Albano Assignment
Worksheet for GDV talk by Heather Albano

1. In your own words, explain the difference between a parser interactive fiction game and a choose your path interactive fiction game.

A parser is a game that gives you the option of typing in the illusion of the narrative you want while a choose your own path gives you the limited choices that differentiate the narrative bit by bit according to your choices.

2. Name an example of a parser game.

Zork I

3. Name an example of a choose your own path game.

Choose your own adventure The Cave of Time

4. Why does she say interactive fiction virtually died out in the mid-1990s?

She says interactive fiction virtually died out because the older methods of interactive fiction died out now it is evolving to give you more choices and yet lead you to them instead of looking for them in a book.

5. Why does she say poetry is an important element of interactive fiction writing? What example does she use?

She says poetry is important because in a game of words, each word has a significance nothing is without reason. She used “With Those We love a Lot” by Porintine.

6. Why does she say that ambiguity is not only unavoidable but also necessary?

She says its necessary because it lets the player of the game fill in the blanks with their imagination so that there is a variation of different answers for the games.

7. What’s important about complicity?

When there is complicity that gives the player owner ship of the plot making him or her feel like they can type whatever they want and the game will do as they say, in reality it is just an illusion because it is a pre-written program.