| Home | About Me | |
|
|
DELRON
|
Moist Reviews
Author: Scarlet Herring
Date:
1999
TADS
What does AIF stand for? Adult Interactive Fiction.
If you likely to
be offended by games with sexual content, you are advised not
to open these
files.
Reviewed by A. Ninny
Overall Thoughts:
Simply put: Moist is a classic. It has a fantastic amount going for it,
including a concise and well-conceived (if somewhat hardboiled) story, four
varied and lovingly-rendered NPC’s, environments that convey their atmosphere
without being wordy, and most of all, sex scenes that set a high standard for
technical delivery and hotness. It also has smart puzzles, an elaborate hint
system and a bunch of fun ‘bonus material’ in the way of dirty graffiti and
erotic stories. All in all, Moist comes off very complete, very well executed
and most of all, very fun.
The concept behind Moist is not terribly ambitious in that it doesn’t fling a
player into the far stratosphere of high-concept IF gaming. For one thing, the
game’s non-sex writing uses just enough text to set an atmosphere and no more.
As an example of this, in one instance, “You are standing in a large hallway,
hewn out of solid rock” is all that is provided. For another, it uses extremely
conventional IF constructs. It has object puzzles, magical items, dark spaces
(no grue, however), and, imagine this: a rope. In another conventional touch,
you are told your entire task shortly after starting and it is up to you as the
player to decide how to go about the game. Rather like the original Zork series,
there’s little linearity to how you traverse the game (you may satisfy the three
servants in any order you wish). I strongly believe, however, that this
conventionality and brevity was completely intentional. Moist doesn’t seek to be
an earth-shattering work of IF. Instead, it entirely sets itself apart in what
Scarlet Herring was trying to achieve with its sexual content.
Sex:
The main thing you notice when playing Moist is that in terms of the sex, pretty
much anything goes. Scarlet Herring has anticipated almost everything that a
player might try to do with (and to) his NPC’s, and has provided specific
actions to respond to them. As one example, you will obtain different responses
if you attempt to fuck a NPC’s pussy if she has a dildo up her ass, if she has a
vibrator up her ass or if her ass is un-violated. Scarlet Herring was also one
of the first (if not the first) to use an incremental excitement meter for all
the characters. This allowed him to provide different responses to sex actions
depending on how aroused his characters are. As a downside to this, players end
up repeating commands numerous times and until arousal thresholds are crossed,
receive unchanging responses. The four women in Moist are, thankfully, all very
different from one another. Scarlet Herring took four archetypes (maid,
businesswoman, dominatrix, woman of leisure) and made them as real as possible
given their surroundings. They don’t have a lot of dimension to them, but then
again, Moist is an erotic fantasy. Each has a different puzzle to unlock them,
and each has a different path to satisfying them. Of the four, the two that
satisfy me most are Ilsa the dominatrix and Kim the accountant. You get the
sense that Scarlet Herring was having the most fun with them; Kim doles out the
sex in one-turn tease-y snippets, each barely whetting the player’s appetite for
her, until she decides she’s good and ready to give up the whole package. Ilsa
acts the role of dom. to perfection – in certain scenes with her the player has
no say in the action and must simply wait to see what acts she’ll perform. The
other two characters are somewhat less fully- rendered, though harassing Fanny
the maid is a lot of fun. Of the four, I find the queen to be the most difficult
to enjoy (more on her later). The sex writing is another strength of the game.
It is over-the-top cartoonish porn with just enough sensual detail to make it
highly immersive and original. The arousal state system also makes it extremely
varied. In alternate moments, one NPC can either be totally unaroused, making a
rape scene possible or she can be somewhat aroused or fully aroused, thereby
making for numerous extremely different and all very well implemented actions.
Technical:
Technically, Moist is very clean, though when I first played and noted that in
the very opening scene, ‘picnic’ is spelled ‘picknick’, I felt like I was in for
a rough time (‘picknick’ is apparently an acceptable alternate spelling
according to dictionary.com). Otherwise, there are a few very minor bugs, and
almost no grammar or spelling problems. I doubt that anyone but a very
deliberate repeat player would uncover bugs in Moist. Plus, the author released
the (heavily commented) source code, making it possible for a player to correct
any bugs himself.
