--------------------------------------------<P>Introduction:<P>'kay, for those not actually acquiented with it, let me start with an explanation of what <A HREF="http://plover.net/~textfire/ifcomp/if.html" TARGET=_blank>Interactive Fiction</A> actually *is*. It grew out of the text adventure games that many of you may remember - the most well known may be the products of Infocom. But nowadays it has evolved into something that's much more encompassing, that tends to cares much more for storyline, characterisation and experimentation than any of the old nostalgic-yet-simplistic treasure-hunt games of ages past. <P>Right now, the central event in the interactive fiction community is probably the yearly <A HREF="http://plover.net/~textfire/ifcomp/" TARGET=_blank>IF-competition</A>. The one for 2001 is currently taking place, with 52 games being judged and reviewed. But there are many, *many*, more such games out there and more are being written every day. You can go <A HREF="http://www.ifarchive.org" TARGET=_blank>here</A> for a complete look to the IF archive or perhaps <A HREF="http://www.wurb.com/if/" TARGET=_blank>here</A> for a more guided tour to the games out there.
(games I'd recommend: Spider and the Web, Galatea, Photopia, Edifice, Worlds Apart, Metamorphoses, Shrapnel, and many many more)<P>If anyone's interested about my credentials for what I'm going to ask then I have to admit they are not that great. I've written "Voices", a game for the <A HREF="http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/smoochie.htm" TARGET=_blank>"SmoochieComp"</A> of Valentine's Day. I consider it a decent work, and if you are interested then you can download either the <A HREF="http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/gam ... /voices.z5" TARGET=_blank>Z5 file</A> (preferably but you'll also need an <A HREF="http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-arc ... eters.html" TARGET=_blank>interpreter</A>, perhaps FROTZ) or more simply the <A HREF="http://users.otenet.gr/~katsaris/voices-exe.zip" TARGET=_blank>PC executable</A>. <P>And if you go to my own <A HREF="http://users.otenet.gr/~katsaris/interact.htm" TARGET=_blank>IF page</A>, then you can also see another small game I've made, as well as the "prologue" I submitted to a relevant contest.<P>---------------------<P>What I'd like to do:<P>Simply put: I'd like to write an Interactive Fiction game based on "Fans!". Or more accurately, based on any of my favourite online comics but "Fans!" would be my preference, though CRFH would probably come a close second. I'm still on the brainstorming section of the whole process, so I have several ideas but no concrete storyline yet. I'd like to know from T if I have permission to go forward with this, before I invest more of my time.<P>The work would be completely freeware (as most IF games are nowadays), so I'll not make any money out of this. If I get the go-ahead then I'll probably try to have it ready by September 2002, to be entered in next year's comp. The appropriate disclaimers/credits/links/etc will be of course included in the game for the characters and any pic that may also be used (again with permission of course).<P>Why I am asking this in public rather than though private e-mail? Well, for starters, regardless of whether I get permission or no, for this interactive fanfic of sorts, I also wanted to see if I could create some interest for interactive fiction in here - perhaps bring more people into the fold... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"><P>Secondly, saying this in public may actually put me into more pressure to finish this. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"><P>Thirdly, in the future I may have the need for the contribution of others - for example what if the story includes a sequence of pictorial communication? I can't draw worth a damn. Other people might like to help.<P>[Sidenote: And now that I think about it, it'd be hard to imagine such a game without atleast some pictures/drawings - of the characters at least. Some of them may come from already drawn pictures in the archives - but others might need to be custom made...]<P>And in the end of course, (though it's still far far away) I'll need beta-testers and commentators, before it's released to the public... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.g ... P>Possible Problems:<P>- For starters and most importantly: I'm in graduate school. I'm willing to *try* to work at least a bit every day on this, but I don't know how much the demands of school will grow and whether I'll be able to finish what I'll start. I don't know how much time I'll actually be able to spend - and thus I can't promise even completion...<P>- Secondly: I've always felt that the strength of Fans! has been its characters. And yet NPCS are exactly the point that Interactive Fiction has always had something of a problem with. There *have* been great NPCs in games. But the number of the characters in Fans! all interacting with each other... *shudder*. NPCs will matter here but I'll have to find ways to circumvent the problem... Perhaps breaking this into scenes of only a few characters each. Something. Anything. Will be a problem to be dealt with...
<P>------------------------<P>In Summary:<P><g> T, I'd like to know if you are simply open to the idea, so I can feel free continuing thinking up ideas, perhaps even starting to code a bit. Nor will I be angry if you permit me now but later decide to retract your permission for whatever reason. Or add any other condition. Or even if you flat out refuse right now - it'll just free my mind to think of other projects. (Yeah, I tend to see the glass as half-full <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> )<P>Other than that, if there's anything *more* that you are willing to offer, e.g. story ideas you may yourself have and like me to put in there, I'd be more than overjoyed to hear everything - as I said I'm still in the brainstorming stage of the whole thing. That leaves me open to every and any possibility. <P><g> Feel free to either email me or ask here if you want clarification or more info about anything before making your decision...<P>And, everyone, if there's any other fan of interactive fiction here, please speak out... Or anyone else who wants to comment. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"><P>------------------
Aris Katsaris - <A HREF="http://users.otenet.gr/~katsaris/" TARGET=_blank>The Home of Lost Tales</A>
