The Players' Realm-IF
I really like how he explained exactly what IF is. Before this class I had no idea about text based games and IF. I wish I would have read this as soon as I got the book so I knew a little more about IF than I did at the begning of this course. This section is very helpful to those who do not know much about IF.
I find it amazing that D&D inspired the creation of a number of text games. It is even more amazing to me that in the 1970s it was mostly male high school and college students that were creating this game. It is incredible to me that high school and college students were creating text based games back in the 1970s. I also like that this chapter includes Zork as an example simply because we as a class have already talked about Zork so I know something about the game.
The chapter also talks about how men use computers much more than females. This is why games today are focused more towards men and include violence and other things that are more focused toward men. This is not a discrimination it is a simple fact. If men use computers more than women the video game companies are going to create video games that are more focused toward men. This is a simple marketing strategy that will bring in money for the company and keep the company alive.
There is a comparison between IF and traditional text that says If is not any more interactive than traditional text. It goes on to say how Whelan only examines specific complaints instead of looking at how readers view broader IF concepts. I believe IF is much more interactive than traditional text simply because you are typing commands and trying to solve things. This makes people much more engaged traditional text. The more a person is engaged and the more a person feels connected by typing the commands, the more likely the person will enjoy the games and continue playing.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/EL250/2010/01/keller/
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Matt Takacs on The Players' Realm-IF: I'm assuming only the DM had t
Jeremy Barrick on The Players' Realm-IF: At least D&D had a colorful ma
Dennis G. Jerz on The Players' Realm-IF: Keith, thanks for the feedback
Keith, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you found this article helpful, and the next time I teach this course, if I use this book again, I'll consider assigning this article earlier in the term.
At least D&D had a colorful map and a book that helped guide the characters. Like I said before, I'm not putting IF down. I am just not that educated on the subject. I do not like it because I do not know it; although I used to play D&D and enjoyed it. But D&D is played with other people and can be entertaining.
I'm assuming only the DM had the map when playing D&D, right? Otherwise, what point is there? Most of the fun came from exploring (when I was playing a character) and shaping the other characters experience( when I was DM).
I like the ability to create my own maps in IF games because the game is then created around my own visualization of the text.