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From: erkyrath@netcom.com (Andrew Plotkin)
Subject: Re: Inform vs. TADS look-and-feel
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Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 04:10:29 GMT
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Neil K. Guy (nkg@vcn.bc.ca) wrote:
>  Hm... you bring up another interesting point. I guess I don't like
> Inform's response because TADS' default response (I don't know the word
> xxx) is more honest. The former implies Inform knows the word; the latter
> basically admits that TADS doesn't. In addition, with the Inform system
> you get exchanges like this:
>    >take zxlkwdweio23898
>    You can't see any such thing.
>  And to me that breaks, uh, our good friend mimesis a bit.

Whereas reality *does* sometimes stop you and say "The word 'XXX' does 
not exist in this universe." I see...

>  My understanding of the logic behind the Inform system is that it avoids
> giving away to the player what words the game understands and what words
> are unknown. But really, I don't see anything wrong with that. I think
> it's quite fair for the player to know what vocabulary words are likely to
> be understood.

I think it's totally unfair (and I speak as a player; it feels like 
cheating when I can do this.)

Can we say anything further on this subject?

--Z

-- 

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
