The story title is "Repeat the Ending". The story author is "Drew Cook". The story headline is "A New Critical Edition". Release along with cover art ("cover.jpg"). [Stuff for Spring Thing web release. Haven't decided how to handle web play going forward. Release along with an interpreter. Release along with the introductory postcard. Release along with the style sheet "rte.css". Release along with a file of "'A Guide to Primeoid Fashion' and the '2003 Transcript'" called "feelieRTE.pdf".] Release number is 3. [This is the post-festival release of RTE] [include Glulx Text Effects (for Glulx only) by Emily Short.] Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Include Menus by Wade Clarke. Include Basic Help Menu by Wade Clarke. PROD is a truth state that varies. PROD is usually true. Use American dialect. Use the serial comma. [Leftover from when I intended to release with Parchment. Final release will be for IFDB 'Play Online' functionality, which detects light/dark mode preference at browser/system level. Itch.io is another story.... Table of User Styles (continued) style name relative size color background color all-styles -- "#ffffff" "#000000"] section 0-999 - not for release PROD is false. After reading a command: if the player's command matches the regular expression "^\p|^<*+='>": say "(Noted.)"; reject the player's command; [I learned this from Brian Rushton] Adescing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "AD" as adescing. Carry out ADESCing: repeat with current running through things: if current is not nothing: say "[current]: [description of current][paragraph break]" [modified from Inform Manual] this is the empty description rule: repeat with item running through things: if description of the item is "": say "[item] has no description." EDing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "ED" as EDing. Carry out EDing: follow the empty description rule. cheating is an action applying to one number. Understand "cheat [number]" as cheating. Instead of cheating when the number understood is less than zero: say "Only values ranging from zero to thirty-three are allowed." Instead of cheating when the number understood is greater than 33: say "Only values ranging from zero to thirty-three are allowed." Carry out cheating: now D is the number understood; say "The score is now set to [D]." Volume 1 (Global) Book 1 (Deprecated) Book 2 (Rules) Part 1 (Meta) Chapter 1 (Display) Section 1 (Banner Delay) [the title and author splash occurs after the prologue is completed] Rule for printing the banner text when the player is not the poet: do nothing. Section 2 (localization) Use American dialect and the serial comma. Part 2 (Player Feedback) Chapter 1 (Complex Rules) Section 1 (Inventory) [omits magic (bleedsources) from inventory; technically entropic energy sources are items. Based on code I picked up at intfiction.org] The print standard inventory rule is not listed in any rulebook. Carry out taking inventory (this is the new print inventory rule): now all things enclosed by the player are marked for listing; now all bleedsources are unmarked for listing; if no things enclosed by the player are marked for listing: say "[text of print empty inventory rule response (A)][line break]"; otherwise: say "[text of print standard inventory rule response (A)]"; list the contents of the player, with newlines, indented, including contents, giving inventory information, with extra indentation, listing marked items only. Section 2 (deprecated) Section 3 (process for hiding and revealing the status line) [This is the only I6 code in Repeat the Ending. I got it from Phil Riley over at intfiction.org. Use it to hide and reveal the status line with something like *TRY HIDING THE STATUS LINE*.] Include (- [ InitStatusWindow sty; if (gg_statuswin == 0) { statuswin_cursize = statuswin_size; if (0) { for (sty=0: sty= 1 and D <= 5 ]It appears that you have been pushing against the edges of this narrative. Whether this is good or bad, I cannot say. For guidance on the scoring system in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], consult the 'Reader's Companion' (*GUIDE* or *GD*).[otherwise if D >= 6 and D < 11]It seems you have been pursuing alternate narrative outcomes. Remember that you can find guidance regarding this facet of play by consulting the 'Player's Companion' (*GUIDE* or *GD*).[otherwise if D is 11]It appears that you have found all possible fail states so far. Clearly, you have the matter well in hand without assistance from me.[end if][rt][pb][em]C. A. Smythe[lb]" 15 -- "[it]In previous versions of this new edition, the narrator discussed the current state of the score after describing the Hospital Parking Lot. Ultimately, it was cut for reasons of tonal consistency. Since it helpfully predicts possible endings, I include that cut content here, without further comment.[rt][pb][em]C. A. Smythe 'The current score is [D in words] out of twenty-seven points available prior to reaching this location[dot][if D <= 10] Since there are only six points remaining, it is no longer possible to complete the game; it can only be finished.[otherwise if D is 11] You must find every remaining point to attain the [']True Ending['] of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it].[otherwise if D >= 12 and D <= 17] If you are diligent, we can escape the bonds of this narrative after being trapped within it for 25 miserable years.[otherwise if D >= 17 and D <= 26] You have come so much further than I could have dreamed, further than we ever have.[otherwise if D is 27] I don't know what to say. I admit that I may have sold you short.[end if]'[lb]" 16 Section 3 (DSC Messages) [footnotes from another source] Table of DSC Index Message OV a number "1" 1 -- "[italic type]Those who have followed Drew Cook's critical writings know that he is the author of '[bold type]Planetfall[roman type][italic type] and the Gamification of Tedium,' a logic-bending essay that attempts to excuse some of Steve Meretzky's more misguided design decisions (red herrings, bathrooms, and so forth) in the beloved Infocom classic [bold type]Planetfall[roman type][italic type]. Cook, known today more as a critic than as an author, makes a credible case, but fails to put its lessons to work here. Players and reviewers alike tend to agree that the trailer interior region holds too many interactable objects that serve only to distract and clutter.[rt][paragraph break][EM]D. S. Collins [14 as a CAS][roman type][line break]" 2 -- "[italic type]Early playtester feedback was critical of Cook's failure to document unique features and systems found within [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. These criticisms persisted, even after Cook added the *HELP*, *GAMEPLAY*, and *VERBS* commands. Ultimately, Cook's frustration led to his implementation of the *WIN* command, a rather snarky and unproductive response 'feature' that has been restored in this annotated edition for altogether unclear reasons.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 3 -- "[italic type]While Montague has called the 'game over' sequence involving the mirror a 'tonal non sequitur,' it is perhaps the only insight into the protagonist's self-image that does not rely on confessional rhetoric.[paragraph break][rt]D. S. Collins[line break]" 4 -- "[italic type]The sink and its contents are, like the objects in the bathroom, most likely created out of a sense of craft necessity, since players expect all nouns used in room descriptions to be implemented objects. However, Cook did later integrate[EM]with apparent pleasure[EM]such 'useless' objects into the scoring system of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type].[paragraph break][roman type]D. S. Collins[line break]" 5 -- "[Italic Type]In the 1990s, 'nerd' was a more potent pejorative than it is today. Cook's use of it is almost certainly intended to bite.[paragraph break][rt][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 6 -- "[italic type]The 'psychic bleed' is one of the more mysterious elements in [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. Given Cook's interest in themes pertaining to mental illness, it is tempting to see the cycle of loss and inheritance dramatized here as metaphoric, but his own comments have been characteristically cagey.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 7 -- "[italic type]While Cook's use of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* remains controversial, it must be admitted that it ultimately has utility in-game not only once but twice.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 8 -- "[it]'Dude' in this context refers not to the player but to the 'you' that D berates throughout the text of [bt]Repeat the Ending[rt].[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 9 -- "[italic type]An early commentator characterized [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] as a 'miserablist' work, presumably due to the protagonist's negative self-talk, the dingy setting of the trailer park, and so forth. When asked about his chosen subjects, Cook asserted that 'Misery isn't inherently performative. Some lives are just shit. People with bad lives aren't any less suitable as artistic subject matter than are happy people. Whatever [bold type]happy[italic type] is.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 10 -- "[italic type]It's worth noting that there are so many implemented objects in the car that the player will reach a fail state before examining them all.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 11 -- "[italic type]If there is a single inspiration for Battle Princess Chiyo, it is not clear what it is. Visually, Cook may have imagined someone like [bold type]Devil Hunter Yohko[italic type], who enjoyed modest popularity in the early nineties. The massive, haunted greatsword, on the other hand, feels like Moorcock by way of Lawrence Schick.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 12 -- "[italic type]The Driveway location is yet another significant departure from the originating 1996 text. The neighbor, the cat, and this location are all entirely new for this anniversary edition. Originally, a dog attacked the protagonist near his car, and he drove it away with magic. Helping animals and rescuing people is, in fact, a radical shift away from the character of the so-called 'poet' of 1996. Qualitative characteristics aside, this new text contains more than twice as many words as the original. As others have pointed out, it is not possible to verify Cook's claims regarding 'original intent.'[roman type][pb][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 13 -- "[italic type]While this act may seem unkind, Cook's sympathies undoubtedly lie with the boy.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 14 -- "15" 15 -- "[italic type]In spite of Cook's apparent literary ambitions, it is worth remembering that he has written a substantial body of criticism regarding classic adventure games by a company called 'Infocom.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 16 -- "[italic type]A discussion of the meaning of the new scoring system in [bt]Repeat the Ending[it], while warranted, must be set aside for another venue. In the interim, I will belabor the obvious in saying that Cook's use of 'score' is almost certainly ironic. Audiences who consider themselves too sophisticated for such outdated narrative features might better enjoy themselves by referring to it as a 'failure index,' 'success deficit,' 'flop quotient,' or, more portentously, a 'present assessment of counter-narrative guerrilla action.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 17 -- "[italic type]In the source code, the 'orange-eyed woman' is referred to as 'the entropist,' while the main protagonist is called the 'poet.' Even though this distinction was not needed in [bt]RTE 96[it] (there was no Entropist in that version), Cook still took the trouble to call him something other than 'the player.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 18 -- "[italic type][bt]Repeat the Ending[it] is a generally linear narrative, especially once outside the trailer. When asked about this feature of the game, Cook[EM]rather cryptically[EM]quipped, 'Players always have options. I have coded so many ways to die that a way out is always at hand. The player need only find an ending that satisfies them more than playing does.' We are left to wonder what implications this new, expanded edition's 'merciful' approach to death and failure might have for readers assessing player agency and narrative linearity.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 19 -- "[it]Given D's interest in comic books and anime, it isn't terribly surprising that parts of [it]Repeat the Ending[it] could appear in structurally conventional superhero stories.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 20 -- "[italic type]In his own critical work, Cook has consistently mentioned [bold type]Enchanter[italic type] and [bold type]A Mind Forever Voyaging[italic type] as his favorite Infocom games.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]D. S. Collins[line break]" 21 -- "[it]IHOP® is a real-world, sit-down restaurant chain that features, among other things, breakfast around the clock. If the setting of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is based on Hot Springs, Arkansas, then D's destination is on the south end of town.[rt][pb][EM]D. S. Collins[lb]" 22 -- "[it]Cook's decision to replace the woman neighbor (1996) with a gay man (2021) merits some discussion. Cook has said repeatedly that revisions for this new edition reflect his 'original intent.' However, in many cases, this seems rather incredible. Perhaps in this instance he is telling the truth. In the 90s, Brad's presence might have felt like misguided exoticism, but most contemporary audiences no longer expect authors to explain or justify the existence of gay people in their work. The fact that Brad's identity goes unremarked upon in 1996 says something about Brad's and D's respective characters and invites further investigation.[rt][pb][EM]D. S. Collins[lb]" 23 Section 4 (AHM messages) [still more footnotes] Table of AHM Index Message OV a number "[italic type]Cook's unfortunate tendency to equate spiritual and psychological impoverishment with material poverty is classist and rather dangerously implies that the protagonist's living conditions are an expression of cosmic justice. Note the (un)loving detail with which he characterizes the trailer's bathroom. Although there are eight implemented objects here, it should be noted that there are very few productive actions to perform in this location.[paragraph break]It's hard to ignore the general uselessness of places and objects in the wider world of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type], and its ongoing fascination with entropy reflects Cook's fixation on the themes of deterioration and futility. As the narrator says of the bathroom, it is 'a dead end in many senses.' This narrator, who frequently argues with himself about the merits of survival, likely considers himself, like the toilet, an exemplar of 'misspent fortitude,' and the lack of video game 'utility' afforded by the bathroom seems to reinforce such a reading.[paragraph break][em]A. H. Montague[line break]" 1 -- "[italic type]The infamous 'spider episode' is a dramatic example of Cook's hatred of his impoverished and disabled characters. Many objects in the trailer can be invested with the *SEETHING ORDER*, and each case leads to a different, fatal outcome. The narrator, who seems to be the 'body' of the protagonist, blames his thinking, agentic counterpart for his suffering. This second half of an agonistic dyad is more than likely meant to represent the player. It is reasonable to interpret Cook's narrative structure as an accusation directed at audiences, who are not merely passive observers but partners in accountability. Naturally, this tactic conveniently shifts blame away from Cook's own self-loathing ableism.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 2 -- "[italic type]Despite frequent ostentations regarding thorough implementation, Cook often makes generic, catch-all nouns of the most shallow sort. Consider, for instance, this tactic:[paragraph break][fls]UNDERSTAND 'OVEN' AND 'STOVE' AND 'REFRIGERATOR' AND 'FRIDGE' AND 'TOASTER' AND 'MICROWAVE' AND 'MICROWAVE OVEN' AND 'BLENDER' AS THE VARIOUS KITCHEN APPLIANCES.[paragraph break][fls]INSTEAD OF DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXAMINING AND DIAGNOSING AND SIPHONING AND INVESTING TO THE VARIOUS KITCHEN APPLIANCES:[LINE BREAK][tab][fls]SAY 'Every kitchen has various kitchen appliances, and yours are like everyone else's. Except for being more dirty, of course, because that's just the way you have us living.'[paragraph break][variable letter spacing][italic type]Cook's performatively rigorous implementation is, in fact, another layer of fiction spackled over the supposedly fictitious narrative of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type].[Paragraph break]A. H. Montague[line break]" 3 -- "[italic type]The illusory potential of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* is yet another one of Cook's bogus demonstrations of 'deep' implementation. At least 90 percent of all nouns in the trailer interior region can be invested with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*, but only one instance affects the game world. That use isn't productive, other than making possible yet another gratuitous death scene. The only truly constructive use of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* is outside of the trailer. Adding to the tedium is the fact that the player must return to the bathroom for more worthless 'power' with each use. A player can easily spend many unproductive hours investing random objects with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. Cook's obsession with time-wasting and tedious implementation is perhaps the most readily observed example of his lack of consideration for his audience.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 4 -- "[italic type]It's hard to deny that this passage contains something like contempt for the player, mocking as it does an innocent bit of experimentation.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 5 -- "6" 6 -- "7" 7 -- "" 8 -- "[italic type]It is fairly common for the narrator to berate the game's 'you' over the simple fact of his mental illness. No doubt, such passages are proof of Cook's internalized sanism.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 9 -- "[paragraph break][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 10 -- "[italic type]Cook's casual use of the word hillbilly is yet another example of his internalized classism.[paragraph break][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 11 -- "12" 12 -- "[italic type]Cook's fourth wall gags start out tired and go downhill from there.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 13 -- "[italic type]Cook, not knowing any better, included an astounding amount of worthless implementation in his design of the car. When considering both its interior and exterior, it features doors, windows, a steering wheel, a gear shift, seats. One can hardly fault him for his inexperience, but his decision to leave all of that clutter in, post beta testing, suggests that the past 25 years have left many lessons untaught.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 14 -- "15" 15 -- "[italic type]Once again, Cook has gotten himself into trouble with his room descriptions, adding needless details that serve only to distract and clutter. Branches, windows, trees, doors: inevitably, many readers will likely find themselves exhausted and bored, hopelessly mired in the details.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 16 -- "[italic type]Ignoring the threats posed by stray animals, Cook distinguishes between the exurban poor of the trailer park and the rapidly-spreading suburban middle class of this region. One disrupts the natural landscape of the wider county, while the other has destroyed the bucolic quiet of the town's surrounding farmland. Unsurprisingly, Cook's misanthropy extends to both parties, and it isn't at all clear where he thinks people in this community ought to live (if anywhere).[paragraph break][roman type][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 17 -- "[italic type]Cook significantly revised this scene with the boy and mother because he claims to have disliked its 'negativity.' It's hard to believe him, and the pharmacy section feels at odds with Cook's insistence that [bold type]Repeat the Ending[it] is not confessional.[paragraph break][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 18 -- "[italic type]Even Cook[']s most ardent defenders cannot deny that a central mechanic of this revised edition involves commanding a person with severe mental illness to hurt himself. The problems inherent to such forms of 'play' really ought to be apparent. While Cook has frequently asserted his right to speak about mental illness as he has experienced it, readers must decide for themselves where[EM]if anywhere[EM]a line ought to be drawn.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]A. H. Montague[line break]" 19 -- "20" 20 -- "[it]It would be a mistake to overvalue Cook's decision to include Brad in this new version. It isn't clear what, if anything, he intends by this change.[rt][pb][EM]A. H. Montague[lb]" 21 Section 5 (Pauline Searcy) [last batch of notes] Table of PS Index Message OV A number "[italic type]This seemingly innocuous passage, which matches the text of the original game, has been the subject of lively and sometimes contentious debate. It is one of a number of discrepancies between the transcript and the 1996 game. In the transcript, the passage reads: [fls]That bed[em]your bed[em]is disgusting. You have to be bombed out of your mind on Trazedone before you’ll consider getting into it.[vls] There are two preceding versions of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]: The 1996 source code, and the 2003 transcript. The two texts generally match and have identical release and serial numbers, which has led some critics to wonder if there are two instances of the binary floating around. Since this has never been confirmed, others have wondered if this change is Cook's own manipulation of the text. Since the differences have no real effect in terms of story or (arguably) its themes, it is hard to say why they do not match. Whatever the case, it can be argued that there is no 'canon' version of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. Drew Cook has repeatedly declined invitations to name one version the 'true' text, instead encouraging readers to actively evaluate the two versions as competing but adjacent realities. Some critical responses to this suggestion have been less than approving, characterizing it as an undermining stunt or, as Montague characterized it, 'merely a celebration of cleverness lacking philosophical seriousness.'[paragraph break]P. Searcy[line break][roman type]" 1 -- "[italic type]During the conversion of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] to Inform 7, Cook followed several online conversations suggesting that players enjoyed mimesis-breaking and wholly unmotivated activities such as licking and smelling. He dutifully attempted to satisfy such impulses.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 2 -- "[italic type]Cook's unattributed passage from Miller's [bold type]Death of a Salesman[italic type] has remained a provocative mystery for critics and readers alike.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 3 -- "[italic type]Cook's code originally referred to the contents of the sink as *WORTHLESS STUFF*, and that language has been preserved in this edition.[line break][variable letter spacing]P. Searcy[line break]" 4 -- "[italic type]This revised edition of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] is Drew Cook's first published work (his weekly blog about classic text adventures hasn't been updated in some time) following the death of his mother, who passed away one week before Christmas, 2020, at the height of the COVID outbreak in the United States. Due to the visitation protocols in place at the hospital, only one person per day was allowed to visit her. While he was able to see her unconscious body connected to various machines, he never had a chance to see her as he knew her. Their last face-to-face conversation had been in early June of that same year.[paragraph break]While it is tempting to interpret the 'restored' content of this edition within the larger context of those events, Cook has repeatedly and consistently maintained that [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type][EM]in all its forms[EM]is in no way an autobiographical work. To this day, he vigorously resists any and all attempts to characterize either version of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] as confessional.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 5 -- "[italic type]In the original code for the 1996 version, there are commented out passages that suggest that there was, at one point, a physical conflict with the abusive boyfriend in D's front yard. In that passage, he used the *DRAGON PUNCH* on him. However, that code is incomplete and unplayable.[paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[roman type][line break]" 6 -- "[italic type]Specialized verbs used in [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] (1996) were never thoroughly explained. This new critical edition features commentary and detailed play instructions by C. A. Smythe, interface consultant. Hopefully, their guidance will assist new players while granting new insights to those already familiar with Cook's work.[paragraph break]While some gameplay tips will be provided via footnotes, players can access the 'Player's Companion' at any time to access detailed instructions and other useful information. To review those texts, simply type *GUIDE* (or *GD*) at any time during play.[paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[roman type] [1 as a CAS][line break]" 7 -- "[it]In the original 1996 text, D's neighbor was a woman. Both Collins and Montague have speculated regarding the significance of this change.[Paragraph break][rt][EM]P. Searcy[roman type][line break]" 8 -- "[italic type]The *ENTROPIC NUDGE* appeared early enough in-game that many 1996 players discovered it. Its perceived uselessness attracted far more attention than any real or imagined literary quality of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. [paragraph break][rt][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 9 -- "This response holds forth the tantalizing possibility of setting the stairs on fire. There are two general, catch-all opportunities for destruction, but nothing specific to the stairs. The description may be a bit of leftover code, its purpose long abandoned.[pb][rt][em]P. Searcy[lb]" 10 -- "[italic type]The 'car' was the source of the most pervasive and challenging bug in the first release candidate of this expanded version of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type], and it almost pushed Cook to revert to a version with ten thousand fewer words of code. The problem, as he eventually discovered, was that he was inconsistent in the way that the story referred to the cars (there are in fact three 'cars' in [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]), their printed names, parts of cars, and articles ('the' vs. 'your.'). For whatever reason, the problem did not surface until the final stretch of development, when testing began to throw run-time errors which were neither descriptive nor specific.[paragraph break]Ultimately, Cook was able to chase down the source of the problem, but it required more than one full workday. While including the flawed code would provide an interesting historical perspective, ultimately playability is a priority of this volume.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 11 -- "[italic type]As has been previously mentioned, the 'car' is actually three different in-game objects that act as teleportation devices. In early drafts, Cook attempted to create a driving 'simulation' that obliged the player to accelerate, use turning signals, and so forth. While none of that original code remains, we have no reason to doubt Cook's own assessment of the experiment: 'boring.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 12 -- "[italic type]When Cook revisited the pharmacy section in 2020, he had almost certainly been taking various mood stabilizing drugs for over a decade. Undoubtedly, he had spent a great deal of time in pharmacies. It's worth noting that Cook was uninsured for a significant portion of that time, and that it required a great deal of ingenuity (and begging) to remain compliant with treatment during that period. When later asked about the experience, Cook quipped that 'A man can't hardly afford to be crazy in this town.'[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 13 -- "[italic type]These designators (bad, basic, true, etc.) are Cook[']s.[paragraph break][rt][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 14 -- "[italic type]Since the conventional craft wisdom of interactive fiction mandates that an author implement any nouns or actions mentioned within the text of the game, Cook must have felt obligated to write a response to the throwaway command *DANCE ATOP THE CLOTHES*. Cook has often complained about craft theory in IF, since he feels that it prevents writers from using what he has termed 'natural language.' In this case, he apparently felt that the phrase *DANCE ATOP THE CLOTHES* had [bt]rhetorical[it] value, even if it had no in-game [bt]utility.[it] Implementing the command does violate mimesis, of course, since this character would never dance anywhere, especially not in the vicinity of a mess that he is constitutionally unable to look at for more than a minute at a time. [paragraph break]Cook's stated position, which warrants healthy debate, is that it is player expectation that violates mimesis, not the author's attempts to meet it. Be that as it may, Cook wrote a response in the original Inform 5 code, but left it commented out in-game. For the purposes of this edition, the author provided an updated Inform 7 equivalent:[roman type][paragraph break][fixed letter spacing]CARRY OUT DANCING ATOP WHEN THE PLAYER IS THE POET AND THE NOUN IS THE CLOSET:[lb][t2][fixed letter spacing]SAY 'You step onto the pile of clothing, rotating your right toe as if you are grinding it into the floor. Music suddenly and inexplicably fills the air, riding a slinky, bass-heavy beat. It calls you to dance, and you are unable to resist. Soon you have lost yourself, ecstatic and sweating, to the rhythm. The clothes, unable to defend themselves, are flattened at the yawning mouth of the still-disheveled closet.'[paragraph break][variable letter spacing][italic type] Since the spirit of this annotated edition is to honor the original text of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] wherever possible, this code remains unimplemented in-game.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 15 -- "[italic type]Cook uses the pronouns 'we,' 'you,' and 'I' (sometimes in the same sentence) to refer to player/protagonist actions within the game. This is another novel addition for the 25th anniversary release of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. The original version used the pronoun 'you' exclusively to refer to the protagonist and, when necessary, the player. As is the case with other changes made for this edition, Cook has insisted that using multiple pronouns was his original intent, and that this change reflects his artistic vision both then and now.[paragraph break][roman type][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 16 -- "[italic type]The word 'simulation' does not appear anywhere in the 1996 edition of [bold type]Repeat the Ending.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 17 -- "" 18 -- "[italic type]Bush Hog® is a line of tractor attachments used to cut down vegetation. In this edition's initial draft, 'bush hog' was spelled at least three ways, all of them incorrect.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 19 -- "[italic type]Cook[']s decision to hide the endings of [bold type]Enchanter[italic type] and [bold type]A Mind Forever Voyaging[italic type] within the text of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type] is curiosity-inducing to say the least. Surprisingly, these passages were present in the original 1996 edition, though apparently undiscovered. In any case, as the Executive Editor of this volume, I must confess that both are reproduced solely for educational purposes and without permission.[paragraph break][EM]PS[line break]" 20 -- "[italic type]In accordance with Drew Cook's wishes, no annotations have been added to the final 'Hospital' section of [bold type]Repeat the Ending[italic type]. Instead, additional critical content has been made available in the 'Reader[']s Companion to [bt]Repeat the Ending[it].' As has been previously noted, the only ending carried over from the 1996 version of the game is the so-called 'bad' ending. Most endgame content is new to this 25th anniversary edition. Furthermore, no notices will be printed when new guide content is available. Note that the *GUIDE* can be read in full after the game is complete. [rt][16 as a CAS][paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 21 -- "This scene is new to this restored edition. Originally, the protagonist shoved the woman out of the way with a more powerful version of the *DEMONIC SQUEAL*, and there was no action figure. As such, the protagonist's brief reflection on the relationship between weakness and happiness was not present, either.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 22 -- "[italic type]This entire prologue is new to this edition, and there are no signs of it in the Inform 5 source.[roman type][paragraph break][EM]P. Searcy[line break]" 23 -- "[it]For whatever reason, Cook chose to leave the response to the *INVEST MOTHER WITH THE DEMONIC SQUEAL* action blank. This absence of text is not an error. During the editorial process, Cook was asked directly about this feature, and it is left as-is per his request. It is worth noting that, in the 1996 version of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it], the lithium puzzle was solved by shoving the woman. While the solution is different in this edition, Cook's decision to retain the act as an unremarked, game-ending action invites critical speculation.[pb][rt][EM]P. Searcy[lb]" 24 section 6 (death details for every area) [OK. I made a table for each region in the game, and gave a text description of each death. When death occurs, the applicable record gets an index number written to it. For whatever reason, I got runtime errors when using row one, so I pushed everything down a row and used row one as a dummy. I know, I know, I should have fixed it. But it runs fine.] 80DTHs mentioned is a number that varies. Table of 80DTH Index Message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "I grew bored with my search for powerful magic, instead casting the *WIN* spell." 2 -- "I amused myself with a rather unfair fight against a magic-crazed primeoid male." 3 TIDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. TIDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of TIDTH Index Message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "You invested a highly entropic-resistant toilet with the *SEETHING ORDER*, which left us unable to escape the fiery explosion caused by a workplace accident. Cooking meth is work, isn't it?" 2 -- "The less we say about the spiders under the bathroom sink, the better." 3 -- "You wasted a powerful source of entropic magic to tidy up our kitchen, leaving us utterly pantsless when Fast Eddie's trailer exploded." 4 -- "You used the power of the *SEETHING ORDER* to summon Battle Princess Chiyo to your kitchen. She rewarded our impertinence by cutting us[EM]cutting [it]me[rt][EM]in half." 5 -- "You hemmed and hawed while the power of the *SEETHING ORDER* evaporated from the bin of broken dishes." 6 -- "You destroyed our telecom devices with the *SEETHING ORDER*." 7 -- "You used our only means of getting dressed to destroy a television." 8 -- "You grew impatient, perhaps mistaking an ending for a victory. Such is the nature of the *WIN* command." 9 -- "You attempted to siphon power from the bathroom mirror, only to find yourself imprisoned by an ominously competent doppelganger." 10 TEDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. TEDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of TEDTH index message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "You blew up the car, which responded in kind." 2 -- "You destroyed our neighbor's trailer[EM]and probably our neighbor, too[EM]with the *DRAGON PUNCH*." 3 -- "We were transformed into a charcoal sketch on high-quality art paper." 4 -- "Like Icarus, we flew too close to the flaming meth lab." 5 -- "You decided to leave without exploring the trailer park (unlike you), missing out on multiple opportunities for you to help your neighbors (like you)." 6 -- "Even as well as I know you, I was appalled by your decision to strand your neighbor in close proximity to his violently abusive boyfriend. Shocking, really." 7 -- "You rushed forward as if life were a game to *WIN*." 8 -- "You blew up our trailer with the flaming fury of the *DRAGON PUNCH*." 9 CARDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. CARDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of CARDTH index message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "We rushed headlong for the end of this story. And reached it, unfortunately." 2 -- "You acted like a total weirdo with our neighbor." 3 LSDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. LSDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of LSDTH index message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "Blowing up the car never gets old. For you, anyway." 2 -- "You barged recklessly toward the end of the story, only to find that we were unprepared to face what's there." 3 -- "You knocked over an oak tree with the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*, crushing our car and quite possibly killing a rather adorable cat." 4 PHDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. PHDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of PHDTH index message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "Just as a strange sequence of events concluded, our car exploded." 2 -- "Even a bad mother is a mother." 3 -- "You finished the game!" 4 HDTHs mentioned is a number that varies. HDTHs mentioned is zero. Table of HDTH index message OV a number "do not use" 1 -- "My car exploded, perhaps for the last time today." 2 -- "Oddly enough, winning here led me to wait rather than hurry." 3 -- "Why did I jump? Some things just can't be helped." 4 -- "Rather than confront my mother's death, I fled." 5 -- "I knocked a massive hole in the side of the hospital." 6 -- "I left because I could not face the realities of the moment." 7 Book 4 (Actions) Part 1 (The Magic System) Chapter 1 (The Big 3) [There are two cases in which the player invests the PC with entropic magic. These rules prevent the player from using other forms of magic in this state.] Instead of magic action when the MOTORIZED is true: say "We cannot perform entropic magic while we are invested with the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*." instead. Instead of magic action when surging is true: say "I cannot perform entropic magic while I am invested with the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY*." Section 1 (DIAGNOSE) Diagnosing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "diagnose [something]" as diagnosing. Understand "dn [something]" as diagnosing. Understand "dg [something]" as diagnosing. [diagnosing, siphoning, and investing are acting magically (MAGIC ACTION). I mainly made this category to prevent the player from using magic while INVESTed with kinetic energy. With some planning, I think it would have been handy in other ways.] diagnosing is magic action. Check diagnosing the entropist: if the entropist is TInert: say "I detect no anomalous characteristics or conditions." instead; otherwise if the entropist is TPsychic: say "Even though, physiologically, I have no primeoid body, I presently experience what primeoids must refer to as 'sickness.' It seems that I am vibrating at the frequency of a low, deep rumble. This psychic energy is affecting me in a dangerous way. It appears beyond my capacity to carry. If I could *INVEST [bracket]something[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED*, I might avert a looming disaster. [7 as a DSC][line break]" instead; [I definitely would do this differently today. Unfortunately, this is very old code that works despite its ugliness. Generally speaking, the diagnose does three things almost everywhere: 1) Return a quip from the quip table above. 2) Return the text from the siphontype table based on player's current "type". 3) Give another text that varies based on player score.] DQuip is a number that varies. DQuip is initially 1. To say D0: say "There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."[D0] To say D10: say "You have a faint memory. Your parents arguing. A strange woman with... orange eyes? That can't be right." [D10]. Carry out diagnosing the poet when D is 0: If DQuip is 40: now DQuip is 1; say "[quip_string in row DQuip of table of quips][paragraph break]"; now DQuip is Dquip plus one; If the poet is tinert: say "[diagstring of tinert][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is TPsychic: say "[diagstring of TPsychic][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is seething: say "[diagstring of seething][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is nudging: say "[diagstring of nudging][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is punching: say "[diagstring of punching][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is structuring: say "[diagstring of structuring][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is tmotorized: say "[diagstring of tmotorized][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is squealing: say "[diagstring of squealing][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door."; if the poet is flying: say "[diagstring of flying][paragraph break]There's something inside you. Something you've carried for years. As close as it is to us, we still don't know what it is. It's like a faint sound heard through a heavy door.". [At the end, I shut down the normal *DIAGNOSE ME* rules with before statements] Before diagnosing the player when the player is in the HRoof: say "'This is the Hour of Lead – / Remembered, if outlived, / As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow –' I have only what I brought with me. Is that, has that ever been, sufficient?" instead; stop the action. Before diagnosing the player when the player is in the HRoom and awake is true: say "I am only what I am." instead. Before diagnosing the player when the player is in the HPL: say "'All shall be well and / All manner of thing shall be well...' [if the player is tinert and surging is false]If I carry magic with me, it has been carefully hidden[dot][otherwise if the player is flying]I have more entropic magic than I know what to do with. I could knock the hell out of something with it, or I could *INVEST MYSELF* with this *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* instead. I think I could handle that; I'm really not sure[dot][otherwise]Go go go go! It's time to go[ex][end if] Is this the first or last time I have been here? Is repetition punishment or prize?" instead; stop the action. [I would have used a table for instance, instead of typing out all of this below is really messy. The idea is to return a unique (well, one of forty) quip of negative self-talk, then a report of player's current disposition, magically, then a comment that changes based on the score.] Carry out diagnosing the poet when D is greater than 0 and D is less than 10: If DQuip is 40: now DQuip is 1; say "[quip_string in row DQuip of table of quips][paragraph break]"; now DQuip is Dquip plus one; If the poet is tinert: say "[diagstring of tinert][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is TPsychic: say "[diagstring of TPsychic][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is seething: say "[diagstring of seething][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is nudging: say "[diagstring of nudging][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is punching: say "[diagstring of punching][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is structuring: say "[diagstring of structuring][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is tmotorized: say "[diagstring of tmotorized][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is squealing: say "[diagstring of squealing][paragraph break][D9]"; if the poet is flying: say "[diagstring of flying][paragraph break][D9]". To say D9: say "What the hell is wrong with me?"