[SPAG] #60 Now Available

General Off-Topic Discussion
1

Hi, all!

I’ve just finished migrating all of our subscribers from the old mailing list to the new Google Group, which functions exactly the same but is easier to manage and more transparent (to the list owners). This is the first step in a process of modernization and upgrades we’ll see in the next couple months.

One cool addition, as you’ll see when you head over to the SPAG site, is a never-before-featured magazine cover, designed by Rob Wheeler, which will be a regular part of SPAG in the future.

Once you get past Rob’s immersive Demo Fair send-up, you’ll find the issue packed with observations from the Demo Fair itself, game reviews, a book review, interviews with IF Comp and XYZZY winners, an actions flow chart, and a SPAG Specifics on Gigantomania by Victor Gijsbers which may make you reconsider the work.

Come on inside and check it out!
sparkynet.com/spag/index.html

Editorial

IF Demo Fair 2011

SPAG Specifics:
–Gigantomania

Interviews with IF Comp and XYZZY 2010 Award Winners:
–Simon Christiansen
–Jason McIntosh
–Iain Merrick
–CEJ Pacian
–Colin Sandel & Carolyn VanEseltine
–Matt Wigdahl

Technical Direction:
–Action Flow Chart – Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home

Game Reviews:
–Death off the Cuff
–Gris et Jaune
–The People’s Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure Game
–Starborn

Book Review:
–Creating Interactive Fiction with Inform 7

It’s not too early to start thinking about submissions for SPAG #61, so if you have a paper you’re working on related to IF, or would like a forum in which to cover a technical issue, concepts in game design, story craft, or other topic (e.g., incorporating cultural differences in interactive fiction), send it in! If inspiration fails, drop by Planet-IF for leads or e-mail me at davidm.spag SP@G gmail.com.

Cheers,

David

2

Just a reminder – the new Google Group (which functions purely as an identity-protected mailing list, per the old SPAG subscription list) can be found at:

groups.google.com/group/spagmagazine

Cheers!

David

3

Does anyone know when the next issue (#61) of SPAG will be published? The latest issue was 5 months
ago…

4

Wow! I love Victor’s review of Gigantomania! Not sure why I never read it before, but thanks for the bump.

If I knew as much about the game as he does, I would have done a much better job with the programming. :laughing:

I think all of the credit must go to Michelle - everything Victor loved about the game came from her, and much of it went right over my head as I was working on it.

5

I don’t think anything about the new SPAG has been announced, though it would be reasonable to expect David to schedule it for just after the competition ends. I haven’t heard a lot from David lately, though – so I hope everything is fine.

Mike, I’m glad that you like the piece! I loved the game, so thank you for programming it.

(Also, due to your post I suddenly remember that I have forgotten to answer an email from Michelle from a few months back. :blush: Let me do it right now…)

6

Any news about SPAG? And anything we can do to help?