Hello, downloader!

Thanks for downloading LASH. LASH belongs to the genre of games known as
interactive fiction (also known as text adventures or IF), similar in
format to classic adventure games like Zork and Planetfall. These games
rely on the single greatest known graphics generator: the human brain.
They present an immersive world in text form, and like an absorbing
book, take you on a journey of imagination and discovery. If you're new
to IF, don't worry -- the software contains detailed instructions for
how to use it. Even if you've played lots of text adventures, I
recommend that you type "HELP" at the first prompt, since that will
bring up the game's documentation, some of which is vital to completing
the story.

LASH does not come with hints or walkthroughs. It's not a particularly
puzzle-oriented game, so you should be able to experience quite a lot of
it without any puzzle-solving skill whatsoever. However, if you find
yourself stuck, I recommend that you post a hint request on the Usenet
newsgroup rec.games.int-fiction. (If you're unfamiliar with Usenet, check
out http://www.deja.com/usenet/ for a fairly solid introduction.) The
people on that newsgroup are pretty friendly, and I read it regularly
myself, so I'll answer your question if nobody else does.

The executable version of LASH in this zipped download package uses a
DOS-based interpreter program called Jzip, which was written by John
Holder, and the executable file was created using a utility called
Jzexe, which was written by Magnus Olsson. You can also play LASH on
your mobile phone -- for details, check out www.redgrendel.com. If
you're a Windows user and you'd like to play LASH on a fancier
interpreter with features like standard Windows interface, font and
color selection, and scrollback buffer, you might try downloading
WinFrotz. WinFrotz, like Jzip, is an "interpreter" program, which means
that it can read IF files in a specialized format called "z-code,"
similar to the way that a VCR can read videotapes. To find the latest
version of WinFrotz, go to
http://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinfocomXinterpretersXfrotz.html.
To get the LASH z-code file, use
http://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/zcode/LASH.z8.

There are lots and lots of other free text adventures at the IF archive, some
of them just as good or better than any text adventure ever released
commercially. If you're looking for a starting point, check out the
webzine SPAG at http://www.sparkynet.com/spag. This zine is dedicated to
making the gaming public aware of text adventures available today, and
features reviews, interviews, and a readers' scoreboard that lets
subscribers rate their favorite adventures. It also happens to be edited
by me. (cough) :) Another great site with lots of info about IF is
Stephen Granade's About.com IF site at http://interactfiction.about.com

Finally, a word of warning about LASH: it isn't your typical adventure
game. I view it as more of a story or interactive experience than a
game, in fact, and it contains scenes which some people may find
disturbing or offensive. It is not intended for children.

Thanks again for checking out my game. If you enjoyed it, or even if you
didn't enjoy it, or (especially) if you've found a bug, I would love to
hear your feedback at obrian@colorado.edu.


-- 
Paul O'Brian
Westminster, CO  USA
August 7, 2000