(Corey & Lori Cole) Computers are so stupid that even the smartest game...
tends to do silly things. So it's easier to write...
a silly game. Besides, the development process on...
a humorous game to be more fun. OTOH, Quest for...
Glory II: Trial By Fire is fundamentally a very...
serious game in terms of storyline. But we kept...
lots of silly stuff in to break up the tension...
I call it the "roller coaster effect", as we...
want the player to get extremely intense about the...
game at points, but then have a chance to catch...
his/her breath with comedy relief and plain fun. GA

(Charles/HOST) The torch is belatedly passed to Bob Bates. GA!

(Bob Bates) My games are usually fairly 'mature', but when 90% of what a
player tries to do in a game is wrong me is, you have to keep him
interested...while he is *not* solving the puzzle. The easiest way to do
this is humour. (You don't want him mad at you, after all)...
But I agree that what we all strive for is to create emotions...
in the player - like we all had when Floyd died in Planetfall...
Now THAT's art. GA

(Wizzy/Sys0p)

(Charles/HOST) Next up is Al, who has put his tongue in other places besides his
cheek!

(Al Lowe) Hey!

(Charles/HOST) Roberta, take it away! GA

(Roberta) I agree with your sentiment that most adventure games, at
least up to now, have been not quite "serious" in their
approach to the subject matter at hand. I think the reason
for that, for the most part, is that professional writers
or storytellers have not had their hands in the design of a
game; that it's been mostly programmer/writers who have
been the ones behind them - me included - I'm not a
professional writer, though I'm trying to improve myself in
that area. With "The Colonel's Bequest" I did attempt to
try a new theme, a murder mystery, and to try to make it
more mature in its subject matter; more "plot" oriented. I
attempted to put in classic "scare" tactics and suspense. I
tried to put in different levels of emotions from
repulsion, to sadness, to hilarity. As to whether I
accomplished those goals is up to the players experiencing
the game. At least I tried!
.... Now look in your scrollback buffer GA

(Charles/HOST) Mike -- you're the next tongue in line! GA

(Mike Berlyn) Creating emotions is the goal, here...
if I understood the question. It isn't whether we write...
humor or horror -- it's how WELL we do it...
This poses a serious problem...
Interactivity is the opposite thing that most...
well, ALL storytellers, regardless of medium...
require to create emotion. Emotion is created by...
manipulation. And it is impossible to manipulate...
emotions when you don't know where the player...
has been, and you don't know where the player...
is going. Unless... well, I'll talk about...
Loom in a moment...In linear fiction, where you know...
what the "player" has just experienced...
you can deliberately and continuosly "set...
them up" so you can NOT meet their expectations...
which is the essence of drama/humor/horror...
etc. So doing this in games requires a whole...
different approach. And as far as what Noah...
said re: "Storytellers," I'll ignore the...
insult, as I'm sure all the other designers here...
will. Utilizing, by the way, an experienced, linear...
writer only tends to make games LESS game-ish, less...
interactive, and MORE linear....
In a linear game like Loom, you're not providing an interactive...
story or an adventure game -- all you're doing is...
making the player *WORK* to "see the movie." GA

(Charles/HOST) Dave --- next-to-last tongue on the list! GA

(Dave Lebling) Emotion comes also from identification with the character in
the story. You can't easily identify in a serious way with a character...
who looks like a 16x16 pixel sprite. And if he/she is silly looking, he/she...
isn't much more silly looking than if he's serious looking...
For example, Larry Laffer vs. Indy in Indy III. So you are...
at a disadvantage being serious in those sorts of games. Maybe...
better graphics will improve that eventually. Second, in my...
experience serious games don't sell, and I think Bob hit...
the point perfectly -- the player does a lot of silly things...
even if there is no parser (running into rocks in the graphic
games), for example, and you can't stay serious. Infocom's...
more serious games sold poorly, and I think few others have been...
tried, and most of those have sold poorly too. GA

(Charles/HOST) BTW, this question is closed after Corey makes his comment.
Corey .. lick up the last of this for us. GA.

(Corey & Lori Cole) A really good game (or story) *elicits* emotions,
it doesn't create them. A good design opens up the player's...
imagination instead of forcing them along a path --
a frustrated player is too busy being angry at the...
computer instead of experiencing the wonder and...
mystery of his/her character and the game world...
By having fair puzzles and "open" stories, we...
allow players to emote and imagine. GA

(Charles/HOST) OK, now we turn from software to hardware....
One of the most striking developments over...
the last few years has been the growing use of MS-DOS...
machines for game development. This has lead some Amiga...
and Mac owners to complain that there aren't any...
good adventures out for their machines, or that the...
games that are out for those platforms don't make full...
use of their full graphics and sound capabilities...
How can this problem be solved?

To start us off, let's go right back to Corey and Lori! GA

(Guruka) !
(Dave Lebling) !
(Noah Falstein) $ <- not a typo, just my entire comment. (15-1,Al Lowe) ! (Corey & Lori Cole) Well, I just about went broke trying to develop... Atari ST software a few years ago. This was what... made it possible to pull up roots and come to Sierra... to do games. But I think the real value of all... the alternative platforms has been to force IBM and... the clone-makers to play catch-up. Myself, I'm waiting... for ubiquitous CD/ROM's and telecomm. I'd really like... to be doing multi-player games in a few years. In the... meantime, the cold hard reality is that IBM clones are... where the money is. (and money is a good thing ). GA

(Charles/HOST) Guru....er, Roberta, GA!

