WELCOME TO SPATENT OBSTRUCTION v.2.5. By Chris Canavan.



The game, in itself, is easy to use if you follow some simple directions. The
game follows a text phaser similar to early Inforcom and sierra games. Whenever
you first enter a room you will be given a description such as this:

  You are standing in your back yard. The view is beautiful considering the
  trees that block much of the sunlight trying to enter. A pool stands in the
  far distance and more trees are off to the east. Flowers are growning all
  over the back yard, in no orderly fashion.
     There is a box here, sitting on your deck.
     There is one broken flower, sitting near the others.


You can look at anything. The game will give you a description of anything that
is indented. For instance you might try this:

WHAT NOW? look at flower

  The flower is your regular red rose with a broken stem. It has a slight smell
  except that it's near dying so much of it's beauty and smell has left it.

WHAT NOW? look at box

  It's just a big brown box.


You can also take things in the game:

WHAT NOW: Take flower

  You take the flower

WHAT NOW: Take box

  You can't take the box. It's too heavy!


At this moment the game will not understand most of the nouns contained in the
paragraph. For instane, the above example if the player did this, it wouldn't
work:

WHAT NOW: Look at pool

  I don't understand POOL as a noun

You are better off sticking with the indented items. Besides looking, taking,
you can alose use any verbs you want. This is a list the THE SPATENT
OBSTRUCTION already knows:

OPEN
TAKE
USE
TURN
KILL
LIGHT
DROP
TURN
PUSH
EAT
THROW
DIAL
PAY
BUY
TALK
SHOW
READ
PULL
PUNCH
INSERT
FIX
MOVE
CLIMB
DIG
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
NORTHEAST
SOUTHEAST
NORTHWEST
SOUTHWEST
UP
DOWN
PLAY
DRINK
SLEEP
CHOP
SIGN

The game also will use other various verbs.

In the game you are able to read anything that seems it can be read:

WHAT NOW: READ LETTER

  You skim over the letter and notice it is not addressed to you. But it says:

    Dear Jay,
      I'll be meeting you at the first annual party at 9pm. Be there, buddy.
    -Johnny

Besides taking something, droping will put the item in the current room.

All you command should follow simple VERB NOUN format:

EAT HAM  <This is a good agt sentence and will be known to the game>
TAKE HAM IN ARMS AND SHOVE BETWEEN LIPS BEFORE CHEWING  <will not be known>

Agt works on the idea of matching nouns and verbs so to make it easier for the
game, your commands should be written in two to three word commands.

To go a direction you can type in the direction you want to go (they are listed
in the verb list above) or you can use you number keypad on your computer.

9 is North
2 is South
6 is East
9 Is Northeast
etc.

You can also save and restore the game by typing either SAVE or RESTORE and
hitting enter.

But the keypad doesn't know up or down so if you want to try that direction you
must type it. Directions are known by just typing the direction and then enter.

Ten Hints to the Spatent Obstruction:

1. Use simple NOUN VERB sentencesand work with the indented sentences.
2. Look at and read everything.
3. Try every possible direction in every room.
4. Take everything, you can carry an infinate number of objects!
5. After you kill a creature type LOOK and see if you can get your weapon back.
6. TALK to everything that is alive.
7. Pay close attention to what people are doing.
8. Save and restore game often!
9. Relate the game to everyday life: What would you do to a doorknob? Turn it!
10. If all elce fails register for 10$ and get the hint book!

Thank you,
Chris Canavan