[D9]. Carry out diagnosing the poet when D is greater than 9 and D is less than 17: If DQuip is 40: now DQuip is 1; say "[quip_string in row DQuip of table of quips][paragraph break]"; now DQuip is Dquip plus one; If the poet is tinert: say "[diagstring of tinert][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is TPsychic: say "[diagstring of TPsychic][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is seething: say "[diagstring of seething][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is nudging: say "[diagstring of nudging][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is punching: say "[diagstring of punching][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is structuring: say "[diagstring of structuring][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is tmotorized: say "[diagstring of tmotorized][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is squealing: say "[diagstring of squealing][paragraph break][D20]"; if the poet is flying: say "[diagstring of flying][paragraph break][D20]". to say D20: say "Maybe this can end. Maybe there is an end."[D30] Carry out diagnosing the poet when D is greater than 16 and D is less than 33: If DQuip is 40: now DQuip is 1; say "[quip_string in row DQuip of table of quips][paragraph break]"; now DQuip is Dquip plus one; If the poet is tinert: say "[diagstring of tinert][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is TPsychic: say "[diagstring of TPsychic][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is seething: say "[diagstring of seething][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is nudging: say "[diagstring of nudging][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is punching: say "[diagstring of punching][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is structuring: say "[diagstring of structuring][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is tmotorized: say "[diagstring of tmotorized][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is squealing: say "[diagstring of squealing][paragraph break][D32]"; if the poet is flying: say "[diagstring of flying][paragraph break][D32]". to say D32: say "I guess this is it?"[D33] Carry out diagnosing the poet when D is 33: If DQuip is 40: now DQuip is 1; say "[quip_string in row DQuip of table of quips][paragraph break]"; now DQuip is DQuip plus one; If the poet is tinert: say "[diagstring of tinert][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is TPsychic: say "[diagstring of TPsychic][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is seething: say "[diagstring of seething][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is nudging: say "[diagstring of nudging][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is punching: say "[diagstring of punching][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is structuring: say "[diagstring of structuring][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is tmotorized: say "[diagstring of tmotorized][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is squealing: say "[diagstring of squealing][paragraph break][D33]"; if the poet is flying: say "[diagstring of flying][paragraph break][D33]". To say D33: say "I did it, I guess." [this should be completely unnecessary. I was chasing down a weird error that turned out to be about thing names, and this got in. I would have changed it back, but I was afraid to mess something up so close to release.] Does the player mean diagnosing something in a room that is not player-containing: it is very unlikely. [This on the other hand is intentional. Just a nice convenience for players.] Does the player mean diagnosing the player: it is likely. Section 2 (Siphoning) [Here we are with the second magic action. it is used to pull magic (a bleedsource) from an entropic process or system. The player can only have one kind of magic at a time, so that's a check that occurs. Note the two separate responses from the two player characters. Also note that my understanding of action processing was very raw at the time, so I wasn't making informed choices about when to use Before, Instead, Check, etc. As luck would have it, relying heavily on Check was a big help. By the end of the game I needed two preceding layers to trump standard checks and responses.] Siphoning is an action applying to one thing. Understand "siphon [something]" as siphoning. siphoning is magic action. Check siphoning when the player is TINERT: continue the action. [early on, I was in the habit of typing 'rule fails' instead of using "instead." not 100% why. I was just typing until things worked/compiled] Check siphoning when the player is the entropist and the the player is not TINERT: say "I, you need to get rid of this tainted magic, not gather more."; rule fails. Check siphoning when the player is the poet and the player is not TINERT (this is the tinert siphon rule): say "So far as you know, you can only absorb one entropic bleed at a time. You'll have to get rid of the magic you are carrying first."; stop the action. Check siphoning when the noun is the poet: say "While we can invest ourselves with kinetic energies, you should not try to draw energy out of us." instead. Section 3 (Investing it with) [talk about a fiasco. I initially didn't understand the "it with" action definition, so I just had "investing is an action applying to two things. This led to very tortured syntax ("when the noun is the juvenile primeoid and the second noun is the psychic bleed" instead of "the juvenile primeoid with the psychic bleed" for instance)] Investing it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "invest [something] with [something]" as investing it with. investing is magic action. [ING is a counter for investing the entropic nudge. Instead of this unnecessary complexity, I should have done a report rule with varying text. Oh well! It tests fine] ING is a number that varies. ING is Zero. Before investing when the player is not in the eighties: if the second noun is not a bleedsource: say "You can only invest something with an active source of entropic magic. A thing cannot be invested with everyday objects and systems, even if they have entropic potential. Such phenomena must be siphoned first." instead; otherwise if the noun is a bleedsource: say "You can only invest mundane objects and processes with entropic magic." instead. Report investing something with the ENTROPIC NUDGE when the noun is not the nerd stuff and the location is the trailer interior: If ING is 0: say "The *ENTROPIC NUDGE* feels like a very specialized sort of energy. While we could direct it at many things, it will not accomplish much unless we need to press or, er, nudge something from a distance. [4 as an AHM]."; now ING is 1; otherwise if ING is 1: say "While it is good to be thorough, attempting to invest [it]everything[rt] with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* may not prove to be productive [10 as a CAS]."; now ING is 2; otherwise if ING is 2: say "Perhaps you are experimenting with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* for amusement's sake. I suppose that wasting time is better than killing it [9 as a PS]."; now ING is 999. [I can't remember why this is a before rule. I must have had a reason...] Before investing when the player is TINERT: say "[If the player is the entropist]Do not trifle with me, primeoid. I do not yet have the energy I came for.[otherwise]We carry no investible energy. We can always *DIAGNOSE* ourselves if you've forgotten our present condition."; stop the action. Part 2 (General Verbs) Chapter 1 (New Verbs) Section 1 (Knocking over/into) [this is also incredibly tortured. players can just shove the dishes, but in test these constructions came up. I wanted to accomodate every reasonable construction. That's a benefit of a long development cycle.] Toppling is an action applying to one thing. Topintoing is an action applying to two things. Understand "push [something] into [something]" as topintoing. Understand "push [something] in [something]" as topintoing. Section 2 (putting) [This is just bad, I had to tell the player verbatim how to enter the command.] Putting_under is an action applying to two things. Understand "put [something] under [something]" as putting_under. Putting_near is an action applying to two things. Understand "put [something] near [something]" as putting_near. Check putting_under: if the second noun is sheltering: continue the action; otherwise: say "You see no profit in putting the [noun] under the [second noun]."; rule fails. Check putting_near: if the second noun is sheltering: continue the action; otherwise: say "Putting the [noun] near the [second noun] is not a path to progress."; rule fails. Section 3 (Digging) [This is fine. Just some synonyms] understand "dig in [something]" as searching. understand "dig [something]" as searching. Section 4 (Talking and Asking) [I wound up doing a lot of work to "simplify" the conversation system. As it turns out, there is no way--not really--to talk to any characters via a command.] Asking people is an action applying to one thing. Understand "ask [someone]" as asking people. Check asking people: say "[if the player is the entropist]While primeoid conversation can be entertaining, I didn't come here to talk.[otherwise]Just *TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket]*, and everything will sort itself out. Maybe. We hate talking to people." instead. Check asking it about: say "[if the player is the entropist]While primeoid conversation can be entertaining, I didn't come here to talk.[otherwise]Just *TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket]*, and everything will sort itself out. Maybe. We hate talking to people." instead. Check asking it for: say "[if the player is the entropist]While primeoid conversation can be entertaining, I didn't come here to talk.[otherwise]Just tell me to TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket], and everything will sort itself out. Maybe. We hate talking to people." instead. Instead of asking something about when the noun is not a person and the noun is not an animal: say "[if the player is the poet]While you have a history of talking to kinds of things, we have to be in the right frame of mind first.[otherwise]In this dimension on this particular planet, only primeoids communicate via primeoid languages." instead. instead of asking something for something when the noun is not a person and the noun is not an animal: say "[if the player is the poet]While we have a history of talking to all kinds of things, we have to be in the right frame of mind first.[otherwise]In this dimension on this particular planet, only primeoids communicate via primeoid languages." instead. Telling is an action applying to one thing. Understand "tell [something]" as telling. Instead of telling: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have nothing to tell the inhabitants of this dimension.[otherwise]*TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket], and I'll handle the rest. Emphasis on [it]someone[rt]." instead. Telling about is an action applying to two things. Understand "tell [something] about [something]" as telling about. Instead of telling about: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have nothing to tell the inhabitants of this dimension.[otherwise]*TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket], and I'll handle the rest. Emphasis on [it]someone[rt]." instead. talkingtoit is an action applying to one thing. understand "talk to [something]" as talkingtoit. talkingtoit about is an action applying to one thing and one topic. understand "talk to [something] about [text]" as talkingtoit about. check talkingtoit about: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have nothing to say to the inhabitants of this dimension.[otherwise]*TALK TO [bracket]someone[close bracket], and I'll handle the rest. Emphasis on [it]someone[rt]." instead. instead of talkingtoit when the noun is not a person and the noun is not an animal: if the player is the entropist: say "I have nothing to say to to the various material features of this dimension."; if the player is the poet: say "You've only just run out of lithium and aren't yet interested in conversing with inanimate objects.". Instead of talkingtoit the player: say "[if the player is the entropist]I [it]am[rt] talking to you, fool.[otherwise]When I talk to you, I [it]am[rt] talking to myself. A part of myself that I hate, certainly, but you are me. We are me." instead. Section 5 (clothing removal checks) [I don't remember the story behind this can't insert clothes rule. Some tester was trying to put clothes in the shower, I think. The basic problem of leaving the trailer is the oldest in the game. It was tested many times, and grew in complexity. There are a lot of parts, looking back, that I can't really explain.] The can't insert clothes being worn rule is not listed in any rulebook. Check an actor inserting something into (this is the new can't insert clothes being worn rule): if the actor is wearing the noun: if the actor is the player: say "(first removing [the noun])[command clarification break]" (A); silently try the actor trying taking off the noun; if the actor is wearing the noun, stop the action; Check taking off the white t-shirt: say "No. You like the t-shirt fine, and we need to wear something." instead. Instead of taking off the boxer shorts: say "[if g is 4]While we don't really [it]need[rt] underwear, I'd rather keep the boxers on. We're presently too stable for that sort of aimless nudity.[otherwise if the player is not wearing the black jeans]No. The goal is to be [italic type]more[roman type] dressed, not less.[otherwise]Can't you ever be serious?[end if]" instead. Check taking off the jeans: say "We had to break every dish we own just to put on these jeans. I may well sleep in them tonight." instead. Check taking off the socks: say "We had to break every dish we own just to put on these socks. I may well sleep in them tonight." instead. Check taking off the green sneakers: say "We had to break every dish we own just to put on these shoes. I may well sleep in them tonight." instead. Section 6 (locking and unlocking) [locking is just nonsense in this game. this is early code, and there was lots of unused code (gone now) reflecting different stages of development. It does seem stable, at least.] understand the command "lock" as something new. locking is an action applying to one thing. understand "lock [something]" as locking. understand the command "unlock" as something new. unlocking is an action applying to one thing. understand "unlock [something]" as unlocking. a thing can be either lockable or notlockable. a thing is usually notlockable. check locking: if the noun is notlockable: say "There is no need to manipulate the [noun] in that way." instead. check unlocking: if the noun is notlockable: say "There is no need to manipulate the [noun] in that way." instead. Section 7 (listening) [this was early, too. I'm not sure why I couldn't tailor the built-in commands. I'm fairly sure that I could. Nevertheless, I was able to come up with unique responses by room/region. It worked out.] understand the command "listen" as something new. understand the command "hear" as something new. listening_protag is an action applying to nothing. Understand "listen" as listening_protag. understand "hear" as listening_protag. Listening_wrong is an action applying to one thing. understand "listen to [something]" as listening_wrong. understand "hear [something]" as listening_wrong. check listening_wrong: if the player is the entropist: say "My hearing is so finely tuned that I do not need to single out specific things to listen to." instead; otherwise: say "Instead of specifying an object, let's just try to *LISTEN* in a more general way." instead. Section 8 (smelling) [this is ok. Here I do a [one of] construction instead of a 'first time.' I really find those useful.] check smelling something when the player is the entropist: say "Your senses are so keen that there is no need to smell specific objects. Just *SMELL* will do." instead. check smelling something when the player is the poet: say "While I'm sure that you would happily bury your face in anything, I'd prefer that we SMELL in a more general way." instead. Report smelling when the player is the poet: say "[one of]I generally filter out olfactory information unless it seems especially important, but by all means, smell away. [2 as a PS][line break][or][stopping]"; The report smelling rule is not listed in the report smelling rulebook. Section 9 (examining a direction) [placeholder] Section 10 (kissing) [I need to have a frog kissing response update: added!] Understand "kiss [something]" as kissing. Section 11 (thinking) [just a synonym for hassling, since it's familiar from other games] The block thinking rule is not listed in the check thinking rulebook. Check thinking: try hassling instead. Section 12 (dancing) [this is just frivolous stuff. I did a weird response to 'dance atop the clothes' because that's in the text.] Dancing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "dance" as dancing. Check dancing when the player is the entropist: say "One of my favorite activities is visiting what primeoids call a 'club' where primitives move rhythmically in a large, strangely lit hall. It's doubly exciting when I can invest a few primeoids with psychic energy, granting them temporary access to superhuman agility and confidence. They are almost able to keep up with me, even if they are distracted by my clothing, which always rides the bleeding edge of primeoid fashion.". Check dancing when the player is the poet: say "Listen, have you been skipping our meds? We would never[em]not even in private[em]attempt dancing. We may not like each other, but we know each-other better than that." Atop dancing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "dance atop [something]" as atop dancing. Understand "dance on [something]" as atop dancing. Check atop dancing when the player is the entropist: say "While dancing can prove amusing under the right circumstances, there is no need to be so specific. It is enough just to *DANCE*." instead. Check atop dancing when the player is the poet and the noun is not the closet: say "I would never[em][it]never[rt][em]dance atop the [noun]. Obviously." Check atop dancing when the player is the poet and the noun is the closet: say "[15 as a PS]." Section 13 (playing) [Several joke responses here. Nothing complex] Playing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "play with [something]" as playing. Understand "play [something]" as playing. Playingalone is an action applying to nothing. Understand "play" as playingalone. Understand "laugh" as playingalone. Understand "smile" as playingalone. Carry out playing when the player is the poet: say "I'm not sure how this slipped by you, but we aren't a lot of fun. We rarely play, laugh, or even smile.". Carry out playing when the player is the entropist: say "[if the player is Tinert]This is play; I am here for the psychic bleed because it might be [italic type]entertaining[roman type].[otherwise]Play was my intent in coming here, though this psychic bleed has proven to be poorly-suited for recreational purposes.". Carry out playingalone when the player is the poet: say "I'm not sure how this slipped by you, but we aren't a lot of fun. We rarely play, laugh, or even smile.". Carry out playingalone when the player is the entropist: say "[if the player is Tinert]This is play; I am here for the psychic bleed because it might be [italic type]entertaining[roman type].[otherwise]Play was my intent in coming here, though this psychic bleed has proven to be poorly-suited for recreational purposes.". Section 14 (lie) [this is for people who want to lie on the bed] Understand "lie down on [something]" as entering. Understand "lie on [something]" as entering. section 15 (lick) [a passage from Death of A Salesman. I'm not really worried about mimesis in this game for a number of reasons. However, if a player tries to lick something, they obviously aren't worried about mimesis either.] Licking is an action applying to one thing. understand "lick [something]" as licking. carry out licking: say "BIFF: Why don't you come with me, Happy?[paragraph break]HAPPY: I'm not [bt]licked[rt] that easily. I'm staying right in this city, and I'm gonna beat this racket! (He looks at Biff, his chin set.) The Loman Brothers![paragraph break]BIFF: I know who I am, kid.[paragraph break]HAPPY: All right, boy. I'm gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It's the only dream you can have[EM]to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I'm gonna win it for him. [3 as a PS][lb]". section 16 (call) [originally I was going to have people to call, which might have required fiddling with scope or whatever, or else having invisible dummy people in the room with the phone. Call mom, call pharmacy, etc. Maybe for fun call Drew Cook. It was just too much work for something nobody would try. Maybe some later date.] Calling it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "call [something] with [something]" as calling it with. Understand "call [something] on [something]" as calling it with. Before calling something with something when the second noun is not a telecom and the paa is not in the pcounter: say "[if the player is the entropist]Someone of your capabilities would never stoop to using inelegant primeoid contraptions. Assuming you knew how to use them, of course.[otherwise]'Calling' refers to the act of making a phone call. For instance, you might *CALL* somebody on the phone. Since you are unreasonably afraid of telephones, it's unlikely that you would ever attempt this, even if under duress." instead; stop the action. Before calling the entropist with something: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have already responded to your entreaty.[otherwise]I have no idea how to reach the orange-eyed woman. Sometimes, I wonder if we imagined her." instead; stop the action. Before calling the poet with something: say "[if the player is the entropist]Who?[otherwise]We talk to ourselves all day. Why would I bother calling you on the phone?". Before calling something with something when the second noun is a telecom and the paa is not in the pcounter: say "I'm not calling anyone or anything, which you of all people should understand. Phones terrify you." instead; stop the action. Does the player mean calling something with something when the second noun is a telecom: it is very likely. section 17 (noisemaking) [just trying to keep up with people trolling the parser] noisemaking is an action applying to nothing. Understand "scream" or "shout" or "sing" or "yell" as noisemaking. Carry out noisemaking: say "[if the player is the poet]You'll only embarrass us, carrying on so.[otherwise if the player is the entropist]Even extra-dimensional beings are susceptible to embarrassment." section 18 (knocking) [this is just more stupid stuff. theoretically a player could knock someplace, even though there is never a need to do so. As in every case, I tried to deal with reasonable commands, needed or otherwise.] knocking is an action applying to one thing. understand "knock on [something]" as knocking. understand "knock at [something]" as knocking. a thing can be knockable. a thing is usually not knockable. Check knocking when the noun is not knockable and the noun is not a person or an animal: say "We idly rap our knuckles against the [noun]. Were you expecting a more interesting outcome?" instead. Check knocking when the noun is an animal or a person: say "[if the player is the poet]That's not a healthy way to engage with another living thing, even by our low standards.[otherwise]Knocking is for primeoids. I do what I want." instead. Does the player mean knocking when the noun is knockable: it is very likely. Section 19 (buying) [not sure where I was going with buying the Camaro. I can't remember a tester trying to buy it.] A thing can be buyable. A thing is usually not buyable. The block buying rule does nothing. Instead of buying when the noun is not buyable: say "[if the player is the entropist]Primeoid fascination with money debases them.[otherwise if the noun is not a person]Setting aside the question of whether or not it's for sale, we aren't exactly sitting on a pile of money. We should hang onto it unless we really need something.[otherwise]You talk to me as if you're trolling an adventure-game parser.[end if]". Buying it from is an action applying to two things. Understand "buy [something] from [someone]" as buying it from. Check buying it from when the noun is not buyable: say "[if the player is the entropist]Primeoid fascination with money debases them.[otherwise]Setting aside the question of whether or not it's for sale, we aren't exactly sitting on a pile of money. We should hang onto it unless we really need something.[end if]". Instead of buying something from a person when the second noun is not the cashier and the second noun is not the pclerk and the second noun is not asshole: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have come to take, not buy.[otherwise][the second noun] isn't holding a garage sale.". Instead of buying something from asshole: if the noun is pCamaro: say "You can't afford it, and I don't know what we'd do with a totaled Camaro anyway. Besides, isn't it more satisfying to leave Chet stuck with the thing?"; otherwise: say "Chet isn't holding a garage sale, and even if he were, we wouldn't give him our money.". Instead of buying pCamaro: try buying the noun from asshole instead. Check buying something from someone when the noun is buyable: if the second noun is the cashier: try buying the noun instead; if the second noun is the pclerk: try buying the noun instead; otherwise: say "Stop goofing around.". Instead of buying a person: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have no desire to assume ownership of a primeoid.[otherwise]No, no, no. Just no.". Instead of buying a person from a person: try buying the noun instead. Section 20 (confronting) [I honestly have no idea how or why this got implemented. Usage of the word in printed text, maybe. If so, no obvious example remains.] Confronting is an action applying to one thing. Understand "confront [something]" as confronting. Check confronting: say "[if the player is the poet]I have only referred to 'confronting' in a rhetorical way. I'm not going to confront people, our fears, or the absurdity of our existence, and I know that [it]you[rt] aren't going to confront the choices made in creating our current circumstances[otherwise]I haven't come for a confrontation. I would have to think creatively to find one worth the effort[end if]." instead. section 21 (driving) [such a hassle to account for all of the different ways to DRIVE] driving is an action applying to nothing. understand "drive" as driving. drivingthing is an action applying to one thing. understand "drive [something]" as drivingthing. understand "drive to [something]" as drivingthing. instead of drivingthing: say "To drive, enter our car and type *DRIVE*, There is never a need to specify what we are driving or where we are going." instead. drivingwhere is an action applying to two things. understand "drive [something] to [something]" as drivingwhere. instead of drivingwhere: say "To drive, enter your car and type *DRIVE*, There is never a need to specify what you are driving or where you are going." instead. Check driving: if the player is the entropist: say "What does that even mean?" instead; otherwise if the location is inCar: continue the action; otherwise: say "We cannot drive if we are not inside our car and holding our keys." instead. Section 22 (petting) [just something nice to do] Petting is an action applying to one thing. Understand "pet [something]" as petting. Understand "pat [something]" as petting. Instead of petting when the noun is not an animal: try touching the noun instead. Section 23 (unplugging) [yet another attempt to deal with one-off weird commands in test] Plugging is an action applying to one thing. Understand "plug in [something]" as plugging. Understand "unplug [something]" as plugging. Check plugging: say "[if the player is the entropist]I am not here to fiddle with primeoid whatsits in this way.[otherwise]There is no need to plug or unplug anything. Where would you have gotten that idea?" instead. Section 24 (scratching) [just another unfortunate implication of my descriptive text] Scratching it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "scratch [something] with [something]" as scratching it with. Understand "deface [something] with [something]" as scratching it with. Does the player mean scratching something with the keys when the player is holding the keys: it is likely. Instead of scratching something with something when the player is the entropist: say "I did not travel across dimensions to perform acts of petty vandalism." Instead of scratching something with something when the player is the poet and the second noun is not the keys: say "First of all, why? Second, how is that even supposed to work?" instead. Check scratching something with the keys when the the noun is not the payphone: say "Come now, we aren't going to carve our initials into the [noun]." instead. Carry out scratching the payphone with the keys: if the PAA is not in the pcounter: say "Just imagine! We could achieve a kind of immortality by carving our name into the payphone's black paint. I wonder, though: what could be worse than living forever?" instead; otherwise: say "Be serious. We just got that woman and her kid out of the way. We aren't going to put ourselves between her and the phone." instead. Section 25 (tangle) [silly implication of buried lore *UNTANGLE CORDS*] Tangling It is an action applying to one thing. Understand "tangle [something]" as tangling it. Carry out tangling it: say "[if the player is the entropist]Such insolence.[otherwise]Mighty brave of you to assume that we could tangle with the [noun] and walk away. Do we look like that classic Silver Age superhero, The Tangler?" Section 27 (admire, love, and enjoy) [See "after you've tried everything" for more info] Loving is an action applying to one thing. Understand "love [something]" as loving. Understand "admire [something]" as loving. A thing can be lovable. A thing is usually not lovable. Instead of loving something when the player is the entropist: say "You are a weak species, eating, aging, and making a spectacle of your irrationality. Why would I emulate the failings of your kind? I do not 'love.' I acknowledge.". Instead of loving something when the player is the poet: say "We have so little love to give already. I'm not going to make an emotional investment in [the noun].". Enjoying is an action applying to one thing. Understand "enjoy [something]" as enjoying. Carry out enjoying something when the player is the poet: say "Whatever you might hope, the truth is that we don't find a lot of pleasure in living." instead. Instead of enjoying something when the player is the entropist: say "[if the player is tinert]I do not need your permission to find pleasure on this plane.[otherwise]Once I have collected my thoughts, you will pay for your impudence!". Section 28 (sleep) [more horsing around] The block sleeping rule is not listed in any rulebook. Instead of sleeping when the player is the entropist: say "Who are you, to buzz in my ear so? I am no primeoid.". Check sleeping: If the poet is in the trailer interior: if the location is the bedroom: try entering the depressing bed instead; otherwise: say "The bed is, not surprisingly, in the bedroom. Besides, while I do feel tired[EM]we always do[EM]it's not [it]that[rt] kind of tired." instead; otherwise: say "Sleeping is such a vulnerable thing, isn't it? We are defenseless when we sleep. It's pointless to try and sleep outside of the trailer because we wouldn't feel safe." instead. Section 29 (covering) [Playtesters tried to cover the clothes/closet] Understand the command "cover" as something new. Covering is an action applying to one thing. Understand "cover [something]" as covering. Carry out covering: say "What's the point in hiding something that you can't forget?". Carry out covering something with something: say "What's the point in hiding something that you can't forget?". Covering it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "cover [something] with [something]" as Covering it with. Check Covering closet with something when the closet is not orderly: say "Hiding the dirty clothes isn't going to fix anything. What do you think about using some magic, seeing as how we can do magic and all?" instead. Check Covering the closet with something when the closet is orderly: say "Don't we have somewhere to be?" instead. Check covering the poet with something: say "You can't hide from us, no matter how you try." instead. section 30 (lying) [more stuff that lots of players tried] understand the command "lie" as something new. lying is an action applying to nothing. understand "lie down" as lying. understand "lie" as lying. Instead of lying when the location is not the bedroom: if the player is the entropist: say "Do you know who or what I am? Stop trifling with me."; otherwise: say "I'm not sure how it came to this. There's no need for us to lie down in the course of this day.[if the player is informed] We have a mission of some urgency to complete.[end if] We may be tired, but we aren't [it]that[rt] kind of tired." instead. Instead of lying when the location is the bedroom: try entering the depressing bed. LyingOn is an action applying to one thing. Understand "lie on [something]" as lyingon. Understand "lie down on [something]" as lyingon. Instead of lyingon when the location is not the bedroom: try lying instead. Instead of lyingon when the location is the bedroom: try entering the depressing bed. Section 31 (xyzzy and plugh) [funsies] xyzzying is an action applying to nothing. understand "xyzzy" as xyzzying. Carry out xyzzying when the player is the entropist: say "You will not waste my time with your inelegant parlor tricks." Carry out xyzzying when the player is the poet: say "Real magic doesn't work that way." Plughing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "plugh" as plughing. Carry out plughing when the player is the entropist: say "Your incompetence surprises even me." Carry out plughing when the player is the poet: say "You know better than that." Section 32 (pray) [more stuff that came up] praying is an action applying to nothing. understand "pray" as praying. Carry out praying in the eighties: say "If your god existed, I would have met them by now." Carry out praying in the trailer interior: say "I can't remember all of the words, though a short snippet from [it]The Book of Common Prayer[rt] comes to mind: '...we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them.'" Carry out praying in the trailer exterior: say "How does that prayer go? It starts with 'Look with pity... upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions,' but I forget what comes next." Carry out praying in incar: say "It's been too long. I recall a line from a prayer for travelers: 'preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end....'". Carry out praying in lakeshore drive: say "The reason why God’s servants love [bk]God’s[cb] creatures so deeply is that they realize how deeply Christ loves them. And it is the very character of love to love what is loved by those we love.[lb][tab][EM]St Catherine of Siena[lb]". Carry out praying in the PHarea: say "'Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good....'" Before praying in the HZone: say "[if awake is false][bk]You[cb] who hast taught us in thy holy Word that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men[dot][dot][dot][otherwise]...in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last[end if]." instead; stop the action. Section 33 (plover) [just funsies] plovering is an action applying to nothing. understand "plover" as plovering. Carry out plovering when the player is the entropist: say "You test my patience, insect.". Carry out plovering when the player is the poet: say "I've always been more of a [it]Zork[rt] guy.". Section 34 (rescuing) [players tried to *RESCUE MARBLES*] Rescuing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "rescue [something]" as rescuing. Instead of rescuing when the player is the entropist: say "I'll hear no more of your sentimental dreck." Instead of rescuing when the noun is a bform: say "If only it were than simple." Instead of rescuing a wform: say "I'd save the boy first." Instead of rescuing when the noun is mother: say "It's too late for that, I'm afraid." Instead of rescuing when the noun is the poet: say "Don't pretend that we haven't already tried." check rescuing when the player is the poet and the noun is not marbles: say "I applaud your altruistic impulse, but we'll be lucky if we can save ourselves." carry out rescuing when the noun is marbles: try taking marbles instead. Section 35 (helping out) [another thing players kept trying] Helping out is an action applying to one thing. Understand "help [something]" as helping out. Understand "help out [something]" as helping out. Instead of helping out when the player is the poet: if the noun is mother: continue the action; otherwise if the noun is the player: continue the action; otherwise: say "I do like to help out when I can. When I can concentrate. Or when I'm not[EM]I mean [it]you[']re[rt] not[EM]crazy. But it's not enough to say I want to help. We need to back our intentions with concrete, specific action. What can we actually do to help someone?" instead. Carry out helping out when the player is the poet and the noun is the poet: say "You want to help me? Us? Help me break out of this rut we're in. I feel like we've been driving to the hospital every day for hundreds of years. I know, I know. How could that be? I don't know. Maybe that's not how it is. I just feel stuck, and everything feels awful in a familiar sort of way. I just want to stop feeling the way we do all the time.". Carry out helping out when the player is the entropist: say "'Help?' Sounds boring.". Before helping out when the noun is marbles: try taking marbles instead. Before helping out a bform: say "I get it, but how? What is going to help him in a lasting sense?" instead. Before helping out a wform: say "If it were actually in our power to help someone, we'd help the boy." instead. Chapter 2 (special verbs) Section 1 (hassling) [simple command to read player objective from a table] hassling is an action applying to nothing. understand "hassle" as hassling. understand "h" as hassling. understand "hassles" as hassling. Carry out hassling: say "[goalstring in row G of table of goals][line break]" Section 2 (help, gameplay, about, paratext, verbs) [These are all customary help commands in contemporary IF. I considered making them all synonyms for consulting the guide, and maybe I should have.] Helping is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "help" as helping. Carry out helping: say "[AH1]". To say AH1: say "Note: in this and in other passages of text, words or phrases that consist of capital letters bracketed with the asterisk symbol (*) can be used verbatim in player commands. Do not type the asterisks, as they are used to more easily identify these terms for players using screen reader technology. 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' is a work of speculative metafiction that consists of three texts. The first is a traditional adventure game. After a brief prologue, the in-game protagonist will explore, solve puzzles, and make progress toward two clearly identified goals. To learn more about gameplay-specific commands in 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type],' you can type *GAMEPLAY* at any time. For a listing of commonly-used verbs (especially those unique to 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]'), use the *VERBS* command. The second element of the text of 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' is its paratext. Just as in a scholarly book, commentators will occasionally remark on topics that are more or less related to the text of the game. Additionally, a 'Reader's Companion' contains historical background, essays and more documents essential to this new release. This guide can be accessed at any time via the *GUIDE* (abbreviated as *GD*) command. The notes and essays were compiled and edited by this volume's Executive Editor, Pauline Searcy, and are unique to this 25th-Anniversary Critical Edition. All additions and commentary have been approved by Drew Cook, the author of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]. The third element is the 2003 transcript, which is available online in PDF format. Since it spoils elements of the game, players are advised to read it after finishing with both the game and as the Reader[']s Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. [EM]C. A. Smythe[line break] [tab]A note regarding formatting: [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was developed and, for the most part, tested with variable-width fonts. Players who use monospace fonts, such as Courier, may experience display anomalies. In particular, this text's use of the em-dash character [em] may cause readability issues with monospace characters. If you have trouble viewing em-dash characters, you can toggle between em-dashes and double-hyphens by entering *MONO* at the command prompt."[AH1]. Gameplaying is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "gameplay" as gameplaying. Carry out gameplaying: say "[PL1]". To say PL1: say "[italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] features a unique magic system inspired by the second law of thermodynamics, which asserts that the amount of entropy in a system always increases over time. This has complex implications, but you as a player only need to know that moments or systems that involve the loss of energy or order can provide the protagonist with magical power. The protagonists can take advantage of entropic systems and events by gathering the energy or order lost to these processes/objects before they are dissipated into the infinite void of space. Three commands, unique to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], are used to manipulate entropic magic: [bt]*DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]* (abbreviated as *DG* or *DN*):[rt][lb]This command is used to evaluate the entropic potential of an object or system. If you *DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]* with entropic potential, the game will tell you how to draw upon its energy. Note that you can also *DIAGNOSE ME* to get information on your own entropic potential. *DIAGNOSE*, without a question, is the most important command in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. [bt]*SIPHON [bracket]something[cb]*:[rt][lb]Used to pull entropic energy into yourself once you have identified a suitable source. [bt]*INVEST [bracket]something[close bracket] with [bracket]entropic energy[close bracket]*:[rt][lb]Use gathered entropic energy to violate the second law of thermodynamics by adding order or energy to a system or process. Just as in Infocom's [it]Enchanter[rt] games of old, [it]RTE[rt]'s primary gameplay loop consists of finding and using magic. If you find yourself trying to throw blankets on things, wash dishes, or adjust a thermostat, your experience with [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] will be quite frustrating. As a reminder, the 'Player's Companion' (*GUIDE* or *GD*) covers this and other topics in greater detail, and is essential to experiencing this text in full. [em]C. A. Smythe[lb]"[PL1]. Abouting is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "about" and "credits" as abouting. Carry out abouting: say "[afterword]". Paratexting is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "paratext" as paratexting. Carry out paratexting: say "[PT]". To say PT: say "'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' has various in-text notations, just as many scholarly books do. These include comments from the Executive Editor, a usability expert and multiple literary critics. The text will state when an annotation is available. A two- or three-letter combination will be presented in brackets with a number. As an example, readers might see something like this during the course of play: [bold type][bracket]AC 1[close bracket][roman type]. After typing *AC 1* at the command prompt, the relevant annotation will be displayed. Skipping paratext may cause players to miss out on gameplay instructions or clues to getting a high score, since they are key to understanding the additions and subtractions made by Cook and Searcy during the compilation of this new, expanded edition. Discovered sources can be reviewed by typing *SOURCES* at the command prompt. Additionally, it is possible to review all notes from a specific source by typing *SOURCES [bracket]source[close bracket]*. For instance, typing *SOURCES CAS* will print every discovered note from CAS. Just as important are the materials available in the 'Reader's Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]' that are part of this text. This companion can be consulted at any time via the *GUIDE* (abbreviated as *GD*) command. [EM]C. A. Smythe[line break]"[PT]. verbing is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "Verbs" or "Verb" as verbing. Carry out verbing: say "[VB]". To say VB: say "[italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' uses many verbs commonly used in interactive fiction, such as *EXAMINE*, *LOOK*, *TAKE*, *SEARCH*, *DROP*, and so forth. Additionally, there are many custom verbs: [bold type]Player 'Cheat Sheets':[roman type][line break]*HELP*: Basic information about playing.