(Roberta) hehe! We at Sierra, probably the most guilty of developing our
games on MS-DOS machines, are trying to rectify that
problem. This past year, we have put teams of programmers
on the more important platforms (besides MS-DOS) to
implement our game development system in the best way
possible for those machines. Emphasis is on the unique
capabilities of each machine, and to truly be of high
quality on each of them. Our new Amiga games have been
shipping for several months now and have been favorably
received - and our Mac games are nearly ready. GA

(Charles/HOST) Dave? GA

(Dave Lebling) Get an installed base of 10 million Macs or Amigas and you'll
see plenty of games for them. Probably even fewer needed, since programmers
have the hots for those platforms. But in reality, what you need is...
companies like Sierra that can leverage their development system...
experience to move to different platforms. As Windows and 386...
DOS machines become the IBM standard, the differences among the...
platforms become less significant, and using an object oriented...
development system you can port relatively easily, just like the...
old days. Graphics will still be a problem, as the transforms...
from one machine to another will still be a pain. GA

(Charles/HOST) Magnetic Scrolls is working on a portable graphics/text
windowed adventure development system, btw...Al, you're next! GA

(Mike Berlyn) !

(Al Lowe) Money talks. When Mac games outsell msDOS games, you'll see
Mac-designed games ported to PCs. When Amiga games are
hot, etc. In other words, as long as msDOS sales are 80+%
of the market, who can afford to do otherwise? GA
Fast typer, eh?

(Charles/HOST) And a straight talker, too! Mike, GA

(Mike Berlyn) I think we all want our games on as many...
systems as possible, but what we don't...
want is to have to pay for them being ported....
or adapted or improved. Here's where the...
publishers step in to answer this question, since...
in reality, the publishers are the ones...
who make these decisions. GA

(Charles/HOST) OK, next question....

Adventure designs have recently been criticized...
on GAMERS for becoming "shorter" or "easier"...
Do you agree with this criticism, and if so, how do...
you change a design to make a product "longer" or...
"harder"? And are harder games commercially viable?

OK, to start out, Dave Lebling. GA dave.

(Roberta) !
(Al Lowe) God, I love this question!
(Mike Berlyn) !
(Steve Meretzky) !
(Corey & Lori Cole) !

(Dave Lebling) Games are already too easy and not easy enough, and other
paradoxes. Meaning that the intentional puzzles are getting too easy, and the
unintentional ones (caused by size limitations, laziness, lousy...
parsers, bugs, etc.) are still too hard. Harder games are commercially...
viable but only if the unintentional difficulty is reduced. We...
aren't real good at that yet. GA

(Charles/HOST) Roberta, you're next!

(Roberta) It may be true, to a certain extent, that adventure games
have become shorter and/or easier than in the past. Four
to ten years ago adventure games were primarily "text"
oriented, and, as such, could be more extensive in scope,
size, and complexity. Since the introduction of graphics,
animation, and sound (and coming up, speech) - it is much
more difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the same sort
of "scope" that the earlier adventure games were able to
accomplish. Mainly, the reason for this is because of
limitations of memory, disk space, time, and cost. As
increasingly we adventure game developers have to worry
about cramming beautiful graphics, realistic animation,
wonderful sound, and absorbing plots - along with as many
places to explore as possible, alternate paths or choices,
and interesting puzzles - there is just so much ROOM to put
all that in. Something has to give. Even CD technology
will not totally solve that problem. Though there is a
very large DISK capacity with CD, there is still a
relatively small MEMORY capacity. Also, the way the
adventure game program needs to be arranged on the CD
creates problems. And, as usual, with the new CD
capabilities, we adventure game developers are sure to
create the most beautiful graphics you've ever seen, the
most beautiful music you've ever heard, etc. etc. - and
that uses up disk space...even on CD.
Speaking personally...
Usually I have a good sense as to which puzzles are going
to be more difficult and which ones are easier to solve.
There have been a few times when I miscalculated a puzzle;
for instance - in "King's Quest II" I thought the "bridle"
and "snake" puzzle was fairly straight forward, but no, it
wasn't. And in "The Colonel's Bequest" I didn't think that
discovering the secret passages in the house would be as
difficult for some people as it turned out to be. GA

(Charles/HOST) Heheh, creative use of the upload buffer there. ;) Next,
Mike Berlyn. GA, Mike.

(Bob Bates) !

