I haven’t actually completed a game in (checks notes) decades. I was somewhat busy raising five kids, going through a divorce, health and financial issues, and just working. Might have been a few other distractions in there as well.
However, my passion for IF has never waned. The one thing that has changed is I’m aware I’ve been kind of a jerk off and on and for very personal reasons, that part of me is nearly eradicated (still have an ego, type A, blah blah). If you’re interested, I’ll tell the story about the five years with my bipolar daughter before getting her self-directed and moved out and on her own. That kind of parenting will change you in ways you could never imagine. I could/should write a screenplay.
ANYWAY
I started building an IF Comp game called “Hedge” about a hedge witch pulled into a conflict against her wishes. The magic system is mostly inspired by the magic system within Janny Wurts’ Wars of Light and Shadow, which is that everything is alive and has a name and there are two ways to interact with things, by coercion (bad/evil/uncaring) or by partnership (good/natural/compassionate/empathetic).
I would love it if someone thought this was an interesting idea and jumped in as a co-writer/story-development partner (I can write the code). I’d probably prefer to quickly design the game as a transcript in chapters/scenes. I have the map and some puzzles thought out. Definitely have the PC in my head (though my first pass writing her may be a bit too silly).
So two weeks to write. All of September to code/test. I know it can be done. Anyone?
I’m gonna be Mr. Obvious here. But, I think it is too little time. Too rushed. If you get no response, don’t despair and look forward next year, or even Spring Thing.
Two weeks. Sounds like fun. What you need me 'ol fruit salad is a rapid IF development system. Well, we can haz one.
If you want to design the game, I’ll help you build it in Strand. My writing is bad, so you’ll have to pitch in with that a bit. But the game could work. After a few swift hacks. What u think?
The Real Programmer is capable of working 30, 40, even 50 hours at a stretch, under intense pressure. In fact, he prefers it that way. If there is not enough schedule pressure on the Real Programmer, he tends to make things more challenging by working on some small but interesting part of the problem for the first nine weeks, then finishing the rest in the last week, in two or three 50-hour marathons.
It’s actually 44 days. IFComp games are not big. You can keep the scope fairly limited, outline the pattern (3 puzzles → progress → 3 puzzles → progress → end game), develop the scenes and puzzles, write, then code and test. I already have a map and the basic game design down.
It’s 100% doable if I could entice an experienced IF co-author to jump in.
This was a long shot at best. I’m also open to longer dev time and either Spring Thing, ParserComp, or ‘23 IFComp. I just want work on a game with someone.
I’d love to help but I hate this concept of mini comp. While Behind closed doors isxa terrific 1 room game, I don’t feel attracted to a sort of rapid skill demo competitions. Open to collab but with normal, long sized games.