Question: What is a text adventure? Answer: Like a graphical adventure, except better Question: Why is it better? Answer: Because you can use your own imagination to build the scene, from the text provided; because you are not bound to 'predicted actions', and because I say so! Question: How do I talk to this 'text adventure' thing? Answer: Much the same way as you would talk to a person, well sort of anyway. Here are some examples of valid commands... GET THE APPLE EXAMINE THE APPLE AND EAT IT GET THE HAT AND THE GLOVES, THEN WEAR THEM I (short for INVENTORY) LOOK TOM, GIVE EVERYTHING TO DICK. GET ALL. GIVE THE COAT TO PETER. LOOK IN THE CHEST UNLOCK THE CHEST WITH THE GOLD KEY, THEN OPEN IT. LOOK IN THE CHEST TAKE THE RING FROM THE CHEST LIGHT LAMP EXTINGUISH LAMP SAVE LOAD VERBOSE BRIEF SCRIPT UNSCRIPT BECOME TOM BECOME DICK Question: How does the computer (games master) talk to me? Answer: It sends text to your screen! It may be responding to your command or, it may be informing you of something that has happenned that is quite unrelated to your command.... i.e. If you type GET APPLE ...and the APPLE isn't here, you may get the response I don't see that here. If you type EAT THE APPLE ...and the programmer was feeling a bit mean, you may get Aaah! It was poisoned, the venom courses through your lifeblood.. drone drone drone etc. ...or if the programmer is a nice guy (like me).... Yummy yummy, in my tummy! Maybe a goblin appears randomly sometimes..... A goblin appears as if from nowhere! Question: How do I know where I am? Answer: The adventure world is divided into 'rooms'. These rooms do not have to be physical rooms.. i.e. a room could be 'a field'; they are just a way of dividing the universe! Whenever you enter a room, the computer will kindly tell you where you are (presuming it is light enough to determine!). If you have already visited the room, you will just get a short description. Question: What's the point? Answer: These can be varied! Perhaps you have to get all the treasure and stick it in the chest; killing all the monsters as you go... or maybe you have to rescue the beautiful princess lulu from the dark vader... or maybe the point of the adventure is to discover the point of the adventure (a bit twisted). Question: Okay. So what do I need to play it? Answer: Well you're on to a good start! A computer, the adventure, a sense of adventure, a sense of fun, a logical/illogical approach (depending on the approach of the programmer), some paper, a pen, and a padded cell. Question: What am I waiting for? Answer: Search me!