View source for Savoir-Faire

<table style="width:100%;margin-bottom:1em;clear:both"><tr><td>{{fantasy}} {{home}} {{xaw4|2002|Best Puzzles, Best Individual PC, Best Story, Best Game}}</td></tr>
<tr><td>{{xaf4|2002|Best Use of Medium, Best Individual Puzzle, Best Setting, Best Writing}}</td></tr></table>

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{{game infobox|title=Savoir-Faire|image=|author=[[Emily Short]]|publisher=n/a|released=01-Apr-2002|authsystem=[[Inform]]|platform=[[Z-code]]|language=English|license=[[Freeware]]|color=none|graphics=none|sound=none|cruelty=Cruel}}

==How It Begins==
You are Pierre, the adopted son of a wealthy Count in 18th century France. You are wearing a dashing hat, and carry a sword (inside a swordstick) and a snuffbox. As a member of the nobility, you also have the magical talent known as the ''lavori d'Aracne'' which will let you create magical links between similar objects. Unhappily, you desparately need money. You returned to your childhood home, hoping to ask the Count for help, but no one knows where he's gone. Maybe there's money or something you can sell from the estate. You begin your hunt for treasure from the kitchen garden.

==Notable Features==
* [[Puzzle]] filled game. As a "Textfire Classic", the game pays homage to several "[[old school]]" puzzles, including [[hunger puzzle]]s, [[Doors, locked| locked door puzzles]], a [[maze]], a [[Writing_and_decryption | decryption puzzle]] and a massive number of [[inventory]] items. Many of these puzzles have a new twist. The game's setting - a [[ghost town | deserted]] [[Family Home Mystery | family home]] from which one must loot [[treasure]] - is overtly old-school.
* Rich object modelling in general. Every object has a size, shape, and material comparable to the [[simulationist]] object modelling in some of Short's earlier works, notably ''[[Metamorphoses]]''.
** Complex liquid modelling, as handled by the Inform library extension WaterElement.h. Liquids can be mixed, puddles evaporate over time, other objects sink or float in liquids, and so on.
** Complex light modelling, with respect to light source and color.
** Complex [[magic]] system allows the player to magically "link" one item to another if the two items share common properties. Once linked, actions performed on one item will have similar effects on the second. Much of the game revolves around exploration of this magic system.
* Flashback [[cutscene | cutscenes]] are used to fill in some of the pre-game story.
* Many puzzles have [[multiple solutions]]. One puzzle in particular has a solution suitable for vegetarians.

==Trivia and Comments==
* ''Savoir-Faire'' was deliberately released on April 1st as an April Fool's joke. As a "[[Textfire]] Classic" and an old school puzzle game by Emily Short, it was meant to sound as if the announcement was a hoax. The joke, of course, was that the game did exist after all.
* The author went to considerable effort to fit the game into version 5 of the [[Z-machine]] in order to stay with the old school theme. Eventually bug fixes forced her to upgrade to version 8 for new releases of the game.
* [[Radical Al]] offered $50 U.S. to Emily for the source code for ''Savoir-Faire'' as part of the prize rules for his [[GESCH MiniComp]].

==Versions==
Note 1: Emily has a [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/sfversion.html version history] page. Caution: It contains spoilers.

Note 2: Versions 1 through 4 were .z5 files. Versions 5 through 8 were .z8 files.

===Version 1===
* ''Savoir-Faire'' ([[Emily Short]]; 01-Apr-2002; [[Z-code]]).
** [[XYZZY Awards 2002]]: Winner of [[Best Puzzles]], [[Best Individual PC]] (Pierre), [[Best Story]], and [[Best Game]]. Also finalist for [[Best Use of Medium]], [[Best Individual Puzzle]], [[Best Setting]], and [[Best Writing]].

===Version 6===
* ''Savoir-Faire'' (Emily Short; 20-Apr-2002; Z-code).
** Release 6 / Serial number 020420 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10

===Version 8===
* ''Savoir-Faire'' (Emily Short; 2004; Z-code).
** Release 8 / Serial number 040205 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10
** {{ifarchive|if-archive/games/zcode/|Savoir.z8}}
** Or download <tt>[http://www.inform-fiction.org/I7Downloads/Anthology/Savoir-Faire.zblorb Savoir-Faire.zblorb]</tt> from inform-fiction.org.
** Also available on the [[IF Promotional CD%2C July 2005 Edition]].

===Version 8 reissue===
* ''Savoir-Faire'' (Emily Short; 2004; Z-code).
** Release 8 / Serial Number 040328 / Inform v6.15 library 6/10
** [http://www.nickm.com/if/emshort/savoir_faire.html Play it online] at nickm.com.

===Release TBD===
* Note: ''Savoir-Faire'' was also published as part of the [[Electronic Literature Collection Volume One]] in October 2006. See the collection's [http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/short__savoir-faire.html Savoir-Faire page].

==Links==
===General Info===
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/savoirfaire.htm ''Savoir-Faire'' homepage].
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/textfire/OldSchool.htm Original teaser game site].
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/sfversion.html Savoir-Faire version history].
* {{baf game|Savoir-Faire|1821}}
* {{hotu game|Savoir-Faire|4074}}
* [http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/short__savoir-faire.html Savoir-Faire] - at [[Electronic Literature Collection Volume One]].
* [http://www.feelies.org/game.php?id=4 Savoir-Faire] at [[Feelies.org]]. For a limited time, players could purchase a feelies package containing a wax-sealed letter, a drawing, a letter of authenticity, and a booklet about ''lavori d'Aracne'' called "On Links" by Mrs. Bury Palliser. Ordering for this item is closed.
* [http://www.inform-fiction.org/I7/About%20IF%20-%20Anthology.html Examples of Interactive Fiction]. ''Savoir-Faire'' is one of the games listed on this anthology page hosted at inform-fiction.org.

===Reviews===
* [http://www.ministryofpeace.com/if-review/reviews/20020510.html Review] at [[IF-Review]] by [[Sam Kabo Ashwell]].
* [http://sparkynet.com/spag/s.html#savoir Reviews] at [[SPAG]] by [[Daphne Brinkerhoff]] and [[Francesco Bova]].
* [http://usuarios.lycos.es/SPAC/spac25.htm#b2 Review] at [[SPAC]] by [[Urbatain]].
* {{ifratings game|Savoir Faire|1770}}
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===Spoilers===
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/savoirhints.htm Savoir-Faire hints] done in Invisiclue white-on-white style.
* [http://webhome.idirect.com/~dswxyz/sol/savoir.html Savoir Faire - solution]. A verbose walkthrough by [[David Welbourn]], based on version 6.
** Also: {{ifarchive|if-archive/solutions/|savoir.html}}

{{Lavori d'Aracne series}}
[[Category:Games]] [[Category:Games in 2002]] [[Category:Home]] [[Category:Inform 6 games]]  [[Category:XYZZY Award winning games]] [[Category:Z-code games]]