Editing Interactive fiction (section)

===Modern era===
After the decline of the commercial interactive fiction market in the 1990s, an online community eventually formed around the medium. In 1987, the [[Usenet]] newsgroup {{mono|rec.arts.int-fiction}} was created, and was soon followed by {{mono|rec.games.int-fiction}}. By custom, the topic of {{mono|rec.arts.int-fiction}} is interactive fiction authorship and programming, while {{mono|rec.games.int-fiction}} encompasses topics related to playing interactive fiction games, such as hint requests and game reviews. As of late 2011, discussions between writers have mostly moved from {{mono|rec.arts.int-fiction}} to the Interactive Fiction Community Forum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intfiction.org/forum/|title=intfiction.org • Index page|website=www.intfiction.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225172346/http://www.intfiction.org/forum/|archive-date=25 December 2011}}</ref>

One of the most important early developments was the reverse-engineering of Infocom's [[Z-machine|Z-Code]] format and [[Z-Machine]] [[virtual machine]] in 1987 by a group of enthusiasts called the [[InfoTaskForce]] and the subsequent development of an [[interpreter (computing)|interpreter]] for Z-Code story files. As a result, it became possible to play Infocom's work on modern computers.

For years, amateurs with the IF community produced interactive fiction works of relatively limited scope using the [[Adventure Game Toolkit]] and similar tools.

The breakthrough that allowed the interactive fiction community to truly prosper, however, was the creation and distribution of two sophisticated development systems. In 1987, Michael J. Roberts released [[TADS]], a programming language designed to produce works of interactive fiction. In 1993, [[Graham Nelson]] released [[Inform]], a [[programming language]] and set of libraries which [[compiler|compiled]] to a Z-Code story file. Each of these systems allowed anyone with sufficient time and dedication to create a game, and caused a growth boom in the online interactive fiction community.

Despite the lack of commercial support, the availability of high quality tools allowed enthusiasts of the genre to develop new high quality games. Competitions such as the annual [[Interactive Fiction Competition]] for short works, the [[Spring Thing]] for longer works, and the [[XYZZY Awards]], further helped to improve the quality and complexity of the games. Modern games go much further than the original "Adventure" style, improving upon Infocom games, which relied extensively on puzzle solving, and to a lesser extent on communication with non player characters, to include experimentation with writing and story-telling techniques.

While the majority of modern interactive fiction that is developed is distributed for free, there are some commercial endeavors. In 1998, [[Michael Berlyn]], a former Implementor at Infocom, started a new game company, Cascade Mountain Publishing, whose goals were to publish interactive fiction. Despite the Interactive Fiction community providing social and financial backing, Cascade Mountain Publishing went out of business in 2000. Buster Hudson, developer of ''The Wizard Sniffer'' (201''7),'' emphasized that parser-based puzzle can be used to control the pacing or develop a character.<ref name="ao-20171201">{{Cite web |last=Laskow |first=Sarah |date=2017-12-01 |title=Welcome to Interactive Fiction: You're a Wizard-Sniffing Pig |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/welcome-interactive-fiction-wizard-sniffing-pig-controversy-video-games |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref>

Other commercial endeavors include: Peter Nepstad's ''[[1893: A World's Fair Mystery]]'', several games by Howard Sherman published as [[Malinche Entertainment]], The General Coffee Company's ''Future Boy!,'' ''[[Cypher (video game)|Cypher]]'', a graphically enhanced cyberpunk game and various titles by ''Textfyre''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.textfyre.com/ |title=Home of the Best Interactive Fiction |publisher=Textfyre.com |access-date=1 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202110329/http://textfyre.com/ |archive-date=2 February 2011  }}</ref> [[Emily Short]] was commissioned to develop the game ''City of Secrets'' but the project fell through and she ended up releasing it herself.<ref name="COS-upcoming">{{cite web | author = Emily Short | date = 5 October 2003 | url = http://www.mindspring.com/~emshort/CSUpcoming2.htm | title = City of Secrets | access-date = 1 November 2006 |url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070109050336/http://www.mindspring.com/~emshort/CSUpcoming2.htm | archive-date = 9 January 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>