(Mike Berlyn) Shorter? Yeah, I suppose some of the...
newer games (whose names will remain untyped)...
are easier, shorter, etc. But unfortunately, they...
aren't cheaper to make. I hate to tell you how much
Altered Destiny is going to cost before it's done...
and it ships very soon. Accolade & myself have OVER...
10 man-years into this puppy, and a cast of many...
in creating it. When I created Oo-Topos or Cyborg...
or even Suspended, the time, and the money for,.,,
development were a *fraction* of what this baby will...
cost. In addition, games like KQ4 and others are...
larger, give more bang for the buck, and outshine...
many of the older games. GA

(Charles/HOST)Steve -- you're next. GA

(Steve Meretzky) A few years ago, I totally agreed with the statement that
adv. games were getting too short and easy. Then I did Zork Zero, which
was massive and ultimately quite hard. A good percentage of the feedback
distilled down to "too big!" It just took too long to play, and it was too
hard to keep straight everything you had to do to win the game. Plus, of
course, it was a major major effort to design and implement and debug such a
huge game. So, now I've come to the conclusion...
that a nice, average, 50-100 room, 20-30 hours of playtime, medium-level
of difficulty game is just about right. GA

(Noah Falstein) !
(Dave Lebling) !

(Charles/HOST) The Coles -- you're next! GA

(Corey & Lori Cole) There is plenty of room left for "easier" games,
especially since most "hard" games are hard only because they are...
full of unfair "outguess the designer" (or programmer or...
parser) puzzles. Nobody wants to play a game and feel...
lost and frustrated -- most of us get enough of that...
in our daily lives!...

(Al Lowe) Speak for yourself.

(Corey & Lori Cole) We want smaller, richer games, rather than large,...
empty ones, and we want to see puzzles that further...
the story rather than ones that are just thrown...
in to make the game "hard". GA

(Charles/HOST) Al, did you have something to say? GA

(Al Lowe) I've been trying for years to make 'em longer and harder!

(Wizzy/Sys0p)

(Al Lowe) Oh, are we talking design again?

(Guruka) Haw!

(Al Lowe) I have mixed emotions. I work hard on these things and I
hate to think that most people never see the last half of
the games because they gave up in defeat. On the other
hand, GAMERS want meaty puzzles, and you don't want to
disappoint your proven audience. I think many games will become
more and more "easy" if only to attract more people to the
medium. Of course, hard games will always be needed too,
to satisfy the hard-core addicts. (Geez, what a copout
answer!) GA

(Charles/HOST) Bob Bates, you're next on the list. GA.

(Bob Bates) You have to give the player his money's worth, and if you can...
just waltz through a game, then what you have is an exercise in...
typing (or clicking)....
The problem is that the definition of who the player *is* is changing...
In trying to reach a mass market, some companies *are* getting away from...
our 'puzzle' roots. The quandry here is that this works. The big...
bucks are in the mass market, and those people don't want tough...
puzzles. The designers who stay behind and cater to the puzzle market...
(like me) may well be painting themselves into a niche. GA

(Charles/HOST) OK, Noah, you're next! GA

(Noah Falstein) Al and Bob have eloquently given the lead-in I was intending.
But I'd like to go farther and say that we're ALL painting ourselves into
a corner if we keep catering to the 500,000 or so people that are regular ...
players (and more importantly, buyers) of adventure games. It's like...
the Sabertooth Tiger growing overspecialized. There are over 15 MILLION
IBM PC owners out there, and most of them have already given up on us...
because the games are too ... geeky (sorry folks). Without mentioning...
that game that's LOOMing over this discussion, we've found that by...
making a very easy game, we've gotten more vehement, angry letters than..
ever before -- as well as more raves from people that never played...
or never enjoyed such games before. It seems to be financially worthwhile...
even now, and if more of us cater to this novice crowd, with better...
stories instead of harder puzzles, there'll be a snowball effect...
I think this is worth working towards and I hope some of you will...

(Roberta) Here, here!

(Noah Falstein) put part of your effort into this. There's always still some...
room for the "standard audience" games. Interestingly enough, 60-100 rooms
and 20-30 hours is precisely the niche we arrived at too! But let's...
put out at least one more accessible game each year. Thanks folks, GA.

(Charles/HOST) OK, Dave, let's put this question to bed. GA

(Roberta) Great answer.
(Noah Falstein) Thanks roberta. GA.

(Dave Lebling) Wow. Most of the points I wanted to make have been made,
and made well but I'd like to add one more. What about those >20 million
Nintendo owners out there? What kinds of...
games will hook them, if any? Have they written us off? I don't think...
our fraction of the IBM market is quite as small as Noah's figures make...
it look. Many of those IBM machines are not usable for games by ..
policy, as they are in corporate settings. But all the Nintendos are...
in home settings. Sure, they don't have keyboards, but if there was...
a demand for our sort of game ("puzzle game" for want of a better...
word), there would be a keyboard like interface or attachment, like...
the silly gun or the power glove. There isn't. Why? Are we too...

(Mike Berlyn) There is in Japan

(Dave Lebling) geeky? Are puzzles and even the modicum of text left too much?...
We will have the opportunity to find out when the new game systems,...
with keyboards, start appearing in the US. GA

(Charles/HOST) OK, this is the last question for panel discussion....

We recently held a poll in GAMERS of our all-time...
favorite adventure games. Aside from your own work,...
what is your favorite adventure game and why?

Noah, start us off! GA

(Steve Meretzky) !
(Roberta) !

