IFComp 2019 on IFDB

[HanonO (Hanon Ondricek)]

I noticed there wasn’t a 2019 IFComp competition page/group on IFDB so I made it. This is the thing that automatically inserts placement/awards into IFDB entries of the respective games, so anyone involved please check your entry. I tried to match it with how the previous year was listed for consistency. Please update any errors if you are able (edit page on IFDB), or let me know if anything else needs fixed.

https://ifdb.tads.org/viewcomp?id=yrxjjcgzpw6h3e3v

[Pace (Pace Smith)]

Thanks!

[HanonO (Hanon Ondricek)]

Also, I’ve seen a Twitter post grumbling that the games are not immediately available since they are no longer hosted for online play on the IFComp site.

Authors, consider ASAP getting your game onto

• ifarchive.org - if it’s a parser game, you can link a .gblorb or a .zblorb and possibly other formats to the IFDB page to get a “Play Online” link automatically via Parchment. (It’s either Parchment or Quixe…) Web/HTML games can have a link to download.
• textadventures.co.uk - They will host almost any IF for browser play or download, if HTML, it can be automatic play-in-browser right on the site.
• itch.io - provides a customizable landing/home page, in-browser play, message boards, Developer Logs, news items, update feeds, analytics (see your game traffic!) and lots of visibility with a huge built-in audience searching for indie games. Upload an HTML or a zip archive with an index.html file in the top layer with supporting files. To play a parser game in-browser, use “release along with an interpreter and a website” from Inform 7 and zip everything up, then mark the game on itch as “This game will be played in the browser.” You can also upload supporting files, walkthrough, or a completely separate download version. (And don’t forget to make use of their tags, which helps people find your game on individual search category pages!)

You can set up IFDB links to any of these websites to direct people where to play or download your game.

Here are some example links of how I've set up my games:

itch.io:

Browser game play online: https://pyramidif.itch.io/robotsexpartymurder
Parser play in browser (release with website/interpreter): https://pyramidif.itch.io/the-baker-of-shireton
Parser download only: https://pyramidif.itch.io/transparent

textadventures.co.uk

Browser game play online: http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/3gttkuqxou_66juqkms1uw/cannery-vale
Parser play in browser (release with website/interpreter): http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/vwlneudef0snnarsqpj1gw/fair

ifarchive.org (how to link download/play online from IFDB)

https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=m7r9hku2hjic7817

[DavidK (David Kinder)]

All the IFComp 2019 games are now on ifarchive.org, in the usual “competition20XX” directory:
https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/competition2019/

The Archive of course welcomes new versions of IFComp games, but if you just want to host the existing version, please find the game under the above link and use that.

[Ruber_Eaglenest]

That bit of: " Authors, consider ASAP getting your game onto

• ifarchive.org -"

Could be confusing. I mean. IFcomp games are already/automatically upload in the IF Archive?

The process needed is the final link to their hosting resting place in the if archive.

That is, people don’t need to upload their games at if archive because those are already there?

I’m not 100% sure of this, so please, double check first with IF Comp hosts.

[dgtziea]

Jason (I don’t know what his exact official title is now, but he used to run the comp, and does the tech/website now at least I’m pretty sure?) has a post on this further down:

Competitors - Please link your IFDB entries to the Archive

Hi folks, As always, the games’ “forever homes” are all set up at the IF Archive, with permanent URLs: https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/competition2019/ I encourage authors (and anyone else who feels like practicing some metadata heroics) to link their games’ IFDB entries to the appropriate, game-specific archive URLs. That will do a lot to clear up those lonely There are no known download links for this game messages.

[HanonO (Hanon Ondricek)]

@Ruber_Eaglenest

Could be confusing. I mean. IFcomp games are already/automatically upload in the IF Archive? The process needed is the final link to their hosting resting place in the if archive. That is, people don’t need to upload their games at if archive because those are already there?

I believe the initial version of the games, at least (the version in the day-one zip file), is uploaded to the IFArchive to preserve their status at the time of entry. I don’t know if any updates are also archived or if they are taken again for upload at the end of the comp. And I believe this “automatic” handling is done (as is creating IFDB entries for all the games) as a volunteer effort and should be checked by the individual authors for accuracy. It is the author’s responsibility to make sure to link it from the IFArchive to IFDB (if the volunteer doesn’t happen to do this) and to curate the version on there, making any post-comp and additional updates as necessary.

I’m pretty sure in years’ past, I’ve initially only provided a .gblorb of a parser game for the comp deadline, and then eventually uploaded a post-comp release that is a zip of supporting files, the walkthrough, and a browser-playable version somewhat later. This is all up to the entrant.

[DavidK (David Kinder)]

@HanonO

I believe the initial version of the games, at least (the version in the day-one zip file), is uploaded to the IFArchive to preserve their status at the time of entry. I don’t know if any updates are also archived or if they are taken again for upload at the end of the comp.

All the unpacked files in Index: if-archive/games/competition2019 are the entries as they were at the end of the competition, so with any updates applied. There is also a zip file https://ifarchive.org/if-archive/games/competition2019/IFComp2019.zip containing all the entries at the start.

Post competition entries generally go in the main ifarchive.org directories under games/, with a note as to where the original competition entry is.

[Heike (Heike Borchers)]

Question from a newbie: Does anybody know how the „play online“-Button on IFDB is enabled? I uploaded a Glulx-file and it say „wrong format“. Thank you for help!

[DavidK (David Kinder)]

@Heike

Question from a newbie: Does anybody know how the „play online“-Button on IFDB is enabled? I uploaded a Glulx-file and it say „wrong format“.

The problem is that the link set on the IFDB page isn’t a direct link to the Glulx file: it’s not obvious unless you know about how HTTP works, but the URL is set to https://ifcomp.org/play/2076/download. When you access that, you get a HTTP 302 redirect message to the correct URL that specifies the Glulx file, but the “Play Online” button doesn’t handle such complexities.

The simplest solution is to change the URL in IFDB to the ifarchive.org one:
https://ifarchive.org/if-archive/games/competition2019/Under%20the%20Sea/Under_the_Sea-_The_Treasure_of_.gblorb

For reference, I knew that’s the right link by navigating to Index: if-archive then following the links down to “games/competition2019/Under the Sea” and copying the URL from the Glulx file from that page.

[Heike (Heike Borchers)]

I will definitely try this, thank you so much for the detailed explanation!

[Heike (Heike Borchers)]

It works, thank you again! On my own I would be been totally lost. Giving me the correct link especially for my game helped tremendously

[jmac (Jason McIntosh)]

@dgtziea

Jason (I don’t know what his exact official title is now, but he used to run the comp, and does the tech/website now at least I’m pretty sure?)

To clarify & acknowledge this bit: Yes, I have indeed been your humble ifcomp.org technical lead for the past two years. (@Jacqueline organizes the comp as a whole.)