Puzzles/Game play:
The puzzles in Moist are extremely reasonable. As the aim of the game is to
enjoy the sex, the puzzles are designed to add interest rather than frustration.
In terms of their difficulty, I would rate them as moderately easy. They all
make reasonably good sense, all generally relate well to the personality of the
NPC they are associated with and, for the most part, enhance the game. And, to
keep them from hindering a player too much, Scarlet Herring has implemented an
elaborate context-sensitive hint system that keeps a player moving right along
from one sex scene to the next.
There are a few criticisms that I have of Moist. First, some players may have
difficulty suspending their disbelief over the concept. I sometimes wonder: what
are those four women actually doing in that buried castle? What is the queen
“queen” of? Why does she need a secretary if all she does is lie around half
naked drinking goat’s milk? Why is the whole castle save a few rooms pitch
black? Why does Fanny walk around in the dark? What else does Fanny do beside
fetch milk for the queen? What does Ilsa do all day without prisoners to
torture? These are questions that I heartily recommend that the author address –
in a sequel. Second, considering the freedom you have to take almost any action
you want with the NPC’s in the game, I wish it was possible to arrange them into
a threesome. Again, this is a grievance I think the author should remedy – in a
sequel. Third, I feel that the Queen is too difficult to please – it is
currently only possible to make her orgasm through one combination of actions.
This flattens her as a character and makes her more into a puzzle item that
needs to be solved. I think the author should endeavor to give her more depth –
in a sequel.
Final Thoughts:
If you are looking for classic AIF that has great characters, sex and is simply
a ton of fun, look no further than Moist. The only thing you’ll be sorry about
it is that there isn’t more.
Rating: A
Reviewed by Christopher Cole
Overall Thoughts:
"Moist" was the first non-Star Trek AIF game I ever played. I remember I was
browsing through the IF Archive (not really even knowing the letters 'AIF' yet)
downloading any game I thought might have sex in them along the lines of the
Star Trek games I had played. The title "Moist" sounded promising. I played it,
loved it, and have played it numerous times since then. It is easily my
favourite AIF game so this review will be heavily on the positive side.
The story was far-fetched as in many AIF games. But it was so well written that
I found myself accepting this fantasy realm of Queen Morghana, easily suspending
my disbelief that a crack in the mountainside could open up to this magical
place. Once inside her realm, the story was thin in that it was only about
escaping through sexual escapades, but the world was so colourful, rich and
sexually charged that I was completely satisfied.
The NPCs of the story (Morghana and her three servants, Fanny, Ilsa, and Kim)
were well written with differing motives and personalities, and were all
attractive in varying ways. It didn't just seem like I was moving from 'female
NPC 1' to 'female NPC 2' as it does in many other games I've played. These were
four very different, very intriguing NPCs for me to interact with in a very
functional castle within the mountain.
The game is extremely fun, extremely sexy, and very re-playable.
Puzzles/Game play:
This is the only part of the review that will even remotely seem negative and
that's more because I am a very inadequate player when it comes to solving
puzzles than problems with the puzzles themselves.
There are numerous instances right off the bat where you may find yourself in a
position that you cannot proceed any further. It actually took me many attempts
just to find my way into Morghana's realm. This is a game where you want to pick
up every item you come across because you may need it in the future. I'm not a
heavy player of regular IF, but I think this is a traditional way of going about
things in IF games. I usually try to limit how much my PCs can carry in my
games, so you have to pick and choose which items you want to carry. However,
I'll always allow you to go back and get an item you didn't carry with you if
you find you need it later. In "Moist" if you leave an item thinking you can go
back later to get it, you'll quickly find yourself at a dead end, needing to
restart the game.
You also have items with limited uses, which, if you're a mediocre puzzle solver
like myself, means you may find yourself quite literally in the dark, unable to
proceed. When you get into the Queen's realm, you'll find yourself faced with
many more puzzles leading to (and sometimes within) sex scenes.
I had to consult a walkthrough very early in this game and found myself going
back to the walkthrough a few times throughout. Again, this says more about me
as a player than anything negative against the puzzles in the game. If you are a
good IF player (and/or are a fan or are familiar with traditional IF puzzles),
you probably won't have too much difficulty with the puzzles in "Moist".
