by Gloria Stern

Tod Foley is a game designer, consultant and technical director. He has authored many role playing games, including CyberSpace, the RPG. You may know him as the editor of PIX-elation, or as the panelist at the Electronic Cafe or numerous other industry conferences and live events. He is the founder of As If Productions. Get the picture? Wait. He's active in IICS, the International Interactive Communications Society, and he devised the incredibly innovative LARP (Live Action Role Play) - Ghosts In the Machine.

The word "Interactive" has been applied to virtually everything, from electronic toys to sophisticated works of tech-art. But what exactly is "Interactivity"? The computer has been described as "an interactive tool". But if I pick up a hammer and feel its weight in my hand, am I not interacting with the tool?

Between 1985 and 1990, Tod Foley authored seven role-playing game systems and adventure modules for Iron Crown Enterprises of Charlottesville, Virginia. NOTE: Most of these games are out of print, and can be hard to find. Contact your local hobby supply store or see our list of rare roleplaying resources.

14 January 4437: En route to the city of Sanctuary, Blandisford Barter encounters an Elven minstrel on the Bridge at Three Roads Crossing. The RunePlayer introduces himself as Rimsel, and informs Barter that he has been sent by the Council of Deneldor to oversee the halfling's progress. Unfortunately, some evil priest's spell bound him to this bridge several days ago, and he is unable to overcome the magick. Blandisford uses the Codex of Truth to call upon the power of the deity and free his Elven ally, who repays him with a much-needed clue...

[continued]

tags:

• art
• science
• fiction

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A Report on the Production of Ghosts In The Machine

The circle is still chanting softly as the CyberGoddess faces Darwin down. She turns to address the participants: "All those who find the defendant Darwin Krayne innocent as plead, say Aye" (participants respond); "And all who find the defendant guilty of crimes against humanity say Aye" (participants respond).

(The strength of the two responses will be compared to determine Darwin's sentence.)

- from Ghosts in the Machine

Interactive Fiction ("IF") is the currently popular term for any form of nonlinear scripted entertainment, from Role-Playing Games and MUDS to multimedia CD-ROM environmental simulations. A fledgling devotion somewhere between art and science, IF Design relies upon a sort of relativistic thinking which is a fairly recent addition to the artist's toolkit -- an ability to expand one's view of what was once perceived as only a narrow dimension of functionality, and to envision processes in terms of fields and possible relationships, rather than lines and discrete data.

Live Action Role Playing Games in a Theater Setting

AIP's Hypertheater Group specializes in the design and production of Live Interactive Fiction Events commonly known as LARPs (Live Action Role-Plays). These unique theater-games are designed and run by Tod Foley and the AIP staff, along with a growing network of affiliated independent artists and producers.

The AIP system of interactive fiction development is based upon more than fifteen years of research in game design and playtesting for all media. Bringing together a wide variety of specialized talents from the fields of Film and Stage Production, Computer Programming, Screenwriting, Graphic Design, Performance Art and Business Development, AIP has created a new hybrid vehicle for the development of interactive fictional worlds.