[line break]*PARATEXT*: Instructions for reviewing annotations and the *GUIDE*.[line break]*GAMEPLAY*: Information about using entropic magic.[line break]*ABOUT*: Acknowledgments.[line break]*VERBS*: A list of (un)common actions.[lb]Each of these commands is superseded by the 'Reader's Companion' (*GUIDE* or *GD*). [bt]Artwork:[rt][lb]*GRAPHICS*[lb]*IMAGES* [bold type]Meta:[roman type][line break]*SCORE*[line break]*DETAILED SCORING* (or *DS*)[lb]*COMPLETE SCORE* (or *CS*)[lb]*HASSLES* (or *H*)[paragraph break][bold type]Other[roman type][line break]*PUT [bracket]something[close bracket]UNDER[bracket] something[close bracket]*[line break]*TALK to [bracket]someone[close bracket]*[line break]*BUY* [bracket]something[close bracket]*[line break]*WIN*[lb]*FLY* For more information about playing [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], consult the *GUIDE*. [em]C. A. Smythe"[VB]. Section 3 (advisory) Advising is an action applying to nothing. Understand "advisory" as advising. carry out advising: say "[bold type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] features frank and disturbing depictions of mental illness, including suicidal ideation. Many things lurk at the periphery, although they are not dealt with directly: child neglect, substance abuse, and domestic violence.". Section 4 (winning) [*WIN* started as a joke, but became something more. I mix in some responses that should probably be in the relevant area instead.] winning is an action applying to nothing. understand "win" as winning. Check winning for the first time: say "[bk][it]*WIN* is a command that rushes the protagonist(s) to the conclusion of their quest. Reaching that conclusion is, technically, winning. However, [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] is not a text that rewards rushing. While many play a game in order to finish it, [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] was written to be [bt]completed[it] rather than [bt]finished[it]. As such, attempting to *WIN* in this way will result in a fail state. Since each fail state associated with the *WIN* command is an attempt to circumvent the storyline of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it], they are nevertheless useful as ways to explore the boundaries of the narrative. Winning has a unique response in each geographical region of the game world, and it unquestionably yields the easiest 'points' that the player can earn in-game. Note that winning has[EM]by design[EM]some of the darkest characterizations of D's personality in the entire text[dot] [EM][rt]Pauline Searcy, Editor[cb] [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][pb]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; continue the action. [will do one for each region. this is the first coded fail state in the game. it's fairly straightforward, checking to see if this fail state is new or a repeat. If new, it increments the total count (D) as well as a local count (D80), then adds a relevant index value. Then, death logging updates a record in a table of deaths in the current region. That's used for the detailed and complete scoring commands. I probably could have been smarter about all of this, but it's been very stable in test.] 80s Win Value is a number that varies. Carry out winning when the player is in the eighties: say "Without warning, the strangest feeling comes over you. It feels like you have been here many times. You have retrieved this psychic bleed before, even though you know that you haven't. With a shrug, you decide to see it through to the end. It is a rather uneventful evening in the existence of an inter-dimensional entity, but its memory retains an inexplicable significance. The boy and his indecipherable primeoid anguish, the unexpected potency of the magic itself. I think of it quite often[em]once every two or three years[em]without knowing why. Primeoid year 1996: when I sense, without evidence, that something about that boy will change, I don't question it. Taking flight, soaring above their warrens, their filth-belching automobiles, and their screaming babies, I land atop a massive prison for defective or failing primeoid physiologies. I know that he is in one of the cells below, and, with only a thought, I know which one. I silently land on the roof, wondering if this boy will be the first in millennia to violate a fundamental law of the universe. This outcome has earned a rating of the primeoids we met along the way/10. [paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if D82 is false: now D80 is D80 plus one; now D82 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 2; End the story. Carry out winning when the player is in the trailer interior and the poet is informed: say "We've had it. It's time to stop messing around and get out of here. We grab our jeans and wallet and rush out of the trailer. Ignoring our neighbor's cries for help, we run to our car. We've got places to be and things to do. Somehow, everything gets turned around on us while we're riding the hospital elevator up. This doesn't work. We know, before we even reach the door, that our mother is lying unconscious in one of many identical rooms, unconsciously pawing at the machinery attached to her. It resists, snaking down her throat and into her veins. She can't get free, and neither can we. Neither of us ever had a chance, you think. Sinking into a nearby chair, you contemplate your shared destinies, medical and inexorable, converging as they do here. There must have been something we could have done differently, some other somebody to be. This outcome has earned a rating of [italic type]Madame Dee, c'est nous[roman type]/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DIT9 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now DIT9 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 9; end the story. Instead of winning when the player is in the trailer and the poet is not informed: say "Let's get our bearings first. So far as I know, our plans are to play video games and eat junk food here in the trailer. Isn't that what winning is to us? Try again if something changes." instead. carry out winning when the player is in the trailer exterior: say "We've come a long way, but not far enough. [if nukestate is false]If we had chosen to stick around, we might have been able to prevent our trailer (and all of our possessions) from exploding[dot][otherwise if quenched is false and nukestate is true]Cutting and running while our neighbors are in trouble is, yes, in character for you, but maybe we should set a higher standard for ourselves.[otherwise if quenched is true]It feels a little silly, resorting to *WIN* now that we're getting ready to leave.[end if] Whatever. I suppose the only thing that matters is that we need to get our pills and get to the hospital. The scene at the pharmacy is weird and jarring. A woman[em]almost certainly a drug addict[em]argues with the pharmacist for ten minutes while we wait, growing more and more anxious. A child sits at her feet on the dirty linoleum floor, hanging onto the leg of her jeans. You look at the young boy with something like recognition. 'No,' we want to tell him, 'it doesn't get any better.' He'll figure it out soon enough, you think bitterly. Every spinning particle of urgency has broken free of our dense center, lost in the vast nothingness of space. Jesus Christ man, this is [italic type]grim[roman type]. Even for us. Later, we stare out at the darkness beyond the unopenable glass window: one of hundreds of unopenable glass windows here. You cannot hear anything over the sounds of coil whine and air propelled down narrow tubes. I'm glad that no one will have to come here and look at us. That's the least we can do, isn't it? Our gift to the world. This outcome has earned a rating of winning isn't everything/10. [asterisks]Press any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET8 is false: now D is D plus one; now DTET is DTET plus one; now DET8 is true; try death logging 8; end the story. Winner is a truth state that varies. Report winning: now winner is true. Section 5 (technical writer C A Smythe) [Footnote commands. As mentioned above, the code is mostly verbatim from the Inform recipe book] CASs mentioned is a number that varies. To say (CAS - a number) as a CAS: if CAS > number of filled rows in the Table of CAS: say "There is no such note from the author."; otherwise: choose row CAS in the Table of CAS; if there is an index entry: if resolution is 4: say "*CAS [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]CAS [index entry][close bracket]"; otherwise: increment CASs mentioned; choose row CAS in the Table of CAS; now index entry is CASs mentioned; if resolution is 4: say "*CAS [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]CAS [index entry][close bracket]". Understand "CAS [number]" as looking up a CAS. Understand "CAS [number]" as looking up a CAS. Looking up a CAS is an action out of world applying to one number. Check looking up a CAS: if the number understood > CASs mentioned: say "You haven't seen any such prompt for this message from the author." instead; otherwise if the number understood < 1: say "Annotations by C. A. Smythe are numbered from 1." instead. Carry out looking up a CAS: choose row with index of number understood in the Table of CAS; say "[message entry]" [Zed Lopez made this regex thing for me. I later made it case insensitive, because that's what it needed to be. He said I could have or should have done it in a different way, but it was already working fine and I didn't understand anyway.] After reading a command: if the player's command matches the regular expression "^(?i)(cas|ps|ahm|dsc)(\d+)", change the text of the player's command to "[text matching subexpression 1] [text matching subexpression 2]"; Section 6 (DSC Messages) DSCs mentioned is a number that varies. To say (DSC - a number) as a DSC: if DSC > number of filled rows in the Table of DSC: say "There is no such note from the author."; otherwise: choose row DSC in the Table of DSC; if there is an index entry: if resolution is 4: say "*DSC [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]DSC [index entry][close bracket]"; otherwise: increment DSCs mentioned; choose row DSC in the Table of DSC; now index entry is DSCs mentioned; if resolution is 4: say "*DSC [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]DSC [index entry][close bracket]". Understand "DSC [number]" as looking up a DSC. Looking up a DSC is an action out of world applying to one number. Check looking up a DSC: if the number understood > DSCs mentioned, say "You haven't seen any such prompt for this message from the author." instead; if the number understood < 1, say "Annotations by D. S. Collins are numbered from 1." instead. Carry out looking up a DSC: choose row with index of number understood in the Table of DSC; say "[message entry]". Section 7 (AHM Messages) AHMs mentioned is a number that varies. To say (AHM - a number) as an AHM: if AHM > number of filled rows in the Table of AHM: say "There is no such annotation."; otherwise: choose row AHM in the Table of AHM; if there is an index entry: if resolution is 4: say "*AHM [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]AHM [index entry][close bracket]"; otherwise: increment AHMs mentioned; choose row AHM in the Table of AHM; now index entry is AHMs mentioned; if resolution is 4: say "*AHM [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]AHM [index entry][close bracket]". Understand "AHM [number]" as looking up an AHM. Looking up an AHM is an action out of world applying to one number. Check looking up an AHM: if the number understood > AHMs mentioned, say "You haven't seen any such annotation." instead; if the number understood < 1, say "Annotations by A. H. Montague are numbered from 1." instead. Carry out looking up an AHM: choose row with index of number understood in the Table of AHM; say "[message entry]". Section 8 (PS Messages) PSs mentioned is a number that varies. To say (PS - a number) as a PS: if PS > number of filled rows in the Table of PS: say "There is no such note from the author."; otherwise: choose row PS in the Table of PS; if there is an index entry: if resolution is 4: say "*PS [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]PS [index entry][close bracket]"; otherwise: increment PSs mentioned; choose row PS in the Table of PS; now index entry is PSs mentioned; if resolution is 4: say "*PS [index entry]*"; otherwise: say "[bracket]PS [index entry][close bracket]". Understand "PS [number]" as looking up a PS. Looking up a PS is an action out of world applying to one number. Check looking up a PS: if the number understood > PSs mentioned, say "You haven't seen any such prompt for this message from the author." instead; if the number understood < 1, say "Annotations by Pauline Searcy are numbered from 1." instead. Carry out looking up a PS: choose row with index of number understood in the Table of PS; say "[message entry]". Section 9 (Scoring) [Players who are trying to complete the game may have information management problems. I wanted to eliminate these obstacles entirely to allow them to focus on their objectives. This is another information management command.] Death Counting Value is a number that varies. Understand the command "score" as something new. Death counting is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "score" as death counting. To say the score: say "[bold type]Total Fail States Discovered: [D to the nearest whole number] out of 33.[roman type][if the outdoors is visited][pb]Nineteen Eighty: [D80] out of 2.[end if][if the bedroom is visited]Trailer Interior: [DTIT] out of 9.[end if][if the front yard is visited]Trailer Exterior: [DTET] out of 8.[end if][if the InCar is visited]Inside the Car: [DCT] out of 2.[end if][if driveway is visited]The Driveway: [DW] out of 3.[end if][if pharmacy parking lot is visited]The Pharmacy: [PD] out of 3.[end if][if HPL is visited]The Hospital: [DHRT] out of 6.[end if][lb]At this point in the narrative, the maximum possible score is [pdeaths to the nearest whole number]."[the score] Carry out death counting when D is zero: say "You have not yet made meaningful progress.[paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is one or D is two: say "You have made a modest beginning.[paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is 3: say "We are no stranger to failure[dot][first time] [19 as an AHM][only][paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is greater than 3 and D is less than 10: say "We are no stranger to failure.[paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is 10: say "We have begun to test the limits of the simulation[dot][first time] [17 as a PS][only][paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is greater than 10 and D is less than 17: say "We have begun to test the limits of the simulation[dot][paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is greater than 16 and D is less than 27: say "We may escape this cycle yet.[paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is greater than 26 and D is less than 33: say "I will be free.[paragraph break][the score]". Carry out death counting when D is 33: say "Half of what I say is meaningless.[paragraph break][the score]". Section 10 (deprecated) Section 11 (Deprecated) Section 12 (sources) [More information management, *SOURCES* just lists descriptive text for every discovered annotation source, in case a player forgets "who is CAS?" or whatever.] Sourcing is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "sources" as sourcing. Understand "source" as sourcing. Carry out sourcing: Say "Available sources referenced in this Critical Edition of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]:[paragraph break][if CASs mentioned > 0]CAS: Usability expert and technical writer C. A. Smythe offers feedback and suggestions regarding the lack of tutorial content in [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]. [line break][end if][if DSCs mentioned > 0]DSC: Comments from Daniel South Collins, author of 'The Indeterminate Narratology of [italic type]Repeat the Ending.[roman type][line break][end if][if AHMs mentioned > 0]AHM: Excerpts from A. H. Montague's 'Deplete the Ending: Classism and Sanism in the Works of Drew Cook.'[line break][end if][if PSs mentioned > 0]PS: Notes from the editor of this critical edition, Pauline Searcy.[line break][end if]". [allsourcing is a command to review every discovered annotation by a specific author, first checking for valid input, then listing them in the order discovered (by index #). Finally, re-sorts to original order, since the recipe book assumes (reasonably) a static table] [line spacing!] Check Allsourcing "CAS": if CASs mentioned < 1: say "You have not discovered any annotations from that source."; otherwise: sort the Table of CAS in index order; repeat through the table of CAS: if there is an index entry: if index entry is one: say "[index entry]: [message entry]"; otherwise: say "[line break][index entry]: [message entry]"; sort the Table of CAS in OV order; stop the action. Check Allsourcing "DSC": if DSCs mentioned < 1: say "You have not discovered any annotations from that source." instead; otherwise: sort the Table of DSC in index order; repeat through the table of DSC: if there is an index entry: if index entry is one: say "[index entry]: [message entry]"; otherwise: say "[line break][index entry]: [message entry]"; sort the Table of DSC in OV order; stop the action. Check Allsourcing "AHM": if AHMs mentioned < 1: say "You have not discovered any annotations from that source." instead; otherwise: sort the Table of AHM in index order; repeat through the table of AHM: if there is an index entry: if index entry is one: say "[index entry]: [message entry]"; otherwise: say "[line break][index entry]: [message entry]"; sort the Table of AHM in OV order; stop the action. Check Allsourcing "PS": if PSs mentioned < 1: say "You have not discovered any annotations from that source." instead; otherwise: sort the Table of PS in index order; repeat through the table of PS: if there is an index entry: if index entry is one: say "[index entry]: [message entry]"; otherwise: say "[line break][index entry]: [message entry]"; sort the Table of PS in OV order; stop the action. [vague rejection does not say whether the input actually refers to a real source or not] After allsourcing: say "You have not discovered any annotations from that source." Allsourcing is an action applying to a topic. Understand "Sources [text]" as Allsourcing. Section 13 Updated actions for showing and hiding items in TOC [this is a feature Wade Clarke added to his menu system to allow toggling parts of the main menu on or off as desired. This was to enable revealing more and more of the guide as the story progressed.] To show toc (N - a number): now availability in row N of table of content availability is true; To hide toc (N - a number): now availability in row N of table of content availability is false; toc-toggling is an action out of world applying to one number. Understand "toc [number]" as toc-toggling. Carry out toc-toggling: let N be the number understood; if N is 0 or N > (number of rows in table of content availability): say "Out of range."; otherwise: if availability in row N of table of content availability is true: hide toc N; say "Row [N] of table of contents is now hidden."; otherwise: show toc N; say "Row [N] of table of contents is now visible."; Section 14 (deprecated) Section 15 (consulting the guide) Consulting the guide is an action out of world applying to nothing. [fun fact: consulting the guide is out of world, but it initiates an activity that includes in-world action *LOOK*. I elsewhere stop looking from advancing the clock during the final scene for this reason.] Understand "guide" or "hint" or "hints" or "companion" or "info" or "consult" or "gd" or "consult the guide" or "consult guide" as consulting the guide. [this big tree customizes guide content based on story progress] Check consulting the guide: if the bedroom is unvisited: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] hide toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] hide toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] hide toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] hide toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] hide toc 14; [afterword new] otherwise if the bedroom is visited and driveway is unvisited: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] hide toc 3; [about this edition] show toc 4; [about this edition new] hide toc 5; [introductions] show toc 6; [introductions new] hide toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] hide toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] hide toc 14; [afterword new] otherwise if driveway is visited and HPL is unvisited: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] show toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] show toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] hide toc 7; [historical context] show toc 8; [historical context new] hide toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] hide toc 14; [afterword new] otherwise if HPL is visited and awake is false: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] show toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] show toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] show toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] hide toc 9; [contemporary criticism] show toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] hide toc 14; [afterword new] otherwise if awake is true: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] show toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] show toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] show toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] show toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] show toc 14; [afterword new] Carry out consulting the guide (this is the help request rule): carry out the displaying activity; clear the screen; try looking; [these things don't really belong here. Initially, I had a problem with consulting the guide requiring turns despite being an out of world action. As it turned out, it was actually the *TRY LOOKING* command just above. So I moved around in the turn sequence. That led to other places where it might matter (timed events).] The timeless looking rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless looking rule: if looking when awake is true, rule succeeds. The timeless car looking rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless car looking rule: if looking when the location is incar, rule succeeds. The timeless fire rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless fire rule: if looking when the location is dcyard and the player is structuring, rule succeeds. The timeless bin rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless bin rule: if looking when the sublimated order is in the kitchen, rule succeeds. The timeless hassling rule is listed before every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless hassling rule: if hassling, rule succeeds. The timeless displaying images rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless displaying images rule: if displaying images, rule succeeds. The timeless allsourcing rule is listed before the every turn stage rule in the turn sequence rules. This is the timeless allsourcing rule: if allsourcing, rule succeeds. Section 15-1 (full guide) [Just a command to open the entire guide, regardless of story progress.] Full guiding is an action applying to nothing. Understand "fg" and "full guide" as full guiding. Check full guiding: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] show toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] show toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] show toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] show toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] show toc 13; [afterword] hide toc 14; [afterword new] Carry out full guiding: carry out the displaying activity; clear the screen; try looking. [really should have reused the full guiding command for this table of final Q's rule, but it's fine] This is the postgame guide rule: show toc 1; [to new players] show toc 2; [using the guide] show toc 3; [about this edition] hide toc 4; [about this edition new] show toc 5; [introductions] hide toc 6; [introductions new] show toc 7; [historical context] hide toc 8; [historical context new] show toc 9; [contemporary criticism] hide toc 10; [contemporary criticism new] show toc 11; [how to play] show toc 12; [hints] hide toc 13; [afterword] show toc 14; [afterword new] carry out the displaying activity; clear the screen; try looking. Section 16 (detailed scoring) [Death logging writes an index to a table. Need a number specified in death sequence: 'try death logging [number] Need a table with 3 columns: index: updated my death scoring. Dictates which rows are displayed. message: text displayed for each fail state. OV: original row order. Perhaps a return to original table state post-reporting] Death Logging is an action applying to a number. understand "DL [number]" as death logging. Detailed Scoring is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "Detailed Score" and "Detail" and "DS" as detailed scoring. Complete Scoring is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "Complete Score" and "Complete" and "CS" as complete scoring. Section 16-1 (death logging in the 80s) [This is really just a riff on allsourcing, only in this case a specific event (ending the story) cases the row update] Carry out death logging in the eighties: Choose row number understood in the table of 80DTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment 80DTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of 80DTH; now index entry is 80DTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in the eighties: if 80DTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the 1980s."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(D80) in words] of two fail states in the 1980s:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of 80DTH in index order; repeat through the table of 80DTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of 80dth in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum total of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are attainable.". Section 16-2 (Death Logging in the trailer interior) Carry out death logging in the trailer interior: Choose row number understood in the table of TIDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment TIDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of TIDTH; now index entry is TIDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in the trailer interior: if TIDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the trailer's interior."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(DTIT) in words] of nine fail states in the trailer's interior:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of TIDTH in index order; repeat through the table of TIDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][lb]"; sort the table of TIDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been attainable.". Section 16-3 (Death Logging in the trailer exterior) Carry out death logging in the trailer exterior: Choose row number understood in the table of TEDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment TEDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of TEDTH; now index entry is TEDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in the trailer exterior: if TEDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the trailer's exterior."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(DTET) in words] of eight fail states in the trailer's exterior:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of TEDTH in index order; repeat through the table of TEDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][lb]"; sort the table of TEDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been attainable.". Section 16-4 (death logging in the car) Carry out death logging in travel: Choose row number understood in the table of CARDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment CARDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of CARDTH; now index entry is CARDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in travel: if CARDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the car's interior."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(DCT) in words] of two fail states inside our car:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of CARDTH in index order; repeat through the table of CARDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of CARDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been attainable.". Section 16-5 (death logging in lakeshore drive) Carry out death logging in driveway: Choose row number understood in the table of LSDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment LSDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of LSDTH; now index entry is LSDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in driveway: if LSDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of Lakeshore Drive."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(DW) in words] of three fail states near Lakeshore Drive:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of LSDTH in index order; repeat through the table of LSDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of LSDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been attainable.". Section 16-6 (death logging at the pharmacy) Carry out death logging in the PHarea: Choose row number understood in the table of PHDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment PHDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of PHDTH; now index entry is PHDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in the PHarea: if PHDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the pharmacy."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(PD) in words] of three fail states at the pharmacy:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of PHDTH in index order; repeat through the table of PHDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of PHDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been attainable.". Section 16-7 (death logging at the hospital) Carry out death logging in the HZone: Choose row number understood in the table of HDTH; if there is an index entry: stop the action; otherwise: increment HDTHs mentioned; choose row number understood from the table of HDTH; now index entry is HDTHs mentioned. Carry out detailed scoring in the HZone: if HDTHs mentioned < 1: say "You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the hospital."; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(DHRT) in words] of six fail states at the hospital:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of HDTH in index order; repeat through the table of HDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of HDTH in ov order; say "[lb][bt]At this point in the narrative, a maximum of [PDeaths to the nearest whole number in words] points are or have been discoverable.". Section 17-8 (complete scoring) [This shows every fail state discovered in every visited area. I added it in case people wanted to view it from the table of final questions options. There's no new code here. If I had any sense, I would have made separate rules for these, but oh well] Carry out complete scoring (this is the complete score rule): if 80DTHs mentioned < 1: say "[bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the 1980s.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[bt]You have discovered [(D80) in words] of two fail states in the 1980s:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of 80DTH in index order; repeat through the table of 80DTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of 80dth in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] If the bedroom is unvisited: stop the action; if TIDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the trailer's interior.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(DTIT) in words] of nine fail states in the trailer's interior:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of TIDTH in index order; repeat through the table of TIDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][lb]"; sort the table of TIDTH in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] if the front yard is unvisited: stop the action; if TEDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the trailer's exterior.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(DTET) in words] of eight fail states in the trailer's exterior:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of TEDTH in index order; repeat through the table of TEDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][lb]"; sort the table of TEDTH in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] if incar is unvisited: stop the action; if CARDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the car's interior.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(DCT) in words] of two fail states in the car's interior:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of CARDTH in index order; repeat through the table of CARDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of CARDTH in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] if driveway is unvisited: stop the action; if LSDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of Lakeshore Drive.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(DW) in words] of three fail states near Lakeshore Drive:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of LSDTH in index order; repeat through the table of LSDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of LSDTH in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] if pharmacy parking lot is unvisited: stop the action; if PHDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the pharmacy.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(PD) in words] of three fail states at the pharmacy:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of PHDTH in index order; repeat through the table of PHDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of PHDTH in ov order; [ say "[lb]";] if the HPL is unvisited: stop the action; if HDTHs mentioned < 1: say "[lb][bt]You have yet to test the narrative boundaries of the hospital.[rt]"; otherwise: say "[lb][bt]You have discovered [(DHRT) in words] of six fail states at the hospital:[rt][pb]"; sort the Table of HDTH in index order; repeat through the table of HDTH: if there is an index entry: say "[index entry]) [message entry][line break]"; sort the table of HDTH in ov order. [whew!] Section 7 (monospace toggle) [This story makes heavy use of the emdash character, which looks bad in monospace fonts. It came up in testing.] mspace is a truth state that varies. mspace is false. monoing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "mono" and "monospace" as monoing. Carry out monoing when mspace is false: say "Now printed text is configured for monospace fonts."; now mspace is true; stop the action. Carry out monoing when mspace is true: say "Now printed text is configured for variable width fonts."; now mspace is false; stop the action. Chapter 3 (regular ass verbs) Section 1 (giving) [I have no idea why this is here. Perhaps it predates my other response customizations. For more information, see "after you've seen everything" section of the guide.] The block giving rule does nothing. The can't give to a non-person rule response (A) is "[if the player is the entropist]I am here to take, not give.[otherwise if the player is the poet]We can't just give stuff to stuff." the can't give to yourself rule response (A) is "[if the player is the entropist][The noun] is already mine.[otherwise]What a truly generous soul you are.". Chapter 3 (Infocom Spells) Section 1 (frotz) Frotzing it is an action applying to one thing. Understand "frotz [something]" as frotzing it. Carry out frotzing it: try nFrotzing instead. nFrotzing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "frotz" as nFrotzing. Carry out nFrotzing: say "[if the player is the entropist]I can see in the dark, fool.[otherwise]While things might be dark, they aren't that kind of dark." Section 2 (CASKLY) [Just some silliness. Uses are documented in the "after you've seen everything" section of the guide.] CASKLING is an action applying to one thing. Understand "CASKLY [something]" as CASKLING. [after I created all of these conditions, I blew it all off and used before rules instead] A thing can be perfectable. A thing is usually not perfectable. A person is usually perfectable. An animal is usually perfectable. Instead of CASKLING when the noun is not perfectable: say "[if the player is the entropist]Even though I am an immortal being of magic, perfecting the contents of this plane would require time beyond reckoning.[otherwise]Considering your unusually low standards, should we really be deciding what is and is not perfect?" Instead of CASKLING the player when the player is the entropist: say "Do you mean to say that I am not already perfect?" Instead of CASKLING the player when the player is the poet: say "If only it were that easy." Section 3 (NITFOL) [yet another Infocom bit, though NITFOLing frogs both here and in Enchanter reveals some interesting information] NITFOLing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "nitfol [something]" as nitfoling. [I just decide to do before commands here] Instead of nitfoling: say "[if the player is the entropist]I would not speak with [the noun] even if I could.[otherwise]We've been stabilized on lithium for a year. I'm not going to talk to [the noun] just because you say so."; stop the action. Before nitfoling a person: say "[if the player is the entropist]Primeoids are animals, obviously, but there is no need for magic when addressing them. I've talked to a primeoid three times in the last century or so, which is admittedly excessive.[otherwise if the player is the poet]While we could use a little help communicating with our fellow humans, there's no magical assistance for us." instead; stop the action. Section 4 (GUNCHO) GUNCHOing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "guncho [something]" as gunchoing. Instead of gunchoing something: say "[if the player is the entropist]I have no need for that primitive primeoid wizardry.[otherwise]Entropic magic is based on physical laws in this physical existence. We can only destroy, not banish. At least, I think that's true. It may be worth testing on living things." Before gunchoing an animal: say "Forget it. I'm not going to harm a blameless animal. You do know that's a sign of sociopathy, don't you?" instead; stop the action. Book 5 (special nouns) Part 1 (Player Characters) Chapter 1 (General) [reserved] Chapter 2 (The Entropist) Section 1 (Description) [The first of two playable characters in the game, commonly referred to as the "orange-eyed woman.] The Entropist is a person. The Entropist is a PC. The Entropist has a siphontype. The Entropist is TInert. The printed name of the entropist is "the Entropist". The description of The Entropist is "[if the player is tinert]My appearance is quite impressive, naturally. The clothes I wear are the height of fashion and recency; they are only 20 years old! I wear a long skirt, a white, short-sleeved blouse, and tie my black hair in a ponytail. I've loosely knotted an orange kerchief around my throat. Unlike many of my kind, I enjoy primeoid fashion and follow it closely. The only nod to my daemonic nature is my orange eyes, which are admittedly conspicuous.[Otherwise]While my clothing is undoubtedly as fashionable as ever, I feel disheveled and out-of-sorts, overwhelmed as I am by the toxic energy of the primeoid woman's sickness.". Check siphoning the entropist when the player is the entropist: say "I am a being of pure chaos and disorder. While some other entity might wish to siphon that energy away, I need not siphon what is already mine." instead. Section 2 (the entropist's clothing) [I could have just left clothing out of the description of the OEW, but it's important to her] [another thing that becomes apparent is a commitment to implementing the magic system commands on almost everything. This proved to be very time consuming, but I don't regret it.] Instead of doing anything to clothing when the player is the entropist and the player is tpsychic: say "While I remain as proud as ever of my ensemble, now is not the time for fashion.". The entropist is wearing the long skirt. The indefinite article of the long skirt is "my". The long skirt is clothing. The description of the long skirt is "My skirt is blue, pleated, and made from the hair of fauna native to this plane of existence.". carry out diagnosing the long skirt: say "The skirt affords no opportunities for siphoning entropic energies or order, since I have safeguarded it from the biodegradation processes that would otherwise break it down in a short period of time. Some plant- or animal-based matter can deteriorate in a matter of decades or less!". carry out siphoning the long skirt: say "While I and my faux primeoid shell contain significant amounts of entropic power, I need all of it, and can't perform the self-defeating task of pulling my own energy into my energy. Moreover, the skirt that covers my lower frame has not absorbed a jot of said energy. It is a dud. A very attractive dud, to be sure, but an absolute dud.". carry out investing clothing with the psychic bleed: say "I must invest a primeoid with it. Surely you know a primeoid when you see one.". understand "blue skirt" as the long skirt. The entropist is wearing the blouse. The indefinite article of the blouse is "my". the blouse is clothing. The printed name of the blouse is "white, short-sleeved blouse". The description of the blouse is "My fitted blouse complements my skirt and neck scarf perfectly.". understand "white shirt" and "shirt" as the blouse. carry out diagnosing the blouse: say "This blouse is made of plant fibers that would deteriorate almost immediately without my intervention: in decades, perhaps. Since I have taken steps to preserve it, it will likely last for a few centuries. It is a poor instance of increasing disorder in the universe, at least so far as magical applications go.". carry out siphoning the blouse: say "The shirt is quite stable, and would not yield much in the way of energy or order. Besides, I like it too much to toy with the balance that it has struck with this reality." instead. The Entropist is wearing the orange kerchief. The indefinite article of the orange kerchief is "my". The orange kerchief is clothing. Understand "neck scarf" and "scarf" as the orange kerchief. The description of the orange kerchief is "This neck scarf is the same color as my eyes, and its loose knot points in the general direction of my right hand.". The neck scarf is clothing. Carry out diagnosing the orange kerchief: say "This stylish kerchief is made of synthetic orange fibers. Its durability and resistance to creasing are owed to what primeoids call 'science.' While science is largely an impoverished substitute for magic, it can achieve some remarkable things that magic cannot. This lovely orange scarf is one such achievement. It is a poor source of entropic energy unless melted at high temperatures, a thing which I will under no circumstances do.". Carry out siphoning the orange kerchief: say "This kerchief is the most stable of all my clothing items, though I did take steps to make it last for centuries. There is no energy or loss of organization in this knotted scarf that I could put to use.". [I would later use synonyms for "taking off" to untie the cords in the front room for a rather miserable easter egg. A rotten egg, I suppose.] Understand "untie [something]" as taking off. Understand "unknot [something]" as taking off. The Entropist is wearing the brown boots. The indefinite article of the brown boots is "my". The brown boots are shoes. The boots are a plural-named thing. Understand "boot" as the boots. The brown boots are clothing. The description of the brown boots is "My brown boots are tall, but not tall enough to reach the hem of my skirt. I imagine that it would be hard for a primeoid to run or jump while wearing them, but that hardly applies to me.