Sender: Adam Myrow <myrow@homerun.us>
From: Adam Myrow <myrow@eskimo.com>
Subject: What is IF really?
Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
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Mr. Panks's now infamous article on adventure game design started me
thinking of something.  Has there ever been a formal definition of
Interactive Fiction that most of us could agree on?  I find myself
confused on what makes Interactive Fiction and what makes, for example,
RPG.  To me, Westfront PC is pure RPG, but Beyond Zork is IF with RPG
added to it.  I feel this way because Westfront PC has no developing plot
nor any interactive characters.  However, where does Zork I fall in?
Infocom called it IF, but I am not sure.  Like Westfront PC, it is lacking
in actual plot and has a limited amount of combat.  Westfront PC is almost
strictly combat.  Zork I, however, does have its sequels which
increasingly move towards what I consider IF.  Deadline  is obviously IF
and so is Enchanter.  So, here is what I consider to be IF for sure.  It
must have a plot.  It must have actions that the player must perform to
move the story along.  It must be primarily text-based.  So, is there
anything else that you all feel is mandatory for it to be IF?  For that
matter, what is an "adventure game?"  Is it an Adventure-like text-based
game involving treasure hunting?  Can IF be an adventure game?  Which
would First Things First be?  I would say that it is IF, but the author
calls it an adventure game.  Maybe adventure game is a broader category
than IF.

Sorry if this starts a flame war, but I am interested in seeing how the
newsgroup feels on this.  Has it ever been hammered out before?
