.. epigraph::
- | *If they asked me, I could write a book;*
- | *About the way you TALK, and LISTEN; And LOOK.*
+ | |CENTER| *If they asked me, I could write a book;*
+ | |CENTER| *About the way you TALK, and LISTEN; And LOOK.*
-- with apologies to Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
.. 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
-grew, and Usenet discussion forums offered a focal point for fans of the
-genre. By developing IF programming tools and systems, organising contests
-and writing tutorials and reviews, these enthusiasts have led a revival
-responsible for many notable works, including some whose quality arguably
-surpasses that of the best commercial titles of the 1980s.
+|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 grew, and Usenet discussion forums offered a focal
+point for fans of the genre. By developing IF programming tools and
+systems, organising contests and writing tutorials and reviews, these
+enthusiasts have led a revival responsible for many notable works,
+including some whose quality arguably surpasses that of the best
+commercial titles of the 1980s.
+
+.. Generated by autoindex
+.. index::
+ single: TADS
Nowadays, IF is a hobby; almost everything that you need to begin writing
your own text adventures is available, for free, on the Internet. While
* http://mirror.ifarchive.org/
+ .. Generated by autoindex
+ .. index::
+ single: IF Archive
+
The IF Archive (or actually a high-speed mirror copy of it), from which
you can download almost anything that's free and in the public domain.
For a clickable map of Inform-related parts of the Archive, see
* :newsgroup:`rec.arts.int-fiction`
+ .. Generated by autoindex
+ .. index::
+ single: RAIF
+
The Usenet newsgroup for authors of IF, commonly known by the
abbreviation RAIF. Here you'll find discussion on IF technology,
criticism and game design issues, and fast, friendly and knowledgeable
* :newsgroup:`rec.games.int-fiction`
+ .. Generated by autoindex
+ .. index::
+ single: RGIF
+
The complementary newsgroup for IF *players*, often known as RGIF.
.. todo::
independently and later in enjoyable collaboration -- of using, and
eventually of presenting, the Inform text adventure development system.
-| *Roger Firth*
-| *Wallingford, England*
+| |FILL| *Roger Firth*
+| |FILL| *Wallingford, England*
-| *Sonja Kesserich*
-| *Madrid, Spain*
+| |FILL| *Sonja Kesserich*
+| |FILL| *Madrid, Spain*
-| *August 2004*
+| |FILL| *August 2004*
.. rubric:: Footnotes