My IFComp thank-you note

Competitions IFComp
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First of all, congrats to the winners and to all the authors!

As a first-time participant, it’s been an honor to see my games listed among so many great works. I’m a musician and a teacher, and creating them was my very first real programming experience. Honestly, I knew almost nothing about the IF world — I didn’t even really know what interactive fiction could be, or how to make it!

So reaching 22nd place with my Reliquary (and 37th with The Olive Tree) feels absolutely amazing!

I’m really glad that people from all over the world played and appreciated (or not!) my games, despite all the bugs and translation issues along the way. I’ve definitely learned how important it is to have your work tested by experienced folks!

I hope those who enjoyed the games could feel that my only goal was to tell an interactive story — and maybe also feel how fun, exciting (and sometimes exhausting!) the creation process has been for me.

Through this forum, I’ve discovered a truly wonderful, passionate, and delightfully crazy community. I can’t thank you all enough!

And a huge thank-you to everyone who took the time to write reviews and give feedback — you’ve been absolutely fantastic and incredibly precious.

All the best from Italy,

Francesco

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I didn’t play The Olive Tree, but Reliquary was great, and I hope you continue to make more like it! We always need more archaeology in the IF world.

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Congrats. albeit my dim view of the IFComp judges pool remains, is positive that Italian-made stories got the appreciation it deserves. (as pointed elsewhere, I self-evaluated my past entries as “mid-scoreboard”, and I remain of this opinion)
Personally I think that a good part of the placement of Olive tree stems from the major distraction & complication caused by the growth mini-game, so I’m not surprised of the scissors between Reliquary and Olive tree.

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

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I don’t generally have any interest in choice games or linear fiction presented as games, but I found the mechanism of managing the olive tree to be an exceptional way to bring the player into the story in a way that provided a real emotional payoff.

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