Sure, yeah. I figured those two pieces might raise some eyebrows, since they do stray from the boundaries of traditional IF.
Firstly, I feel that Inky Path is primarily about interactive fiction, and in that showcasing interactive fiction as a form of new media. I felt like including a few pieces that might not fit the set-in-stone IF approach but had a nonconventional approach to storytelling didn’t seem too far of a stretch–after all, at its heart Inky is about telling stories in new ways that still have literary value.
Secondly, the border between IF and traditional literature is pretty fuzzy in places. It has been discussed before whether choices are essential to IF (Andrew Hofmann’s game, Coin Toss [play.textadventures.co.uk/games/1z-5vU3zs0GwwzNtop5Org/coin%20toss.html#], discusses this) and there really isn’t any definitive stance one way or another. Is a piece like Coin Toss any more or less IF than a piece that proposes multiple endings to one scenario like the two submitted do? I’m not declaring it one way or another, just pointing out that the boundaries are not so black and white.
I can buy that, and I reiterate that an editorial of some sort would help you. It’s almost a manifest - in your short post you pretty much touched upon what you felt IF was, or could be, you asked a few questions and you sort of said “My magazine hopes to be a possible answer to these questions”. That’s great stuff. That’s the sort of thing that tells you a lot about the magazine, and its editor. I am certainly viewing it in a different way - I used to think it was only a showcase for IF, in its various guises. Now I see you’ll also be trying to push the envelope whenever you can.
Do I personally agree that those two stories are IF and should be alongside the others? No, but that doesn’t have anything to do with anything, because it’s your magazine, and because you’ve explained why you feel they should be included (not that you owe me or anyone any explanations: rather than defend those two pieces you explained instead your goals and your reasoning, which stand for present and future entries. Super), and I’m happy to see someone doing something like this. Keep it up!
You’re right. That’s a very good idea, and will not just help readers out, but also those interested in submitting. To be honest the magazine is still adapting and evolving at this point, but I hope to rework some of the site to make Inky’s goals clearer–that’s only fair.
Just wanted to let everyone know that Inky Path has released its third volume, Hidden in Shadows. You can access it here.
We are now accepting pieces for Volume 1.4, and will be accepting submissions through the end of October. We’d love to see your work! Visit our submissions page for more info: inkypathmag.com/submissions/
I could discuss it at great length, but… already have. The entry I made at Mobygames is pretty thorough: mobygames.com/game/kithe-14 including a download link at the end. The file in the link will run as originally intended in DOSBox, or if you just want to try it out more or less in a modern environment, you can use the AGIlity interpreter. I must have been one of the very last AGT authors, but of all the alternatives available in the mid-'90s, it was definitely the most non-programmer accessible.
