Craft

Craft articles listed here attempt to answer an author's "how do I do X" questions, like "How do I craft better NPCs?" or "How can I craft better puzzles?" Articles are grouped into categories based roughly on the XYZZY Awards, plus an extra category for promotion, eg: "How can I promote my game?"

For articles about classifications, terminologies, and "what is X" questions, see Theory.

Game - NPCs - PCs - Promotion - Puzzles - Setting - Story - Use of Medium - Writing

Design Patterns

This section is about patterns in game design

• Unimplemented Actions Anti-Pattern

Game

This section can be about design, the game as a whole, or a general catch-all for articles that cover several topics.

• Lessons Learned the Hard Way by Jim Aikin for XYZZYnews #18. Write a walkthrough. Beta-test. Be systematic. And comment, comment, comment.
• 10 Steps to Great Game Design by C.E. Forman for XYZZYnews #1.
• The Hazards of Invisibility, or, Making Your NPCs Respond The Way You Want Them To by C.E. Forman for XYZZYnews #6. A caution against rushing the design phase.
• How to Write a Great Game by Dan Shiovitz. Focuses on construction, interaction, and concept.
• General Game-Design/Authoring Notes by Dan Shiovitz. Short assorted notes jotted down.
• Make IF Fast! by J. Robinson Wheeler. Covers the creation of games starting from a mock transcript of play.

NPCs

• NPC Characterization by Emily Short. Extensive discussion. The NPC as object, agent, and interlocutor.

PCs

(Articles about types of PCs are on the Theory page listed under Taxonomy.)

Puzzles

• IF Roundtable: The Art of the Puzzle from XYZZYnews #14. Adam Cadre, Lucian Smith, Andrew Plotkin, and Neil deMause discuss puzzles.
• Parlez-Vous Nalian? by Lucian Smith from XYZZYnews #16. Lucian discusses the language puzzle from The Edifice.

Setting

• Laying Out Geography in IF by Emily Short. Covers playability principles, layout, pacing, and the 'edge of the world'.
• Developing a Setting for Fantastical IF by Emily Short. Covers finding your ideas, constructing your map, and presentation.

Use of Medium

• Desiderata for a Physical Simulation Library by Emily Short.
• What XYZZY Does from XYZZYnews #3. (See also: Xyzzy.)

Writing

• Description Medicine by Michael Berlyn for XYZZYnews #17. Liven up those rooms.
• Descriptions Constructed by Stephen Granade. Descriptions that do more than just describe.
• Mapping the Tale: Scene Description in IF by J. Robinson Wheeler. Covers the writing of scene descriptions for locations.