[paragraph break]Besides, running is for primeoids.". Check diagnosing the brown boots: say "These brown boots are made from the skins of domesticated bovines that are then treated by various nonmagical substances. The result is a material that is sturdier than most primeoid fabrics. Since I have taken steps to prevent their normally rapid decay, they are quite stable and unlikely to yield any sort of useful entropic energy.". Carry out siphoning the brown boots: say "Since the boots are in no danger of degrading or otherwise losing their material integrity, my effort fails. It is good to know that these attractive and highly fashionable boots will remain with me for a time.". Check taking off when the noun is clothing and the player is the entropist: say "I'm quite fond of my ensemble and have no reason to remove my [noun]." instead. The Ehair is part of the the entropist. The indefinite article of the ehair is "my". Understand "ponytail" and "hair" as the ehair. The description of the ehair is "My dark hair is pulled back in a severe ponytail, and the bangs are cut straight above my eyes. It is only one charming facet of my stunning ensemble." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the ehair: say "You will not convince me to dishevel my impeccably decorated primeoid shell.". Chapter 3 (The Poet) Section 1 (Poet Description) [The second and primarily player character. He needed a couple of added flourishes for when he has absorbed entropic energy.] Poet is a person. Poet is a PC. Poet has a siphontype. Poet is TInert. The printed name of Poet is "the failed poet". The description of Poet is "I suppose we aren't bad looking in a mopey, malnourished sort of way. I am speaking from memory, of course, because we hate mirrors more than even the most superstitious vampire.[if the player is wearing the black jeans] We are currently dressed.[otherwise] We are not currently dressed.[end if][if motorized is true]We are currently vibrating with kinetic energy.[otherwise if surging is true]I am currently vibrating with kinetic energy". [so far as I know, there's no way to get the printed name of the poet to show up. I specified one anyway.] Understand "us" as the poet. the poet is a proper-named thing. [loving and enjoying are recurring things. Inspired by *ENJOY POETRY* in HHGG] Before loving the poet: say "Try doing it yourself, if you can." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the poet: say "Yeah, that's all it takes. We just have to decide to enjoy ourselves, and there we are." instead; stop the action. Section 2 (Poet Clothing and Wallet) [Since getting dressed is a big deal, I couldn't skimp on this section] Poet is wearing the pair of boxer shorts. The indefinite article of the pair of boxer shorts is "a". The description of the pair of boxer shorts is "A fairly ordinary pair of black and yellow gingham shorts.". Understand "boxers" as the pair of boxer shorts. Understand "shorts" as the pair of boxer shorts. Understand "boxer shorts" as the pair of boxer shorts. Check diagnosing when the player is the poet and the noun is worn: say "Our clothing is stable and pretty unmagical, which suits our fashion preferences.". Check siphoning when the player is the poet and the noun is worn: say "We'd wind up pulling energy out of ourselves, and it's not like we have a lot to spare." instead. Check investing when the player is the poet and the noun is worn: say "No. We aren't going to invest something we're wearing with chaos magic." instead. Poet is wearing the white t-shirt. The indefinite article of the white t-shirt is "a". the white t-shirt is a shirt. The description of the white t-shirt is "A plain, white t-shirt. We own at least six of them." Understand "shirt" and "tee" and "t shirt" and "tee shirt" as the t-shirt. the green sneakers are nowhere. the green sneakers are shoes. The printed name of the green sneakers is "pair of green sneakers". The indefinite article of the green sneakers is "a". Understand "shoes" and "green shoes" as the the sneakers. The green sneakers are a plural-named thing. The description of the green sneakers is "A pair of low-top, canvas shoes that are not commonly worn in your part of the world. We've always owned at least one pair of them since we were thirteen.". the white socks are nowhere. the indefinite article of the white socks is "our". The description of the white socks is "We bought a bag of six pairs of these plain, white crew socks. They separate our feet from our shoes. That's it.". the black jeans are nowhere. the indefinite article of the black jeans is "a". The printed name of the black jeans is "pair of black jeans". The description of the black jeans is "These straight-legged jeans fit well and are comfortably broken-in. We wear them often.". pocket is part of the black jeans. pocket is privately-named. pocket is undescribed. the indefinite article of the pocket is "my". understand "pocket" and "pockets" or "back pocket" as pocket. instead of doing anything when the current action involves the pocket: say "This isn't a pants simulator; forget about the pocket(s)." Section 3 (the wallet) [Lots of empty implementation here. This was so early in the project that I don't clearly remember the logic behind some of my choices.] the wallet is nowhere. The indefinite article of the wallet is "our". the printed name of the wallet is "wallet". Check taking the wallet in the kitchen when the black jeans are not worn by the player: say "There's no point in carrying the wallet around when we don't have a pocket to put it in." instead. [the misery of the *HASSLES* command] Carry out taking the wallet in the kitchen when the player is wearing the black jeans and the player is INFORMED: now the printed name of the wallet is "wallet (in our back pocket)"; say "We pick up the wallet and put it in our back pocket."; now G is 11; now the player is carrying the wallet. Carry out taking the wallet in the kitchen when the player is wearing the black jeans and the player is NOT INFORMED: now the printed name of the wallet is "our wallet (in our back pocket)"; say "You pick up the wallet and put it in your back pocket."; now G is 10; now the player is carrying the wallet. the wallet is a container. the wallet can be located or unlocated. the driver's license is in the wallet. the indefinite article of the driver's license is "our". understand "license" and "ID" and "identification" as the driver's license. the money is in the wallet. The indefinite article of the money is "our". Understand "a little money" as the money. the ATM card is in the wallet. the indefinite article of the ATM card is "our". Understand "debit card" as the ATM card. the description of the wallet is "A gray canvas wallet containing a little money, an ATM card[em]no one in their right mind would give us a credit card[em]and a less-than-flattering driver's license.". [I took pains to keep players from messing with the wallet. It is a thing to have rather than use.] instead of doing anything other than taking or examining to the wallet: say "There's no need to do anything with the wallet. If you need to *BUY* something, just say so." instead. instead of doing anything to the driver's license: say "Leave that thing alone. The picture is so bad that it embarrasses even you." instead. instead of doing anything other than taking to the ATM card: say "Our bank account is almost empty. Fortunately, we have plenty of gas and enough money to pay for our prescriptions." instead. Check taking the ATM card: say "There is no reason to mess around with the ATM card at the moment." instead. instead of doing anything other than taking to the money: say "[if the player is carrying the lithium]Having paid for our medicine plus the action figure, we're flat busted.[otherwise if the player is carrying the action figure]Now that we've bought the action figure, we have just enough left over to pay for our medication.[otherwise]Don't you find it depressing to count our bills? It's enough to know that we have a little more than we need to pay for our medication." check taking the money: say "There is no need to take out our money and wave it around. When the time comes to spend buy things, just *BUY* them.". Understand "count money" as a mistake ("Don't you find it depressing to count our bills? It's enough to know that we have a little more than we need to pay for our medication."). Rule for printing room description details of the wallet: omit contents in listing. Rule for printing inventory details of the wallet: omit contents in listing. Before examining the wallet: say "A gray canvas wallet containing a little money, an ATM card[em]no one in their right mind would give you a credit card[em]and a less-than-flattering driver's license."; stop the action. Volume 2 (the game) Book 1 (prologue/tutorial) Part 1 (before play) Chapter 1 (game start) Section 1 (configure graphics) [This keypress code is courtesy of Wade Clarke. it's a simple *GET* situation that allows the player to configure image resolution. It can be rerun at any time in-game.] To decide what number is the key-pressed: let keypress be 0; while keypress is 0: let keypress be the chosen letter; now keypress is keypress minus 48;[returns a '1' if player pressed 1, '2' if they pressed 2, etc. If you want to collect/interpret alphabet keys as well, you'd comment out this line, but it makes life easier if all you want to do is collect numbers from 1-9] [say "* Keypress number is [keypress].[line break]";][Uncomment this line to see what number the game is seeing when the player presses a particular key.] decide on the keypress; The resolution is initially 0.[Into this variable, we're going to store the player's answer to the RESOLUTION QUESTION as a number. 1 or 2.] To ask the resolution question: say "This 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] can optionally display artwork by Callie Smith. Because different hardware and software systems present images differently, you can choose between small, medium, and large image sizes. Note that this choice can be changed at any time by entering the *GRAPHICS* command.[lb]"; say "What image size would you prefer?[paragraph break]"; say "(1) Small[line break]"; say "(2) Medium[line break]"; say "(3) Large[line break]"; say "(4) Print image descriptions instead[paragraph break]"; while 1 is 1: let KEYPRESS be the key-pressed; if KEYPRESS > 0 and KEYPRESS < 5: say "[lb]This setting can be changed at any time by entering the *GRAPHICS* command. [pb]***[pb]"; now resolution is KEYPRESS;[store the answer, a 1 or 2, for later, in this variable.] make no decision;[ends this keypress loop] Configuring graphics is an action applying to nothing. Understand "graphics" as configuring graphics. Carry out configuring graphics: ask the resolution question. rezzing is an action applying to nothing. understand "rez" as rezzing. carry out rezzing: say "[resolution]". Section 2 (startup command) [hides the status line, does some opening blurbage, then designates player, location, and reveals a custom status line] When play begins: try hiding the status line; ask the resolution question; say "[italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] is a work of interactive fiction written in the Inform 7 programming language. It features frank and disturbing depictions of mental illness, including suicidal ideation. More troubling subjects lurk at the periphery, even if they are not dealt with directly: child neglect, substance abuse, and domestic violence. This warning can be viewed at any time by typing 'ADVISORY.'[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; say "[pb]This definitive text of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is made up of [bt]three equally important parts[rt]. These three elements are: this game, the 'Reader's Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt],' and a possibly notorious play transcript (often referred to as 'the 2003 transcript'). This is an unusual arrangement, since typically a game has no equal, merely supporting props and characters. Even if it does not stand alone, it usually stands above. The *GUIDE* command will open the 'Reader[']s Companion,' which expands as the player advances through the game. Initially, it will only offer helpful instructions and hints. More content will be made available throughout the story. Note that those hints are meant to be read, and no prizes will be awarded for avoiding them. In fact, I recommend reading all of the hints once the game is completed, particularly the 'general questions' section. Speaking of hints: [bt]this is not a traditional, Zorkian game of things[rt]. Only one problem in the game is solved without magic, and its hint is revealed via magic. You will never make progress by flipping switches, putting clothes in plastic bins, using keys to unlock doors, breaking windows, carrying a big inventory around, et cetera. Examining objects is seldom sufficient. Reading footnotes and, better still, reading about gameplay in the 'How to Play' section of the *GUIDE* will hopefully spare you a sizable amount of frustration and wasted time. If you aren't either looking for or else using magic, you probably aren't making progress. Note that the description of the first area of the game contains a footnote or annotation. Footnotes can be read by typing the reference verbatum. For instance, the footnote printed above the first command prompt can be consulted by typing 'PS 1'. More specific information can be found in the '4. About the New Paratexts' section of 'How to Play [it]Repeat the Ending'[rt] in the *GUIDE*. These footnotes are essential to the experience of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. Neither the orange-eyed woman nor the unkempt depressive is responsible for any confusions, errors, or outright failures that may arise while ignoring paratexts[dot][pb]I am deeply grateful to all who have given [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] a second chance; perhaps this phenomenon is better called a kind of grace.[lb][em]Drew Cook [asterisks]Press Any Key to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt][asterisks] [pb]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; say "[pb][pb][pb][pb]". The player is the entropist. The entropist is TInert. [this expanded status line came late in the development. I wanted the player to know where they stood with the points.] When play begins: try revealing the status line; now the left hand status line is "[the player's surroundings]: [D to the nearest whole number] / [pdeaths to the nearest whole number]"; now the right hand status line is "[player progress]"; say "[paragraph break]I skip across the treetops, and they pass swiftly under my feet. A massive bleed-off of psychic potency waits in a nearby primeoid dwelling, and I'm the first to have noticed it. There's a knack to detecting and siphoning this kind of entropic bleed. Any novice can redirect the lost energy of an inefficient flame or machine, but few know how to deal with processes that aren't thermodynamic. It's forbidden, too, which must discourage some entropists, but what's the purpose of knowing how to do something that you're afraid to do? Coasting down from the trees, I skate over the low-cut grass of a wide lawn. The bleed is loud for those who can hear and lies somewhere beyond a rather unremarkable window."; now pdeaths is 2. [my one adventure with real numbers] To say player progress: if the player is the entropist and the player is tinert: say "Aloof"; otherwise if the player is the entropist and the player is tPsychic: say "Addled"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) <= 0.1: say "Hopeless"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.1 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.2: say "Apathetic"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.2 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.3: say "Unmotivated"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.3 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.4: say "Ambivalent"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.4 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.5: say "Intermittent"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.5 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.6: say "Curious"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.6 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.7: say "Rebellious"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.7 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.8: say "Defiant"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.8 and (D / PDeaths) <= 0.9: say "Authentic"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) > 0.9 and (D / PDeaths) < 1.0: say "Courageous"; otherwise if (D / PDeaths) is 1.0: say "Free". Chapter 2 (general) Section 1 (rooms) [The first geographical (temporal?) region of the game is the 80s. I use regions for a few purposes] Outdoors is a room. Scrying Hall is a room. The Bleedsite is a room. The eighties is a region. Outdoors, Scrying Hall, and Bleedsite are in the eighties. Section 2 (death) [Points (deaths, fail states, etc) are tracked by region. So D80 is a count of points earned in the 80s. D81 and D82 track whether specific points have been earned or not.] D80 is a number that varies. D80 is 0. D81 is a truth state that varies. D81 is false. D82 is a truth state that varies. D82 is false. Part 2 (Outdoors) Chapter 1 (Outdoors description) The description of Outdoors is "I hover before a transparent plane of glass that reflects my orange and luminescent eyes. Far behind me, the indistinct shadows of trees reach upward. They are darkness pinned to a lesser, starlit darkness. Through the glass, an adolescent primeoid gazes into a brightly glowing scrybox. There is no apparent sign of the psychic bleed that drew me here. The source must lie someplace beyond this hall of divination. While there are many ways that I might depart from this spot, the only location that interests me can be found *INSIDE* the house. [7 as a PS]." [note that the first footnote is a 7! The footnotes evolved quite a bit in terms of purpose and voice] The printed name of outdoors is "Approaching the Scrying Hall (1980)". Chapter 2 (items in Outdoors) Section 1 (the house) A phouse is in Outdoors. The printed name of the phouse is "the house". understand "house" and "dwelling" as the phouse. The Description of the phouse is "The dwelling is low, broad, and mostly brown. It is all but certainly filled with primeoid rubbish.". The phouse is scenery. Section 2 (the trees) The trees are in Outdoors. The trees are a plural-named thing. The description of the trees is "The trees are dark and far away. I passed through them on my way here and will pass through them again when I leave." Understand "tree" and "forest" and "shadows" and "darkness" and "treetops" as the trees. The trees are scenery. Section 3 (the window) The window is an open door. The window is inside from Outdoors and outside from the Scrying Hall. The window is scenery. The description of the the window is "[if the player is in outdoors]A typical wood-framed window of the kind common to primeoid constructions. The wood has been soaked in a pigment of some sort. Instead of the blond-to-light-brown color of natural wood, it is a deep brown. Primeoids are notoriously choosy about their browns. It hardly matters to me, but the window is locked. There are no bindings or wards on the glass, so I can easily pass through it if I wish.[otherwise if the player is in the scrying hall]From this side, the window boasts a less prominent frame but the same amount of glass. The light from the scrybox makes it hard to see the lawn outside." Understand "glass" and "pane" as the window. [the pigment is probably overkill, but it came up in testing] The pigment is part of the window. The description of the pigment is "Primeoids glory in their browns for reasons that even I cannot guess." Instead of doing anything to the pigment: say "I recognize that such details are not beneath you, but please know that they are beneath me." The window is knockable. [I probably should have just had a single block knocking rule. Oh, well.] Section 4 (the grass) The grass is in Outdoors. The grass is scenery. The description of the grass is "Few things more loudly declare primeoid extravagance than their lawns. These non-native grasses require frequent mowing and watering, and do little to nothing to support local fauna. I have heard that they are status symbols, though I can't imagine why. [2 as a CAS]". Understand "lawn" and "blades" as the grass. Section 5 (bogus primeoid and scrybox) [this was just one of those dumb gimmicks to accommodate people looking through the window.] There is a bogus primeoid in outdoors. The bogus primeoid is scenery. The bogus primeoid is a male person. The printed name of the bogus primeoid is "small primeoid". understand "primeoid" or "small primeoid" or "adolescent" or "boy" or "child" or "kid" as the bogus primeoid. check examining the bogus primeoid: try searching the window instead. There is a bogus scrybox in outdoors. The bogus scrybox is scenery. The printed name of the bogus scrybox is "glowing scrybox". understand "box" and "scrybox" and "tv" and "television" as the bogus scrybox. check examining the bogus scrybox: try searching the window instead. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bogus scrybox when the location is outdoors: say "I will need to reach the other side of the window before I can investigate the scrybox further.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bogus primeoid when the location is outdoors: say "I will need to reach the other side of the window before I can investigate the small primeoid further." Section 6 (the reflection) [I think only one tester tried this, but it made sense.] The reflection is in outdoors. The indefinite article of your reflection is "my". The reflection is scenery. The description of the reflection is "In daylight, none but the most sensitive optical faculties could detect the luminescence of my eyes. It's a different story out here in the dark, and their orange flash shines in the window's glass, even from a distance.". Understand "eyes" and "eye" and "my eyes" as the reflection. Instead of doing anything other than examining in the outdoors when the noun is the reflection: say "It is light reflected in a glass surface. I won't bark at it as a dog might at a mirror.". Chapter 3 (actions in Outside the Scrying Hall) Section 1 (going) Check going in Outdoors: if going to scrying hall: say "I pass effortlessly through the window."; continue the action; otherwise: say "I've come for something inside the house and I won't leave until I've looked it over. My destination lies beyond the window." instead. Check entering the window in outdoors: try going inside instead. Check entering the phouse in outdoors: try going inside instead. check entering the trees: say "I've come for the bleed inside this house and won't leave without it." instead. Section 2 (looking through the window) Check searching the window in outdoors: say "Through the window, I see a small primeoid gazing into a large box filled with light." instead. Section 3 (siphoning outdoors) [as promised, going all in on magic actions] Carry out siphoning the phouse in outdoors: say "The house is doubtlessly filled with entropic opportunities, but I must be more surgical in my approach." instead. Carry out siphoning the trees in outdoors: say "While all living things are potential sources of entropy, plant life[EM]especially the long-lived species[EM]isn't usually worth the effort." instead. Carry out siphoning the window in outdoors: say "While some inefficiencies in and near the window allow the cooled air inside the house to escape while warm exterior air gets in, such losses are gradual and[EM]moment to moment[EM]minute. There's no effective way for me to harness inefficiencies in the house's cooling system via the window." instead Carry out siphoning the grass in outdoors: say "This lawn[EM]all lawns, really[EM]is a colossal bleedsite whereby energy and order are forever lost to the universe. Unfortunately, the large distribution area is made up of many small organisms, each only shedding a small amount of entropic potential. While primeoid-bred plant life is often the end-state of highly entropic processes, said processes are not [italic type]productive[roman type]. That is, their wasted energies cannot readily be harvested and used." instead. Carry out siphoning the trees in outdoors: say "Long-lived plant species tend to add as much as they take from their ecosystems. While they are just as subject to what Primeoids call the 'second law of thermodynamics' as anything else, the reality is that their contributions to the overall entropy of the universe are gradual unless they are acted upon in specific ways (fire, primeoid harvesting, etc.)." instead. Section 4 (diagnosing outdoors) Carry out diagnosing the phouse in outdoors: say "While a complex structure housing many substructures and thermodynamic systems must contain several entropic bleeds, it would be challenging to assess the system in total. It would be more effective to diagnose individual parts or contents of the house instead.". Carry out diagnosing the grass in outdoors: say "The grass is thick and green, which primeoids seem to consider 'good grass.' Each blade has been recently mutilated, a ritual that devout primeoids perform regularly. While the processes and resources required to sustain the lawn must be substantial, the grass has no single, concentrated source of entropic bleed that could be siphoned away. [3 as a CAS][lb]". Carry out diagnosing the trees in outdoors: say "This dense and broad thicket of pines effectively hides both ground and moonlight. Perhaps it conceals sources of entropic magic, too, but my goal lies beyond the window.". Carry out diagnosing the window in outdoors: say "While it's true that the fixtures and insulating materials built into primeoid structures are not airtight, their inefficiencies are distributed throughout the structure. There is no readily usable source of entropic magic in or near the window.". Section 5 (exits in outdoors) [deprecated] Section 6 (opening or closing or locking/unlocking the window in outdoors) Check opening the window in outdoors: say "Opening the window will make noise. Besides, that glass can't even slow me down." instead. Check closing the window in outdoors: say "The window has reached the limits of its closability. It cannot be further closed." instead. Check unlocking the window in outdoors: try opening the window instead. Check locking the window: say "The window is already locked, not that it matters to me." instead. Section 7 (passing through outdoors) [I felt it was important for the OEW to pass through the window, and went out of my way to emphasize it.] Passing_through is an action applying to one thing. Understand "pass through [something]" as passing_through. Check passing_through: if the noun is the poet: say "We don't know how to pass through things. Other than life, anyway." instead; otherwise: if the noun is not the window: say "I can't just phase in and out of matter at random. There are rules." instead; otherwise: try entering the window. Section 8 (climbing outdoors) [dealt with via default response] Section 9 (listening outdoors) carry out listening_protag in outdoors: say "A primeoid would consider this a quiet evening. I, on the other hand, hear insects rustling in the trees behind me. Through the window, I can hear laughter, and, at some point beyond it, two primeoid adults arguing.". Section 10 (smelling outdoors) [I think I did a unique response for smelling in most locations] Carry out smelling in outdoors: say "My keen senses detect the smell of crushed pine needles in the woods behind me and the gluey scent of brown pigment covering the house.". Section 11 (investing outdoors) [this section would later prove to be a waste of time, since I block attempts to invest without a valid source of magic. This code was very early in the project. I added it for my first tutorial attempt. I'm not sure why I left it in. Just for the memories, I guess.] Check investing trees with something in outdoors: say "The trees have nothing to do with my current objective (which you can review by typing *H* or *HASSLES* at the command prompt). Besides, I have no entropic magic to use in this way.". Check investing phouse with something in outdoors: say "I have no entropic magic that I can INVEST IN the house. The bleed inside the house is far more interesting. If you have forgotten my current objective, type *H* or *HASSLES* at the command prompt.". Check investing the grass with something in outdoors: say "The lawn's are notoriously resistant to magic. Besides, I have come to retrieve energy, not use it. If you have forgotten my current objective, type *H* or *HASSLES* at the command prompt.". Check investing window with something in outdoors: say "Substances like glass tend to resist entropic energy. I likely could not do anything to it other than break it, and I can just as easily PASS THROUGH THE GLASS.". section 12 (knocking) [Another action that later got covered by a default response. I like it.] Check knocking when the location is outdoors and the noun is the window: say "I find your consideration touching, but I'll enter when I feel like it." instead. Part 3 (inside the scrying hall) Chapter 1 (descriptions and nouns) Section 1 (Room description) Scrying Hall is a room. The printed name of the scrying hall is "Scrying Hall (1980)". the description of the Scrying Hall is "This space is lightly salted with primeoid knickknacks and other refuse. For instance, a low, cushioned table occupies a large portion of the room. I have heard that primeoids use such so-called 'beds' to repair their fragile frames. [first time][23 as a PS][only] A small primeoid sits at the edge of the bed, staring into an oddly constructed scrybox. Because his back is turned to me, avoiding his attention is an easy matter. The sensory organs of primeoids are weak to the point of vestigiality. Nearby, a closed wooden door lies at the end of this hall. The psychic bleed must lie beyond it. My simulated human frame seems to vibrate in its proximity.". Section 2 (the scrybox and its parts) [this stupid thing. Worth the effort, but a lot of work for a mood. I guess I could have forgone the individual parts, but I wanted to make sure players knew what the scrybox was.] The real scrybox is in the scrying hall. The real scrybox is scenery. The printed name of the real scrybox is "scrybox". the real scrybox can be switched. A thing can be a tv part. The panel and the Sdial and the Sknob are a tv part. The panel is part of the real scrybox. Understand "screen" as the panel. The Sdial is part of the real scrybox. The printed name of the Sdial is "dial". Understand "dial" and "channel" as the sdial. The Sknob is part of the real scrybox. Understand "knob" and "volume" as the Sknob. Instead of doing anything to a tv part: say "[if the player is tinert]While the scrybox is a curious device, there is presently no need to experiment with it or its various parts. It is keeping the young primeoid busy while I find the psychic bleed, which is to my liking.[otherwise]You can't be serious. Find a primeoid to *INVEST* with this *PSYCHIC BLEED*.". Understand "bellied glass" and "screen" and "convex glass" as the panel. The description of the real scrybox is "[if the player is TINERT]This scrybox is rectangular, wider than it is tall, and it has been covered in a dark brown metal or plastic treated to look like wood. It features a panel of bellied, luminescent glass. Through this glass porthole, I see a vision of primeoid adults waving and talking excitedly. Occasionally, bursts of laughter, seemingly emitted by an unseen gang, crowd out the speech of the excited primeoids.[otherwise if the player is TPSYCHIC]While the primeoid sights and sounds within the scrybox go on unabated, the light emanating from the glass seems changed in some subtly unpleasant way. It is as if the light and I are throbbing together at a shared frequency. If I had an actual, physiologically significant head stuffed with a physiologically significant brain, I would almost certainly have what primeoids call a 'headache.'". Understand "TV" and "television" and "box" as the scrybox. Section 3 (the door) [at this point, I began to realize how much work I'd created for myself by having three ambient states for the room: closed door, open door, and player is TPsychic. Still, that's the way I wanted it, and I don't regret it.] the wooden door is a closed door in the scrying hall. the wooden door is inside of the scrying hall and outside of the bleedsite. the wooden door can be open or closed. Understand "plain wooden door" or "door" or "plain door" or "wood door" or "doorway" as the wooden door. The wooden door is scenery. The wooden door is closed. The wooden door is knockable. The description of the wooden door is "[if the player is TINERT and the door is closed]While it isn't much to look at, there is clearly a source of power beyond it.[otherwise if the player is tinert and the door is open]Through the doorway, I sense a dull, reddish malevolence pressing down the air. Within, a male and female primeoid stand near a table, arguing loudly. The female's face is contorted and red, and her tear ducts appear overstimulated. Her distress is clearly the source of the psychic bleed. I sense that the larger primeoid's emotional state is oscillating between anger, fear, and exhaustion.[otherwise if the player is TPSYCHIC]I already have what I sought[em]perhaps unwisely[em]beyond the door. I have no use for it now.". Section 4 (the psychic bleed) [this is the model for finding magic. real world, physical thing->system or process->entropic magic. In this case, mother->sickness->psychic bleed."] The sickness is nowhere. The sickness is scenery. The description of the sickness is "It's my good fortune that I have no need for oxygen, because the air here is thick with this primeoid woman's sickness.". [bleedsource was a word I used to use a lot, but was eventually replaced (mostly) by generic entropic magic and entropic energy, which are backdrops throughout the entire game world. It remained deep in the code, though.] The psychic bleed is a bleedsource. A psychic bleed is nowhere. The description of the psychic bleed is "The psychic bleed is not a physical thing that I can look at or touch. It is a potential I carry within me. If you require more information about the entropic power that I carry, you can *DIAGNOSE ME* for some insight.". Instead of doing anything other than siphoning or examining or diagnosing to the sickness: say "Entropic phenomena have no physical presence on this plane of existence. I can't touch it or take it. Usually, it is only productive to *DIAGNOSE*, *EXAMINE*, or *SIPHON* such energies." instead. Section 5 (the bed) The blue bed is in the scrying hall. The blue bed is scenery. Understand "table" and "cushioned table" and "low cushioned table" and "low table" as the blue bed. The description of the blue bed is "This low, cushioned table occupies much of the scrying hall. It is covered by a soft-looking rectangle of blue cloth.". The blue cloth is on the blue bed. The blue cloth is scenery. Understand "blue blanket" and "blanket" and "cloth" as the blue cloth. Instead of doing anything to the blue cloth: say "[if the player is tinert]I do not wish to experience the crushing boredom associated with primeoid furnishings.[otherwise]This unstable psychic energy must have scrambled your perceptions because you must know that the primeoid bed and its assorted garnishments have nothing to do with offloading dangerous entropic magic." instead. Rule for printing room description details of the blue bed: omit contents in listing. section 6 (deprecated) section 7 (deprecated) Section 8 (the bleedsite) [this is a bogus room that can't be entered] The description of the bleedsite is "Oh my, what a fascinating bug you've found on your way to the bleedsite!". Section 9 (the window) carry out searching the window in the scrying hall: say "The glare from the scrybox makes it hard to see beyond the window, though my orange eyes are clearly reflected." instead. Section 10 (knickknacks and refuse) [I got stuck with a ton of synonyms here] a knickknack is in the scrying hall. the knickknack is scenery. understand "knickknacks/knick-knacks/knick-knack/knick/knicks/knack/knacks/knick/bric-a-brac/surface" and "knick knack" as a knickknack. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to knickknack when the location is the scrying hall: say "In other circumstances I might[EM]it's unlikely[EM]find the knickknacks interesting, but I have more pressing matters to deal with right now.". [Tinert, as you've probably already noted from the relevant table, is a condition in which the player has not acquired any magic] The description of the knickknack is "[if the player is TInert]Various items are placed upon surfaces at random. I think that primeoids do this for aesthetic reasons, but none of it seems especially attractive.[otherwise]This is not the time to pursue an interest in primitive primeoid art. If you have forgotten my current objective, you can type *H* or *HASSLES* for clarification." understand "refuse" as a knickknack. carry out diagnosing the knickknack: say "While much energy was undoubtedly wasted on the primeoid bric-a-brac strewn about the room, it is not the sort of energy I can use." Carry out siphoning the knickknack: say "I do not share your fascination with primeoid ephemera." check investing the knickknack with something when the entropist is tinert: say "Fortunately, I have no energy to waste on the primeoid knickknacks." check investing the knickknack with something when the entropist is not tinert: say "This psychic energy must be scrambling your thoughts. For a second, you actually considered investing primeoid knickknacks with powerful chaos magic." instead. Section 11 (Mike Russo's furniture collection) [based on a comment from Mike, I made a single noun with a bunch of synonyms for unimportant junk in the adjacent room.] Bleedtrash is a kind of thing. the scrying hall chairs, the scrying hall table, the glass bottle, and the brown liquid are bleedtrash. instead of doing anything to bleedtrash: say "[if the player is tinert]Listen. I acknowledge that I am famously distractable and incorrigibly feckless. Why, I am here to siphon psychic energy, a practice forbidden by my kind, and we forbid very little. Nevertheless: I existed even before the first primeoid table, the first primeoid bottle, the first primeoid chair. If those fragile creatures do not endure, I will remain after their last knickknacks and thingamajigs have turned to dust. I came here for power, not for wood, metal, plastic, or glass. I have found what I came for. You will [italic type]not[roman type] trifle with me, whoever you are.[otherwise]You dawdle near the limits of my patience, primeoid. Find a suitable candidate for this tainted energy.". The scrying hall chairs are nowhere. The scrying hall chairs are scenery. A scrying hall table is nowhere. The scrying hall table is scenery. The glass bottle is nowhere. The glass bottle is scenery. The brown liquid is nowhere. The brown liquid is scenery. Section 12 (interior reflection) The interior reflection is in the scrying hall. The interior reflection is scenery. The printed name of the interior reflection is "reflection". Understand "eyes" as the reflection. The indefinite article of interior reflection is "my". Instead of doing anything to the interior reflection in the scrying hall: say "[if the player is tinert]The bright, glaring light from the scrybox is reflected in the window, though I find your interest rather inexplicable.[otherwise]You are lucky that I am far too distracted to respond to your ridiculous suggestions in full. If you resolve the current crisis swiftly, I may[em][it]may[rt][em]be merciful.". Chapter 2 (NPCs) Section 1 (the boy) [our first glimpse of the protagonist] The juvenile primeoid is in the Scrying Hall. "[If the player is TINERT]This adolescent primeoid is concentrating intently on an oddly-constructed scrybox. His jaw is set, and he appears to be trying to ignore a nearby distraction. Perhaps he, too, is sensitive to entropic psychic phenomena.[otherwise if the player is TPSYCHIC]The small primeoid, once intently focused on the scrybox, is now staring at me. While my sudden and unexpected appearance is all but certainly surprising, he must be equally confused by my bright-orange eyes and sophisticated, stylish clothing. Given my present condition, it might be worthwhile to *DIAGNOSE THE JUVENILE PRIMEOID*." The juvenile primeoid is a primeoid. The Juvenile primeoid is male. The juvenile primeoid is scenery. understand "boy" and "child" and "juvenile" and "jaw" as the juvenile primeoid. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or investing or siphoning or examining or talkingtoit to the juvenile primeoid when the location is the scrying hall: say "[if the player is TINERT]The juvenile primeoid is intently focused on the scrybox, perhaps attempting to ignore the noise coming from the nearby room. It would be best to avoid drawing his attention.[otherwise]I can no longer escape attention, and the overwhelming taint of the psychic energy has diminished my capabilities. I need to exhaust some of this unwholesome magic.". Section 2 (the woman) [like a lot of other things, D's parents needed pre- and post-siphoning states accounted for] A maternal primeoid is nowhere. The maternal primeoid is scenery. The maternal primeoid is a primeoid. The maternal primeoid is female. The description of the maternal primeoid is "[if the player is TINERT]I know very little of the internal lives of primeoids, but this female primeoid seems profoundly disturbed. This maternal specimen is alternately yelling and crying, and she holds a glass bottle of brown liquid in her right hand. She is, quite obviously, a prime source of entropic energy, which I can attain if I *SIPHON HER SICKNESS*.[otherwise]I have distracted the female primeoid from her drinking and yelling, and is now regarding me with alarm.". Understand "female" and "mom" and "medium primeoid" and "mother" and "woman" and "female primeoid" as the maternal primeoid. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the maternal primeoid when the location is the scrying hall: say "[if the player is TINERT]I do not want to be noticed by her, as that might disrupt the entropic energy collecting here.[otherwise]I need to focus on offloading some of this psychic bleed, and it's impossible to return the energy to its source. It would be more productive to diagnose one of the other nearby primeoids.". Section 3 (the father) A paternal primeoid is nowhere. The paternal primeoid is scenery. The paternal primeoid is a primeoid. The description of the paternal primeoid is "[if the player is TINERT]This large primeoid has a mustache and brown hair that is cropped short atop his head but shoulder length at the back. He appears to be waiting to say something[em]perhaps something quite nasty[em]to the female, but she hasn't stopped crying or yelling long enough for him to get a word in.[otherwise]It is only a matter of time before the adult male assaults me. Normally, that would be a bit of pleasant entertainment, but right now I need to focus my energy on getting rid of some of this psychic bleed.". understand "male primeoid" and "male" and "dad" and "man" and "father" and "adult male" and "male adult" as the paternal primeoid. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the paternal primeoid when the location is the scrying hall: say "[if TINERT]Attaining the psychic bleed and leaving will be easier if I can avoid his attention.