(15-12,Noah Falstein) Hmmm. This will sound like an ad, but our audience
hardly constitutes a mass market. Ron Gilbert's next game, The Secret...
of Monkey Island, is the funniest, and most enjoyable adventure...
game I've ever played, including the others our company has done...
Why? I've laughed out loud on reading and REREADING the best...
scenes. No-bob says check it out. GA

(Charles/HOST) Phew! That's a BIG claim!
(Umm, folks, let's stick to games that are/were on the
market!)

(Corey & Lori Cole) !

(Charles/HOST) Steve -- you're next! GA

(Steve Meretzky) Based simply on the games I've had the most fun playing, it's
a tie between Starcross (the first ever adv game in my genre of choice, SF) and
the vastly ignored and underrated Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of
It. GA

(Charles/HOST) Roberta, tell use your faves. GA

(Bob Bates) !
(Dave Lebling) !
(Mike Berlyn) !

(Roberta) I hate to say that I don't play many adventure games -
including our own! I really love adventure games, though.
It was this love of adventure gaming that brought me into
this business. However, nowadays, I'm so busy, what with
working on games of my own, helping my husband run the
company, taking care of kids and house, and doing other
extra-curricular activities that I literally don't have time
to play adventure games - and we all know how much time it
DOES take to play them! Of the adventure games that I've
played and/or seen, I like the games that Lucasfilm
produces - I have a lot of respect for them, and I also
enjoy the Space Quest and Leisure Suit Larry series' that my
company, Sierra, produces.
Of my own games, I always seem to favor the game I'm
currently working on (since I'm the most attached to it at
that given moment - and right now that would be "King's
Quest V.") But aside from that - I am particularly proud of
"The Colonel's Bequest" since it was a departure for me,
and very interesting and complicated to do. I am also
proud of "Mixed-Up Mother Goose," especially the new
version coming out. And looking WAY BACK, I still have
fond memories of "Time Zone" - for any of you who may
remember that one. GA

(Charles/HOST) Corey and Lori, you're next!

(RoboCop) YOu're a fast Typer Roberta

(Corey & Lori Cole) Of adventure games, I liked the original mainframe Zork...
and Space Quest 3. But our favorite games are Dungeonmaster...
and Rogue, the only games we kept going back to replay.
As for the favorite of all two games we've done ...
we're particularly proud of what we are doing with...
Quest for Glory II: Trial By Fire.
We're also proud of the first game, but we think...
Trial By Fire is gonna be *really great* ...
O.k., end of commercial, at least as soon as I...
say "Buy Our Game" . But we're seriously...
pleased with what we've done with the design. GA

(Charles/HOST) Bob, you're next....GA

(Bob Bates) You are standing outside a white house. There is a mailbox here.
(Bob Bates) GA

(Wizzy/Sys0p)
(Charles/HOST) Mike --- GA

(Mike Berlyn) This is my least favorite question...
in the world. Well, okay, I could...
think up some I'd like less...
But it's a toss up betweennnnnnnnn....
uhm.................
A Mind Forever Voyaging...
Starcross...
and the too-soon-forgotten...
masterpiece, Scott Addams'...
Pirate Adventure. Yoho. GA

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (hahaha)

(Charles/HOST) Dave, you have the honor of finishing off the panel part of
the Co! GA

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (hahaha)

(Dave Lebling) Hitchhiker's Guide and Trinity. Both well thought out with great
themes. But beyond those, Original Adventure. Just played it a...
little bit last night, and I still get a thrill from it. We owe...
a lot to Wil Crowther and Don Woods, and I think that's an appropriate...
sentiment to close with! GA

(Steve Meretzky) Hear, hear.
(Charles/HOST) Amen!
(Al Lowe) Bravo
(Wizzy/Sys0p) Agree, Dave!

[Ed.'s note: Crowther and Woods were the creators of Original Adventure, the
first Adventure game]

(Charles/HOST) OK, designers, if your fingers haven't knotted up ....

(Steve Meretzky) Can we all go to bed now?

(Charles/HOST)..it's time to -- Meet the Public!

(Mike Berlyn) yeah

(Al Lowe) Together?

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (uploading Sanka to Steve and Mike)

(Bob Bates) together?

(Corey & Lori Cole) Together!

(Charles/HOST) Folks in room 2, you may now enter room 15!

(15-13,Summation Phage) here!!

(Dave Lebling) Form your modems into a circle! There's injuns out there!

(Corey & Lori Cole) All for one, and all for one!

(Fleeting Thought) Here we iz!!

(Charles/HOST) Type /room 15 to get here.

(\/arzil) They're HHEHEEEEEEEEEErreeee!

(Monte Schulz) Hello Steve, Dave, Mike B.

(Al Lowe) There's too many people in this bed!

(Bob Bates) Sez you!

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (hehe)

(Mike Berlyn) Hey, Monte! What's the title of your book and when is it
available?

(Charles/HOST) Designers: if you are too tired to go on, you may be excused.....

(Mr. Adventure) I hope it isn't a waterbed, it might pop

(Noah Falstein) What's too many for you Al, more thatn 10?

(Al Lowe) Hey, Wizzy? You got the blender going?

(Tsunami/WAR SL) Not if you lose the inflatables, Al!

(Summation Phage) hail mighty adventures!!

(Bob Bates) And if we're not?

