-- The stage is set, the lamps are lighted, and the Great Meldellevo
takes the stage once more, with feats his that baffle and defy.
-- Announcing (drum-roll from the pit):
"THE ACT OF MISDIRECTION"
An Interactive Performance,
By Cal Harrison (c) 2004
http://www.if-archive.org/games/ &c. (and mirrors)
----------
Preview by Paul O'Brian:
THE ACT OF MISDIRECTION by Cal Harrison
The Act Of Misdirection is not a competition game, and in today's IF
community, that alone is enough to make it remarkable. For a first-time
author to release a comp-sized game (or maybe even *any* game) outside
the competition is an even gutsier move, since she risks the product of
all her hard work sinking without a trace. So when Callico Harrison
asked me if I'd like to write a review that she could release
simultaneously with her first game, I loved the idea. Imagine my
pleasure when I started playing and discovered that this a very strong
game indeed. It's intriguing, skillfully crafted, and if it were entered
in the competition it would surely place in the top ten, perhaps even
the top three. Not only is it written with flair and diligently coded,
it also makes some impressive inroads into one of my favorite areas of
modern IF development: player-friendly design. Many areas of the game
are constructed to allow the player to discover the story for himself,
but also to notice if the player seems to be struggling, and to offer
gentle nudges in the right direction without recourse to some kind of
external hint system.
Nowhere is this excellent design more evident than in the game's first
scene. The setting is the brightly lit boards of London's Carthaginian
Stage in 1896. The house is packed with "the city's gents and ladies"
who wait breathlessly "in anticipation of something magical." The
protagonist is a magician, equipped with nothing but a bare baize table,
a handkerchief, and a debonair top hat. The game places you in this
nerve-wracking situation, and lets you take it from there; what follows
is one of the most charming interactive fiction scenes I've ever played.
There's nothing quite so gratifying in IF as attempting a non-standard
action or phrasing that makes sense in context and finding that the game
anticipates and handles it. To find that this action is the *exact*
right choice is an unparalleled pleasure, and it's a pleasure that the
game's magic act offers over and over. Whether Misdirection craftily led
me into the right actions or simply anticipated a wide range of options
I don't know, and in the moment of playing I didn't care -- all I knew
was that as the act unfolded, I felt myself both the magician and the
audience, both directing the action and dazzled by the exciting
spectacle before me. The experience isn't perfect, mind. There were
plenty of times when I tried something that wasn't implemented, and
there was even the occasional novice glitch, like the following:
>show 9 of hearts to audience
You can only do that to something animate.
>show nine of hearts (to the audience)
"Any card you choose is here, friends. The Nine of Hearts?" With a
quick ruffle the card is produced and shown to all.
Still, the game achieves a much higher percentage of implemented
actions than usual, and it's enough to make the magician's routine very
memorable. Just as important, when I couldn't think of the right thing
to do, I never felt stuck, because eventually the game would step in and
give me a gentle push in the right direction. Parser responses are
written with delightful cleverness, usually pointing subtly towards a
more productive action if the player has guessed wrong.
For this first scene alone, The Act Of Misdirection would be well
worth playing, but the game goes on from there, its story expanding and
its mystery deepening. One of the story's main themes is surprise, and
this manifests itself both in plot and in design, so it wouldn't do to
give away any more secrets. I'll just settle for saying that although
the game's helpful design philosophy continues throughout, it becomes
more and more puzzling as it reveals itself, winding up in a great
enigma. I hope that the mysterious nature of the plot prompts a great
deal of discussion, because, ironically enough, the game's willingness
to help players through its puzzles removes one of the most prominent
spurs to public discussion that past games like The Mulldoon Legacy and
my own LASH have used to prompt public posting. Without hint requests to
drive up the number of posts on rec.games.int-fiction, The Act Of
Misdirection must rely on community support and enthusiasm. For that
reason and for the others I've just detailed, I urge you to play this
game, and to post your reaction on the newsgroups. If this game gets the
attention it deserves, it'll be a lock for several 2004 XYZZY
nominations. I've tried to do my part to get it that attention -- the
rest is up to you.
----------
Beta-testing by: Sal Jones, James Ossuki, Mary Eliot, Storme Winfield,
Greg Pallis and John Bichard
----------
cal harrison - at - eudoramail dot com
Newcastle, UK