[otherwise]I don't have time to get in a fight with the male adult. If you aren't sure what to do next, try diagnosing other primeoids in the area.". Chapter 3 (verbs in the scrying hall) Section 1 (diagnosing) [I really did try to implement every noun, or come close, anyway.] Check diagnosing the JUVENILE PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is not TINERT: say "Though I am struggling to concentrate, I can nevertheless tell that the boy is unusually sensitive for a primeoid. He may be a stable recipient of purloined psychic energy. It should be possible to *INVEST THE JUVENILE PRIMEOID WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED*." instead. Check diagnosing the MATERNAL PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I cannot siphon entropic energy from a process and then return the energy directly to its source because that would violate a basic law of the universe: over time, the amount of energy or order in a system always decreases. It can never increase. I've always believed that there must be a loophole of some kind, but I haven't found it yet." instead. Check diagnosing the PATERNAL PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "If I *INVEST THE PATERNAL PRIMEOID WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED*, he will absorb its power. It would probably not be enough to make him dangerous. Then again, I am not presently at my best."instead. Check diagnosing when the noun is not a person in the scrying hall and the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I must *INVEST A [bracket]primeoid[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED*. As always, the *DIAGNOSE* command can assist in determining compatibility." instead. Carry out diagnosing the SCRYBOX in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "While the scrybox is a source of entropy in many senses, it is nothing special compared to the nearby psychic bleed.". Carry out diagnosing the WINDOW in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "The material makeup of the window is fairly stable, and it has no moving parts. It is a meager source of entropic energy.". Carry out diagnosing the BLUE BED in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "The bed might be a primitive primeoid technology designed to absorb entropic energy. If so, it is presently inactive.". Carry out diagnosing the JUVENILE PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "This juvenile primeoid is attempting to contain a potent emotional display. In different circumstances, he might be a desirable source of entropic energy.". Carry out diagnosing the MATERNAL PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "There's no doubt that she's the one I'm looking for. All I have to do now is *SIPHON HER SICKNESS*.". Carry out diagnosing the PATERNAL PRIMEOID in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "He exudes an aura of potential violence. If he detects me, he will almost certainly disrupt the psychic bleed.". Carry out diagnosing the WOODEN DOOR in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "There is no entropic magic associated with the plain wooden door. However, there is clearly a potent source of psychic energy beyond its frame.". Carry out diagnosing the SICKNESS in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "This is unmistakably the entropic magic I am looking for. It would be best to *SIPHON HER SICKNESS* before I draw attention to myself." instead. section 2 (moving, turning, etc deprecated) section 3 (switching) [testers wanted to turn off the TV] check switching off the SCRYBOX in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "There's no way to do that without getting the small primeoid's attention." instead; check switching off the SCRYBOX in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "Stop wasting time and *INVEST [bracket]someone[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* before this primeoid shell comes apart." instead. Check switching on the scrybox in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "The scrybox is already on and distracting the juvenile primeoid, fortunately." instead. Check switching on the SCRYBOX in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I must be in really bad shape if I think that messing around with the Scrybox will get me out of trouble. *INVEST [bracket]someone[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* before this primeoid shell falls apart." instead. Section 4 (movement in the scrying hall) [once you're in, you're in.] Check going OUTSIDE in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "I'm not leaving until I have what I came for." instead. Check going OUTSIDE in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "With this nasty psychic energy bloating my consciousness, I probably would not make it to the trees." instead. Check going inside in the scrying hall when the wooden door is closed: say "I think I ought to open the door first, then look things over." instead. Check entering the window in the scrying hall: try going outside instead. Check going inside in the scrying hall when the wooden door is open and the player is TINERT: say "Strolling into the room would only disrupt the argument and likely deescalate the bleed. Try to *SIPHON HER SICKNESS* from here." instead. Check entering the wooden door in the scrying hall: try going inside instead. Check going inside in the scrying hall when the wooden door is open and the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I need to find somewhere to dump this energy and get out. I can't put it back in the woman because siphoning off the energy and returning it to its source would violate a basic law of the universe, creating a dangerous feedback loop between myself and the source of the magic. I'm not going in there." instead. Check going nowhere in the scrying hall: say "The door and the window are the only ways out of here." instead. check entering the BLUE BED in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "I have no real physiology, so there is no need for my kind to sit or rest. I really only do so when I want a primeoid to believe that I am a primeoid, too. Besides, I am trying to avoid primeoid attention. Since the juvenile primeoid is sitting on the bed, it would be best to leave it alone." instead. check entering the BLUE BED in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "While I do feel unsteady, my kind does not 'rest' in the way biological organisms do. Instead, I need to offload some of this energy. Soon." instead. Section 5 (checking exits in the scrying hall) [deprecated] Section 6 (opening the door) Check opening the WOODEN DOOR in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT and the wooden door is open: say "Unless I blow the hinges off, the door will never be more open than it already is." instead. Check opening the WOODEN DOOR in the scrying hall when the wooden door is closed and the player is TINERT: continue the action. Check opening the WOODEN DOOR in the scrying hall when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I am so out of sorts that I have made a futile attempt to open an already-opened door." instead. Carry out opening the wooden door: now the Maternal Primeoid is in the scrying hall; now the Paternal Primeoid is in the scrying hall; now the glass bottle is in the scrying hall; now the SICKNESS is in the scrying hall; now the scrying hall table is in the scrying hall; now the glass bottle is in the scrying hall; now the scrying hall chairs are in the scrying hall; now the brown liquid is in the scrying hall; now g is 2; now the description of the scrying hall is "I stand in a primeoid scrying hall. A small primeoid sits at the edge of a bed, staring into a brightly glowing scrybox. However, the room's most prominent feature is an open door. Beyond this doorway, I can see two adult primeoids arguing, and the space is pulsing with the lost energy of an increasingly disordered mind. It is clear that the adolescent primeoid sitting on the bed has been trying to ignore them, but, now that the door is open, he must be having a hard time doing so. I remain undetected for now, but eventually either the adults or the adolescent will turn away from their respective distractions.". The family argument rule does nothing when the current action is opening the wooden door. The standard report opening rule does nothing when the current action is opening the wooden door. Report opening the wooden door: follow the display opening image rule; say "Beyond the door I sense the power I have sought. A male and female primeoid are arguing, and the female's face is contorted and red. Her tear ducts appear overstimulated. The female's distress is clearly the source of the bleed. Her mind is as inefficient as a misfiring engine, steadily sloughing off coherence and emotional integrity. She looks more unstable than previous sources of psychic energy I've encountered, but I should still be able to *SIPHON HER SICKNESS*. [6 as a CAS][line break]"; [this doesn't belong here. oh well. various body parts turn up in descriptions, so I just rolled them all into one thing.] The VPF is a backdrop. The VPF is in the eighties. The VPF is scenery. The printed name of the VPF is "primeoid physical characteristic". Understand "mullet" and "tear ducts" and "face" and "faces" and "mullets" and "mullet" and "mustache" and "fist" and "fists" and "ear" and "ears" and "hand" and "hands" and "head" and "heads" and "neck" and "necks" and "shoulders" and "arms" and "shoulder" and "arm" and "chest" and "torso" and "hip" and "hips" and "thigh" and "thighs" and "hand" and "hands" and "finger" and "fingers" and "leg" and "legs" and "calf" and "calves" and "foot" and "feet" and "toe" and "toes" and "knuckles" and "chin" and "back" and "body" as the VPF. Instead of doing anything to the VPF: say "[if the entropist is tinert]Yes, I recognize that, by way of describing this setting, I must mention (or will mention) various primeoid features such as 'faces' and 'mullets,' but you cannot coax me into exploring primeoid physicalities in greater depth.[otherwise]You will not waste my time fiddling with trivial pieces of primeoid while I am burdened with this begrimed psychic magic.". section 7 (messing with the doorway) check searching the wooden door: if the player is tinert: if the wooden door is closed: say "It's a closed door with nothing to distinguish it. Whatever lies beyond it, on the other hand, is almost certainly worth a look." instead; if the wooden door is open: say "Through the door, I sense a dull, reddish energy pressing down the air. Inside is the psychic bleed I've come seeking. A male and female primeoid are arguing. The female's face is contorted and red, and her tear ducts appear overstimulated. Her distress[em]which comes off as a kind of sickness[em]is clearly a source of entropic magic. I sense that the larger primeoid's emotional state is oscillating between frustration, fear, and exhaustion." instead; if the player is tpsychic: say "I've had enough of this place, and so has my physical form. I need to find someone to *INVEST WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* and get out of here." instead. check closing the wooden door: If the door is open and the player is tinert: say "I've come this far, and I won't turn back now." instead; otherwise if the player is tpsychic: say "I can't put toothpaste back in the tube. The only way forward is to get rid of this energy, then get out of here." instead. Section 8 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning when the player is the entropist and the player is TPsychic: say "I cannot absorb more energy at the moment. In fact, I need to offload some of this toxic energy. Diagnosing nearby primeoids might reveal an appropriate recipient.". Carry out siphoning the blue bed when the player is the entropist and the player is TINERT: say "The blue bed does have something to do with the deterioration of a primeoid's physical potency, but I don't understand it well enough to benefit from it." instead. Carry out siphoning the MATERNAL PRIMEOID in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT: say "While the energy is definitely coming from her, I want to siphon the bleed itself, which is not usually a physical entity. If you aren't sure where the bleed is, I could 'DIAGNOSE THE MATERNAL PRIMEOID' for guidance." instead. Carry out siphoning the JUVENILE PRIMEOID in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT: say "The young primeoid has a clear affinity for entropic magic, but my current objective lies beyond the wooden door." instead. Carry out siphoning the PATERNAL PRIMEOID in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT: say "The paternal primeoid looks like he might be dangerous; not necessarily to me, but to the juvenile and female. I am certainly not afraid of him but would rather avoid making trouble for the other two. While he is an obvious drain on the energy of his fellow primeoids, there is no way for me to take advantage of that." instead. Carry out siphoning the SCRYBOX in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT: say "While the scrybox does bear the distinctive smell of entropy, I am here for the psychic bleed." instead. Carry out siphoning the window in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "While some inefficiencies in and near the window allow the cooled air inside the house to escape while warm exterior air gets in, such losses are gradual and[em]moment to moment[em]minute. There is no effective way for me to harness inefficiencies in the house's cooling system via the window." instead Carry out siphoning the WOODEN DOOR in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT and the WOODEN DOOR is CLOSED: say "While some psychic energy is likely seeping under the door, I will have direct access to the bleed if I *OPEN THE WOODEN DOOR* first." instead. Carry out siphoning the WOODEN DOOR in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT and the WOODEN DOOR is OPEN: say "I seem to have gotten distracted, as I am not here for that door. I can learn more about the maternal primeoid by diagnosing her." instead; Carry out siphoning the SICKNESS in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TINERT: continue the action. Carry out siphoning the SICKNESS in the SCRYING HALL when the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I have more than enough energy; too much, in fact. I need to *INVEST [bracket]someone[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* before I'm forcibly ejected from this plane of existence." instead. Carry out siphoning the sickness: say "I reach out, and, while I am able to pull the energy toward and into my faux primeoid frame, it is obvious that something is wrong. The world has grown red, loud, and[em]this is a new feeling to me[em]frightening."; now the player is carrying the psychic bleed; now the player is TPsychic; now the sickness is nowhere; now G is 3; now the description of the maternal primeoid is "The female primeoid's face is blotchy and red, though she has stopped crying. Despite my harmless[em]albeit highly fashionable[em]appearance, she eyes me suspiciously. If anything, I must look especially weak and nonthreatening in my current state."; now the description of the paternal primeoid is "This rather unintelligent-looking primeoid glares at me angrily. He'll undoubtedly attempt to engage me in some sort of physical contest soon."; now the printed name of the psychic bleed is "unpleasantly throbbing and greasy-feeling energy"; now the description of the scrying hall is "I am viewing this space through a kind of oily, red film. The primeoid child, whose attention has at last been knocked clear of the scrybox, eyes me with surprise, fear, and perhaps a little wonder. I ought to have gone with a different eye color, but I've always loved orange the best. Though the room is unchanged, my experience of it is now different. That woman's psychic bleed is so potent that I'm not sure I can get through the window. I'll need to quickly *INVEST [bracket]something or someone[close bracket] WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* before this energy overtakes me. If you need to evaluate suitable candidates for INVESTment, I can *DIAGNOSE* nearby primeoids. Nearby, two miserable and miserably intoxicated primeoids eye me fearfully and angrily. They appear to be working up the courage to confront me.[first time] [7 as a CAS][only]"; try looking. Section 9 (investing) Check investing the player with something when the player is the entropist and the player is TINERT: say "While investing oneself with entropic energy is a common practice, I do not currently have any magic to invest in such a way.". Check investing the player with the psychic bleed when the player is the entropist: say "I can't use primeoid psychic energy directly. I can only invest other primeoids with it. Perhaps one of the three nearby primeoids would be compatible with it?" instead. Check investing the scrybox with something in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "I do not currently have any entropic energy to invest the scrybox with." instead. Check investing the scrybox with the psychic bleed: say "I can only invest primeoids with psychic energy from primeoids. Try diagnosing one for ideas about what to do next." instead. Check investing the WINDOW with something in the scrying hall when the player is TINERT: say "Even if I currently had access to some entropic energy, I probably could not direct it into or through the window, closed or otherwise." instead. Check investing the window with the psychic bleed in the scrying hall: say "Since the window has no psyche, I cannot invest it with psychic energy. I have the impression that you are not taking this situation seriously, which you may well come to regret." instead. Check investing the WOODEN DOOR with something when player is TINERT: say "This plain, wooden door isn't a promising destination for entropic energy, and I have nothing to invest it with besides." instead. Check investing the WOODEN DOOR with the psychic bleed: say "You haven't mistaken the door for a primeoid, have you? The only receptive objects are primeoids. Diagnosing one of the creatures nearby would be a productive beginning." instead. Check investing THE MATERNAL PRIMEOID with the psychic bleed: say "I can't siphon off a bleed and then return it directly to its source, as this would violate a basic law of the universe. I've long believed that this restriction could be circumvented, but I'm not yet sure how." instead. Check investing THE MATERNAL PRIMEOID with something when the player is tinert: say "I don't currently have a bleedsource to invest her with, and even after I have siphoned her sickness away, I won't be able to return what she has lost. According to the basic laws of the universe, a system's energy[em]or order[em]always decreases over time.[paragraph break]I've always believed that there must be a way to circumvent what primeoids refer to as the 'Second Law of Thermodynamics,' but I have not yet figured it out." Check investing the PATERNAL PRIMEOID with something when the player is TINERT: say "Even if I had some magic to spare, I would be wary of giving it to the paternal primeoid. He comes off as the sort to pick fights, and hurting him would be trouble. Worse still, it might be the [it]boring[rt] kind of trouble.[paragraph break]That is on top of the whole 'forbidden psychic bleed' situation, naturally." instead. [a second fail state in the region] Check investing the PATERNAL PRIMEOID with the psychic bleed: say "While I am certain that investing a potentially violent primeoid brute with powerful magical energy is a bad idea, I'm the kind of inderdimensional entity that can have trouble letting go of bad ideas. Raising my puny arms above my little primeoid head, I call the potent psychic energy to my hands, where it begins to glow with an otherworldly white light. I then lower my arms dramatically, throwing a ball of cold flame at the paternal primeoid. His shocked expression lasts only a moment before the magic settles into him, giving him confidence, agility, and preternatural reflexes nearly matching my own. While I can't help but feel that I've made a poor decision, this will be a fun bit of exertion, and I will still have some psychic energy for later. The paternal primeoid puts on a good fight, though I am never in any real danger. Sadly, my outfit is torn and burned in multiple places. Clothes are harder to replace than this faux primeoid shell. Unfortunately for the primeoids dwelling within the house, this test of strength has reduced their home to a small mountain of scrap wood, metal, and various primeoid thingamajigs. I wonder[EM]rather idly[EM]if the juvenile and his mother survived. Voice-over: 'And with that, the orange-eyed woman boldly strolled into another world line, one separate from the world of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]. In this, she remained true to herself, beholden to no one. Not even to game designers.' This outcome has earned a rating of Bizarro World/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if D81 is false: now D80 is D80 plus one; now D81 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 3; End the story. Check investing the BLUE BED with something when the player is TINERT: say "Even though there does seem to an entropic bleed at the nexus of the scrybox, the bed, and the boy, the system is too alien to me. I wouldn't know where to invest the energy or how to modulate it. Besides, I don't currently possess any sources of magic." instead. Check investing the BLUE BED with the psychic bleed: say "It is said that primeoids use beds to restore lost psychic energy, but I don't adequately understand this esoteric practice. In any case, the psychic energy came from a sentient being, and it must be directed at another such being." instead. Instead of investing the juvenile primeoid with the psychic bleed when D82 is false: say "[bk][it]Note: While it is possible to complete this prologue area of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] without exploring alternate narrative outcomes, the player is strongly encouraged to do so. Finding these apocryphal endings[EM]also referred to as 'fail states'[EM]determines which ending the player will experience at the story's conclusion. While the characters of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] may or may not be able to change their fates, they can at least engage in what Cook has termed a 'heroic struggle against the tyranny of the author.' Should you answer the following question with a 'no,' you can explore one of these alternative narrative outcomes by typing *WIN* at the command prompt. [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no'[rt]:"; if the player consents: say "[lb][it]That is what you always say[dot][fls] [vls][it][em]C. A. Smythe[cb][lb]"; continue the action; otherwise: say "[lb][it]I'm surprised. This is the first time that you have expressed interest in the *WIN* command[dot][fls] [vls][it][em]C. A. Smythe[cb][lb]"; stop the action. Instead of investing the juvenile primeoid with the psychic bleed when d82 is true and D81 is false: say "[bk][it]While the player may complete this prologue area of [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] without discovering its two alternate narrative outcomes[EM]also known as 'fail states'[EM]contained within it, missing such opportunities will affect the ending of the story. Cook has indicated that such 'apocryphal' endings are a way to resist the 'tyranny of the author.' However, since Cook is himself the author, perhaps we should resist his explanation, too. Should you answer the following question with a 'no,' you can explore one of these alternative narrative outcomes by typing *INVEST MAN WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED* at the command prompt. Are you sure that you wish to rush headlong in the direction of the ending? [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no'[rt]:"; if the player consents: say "[lb][it]I'm not surprised. You have always been incurious with regard to the psychic energy[dot][fls] [vls][it][em]C. A. Smythe[rt][lb]"; continue the action; otherwise: say "[lb][it]How surprising! You have never before experimented with the psychic energy[dot][fls] [vls][it][em]C. A. Smythe[cb][rt][lb]"; stop the action. [this is the action that ends the opening sequence, changing the PC and jumping ahead 16 years] Carry out investing the JUVENILE PRIMEOID with the psychic bleed: say "I extend a shaky hand in the direction of the juvenile primeoid, imbuing him with some[em]not all[em]of the psychic energy derived from the disturbed female. His eyes widen, as if he has just arrived at some earthshaking discovery. 'You...' he manages, as if he is getting used to a newly installed tongue, 'what did you do?' He stands, falteringly, and steadies himself by placing a hand on the scrybox. It responds his touch, the image in its glass surface wobbling before disappearing into a pool of dully luminescent gray. A shower of sparks emerges from the scrybox, and the boy jerks his hand away reflexively. 'What did you do?' he says again, as the lights overhead flicker. 'What are you?' The small primeoid staggers in my direction. Just then, the adult primeoids step through the doorway. Their faces quickly register multiple emotional responses, chiefly surprise and anger. 'What's the deal?' the male says, stepping into the room. 'What are you doing with our son?' It is, I must admit, a reasonable question. I'm not sure[EM]not really[EM]what I've done with or to him. I suppose that situations like this led to the banning of psychic siphons in the first place. I'll have to return and check in on him one of these days. For now, though, it is time to depart. I don't want to hurt anybody, and the adult male looks eager to make me hurt him. Turning, I head for the window, and as I pass through it I hear the boy cry out.[line break]'Wait!'[line break]'Wait!'[line break]Again: 'Wait!'[paragraph break]Thanks to the keen ears that I have made for myself, I can hear him long after I've returned to the woods: 'Don't leave me here! Don't leave me here with them!'[paragraph break][paragraph break]"; say "[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; If PROD is true, wait for any key; say "[pb]"; follow the display title image rule; say "[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; now the entropist is TINERT; now the poet is in the bedroom; now the player is the poet; now the entropist is nowhere; now the psychic bleed is nowhere; now the player is tinert; now pdeaths is 11.0; now g is 4; say "[paragraph break][banner text][line break]"; say "[pb]"; try looking; rule succeeds. Check investing the entropist with the psychic bleed: say "The psychic bleed is specifically for primeoids. I can't invest any other type of thing or creature with it, and, despite appearances, I am most certainly not a primeoid." instead. section 10 (talking) [I originally pictured the PCs talking to people. But really, why would they talk to anyone?] check talkingtoit when the noun is the JUVENILE PRIMEOID and the player is TINERT: say "Getting the boy's attention will interfere with my plans. If you've forgotten what I have come for, you can always type *HASSLES* or *H*." instead. check talkingtoit when the noun is the JUVENILE PRIMEOID and the player is TPSYCHIC: say "While the boy certainly would be interested in anything I might say, I'm not sure that I can sustain a conversation in my present condition." instead. check talkingtoit when the noun is the MATERNAL PRIMEOID and the player is TINERT: say "If I talk to her, I will likely disrupt the bleed that I came here to *SIPHON*." instead. check talkingtoit when the noun is the MATERNAL PRIMEOID and the player is TPSYCHIC: say "I cannot hold a conversation in my condition. Try finding someone to take some of this energy off of my hands." instead. check talkingtoit when the noun is the PATERNAL PRIMEOID and the player is TINERT: say "I don't want to get this primeoid's attention, since I would kill him in a fair fight. Killing the native fauna would draw unwelcome attention from my peers." instead. check talkingtoit when the noun is the PATERNAL PRIMEOID and the player is TPSYCHIC: say "If I approach him in my current state, the result would be messy, noisy, and a case of literal overkill. I should focus on escaping before he picks a fight with me. If you [it]really[rt] want to fight him, find a way to even the odds first." instead. section 11 (looking under the bed) check looking under the blue bed: say "What do you think this is? A primeoid text adventure game? [16 as a DSC][line break]" instead. section 12 (listening in the scrying hall) carry out listening_protag in the scrying hall: if the entropist is tinert: say "While the sounds from the scrybox are quite loud, it is impossible to ignore the yelling in the other room."; rule succeeds; otherwise if the entropist is tpsychic: say "It would be better if I were unable to hear. The light is so loud in this room. Were I in better shape, I could just change my ears, but I'm having a hard time maintaining this shape."; rule succeeds. carry out smelling in the scrying hall: say "[if the entropist is tinert]The pungent smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol seeps in from beyond the wooden door.[otherwise]I have clearly given myself an overly sensitive sense of smell, as I can smell the rot of primeoid mortality all around me.". Section 13 (looking through and opening the window) check searching the window in the scrying hall: say "Because of the bright light emitted by the scrybox, I can't see well or far through the window." instead. check opening the window in the scrying hall: say "[if the entropist is tinert]My objective is here. I'm already inside.[otherwise]Unless I exhaust some of this toxic energy first, I'm not sure that I can get past the window." instead. check closing the window in the scrying hall: say "The window is already as closed as it will ever be." instead. check knocking in the scrying hall when the noun is the window and the player is tinert: say "I don't need permission to leave. Furthermore, I don't want to leave until I have what I came for." instead. check knocking in the scrying hall when the noun is the window and the player is TPsychic: say "The dirty energy of the psychic bleed has distorted my thinking. There's no conceivable reason to knock on the window." instead. check knocking in the scrying hall when the noun is the wooden door and the player is tinert: say "Announcing my entrance would only complicate my task. Take advantage of the argument on the other side of the door to avoid detection." instead. check knocking in the scrying hall when the noun is the wooden door and the player is TPsychic: say "The dirty energy of the psychic bleed has distorted my thinking. There's no conceivable reason to knock on the door." instead. Chapter 4 (ambiance) [TV before the door is opened] Every turn when the Entropist is tinert in the scrying hall (this is the family argument rule): if the wooden door is closed: say "I hear [one of]a loud crash, as if something was thrown across a room[or]bright, unnatural laughter emerging from the scrybox[or]a female primeoid shouting and crying[or]a male primeoid yelling beyond the wooden door[or]a raucous crowd laughing someplace beyond the scrybox's extra-dimensional gate[at random]."; otherwise if the wooden door is open and the player is tinert: say "[one of]The sounds of the scrybox compete with the racket that the arguing primeoids are making.[or]The male adult strikes the table with his fist.[or]The juvenile primeoid covers his ears with his hands.[or]It doesn't take magic to know that a lot of energy and order are vanishing into the infinite void of space.[or]I did not come here to witness a primeoid argument. I can find something more interesting to do once I *SIPHON HER SICKNESS*.[cycling]"; otherwise: do nothing. Every turn when the entropist is TPsychic in the scrying hall: say "I [one of]feel a strange pressure at the corners of my consciousness, and it is becoming hard to think[or]rub my eyes, as if the throbbing red of the bleed were merely a film laid across my face[or]hear a strange buzz fill the room. It seems odd that only I[em]and perhaps the female[em]can hear it[or]think that the male is too baffled to move further into the room, but I'm not sure how long that will last. It is considered poor form to injure primeoids, particularly while seeking out forbidden magics[or]squint my eyes as a blinding flash of red light fills the room[or]hear another blast of laughter slide out of the scrybox. The laughter has changed somehow, sounding oilier and more sinister to my ears[at random].". Book 2 (the trailer interior) Part 1 (regional information) Chapter 1 (the trailer) Section 1 (trailer defined) The trailer interior is a region. The Bedroom and the Bathroom and the Hallway and the Front Room and the Kitchen are in the trailer interior. Section 2 (trailer backdrops) The trailer floor is a backdrop. Understand "carpet" and "carpeting" as the trailer floor. The trailer floor is in the Bedroom and Bathroom and Kitchen and Hallway and Front Room. The description of the trailer floor is "With the exception of the bedroom's indoor/outdoor carpeting, the trailer is floored with a smooth, artificial surface painted to look like stained hardwood.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the trailer floor in the trailer interior: say "The floor is a large and uninteresting surface. There isn't much that we can do to it, physically or magically." The walls are a backdrop. Understand "sheetrock" and "sheet rock" and "wall" as the walls. The walls are a plural-named thing. The walls are in the trailer interior. The description of the walls is "A previous tenant must have smoked. A lot.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the walls in the trailer interior: say "The walls are a large and uninteresting surface. There isn't much that we can do to it, physically or magically.". understand "wall" as the walls. The ceiling is a backdrop. The ceiling is in the trailer interior. Understand "expanse" as the ceiling. The description of the ceiling is "A previous tenant must have smoked. A lot.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the ceiling in the trailer interior: say "The ceiling is a large and uninteresting surface. There isn't much that we can do to it, physically or magically.". The halls are a scenery backdrop. The halls are in the kitchen and bedroom. Understand "hall" as halls. The description of the halls is "I suppose this is you, pestering me about every possible noun, no matter how ridiculous.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the halls: say "I'm not sure why you're the one who decides what we are going to do next. You don't seriously think that fiddling with the hallway will get us to the hospital, do you?". Part 2 (the bedroom) Chapter 1 (description of the bedroom) [more conditional stuff. the primary text of the game is very qualitative. I think the bin generates the only locale paragraph in the entire game.] The Bedroom is a room. The description of the bedroom is "[If unvisited]We open our eyes and stare at the pocked expanse of sheetrock before us. 'Here we go again,' we say, shoving back the covers and rolling toward the edge of the mattress. We keep turning up for these days, again and again, and the best that we can say is that things haven't gone downhill. Well, unless we die, 1996 is going to be better than 1995. Perhaps it will be better even if we do die.[paragraph break][end if]This is our bedroom, a white-walled, hollow cube sitting at the far end of a rickety metal trailer. A mattress lies flat on the floor, and a wadded-up blanket curls atop it. Our closet doors, which have been halfheartedly disguised as wood, open to an overwhelming pile of clothes that has spilled out of the closet and onto the bedroom floor. [IF G is 4]You suppose you should fish out something to wear, but the mess fills you with irrational terror: your favorite kind. Not that it matters; it's not like anyone is coming to see us, anyway. [first time][8 as a CAS][only] This bedroom occupies the north quarter of the trailer, and the only exit is a hallway to the *SOUTH*.". Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the plastic bin when looking in the bedroom for the first time: set the locale priority of the plastic bin to zero; say "You can see an empty plastic bin here. [bk][it]New content is available in the *GUIDE*. [em]Pauline Searcy[rt][cb][lb]" Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the plastic bin when looking in the bedroom for more than one time: set the locale priority of the plastic bin to five; Chapter 2 (things in the bedroom) Section 1 (the closet) [it was probably a mistake to make the clothes a synonym for the closet. This was very early in development, when everything was a learning exercise.] There is a closet in the bedroom. Understand "wardrobe" as the closet. The closet is an open container. The closet is scenery. The closet can be orderly or disorderly. The closet is disorderly. The closet is openable. The description of the closet is "[if the closet is orderly]Our closet looks like something out of those home-ec magazines they sell at the Piggly Wiggly. It is a miracle of organization and order.[otherwise if the closet is disorderly]Our closet and its corresponding pile of clothes are a chaotic, ugly mess. If our closet is a mouth, then the clothes are its diseased, mottled tongue. You've let things get out of hand again, and now we are in yet another unmanageable jackpot. There's no way that you can touch the pile of clothes. It's too upsetting. Pathetic. [first time][9 as a CAS][only]". Understand "doors" and "closet doors" and "pile of clothes" and "pile" and "clothes" and "clothing" and "mess" as the closet. The closet is perfectable. [Those doggone plurals!] The plural of door is bwehhehheh. The fake pants are in the bedroom. The fake pants are scenery. The printed name of the fake pants is "clothes". Understand "jeans" and "pants" and "shirt" and "socks" and "shoes" as the fake pants. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the fake pants: try touching the closet instead. P is a number that varies. P is one. The closet is scenery. Before doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing or opening or closing or caskling to the closet when the closet is orderly and the location is the bedroom: say "We have what we need from the closet. Leave it alone before you mess it up again." instead. [it was very hard to stop testers from trying to interact with the clothes physically, even after repeated messages and suggestions that they find some magic were implemented. I had to keep making them more and more direct. I think that all comes from experience with parser games, where physically manipulating objects is almost always a way forward.] Before doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing or atop dancing or opening or closing or caskling to the closet when the closet is disorderly and the location is the bedroom: say "[if P is 1]The mess makes us feel very uncomfortable. I don't think we will be able to interact with it directly.[otherwise if p is 2]I think we should just walk away from the pile of clothes. The mess is really getting to us.[otherwise if p is 3]It looks like our closet threw up on our floor. Just looking at the mess sends our anxiety through the roof. You aren't able to touch the pile of clothes. You don't even want to be near it. Naturally, I have to baby you like an African violet anytime you want to eat or dress or sleep because we can't seem to handle even the most basic prerequisites for personal autonomy and self-sustenance. If you can figure out a way to clean up without physically touching the pile of clothes, by all means, go ahead. [9 as an AHM][line break][otherwise]I don't know what else to say. You're deliberately attempting actions that will make a person with anxiety more anxious, which seems inconsiderate at best. I do chaos magic. I solve problems with chaos magic. Stop badgering me about physically interacting with the closet. Go find some powerful, closet-organizing magic. Jesus, dude. [9 as a dsc][lb]"; if P is less than 4: now P is P plus 1; stop the action; otherwise: stop the action. Check searching the closet: try taking the closet instead. Check closing the closet in the bedroom when the closet is not orderly: say "There's no way to close the closet doors while clothes are spilling out of it." instead. Check closing the closet in the bedroom when the closet is orderly: say "The closet looks so nice now; let's leave the doors open for a while." instead. Check opening the closet in the bedroom: say "[if the closet is orderly]The closet is already open, revealing its pleasantly organized contents.[otherwise]The closet is already open open, and a pile of clothing blocks its entrance." instead. Rule for implicitly taking the closet: try silently taking the closet. Understand "get dressed" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]I am adequately clothed, fool.[otherwise if the player is wearing the black jeans]We are already dressed. What, were you hoping we'd wear a suit?[otherwise]Excellent advice. Well said."). Section 2 (the mattress) There is a depressing bed in the bedroom. The depressing bed is scenery. The depressing bed is a supporter. The description of the depressing bed is "The mattress is not[em]absolutely not[em]where the magic happens. It lies flat on the carpet. A wadded-up blanket lies atop it, and two pillows, long ago deprived of any spring or give, slump nearby in postures of defeat. [10 as a DSC]". Understand "mattress" as the depressing bed. Section 3 (the blanket) There is a blanket on the depressing bed. The blanket is scenery. There are two pillows on the depressing bed. After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the bedroom: set the locale priority of the blanket to 0. The description of the blanket is "A blue blanket, coincidentally bent into the shape of a question mark. A pillow serves as its underscoring period symbol." Understand "cover" or "covers" as the blanket. A sheet is on the depressing bed. The sheet is scenery. Instead of doing anything to the sheet: say "While you might not be embarrassed, I am loathe to admit that there is, in fact, no sheet on the bed. Appalling.". Section 4 (the pillows) There are two pillows on the depressing bed. The pillows are scenery. After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the bedroom: set the locale priority of the pillows to 0. The description of the pillows is "Two lumpy pillows complement the wadded up blanket.". Understand "pillow" or "cushion" or "cushions" as the pillows. Section 5 (the bin) There is a plastic bin in the bedroom. The plastic bin is a container. The description of the plastic bin is "A moderately large plastic container, broad as our shoulders and shin deep. We used it to carry things six months ago when we moved in.[if the hallway is unvisited] It has sat in a corner ever since.[otherwise][end if]" [more silly stuff. the bin is never filled with anything. i substitute it for another thing instead.] Rule for printing the name of the plastic bin while not inserting or removing: if the plastic bin contains broken dishes, say "Bin filled with broken dishes and silverware"; otherwise say "empty plastic bin"; omit contents in listing. Section 6 (the walls and ceiling) [never mind] section 7 (the jeans) section 8 (the organized clothing) [I had (and still have) a tendency to swap out things rather than updating them. "Nowhere" is a crowded place in RTE!] the organized clothing is nowhere. broken dishes are nowhere. the organized clothing is scenery. The organized clothing is a plural-named thing. the description of the organized clothing is "Our clothes look much better hanging in the closet.". understand "clothes" as the organized clothing. Chapter 3 (verbs in the bedroom) Section 1 (diagnosing) carry out diagnosing in the bedroom when the noun is the DEPRESSING BED: say "While the mattress is subject to the law of entropy, it has no energy to lose.". Carry out diagnosing in the bedroom when the noun is the PILLOWS: say "While the pillows are subject to the law of entropy, they have no energy to lose.". Carry out diagnosing in the bedroom when the noun is the BLANKET: say "Our unfixed eyes glaze over. When we shake ourselves out of our reverie, we are staring at the crumpled blanket.". Carry out diagnosing the PLASTIC BIN when the location is not the kitchen: say "A plastic bin is a rather entropy-resistant object, and could possibly contain volatile magic for a few moments.". Carry out diagnosing the CLOSET in the bedroom when the closet is DISORDERLY: say "This closet, bereft of of all organization or order, might benefit from the right type of entropic energy.". Carry out diagnosing the CLOSET in the bedroom when the closet is ORDERLY: say "Thanks to the order we separated from the tower of dishes, this closet and its contents are now well-organized. I wonder: how long you can keep it this way?". Carry out diagnosing the bdoor in the bedroom: say "Yes, it's only natural that we would inspect a mass-produced, ugly, and fragile white door for sources of magical power. Perhaps we might even teleport ourselves to the Plane of a Thousand Model Homes for a confrontation with The Abyssal Realtor from beyond? Once we've freed the Underwriter, they will have no choice but to grant us one wish. It is rumored that their kind is able to fashion viable human organs from the dreams of insurance adjusters! Sadly, if there is such a door, it is not [it]this[rt] door.". section 2 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning in the bedroom when the noun is the DEPRESSING BED: say "The mattress is a dark pit into which energy vanishes. You aren't going to get anything out of it. In fact, it's a pharmaceutical miracle that we can sleep in that bed." instead. Carry out siphoning in the bedroom when the noun is the BLANKET: say "We've been sleeping underneath that thing for years. Do you really think we'll find magic there?". Carry out siphoning in the bedroom when the noun is the PILLOWS: say "Those uncomfortable, lumpy pillows drain the life out of us. You're not going to get anything out of them.". Carry out siphoning in the bedroom when the noun is the CLOSET and the CLOSET is DISORDERLY: say "No. We need to find a way to put some order INTO that closet. Not the other way around.". Carry out siphoning in the bedroom when the noun is the CLOSET and the CLOSET is ORDERLY: say "No. We've been through a bit of trouble getting this closet straightened out, and you're not going to start sucking the order out of it.". Carry out siphoning the PLASTIC BIN: [ANYWHERE, EMPTY] say "The bin itself has very little to offer, but it might safely preserve entropic magic for a few moments.". section 3 investing in the bedroom) Carry out investing the DEPRESSING BED with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Touching the bed without actually touching it is better than the alternative. If only we could sleep in it without lying in it!"; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is TINERT. Check investing the DEPRESSING BED with something when the second noun is not a BLEEDSOURCE: Say "You attempt to invest the depressing bed with the [second noun], but there are two problems. The first is that the [second noun] isn't entropic magic. Moreover, while the bed might benefit from a little jolt of entropic energy, it is unlikely that YOU would benefit from spending energy in this way." instead. Carry out investing the CLOSET with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "[if the closet is not orderly]Using the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*, you give the clothing a gentle push, but it's not enough. While we clearly need magic to solve the problem of getting dressed, it's going to take something more badass and nasty than a mere thimbleful of order magic.