Sex:
As mentioned above, sex is the driving force behind "Moist". You need to satisfy
the Queen in order to escape her strange realm (though I still wonder why you
would want to escape exactly). Before you can satisfy the Queen, you must be
recommended to her by her servants (ie: you must satisfy them first).
The sex in "Moist" is extremely well written, exciting and hot. It is highly
interactive and varied. There are puzzles leading to the sex, and puzzles within
the sex. There are sexual options that you can explore or skip at your leisure.
Each NPC has different needs and wants. Some give freely, others you'll have to
work at. Scarlet Herring has covered a high number of personalities, situations,
and sexual options considering the game only has four NPCs.
Technical:
There are no major bugs or glitches in this game that I am aware of; certainly
nothing earth-shattering. If I really wanted to get nitpicky, I did notice the
odd spelling mistake here and there, but with the vast amount of text in the
game, I certainly didn't mind. Even professional published novels have one or
two spelling mistakes.
The source code for "Moist" is available. This is the only technical bit I
thought needed mentioning. Scarlet Herring himself says that it's a bit of a
jumble. When I first tried to learn TADS, I looked at the "Moist" code since it
was my favorite game. I got dizzy trying to understand it. I'd just like to say
that though the code is available, it should be used only as a way of looking at
the game in full code as opposed to using it as a learning tool.
Intangibles:
"Moist" is, in my opinion, the greatest AIF game out there. It should satisfy
those of us who like games that are pretty much just sexual romps, as well as
those of us who enjoy a traditional IF puzzle game that just happens to have
lots of well written sex in it.
Final Thoughts:
"Moist" is the game that inspired me to start writing my own. It was my first
glimpse into the world of AIF, letting me know that there was more out there
other than the two or three Star Trek games I had tried. Fun from an IF
perspective, fun from an AIF perspective, it should satisfy all types of AIF
players.
Rating: A+
Reviewed by A. Bomire
Overall thoughts:
This was second AIF game I ever played. (For those keeping track at home,
NewKid's GNA was the first, because the IF Archive has the games alphabetically
listed <g>). Moist still ranks in my mind as one of the best games ever written.
Coming out of the early days of AIF when games were written as DOS games or
using AGT, this game is a refreshing change, and ushered in what is considered
to be the modern age of AIF. On top of that, it is extremely well-written, with
interesting and variable characters. Though small, there is plenty to do with
the queen's servants, and though I've played the game many times, I still find
little tidbits here and there that I have missed (or forgotten).
Puzzles/Game play:
The puzzles in this game are not hard, and the game play is easy and fun. Among
the many innovations of this game is the now-standard arousal system, where as
you perform actions on a girl her arousal goes up until climax. The game even
provides you with a copy of the Kama Sutra in which it notifies you of each
girl's current arousal, and how many times you've satisfied her. There is even a
built-in hint/tip system, although in bit of reverse logic you can't find it
until you've played the game through and won. I guess it was meant as a reward
for those who solved the game and wanted to go back and find the things they
missed. And, as I mentioned above, there is a lot to find! I ranked this game as
medium length because it can be completed in under 2 hours. However, you could
very easily spend hours playing this game, looking in every nook and cranny and
exploring every avenue open to you. Just reading the graffiti in the bathroom
could eat up quite a bit of time! It is tidbits like this that make this game so
enjoyable for first time players, and such a joy to come back to.
Sex:
The sex in this game is fantastic. Not just because it is so well-written, but
because Scarlett Herring thought of just about everything. If you can think of
it, he implemented it. Dildos, vibrators, bondage, whipping and spanking, even
descriptions of the girls after you've covered their body with your fluid. (And
you can even get them to "clean" themselves up!) For the most part, all of it is
optional. Of course, you have to satisfy the girls to get to the queen, but the
use of dildos, vibrators, etc is, with one exception, optional.
Bugs:
This game has been out a long while, and all of the bugs have long been
corrected. There are a couple of misspellings, but not enough to detract from
the over-all enjoyment of the game.
Final Thought:
This game is ranked as either at the top, or among an elite few at the top, by
just about everyone associated with the AIF genre, and with good reason. It is
fun, sexy and just a joy to play.
