Being Steve: Difference between revisions
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<table style="width:100%;margin-bottom:1em;clear:both"><tr><td>{{one-room}}</td></tr></table> | <table style="width:100%;margin-bottom:1em;clear:both"><tr><td>{{one-room}}</td></tr></table> | ||
{{game infobox|title=Being Steve|image=|author= | {{game infobox|title=Being Steve|image=|author=unknown|publisher=n/a|released=19-May-2006|authsystem=[[Inform 7]]|platform=Z-code|language=English|license=[[Freeware]]|color=none|graphics=none|sound=none|cruelty=Merciful}} | ||
== | ==Introduction== | ||
This game is a crudely-written attack piece, apparently designed to humiliate or ridicule [[Steve Breslin]], a major IF theorist and programmer, who specializes in AI and spatial simulation. This attack was published around the time when Breslin formed a series of arguments critical of the recently-released Inform-7. These arguments emphasized two things: 1) a critique of the naturality of I7's "natural language" syntax; 2) a critique of the utility of rule-based programming, for IF. At the same time, Breslin attacked [[Graham Nelson]] (the designer of I7), on the grounds that he was being pretentious, engaging in deceptive rhetoric, etc. | |||
The discussion became heated at times, and this game is evidence of the hostility people felt at that time. | |||
==The Game== | |||
The player-character awakens as [[Steve Breslin]], in a single-unit apartment, apparently hung-over. The game forces the player to urinate on his television, then sit at a computer and write personal attacks. | |||
Your computer is here. You do what you have to do. | |||
==Notable Features== | ==Notable Features== | ||
Revision as of 23:03, 23 November 2008
 One-room |
| Being Steve | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | unknown |
| Publisher(s) | n/a |
| Release date(s) | 19-May-2006 |
| Authoring system | Inform 7 |
| Platform(s) | Z-code |
| Language(s) | English |
| License(s) | Freeware |
| Multimedia | |
| Color effects | none |
| Graphics | none |
| Sound/Music | none |
| Ratings | |
| Cruelty scale | Merciful |
Introduction
This game is a crudely-written attack piece, apparently designed to humiliate or ridicule Steve Breslin, a major IF theorist and programmer, who specializes in AI and spatial simulation. This attack was published around the time when Breslin formed a series of arguments critical of the recently-released Inform-7. These arguments emphasized two things: 1) a critique of the naturality of I7's "natural language" syntax; 2) a critique of the utility of rule-based programming, for IF. At the same time, Breslin attacked Graham Nelson (the designer of I7), on the grounds that he was being pretentious, engaging in deceptive rhetoric, etc.
The discussion became heated at times, and this game is evidence of the hostility people felt at that time.
The Game
The player-character awakens as Steve Breslin, in a single-unit apartment, apparently hung-over. The game forces the player to urinate on his television, then sit at a computer and write personal attacks.
Your computer is here. You do what you have to do.
Notable Features
- Puzzleless, and almost entirely non-interactive. For most of the game, whatever the player types is replaced with preprogrammed commands, character by character. The player isn't given normal control of the keyboard until the very end of the game, and even then, there's nothing much the player can attempt to do.
Trivia and Comments
- The PC's full name is not mentioned in the game, but members of the IF Community in 2006 would immediately recognize who the PC is supposed to be.
- It seems obvious that this "game" was released as an anonymous protest against Steve Breslin's several unpleasant postings to the rec.arts.int-fiction newsgroup that followed the public beta release of Inform 7.
- The title of the game, Being Steve, parodies the title of an earlier game, Being Andrew Plotkin (J. Robinson Wheeler as "Celie Paradis"; 2000; Z-code), which itself was a parody of the movie Being John Malkovich.
Versions
Release 1
- Being Steve (Anonymous; 19-May-2006; Z-code).
- Release 1 / Serial number 060519 / Inform 7 build 3L95 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/10N)
- Download BeingSteve.zblorb from the IF Archive
Links
- Being Steve (archived) - at Baf's Guide