Last week I completed my first interactive fiction, called J’dal, and entered it into the Interactive Fiction Competition 2012. You can play it now! If you’ve played it, leave a comment below.
Last week I completed my first interactive fiction, called J’dal, and entered it into the Interactive Fiction Competition 2012. You can play it now! If you’ve played it, leave a comment below.
Ryan Kinsman's IF blog 
I played it on ifcomp website, transcript might be available to you there? Found the time criminal easter egg, that was funny.
I’m pretty sure any transcripts on the online version go nowhere, just disappear. Tell me if you found any game-halting bugs that need squashing.
Hey Ryan — I found a number of bugs. None of them were game-halting, but you still might want to squash them. Most are situations where the game gives no answer to a player’s input, and just prints new line. This happens quite a lot in conversation; a “default” answer that always fires when nothing else does should be implemented. For instance:
======
> tell roderick about gate
“There’s a gate here,” I say.
“It’s locked, I suppose?” asks Stolas.
“Yeah, there’s a chain around it.”
> tell roderick about chain
>
======
Asking Roderick about the rope is also not a big success:
======
> ask roderick about rope
Which do I mean, the rope, rope, rope or rope?
======
Outside of conversation, I found:
======
> hit stand with sword
>
======
Then there are several objects that are tiehr not implemented, or implemented in a weird way. There’s the tent (these rooms also fail to mention exits):
======
Riverside
There’s a stream here. It’s flowing well, must be from the rain yesterday. Our tent’s here – It’s where Dad and I stay mostly, unless we’ve come into some money.
> x tent
I can’t see any such thing.
======
The dead beart:
======
I can see a dead beart, Roderick, Stolas and Dad here.
> x beart
I can’t see any such thing.
======
And this is pretty weird:
======
> i
I am carrying:
a glovial (providing light)
> throw glovial
He turns and fires at the thrown glovial…
> i
I am carrying:
a glovial (providing light)
======
(Though just having the glovial disappear might make the game unwinnable, so I’m not sure what the best solution is.)
Hope this helps!
Thanks. Most of these are known bugs that came up in beta testing, or more accurately, the result of quick patches to other bigger bugs that came up in testing. I thought about withdrawing from the comp due to the game’s many problems, but to be honest the dealine was the only thing making me work on the game consistenly after only doing small bits and pieces on it since forever. Sorry for being selfish and making you play the game in this state. Do you think I should withdraw?
I could try and fix it mid-comp, but I’d probably fix one thing and break something else. What it really needs is a complete re-doing from the ground up.
I’ve got a lot to learn about Inform 7 and making IF in general. I’ve learned a lot already, from making J’dal and the comp experience, and hopefully this will result in a much better game from me come IF comp 2013.
No, you shouldn’t withdraw, and I don’t think you’ll end at the bottom of the competition either. 😉 What you should do, however, is maybe “unpublish” your seond blog post. Authors arent’ allowed to discuss their games during the competition period: http://www.ifcomp.org/comp12/rules.html
Whoops. Done.
Hi Ryan thanks for letting us play your game. I enjoyed the story and smiled at the fun dialogue.
+/-
YA adventure, adult language, racial issues
+spunky character
+other characters
-J’dal has knife but can’t cut people
+KILL KILL, HIT
+writing (funny dialogue)
+end fight
-not enough description, rooms don’t list exits
-anachronistic responses, typos
>about
…Don’t save / load / undo if something bad happens. There are no dead ends or ways you can screw-up, so don’t worry. Try to role play. Think about decisions *before* you make them, don’t just make them to see what happens and then go back and load a save.
[the “load” command is RESTORE, suggest use “restore” instead of “load”.]
…waiting for me to join them. Dad waves me over. Roderick
looks drunk.
I can see Dad, Stolas and Roderick here.
> get drunk
I can’t see any such thing.
> have a drink
That’s not a verb I recognise.
> drink
What do I want to drink?
> alcohol
I can’t see any such thing.
> drink beer
I can’t see any such thing.
[what do they serve?]
> join them
I’m not sure what ‘them’ refers to.
> join
What do I want to join?
typo: Who do I want to join?
If you have
Understand “join [something]” as joining.
try
Understand “join [someone]” as joining.
instead.
> the army
I can’t see any such thing.
…
> stab roderick
That’s not a verb I recognise.
> cut roderick
Cutting that up would achieve little.
> cut roderick with the sword
I only understood you as far as wanting to cut Roderick.
> slash rod
That’s not a verb I recognise.
> put the sword in roderick
That can’t contain things.