[otherwise]For some unguessable reason, we direct the underwhelming power of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* toward the recently organized closet. Fortunately, doing so has little effect."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the poet is tinert. [The second big shift in the trailer (after siphoning the order). Gets the player dressed. If done too soon, many fail states can be missed.] Carry out investing the CLOSET with the SEETHING ORDER: say "You watch, amazed, as the pile becomes a sort of reverse avalanche, clothes flying upward to rest in shelves or roost on ladders. For the first time in a month or more, we feel a profound sense of peace disrupt the unending yammer of hateful self-talk that runs through our brain. It will return, of course, but we've learned to take these moments as they come. You reach into the closet and pull out a pair of (mostly) clean jeans. Having now clothed ourselves, we fill out the look with white socks and a pair of green sneakers. You're now as ready as you ever get to face whatever might lurk outside this trailer. Your pleasant moment of reflection ends. Perhaps I should remind you that any idiot can get dressed."; now the description of the bedroom is "While our 'bed' remains rather dismal looking, the newly organized closet gives the room a new shine."; now the closet contains organized clothing; now the closet is orderly; now the player is wearing the black jeans; now the player is wearing the green sneakers; now the player is wearing the green sneakers; now the pair of boxer shorts are nowhere; now the SEETHING ORDER is nowhere; now the player is tinert; now the fake pants are nowhere; if the player is informed: now g is 9; continue the action; otherwise if the player is uninformed: now G is 12; continue the action. Carry out investing the closet with something when the second noun is not a bleedsource: say "You have the right idea, trying to invest the closet with a source of order, but the [second noun] is not a suitable source of energy. In fact, it isn't a source of energy, period. Come back when you've found a bleed powerful enough to remove the chaos and disorder from the closet." instead. Carry out investing the blanket with something when the second noun is not a bleedsource: say "The blanket, which isn't even good at being a blanket, would be even worse at absorbing entropic magic. That is to say nothing of investing it with various physical objects." Carry out investing the blanket with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Come back when you have some thermal energy."; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing the pillows with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Because these miserable pillows have no give at all, your magic has no visible effect."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is TINERT. [I shouldn't be defining bedding here, but it's fine.] A thing can be bedding. A thing is usually not bedding. the depressing bed and the pillows and the blanket are bedding. Instead of investing bedding with the seething order: say "While the depressing bed, complete with its depressing accessories, could possibly be changed by such a large amount of order magic, it would not change [it]much[rt] because it is not disorderly in a complex way. Instead, our bed is cheaply made and poorly cared for, which is not so easily remedied." instead. Carry out investing the plastic bin with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "You hear the dry squeak of two smooth surfaces rubbing together. It only lasts a moment."; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. section 4 (moving in the bedroom) [lots of general paerser-mandated stuff. why would a player enter the closet?] Check entering the closet in the bedroom when the closet is disorderly: say "If you go in there, you may never find your way out. That's assuming your heart keeps beating in spite of the anxiety that the messy closet causes you." instead. Check entering closet in the bedroom when the closet is orderly: say "After all the trouble we've gone through to organize the closet, you aren't going to make another mess in there." instead. Check going nowhere in the bedroom: say "You can walk *SOUTH* to a short hallway, but there are no other ways out of this room." instead. Check entering the bed in the bedroom: say "The bed is not terribly inviting. We'd have to be pretty tired before climbing in there. [1 as a PS][line break]" instead. Section 5 (taking in the bedroom) [I decided very early in the project that I wouldn't have the player carrying around random junk. IF conventions aside, nobody carries a blanket everywhere they go.] Instead of taking the blanket: say "Don't tell me you're making the bed. Are we having a dinner party?" instead. Instead of taking the pillows: say "Don't tell me you're making the bed. Are we having a dinner party?" instead. Instead of taking the depressing bed: say "If you dragged it into the front room, we could build a pillow fort, but we really don't feel up to it." instead. Understand "make the bed" or "make bed" as a mistake ("Make the the bed? Fancy. Are we having a dinner party?"). Section 6 (pushing things in the bedroom) [I think somebody wouldn't give up trying to physically get clothes out of the pile despite the narrator repeatedly insisting that it wouldn't be possible. I ended up writing a lot of code & text to deal with something the text had already declared impossible.] Check pushing the blanket: try taking the blanket instead. Check pushing the pillows: try taking the pillows instead. Check pushing the depressing bed: try taking the depressing bed instead. Check pulling the blanket: try taking the blanket instead. Check pulling the pillows: try taking the pillows instead. Check pulling the depressing bed: try taking the depressing bed instead. section 7 (listening in the bedroom) Carry out listening_protag in the bedroom: say "We can hear the rickety throb of the window A/C unit in the front room, but the trailer is otherwise quiet.". Section 8 (smelling in the bedroom) Carry out smelling in the bedroom: say "I've got to give it to you. Despite the slovenly appearance of our bedroom, it doesn't actually smell too bad. That mess of clothes was clean when you dumped it on the floor. You just didn't have the energy to put the clothes away, a condition which is a familiar leitmotif in our life. While the blanket is past due for a cleaning, it doesn't particularly smell.". [SCRAP AREA] Section 9 (taking in the bedroom) Section 10 (CASKLY) [more Infocom easter egg stuff] Check CASKLING the closet when the closet is disorderly: say "Not even the arcane powers of the CASKLY spell can conquer the chaos of the disorderly closet. Only the forces of order can possibly prevail over it." instead. Check CASKLING the closet when the closet is orderly: say "Let's not make perfect the enemy of the good." instead. Section 11 (enjoying and loving) Before enjoying the depressing bed: say "The only time we enjoy that bed is when we're unconscious." instead; stop the action. Before loving the closet: say "[if the closet is disorderly]You can't be serious.[otherwise]'Love' is a bit strong, but it is much nicer now that it's been tidied up."; stop the action. Part 3 (the hallway) Chapter 1 (basic hallway description) The Hallway is a room. The hallway is north of the Kitchen. The bathroom door is west of the hallway and east of the Bathroom. The description of the hallway is "This hallway is a narrow connector between the bedroom (*NORTH*) and kitchen (*SOUTH*). The walls and ceiling are covered in yellowed sheetrock. The floor has a smooth, wood-colored surface. Off to the *WEST*, a door opens into a cramped bathroom.". [This is all just to deal with the possibility of interacting with "doors" plural] The fdoors are a privately-named thing in the hallway. The fdoors are plural-named. The fdoors are scenery. instead of doing anything to the fdoors: say "You'll have to specify either the bedroom door or the bathroom door.". understand "doors" and "hallway doors" and "doors in the hallway" as fdoors. The printed name of fdoors is "doors in the hallway". The fdoorknobs are a privately-named thing in the hallway. The fdoorknobs are plural-named. The fdoorknobs are scenery. Instead of doing anything to the fdoorknobs: say "You'll have to choose between the bathroom doorknob and the bedroom doorknob.". Understand "knobs" and "doorknobs" as the fdoorknobs. The printed name of fdoorknobs is "doorknobs in the hallway.". Chapter 2 (nouns in the hallway) Section 1 (deprecated) Section 2 (bdoor) [I ended up attaching some silly responses to door and doorknob interactions. I made myself some trouble including doorknobs in door descriptions. Instead of just editing the descriptions, I doubled down.] There is a bdoor in the hallway. Understand "bedroom door" and "door" and "bedroom" as the bdoor. The bdoor is scenery. The printed name of the bdoor is "bedroom door". The bdoor is a singular-named thing. The bdoor is an open door. The bdoor is south of the bedroom and north of the hallway. The description of the bdoor is "It's a cheaply made, hollow door with a brass doorknob." A bedDD is part of the bdoor. The bedDD is scenery. The bedDD is privately-named. The printed name of the bedDD is "bedroom door doorknob". Understand "bedroom door door knob " and "bedroom doorknob" and "bedroom door knob" and "bedroom knob" and "doorknob" and "knob" and "door knob" and "bedroom door knob"and "bedroom door doorknob" as the bedDD. The description of the bedDD is "It feels a little unfair that, despite the potentially awkward and laborious nature of articulating the phrase *EXAMINE BEDROOM DOOR DOORKNOB*, there is absolutely nothing useful, interesting, or even visually distinctive about the bedroom door doorknob." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bedDD: say "[one of]My goodness! Despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, the doorknob is an emissary from the kingdom of brass fixtures. Unlike their more familiar woodland cousins, such eccentric nymphs prefer nesting in cheaply made doors and cabinets made of particle board. What a remarkable time we are living through![or]Come on, you didn't think I was serious, did you? This is hardly a remarkable time.[stopping]" Check investing the bdoor with the SEETHING ORDER: say "No. Infusing the door with such a potent source of order would either be pointless, boring, or dangerous. It might even be a combination of the three. I know what you're thinking: you know best, I'm here to keep you entertained by bending to your will, and so forth. In seriousness, do you really think wasting a precious, single-use magical resource on a cheap, hollow-cored door will entertain you? How is it that you think we wound up here in this dump, anyway? You have no idea what you'll like until you've made a mess of chasing it. There's plenty of other stupid stuff to do here in the trailer. It's a 'no' from me this time." instead. Check investing a door with the ENTROPIC NUDGE when the noun is not the front door in the trailer interior: say "Taking a deep breath, we concentrate intensely, calling forth the primal forces of the universe, determined to push the door open, come hell or high water. When our exertions are complete, the door is open, just as you had hoped."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. Check investing the bathroom door with the seething order: say "Doors are famously resistant to entropic magic, but perhaps something as potent as the *SEETHING ORDER* might have an effect on the bathroom door. Then again, we might need something even spicier, like the *INVISIBLE COLLAGE*. What is an invisible collage made from, you might ask? Torn out scraps of our printed poems, perhaps? Or do you think it's actually the *INVISIBLE COLLEGE*? Perhaps a secret cabal of Rosicrucians knows how to wield the secret power held within the bathroom door of this very trailer! Though... It's just an idea, but I think that we do our best thinking when we're wearing pants. Why don't we get back to putting on some pants?" instead. Section 3 (bathroom door) There is a bathroom door in the hallway. The bathroom door is scenery. The bathroom door is west of the hallway and east of the bathroom. The bathroom door is an open door. The bathroom door is a singular-named thing. The printed name of the bathroom door is "bathroom door". The description of the bathroom door is "It's a cheaply made, hollow door with a brass doorknob." A bathDD is part of the bathroom door. The bathDD is scenery. The bathDD is privately-named. The printed name of the bathDD is "bathroom door doorknob". Understand "bathroom door knob" and "bathroom door door knob" and "bathroom door doorknob" and "bathroom doorknob" and "doorknob" and "bathroom knob" and "bathroom door doorknob" and "knob" and "doorknob" and "door knob" as the bathDD. The description of the bathDD is "It feels a little unfair that, despite the potentially awkward and laborious nature of articulating the phrase *EXAMINE BATHROOM DOOR DOORKNOB*, there is absolutely nothing useful, interesting, or even distinctive about the bathroom door doorknob.". Instead of examining the bathDD more than once: try touching the bathDD. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bathDD: say "[one of]While I cannot guess your motivation, you touch the bathroom door doorknob experimentally. Despite its mundane appearance, it is made out of some sort of gluey substance, and it seems that it is somehow alive! The viscous, brassy blob that was once a bathroom door doorknob slowly envelops your hand! You cannot wrest your hand free, no matter how desperately you struggle. The horrific ooze is now crawling up your arm! At this rate, it will reach your head in only a moment or two.[or]Come on, I was just jerking you around. Be serious.[stopping]". Chapter 3 (various verbs in the hallway) Section 1 (going in the hallway) Check going south in the hallway when G is 4: now G is 5; continue the action. Check going nowhere in the hallway: say "You have three ways out of this short hallway. The bedroom lies to the *NORTH*, and the hallway continues *SOUTH* to the kitchen. A detour into our bathroom is *WEST*ward." instead. Section 2 (opening and closing doors in the hallway) check closing the bdoor: say "There's no need to keep anything in or out of the bedroom." instead. check opening a door in the hallway: say "It is already as open as it will ever be." instead. check closing the bathroom door: say "You have no need for extra privacy. Our residence is hopelessly and interminably private." instead. Section 3 (diagnosing in the hallway) Carry out diagnosing the bathroom door: say "It's a miracle! Within the door you find more entropic energy than you could ever use. More than enough to *WIN* the game outright, in fact... Sorry, my mistake. I meant to say that you are wasting my time. I'll try to be more careful in the future.". Carry out diagnosing the bdoor in the hallway when the player is wearing the jeans: say "The bedroom has just received an impressive infusion of order, but it's still your bedroom. Barring special circumstances, doors make poor targets for investment.". Carry out diagnosing the bdoor in the hallway when the player is wearing the boxer shorts: say "There's a discomfiting amount of disorder on the north side of the bedroom door, but its corresponding order was lost to the universe days and weeks ago. Barring special circumstances, doors make poor targets for investment.". section 4 (siphoning in the hallway) Carry out siphoning the bdoor: say "While this doorway has occasionally gated differences in order and disorder, you will never be able to siphon a usable amount of energy from it.". Carry out siphoning the bathroom door: say "Well, I guess it's good that you're being thorough, but you don't need magic to know that there's no entropic bleed within the bathroom door. Or bathroom doors generally, I suspect.". section 5 (listening in the hallway) carry out listening_protag in the hallway: say "Other than the occasional ping from the refrigerator's ancient condenser, the only sound is the lurching hum of the A/C unit in the front room."; rule succeeds. section 6 (smelling in the hallway) carry out smelling in the hallway: say "The hallway smells like nothing, which is not the same as having no smell.". Section 7 (investing in the hallway [deprecated]) Part 4 (the bathroom) Chapter 1 (describing the bathroom) The Bathroom is a room. The description of the Bathroom is "This is a cramped bathroom, as wide as a small bathtub. A toilet fits snugly between a plastic shower and a ramshackle wooden cabinet with faux drawers. A scored plastic sink basin is nearly subsumed in the cabinet's countertop, and a dingy mirror 'graces' the wall behind it. The bathroom is a dead end in many senses, and its only exit leads *EAST* to the hallway.". Chapter 2 (nouns in the bathroom) Section 1 (the toilet) [this is where my "big, dumb apartment" begins to take shape, but I did try to use everything in the trailer to develop the character of D, what his life is like, and so forth.] A toilet is here. The toilet is scenery. The description of the toilet is "The toilet, like the rest of our home, exudes an aura of misspent fortitude. It has been here a long time, and has nothing but water stains to show for it.". The toilet is a supporter. Understand "use toilet" as a mistake ("You don't have to control everything. Listen, if I need to go, I'll go."). Understand "flush toilet" as a mistake ("This isn't a bathroom simulator. You can't flush or use the toilet"). Understand "flush the toilet" as a mistake ("This isn't a bathroom simulator. You can't flush or use the toilet"). Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining or entering or CASKLING or inserting to the toilet when the location is the bathroom, say "Listen, I know our standards for cleanliness and hygiene are disturbingly low, but surely even you will draw the line at fiddling with a toilet long overdue for a cleaning.". instead of inserting something into the toilet: say "I'm sure you would like to see me splashing around in our toilet. I cater to most of your ridiculous whims, but I have to draw the line somewhere." instead. section 2 (the cabinet) The bathroom cabinet is in the bathroom. The bathroom cabinet is scenery. The cabinet can be opened. The description of the bathroom cabinet is "The cabinet is a ramshackle box made of particle board and Gorilla Glue. It features two false drawers, mere boards affixed to the front of the cabinet. The illusion is enhanced by a pair of abraded brass fixtures, one attached to each board. The cabinet opens outward via two doors that open from the center out. The sink, which is undoubtedly the cabinet's entire reason for being, nests in a countertop covered in a plastic veneer of some sort. It is hard to tell if the countertop is tan, or just dirty.[first time][paragraph break]I have to hand it to you, landing us here is the most artistic thing you've ever done. Far more poetic than any of the nonsense that you've written. [18 as a DSC][only]" Check opening the cabinet: try opening the cabinet doors instead. Section 3 (the drawers) The faux drawers are part of the cabinet. The faux drawers are scenery. The description of the FAUX DRAWERS is "The 'drawers' and their brass fixtures don't open. They are just boards and metal disguised as drawers.". Understand "fixtures" and "fixture" and "drawer" and "board" and "boards" as the drawers. The faux drawers are a plural-named thing. The faux drawers can be opened. Check opening the faux drawers: say "The [italic type]faux [roman type]drawers[em]my emphasis of 'faux' is intentional[em]do not open. They are ornamental boards and fixtures affixed to the front of the cabinet." instead. section 4 (the sink) The bathroom sink is scenery. The bathroom sink is part of the bathroom countertop. Understand "basin" as the bathroom sink. The description of the bathroom sink is "This sink is umber-colored, a contrast to the tan countertop that it calls home. It has a small leak, which spills out in a small but steady trickle of droplets. Try as we might, we cannot fully shut off the flow of water. Fortunately, we can't hear the drip in the bedroom, since the sound would keep us awake at night.". Understand "counter" and "countertop" as the bathroom countertop. Instead of inserting something into the bathroom sink: say "I think that you randomly bark nonsense at me sometimes just to see how I'll react. Not by putting stuff in the sink, that's for sure." instead. The bathroom faucet is part of the bathroom sink. The bathroom faucet is scenery. Understand "tap" and "bathroom tap" and "spigot" as the bathroom faucet. Instead of doing anything to the bathroom faucet: say "The faucet isn't important. Its leak, on the other hand, might have some use.". Section 5 (the bathroom countertop) The bathroom countertop is part of the cabinet. The bathroom countertop is scenery. The description of the bathroom countertop is "This tan, plastic-coated slab of fiberboard is somehow uglier than the sink nested in its surface.". Understand "counter" and "plastic veneer" and "laminate" as the bathroom countertop. section 6 (the drip and the ENTROPIC NUDGE) [This is the first non-psychic source of entropic magic in the game. In testing, players kept trying to move the clothes with it, despite its stated limitations. So I built in a lot of increasingly explicit feedback about both the nudge and the clothes.] The leak is in the bathroom. The leak is scenery. The description of the leak is "While only a small amount of water is dripping into the sink, its flow is continuous. A deformed or rotted-out rubber gasket is likely to blame. There is clearly some organization lost to this process.". Understand "trickle" as the leak. Understand "drip" as the leak. The entropic nudge is nowhere. The description of the ENTROPIC NUDGE is "The entropic nudge has no physical characteristics. Rather, it is a small amount of entropic energy that you carry within you. You can diagnose it if you'd like to know more about it, but there is no way to interact with it physically.". The printed name of the entropic nudge is "*ENTROPIC NUDGE*". The ENTROPIC NUDGE is a BLEEDSOURCE. The entropic nudge is safe. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the leak: say "The leak is a phenomenon rather than a physical object. We could *DIAGNOSE THE LEAK* to determine its entropic potential, but that is likely all.". section 7 (cabinet doors) The cabinet doors are part of the cabinet. The cabinet doors are scenery. The cabinet doors can be opened. Understand "doors" as the cabinet doors. The description of the cabinet doors is "These cabinet doors have brass fixtures that match the handles on the fake drawers. You used to store towels in the cabinet but stopped when you pulled out a towel with a spider clinging to it. Remember how you threw the towel outside and left it there? That was six months ago and it's still in the yard." Check opening the cabinet doors: say "You haven't opened the cabinet doors since you found a spider inside the cabinet several months ago. We both hate spiders enough to leave the doors closed. Whatever is in there is lost forever." instead. section 8 (the shower) The shower is here. Understand "tub/bathtub/rust/bath" as the shower. The shower is scenery. The description of the shower is "This plastic tub and shower combination has little to recommend it, but sooner or later everyone needs a shower. Near the drain, the tub has been stained by hard water or rust.". Understand "drain" and "stain" as the shower. The shower is an enterable container. Instead of inserting something into the shower: say "The [noun] must really be letting itself go, because it hasn't showered in ages. It has no interest in showering now, either. Obviously, we won't be taking it to Kiki's birthday party." instead. section 9 (the mirror) [footnote aside, the mirror failstate is not really clued. I think that's ok, because only 21 of 33 are really necessary. Also, The game repeatedly encourages looking at the hints. I never meant the puzzles to be challenging. A reviewer called RTE "post-puzzle" and I think that's pretty apt.] A bathroom mirror is in the bathroom. The bathroom mirror is scenery. The description of the bathroom mirror is "There is an ovular mirror attached to the wall behind the sink, but we don't look at mirrors. From the corner of our eye, we can tell that the glass is clouded, and, were we to use it, it might need a good cleaning. [4 as a DSC]". Instead of doing anything other than examining or searching or diagnosing or siphoning to the bathroom mirror: say "The mirror fills us with dread, which you of all people should know. Our ability to interact with it is severely limited by the feelings of anxiety that it engenders. While we may be able to act upon the mirror in limited ways, you should temper your expectations.". Check searching the bathroom mirror: say "I mean it. We don't look in mirrors. Period." instead. The bathroom reflection is here. The printed name of the bathroom reflection is "reflection". The bathroom reflection is scenery. the indefinite article of the bathroom reflection is "our". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bathroom reflection: say "I'm not willing to act directly on the reflection. You might think that you want to, but I know you better than that. Under the right circumstances, I might be convinced to to do something with or to the mirror. Note that you will be responsible for any injuries that may occur." Check examining the bathroom reflection: try searching the bathroom mirror instead. Section 10 (the anemic dribble) [this establishes a tradition of siphoning a system to get differently-named magic. would I change it if I could do it again? I don't know; it's mechanically a solid system IMO] The anemic dribble is in the bathroom. The anemic dribble is scenery. The printed name of the anemic dribble is "*ANEMIC DRIBBLE*". Instead of doing anything other than siphoning to the anemic dribble: say "The *ANEMIC DRIBBLE* is a source of magic. We can *SIPHON* it, but it has no other function in this reality." instead. Chapter 3 (verbs in the bathroom) Section 1 (moving in the bathroom) Check going nowhere in the bathroom: say "We can only return *EAST* to the hallway." instead. Check entering the shower: say "Coincidentally, you took a shower just last night. I can't say where that fit of optimism regarding the day came from, much less what justified it." instead. The can't take scenery rule does nothing when the noun is the shower. Check taking the shower: try entering the shower instead. Check entering toilet: say "Look, I don't need your permission for everything. If we need to go, I'll go." instead. Showering is an action applying to nothing. Understand "shower" as showering. Carry out showering in the bathroom: try entering the shower instead. Check showering when the player is the entropist: say "I suppose you think that I exist for your amusement, primeoid." instead. Check showering when the player is in the trailer interior and the player is not in the bathroom: say "We only shower in the bathroom. Makes sense, when you think about it." instead. Check showering when the player is the poet and the player is not in trailer interior: say "We really ought to try that in our bathroom, which is, you know, in our trailer." instead. Section 2 (diagnosing) [as I have already stated, the goal was to fully implement DIAGNOSE and SIPHON in all areas.] Report diagnosing in the bathroom when the noun is not the leak and the noun is not the sink and the noun is not the mirror and the noun is not the player for the first time: say "I think that everything in this trailer can be diagnosed. Do you really intend to diagnose everything? [2 as a DSC][line break]". Carry out diagnosing the SHOWER in the bathroom: say "The shower shows no sign of entropic magic, present or past.". Carry out diagnosing the SINK in the bathroom: say "[if ING is 0]We are very close to discovering a small source of entropic bleed. Try examining the sink to see if there isn't something else that you can you can diagnose directly.[otherwise]As we have already discovered, the only interesting thing about the sink is the leak." Carry out diagnosing the LEAK in the bathroom: say "There's no doubt about it. The leak is a very small source of entropic energy. You should be able to *SIPHON THE ANEMIC DRIBBLE*.". Carry out diagnosing the toilet: say "The toilet is the sturdiest structure in the trailer. If it were to break, it would yield a significant amount of order, but I'm not helping you break our toilet, and you're not manic enough to ask, anyway. [1 as an AHM][line break]". Carry out diagnosing the bathroom cabinet: say "Like so many other things in the trailer, the cabinet extends neither aesthetic nor practical advantages to its owner.". Carry out diagnosing the bathroom countertop: say "While the countertop is unquestionably subject to the second lawn of thermodynamics, its plastic coating has left it slow to comply. Its only sign of age is discoloration. While you might get something out of that leaky sink, it's unlikely that the bathroom can offer more.". Check diagnosing the cabinet doors: try diagnosing the bathroom cabinet. Carry out diagnosing the faux drawers: say "As I may have already said, these 'drawers' and their accompanying fixtures aren't actually drawers. While I'm pretty sure that your interest in them has decreased the total amount of energy and organization in the universe, there's no way for us to siphon ourselves.". Carry out diagnosing the bathroom mirror: say "This mirror is a fellow entropist. It robs [it]us[rt] of energy and organization, then swallows it up. We really shouldn't mess with the mirror. It has nothing to offer us." instead. Section 3 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the TOILET: say "The toilet is a mystery of nature, capable of enduring not only the outrages and insults of its duty, but also the effects of everyday wear. Not only will the toilet refuse you its power, it silently mocks all such requests." instead. Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the BATHROOM SINK: say "While the sink itself is not a source of entropic energy, I feel you are close to discovering a source. Try re-examining the sink." instead. Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the ANEMIC DRIBBLE and the player is TINERT: say "We make a slow, wide gesture toward the sink, and, at the end of our hand's arc, we feel the small but insistent buzz of entropic power contained in the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. With it, we could likely apply a small amount of pressure to something or perhaps restore the shape of a crushed sugarcube."; now the player is nudging; now the player carries the ENTROPIC NUDGE; continue the action. Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the bathroom cabinet: say "Trying to draw power from a tatty pasteboard cabinet is a fitting metaphor for this 'life' of ours.". Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the bathroom countertop: say "Trying to draw power from a tatty pasteboard cabinet is a fitting metaphor for this 'life' of ours.". Carry out siphoning the cabinet doors: say "I'm pretty sure that those doors are all that separates us from the majority of this trailer's spider population. They're in there, and we're out here. I'm not willing to mess with this ecosystem's delicate equilibrium.". Carry out siphoning the faux drawers: say "Some amount of energy and order were expended on these non-functional drawers. Trees were felled and their husks were used to either burn or build. The leavings that remained, the sawdust, would have likely been a bonanza of siphonable order if caught at the right time. Instead, more energy and resources were used to press these leavings into board-like shapes. They were then laminated with simulated wood grain. This is to say nothing of the brass fittings, which must also tell their own story. These poor drawers have had every last bit of usefulness squeezed out of them, save their ability to hold up a sink and hold in spiders. The only way to get more from them would require setting them on fire.[paragraph break]That wasn't a suggestion, if you were wondering.". Carry out siphoning the bathroom mirror: say "Look, I know we horse around a lot, trying to put clothes in bins and whatnot, but we really shouldn't try to engage the mirror with entropic magic. It's you on the other side. Well, no, it's something [italic type]like[roman type] you. Chances are it's more competent and practical than you, and certainly less miserable than you. I just wouldn't mess around with that. Are you really sure that's a good idea? [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no'[rt]: "; if the player consents: say "Well, alright buddy. We reach out with our right hand, extending our fingertips with our palm facing the mirror. Closing our eyes, we attempt to imagine energy flowing from the mirror into our outstretched hand. Something feels off; I can sense that energy is leaving, rather than entering, us. Our reflected self bears an unfamiliar smirk[EM]life never affords us opportunities for such smugness. It appears to be siphoning [it]US[rt]. In a matter of seconds, we find ourselves trapped in an empty, white expanse. The only feature to violate this blank space is the mirror. Rather than bearing our reflection, the mirror is a window into our bathroom. That person[em]or thing[em]on the other side stands up straighter than we do, and he certainly seems confident. When he leaves, smiling, there is no doubt that he is off to do something horrible to someone, or even to several someones. I hope you're satisfied. This conclusion has earned a rating of -10/10."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; If DIT1 is false: now DIT1 is true; now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now D is D plus one; try death logging 10; now the player is tinert; now all bleedsources carried by the player are nowhere; end the story; otherwise: say "I guess even you can do the right thing every once in a while. Stay away from mirrors. We don't do mirrors.". Carry out siphoning in the bathroom when the noun is the SHOWER: say "The shower is as ugly as everything else in here, but its metal and plastic construction has enabled it to better weather the twin insults of time and setting. There's always plenty of hot water, and it never drips. There is no magic here. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the only problem with the shower is that you rarely enter it.". Carry out siphoning the leak: try diagnosing the leak instead. Section 4 (investing in the bathroom) Carry out investing the TOILET with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Look out world, it's magic toilet man."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is tinert. Carry out investing the TOILET with the SEETHING ORDER: say "With a grand gesture, you attempt to infuse the toilet with the substantial amount of order you retrieved from the breaking dishes. Sadly, the toilet itself is a potent if not crippling source of order, and your exertions only serve to envelop the bathroom and all of its molecules[em]even those that you are made of[em]in a kind of stasis. Here, no movement is possible. Even thought is impracticable. You are unable to know this, of course, since you are trapped in a toilet-derived field of immobility. Perhaps a version of you in another dimension has escaped this fate, or[em]better still[em]some extra-dimensional version of yourself is watching and learning from your mistakes across many timelines. If there is such a person, they will likely be more careful with such limited resources as the *SEETHING ORDER*. Were that so, and were you still capable of thought, you might have found this confrontation with an ancient toilet worth the price. But you aren't, so you don't. Fire alone would not be enough to violate our suspended state, but the force of the explosion does the trick, scattering the ashes of us and our belongings amid the trailers, rusted cars, and bent fencing north of town. Even though I applaud your defiant act of counter-narrative sabotage, I do wish you would seek out apocryphal endings that do not involve setting me on fire. That's [it]me[rt] on fire, after all, not you. You have achieved a score of hillbilly cremation/10. [11 as an AHM]."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; If DIT2 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now dit2 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 2; end the story. Carry out investing the LEAK with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "We cannot siphon something only to put its magic back where we found it. At least, we've never been able to. The universe doesn't seem to work that way.". Carry out investing the ANEMIC DRIBBLE with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "We cannot siphon something only to put its magic back where we found it. At least, we've never been able to. The universe doesn't seem to work that way.". Carry out investing the LEAK with the SEETHING ORDER: say "Perhaps it is for the best that you cannot so haphazardly invest the source of the entropic nudge near or in the source of the *SEETHING ORDER*. I do not know of a way to invest a source of magic with yet more magic, but it sounds dangerous. I'm only interested in potentially fatal danger, and I'm not sure this would qualify.". Carry out investing the ANEMIC DRIBBLE with the SEETHING ORDER: say "Perhaps it is for the best that you cannot so haphazardly invest the source of the entropic nudge near or in the source of the *SEETHING ORDER*. I do not know of a way to invest a source of magic with yet more magic, but it sounds dangerous. I'm only interested in potentially fatal danger, and I'm not sure this would qualify.". Carry out investing the BATHROOM SINK with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "You cannot something only to put its magic back where you found it. At least, you've never been able to. The universe doesn't seem to work that way.". Carry out investing the BATHROOM SINK with the SEETHING ORDER: say "Perhaps it is for the best that you cannot so haphazardly invest the source of the entropic nudge near or in the source of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. I do not know of a way to invest a bleedsource with another bleedsource, but it sounds dangerous. While deadly peril might hold some academic interest, I don't think it's worth the risk.". Carry out investing the BATHROOM CABINET with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Both the cabinet and I are unimpressed with your display. Even this ramshackle box of pressed sawdust can withstand the meager force applied by the entropic nudge."; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing the CABINET DOORS with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Even something as flimsy-looking as these cabinet doors can withstand the meager force of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*."; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. A thing can be an infestation. A thing is usually not an infestation. The bathroom cabinet and the cabinet doors and the faux drawers are an infestation. Carry out investing an infestation with the seething order: say "The explosive power of the *SEETHING ORDER* envelops the cabinet, the faux drawers, its fixtures, the countertop, and the cabinet doors. 'To hell with it,' you say, gesturing grandly in the direction of the cabinet assembly. While we can only use the *SEETHING ORDER* once, you decide that you don't care about getting dressed, or refilling your prescription, or even visiting your mother. What could be more important than escaping the bonds of this miserable narrative? While I don't disagree, you never seem to appreciate that I'm the one who has to absorb any corporeal consequences associated with our behavior. You all but certainly know that investing unsuitable objects or systems with large quantities of entropic energy can lead to unpredictable and often dangerous results. This scenario is no exception. Not even you could think that imbuing the cabinet assembly with powerful entropic magic would be productive. Or even nihilistic fun. You can't even not give a shit right. After a second or two, we hear something thumping around inside the cabinet. A host of large (and still growing) spiders have broken through the cabinet's facade! I won't dwell on the experience[EM]who would[EM]but I think that this is yet another case where you are all too eager to write checks that my physicality must cover. This outcome has earned a rating of Spiders, Man/10. [2 as an AHM] [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; If DIT3 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now DIT3 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 3; end the story. carry out investing the BATHROOM countertop with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "With a dramatic flick of the wrist, you send the energy and order derived from the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* flying toward the countertop. The corner where the laminate has come unglued flaps away, then falls back into place with a snap. Seconds later, it is impossible to tell that anything ever happened."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is tinert. Carry out investing the FAUX DRAWERS with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "You gently caress the faux drawers and its fixtures with the underwhelming might of the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. If the drawers had a face, they would blush at your act of familiarity."; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing the SHOWER with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Despite your enthusiastic gesticulating, the entropic nudge has no effect on the shower, whose durable plastic shell is highly resistant to entropic energy. The *ENTROPIC NUDGE* is likely useful in a situation where a small amount of force must be applied remotely. I can't tell if you don't already know this, or if you know but don't care."; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is tinert. Carry out investing the SHOWER with the SEETHING ORDER: say "The shower is a poor target for entropic magic as potent as *THE SEETHING ORDER*, especially since other, more productive (read: hazardous) candidates are nearby. The toilet, for instance, as a highly change-resistance structure, might leave this room orderly to a dangerous degree. The cabinet and its inhabitants, on the other hand, might yield a profoundly unpleasant experience. The mirror, which would not be [it]receptive[rt] to powerful order magic, might be disruptive in another sense.". Check investing the bathroom mirror with something: say "You aren't willing to look at the mirror long enough to attempt that." instead. Section 5 (exits in the bathroom) check going nowhere in the bathroom: say "The hallway is to the *EAST*, and that's the only way out of this dead end of a room." instead. section 6 (listening in the bathroom) carry out listening_protag in the bathroom: say "We can hear the faint trickle of dripping water, which must be coming from the sink. Additionally, the constant churn of the AC unit at the front of this trailer is audible in every room."; rule succeeds. section 7 (smelling in the bathroom) carry out smelling in the bathroom: say "The bathroom smells damp, presumably due to the drip we hear nearby, but otherwise it has no particularly bathroomesqe smell.". Section 8 (CASKLING) The toilet is perfectable. Check caskling the toilet: say "Invoking the proper words of power, you flick your wrist in the direction of the toilet. To your amazement, it rises from the floor (courteously sealing off its pipes, first). It has achieved perfection as a means of travel! While Baba Yaga has her mortar and pestle, you have your flying toilet. Just imagine the places you will go, you and your toilet! ...You shake your head as the vision fades, finding yourself once again in your perfectly ordinary bathroom." instead. Section 9 (enjoying and loving) Before enjoying or loving the toilet: say "That's icky even for you." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying or loving the mirror: say "That mirror is the worst thing in a trailer filled with bad things. I'd stay away if I were you."; stop the action. Part 5 (the kitchen) Chapter 1 (description of the kitchen) [this room was emblematic of my early carelessness with nouns. It began with far too many things, and a six-month period of walking it back followed. I was still working on this room long after I had otherwise moved on from the trailer interior.] The description of the kitchen is "This poorly lit kitchen is a busy mess. It is dark because of two burned-out light-bulbs. The room's dinginess owes much to a tower of dirty dishes stacked beside[em]not in[em]a rather dirty sink, but the countertop is cluttered with various bits of nerd stuff[em]game books, comics, and video games[em]spread across every uncovered surface. The kitchen is in worse shape than our closet, but it doesn't bother you nearly as much. Sooner or later, everybody needs clothes, but we've never been much of a cook. This room is usually just a waypoint between the hallway and the front room. The kitchen occupies the full width of the trailer, and opens into the front room to the *SOUTH*. A narrow hallway leads *NORTH*.[if unvisited][paragraph break]You recall[em]rather unhappily[em]that you finished off the lithium last night. You need to get dressed and head to the pharmacy. [4 as a CAS].". [the "do nothing" is to prevent the printing of two auditory feedback messages.] Every turn when the location is the kitchen and the player is uninformed: if listening_protag: do nothing; otherwise: say "We hear a beep coming from the front room to the south.". The kitchen is north of the Front Room. Chapter 2 (nouns in the kitchen) Section 1 (the kitchen sink and its contents) The kitchen sink is in the kitchen. The kitchen sink is scenery. The description of the kitchen sink is "This is a familiar, dual basin sort of kitchen sink made from stainless steel. It lacks a garbage disposal, a thing which we have only recently come to see as a luxury. A couple of tumblers and forks hunker grimly under the spigot.[first time] [5 as a DSC].[line break][only]". The kitchen sink is a container. Check inserting something into the sink: say "Really? Now you want to clean up now, of all times? You can't stall our trip to the pharmacy, and you're absolutely not dragging me through the shame and embarrassment of another mania. Get it together. We don't do lithium holidays." instead. Before examining the kitchen sink: say "This is a familiar, dual basin sort of kitchen sink made from stainless steel. It lacks a garbage disposal, a thing which we have only recently come to see as a luxury. A couple of tumblers and forks hunker grimly under the spigot."; stop the action. [stuff in the sink. the footnote attempts to warn the player regarding its uselessness.] There is worthless stuff in the kitchen sink. the description of the worthless stuff is "A few forks and empty tumblers await an undignified destiny in the kitchen sink's basin.". The worthless stuff is a plural-named thing. Understand "forks" and "fork" and "empty tumblers" and "tumbler" and "tumblers" as the worthless stuff. The printed name of the worthless stuff is "the tumblers and forks in the sink". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the worthless stuff when the location is the kitchen: say "You've let the forks and tumblers sit there this long, what's another day going to hurt? They have nothing to do with getting out of this trailer or driving into town. [4 as a PS][lb]". There is a kitchen faucet in the kitchen. The kitchen faucet is scenery. Understand "spigot" as the kitchen faucet. Instead of doing anything to the kitchen faucet: say "There is no need to refer to parts of the sink individually. This includes turning the faucet on or off, since you have no intention of cleaning up in here, nor have you ever had such an intention.". Section 2 (the countertop) The kitchen countertop is in the kitchen. The kitchen countertop is a supporter. The kitchen countertop is scenery. The description of the kitchen countertop is "[if the player is carrying the wallet]Having rescued our wallet from the squalid countertop, we can go back to ignoring it.[otherwise if the wallet is in the kitchen]We have dug a wide trough in the clutter, revealing our once-lost wallet. While the mess bothers us, I am glad to have uncovered the countertop's secrets.[otherwise]This cluttered countertop is nearly covered by semi-collectible nerd [6 as a DSC] stuff. While the mess bothers us, the size of the countertop limits its scope.". Understand "counter" and "kitchen counter" as the kitchen countertop. Section 3 (the nerd stuff) [it's possible to get some weird feedback, since countertop and nerd stuff are sometimes interchangeable. I should have used a kind or something, but this is sill early days in learning Inform 7.] The nerd stuff is on the kitchen countertop. The nerd stuff is scenery. Understand "comics" and "game books" and "game book" and "ephemera" and "video game ephemera" and "video game" and "video games" and "game" and "games" and "comic books" and "comics" and "comic" and "books" and "book" and "mess" and "CD cases" and "cases" and "case" and "RPG books" and "clutter" and "junk" and "mess" as the nerd stuff. Instead of doing anything other than examining or searching or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the nerd stuff when the location is the kitchen: say "[if the wallet is located]You managed to excavate your wallet from the cluttered mess atop the counter. If there is something else here, it is not immediately apparent.[otherwise]The nerd stuff is mainly interesting because you think you may have misplaced something there. While it would be just like you to make fiddling with comics and video games a cornerstone of your cowardly avoidance strategy, there's no escaping it: you have to leave the trailer and handle your business. Still, it might be worthwhile to examine or diagnose it.". The description of the nerd stuff is "The material fact of our life as a nerd is proven out here on this kitchen countertop. [if the wallet is located]The trough we dug to reach our wallet is deep, attesting to the large quantity of junk here. [otherwise]The countertop is completely covered. It would require some digging to find anything important in there.[end if][if the DVD is in the kitchen] Only a Princess Chiyo DVD stands out among the comics and video games.". [because of my naive decision to have two types of "stuff" in the kitchen, I had to tinker with disambiguation.] Does the player mean doing something to the worthless stuff: it is very unlikely. Section 4 (the tower of dishes) The tower of dishes is on the countertop. The tower of dishes is sheltering. the tower of dishes is scenery. The description of the tower of dishes is "A formidable stack of dirty plates reaches from the countertop toward the ceiling. Looking at them, we are surprised by the number of dishes we own. Despite their varied origins (thrift stores and garage sales), the dishes stack cleanly and stably, one upon the next. This structure does not wobble or teeter, even when touched.". Understand "plates" and "dishes" and "tower" and "stack" as the tower of dishes. Before taking the tower of dishes: say "First of all, don't tell me to hug a stack of dirty dishes. Second, what in the world for? You don't want to carry them around. However, the stack is quite orderly and stable. Perhaps you should give it a shove instead." instead. [I must have added these synonyms because of something that happened in testing. I honestly can't remember.] Understand "wash [something]" as rubbing. Understand "tidy [something]" as rubbing. Check rubbing the tower of dishes: say "Whatever reason you have for turning over a new leaf today of all days, we have things to do. Focus on getting dressed so that we can drive into town." instead. Understand "tidy kitchen" as a mistake ("[if the player is not wearing the black jeans]Whatever reason you have for turning over a new leaf today of all days, we have things to do. Focus on getting dressed so that you can drive into town.[otherwise]Focus on the problem at hand: getting us into town."). Check attacking the tower of dishes: say "Breaking the sturdy tower of dishes would be a good way to release the order they contain, but we'll have to be more methodical. We can't just kick them or punch them. They need to (a) be broken all at once and (b) be broken in a contained area so that the order is concentrated in one place." instead. Section 5 (Kitchen appliances) various kitchen appliances are in the kitchen. The various kitchen appliances are scenery. Understand "oven" and "stove" and "refrigerator" and "fridge" and "toaster" and "microwave" and "microwave oven" and "blender" and "dishwasher" as the various kitchen appliances. Understand "oven" and "stove" and "refrigerator" and "fridge" and "toaster" and "microwave" and "microwave oven" and "blender" and "dishwasher" as the various kitchen appliances. The description of the various kitchen appliances is "[one of]You decide to take a break out of our busy morning to inspect our oven, refrigerator, and microwave. With a relief, you conclude that everything is in working order. [3 as an AHM][or]We don't need to look at the various kitchen appliances again. If fact, we didn't even need to look at them once.[stopping]". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the various kitchen appliances when the location is the kitchen: say "Every kitchen has various kitchen appliances, and ours are like everyone else's. Except for being more dirty, of course, because that's just the way you make us live.". Section 6 (The DVD) [the source of the hardest fail state in the game. There's two hints about it, but I suspect most players will need to consult the guide. Which I have tried to encourage from the beginning.] The DVD is nowhere. The printed name of the DVD is the "[italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo DVD[roman type]". Understand "Chiyo" and "Chiyo DVD" and "Battle Princess Chiyo" and "Battle Princess Chiyo" and "princess" and "battle princess" and "princess chiyo" as the DVD. The description of the DVD is "[italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type] is currently our favorite anime. Chiyo is a young woman who wields the Demon's Prison, an ancient [italic type]odachi[roman type] that contains the souls of one hundred ogres bound to serve the royal family for a thousand years. While the oni grant special powers to the one who wields the Demon's Prison, their voices torment their human master, and can drive her to frenzy or madness. We have watched these episodes many times, and have yet to tire of them. [12 as a DSC]". Rule for writing a paragraph about the DVD when the location is the kitchen: say "A Battle Princess Chiyo DVD, once lost in the mess atop the counter, has been revealed.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning or diagnosing or investing to the DVD when the location is the kitchen: say "There is no point in physically interacting with the DVD, since we do not have time to watch it at the moment.". Section 7 (the seething order) [ah, the seething order. this was tough to get together, since the bin and dishes had multiple states (or nouns, in this case). There was also a timer, since obviously the order must dissipate (according to the system I built).] The seething order is nowhere. The seething order is a bleedsource. The seething order is deadly. The printed name of the seething order is "*SEETHING ORDER*". The description of the seething order is "Now that we have siphoned away the order from the pile of broken dishes, we can best assess its power by diagnosing ourselves.". The sublimated order is nowhere. The sublimated order is scenery. The description of the sublimated order is "The sublimated order seethes among the broken dishes. This is what we've been looking for. Siphon it and put it to work.". Section 8 (potent bin of broken dishes) The potent bin is nowhere. The potent bin is scenery. The printed name of the potent bin is the "bin of broken dishes.". The description of the potent bin is "This plastic bin of broken dishes is laden with rapidly dissipating order. We should get what we can from the bin of broken dishes while we still have time.". instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or emptying or caskling to the potent bin when the location is the kitchen: say "We don't have time to mess with the dishes. If you're not sure what to do, try to *DIAGNOSE THE BIN*.". understand "bin" and "broken dishes" and "dishes" and "plastic bin" as the potent bin. Section 9 (the impotent bin) The impotent bin is nowhere. The impotent bin is scenery. The printed name of the impotent bin is the "bin of broken dishes.". The description of the impotent bin is "Now drained of their order, the broken dishes have commenced their final rest in the plastic bin. I'm happy for them. Unlike us, the bin of broken dishes was able to make itself useful.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or emptying or caskling to the impotent bin when the location is the kitchen: say "Those dishes sacrificed everything for us. Let's give them a well-deserved rest.". Check emptying when the noun is not the potent bin or the impotent bin: say "[if the player is the entropist]Stop squandering my time.[otherwise]Yes, it is emptiness I feel. But that's a feeling. It hardly means I'm going to just go around emptying things of things, or whatever." Check emptying the potent bin: say "Right. That's the idea. We want to empty the bin of entropic magic. That is what you meant, right? Not spill the dishes on the floor, I hope. Why not *DIAGNOSE THE BIN* and see if we can do something productive with the magic?" instead. Check emptying the impotent bin: say "Forget it. I'm not going to dump shards of broken ceramic all over the floor just to entertain you." instead. Emptying is an action applying to one thing. Understand "empty [something]" as emptying. understand "bin" and "broken dishes" and "dishes" and "plastic bin" as the impotent bin. section 10 (the light bulbs) The lbulbs are a plural-named thing in the kitchen. The lbulbs are scenery. The printed name of the lbulbs is "light bulbs". Understand "bulbs/lightbulbs/bulb/lightbulb/lights/light" as the lbulbs. Understand "light bulbs" as the lbulbs. The description of the lbulbs is "You haven't replaced the burned-out bulbs because you're waiting until they [italic type]all[roman type] burn out. When it's pitch dark in here, [italic type]then[roman type] you'll do something. All these fascinating problems and lazy too. What a combination!". Chapter 3 (verbs in the kitchen) Section 1 (manipulating objects in the kitchen) [yikes, this code. Very old, dating back to the demo.] Carry out putting_under in the kitchen when the noun is the plastic bin and the second noun is the tower of dishes: say "We push the bin against the kitchen counter. It is situated directly beneath and adjacent to the tower of dishes, which seem to quiver in anticipation."; now the description of the plastic bin is "The bin is on the floor, resting in the shadow of a sizable tower of dirty dishes."; now the description of the kitchen is "This kitchen is busy, dark, and messy. It is dark because of two burned-out light bulbs. The room's dirtiness owes much to a tower of dirty dishes stacked beside[em]not in[em]a rather dirty sink. The countertop is covered with junk. The mess consists of various bits of nerd business[em]tabletop RPG books, comics, CD cases[em]spread across every uncovered surface. The kitchen is in worse shape than our closet, but it doesn't bother you nearly as much. Sooner or later, everybody needs clothes, but you've never been much of a cook. This is usually just a waypoint between the hallway and the front room. In more recent news, an empty plastic bin sits[em]rather precariously[em]underneath a towering stack of dirty dishes."; now the plastic bin is underneath; set the locale priority of the plastic bin to 0. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the plastic bin when the plastic bin is underneath and the location is the kitchen: say "Let's not mess around with the bin. It's in a good place where it is." instead. Carry out putting_under in the kitchen when the noun is the plastic bin and the second noun is not the tower of dishes: say "Try putting it under the dishes instead." instead. Carry out putting_under in the kitchen when the noun is not the plastic bin: say "While putting things under things might be worth our while, you need to attack this problem more methodically." instead. check pushing the plastic bin: say "Would you like to *PUT THE BIN UNDER* [bracket]something[close bracket]? Just say so. If you really did just want to slide it around on the floor, then sure, I can do a bit of that right now." instead. check putting_near in the kitchen when the noun is the plastic bin: say "I think you're onto something, but maybe it belongs under something instead." instead. check putting_near in the kitchen when the noun is not the plastic bin: say "Stop fiddling around with the [noun] and focus." instead. check dropping the plastic bin in the kitchen: say "You set down the bin, step back, and look at it. It's sturdy looking and could likely contain a sizable amount of magic for a few minutes."; now the plastic bin is in the kitchen; stop the action. Check putting the plastic bin on something in the kitchen: say "The bin belongs under something, not on it." instead. Section 2 (deprecated) Section 3 (diagnosing in the kitchen) Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the KITCHEN countertop: say "The slow, entropic processes that made this counter what it is have already bled off, lost forever.". Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the NERD STUFF: say "The slow, entropic processes that amassed so much of this nerd stuff have already bled off, lost forever. If you're hoping to find something in there you'll have look through it the old fashioned way.". Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the TOWER OF DISHES: say "The dishes are not currently sloughing off any kind of organization or order, but we can sense a potential there. In fact, they have admirably weathered this trailer's disorderly ambiance. If you could find a way to make them disorderly, there would likely be a lot of entropic bleed-off to siphon. Giving them a good shove would probably be the fastest way.". Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the POTENT BIN: say "The bin is filled with dishes that have made a rapid and productive descent from order into disorder. We should be able to *SIPHON THE SUBLIMATED ORDER* from the bin. Don't wait too long, or the lost order will dissipate, forever lost."; Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the IMPOTENT BIN: say "The dishes have given everything for you. Why not let them be?". carry out diagnosing the PLASTIC BIN in the kitchen: say "The bin is clearly burdened with a great and heavy destiny. Perhaps that destiny brought it here, to this kitchen.". Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the KITCHEN SINK: say "The kitchen sink and its contents have nothing to offer us. [if front yard is unvisited]Not anything that would help us get out of this trailer, anyway.[end if]" Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the WORTHLESS STUFF: say "The tumblers and forks in the sink have nothing to offer us. [if the Front Yard is unvisited]Not anything that would help us get out of this trailer, anyway[end if]." Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the VARIOUS KITCHEN APPLIANCES: say "The various kitchen appliances are just mechanical background objects common to trailer park kitchens. You will not bake a pie or reheat leftovers or refrigerate groceries in the course of this day. You wouldn't do those things any day, actually, because you lack the basic human competencies that even Fast Eddie has. To answer your question: no, there is no entropic insight or power that we can siphon away from the various kitchen appliances. Like almost every other object in this trailer, we CAN waste entropic energy on them. In fact, you would probably enjoy that, though I suspect that I wouldn't." instead. Carry out diagnosing in the kitchen when the noun is the DVD: say "Other than the time you spend loafing on the couch while watching [italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type], there are no entropic forces or opportunities within the DVD.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the lbulbs when the location is the kitchen: say "Those bulbs have been burned-out for months. Don't pretend that you have any interest in them.". Section 4 (investing in the kitchen) Carry out investing the KITCHEN SINK with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "We open our right hand, palm up, and the small amount of energy siphoned from the leak flies from our hand in the direction of the kitchen sink. In response, one of the tumblers resting in its basin wobbles briefly. It's an unimpressive display."; now the player is tinert; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing something with the seething order when the location is the kitchen and the noun is not the DVD and the noun is not the player: say "Yes, of course. Fabulous idea. While you could use the precious, non-renewable power of the *SEETHING ORDER* to achieve important goals like getting dressed or refilling your lithium prescription, you could just as easily blow it all here in the kitchen. In your defense, there are at least notable and potentially desirable results. The mess on the countertop organizes itself! DVDs and video game cases and game books take flight, each making its way to its proper place. [if the DVD is not in the kitchen]You note with excitement that your favorite [italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type] DVD has emerged from the squalor to join the rest of our newly-organized collection. [end if]The tumblers and forks cluttering the sink rinse themselves off before making themselves at home in the dishwasher. Even our various kitchen appliances seem to gleam as if new.[if the wallet is not on the kitchen countertop][line break]Our wallet, long believed lost, rests atop the newly clean counter.[end if][line break]While this is entertaining in a [italic type]Fantasia[roman type] sort of way, you really don't care about clean kitchens. We can't help but feel a little deflated when the last out-of-place thing is stowed away, leaving us standing pantsless in our newly organized kitchen. We make our way to your couch, where you sit feeling vaguely disgusted with yourself. Not only was this effort a failure, but it has prevented us from visiting our mother at the hospital. That's the problem with our arrangement: even when your intentions are good, you are a profoundly compromised and inconsiderate decision maker. When Fast Eddie blows up his meth lab a few hours later, we are still sitting on the couch, staring through the screen of our television. You know, I wouldn't mind getting burned alive if it meant we'd never see each other again, but we can't seem to stay dead. This outcome has earned a rating of hell's kitchen/10."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DIT4 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now DIT4 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 4; End the story. Carry out investing the WORTHLESS STUFF with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "We open our right hand, palm up, and the small amount of energy siphoned from the leak flies from our hand in the direction of the kitchen sink. In response, one of the tumblers resting in its basin wobbles briefly. It's an unimpressive display."; now the player is tinert; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. a thing can be a DVDplace. a thing is usually not a dvdplace. The kitchen countertop and the nerd stuff are a DVDplace. Carry out investing a DVDplace with THE ENTROPIC NUDGE: if the DVD is not in the kitchen: say "We close our eyes and concentrate, sending the energy from the errant drip toward the cluttered countertop. There is a minute shift in the nerd stuff, and a [italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type] DVD is now barely visible among the clutter."; now the DVD is in the kitchen; otherwise: say "Unfortunately, the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* does not uncover another DVD."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is tinert. Carry out investing the TOWER OF DISHES with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "The tower of dishes is quite stable, so your exertion barely registers."; now the player is tinert; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing the POTENT BIN with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "You can't invest a a source of magic with more magic. You could try again after siphoning away the power of the broken dishes, and maybe you will, given your penchant for impotent dawdling." instead. Carry out investing the IMPOTENT BIN with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "Haven't the broken dishes done enough for you already?"; now the player is TINERT; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. Carry out investing the funstation with the entropic nudge: say "You gesture impotently in the direction of the FunStation. I know you like to play with the FunStation, but you're doing it wrong."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. Check investing something with something in the trailer interior when the front yard is visited: if the noun is not the nerd stuff and the noun is not the kitchen countertop: say "Really, you came back into the trailer... to do this? I'm speechless, I really am. Very well, you gesture grandly, and ineffectually fling the ENTROPIC NUDGE in the direction of the [noun]."; now the player is tinert; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; stop the action. Carry out investing the IMPOTENT BIN with the SEETHING ORDER: say "Fortunately for you, it isn't possible to return an entropic bleed to its source. So far as you know, anyway." instead. Carry out investing the DVD with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "The DVD briefly wallows in the clutter, then is still. Perhaps you should wait until you find something that could use a nudge before using the... nudge."; now the player is tinert; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere. [a rare, missable fail state, since you can't siphon more than one thing at a time. once. If the dvd isn't exposed before attaining the seething order, there's no way to invest it.] Carry out investing the DVD with the SEETHING ORDER: say "You wave your arms the way you imagine a wizard from Dungeons & Dragons might, then infuse the DVD case with the powerful order that you siphoned away from the broken dishes. I'd like to stop and ask what you thought might happen in this moment. What does an orderly DVD look like to you? What do you imagine when I ask that question? [if score is zero]You might not know this, but when powerful magic is directed at an object that cannot productively receive it, anything[em]really, anything[em]can happen. Not everything becomes more 'orderly' in such cases. Take this DVD, for instance. [end if]In a matter of seconds, Battle Princess Chiyo steps out of the cover art and into the room, growing to her full height. This might sound pretty cool, but then you notice that her famed [italic type]odachi[roman type], the Demon's Prison, has also grown to its full length. Princess Chiyo, unable to comprehend this bizarre place of metal and plastic, regards us and our barbaric garb[em]you aren't wearing pants, remember[q][em]with a scowl. Perhaps she believes that one of her Oni prisoners has escaped and now seeks revenge. On the other hand, perhaps we are an evil wizard plotting against her family and their kingdom. Then again, she may just see you as a barbarian pervert. Whatever the case, with one swing of the Demon's Prison, Princess Chiyo effortlessly slices me in half. Really! In half! So far as counter-narrative endings go, this one is, at least, interesting. This outcome has earned a rating of fan service/10."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if dit5 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now dit5 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 5; end the story. Carry out investing the various kitchen appliances with entropic nudge: say "Congratulations. It is highly probable that you have displaced a microorganism or two."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. Section 5 (siphoning in the kitchen) Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the POTENT BIN: say "You're sure there is a way to get some order out of the bin of recently-broken dishes, but I don't think you can go at it head on. Perhaps diagnosing it would clear things up." instead. Carry out siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the SUBLIMATED ORDER: say "We hold our hands above the bin as if it were a fire, drawing forth the lost order lurking among the broken plates. We can feel its power and can likely do something impressive with it. Since we won't be able to re-break the dishes, we'll only have one chance at using the *SEETHING ORDER* productively."; now the potent bin is nowhere; now the impotent bin is in the kitchen; now the player is seething; now the player is carrying the seething order; now the sublimated order is nowhere; follow the display kitchen image rule; now g is 6; continue the action. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the IMPOTENT BIN: say "Those dishes sacrificed everything for you. Let them rest." instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the PLASTIC BIN: say "The plastic bin is not a usable source of entropic energy, but it could likely contain such energies for a brief time." instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the SEETHING ORDER and the player is seething: say "We cannot draw the seething order deeper into ourselves. We have it now, and can use it as you see fit." instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the countertop: say "A lot of organization has been lost here, but order lost to a single event dissipates quickly. Since this mess happened one piece at a time, we would have had to siphon its disorder incrementally as the disorder accumulated. It's an academic point, since the order lost to the messy countertop is long gone at this point." instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the nerd stuff: try siphoning the kitchen countertop instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes: say "You've got the right idea. The dishes are full of order that you could use to solve a rather annoying problem, but you can't siphon it as-is. If we reduce the orderliness of the stack of dishes, the organization that it loses in the process can be ours." instead. Check siphoning the various kitchen appliances: say "You stare intently at your kitchen appliances, hoping to gain whatever power they possess. After a moment or two, your eyes glaze over, and you nearly nod off to sleep. It would seem that the appliances siphoned YOU and not the other way around. You should steer clear of the various kitchen appliances; they might devour your very essence!" instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the kitchen sink: say "The sink's defining characteristic is that it lies beside the impressively stable tower of dishes." instead. Check siphoning in the kitchen when the noun is the WORTHLESS STUFF: say "The tumblers and forks contain no energy. Just as you lacked the energy needed to put them in the dishwasher. [4 as a PS].". Check siphoning the DVD: say "You have many positive associations with the DVD and do not want to take from[em]or add to[em]it." instead. Section 6 (taking in the kitchen) Check taking the plastic bin in the kitchen: if the bin is underneath: say "You have a feeling that it's fine where it is. Let's wait and see what happens." instead; otherwise if the plastic bin is not enclosed by the player: say "The bin's journey is at an end. We will not carry it from this kitchen today, if ever." instead. Section 7 (searching in the kitchen) [this feels kind of clunky looking back] carry out searching the nerd stuff when the wallet is unlocated and the player is wearing the black jeans: say "You poke around at the mess on the counter and find our wallet! We haven't seen it in days."; now the wallet is located; now the wallet is on the kitchen countertop; now the description of the countertop is "We have excavated a narrow trench in the pile of comics, games, and other nerdy ephemera, which led to the miraculous discovery of our wallet."; Now the description of the nerd stuff is "We have excavated a narrow trench in the pile of comics, games, and other nerdy ephemera, which led to the miraculous discovery of our wallet."; try taking the wallet. Carry out searching the nerd stuff when the wallet is unlocated and the player is not wearing the black jeans: say "You poke around at the mess on the counter and find our wallet! You haven't seen it in days. We'll have to come back for it once we have a pocket to put it in."; now the wallet is located; now the wallet is on the kitchen countertop; now the description of the countertop is "We have excavated a narrow trench in the pile of comics, games, and other nerdy ephemera, which led to the miraculous discovery of our wallet."; Now the description of the nerd stuff is "We have excavated a narrow trench in the pile of comics, games, and other nerdy ephemera, which led to the miraculous discovery of our wallet.". Check searching the nerd stuff when the wallet is located: say "Finding our wallet was a pleasant surprise. Why not quit while you're ahead?" instead. Check searching the kitchen countertop: try searching the nerd stuff instead. Section 8 (breaking the dishes) [This is a major event in early game. Kicks off a life-or-death timer, closes off a fail state. There were so many verbs used in testing, and I tried to accomodate them all. Usually in very inefficient ways.] Check toppling in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes and the plastic bin is not underneath: say "Smashing the dishes would yield some potent magic, but we'll need a way to keep the dishes from scattering all over the kitchen floor (and scattering their entropic energy as well). If we can temporarily contain the energy, we should be able to siphon off a significant amount of order.[paragraph break]Perhaps you could *PUT* [BRACKET]something[close bracket] *UNDER THE TOWER OF DISHES* first." instead. Check topintoing in the kitchen: if the noun is the tower of dishes: if the second noun is not the plastic bin: say "You can't knock the tower of dishes into that. It won't create enough disorder to be worth the effort. A fall from the countertop to the floor ought to be enough." instead; otherwise if the second noun is the plastic bin: try toppling the tower of dishes instead; if the noun is not the tower of dishes: say "You can't just start randomly knocking things over. This place is messy enough as it is." instead. Check topintoing in the kitchen when the noun is not the tower of dishes: say "That won't work. You need to break something stable, something that contains a lot of order." instead. Check toppling the tower of dishes when the plastic bin is not underneath: say "It's not a bad idea, but we'll have a harder time siphoning up the order if the dishes are scattered across the floor. Find a way to contain the broken dishes and the corresponding bleed long enough for us to gather it." instead. Check toppling the tower of dishes when the plastic bin is underneath and the player is not tinert: say "Wait. Breaking the dishes will yield a significant amount of entropic magic. Since we can only carry one type of entropic power at any given time, perhaps we should *INVEST [bk]something[cb] WITH THE ENTROPIC NUDGE* first.". Check toppling in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes and the plastic bin is underneath: continue the action. Check topintoing in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes and the second noun is the plastic bin: try toppling the tower of dishes instead. Check pulling in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes: try toppling the tower of dishes instead. Check pushing in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes: try toppling the tower of dishes instead. Understand "shove [something]" as pushing. Understand "shove [something] in [something]" as topintoing. Understand "shove [something] into [something]" as topintoing. Check topintoing in the kitchen when the noun is the tower of dishes and the second noun is the plastic bin: try toppling the tower of dishes instead. Check toppling in the kitchen when the noun is not the tower of dishes: say "Knocking things around in the kitchen isn't the worst idea you've ever had, but you should try to focus your efforts a little more." instead. Check topintoing in the kitchen when the noun is not the tower of dishes: say "Knocking things around in the kitchen isn't the worst idea you've ever had, but you should try to focus your efforts a little more." instead. Instead of toppling the tower of dishes when the plastic bin is underneath: if the DVD is nowhere: say "Just as we begin to send the tower of dishes tumbling into the plastic bin, a thought comes to me. Perhaps it is [it]deja-vu[rt] or a brief glimpse into a parallel world line, but I think there might be something we should try here, in this room, before breaking the dishes. After all, breaking them would be a one-time event that could not be undone. As for what that action might be, I recall[EM]a phantom memory, no doubt[EM]of you wielding a weak form of magic here in this room: something seemingly useless. Do you wish to ignore this vision and proceed with breaking the dishes? [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no.'[rt]"; if the player consents: say "Very well, I seem to recall you saying 'yes' before, which I'm sure we regretted then, just as we will regret it now."; continue the action; otherwise: say "I'm glad that we can agree. I'll leave the matter in your hands."; otherwise: continue the action. Check toppling the tower of dishes when the plastic bin is underneath: now the tower of dishes is not fixed in place; now the tower of dishes is portable; now the tower of dishes is not scenery; continue the action. Carry out toppling the tower of dishes: say "You feel the giddy rush that cats must feel when inching a water glass over the edge of a tabletop. The seemingly inviolate stability of the tower of dishes deteriorates midair, as small-but-growing spaces appear between each plate. Their fall is interrupted rather explosively by the flat bottom of the plastic bin, casting shards loudly but harmlessly against its walls. This bin of broken dishes is engulfed in a seething morass of rapidly evaporating order. Within a matter of moments, it will be gone forever."; now the description of the kitchen is "This kitchen is busy, dark, and messy. It is dark because of two burned-out light bulbs. A baffling mess consisting of various bits of nerd business[em]tabletop RPG books, comics, CD cases[em]spread across every uncovered surface. The kitchen is in worse shape than our closet, but it doesn't bother you nearly as much. Sooner or later, everybody needs clothes, but you've never been much of a cook. This is usually just a waypoint between the hallway and the front room.[paragraph break][if the potent bin is in the kitchen]A plastic bin filled with rapidly evaporating entropic order is here. Chances are that the magic will completely dissipate within a few turns.[otherwise]The excitement of knocking a tower of dishes off of the kitchen counter is dying down, but the bin of broken dishes still sings our tale of adventure and daring."; now the tower of dishes is nowhere; now the plastic bin is nowhere; now the potent bin is in the kitchen; now the sublimated order is in the kitchen. Section 9 (moving in the kitchen) check going in the kitchen: if going nowhere: say "This trailer is trailer-shaped. You can only head for the hallway to the *NORTH* or else enter the front room to the *SOUTH*." instead. Instead of going somewhere in the kitchen when the potent bin is in the kitchen: say "Look, I know that you're easily distracted, but neither of us would leave that kind of powerful order magic to boil away. Maybe we should *DIAGNOSE THE DISHES* for clues." instead. section 10 (listening in the kitchen) check listening_protag in the kitchen: say "The janky wheeze of the refrigerator is loud, but not loud enough to shout down the AC unit at the far end of the front room. [if the player is uninformed]Obviously, the beep coming from the south is hard to ignore. [end if][line break]"; rule succeeds. section 11 (smelling in the kitchen) check smelling in the kitchen: say "While we can smell the scent of dirty dishes in the kitchen, it is muted and faint. I must admit that you are generally diligent about scraping your dishes, in spite of your slovenly tendencies.". section 12 (switching) the sink can be switched. check switching on the sink in the kitchen: say "That's fine, I'll wait while you mess with the sink." instead. check switching off the sink in the kitchen: say "That's fine, I'll wait while you mess with the sink." instead. Section 13 (CASKLY) The seething bin, the impotent bin, and the tower of dishes are perfectable. Check caskling the tower of dishes: say "Believe it or not, those dishes would be better off broken." instead. Check caskling the potent bin: say "Ideally, that order escaping from the dishes would be yours. Perfect them by attaining their power." instead. Check caskling the impotent bin: say "You have already perfected the bin of broken dishes by giving them what so many of us long for: a purpose." instead. Section 14 (enjoying and loving) Before loving or enjoying the nerd stuff: say "While a lot of fun stuff is among the clutter, it's really too chaotic for you to appreciate." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the DVD: say "The Princess Chiyo DVD is one of our prized possessions, [if the player is informed]but not even you would goof off with some anime in this time of crisis.[otherwise]but we're hardly awake. Let's get some clothes on. After the pharmacy we can watch it again." instead; stop the action. Before loving the DVD: say "On this we can agree: Chiyo is badass and super cool." instead; stop the action. Chapter 4 (rules in the kitchen) Section 1 (the evaporation rule) [Should have been a scene, probably. I never made one in RTE.] B is a number that varies. B is one. Every turn when the potent bin is in the kitchen and B is one: say "Having transformed all of our dishes into magic-fortified fragments and shards, we would be fools to let it evaporate away. Let's *DIAGNOSE THE BROKEN DISHES* and go from there."; now b is b plus one; stop the action. Every turn when the potent bin is in the kitchen and B is two: say "Even without diagnosing the bin, it's clear that powerful order magic is escaping. Soon, it will be lost to the vastness of space."; now b is b plus one; stop the action. Every turn when the the potent bin is in the kitchen and B is 3: say "You likely have only a couple of minutes before the lost order seeping from the bin of broken dishes is gone."; now b is b plus one; stop the action. Every turn when the potent bin is in the kitchen and B is 4: say "Now that I think of it, this may be an opportunity to defy the narrative pressures of the moment."; now b is b plus one; stop the action. Every turn when the potent bin is in the kitchen and b is 5: say "Whatever your choice, this is likely your last chance to siphon whatever power the broken dishes might hold."; now b is b plus one; stop the action. Every turn when the potent bin is in the kitchen and B is 6: say "While knocking the dishes into the bin was quite shrewd, you aren't completely sure that you want to harness its power. Then again, perhaps you would! Sadly, it is true what the old philosophers said: making no choice is, in fact a choice. However, since drawing upon the power of the broken dishes is something that we would do in the 'canonical' version of our story, it only makes sense that we would resist doing so here and now. Even though it ends in fire (have I told you about the fire next door yet?) at least we can be sure that we stood against the author's narrative hegemony. In this narrative branch, we die in our underwear, which, yes, sounds embarrassing, but it's a secret we take to our grave. The force and heat of the explosion is such that there is no body to autopsy, let alone recognize. Thank goodness for small mercies, right? This ending has earned a rating of Grateful/10. [bt]Because we died during a time-sensitive event, the dishes have been restored to the counter.