Pelle Nilsson <krigsspel_at_pelle-n.net> wrote:

> Arjuna <dave_at_panthergames.com> writes:

> 

>> to deliver it. That is the basic problem here. We have to come to

>> terms with the fact that this is a shrinking demographic.

> 

> If that is really what it has come to, no hope of bringing in new

> players, I guess worst-case we are soon where interactive fiction was 20

> years ago (graphic adventures having killed text adventures), and

> worst-case we (players) could solve it like the interactive fiction

> community did 20 years ago: go freeware and open source. It worked out

> very well for that type of game (recommended movie:

> http://www.getlamp.com/).

> 

> Not that that would directly help many publishers, short-term.

> 

>> BTW I don't want to kill off this discussion thread, but I would like

>> to see it focus more on what you can do rather than on what others

>> should be doing.

> 

> I agree. I should try to complete one of my many projects and release

> something sometime rather than trying to tell others how their games

> should be designed.

The IFers were able to do it only due to the common adoption of the

Z-machine and also TADS, which is why it would be ideal if we can come up

with a common free engine that developers and hobbyists can use.