> ask the waitress for the waitress
(the waitress first taking the waitress)
the waitress has better things to do.
> ask me about me
>
[missing response]
> x me
The cut on my hand is almost healed. Well, you can’t see the scar much with my black skin anyway. That’ll teach dad to “let children play with knives”. I keep telling him I’m not a kid anymore. I’m sixteen now. We think.
> show hand
I can’t see any such thing.
> x cut
I can’t see any such thing.
> x scar
I can’t see any such thing.
Renburg Town Square
The square’s full of people doing stuff.
[what are the exits?]
> x rod
I can’t see any such thing.
> x people
I can’t see any such thing.
> x stuff
I can’t see any such thing.
> hint
First, try asking other characters about whatever you’re having problems with. If you’re still
stuck, type hint (location name). For beginning areas there are no hints. Also try about.
> hint town square
I only understood you as far as wanting to hint.
> hint renburg town square
I only understood you as far as wanting to hint.
[It would be convenient if “hint” automatically does “hint (current location)”.]
Dad starts going through my pockets.
“I didn’t take nothing!” I argue.
“The key,” he replies. “Where’s the room key? Give it to me.”
> say no
(to Dad)
There is no reply.
…
…Dad goes south.
> follow him
That’s not a verb I recognise.
Renburg Town Gate
The gate’s always open. South from here is the river where our tent is.
[not big on description]
> x gate
I can’t see any such thing.
[not one of those games where you examine things then?]
[Riverside]
> x tent
I can’t see any such thing.
[ok I won’t type X again.]
> wash
That’s not a verb I recognise.
[I didn’t think so.]
Mountain Path
“You just tell me if you see anything needs killing,” pipes in Roderick.
> tell rod about waitress
I can’t reach into Drunk Jack’s Tavern.
[Rod should be replying, not the narrator.]
> ask stolas about dad
>
[missing response]
> tell stolas about me
>
[“I can see in the dark!”]
> ask dad about me
“I’m afraid I don’t know much about that, sugar,” he says.
[ 😦 nobody understands me (sob).]
> tell dad about me
“Uh-huh,” he mumbles, not really listening.
[LOL]
“Mountain Path
I can see Dad, Roderick and Stolas here.
Roderick and Stolas are waiting by the mine’s entrance. They’re carrying some new gear –
Roderick has a rope over one shoulder, Stolas has some crystal thingy – must be one of
those ‘glovials’ I’ve heard about. We greet, and then Stolas starts on about the job.
“It’ll be dark in there, so J’dal, you lead the way. Here, take this.” He gives me the glovial.
“You just tell me if you see anything needs killing,” pipes in Roderick.
“Once we find the device, nobody touches it. Just leave it to me. Okay, let’s go,” Stolas
orders.”
[What direction is the mine?]
> enter
You must supply a noun.
…
> shake it [the glovial, what else?]
You must name something more substantial.
…
> shake gate
… What am I thinking?
[is it rusty? maybe the lock will break?]
> hint worker’s area
You have to do something with one of the tools and the chain.
[what chain?]
> x gate
It’s closed and it’s got a chain with a lock on it. The gate has one of those big latches you
have to lift out of the slot to open.
[resume X all]
> x outfit
It’s got lots of nice pockets and stuff.
> x pockets
I can’t see any such thing.
> cut chain
Cutting that up would achieve little.
[cutting is the solution for something else?]
[Oh! glow-vial!]
> burn chain
This dangerous act would achieve little.
> shake glo
I can’t see any such thing.
> n
I drop all the crap I don’t need.
[+attention to detail]
[Main line]
…The main path leads further north.
> x path
I can’t see any such thing.
> x gate
. It’s open. The gate has one of those big latches you have to lift out of the slot to open.
typo: redundant period.
[Huge Cave]
> throw rock at beart
(the rock at the tall beart)
(first taking the rock)
…After a while of us sitting down and getting our breath back, Roderick looks at me and smiles.
…
[“our breath” -> “our breaths”?]
> x beart
I can’t see any such thing.
> x corpse
I can’t see any such thing.
> x blood
I can’t see any such thing.
>look
I can see a dead beart, Roderick, Stolas and Dad here.
> x dead beart
I can’t see any such thing.
> x wall
I can’t see any such thing.
…and take two steps into the water.
It’s bloody freezing. I stand at the edge of the shallow water – right in front of me the water suddenly gets deeper.
> d
I can’t go that way.
> enter
You must supply a noun.
> enter water
I start swimming, and swim over to the wall.
[+dive in]
[Hidden Cavern]
…On the wooden stand is an artifact.
> shake glovial
It kicks back into life.