(Dave Lebling) And Mike, what about your book?

(Al Lowe) Who's on top tonight?

(Slasher) Just say it Robo!

(Monte Schulz) Mike, "Down by the River" and January -- Viking.

(Charles/HOST) ...we'd like you to stick around for a BRIEF round of questions
from the masses!

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Al, naw...I retired it for the evening...too many people will need
to drive home after this!

(Roberta) This was fun guys! Catch you all later.

(Summation Phage) al lowe??? of lsl 1 2 and 3

(\/arzil) 'Bye Roberta!

(Bob Bates) You're losing control, Charles

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Night, Roberta. Thanks for coming!

(Slasher) bye Roberta!

(Noah Falstein) I have a one-month- old child, so I'll have to bow out. Sorry
folks...

(Charles/HOST) Night Roberta, Thanks for coming!

(Noah Falstein) It's been fun. Bye everyone.

(Bob Bates) Good night Roberta.

(Slasher) bye NOAH!

(Monte Schulz) What's the publication date for yours?

(Mike Berlyn) My book's called Eternal Enemy, and it's out!

(Monte Schulz) Thanks for the notice, by the way.

(Charles/HOST) A----HEM!

(Dave Lebling) Bye, Roberta!

(Fleeting Thought) Bye, Sleepy-Heads!

(Al Lowe) Does anybody want to see my impression of a printer init ...
string?

(Monte Schulz) Mine's out to the reviewers now.

(Bob Bates) Good night jon boy.

(Corey & Lori Cole) Noah, don't worry, they only take *more* time as they get
older!

(Dave Lebling) Bye, Noah! I've got one coming in month!

(Mr. Adventure) Does trial by fire let you use previous character

(Guruka) g'nite Noah.

(Corey & Lori Cole) Only if it's multi-tasked under Eunuchs, Al.

(Mike Berlyn) nitey nitey noah

(Summation Phage) c-ya

(Monte Schulz) Mike, I'm going to have Viking send my book to you, Steve and
Dave.

(Charles/HOST) Folks -- could we have some order here?

(\/arzil) Monte, WHAT IS this book? Some of us are iggerunt!

(Mike Berlyn) All right, Monte. And Muff sez Hey!

(Corey & Lori Cole) Dave: I've always heard game designers have "fertile
imaginations"!

(Fleeting Thought)

(Charles/HOST) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(Steve Meretzky) Okay, I'll cross it off my list of books to look for in the
store!

(\/arzil) Charles, don't you realize, the folks are *SICK UNTO DEATH* of order!

(Monte Schulz) Varzil, it's a novel I wrote during the time I spent playing all
those old adventures!

(Mr. Adventure) order

(Monte Schulz) A novel called "Down by the River"

(Charles/HOST) \/arz -- yes, but we have some folks here who have been waiting
for HOURS to ask a question!

(Corey & Lori Cole) Mr. Adventure: Absolutely can use previous character...
... or can start a new one. Some small advantages...
if you import your "So You Want To Be A Hero" chara.

(Monte Schulz) mainstream fiction with a few deaths thrown in for fun.

(Dave Lebling) Coles: You mean my 2-year-old is imaginary?

(Charles/HOST) OK -- formal CO rules are NOW IN EFFECT....

This question and answer session will be held under formal
conference rules. In brief these rules are:

1) The host (that's me) will compile a list of
people who want to ask questions. When I ask for questions,
please respond by typing "?". Each questioner
will be given a turn to ask their questions.
2) You can one question per round.
3) When asking your question, type GA (go ahead) after
you're finished asking it. When you're done with your
turn, type DONE.

(Al Lowe) Booooo!

(Monte Schulz) !

(15-38,Guruka)

(Charles/HOST) OK, if you have a question, type ?

(Tsunami/WAR SL) ?
(Fleeting Thought) ?
(Monte Schulz) ?
(Mr. Adventure) ?
(hercules) ?

(Charles/HOST) Tsu, FT, we're gonna go straight to the paying customers on
this...

(Fleeting Thought) Cool!

(15-2,RoboCop) ?
(Charles/HOST) OK, Monte, Go ahead! (Be sure to say who you're talking to)
GA

(Monte Schulz) Okay, well last night on ET I heard someone say that because
we've become ...
such a visual society, that singers now need to dance, not only sing ...
Is that true, regarding graphics with adventure gaming? Words ...
are not enough. People don;t want to read? ...
We will no longer have text games? We'll appeal to the masses exclusive...
of those FEW left who like text games? GA

(Charles/HOST) OK, designers, who wants to answer that one? GA

(Mike Berlyn) !
(Steve Meretzky) !

(Charles/HOST) Mike, GA

(Bob Bates) !

(Mike Berlyn) Don't get confused, amigo...
There's a big difference between dancing...
and graphics in adventures. You were never...
reading a book when you were playing a text...
adventure. So don't worry about nothing. GA

(Charles/HOST) Steve? GA

(Steve Meretzky) I agree. I find nowadays when I write an adventure game, I'm
writing and programming AND dancing. GA

(Charles/HOST)

(Corey & Lori Cole) !
(Dave Lebling) !

