The Baron
| The Baron a.k.a. De baron | |
|---|---|
| Game | |
 | |
| Main links | |
| Published | 31 March 2006 |
| Credits | |
| Author | Victor Gijsbers |
| Reception | |
| Events |  Finalist: Best Game, Best Individual NPC, Best Individual PC, Best NPCs, Best Story, Best Writing |
| IFDB rating | 4 out of 5 (174 ratings) |
| Gameplay | |
| Interaction style |  Parser |
| Literary genre |  Drama |
| Languages | English, Dutch |
| Cruelty scale | Merciful |
| IFDB play time | 30 minutes |
| Accessibility | Colour: none. Graphics: none. Sound: none. |
| Technical details | |
| Authoring system | Inform 6 |
| Format | Z-code |
| License | GPL |
| Browse the games database • Edit this page | |
How it begins
NOTE: The game's readme file warns that the game is not suitable for children, or for anyone that would prefer to avoid fictional misery.
It is not explained at first who you are. You are wielding a battle axe and wearing a helmet and a full suit of armour. You are in the vestibule of a dragon's lair, littered with burnt bones and skulls. Heavy bronze doors engraved with the image of a burning man have been closed and bolted behind you. The only way forward is north toward the heat, the light, and the dragon.
Notable features
- There are different endings, but it is left to the reader to decide which are the better or truer ones.
- Sometimes, the piece asks you for a justification of your actions.
- Non-linear conversation menus are used for both conversations and some actions.
Author's Comments
The author would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the creation of The Baron or has taken the time to think and write about it afterwards. Special thanks are for the anonymous girl who told me her story and thereby planted the seed that would eventually become The Baron.
One wiki page?
Most game translations should have their own wiki pages, which allows for separate "Play Online" buttons etc, but this might be an exception. It was essentially one game released simultaneously by the same author in two languages. It was a single entry in Spring Thing and nominated for the XYZZY Awards as a single game.
Versions
Competition version (Dutch: original version)
Date: 31 March 2006
- De baron (Victor Gijsbers; 31-Mar-2006; Z-code; Dutch).
- Release 1 / Serial number 060329 / Inform v6.30 Library 6/11 S
- Note: There is a bilingual readme file called Baron_README.txt.
- Spring Thing 2006: 1st place of 4.
- XYZZY Awards 2006: Winner of Best use of Medium. Also finalist for Best Game, Best Writing, Best Story, Best NPCs, Best Individual NPC (the gargoyle), and Best Individual PC (PC).
- Download baron.zip from the IF Archive.
- Beta-testing by Eva Deinum, Annette van de Kraats, Ivo Wever, Remko van der Pluijm, and "a fifth beta-tester who hated the piece and did not want to be named in the credits".
Competition version (English translation)
Date: 31 March 2006
- The Baron (Victor Gijsbers; 31-Mar-2006; Z-code).
- Release 1 / Serial number 060329 / Inform v6.30 Library 6/11 S
- The baron.zip file linked to above contains both the Dutch and English versions of the game.
- Additional beta-testing for this translation: Poster, Benjamin Yeung and Grim.
Links
N.B. Many IF Archive games are temporarily unavailable in the UK.
General info
- The Baron - Discussion Thread *SPOILERS* at Interactive Fiction Forum.
- De Baron (archived) - at Baf's Guide
- De Baron - at IFDB.
- De Baron - at ifwizz interactive fiction (in German).
Reviews
- Review by Mike Snyder.
- Review by Dan Shiovitz.
- Review (archive) by Emily Short - at Play This Thing!
- Review by John Walker - at Rock, Paper, Shotgun
- The Baron - at IFReviews.org.
Spoilers
- SPAG #44 - Contains a SPAG Specifics analysis by Dan Shiovitz.
Date: 31 March 2006
Date: 31 March 2006