> x stand
On the wooden standis an artifact.
typo: stand is
> look through lens
I find nothing of interest.
> x crossbow
I can’t see any such thing.
> take stand
That’s hardly portable.
…
> tie rod to me
I would achieve nothing by this.
> attach rod
What do I want to attach Roderick to?
> me
I would achieve nothing by this.
> tell rod about rope
(one end of a rope)
>
…
> kiss dad
I should keep my mind on the game.
Rod plops in ungracefully and pulls himself along the rope.
> dive in
I dive under the water, and see a tunnel that leads under the wall. I surface.
“There’s an underwater tunnel,” I inform the others. “Gonna check it out. Be right back.”
[anachronistic at this point]
Underwater tunnel
The huge cave is east, the tunnel continues west.
The rope passes through here.
I can also see Roderick here.
Roderick goes west.
…
> x rod
He’s sitting on a rock watching Stolas work.
[does Rod have pecs?]
…
[drama with Stolas betrayal]
…
> undo
Hidden Cavern
[Previous turn undone.]
> undo
Hidden Cavern
[Previous turn undone.]
> take rope
I’ll just leave it there.
> untie rope
That’s not a verb I recognise.
…
> x body
I see nothing special about Roderick’s body.
[cold]
Suggestion: Roderick’s dead body
Huge Cave
I look around. Stolas is not here.
The end of the rope is floating in the water.
I can also see a dark gray outfit, a blindfold, a small sword and a dead beart here.
[what are the exits from here? What direction do I go?]
> take all
rock: Taken. [that wasn’t in the room description]
rope: No time! I’ll go back for Dad later.
No time for that!
dark gray outfit: No time for modesty!
No time for that!
blindfold: No time for that!
small sword: Taken.
dead beart: No time for that!
> x dead beart
I can’t see any such thing.
…
Main Line
He’s not here either.
I can see an iron gate here.
Ahead I see flashes of red. Stolas must be using the device to light his way.
[what are the exits from here? What direction do I go?]
> throw rock at stolas
It hits him in the back.
Stolas turns and fires in my general direction … he misses completely, but he spots me with the light given off from his shot … his fires again …
typo “his ??? fires again”
…
>undo
…
He breathes rapidly. And then stops.
> x stolas
I can’t see any such thing.
[I went back for Dad but don’t have the device, did I need to pick it up?]
> x device
I can’t see any such thing.
> i
I am carrying:
a dark gray outfit (being worn)
a small sword (wielded)
a glovial (providing light)
> dive in
I shake the glovial up to full brightness and then check how much they can all see.
“Hey Dad,” I ask, “how many fingers am I holding up?”
“Just one,” he says. “The middle one.”
The old man’s right, but his eyes never looked at my finger, just the other hand holding the
glovial. They can’t see a thing.
“I’m gonna see if this pool leads anywhere,” I say. “You guys wait here.”
I take off my clothes and drop everything but the glovial, and take two steps into the water.
It’s bloody freezing. I stand at the edge of the shallow water – right in front of me the water
suddenly gets deeper.
[anachronistic, Dad is in the other cavern and the rest are deceased.]
> l
Huge Cave
The rope is tied.
I can also see a small sword, a dark gray outfit, a blindfold and a dead beart here.
> dive in
I dive under the water, and see a tunnel that leads under the wall. I surface.
“There’s an underwater tunnel,” I inform the others. “Gonna check it out. Be right back.”
[surreal]
> w
Hidden Cavern
…“J’dal,” Dad says, “we’ll have to tell everyone that I killed him. Alright? If they find out a darkie did it, even though he was a murderer …”
“Alright,” I interrupt. “I get.”
typo: I get IT
It’s time to leave this place.
***THE END***
[the best ending? What happened to the artifact?]
[after backtracking… yes you do need to pick up the artifact]
[Room 203]
> x toilet
It’s kind of like a sink for pissing in. It’s in an alcove but it still makes the whole room stink.
Dad said that it probably drains straight down to the beer taps in the bar.
> piss
That’s not a verb I recognise.
Jack’s Lodgings
It’s not a real inn or anything … it’s just some rooms with beds. They don’t even have proper toilets. Dad and I are staying in 203.
I can see the Room 203 Door and the toilet door here.
[what are the exits from this location?]
> out
But I am not in anything at the moment.
[what direction do i go?]
…
> pee in stream
That’s not a verb I recognise.
> use stream
Uh …..
[do i need to undress?]
Thanks for all the feedback, I’m glad you could get through the game without too many problems. Hopefully my next one is a much smoother experience.