To Inform You “Din”

The Din started as an idea my uncle had thought of while we were discussing writing in proper sentence structure. See, at least 2-3 times a week I discuss concepts of writing and rules with my uncle using the classic literary instruction guide The Elements of Style by Strunk/White/ and Kalman. My uncle had the concept of a simple story of this place called Din’s 1. A raucous bar which housed a group of thieves. So that’s where my Inform 7 story originally came from.

I usually draw inspiration from my uncle, he is truly a creative man. The  Din was a good starting point for me. The best feeling perhaps, is showing him the conceptional outcome of this text based adventure game. I believe it all needed to start from a great opening sentence like a beloved novel. There was a meshing of ideas and concepts with fantasy which had been my first experience with interactive fiction on a simple windows program. The game was text based but it actually had simple graphics. It was called Kings Quest and it was very enthralling to a 5 year old who had a basic knowledge of the English language. I’ll never forget this one scene in the beginning where you walk into a room in your house and you see your cat. And of course I kicked that puss right across the room! It has to be one of my fondest game memories, which has to be up there with saving princess Peach and nuking an entire town of Megaton in Fallout 3.

So after the mesh-up of these ideas and concepts of the DIn and the thieves I added a little fantasy with the objects and the halfling-orc barmaid. And I sprinkledome s religious concepts with the main character starting off on a gurney or slab in a morgue. The surrounding setting is actually Purgatory. As you descend I wanted to add a Dante-esque theme to the realms of this bar. I remember this classic Super Nintendo game Shadowrun in which you start off in a morgue I thought that was a great beginning. So you can see this mixing and mashing of plots and themes I never forgot about in my gaming career.

After that I started constructing various rooms which contained at times, sad and sadistic figures but no real objectives which will be corrected in time. So with a points based system being set into place I need meaningful items which can bring humerus results at times.

I’m starting to see a connection with ideas and concepts. I mean hey, we all draw from the same pool of ideas. But these ideas seem to be morphing. Evolving perhaps.

Also this month is write a novel month. Although I refuse to scribble down a beloved idea in a matter of a month. This time frame of one month, releases the constraints of methodical planning. Just go out and write something, I know I will start. I just need to see the Arrigoni.