The actual ParserComp Lamp.
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I agree with fos1, your games are fun. Iāve directly imitated them twice (once in Never Gives Up Her Dead where my goal for one area was āmake a Garry Francis gameā and then when I helped code a game for someone else, where I was inspired by your BDB project wor helping port older games). I read forum posts to my son all the time and my son calls you āGarry Parserā and says your opinions are ābasedā.
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Thank you both for the compliments. Some people, especially reviewers, take this hobby far too seriously and think that every new game should be some sort of earth-shattering masterpiece or something that breaks the mould and presents something new.
Iām just in it for the fun, so I try to make games that are fun to play. If Iāve met that goal and made some people happy, then Iām happy.
Unfortunately, the more games you write, the harder it is to come up with something that feels fresh and new, especially with the puzzles. Iām not promising anything that feels fresh and new with this one, but itās early days. Letās see how things go. I canāt devote too much time to it, as I have to get back to the BDB Project games.
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Space,
As I mentioned, I will not be excluding games that have AI content. You can let the judges determine the merit of your game.
fos1
Iām confused. Isnāt that the point of rule 10 (in bold italics no less!)?
We expect ParserComp 2025 entries should not be generated by Artificial Intelligence. You may use generative AI to develop ideas much as you would to augment your imagination. You should not use AI to generate code or any of your narrative text.
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Me too. The rules are not clear on many points. For example, is ai art allowed only for covers or can it be used for in-game pictures. Furthermore, can ai audio be used? Personally, I donāt see the point of banning ai coding either?
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I am trying not to be too pedantic and exclude good games.
I am pretty sure that AI-generated games will be obvious, but you never know. Games that use AI to augment writing skills may be OK. I hate to see diligent authors excluded.
???
I may modify the rule somewhatā¦
I have no skin in the game either way, but I think now is the best time to make the rule clear. It seems like most of the comps are settling on a consensus of āAI code is okay, AI art is a gray area, AI writing is bannedā, but Iām also all for comp organizers trying out different permutations as we figure out what works and what doesnāt.
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Iām happy with whatever the organizers decide on the rules. Thereās gonna be some great games entered for sure!
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FWIW, i would actually like to see AI art allowed. Which, as i see it, is already the case in the rules. AI code too, actually. And AI sounds, if thatās even a thing.
My reasoning is that we have already bans on most of these in other comps, and it would be nice to have at least one comp thatās more permissive. And I agree with @Fos1 that it should really be up to judges to allot their scores, as āslopā will sink.
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As a general competition thing, I feel like it might be easier to stick with rules once theyāve been laid out instead of looking at exceptions or modifying rules once itās been announced and youāre accepting submissions, and maybe consider that for the next one if you want. Youād have time to think it over more and, if it helps your decision making, to discuss with other people, whether itās surveying the community or just privately other people whose opinion you value.
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I have modified ParserComp 2026 Rule 10 to be more in line with other IF competitions. The actual displayed narrative of the game should be created by the author.
10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a controversial topic. ParserComp 2026 is a showcase for text-based parser-type interactive fiction (IF).
In recent times, generative AI has matured to the point that it can be used to develop computer code and narrative fiction. AI code is allowed. Entries may not require judges or players to interact with external AI or generative services during play.
You may use generative AI to develop ideas much as you would to augment your imagination. The game narrative should be created by the author.
Graphics are another potential use of AI. For example, Adobe Firefly for example can generate cartoon-style graphics by suggesting a set of topics or keywords. This is an example of an image generated by Adobe Firefly:
Not everyone is an artist. In that case, we will allow AI-generated images, but you must acknowledge the source of the images in the credits, e.g. āImages generated by Adobe Fireflyā. You should consider creating the images yourself or employing an artist to do them for you.
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OK! With the rules revision, I can enter my game in good conscience. Thank you to the organizers for your hard work!
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Good deal! I am glad you are entering.
Thank you, fos1
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Forthcoming comedy parser game, see playable promo cameo for details.
1 Like