You know you've played too much IF when...

Playing Game Hints
1

…you’re talking to someone, and you keep imagining a list of possible conversation topics!

I’m a pretty awkward person to talk to, I guess. A couple times this past week, when I was talking to someone, I found myself thinking of the different subjects that had been brought up as a conversation tree. When my conversations lull into awkward silence, it actually isn’t too much different from the advanced ASK/TELL with topic suggestions IF conversation model. I think I actually saw the old "topics: … " or “(you could ask about…” list in my head! At those times, I think of all the things I could possibly bring up, and I wonder if I would feel too weird doing so. Only, there’s no UNDO command in a real conversation. Life is a difficult game indeed. :neutral_face:

2

well, for me happens when I type look instead of ls (really !)

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

3

i know ive been playing/writing too much IF when i find myself walking around and “mapping” in my head, complete with descriptions…maybe its a good exercise, maybe im insane. :open_mouth:

4

In all seriousness, my warning sign is when I find myself dreaming about the game I’m currently playing. In the dream-state, I find myself being both the character (actually walking around and exploring) and myself (typing in commands) and the two roles tend to get confused.

This first happened to me about 35 years ago when I first discovered Adventure. I would play until the wee hours, then go to sleep and find myself in this very odd dream-state. From time to time since then, this phenomenon has happened again --and when it does, I know I need to take a few days’ break from the game.

Robert Rothman

5

… you often pick up random items you find lying around because if they’re there, they must have a purpose.

… mazes bring you out in a rash.

… you manage to use the words “plugh” and “xyzzy” in every day conversation just to see what responses they get.

… anybody behaving out of character is breaking mimesis and must be reported to the moderators immediately.

… you find yourself locked up in a prison cell and believe the means to escaping are hidden somewhere in said cell.

… that isn’t a tatty old piece of paper, it’s a treasure map!

… you can’t hack the Times crossword to find the answers.

6

lol, good stuff there!

yeah, ive had IF dreams too, hard to describe, but i know they were IF-inspired.

7

My IF-related dreams tend to be about writing IF. I’ll wake up going “oh that is the best puzzle idea ever; I must implement it right away!!.. oh wait, actually that doesn’t make any sense.”

8

David, you got it almost right. The reason you pick up random items lying around is because, even if they don’t have any other use, you will be able to drop them to map the maze that you know you will wander into at some point no matter how much antihistamine you have available.

Robert Rothman

9

I actually had a dream about writing IF (or maybe a graphical game – it definitely had a roguelike interface at some point) where I realized what the plot twist had been after I woke up. That was weird.

10

… you chuckle knowingly at DavidW’s list.

11

…every time you look at the clock and it says x:54 you mentally add “to Asgard”.

I do.

12

…you are surprised to find your handbag is not capacious enough to carry a shiny black cube, a delicate teacup, a half-full vial of blue ink, and a length of rope

…you wish finding stuff in your workspace was as easy as >X DESK

…you wish >DRIVE TO WORK were implemented

…you’ve ever regarded yourself in the mirror and thought, “As good-looking as ever”

13

Had a dream last night that there was a status bar super-imposed into my vision while interacting with another person.

(Current project I’m working on uses meters)

:blush:

14

Good grief: You know you’ve played too much NetHack when you’re playing an IF and you try to pick stuff up with the comma key.

15

You often type “l” or “look” into UNIX terminals when you actually mean “ls”.

16

During the most recent Doctor Who episode, the Doctor said to Rory, “You will be my eyes and hands.” and I thought “Was that a Colossal Cave reference?!”