(Charles/HOST) Corey, GA

(Corey & Lori Cole) I like words. Lori likes words. But words are...
no longer enough if one also likes to eat. (and we do).
We also like graphics and music and those other fun...
things too, so it's not too big a loss. GA

(Charles/HOST) BTW, Roberta Williams is still available for questioning
if need be. GA

(Bob Bates) OK, Where was she on the night of the 15th???

(15-38,Guruka) Bob <-- hehe (she's messing around in the kitchen). (Charles/HOST) Bob Bates -- I skipped you again,
accept my humble apologies! And GA

(Bob Bates) PLEASE stand up immediately...
Ahem...

(Charles/HOST)

(Bob Bates) The days of the text adventure are over. Graphics are here to
stay, and that's not a bad thing, as long as they SUPPLEMENT the.
story instead of trying to replace it. GA

(Charles/HOST) Dave, GA

(Dave Lebling) Unlike in SF, you don't have to follow a trend until it goes...
asymptotic. Text won't go away, but it's role will be reduced...
in "commercial" adventures. Graphics and sound are here to...

(Al Lowe)

(Dave Lebling) stay, as Bob said. GA

(Charles/HOST) Mr Adventure, ask away! GA

(Monte Schulz) ?

(Charles/HOST) Monte --- only one ? per person tonight I'm afraid! GA

(Mr. Adventure) OK. Since text was already mentioned, I have noticed a lot of
games coming out are now 256 colors. Does this mean that 256 MCGA is
going to be the standard? Has anyone thought about 256 in 640 X 480
yet? And how does anyone know who has what. As far as I know there has
never been a real poll done on what the non "COMMERCIAL" sector has. GA.

(Bob Bates) !

(Charles/HOST) Comments?

(Guruka) !
(Randy Snow/Carts SL) ?

(Charles/HOST) Bob! GA

(Bob Bates) The market research on who has what is abominable...
As for us, we are releasing our titles with Hi-Res EGA...
which gives us really good graphics on a relatively popular standard...
as well as very nice text letters, instead of the big clunky ones. GA

(Charles/HOST) Guruka -- GA

(Guruka) We've been doing a bit of research on who has what hardware ...
and an amazing number of Sierra customers have VGA cards.
Looks like around 60% right now.

(15-6,Dave Lebling) !
(Charles/HOST)

(Guruka) As for 640x480x256... there's no hardware standard for that ...
resolution since it's not an "official" VGA mode. So my ...
answer is no... you won't see games in that res till the ...
engines are more powerful (gotta shove them pixels around) ...
and till it's an official mode. All SVGA cards use ...
somewhat different calls. GA

(Charles/HOST) Dave, GA.

(Dave Lebling) The emerging commercial standard is a 386 with VGA and 2-4Meg
with a 40Meg hard drive. The "home" standard tends to lag the commercial
one by a few years. So expect all this, with Windows as the interface. GA

(Charles/HOST) Hercules, it's your turn. GA

(hercules) I was very much encouraged by Bob's answer regarding the difficulty
level of...
adventures. How do you think about the idea of labelling difficulty levels...
and/or estimated playing time on the box, like Infocom used to do at one time.
GA

(Steve Meretzky) !

(Charles/HOST) Steve, GA

(15-11,Steve Meretzky) That was a pretty big failure. As was said earlier about
puzzles, one person's easy is another person's hard. For example...
I found Suspended to be pretty easy...
(having a mind nearly as warped as Berlynski's)...
but many people consider it one of Infocom's hardest. GA

(Bob Bates) !

(Charles/HOST) Bob, GA

(Bob Bates) The other Infocommies here can probably be more accurate...
but my recollection is that labelling a game "Advanced" scared off people...
and labelling a game "Beginner" turned off lots of people too...
So all the latter games ended up being released as "Standard"...
until they dropped the scheme altogether...
Still, I think some sort of indication on a very easy game...
like the ones Noah was talking about, is in order...
The customer has a right to know in advance what he is purchasing.GA

(Corey & Lori Cole) !

(Charles/HOST) Mike, GA

(15-29,Mike Berlyn) Thanks. I'm not sure that labeling a product...
as being easy, medium or difficult is...
a real solution. I know some games...
which were labeled "Beginner" level were...
too tough for me. What we, as designers, need...
to do is write better, fairer, more rounded...
games that don't stop players from exploring, that...
don't close off avenues. It isn't easy, but it's...
sure my *goal* and I like to think that others...
share this goal. GA

(Charles/HOST) Corey -- GA

(Corey & Lori Cole) Loom, after all, was rated as an easy game,
and people who were stumped on a puzzle
felt like this meant they were dumb or something. GA

(Charles/HOST) Good point!

(Mike Berlyn) Yeah!

(Charles/HOST) OK, does anyone who's NOT FT, Tsu, Randy, Monte, Mr. Adv, or
herc have a question? If so, tpye ?

(Fleeting Thought)

(Charles/HOST) No?....OK, now on to the freebies! FT, fire away! GA

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (?)

