Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Path: nntp.gmd.de!Germany.EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu!ceforma
From: ceforma@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Christopher E. Forman)
Subject: Re: Question to if-gamers
Message-ID: <1995Apr15.154422.62523@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu>
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 15:44:22 GMT
References: <morbeus.309.0028F398@eskimo.com>
Organization: Illinois State University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Lines: 33

Philip Dearmore (morbeus@eskimo.com) wrote:
[Dust bunnies/interacting-with-unnecessary-objects question snipped.]

It's a tough call, depending largely on the author's own opinion.  IMHO,
seeing something but not being able to interact with it in some way
shatters the illusion of the game, and thus makes it less enjoyable.
The situation you have given, though, is not so irritating as seeing the
dust bunnies but getting the message "I don't know the word 'bunnies'" when
you attempt to interact with them.  Again IMHO, if the game refers to
something, you should be allowed to interact with it, even if only in a
limited manner.  In your example, I would expect, at the very least, to be
able to examine the dust bunnies, and to get a special message should I try
to take them.  (Perhaps "You don't really want to pick up that icky old
dust, do you?" would suffice.)

At the same time, though, you can't make the special message create the
impression of a puzzle in the player's mind.  For example, "You can't
reach the dust bunnies" might cause the player to believe he needs them,
thus making him search for a way to move the bed.  This is an unnecessary
red herring and should be avoided.  At any rate, the simple abilities to
examine and try unsuccessfully to take the dust bunnies should be allowed.
For other actions, the "You don't need to refer to..." message could be used.

As for actually being able to take them, I would say no, unless there's
something fun you can do with them that gives the player something to
explore after he's finished the game.  (Perhaps a humorous response could
be generated by carrying the dust bunnies around a character with severe
allergies.)  If the dust bunnies will serve no purpose, however, I'd probably
drop the possibility of taking them.  All it does is complicate the game,
make inventory-management a real pain, and serve to confuse the player
beyond the manner in which a normal adventure game should.

Just my opinions.  Agree or flame away as you like.
