| *A was an archer, who shot at a frog;*
| *B was a butcher, who had a great dog.*
-Before we start learning to use the Inform system, it's probably sensible
+.. only:: html
+
+ .. image:: /images/picB.png
+ :align: left
+
+.. raw:: latex
+
+ \dropcap{b}
+
+efore we start learning to use the Inform system, it's probably sensible
to consider briefly how IF, which has many narrative elements, differs from
regular storytelling. Before we do *that*, though, let's look at an example
of a familiar folk tale.
- "There was once a man called Wilhelm Tell, from high in the Swiss
- Alps near the town of Altdorf. A hunter and a guide, a proud
- mountaineer, he lived by his skills Swiss Alps near the town
- Altdorf. A hunter and a guide, proud mountaineer, in tracking and
- archery. It happened one day that Wilhelm visited the town to buy
- provisions, and he took his son Walter with him.
+ "There was once a man called Wilhelm Tell, from high in the Swiss Alps
+ near the town of Altdorf. A hunter and a guide, a proud mountaineer,
+ he lived by his skills in tracking and archery. It happened one day
+ that Wilhelm visited the town to buy provisions, and he took his son
+ Walter with him.
The region was at the time governed by Hermann Gessler (a vain and
petty man appointed as vogt by the Austrian emperor), who attempted a
Our example of narrative prose is written in the third person; it
refers to the hero as "Wilhelm" and "he" and "him", watching and
- reporting on his activities from afar. In this sample IF game, you are
- the hero, seeing everything through Wilhelm's eyes.
+ reporting on his activities from afar. In this sample IF game,
+ *you* are the hero, seeing everything through Wilhelm's eyes.
* What happens next?
You can tell when you've come to the end of a regular narrative -- you
read the last sentence, and you know there's no more. In IF, it's
- clear enough when you reach an end; what's much less apparent is
+ clear enough when you reach *an* end; what's much less apparent is
whether that's the only conclusion. In the transcript from the example
game, you win by shooting the apple from Walter's head. But what if
you miss? What if you hit him by mistake? Or fire instead at the