Good, a concrete example to discuss. Andrew, what *specifically* were you
trying to do with _Weather_? From previous posts, I seem to remember you
saying that you wanted to write a game in which the same scenery was looked
at in different settings (times of day, weather conditions, etc.). OK, that's
the 'F' part of IF. And I think it's virtually unanimous that you succeeded
on this count.
But what about the 'I' part of IF? How does the fact that the "reader" can
interact enhance your work? You see, this is where I get stuck with IF. If
the 'I' has no effect, or if it gets in the way, then you're better off
writing a short story (or a novel, or whatever). Part of what makes
literature/painting/movies/etc "art" is the fact that the reader/observer is
passive. The artist presents a point of view, and we are asked to absorb it,
mull it over, agree/disagree, etc. The fact that our interaction is passive
is crucial - it allows the artist to develop what he/she wants to say
without interruption or deviation.
It's not that I'm *expecting* to not see art in IF. It's that I simply do not
see how the 'I' helps the artist make his/her point, beyond providing amusing
puzzles to solve. What can you do with IF that you can't do with 'F'?
David London
>--Z
>
>"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."