User:Thijshijsijsjss/Gossamery/Learning ZIL
This is or will be a page dedicated to my explorations into ZIL -- the ZORK Implementation Language, the coding language used in Infocoms first text adventure game ZORK. These explorations are fresh and ongoing, so to start off, I will create a humble collections of links.
- Reading material:
- Link to the book: Learning ZIL
- Essay by Andrew Plotkin: What is ZIL anyway?
- Some relevant Git repos and other links to code, compilation and testing:
- Git repo with Infocom games' ZIL code: the-infocom-files (bonus: infocom facts sheet)
- ZILF, an open source ZIL compiler
- A website and Git repo to play some games or test your own, that allows visualizations of a map, object tree and interpreter debugger.
- A git repo for a Z-machine that supports online multiplayer: mojozork
- Two YouTube playlists about ZIL: one, two
- How did I find out about this?
- I was exploring the IFWiki by the Random Page button
- I was presented the IFWiki page for The Valley House
- I noticed 'Z-code', a language I was unfamiliar with
- This led me to the IFWiki pages for Z-code, Z-machine and ZIL, as well as the wikipedia page for Z-machine
- The IFWiki page for ZIL referenced the book 'Learning ZIL' on archive.org.
- Why has this grabbed my attention?
- I am interested in non-linear texts and in text-adventures (by themselves, and as a subfield of non-linear texts)
- Coming from a background of Computing Science, I often think back to Michael's essay and lecture (that is now also a Libre Graphics Meeting talk). At first glance, this language seems to accomodate a methodology unusual for programming languages -- it is very close to natural text. In fact, the first video of the first youtube playlist linked above uses a Microsoft Word document to write their code. Seeing this, I see the potential for collaborative coding efforts, and maybe even a critical analysis of such a language in the current landscape of gamemaking.
- In some ways, I feel attracted to it in the same ways pen plotters are intruiging: seemingly relics of the past, I am convinced of their potential to contribute in the current, not as a gimmick but through characteristics not so commonly seen in contemporary alternatives. They are inviting to 'touch' and play around with. They are not shy to show their shortcomings. And on top of that, they provide the challenge of connecting 'old' and 'new' hard- and software, which always turns into an insightful experience.