005

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 487/587 course pages contain several links to interactive fiction resources. You should make use of the Inform interactive fiction compiler and interpreter. You may use the LaMothe C++ code on the text CD (Chapter 14) or the software on the Rouse CD. The download site for the Inform compiler is: http://www.inform-fiction.org/software/current.html. The download site for a Z interpreter (e.g. Win Frotz) is: http://www.inform-fiction.org/zmachine/interpreters.html. You should work through the Inform tutorial (Alice Through the Looking Glass) and .inf source files found at: http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis587/alice/InformTutorial.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.inform-fiction.org/manual/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 487/587 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), your complied game (.z file), a design document (including a map, list of objects and their interactions, puzzles), a complete walk-through 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 487/587 web page. You are responsible for collecting and turning in evaluations of your game.

Date assigned: 09-12-05

Date due: 10-17-05