ADRIFT
Encyclopedia
ADRIFT is a graphical user interface used to create and play text adventures
. The name is an acronym for "Adventure Development & Runner - Interactive Fiction Toolkit". The project is solely developed by Campbell Wild.
The toolkit consists of two programs; a generator (used to write games), and a runner (used to play them), though the runner is available to download separately. In the current release version (4.0.51), released in 2002, both programs only run on Microsoft Windows
platforms as they are written in Visual Basic. The generator is shareware
(adventures over a certain size cannot be saved until a registration fee of 18.95 USD - around 12 GBP
is paid), though the runner is available free to everyone. Older (freeware
) versions of the program can also be downloaded on the website. However, version 5 is now donationware
, enabling full functionality of the software without requiring payment. The runner program is also able to run on Linux using the Mono
project. A Mac version is expected soon.
Coinciding with the 2011 Interactive Fiction competition
, ADRIFT WebRunner was launched. This allows any ADRIFT game to be played online. Because the game runs server side, it allows games to run on any device such as iPad
.
Unlike many text adventure creation tools (such as TADS
), the author needs little knowledge of how to program to use the ADRIFT generator. Instead, the author is presented with a simple graphical interface with which to write their game. This allows for text adventures to be written more quickly by people who are primarily authors rather than programmers.
Two of the most critically acclaimed ADRIFT games to date are The PK Girl, which achieved 6th place in the Interactive Fiction Competition
in 2002, and A Fine Day for Reaping, which took 7th place in the Interactive Fiction Competition and won the XYZZY Award
for Best Story in 2007.
The next major version, version 5, is being written in Visual Basic.net. ADRIFT 5 went into Beta status as from 4 April 2011, where it is open for everyone to download.
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
. The name is an acronym for "Adventure Development & Runner - Interactive Fiction Toolkit". The project is solely developed by Campbell Wild.
The toolkit consists of two programs; a generator (used to write games), and a runner (used to play them), though the runner is available to download separately. In the current release version (4.0.51), released in 2002, both programs only run on Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platforms as they are written in Visual Basic. The generator is shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
(adventures over a certain size cannot be saved until a registration fee of 18.95 USD - around 12 GBP
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
is paid), though the runner is available free to everyone. Older (freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
) versions of the program can also be downloaded on the website. However, version 5 is now donationware
Donationware
Donationware is a licensing model that supplies fully operational software to the user and pleads for an optional donation be paid to the programmer or a third-party beneficiary . The amount of the donation may also be stipulated by the author, or it may be left to the discretion of the user,...
, enabling full functionality of the software without requiring payment. The runner program is also able to run on Linux using the Mono
Mono (software)
Mono, pronounced , is a free and open source project led by Xamarin to create an Ecma standard compliant .NET-compatible set of tools including, among others, a C# compiler and a Common Language Runtime....
project. A Mac version is expected soon.
Coinciding with the 2011 Interactive Fiction competition
Interactive Fiction Competition
The Interactive Fiction Competition is one of the best known of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it...
, ADRIFT WebRunner was launched. This allows any ADRIFT game to be played online. Because the game runs server side, it allows games to run on any device such as iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.
Unlike many text adventure creation tools (such as TADS
TADS
Text Adventure Development System is a prototype-based domain-specific programming language and set of standard libraries for creating interactive fiction games.-History:...
), the author needs little knowledge of how to program to use the ADRIFT generator. Instead, the author is presented with a simple graphical interface with which to write their game. This allows for text adventures to be written more quickly by people who are primarily authors rather than programmers.
Two of the most critically acclaimed ADRIFT games to date are The PK Girl, which achieved 6th place in the Interactive Fiction Competition
Interactive Fiction Competition
The Interactive Fiction Competition is one of the best known of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it...
in 2002, and A Fine Day for Reaping, which took 7th place in the Interactive Fiction Competition and won the XYZZY Award
XYZZY Award
The XYZZY Awards are an event to recognize extraordinary interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards or Grammy Awards but for a far smaller community. The XYZZY Awards have been presented yearly in the early spring since 1996 by Eileen Mullin, the editor of XYZZYnews...
for Best Story in 2007.
The next major version, version 5, is being written in Visual Basic.net. ADRIFT 5 went into Beta status as from 4 April 2011, where it is open for everyone to download.
Other Operating Systems
Because ADRIFT 4 only natively runs on Windows, many users on other operating systems were unable to run the original software. jAsea is an open-source Java application that runs ADRIFT games. It allows anyone with a Java-enabled web browser regardless of platform to play ADRIFT games. Development of jAsea was discontinued in 2004. However, SCARE is an ANSI/ISO C secondary clone of jAsea and the project has resulted in the ability to play ADRIFT games on several platforms including Linux, Windows, DOS, Macintosh and Amiga.External links
- ADRIFT Website
- ADRIFT Forum
- jAsea homepage
- SCARE Project homepage (Archived 2009-10-24)
- Cloak of Darkness: ADRIFT presents a short game implemented in ADRIFT, as well as other languages for comparison.