The StoryHarp Audioventure Authoring System adds the dimension of voice to interactive fiction development, harking back to the great story-telling traditions of old. The StoryHarp player uses speech, sounds and music to talk to you -- and you play the "audioventure" simply by talking back! Once the audioventure starts, you can turn off your monitor and turn on your imagination. You can use StoryHarp to create your own voice-operated audioventures that include text-to-speech, sounds and music. While StoryHarp is not as powerful or flexible as some interactive fiction engines (TADS, Inform, Hugo), StoryHarp development requires little programming skills. The emphasis is on rapidly putting your ideas in motion. StoryHarp helps you to organize your stories with list, map and browser views of story elements. You can also use StoryHarp to create training and educational exercises and interviews. For example, a StoryHarp-based employee guide could allow users to navigate among different areas (imagined as rooms) to find exactly what information they need. StoryHarp's text-to-speech and voice recognition require Microsoft Agent, which is currently available at no charge for download from Microsoft. To use StoryHarp by voice you must have Agent installed. Without Agent, the StoryHarp player can be used by reading messages and clicking in a list of responses.
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