Dear Mark and David,


Enclosed please find the latest version of Easter.  I would like to enter
Easter in your 1989 contest for two important reasons, not because I expect to
win.

The first reason is that I support the goals of the contest. I would like to
see more people actually writing there own game instead of just playing them.
In particular, the 12-15 year old age group would benefit greatly from
actually writing a game.

The second reason is because I believe that adventure games have taken a
"wrong turn" in their development.  Your blurb on the contest indicates that
"originality, cleverness, fiendishness, humor and raw cunning" are the factors
involved in judging games.

I believe that a game should be judged on one criteria only-- fun. Here I see
a problem.  Simply stated: Adventure Games aren't fun anymore to first time
players.  They are too cleaver, too fiendish and too difficult for first time
players.  I believe this is the reason for the declining popularity of text
based games.

In fact, most children, and their parents who helped them, found my first
release of Easter too difficult and not fun! I had to make it even easier.
For example: Nobody, not one child, not one parent could figure out to pray
until the Bible clue was added!

My goal in entering this contest: my goal in writing Easter is to let the text
based game writers know that it is not VGA that is killing text based games.
The games are simply not fun unless you are an aficionado.  How can a new
player get started?  Don't believe me?  Give the magnificent ALICE to a 12
year old and see what happens.

None of the AGT contest goals are design goals of Easter.  In fact, I have
gone out of my way to overcome my natural tendency to include some of these
factors---cleverness, fiendishness and raw cunning---in Easter.

My design goal for Easter was simple---make it fun for a child age 8-10.  Keep
the child interested--reward the child often.  Avoid frustration--develop a
winning pattern--the obvious repetition in Easter is not lack of imagination.
It is intentional.

To judge this game give it to a child.  He will play it "more than any other
game". This is the reaction of the debuggers and their parents.


This game has not yet been generally released although it is posted on several
bulletin boards.  This is because AGT has been found unsuitable for beginner's
and children's games (sorry).  A revision of AGT is currently underway that
will make it easier for the young and uninitiated to become acquainted with
text based interactive fiction.  When completed, the source will be supplied
to Softworks for distribution to everyone.  Until then Easter is not really
finished.  I hope to supply the new AGT version by the end of the year but....

Kindest Regards,

Tom Reynolds


                         Walkthrough

No walkthrough is provided.  Any experienced game player will
solve the game in short order. However, a list of EGG
locations is provided.  You'd be surprised at how many adults
have not solved this "trivial" game.
 
     Egg                     Location
     White                   Gomber's-behind door
     Pink                    Front Yard-climb ladder/old tree
     Red                     Front Deck-in plant
     Green                   Parent's Bedroom-in closet
     Yellow                  Parent's Bathroom-in shower
     Purple                  Dining Room-in napkin holder
     Brown                   Dining Room-in low cabinet
     Black                   Kid's Room-on crates
     Striped                 Hall-in closet
     Indigo                  Kid's Bathroom-in shower
     Blue                    Back Yard-slide down slide
     Violet                  Playhouse-move wagon