Rank: A+
Reviewed by BBBen
Overall thoughts:
I’ll be brief because other players who’ve played the game a lot more than me
can wax lyrical on the game’s merits far more than me. Moist does not attempt to
create a convincing plot. The premise is in fact introduced to the player
through a plaque discovered soon after entering the cave, and there is an air of
“who cares about plot, this game is about sex” about Moist, which is not
necessarily an awful thing. This is not going to be an immersive experience,
however. Frankly I found the plot, such as it was, a little annoying, but the
game is very good for pure sex.
Puzzles/game play:
For a game that is basically a sex romp, there is a bit too much confusion and
puzzle solving before anything approaching sex starts, at least for my tastes.
Once it does get going, it is much more entertaining, but the early puzzle
solving is a little frustrating to me. I had trouble getting through the puzzles
without a walkthrough, but then when it comes to puzzles I am bad and impatient.
Sex:
Particularly for this game, this is by far the most important criteria. Sex is
the object of the game, and it is certainly worth the trouble of playing. The
sex writing is still among the best in AIF, though the “mindset” of the sex (or
“ideology” of the sex; you know what I mean?) did not always particularly
interest me.
Technical:
I found no bugs, the game was smooth and slick. I did however have some trouble
with guess-the-verb problems.
Intangibles:
In the early stages of the game I felt somewhat tense, not entirely sure of what
should happen. It did not give me the comfortable feeling that I find important
in T&AIF.
Final thoughts:
This game is a much loved classic for many veterans of the community, but being
more of a young blood (only involved since ’99, and then not very actively) I
only actually first played the game recently. It may be the game was a seminal
work of AIF, and it is certainly a well produced game, but it is not one of my
favourites. That said, it is well worth playing for any fan of AIF. It was a
game I played while still rather impatient toward AIF and perhaps that biased me
somewhat, but the game, while good, didn’t quite click with me in the way it did
with most other people.
Rating: B+
Reviewed By SWelland
Overall Thoughts:
Moist was an immensely enjoyable game from start to finish. Having only
discovered AIF within the last year, I was pleased to have discovered Moist
after having played a few “cheesy” creations that left the imagination and the
intellect wanting more. Sex scenes in this game are rewards to having solved the
various puzzles as opposed to a all-out “slamfest”.
The restocking of pertinent items on the way out of the castle was the ultimate
in bringing you back to explore and play again. Mega kudos!
Puzzles/Game play:
With only one or two exceptions, the puzzles in Moist can be solved by paying
attention and using a little intuition. This game was long IF you spent the time
actually looking at all that is available to read and examine. It could well be
completed in less than 2 hours if your only intention was to reach the goal,
Queen Morghana. I found a couple of puzzles, like unlocking the wine cellar, a
little off-center, but was able to complete them without resorting to a
walkthrough.
The Blackjack game had both a negative and a positive side for me. I found it to
be a stroke of genius on one hand, but soon thought, “I can only stomach so much
genius” as I reached the final hand to seduce the lovely Kim.
The Kama Sutra was another ingenious addition, allowing you to monitor your
success and to make you take the time to build each willing participant up to a
frenzy before being allowed to indulge yourself completely.
Sex:
I found the sex scenes to be well written, but more importantly, not limited to
a narrow line of thought. A true pet peeve is to be told I really don’t want to
try something that I intentionally tried. Moist, for the most part, covered the
bases with true erotica.
Technical:
I found only a few minor glitches, such as examining the cupboard and having it
reply “the chest is open”. I was afraid when I first started the game near the
“picnick” area that this would be another misspelled adventure. Though not a
true “bug”, I did find waiting 15-16 times before seducing the Amazon of a woman
in the dungeon a bit much. (On the other hand, I did find on subsequent play
that as opposed to waiting, other options are available.)
Final thoughts:
Moist ranks in the Top 5 for me, as it covered all that AIF stands for,
stimulating thought in both the intellectual sense and in a pure sexual sense.
Without a doubt, a job well done and a pleasure to play again and again.
Reviews should be considered copyrighted by their respective authors.
| Any donation would be much appreciated to help keep the site online and growing. | To help make your donation quicker and
easier just click the "Donate" button and you will be taken to the secure Paypal donation page. |
|
| Home | About Me |