(Charles/HOST) FT, GA

(Fleeting Thought) It can be said that one can find better graphics at the Art
Institute of...
Chicago than one will ever find in a computer game, better music at the Met,..
and a better read in a good novel.... my point is, like photography in its...
early days, seems to me computer gaming's been working hard to replicate...
the forms and styles and content of the arts that have preceded it. What, in..
particular, are current designers doing to focus on the nature of the....
new medium they have available to them that does *more* than work to...
replicate the conventions of the past? GA

(Dave Lebling) !
(Charles/HOST) dave --ga
(Corey & Lori Cole) !
(Al Lowe) Could you restate the question
(Mike Berlyn) Oh, AL! You scamp!
(Bob Bates) !
(Al Lowe)

(Dave Lebling) That's easy. You get all those things plus the illusion that
you are controlling the reality you see, not passively experiencing it. If
we decide to blindly duplicate other media without concentrating...
on the interactivity and control that make ours special, your...
objection is valid. If we work on improving control and the...
illusion that what we interact with is as rich as reality, ...
then we do something that none of those other media can touch. GA

(Fleeting Thought) Dave, pardon me for...
jumping in here, but I have to take exception to the notion that observing...

(Charles/HOST)

(Fleeting Thought) and analyzing a painting, listening to a symphony, or reading
James Joyce is *passive*. Any good art, music or literature ...
student would tell y'all otherwise. GA

(Bob Bates) !!!

(Dave Lebling) It isn't interactive in the sense that we don't control it.

(Charles/HOST) Corey & Lori -- GA

(Bob Bates) Good so far

(Corey & Lori Cole) We have never really used the computer as a medium...
in its own right. There are things that can be...
done on a computer that can't be done with other...
mediums. Unfortunately, the trend seems to be...
away from the computer and towards scanned images...
and traditional film and film animation techniques...
If this trend continues, it may be a long time...
before we truly discover what can be done...
uniquely with the computer medium. One small...
example -- the much-chastised "Saved Game"....
a wonderful time- and mind-travel technique...
than can be a rich tool instead of an...
unfortunate necessity. GA

(Charles/HOST) Bob -- GA

(Bob Bates) I find myself agreeing with Dave (an alarming phenomenon)...
You can't ask the painter in Chicago to paint you a different scene...
You can't ask the singer at the MET to sing you a different song...
(Well I guess you COULD, but they frown on requests)...
The essence of the computer game is that the player controls the
action...

(Mike Berlyn) Hey, guys, I be history. Thanks for the fun!
(Mike Berlyn) See you all!

(Bob Bates) The point is to make beautiful music and art that helps enhance the
player's sense of involvement in the game. GA
(Bob Bates) [Drove out another one!]

(Steve Meretzky) bye mike!
(Charles/HOST) 'Night Mike, thanks for coming!
(Corey & Lori Cole) bye mike, 'twas a blast.

(Charles/HOST) OK, Randy has one last question without ANY metaphysical content
whatsoever...Randy? GA

(Steve Meretzky) I guess if the left coast users can start signing
off, I can too.

(Corey & Lori Cole) Oh no, I chased off Mike *and* Steve?

(Al Lowe)

(Steve Meretzky) Some dweebs in VA have booked my on an ungodly early flight
tomorrow morning.

(Charles/HOST) Steve -- heheh!

(Steve Meretzky) So long and thanks for all the questions.

(Bob Bates) booked your what on an ungodly flight?

(Corey & Lori Cole) See you another time, Steve.

(Al Lowe) "Anybody got any teensie-weensie jumper cables?"

(Randy Snow/Carts SL) I am just wondering, if anyone has any plans to
develop strictly for, or to take advantage of the Windows environment?

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (hahaha) Night, Steve!
(Monte Schulz) Okay, have a safe trip.

(Charles/HOST) Did everyone see Randy's Windows question?

(Dave Lebling) !
(Charles/HOST) Dave -- GA

(Bob Bates) no

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (Yup!)

(Dave Lebling) Randy, Windows is on the leading edge of the commercial adoption
wave. The newest Windows is the first one that's really usable to write...
serious software. There are about 1 Million copies of Windows out...
there. No one is going to put big bucks into it YET. But in a...
few years, yes, because porting will be easier, and there is a...
GUI already built, and virtual memory, etc. etc. But not now. GA

(Charles/HOST) Anyone else?

(Randy Snow/Carts SL) Thanx for the answer.

(Emilio Estevez) ?

(Randy Snow/Carts SL) Slasher what are you doing?

(Charles/HOST) Emilio -- you have a question?

(Slasher) yes, sorry about the name!

(Charles/HOST) Slash -- is it a quick one?

(Slasher) yes!

(Al Lowe) I'd like a quick one!
(Al Lower) Isn't it always?

(Charles/HOST) GA, Slash!

(Slasher) okay! If I wanted to get into game designing how would I do this?
I mean does it take years of practicing? GA

(Al Lowe) !
(Charles/HOST) Hehehe, that's NOT a quick one! Al, GA

(Al Lowe) First, get independently weathly....
Then, have everybody leave you alone for a year....
Then, you're a game designer!
No, seriously...
I know Sierra is always looking for good designs, but the ...
problem is, there are very few people who really understand ...
the adventure game biz and can do the detailed studies it ...
takes to get a game to completion. I'm sure most companies ...
would tell you the same; they want new faces, new designers, ...
but they have a hell of a time finding anyone who is good ...
enough AND willing to persever till the bitter end. And it ...
is bitter, eh, Corie? GA

(Slasher) Who would I get in touch with? GA

(Corey & Lori Cole) At times, indeed!

