The holidays have come and gone, finally. Was super busy just getting things in order, so I wasn't able to do much for Fractal. But I was thinking about its structure, and I put some of the bones for the intro down. Also, I discovered Inform 7 halfway through December, so I had to check that out for a bit.
ONI Intro. Alright, so I got a bit of time to work on this. Just a couple hours, so there isn't a lot. And there's probably a ton of typos and errors and whatnot. Foreshadowing on every page, so keep an eye out for stuff changing in the big picture perspective. Definitely message me if you find errors so I can correct 'em. Thanks in advance!
Note to self: pencil in an hour a day for Fractal on the calendar.
But yeah, I wanted to keep this intro much more personal, and a lot less active than Dawn of Aquilas' intro. I don't want the pacing to be constrained by a physically intense opening, and would rather build to it. And besides, opening with the heart is a better narrative hook. The action opening is, for lack of a better term, cheap.
Anway, you can read the ONI intro here.
Inform 7. Where Twine 2 makes CYOA-type IF novels, Inform 7 makes IF adventure games. I thought about possibly switching over, so I did a bit of reading up and testing. It's definitely doable, but has a lot of different problems that comes along with it. Gender randomization, for example. And the export isn't exactly very friendly. Twine 2 can output html, so it's no problem for you to read and enjoy it. You'd have to download a special reader to check out what Inform 7 exports, which is a barrier I'd rather avoid.
It's a pity because Inform 7's coding interface is fucking awesome. It's completely unique, and actually sort of organic, which does sound a bit weird, yeah. Where typical development in a tech sector is a strictly cold command-based environment, Inform 7 is more of a 'hey buddy, do this' sort of place.
It's a seriously amazing interface...
I can't believe it took me this long to discover it, too. So, note to self: do more research, time permitting.
Inform 7 makes worlds far more interactive and immersive. It's akin to those oldschool games like Kings Quest, or Sam & Max. You've got a character, you're moving through narrative rooms, and manipulating all sorts of stuff inside. The system definitely lends itself to a more immersive experience.
But it doesn't matter as I'm not switching over. Twine 2 has some huge flaws (no ctrl-z), but it's the best in regards to the narrative in the long run.
