About this guide
==================
-.. highlight:: inform
+.. highlight:: inform6
.. epigraph::
-- with apologies to Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
-Text adventures, otherwise known collectively as interactive fiction (IF),
+.. only:: html
+
+ .. image:: /images/picT.png
+ :align: left
+
+.. raw:: latex
+
+ \dropcap{t}
+
+ext adventures, otherwise known collectively as interactive fiction (IF),
were highly popular computer games during the 1980s. As technology evolved
they faded from the market, unable to compete with increasingly
sophisticated graphical games; however, IF was far from dead. The Internet
Most of the guide's text appears in this typeface, except where we're using
words which are part of the Inform system (like ``print``, ``Include``,
``VerbLib``) or are extracted from one of our games (like ``bird``,
-``nest``, ``top_of_tree``). Terms in **bold type** are included in the
-glossary -- Appendix G on page 273. We switch to italic type for a
-placeholder: for example you should read the Inform statement:
+``nest``, ``top_of_tree``).
+
+.. only:: html
+
+ Terms that are included in the :doc:`Glossary <appendices/g>` appear as
+ links to that glossary entry.
-.. parsed-literal::
+.. only:: latex
- print "*string*";
+ Terms that are included in the :doc:`Glossary <appendices/g>` appear in
+ blue italic. In the PDF version, these are links to the glossary entry.
+
+We switch to italic type for a placeholder: for example you should read the
+Inform statement:
+
+ :samp:`print "{string}";`
as meaning "display on the player's screen the arbitrary character or
characters which are represented here by the placeholder *string*".
A more general list of FAQs about IF authorship, covering both Inform
and the other main systems.
-* news:rec.arts.int-fiction
+* :newsgroup:`rec.arts.int-fiction`
The Usenet newsgroup for authors of IF, commonly known by the
abbreviation RAIF. Here you'll find discussion on IF technology,
assistance with your own "how do I..." questions (but please, look in
the manual first).
-* news:rec.games.int-fiction
+* :newsgroup:`rec.games.int-fiction`
The complementary newsgroup for IF *players*, often known as RGIF.
Alphabet", digitised from a collection of public domain woodcuts, circa
1834, by Steven J. Lundeen of emerald city fontwerks.
-.. todo::
-
- Reference to the drop-caps should only apply to those places they're
- used (just the PDF?).
-
All credit to the generosity of http://briefcase.yahoo.com/ for making
international file-sharing such a breeze.
.. [#play]
If you feel confused about IF in general or about this distinction
- between writing and playing in particular, try glancing ahead at "Just
- what is interactive fiction?" on page 13 and at "How to play an IF game"
- on page 209; also, you may find the Ifaq at
- http://www.plover.net/~textfire/raiffaq/ifaq/ helpful.
+ between writing and playing in particular, try glancing ahead at
+ :doc:`chapters/01` and at :doc:`appendices/a`; also, you may find the
+ Ifaq at http://www.plover.net/~textfire/raiffaq/ifaq/ helpful.