(Bob Bates) If this is the end, then it is bitter.

(Corey & Lori Cole) At other times, it's wonderful.
(When it's bad, etc. etc.)

(Al Lowe) Guruka would be a good start. Contact him, via CIS.

(Dave Lebling) I think this is the end for me - this coast is getting righter and
righter...

(Corey & Lori Cole) Personally, I prefer the sweet end to the bitter.

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (Amen to that, Dave!)

(Dave Lebling) Bye, all.

(Monte Schulz) Not you, too, Dave?

(15-17,Bob Bates) In your heart, you know you're right.

(Charles/HOST) Yes, I think we'd better shut this down.

(Slasher) but, I really enjoy working with computers. Does that help to get
the job?

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Night, Dave...thanks for coming!

(Fleeting Thought) Take care-est, Dave!

(Charles/HOST) Night Dave!

(Bob Bates) Good night, sweet prince.

(Al Lowe) Hey, Look! Here's comes Passionate Patti!

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (Again?)

(15-6,Dave Lebling) Your score is 500/500. Rank: Galactic Emperor.

(Al Lowe) Wait! What are you doing?
(Al Lowe) Get off my lap!
(Al Lowe) Oooooooooooooooooohhhh!

(Charles/HOST) Well folks, I'd like to thank all the guest for coming, and the
Sysops and Sls for shaping order out of chaos....and Eeyore,
who's down the twisty little passages in 2 keeping a transcript!

(Al Lowe) Gotta go now, guys!

(Mr. Adventure) Al are you Passionate now

(Slasher) bye al!

(Al Lowe) bye

(15-4,Flying Gerbil) Adios, slash

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Night, Al!

(Bob Bates) How did you know?

(hercules) Thanks Charles. You are a great host. Good CON.

(Corey & Lori Cole) Play games, practice your writing skills, and get to know
your game publishers, Slasher

(Fleeting Thought) Charles... excellent job! And all the adventure
designers did *yeoman* service here tonight!

(Flying Gerbil) Yo-ho, people!

(Charles/HOST) I now declare the formal Co over!

(Randy Snow/Carts SL) So it's over already? Gosh, it didn't last any time at
all.

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Better question, Charles, is who gets the pleasure of editing it
all?

(Tsunami/WAR SL) Great job Charles!

(Bob Bates) Good job, Charles, I really enjoyed it

(Corey & Lori Cole) Good-night! Al.

(Monte Schulz) So Wizzy, what do you think?

(Flying Gerbil) Uh-hu, I am back.

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Night, C&L!

(Charles/HOST) Bob -- what's the name of Steve's new game?

(Bob Bates) Good night Coles.

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Monte, the last time I thought I got in all sorts of trouble...
My motto is now to speak first and think later!

(Flying Gerbil) By, L&C

(hercules) Would anyone like this nickle I have left after spending all my money
on this con?

(Bob Bates) Charles, SPELLCASTING 101: Sorcerers Get all the Girls

(Slasher) herc-what year?

(Fleeting Thought) Herc... any buffaloes on the back?

(Wizzy/Sys0p) SAve it, Herc! You know you'll need it tomorrow!

(Tsunami/WAR SL) Wizzy, Why think at all? That's *my* motto.

(Wizzy/Sys0p) Bob, what's the proposed release date?

(Bob Bates) Wizzy, October 15

(hercules) Bob, what about your game?

(Bob Bates) I'm pretty slow... I just discovered the chat mode on procomm
My game hasn't been announced yet, dang it.

(Randy Snow/Carts SL) Bye FT.

(Monte Schulz) But Bob, it's only for PCs right?

(15-7,hercules) Bob, can you say anything about it?

(Wizzy/Sys0p) (How about he says: "I wrote it!")

(Bob Bates) Monte, Actually, by the time it comes out, we'll probably have the
conversions done

(Flying Gerbil) Open invite to all gamers! Party at my place in one hour!

(Bob Bates) Herc, Not really. But the funny thing is, that when all the writers
were...

(Monte Schulz) I ask because Steve askd me to test but I have only a Mac. Darn
it.

(Bob Bates) talking about what they wanted to work on, about half of the stuff
will be...
(Bob Bates) covered in my game.

(hercules) Gee whiz. Not even an unconfirmed release date? Sounds excellent so
far!

(Bob Bates) Herc Springtime is all we're saying

(Monte Schulz) Bob, so you think all-text is dead, huh?

(Bob Bates) As far as I know, the last all-text game to be commercially released
was Sherlock

(15-21,Eeyore) Howdy Everyone!!!

(Bob Bates) Welcome back Eeyore, where did you go?

(Charles/HOST) Bob -- Eeyore was in room 2 making a transcript.

(Eeyore) Hi Bob!!! Thanks for staying until the bitter end!!! This was great...
almost an Infocom reunion!!! :-)

(Bob Bates) I know - I missed Brian and Stu, though

(Monte Schulz) And Marc Blank!