The interactive fiction language Inform 7 just released version 6L02, which makes a lot of changes internally and tightens up the syntax some. Of my four extensions, two continue to work out of the box, but Reactable Quips and Quip-Based Conversation both need minor updates to compile.

I've released emergency patches on my IF site for now, but I ( Read more... )

As I mentioned in my last post, a month and a half ago, I wouldn't be blogging the comp. That's because I entered: my entry, Flight of the Hummingbird, ended up placing 8th - and against extremely respectable competition. I'm pleased.

I've also written a complete set of IFComp10 reviews and posted them at my main IF site. I'm mostly wearing a ( Read more... )

It's IFComp time again. This time last year and the year before, I'd do running reviews in this space ( Read more... )

I've recently been messing around with the Game Maker 8 system, to see what the state of play was for action-style games that are targeting non-programmers.

Short form: I was pretty impressed. I'm no longer really surprised that Iji and Spelunky could be written in it. But it's not a 'non-programming' system by any measure, other than that it ( Read more... )

As you may have heard, a few days ago Google released a new programming language that they'd been developing for awhile. And by "they", I mean Rob Pike and Ken Thompson, both of whom were instrumental in the creation of Unix, its predecessors, and its successor. They also invented UTF-8. So, you know, there's some reason to pay attention.

As it ( Read more... )

I've been on an Ultima IV kick recently, since I'd never really gotten around to beating it as a kid.

If you're unfamiliar with the game, Ultima IV is unusual in that there's no particular Final Boss whose rear end you need to kick; the goal of the game is to become a paragon of Virtue and then collect and wield various mystical items to cement ( Read more... )

Previous installments include Part 1 and Part 2.

This final installment provides reviews of The Hangover, Grounded in Space, Yon Astounding Castle! of some sort, Rover's Day Out, The Grand Quest, Spelunker's Quest, Condemned, and GATOR-ON, Friend of Wetlands!The observant among you may have noticed that I have no "Taking out the Trash" entry this ( Read more... )

( So long, Pyth-nor! )

( It would be fairly embarrassing if it turned out that the author is actually, like, 40 )

( You don't need a cave. All you need is a rock. )