1. What specific platform do you use to play IF – for example, Windows, iOS, Kindle, Android, Nintendo DS, and which phone, tablet, and laptop?
I have a slightly aging desktop gaming PC which runs Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux. I mostly play IF on Ubuntu, but occasionally boot into Windows for a particularly troublesome game that just won’t run under Linux or Wine. I also have an Asus eeePC netbook running Ubuntu Netbook Edition and an HTC Desire Z smartphone running Android 2.3.
2. How do you rate your experience on those devices, and how would you like to see it improved if at all?
Playing IF on Linux is excellent and only getting better. The netbook is particularly good. It’s great for curling up in an easy chair with a game or playing IF in bed - it even doubles as a hot water bottle! My phone ought to be good for playing IF, with that lovely QWERTY keyboard, but to be honest, IF support on Android is really poor at the moment.
3. What kind of IF are you playing on a particular device? Only CYOA on Kindle? Big Inform games only on PC?
I’ll play anything on the desktop and netbook, although I prefer to play games with multimedia on the desktop. The netbook’s screen isn’t really large enough for fancy graphical IF, and the speakers are far too tinny for anything with sound. My phone is by necessity restricted to Z-code and Choice Of games, but I’d love to play more IF on it if the interpreters were in a more usable (or even existent) state.
4. What is missing from your platform of choice that you’d like to see?
Android needs interpreters. Glulx and TADS at least, and some improvements to the existing Z-code terps. (I know people are working on Twisty. Thanks, guys!) As for Linux… I guess it’d be nice to have an all-in-one interpreter with an integrated game browser, like Zoom or Spatterlight. A pony would also be lovely.
Parchment: Runs in the Android browser, but is too wide for my phone’s screen even in landscape orientation. The browser won’t let me zoom any further out, either.
Quixe: In the Android browser, it loads and looks good. I can enter commands and the game responds (slowly, of course, but what do you expect.) Unfortunately, it doesn’t pause when it prints more than a screenful of text, and I can’t find a way to scroll back up to see what I missed.