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From: buzzard@world.std.com (Sean T Barrett)
Subject: Re: [Comp00] Tril's Competition Reviews (1 of 4)
Message-ID: <G45x3n.GvL@world.std.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 09:30:59 GMT
References: <slrn916qn7.1kk.tril@miranda.igs.net>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
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Xref: news.duke.edu rec.games.int-fiction:58530

(redirected just to r.g.i-f)

Suzanne Britton <tril@igs.net> wrote:
>"Dinner with Andre" is a competently programmed, well-written, and
>original game about a date from hell. It also started out, seemingly, as a
>puzzleless story-based game, and caught my interest right away.
>Unfortunately, it soon turned its attention away from telling a story, to
>tossing increasingly contrived obstacles in my path. This part was
>supposed to be manic and funny, I guess, but for some reason it totally
>failed to tickle my funny bone. Perhaps part of it was a failure to
>identify with the protagonist, and her over-the-top efforts to avoid
>embarrassment. Tomboys probably weren't the author's intended audience.

I dunno, by that argument neither were men?

>At any rate, I did finally make it past the puzzles to the third phase,
>which was more enjoyable and had some neat plot twists. Overall, though, I
>have to rate the game based on its overall impression on me: a solid but
>uninspiring work.

I don't perceive it as "part 1: puzzleless story", "part 2: a maniacal farce"
and "part 3: umm, something with neat plot twists I'm not sure what
you thought it was".  I perceive the whole thing as a silly farce,
especially what with the protagonist's over-the-top efforts to avoid
embarassment.

Mind you, it took until I lost due to failing to evade the ex-boyfriend
to REALIZE that's what was going on with the game (for up until that
point I didn't even realize I was supposed to be avoiding him).  Some
of the fault is mine (come on, by this point I had hit a waiter with
a dinner roll), but I do think that the author probably should
have hit a comedic tone at the very beginning.  I think I can see
the author feeling it was necessary to set things up as much as possible
to make the fall stronger, but it no doubt created a wrong expectation
for many people.  Still, I wasn't perceiving it as a puzzleless story;
it only takes about 4 turns before it becomes clear you'll have to
futz with objects.

Personally, I shook off the initial false impression and rated it highly--it
and BAP captured 2 of my top 4--because I had fun playing them!

SeanB
