VISUAL NOVELS VS INTARACTIVE FICTON

I don’t really understand the difference between visual novel and interactive fiction.
Are visual novels interactive fictions?

Interactive fiction descries software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. They are seen as a text adventures, everything is based on text and the player have to visualise the environment and tasks. Text adventures are one of the oldest types of computer games and form a set of the adventure genre. As the player uses text input to control the game, the game state is relayed to the player through text output. This text uses and understand simple languages like “go south”, “turn right”, “get key”, and many more. Today, there is a big market for games, so many competitions going on, from 2D to 3D. One doesn’t see this text adventures games competitive any more. Players choose to play games where all the visual world and fantasy are there to see, and all you have to do is use your game console to control what is going on. There are weaknesses to this, there is only one story line and the character is obligated to follow it.

Visual novels have extremely minimal game play. The majority of a players interaction is limited to clicking to keep the text, graphics and sound moving. Some of them have multiple storyline and many endings. The players have a choice and can select a direction in which to take the game. These can be more closely compared to story driven interactive fictions. Visual novels are interactive fiction taken to a further level. Majority of them are still text based but then have pictures, music and sounds. Majority of these games are Japanese or Chinese originated, there is a huge market out there for them, the rest of the world still doesn’t find it that eye catching. Is it because the player has to do most of the jobs?


Is Inanimate Alice is a visual novel or an interactive fiction? When shown in class, some student found it uninterested, while when the Ren ‘Py Game was shown, students found it a lot easier to understand, because there were three simple things involve. Music, picture and story line, with the help of simple techniques such as dissolve, hiding and showing of characters makes it less complicated. Students accepted that Ren ‘Py games are much easier to make and understand. We all agreed in class that in interactive fiction, all you need is a writer. But one like Inanimate Alice, you need more things such as programmer, graphics, maintaining the website. Technologies that can be used such as flash, programming and animation technologies.

The term interactive fiction is also occasionally used to refer to adventure games, which are also called hypertext fictions, it is also used to refer to literary works that are not read in linear fashion, and rather the reader is given choices at different points in the text. The readers’ choice determines the flow and outcome of the story.
Ren ‘Py Visual novel Engine is highly familiar to people who make use of it because of its easy to make stories. It helps one use technologies such as, sounds, pictures and music to tell a story. People find it easier to play around with 2D animations, other games that can be created with Ren ‘Py are Cook books, dating games and many more.

The largest company producing works of interactive fiction was Infocome, they created the Zork series and many other titles among them.

After some research and reading, I know more about Visual novels and interactive fictions. Most of all is that visual novels have to do with pictures, sound and music and one have to click majority of time to move on. With its multiple story line, one have a choice of which story to follow. While in interactive fiction, which is know as the oldest form of games, is mostly text command based. One have to obey the language and rules in other to move progressively in the game.

Reference:
Blade Engine (online) [2006] (last updated November 2006) at http://www.bladeengine.com/BladeEngine/whatis.php