''Floatpoint'' is a 2006 work of
interactive fiction written by
Emily Short
Emily Short is an interactive fiction (IF) writer.
She is perhaps best known for her debut game ''Galatea'' and her use of psychologically complex non-player characters (NPCs).
Short has been called "a visionary in the world of text-based ga ...
about a
diplomat sent to an endangered colony to discuss evacuation options and terms of cohabitation. It is written in
Inform 7
Inform is a programming language and design system for interactive fiction originally created in 1993 by Graham Nelson. Inform can generate programs designed for the Z-code or Glulx virtual machines. Versions 1 through 5 were released betwe ...
and won the 2006 annual
Interactive Fiction Competition
The Interactive Fiction Competition (also known as IFComp) is one of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours pla ...
.
''Floatpoint'' also won 2006
XYZZY Award The XYZZY Awards are the annual awards given to works of interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards for film. The awards were inaugurated in 1997 by Eileen Mullin, the editor of ''XYZZYnews''. Any game released during the yea ...
s for Best Settings and Best
NPCs.
The game was generally praised for its use of multiple endings.
Plot
Through the course of play, the background to the current situation becomes clear. The
colonists of Aleheart were originally exiled from
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
for engaging in prohibited
genetic engineering. The colonists heavily engineer plant and animal life. The colony features plants engineered for artistic purpose. The colonists themselves are heavily genetically engineered. However, Aleheart is entering an ice age, which will likely make the planet uninhabitable within a few years.
After colonists left Earth, a plague caused massive depopulation on Earth. To help with recovery, the government of Earth wants the colonists to return.
The protagonist arrives on Aleheart expecting to be an assistant to the previous ambassador, but learns upon arrival that the previous ambassador has been dismissed and that the protagonist has been given the role. Officially the protagonist's goal is to convince the Aleheart colonists to return to Earth. This is to be done by making a formal gift to the colony's representative. Additional motivations including the colonists' desire to not return, and the reluctance of some Earth citizens to accept them give the protagonist difficult choices to make.
Reception
In the 2006 Interactive Fiction Competition, ''Floatpoint'' had an average score of 8.4.
That score is the highest of any Interactive Fiction Competition entry from 1999 through 2007.
That score was topped in 2008 by ''Violets score of 8.53.
A reviewer at
Jay Is Games described ''Floatpoint'' as "a surprisingly detailed world ... with exquisite storytelling"
The reviewer also described it as "well-paced" and that it "never feels stale."
Notes
{{reflist
References
Game entry at Baf's guideList of works with link to download of Floatpoint
2006 video games
2000s interactive fiction
Video games developed in the United Kingdom