Jolt Country

I want to ask the question, why is it necessary to develop a new language or system for creating adventure games?

Might it not be simpler, faster and allow more features to be implemented to simply take an existing language compiler or interpreter and either add new keywords to handle additional features related to the Adventure Game feature, or add libraries and subroutines for that purpose?

Using a scripting language like LUA or some other languages might be useful. A game file can use a standard language like Basic, Pascal or C or the standard plus extensions to define the base structures then use a standard language or scripting language to manipulate them.

(a) Because extending/enhancing/retargeting/whatevering an existing language to the degree that would be necessary might be as much trouble as writing a new one.

(b) Because you don't know enough about programming when you start off to do (a), even if it would have occurred to you that (a) was a possibility.

(c) Because it's actually pretty easy.

(d) Because you're really, really good looking.

(e) Because -- wait: we're talking about creating adventure games. You're not actually allowed to ask "why?" about any of it.

Tdarcos wrote:I want to ask the question, why is it necessary to develop a new language or system for creating adventure games?

The two main reasons that come to mind are, either no current language/system 100% meets your needs, or you simply want the challenge.

As far as programmers go I'm fairly sub-par, but I've written programs before due to both of the reasons listed above. I have written several programs simply because alternative programs I've found didn't exactly meet my needs. Some didn't provide all the functions I wanted -- others were too complicated.

I've also written programs (eCoder Ring comes to mind) simple for the challenge and/or fun factor.

That being said, creating my own language seems like overkill. There are a lot of programming languages dedicated to writing text adventures, so I would really have to take a look at all of them very closely before deciding that not a single one of them could meet my needs. That is, assuming I wasn't writing one just to write one.

Tdarcos wrote:I want to ask the question, why is it necessary to develop a new language or system for creating adventure games?

Might it not be simpler, faster and allow more features to be implemented to simply take an existing language compiler or interpreter and either add new keywords to handle additional features related to the Adventure Game feature, or add libraries and subroutines for that purpose?

A new language, talking about Inform, TADS and Hugo versus C++?

Using a scripting language like LUA or some other languages might be useful. A game file can use a standard language like Basic, Pascal or C or the standard plus extensions to define the base structures then use a standard language or scripting language to manipulate them.

Well, all three languages up top are Turing Complete. But (and this is a quick overview), Inform existed to compile to Infocom's virtual machine. TADS existed to sell copies of, initially. And I think one could say an (not "the", but an) original goal of Hugo would be, "take a lot about what you like for Inform, and let's add graphics, video and sound."

Hugo's written in ANSI C, FWIW.