Authoring System

An Authoring System is a platform for developing Interactive Fiction games, and usually consists of a dedicated Integrated Development Environment (IDE), or just a specific syntax with a compiler. Some systems compile their games to format (that can be either propietary of standardized) that need a dedicated interpreter, while others compile directly to HTML with JavaScript.

A very common question to hear from budding developers is which system should I use? There have been several comparisons between the systems over the years, Roger Firth's Cloak of Darkness looks at implementing a standard IF in various authoring systems. Eric Eve, documentation writer for TADS3, has written a comparison between older versions of TADS3 and Inform7. Both of the systems has seen some work since then. When it comes to choosing a system for writing AIF in, there are some other factors to consider; namely how good support there is for the Adult part of the game.

Common Authoring Systems
Today, most new games are made using a select few systems:


 * ADRIFT
 * Inform: A custom language based on natural syntax and relational algebra for world simulation. Version 7 comes with a dedicated IDE.
 * TADS: A custom programming language that uses an object oriented approach for world simulation. Comes both with a compiler and specialized IDE (workbench).
 * Twine: An IDE for designing branching stories (CYOA), which are compiled directly to HTML.