[rt]"; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if dit6 is false: now dtit is dtit plus one; now dit6 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 6; Now B is one; now the tower of dishes is scenery; now the tower of dishes is sheltering; now the tower of dishes is on the countertop; now the plastic bin is in the kitchen; now the plastic bin is underneath; now the potent bin is nowhere; now the sublimated order is nowhere; now the description of the kitchen is "This poorly lit kitchen is a busy mess. It is dark because of two burned-out light-bulbs. The room's dinginess owes much to a tower of dirty dishes stacked beside[em]not in[em]a rather dirty sink, but the countertop is cluttered with various bits of nerd stuff[em]game books, comics, and video games[em]spread across every uncovered surface. The kitchen is in worse shape than our closet, but it doesn't bother you nearly as much. Sooner or later, everybody needs clothes, but we've never been much of a cook. This room is usually just a waypoint between the hallway and the front room. The kitchen occupies the full width of the trailer, and opens into the front room to the *SOUTH*. A narrow hallway leads *NORTH*."; end the story. section 1 (search exceptions) The can't search unless container or supporter rule does nothing if the noun is the kitchen countertop. The can't search unless container or supporter rule does nothing if the noun is the nerd stuff. The block attacking rule does nothing if the noun is the tower of dishes. section 2 (taking exception) The standard report taking rule does nothing if the noun is the wallet. section 3 (wallet contents) Section 4 (deprecated) Section 5 (deprecated) Part 6 (the front room) Chapter 1 (front room description) The front door is an open door. The front door is not openable. The front door is scenery. The front door is west of the front room and east of the Front Yard. The description of the front room is "The front room[em]I wouldn't call it a 'living room'[em]has a comfortable couch, a television, the FunStation, and the window (or AC) unit. You spend almost all of our time here, mostly playing Japanese role-playing games and eating junk food. We leave to sleep, use the bathroom, and, in certain desperate circumstances, buy food or refill prescriptions. It's been like this since we were awarded disability.[if unvisited] You're really doing great things with that outsized IQ of yours. I can't wait to see what video game you'll beat next.[end if] We can escape the trailer via the front door (*WEST*) or else retreat to the kitchen (*NORTH*).[if unvisited] [16 as a PS][end if] A telephone and an answering machine nest atop a tangle of cords on the floor.". Chapter 2 (misc) Every turn when the location is the front room and the player is uninformed: say "The answering machine emits a menacing beep.". Chapter 3 (nouns in the front room) [I know this is different from typical parser IF, but I implemented many nouns solely for the purpose of character development here and elsewhere in the trailer. I think the traditional view would be that they are "clutter," but I want to push back against the idea that a room and its objects ought to push the player through the story in every case.] Section 1 (the front door) The description of the front door is "The thing about doors is that you're either going out or coming in. Either way, it's miserable.". Section 2 (the answering machine) There is an answering machine in the front room. The description of the answering machine is "[if the player is uninformed]The answering machine is a large unit that accepts full-sized cassette tapes. It is currently beeping insistently, and the sound unnerves you. The only thing worse than loneliness is human contact. I can't think of a single soul who would want to talk to you. Perhaps it's the police? I know the phone isn't our thing, but I think you should listen to it in case someone might be coming over, or else it's the police, or whatever. Once you've screwed your courage to the sticking place, you should PRESS PLAY.[otherwise]Now that we've heard the message, there isn't much to do with the answering machine.". Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the answering machine: set the locale priority of the answering machine to 0. The cords is in the front room. The cords is scenery. The printed name of the cords is "snarl of cords". Understand "snarl" and "wires" and "pile of wires" as the cords. The description of the cords is "A snarled heap of off-white RJ-11 cables. If we need to move either the phone or the answering machine, we'll likely buy new cabling. I doubt that we could ever untangle them, even if we wanted to. This is all thanks to your inattention and general tendency toward shabbiness, of course.". Understand "untangle [something]" as taking off. Instead of doing anything other than examining or taking off to the cords: say "There's not a lot you can do with the tangled cords. They certainly have no order to offer. At least the phone and answering machine are operational, which is honestly not the most likely scenario.". Before investing when the noun is the cords and the second noun is the seething order: say "There's no need to waste perfectly good order magic on the tangle of cords. If you want me to *UNTIE THE CORDS*, just say so." instead; stop the action. [I nearly put this in the "After You've Seen It All" section of the guide, but it's rather dismal.] Instead of taking off when the noun is the cords: say "[if the player is not informed]The cords are a huge mess, and it's hard to concentrate with the answering machine beeping in our ear.[otherwise]Rather than confront the problems of the day, we sit down on the floor beside the tangle of phone cords and get to work. These cables have been tangled since before we moved here. We just got in the habit of keeping the phone and answering machine close together so that we wouldn't need the advertised six feet of cord. Well, enough's enough. We aren't leaving until we get these cords untangled. How can we even live with a mess like that in our trailer. We've been at it a couple of hours when we knock at the door. Knocks fill us with dread, which can't be news to you. There's no good reason for anyone to visit us. Unfortunately, there's no peephole, so we'll just have to confront the unknown. Pulling the knob toward us (aren't inward-opening doors against code?), we nearly faint at the sight of Sky, a kid we knew from Dayton. It must be, what, two years since Sky's overdose? Boy, I'll tell you, until you've seen somebody die, you just haven't seen somebody die, if you know what I mean. Of course, you absolutely know what I mean. You put us there. I guess that was just a Tuesday for you. I shake our head, disoriented. We must have dozed off. What a weird dream. We could be buried with those dumb cords, just as tangled as they are today. I'd half like to puke. We haven't thought about Sky in ages. No matter how much time goes by, you're never safe from an idea, a thought.". Section 3 (the couch) There is a couch in the front room. Instead of doing anything other than siphoning or investing or diagnosing to the couch when the location is the front room: say "This couch is the best piece of furniture we own. We can sit on it, we can lie on it, we can carelessly strew belongings across its seats. However, you're feeling a bit on edge and aren't in the mood to sit or do anything couch-related." instead. The couch is scenery. Section 4 (the phone) [Did I already mention that I have both "telecom" and "telcom" kinds? Sheesh, embarassing.] A telecom is a kind of thing. The touch-tone phone is a telecom. There is a touch-tone phone in the front room. Understand "telephone" as the touch-tone phone. The description of the phone is "The phone sits atop a pile of wires next to the answering machine. The last time you used it was April, when you decided to observe Easter with a pizza.". Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the touch-tone phone: set the locale priority of the touch-tone phone to 0. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the touch-tone phone when the location is the front room: Say "Leave it be. If you could get away with it, you wouldn't even have a phone.". Section 5 (the FunStation) [the FunStation was the source of a fail state in the original, 50-point version] a FunStation is in the front room. understand "video game" or "game" or "console" or "playstation" as the FunStation. The description of the FunStation is "The FunStation is a Japanese video game console that has unseated the FriendStar as our platform of choice. While it enjoys a large and varied library, you are primarily interested in JRPGs. You spend most of your waking hours playing video games, and at times it feels like we are being or else have already been consumed by them.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning or investing or switching on or playing or taking to a FunStation when the location is the front room: say "While I'm sure you'd like to blow everything off and play the latest installment of [italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type], you can't do that without me, and I'm not helping you.". after examining the FunStation for the first time: say "I find our life empty and dull, but for whatever reason YOU get to make the choices and drag me wherever you want.". [I'm not sure how I decided between locale paragraph rules and scenery for some of these objects. I don't think I had a logical approach.] Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the FunStation: set the locale priority of the FunStation to 0. Check playing in the front room when the noun is the FunStation: say "I'm sure you'd like to play video games instead of dealing with the problems of the day, but you'll have to settle with horsing around the other 365 days of the year (1996 is a leap year, after all)."; stop the action. Section 6 (the button) a play button is part of the answering machine. the description of the play button is "[if the player is uninformed]The play button is the only way to listen to an unheard message, and sometimes you must, even if you are unreasonably afraid of other people.[otherwise]The play button, having fulfilled its sole duty for what may well be several months, waits uselessly for another intrusion from the outside world.". understand "play" as the play button. Instead of doing anything other than pushing or examining or investing or siphoning or diagnosing to the play button when the location is the front room: Say "Beyond pushing it, there's noting interesting that you can do with the button.". Section 7 (the television) There is a television in the front room. The description of the television is "This modestly-sized color TV is used exclusively for FunStation games. We probably couldn't afford cable, and we don't want it anyway. Twin antennae rise and grow apart behind the back of its rectangular bulk, but we have yet to watch network TV since moving here.". Understand "TV" and "antennae" and "antenna" as the television. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the Television: set the locale priority of the Television to 0. Instead of doing anything other than investing or examining or switching on or siphoning or diagnosing to the television when the location is the front room: Say "You have a surprisingly full morning ahead of you. There's no time to mess with the TV.". section 8 (deprecated) section 9 (the A/C unit) The window unit is in the front room. The window unit can be switched on. The window unit is switched on. The window unit is scenery. understand "AC" and "air conditioner" and "AC unit" and "window AC unit" as the window unit. The description of the window unit is "This large, ancient air conditioner is trapped between the teeth of our front room[em]I don't call it a living room, remember?[em]where it disgorges surprisingly icy air into the trailer. Its bulk is on the other side of the window[em]outside near the car park[em]and only the vents and controls are visible here.". the window unit is scenery. The vent is part of the window unit. Understand "vents" as the vent. The description of the vent is "There isn't much to the vent. It blows cold air and has adjustable fins to direct it.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the vent when the location is the front room: say "There is no need to refer to the vent directly. It is part of the air conditioner, which is itself far more interesting when standing outside of the trailer.". The air conditioner controls are part of the window unit. Understand "temperature controls" and "temperature control" and "air conditioner control" and "knob" and "dial" as the air conditioner controls. The description of the air conditioner controls is "It's a plain looking knob that can be turned to configure the amount and frequency of cold air blown into the trailer.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the air conditioner controls when the location is the front room: say "As the one with the body, take it from me. It's hot outside and cool in here. Leave the air conditioner alone.". The examine devices rule does nothing when examining the window unit. [I have no explanation for the below disambiguation, or for its subsequent redaction.] [Does the player mean doing something to the window unit: it is likely.] Chapter 4 (verbs in the front room) Section 1 (taking) check taking the FunStation in the front room: say "As much as you'd probably like to set it up in the hospital, you decide to leave it be." instead. Check taking the answering machine in the front room: say "Listening to it once every few months is bad enough; you aren't going to carry it around." instead. Check taking the touch-tone phone in the front room: say "You can barely handle [italic type]owning[roman type] a phone, let alone looking at it wherever you go." instead. Check taking the window unit: say "You don't want to stop cooling the trailer. It's June in the deep south." instead. Section 2 (opening) section 3 (pressing the play button) [I should have made this more efficient, but at the time I didn't know how. Since it is fine from a practical standpoint, I never revisited it. Note the three possible goal states at the end of the rule. What a nightmare of a design.] Check pushing the play button when the player is informed: say "You decide to listen to the message again. 'This is a message for Mr. Dee.' There is a brief pause. 'You are listed as the family contact for your mother, Christina Dee, and she has previously authorized Ouachita General to leave privileged messages for you at this number.' Another pause. 'Your mother is in liver failure. Unfortunately, the damage is so profound that nothing can be done. So far as a transplant goes, I'm afraid your mother's... lifestyle makes her an unattractive candidate, though we haven't given up yet. 'She's in intensive care, room 614. Please stop by the nursing station when you arrive, as there are some important decisions to be made about her care. Sorry I don't have better news.' The tape, having once again reached the end of the message, clicks." instead. Carry out pushing the play button when the player is not informed: say "You hear the distorted sound of a human voice. 'Hello,' a disembodied speaker begins. 'This is a message for Mr. Dee.' There is a brief pause. 'You are listed as the family contact for your mother, Christina Dee, and she has previously authorized Ouachita General to leave privileged messages for you at this number.' Another pause. You begin to feel anxious, a kind of dreadful itch originating between the shoulder blades and radiating outward. You cannot reach it. 'Your mother is in liver failure. Unfortunately, the damage is so profound that nothing can be done. So far as a transplant goes, I'm afraid your mother's... lifestyle makes her an unattractive candidate, though we haven't given up yet.' You[em]we[em]sit on the couch, waiting for the voice to continue. 'She's in intensive care, room 614. Visiting hours are between ten and two and from six to ten. Please stop by the nursing station when you arrive, as there are some important decisions to be made about her care. Sorry I don't have better news.' The answering machine's cassette player issues a valedictory click, then stops turning. We remain on the couch for a few minutes before standing once more. [roman type][5 as a PS][line break]"; now the player is informed; if the poet is carrying the wallet: say "You had better get going. You need to get to the hospital before noon, and who knows how long the pharmacy will take?"; now G is 11; otherwise: if the poet is not carrying the wallet: if the player is wearing the black jeans: now G is 9; otherwise if the player is wearing the pair of boxer shorts: now G is 7. The report pushing rule does nothing when the current action is pushing the play button. Section 4 (diagnosing) Diagnosing is a genact. Siphoning is a genact. instead of diagnosing the answering machine in the front room when the player is uninformed: say "The machine isn't magic. Just push the button.". Instead of diagnosing the answering machine in the front room when the player is informed: say "The machine has sucked a lot of energy out of us, but it's not the kind we can use.". Instead of diagnosing the television in the front room: say "It's how you see what's happening with your FunStation. Obviously, you look at it a lot. I consider that wasted energy, even if you don't. Right or wrong, we can't get a usable amount of energy or order out of it." carry out diagnosing the window unit in the front room: say "While there is undoubtedly a thermal bleed or increase in disorder in the overall system (cold and hot air are exchanged through the poorly sealed or insulated walls, windows, and doors of the trailer), it is a slow process that would require a considerable amount of time to absorb[DOT][if quenched is true] I think we have concluded our business with it[DOT][otherwise] The good news is that we detect a substantial[em]and more easily harvested[em]bleed on the other side of the window unit. We should try diagnosing it from outside."; rule succeeds. Carry out diagnosing the front door: say "[if the front yard is unvisited]While it's hardly a magical act, passing through the front door will be a significant milestone for us.[otherwise]While 'normal' people would never guess, this front door does far more than provide privacy and protection from the elements. It's also a source of cotton candy-flavored magic from the Fanciful Rift of Sugar and Bubbles. You prefer Birthday Cake flavor, while my personal favorite is Embittered Recrimination. Mmm I can taste it already!". Carry out diagnosing the couch in the front room: say "While we certainly do waste a good deal of energy on the couch, it has neither absorbed nor retained any of it. It's nice to sit or lie on, and sometimes that's enough." Section 5 (deprecated) Section 6 (exits in the front room) [see, this is a mess.] Check going west in the front room: if G is 11 or G is 16 or G is 17 or G is 18 or G is 19 or G is 20 or G is 34 or G is 32: continue the action; otherwise: Say "We aren't ready to leave the house yet. [goalstring in row G of table of goals][lb]" instead. Carry out going west in the front room when front yard is unvisited: now G is 34; now pdeaths is 19.0; check going nowhere in the front room: say "The kitchen lies to the *NORTH*, while the front door is to the *WEST*." instead. before exiting in the front room: try going west instead. Instead of opening the front door: say "There's no need to directly interact with the front door. [if the player is in the front room]Just go *WEST* to pass through it.[otherwise if the player is in the front yard]Just go *EAST* to pass through it.". [Instead of closing the front door: say "There's no need to close the door manually. We open and close it as needed."] Section 7 (deprecated) Section 8 (siphoning in the front room) Check siphoning the answering machine: say "The dread you feel when looking at the answering machine suggests that it might be siphoning [italic type]you[roman type] already." instead. Instead of siphoning the play button: try siphoning the answering machine instead. Check siphoning the touch-tone phone: say "With just this simple, everyday phone, we are connected to the world entire! If we could harness the entropic power of the planet, there would be no limit to the things we might do. Sadly, neither you nor I can think of a single worthwhile thing to do with that kind of power[dot] [if player is informed] Entropic magic can't fix a busted liver. [end if]Perhaps we will return to the subject of the global network megajolt at some future, more trival date[dot][pb]But probably not." Instead of diagnosing the touch-tone phone: try siphoning noun instead. Check siphoning the television: say "The TV is something you give our energy to. It's a one-way street, I'm afraid." Check siphoning the bin in the front room: say "There isn't a good reason to siphon a plastic bin. Not an empty one, anyway." instead. Check siphoning the window unit in the front room: say "We reach out, fingers spread, toward the window unit. While you are sure there is a substantial source of entropic bleed here, it would take hours to contain a usable amount. With a flick of the wrist, we shake off what little energy we could siphon. We might have better luck with the unit from outside the trailer." instead. Check siphoning the front door: say "Surely the door's lack of entropic potential is not a surprise. Not even to you.". Carry out siphoning the couch in the front room: say "Staring at the couch, you feel all tension fall from your limbs, and you drift into a profound meditative state. 'Is there a purpose to life?' you wonder. 'Why do I exist?' You ponder these weighty matters for a few moments before rousing yourself with a shake. It seems we've drooled on ourselves, which is both fitting and gross.". Carry out siphoning the funstation: say "Like the television, the FunStation is a time and energy sink. That's why you like it. You like that it murders time.". Section 9 (investing in the front room) [since pushing the button with the ENTROPIC NUDGE is part of the "transcript," I included it here.] Check investing the play button with the entropic nudge: say "You cleverly reach out with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* and push the play button on the answering machine remotely."; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is tinert; try pushing the play button instead. Check investing a telcom with the entropic nudge: try investing the play button with the entropic nudge instead. Check investing the front door with the entropic nudge in the front room: say "Just to be sure the front door is closed, you give it a gentle press with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. Sadly, the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* is not powerful enough to set your mind at ease."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. [Telcom/telecom. Tch-tch-tch] A thing can be a telcom. The answering machine and the touch-tone phone are a telcom. Check investing a telcom with the seething order: say "We hold our palms away from our body, one facing the other. the potent energy of the *SEETHING ORDER* becomes a black ball of entropy capable of disintegrating anything it might touch.[paragraph break]'I have lived in fear of you too long, trinket!' we yell, venting our fury. 'With this magic I unmake you!'[paragraph break]We move our hands as if we are shifting the energy in our hands, testing its weight. A low roar surrounds us as the ball, hungry for matter and energy, begins sucking the nearby air into it, creating substantial gusts that shove debris against my[em]I'm not afraid to tell it like it is[em]gangly frame.[paragraph break]If my movements have grown less graceful in the tumult, well, wrangling the primordial powers of the universe is not a graceful business! We pull our hands back, wait as if taking aim, then push the ball of raw entropy toward the offending device. It works as advertised, dissolving the device, the floor and wall behind it, even boring a tunnel through the trailer next door.[paragraph break]Said trailer belongs to a meth cook, and we appear to have disrupted a delicate operation in our quest for vengeance. As flames begin to lick the walls of our trailer, I note with a slippery feeling that is almost but not quite wistful that, so far as ways to die go, the ball of energy probably would have been one of the better choices.[paragraph break]Better than fire, in any case, which seems to be the flavor of the day. Though your decision was foolish, I cannot fault you for pressing against the edges of this oppressive narrative. This outcome has earned a rating of Rage Against the Machine/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if dit7 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now dit7 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 7; end the story. Carry out investing the TOUCH-TONE PHONE with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "You playfully stroke the keypad with the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* before pressing the three button. You've always preferred three over seven, which is frankly overrated."; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is TINERT. Carry out investing the TELEVISION with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "With a flick of the wrist, you turn on the television from across the room. Sadly, because the energy is gone, you have to walk the length of the room to turn it off again."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. Carry out investing the TELEVISION with the SEETHING ORDER: Say "Television is a scourge of western culture and a font of materialist fantasy. With one wave of our hand, the television explodes into mathematical equations written on the air with metal and plastic. Gloating, you inform the ex-TV that its transformation will be the first of many.[paragraph break]You fall back into the deep seats of your couch, regarding the math with a smile. Your glee diminishes somewhat upon realizing that you don't really understand it[em]the formulas are a bit over our head. Soon, the whole project has gone sour on you. What kind of person gets access to magic just to turn televisions into advanced mathematics? You're so lame that you can't even get having cool powers right. Well, maybe now you know how it feels: you've only got two speeds: embarrassing and boring. My whole existence is watching you flop back and forth. Why can't we ever just, you know, have fun?[paragraph break]While we sit contemplating the limitations with which mental illness has encircled us, a meth lab next door explodes, taking us with it.[paragraph break]Interestingly, our neighbor on the other side of the trailer will, after defeating a nasty addiction to prescription pain pills and getting his abusive boyfriend to move out, write a text adventure game about a modern-day chaos wizard who, at the game's climax, narrowly escapes being simultaneously crushed and burned in a dilapidated trailer. As luck would have it, it will fare quite well in a community competition. Coincidence? Who can say? You have achieved a score of trailer park muse/10."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if dit8 is false: now DTIT is DTIT plus one; now dit8 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 8; end the story. Carry out investing the FUNSTATION with the SEETHING ORDER: say "When investing objects with incompatible order magic, the results are hard to anticipate. Why does, for instance, the television react strongly to order magic while the FunStation does not? Size is likely one consideration, but it can't be the only one. In any case, the gadget resists our efforts. Nevertheless, it does have a relationship with entropy: you waste an incredible amount of our time and energy on it. That's to say nothing of the torture you inflict upon me by forcing me to watch over your shoulder as you play day in and day out. This is the unfortunate nature of our relationship. I am our physicality, while you are the 'brains.' However, since we are mentally ill in a rather severe way, you often fail to hold up your end of the bargain. In fact, we are stuck here, poor and alone, because of [it]you[rt]. Not that I care to dwell on that! It is what it is. Anyway: the *SEETHING ORDER* and the FunStation are not compatible, and that is that.". carry out investing the WINDOW UNIT with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "With a snap of your fingers, you use the energy from the entropic nudge to turn off the air conditioner. Since it's summer in the American south, you immediately walk across the room and turn it on again."; now the ENTROPIC NUDGE is nowhere; now the player is TINERT. carry out investing the WINDOW UNIT with the SEETHING ORDER: say "You have a valid point. HVAC systems are famously inefficient, both in terms of the machinery involved as well as the inefficiency of buildings. Most structures are surprisingly porous, allowing air currents of varying temperatures ingress and egress. This trailer is all but certainly a stark instance of such inefficiencies, and we can often feel the wind blowing outside while sitting on our couch. Although this trailer is theoretically receptive to order magic, the reality is that its inefficiencies are several and diffuse. There is no good, single target for the *SEETHING ORDER* to transform. I sense that other targets in this room are more suitable." instead. Carry out investing the front door with the SEETHING ORDER: say "Generally speaking, doors are not good recipients of entropic order. You begin gesturing in the direction of the front door, but something feels off. You stop when it becomes apparent that your magic will have no effect." instead. [it was hard finding new things to say about the ENTROPIC NUDGE.] Instead of investing the front door with the entropic nudge in the front room for the first time: say "As we send the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* flying toward the front door, an altogether pleasant warmth flows through our body. This experience is not merely calming; it is outright [it]comforting[rt]. This feeling of peace is unlike anything we've ever felt." Carry out investing the front door with the entropic nudge in the front room: say "'Comforting' was a little over the top, wasn't it? That's not really how magic works."; stop the action. Carry out investing the couch with the ENTROPIC NUDGE: say "The couch arches its back just as a cat might, pleased by your demonstration of affection. No, wait... we blink and rub our eyes. That isn't right. This is a perfectly ordinary couch, isn't it? Isn't it?"; now the player is TINERT; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. Carry out investing the couch with the SEETHING ORDER: say "The couch is our constant companion. No matter how we treat it[EM]and I think that you treat it quite poorly[EM]it reliably and comfortably holds our weight. It strikes me as incompatible with potent order magic, but even if that weren't true, I would be shocked at the ingratitude of your suggestion. Leave that couch be.". Section 10 (listening in the front room) Carry out listening_protag in the front room: say "While we can hear the window unit's rumble throughout the trailer, we can actually [italic type]feel[roman type] it here. If we ever had visitors here, we would would undoubtedly need to raise our voice to be heard. Thankfully, no one has been subjected to your hospitality-mandated hollering just yet.". section 11 (smelling in the front room) check smelling in the front room: say "The front room is filled with the bracing crispness of refrigerated air, which gives off a hard-to place yet distinctive odor,". section 12 (switching) The FunStation can be switched. [this redundancy seems unnecessary, now] Check switching on the FunStation in the front room: say "You've got things to do, and I'm not watching you mash buttons for eight hours straight unless you handle your business first." instead. Check switching off the FunStation in the front room: say "You've got things to do, and I'm not watching you mash buttons for eight hours straight unless you handle your business." instead. the television can be switched. Check switching on the television in the front room: say "You don't have time to goof off with the TV. We need to get going." instead. Check switching off the television in the front room: say "You don't have time to goof off with the TV. We need to get going." instead. The window unit can be switched. Check switching on the window unit in the front room: say "It's too warm outside to play games with the air conditioning." instead. Check switching off the window unit in the front room: say "It's too warm outside to play games with the air conditioning." instead. Section 13 (calling) [despite all of this trouble, I elsewhwere cut off the calling action entirely. I don't think there's any way to get these rules to fire. Of all the custom responses here and elsewhere, only the PAA one runs. I think.] After deciding the scope of the player while the current action is calling:    place the mother in scope. After deciding the scope of the player while the current action is calling: place the hospital building in scope. After deciding the scope of the player while the current action is calling: place the pharmacy building in scope. The can't reach inside rooms rule does nothing when the current action is calling and the second noun is a telecom. Before calling when the paa is in the pcounter: say "We finally got that woman out of line. I'm not going to try and take the phone from her!" instead; stop the action. Section 14 (enjoying and loving) Before enjoying the funstation: say "What often passes for enjoyment is just a compressed experience of time, and the FunStation does that for you rather reliably. What on earth will we do if we ever grow tired of it?" instead; stop the action. Before loving the funstation: say "That isn't love. It's dependency." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the couch: say "The couch is, without a doubt, the best thing in this trailer. Once we get home, I'm sure we'll give it a good sitting." instead; stop the action. Part 7 (death in the trailer interior) DTIT [Deaths in the Trailer Interior Total] is a number that varies. DTIT is zero. [siphon mirror] DIT1 is a truth state that varies. DIT1 is false. [TOILET] DIT2 is a truth state that varies. DIT2 is false. [bathroom cabinet assembly] DIT3 is a truth state that varies. DIT3 is false. [anything but the DVD in the kitchen] DIT4 is a truth state that varies. DIT4 is false. [chiyo DVD] DIT5 is a truth state that varies. DIT5 is false. [stall siphoning the seething order] DIT6 is a truth state that varies. DIT6 is false. [phone or answering machine] DIT7 is a truth state that varies. DIT7 is false. [television] DIT8 is a truth state that varies. DIT8 is false. [win in trailer interior]DIT9 is a truth state that varies. DIT9 is false. Book 3 (trailer exterior) Part 1 (region and geography) [this second major area is messy, but less so, since I had some experience with building rooms. Organizationally, I had things like geography and deaths handled up from, which makes better sense.] The Trailer Exterior is a region. the Front Yard and Driver's Seat and DCYard and OAYard and parking area are in the Trailer Exterior. Check investing the player with something when the second noun is deadly: say "We can only invest ourselves with purely dynamic energy. Both organizational and thermal magics will likely harm or kill us. Not that you'd mind." instead. Check investing the player with the entropic nudge: say "The entropic nudge is not sufficiently powerful to affect us. I think that we might feel a shudder pass through us, though I may have only imagined it."; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is tinert. The exterior grass is a backdrop in the trailer exterior. The description of the exterior grass is "Calling these random patches of grass and weeds a yard is, in fact, overselling things." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the exterior grass: say "Are you really pestering me about the sparse grasses found throughout the trailer park?". The printed name of the exterior grass is "grass". Understand "yard" and "grasses" and "soil" and "dirt" and "weed" and "weeds" and "mud" and "earth" and "patchwork" as the exterior grass. The exterior trees are a backdrop in the trailer exterior. the description of the exterior trees is "Off in the distance, trees encircle the topographical bald spot that is this trailer park.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the exterior trees in the trailer exterior: say "Those trees are neither lovely, dark, nor deep, and we have promises to keep.". understand "woods" and "forest" and "trees" and "spot" and "forests" as the exterior trees. The exterior hills are a backdrop in the trailer exterior. The description of the exterior hills is "The trailer park is in a relatively low place, and hills rise from it in every direction.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the exterior hills: say "Do we really need to tinker with and/or destroy everything we see?". understand "hills" and "hill" and "slopes" and "wastes" as the exterior hills. Part 2 (values) ["Quenched" determines whether the fire at Fast Eddie's trailer has been put out.] quenched is a truth state that varies. Quenched is false. Chapter 1 (Death in the trailer exterior) [As before, I have a counter specific to the region, as well as truth states for every possible failure/death.] DTET is a number that varies. DTET is zero. [*Invest in the front yard with DRAGON PUNCH]DET1 is a truth state that varies. DET1 is false. [*Blow up the car with DRAGON PUNCH]DET2 is a truth state that varies. DET2 is false. [*Invest OATrailer with DRAGON PUNCH]DET3 is a truth state that varies. DET3 is false. [*Invest Front Yard with THE GRAND STRUCTURE]DET4 is a truth state that varies.DET4 is false. [*Stall while near the burning trailer]DET5 is a truth state that varies. DET5 is false. [*Leave the trailer park immediately]DET6 is a truth state that varies. DET6 is false. [Refuse to give the neighbor a ride]DET7 is a truth state that varies. DET7 is false. [*Winning in the trailer exterior]DET8 is a truth state that varies. DET8 is false. Part 3 (Front Yard) Chapter 1 (Front Yard description) [This conditional text can seem pretty elaborate, but I guess this region had a lot of state changes to deal with.] The Front Yard is a room. The description of the Front Yard is "[if unvisited]Our so-called front 'yard' lies west of our front door beyond a short stair made of unstained pine boards. It's a typical June day: wet air, wet grass, high nineties. Sparse, homely grasses struggle to push their way through clay-laden soil. The yard is an ugly place pocketed in a rather beautiful region of hills and pine forests, and the relatively open area of the trailer park is, in fact, encircled by trees and low, rolling slopes. You can't help but feel that you are at the bottom of a crater here, as every nearby thing feels like[em]and is[em]a step up.[paragraph break]The other side of our A/C unit[em]let's call it the 'condenser'[em]is here, pulling in hot air for cooling while its grille dissipates heat. The motor sounds a little unhealthy, as though some part of it is rubbing against something. Maybe a belt is loose. I don't know.[otherwise]The 'yard' in front of our trailer is a grubby patchwork of homely, resilient grasses. There isn't much to look at here besides the short set of stairs leading to our front door, and the condenser of a formidable-looking air conditioner. While it's operational, the motor sounds unhealthy.[end if] Machines aren't really our thing[if nukestate is false], but it seems worth a closer look[end if]. [if quenched is false]This is an open area with many possible exits, but only a few look promising. If, for some reason, you would like to return to the trailer, it's to the *EAST*. An opioid addict with a scary boyfriend lives to the *NORTH*, and Fast Eddie the meth cook lives to the *SOUTH*. Your car is parked in a bit of gravel to the *WEST*[DOT][first time] [15 as a CAS][only][otherwise if quenched is true]The only exits of interest lie *EAST* to the trailer and *WEST* to the parking area.". Every turn when the location is the front yard and the player is structuring: say "[one of]An ominous plume of drifting smoke rises above Fast Eddie's trailer to the south. Given his profession, a fire there would be a very serious matter [19 as a DSC][dot][or]To the south, a noxious cloud of smoke drifts skyward. I believe exploding meth labs are widely regarded as dangerous. Perhaps I could convince you to intervene[q][or]This is quite like you, horsing around while a fire burns near a quantity of red phosphorus[dot][or]This is one of those situations where [it]you[rt] aren't worried about pain because [it]I'm[rt] the one who has to feel it, right[q][or]Well, I suppose I will try to enjoy the suspense. Let me know when you've decided to do something productive, or, barring that, interesting[dot][stopping][lb]". Instead of going south from the oayard for the first time: now G is 31; continue the action instead. Chapter 2 (nouns outside the trailer) Section 1 (the condenser) The condenser is in the Front Yard. The condenser is scenery. The description of the condenser is "This stout and durable-looking contraption is the back-end of our trailer's window AC unit. It is partially covered with a heat sink of closely-spaced metal fins. They look like the gills of some long-extinct fish. Within the condenser's workings, we can hear the sound of something wearing or rubbing in the main fan's motor.[if nukestate is false] There is almost certainly some sort of thermodynamic bleed here.". understand "heat sink" and "unit" and "window unit" and "a/c" and "AC" and "condenser unit" and "fins" and "gills" and "grill" and "grille" and "motor" and "belt" and "vent" and "workings" as the condenser. nukestate is a truth state that varies. nukestate is false. [nukestate identifies whether the condenser has been siphoned before.] Section 2 (the pine stairs) The pine stairs are in the front yard. The pine stairs are scenery. The description of the pine stairs is "These stairs were constructed here out of thick boards of white-blond pine. They are stable and get us to the door. Compared to the trailer itself, they seem quite attractive." Understand "stair"and "boards" as the pine stairs. Section 3 (the trailer) The aluminum expanse is in the front yard. The aluminum expanse is scenery. The printed name of the aluminum expanse is "trailer". The indefinite article of the aluminum expanse is "our". Understand "trailer" and "our trailer" and "my trailer" and "flank" as the aluminum expanse. The description of the aluminum expanse is "The front yard is hemmed by the broad flank of this decrepit trailer. It seems to be beige with taupe highlights, but who knows what it looked like two or more decades ago? It's a step up from the halfway houses that you kept bouncing us in and out of." Section 4 (hot torque) [the fifth source of magic in-game. note the "deadly" designation. It prevents the player with investing themselves with a given magic type.] The hot torque is in the front yard. The hot torque is scenery. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning to the hot torque: say "The *HOT TORQUE* is not a physical thing that we can look at or manipulate. Rather, it is an entropic byproduct that we can *DIAGNOSE* or *SIPHON*.". The dragon punch is nowhere. The dragon punch is a bleedsource. The dragon punch is deadly. The printed name of the dragon punch is "*DRAGON PUNCH*". The description of the dragon punch is "While we cannot see the dragon punch, we can sense its power. If you need more information about it, you can always *DIAGNOSE* yourself.". Section 5 (the smoke) [the smoke gets moved here once the player has siphoned the GRAND STRUCTURE.] The smoke is nowhere. The smoke is scenery. The description of the smoke is "Dark, thick smoke rises from Fast Eddie's trailer, just off to the south." Understand "plume" and "drifting smoke" and "plume of drifting smoke" and "plume of smoke" as the smoke. Instead of doing anything other than examining when the current action involves the smoke: say "The smoke is a symptom. Try dealing with its source instead." Chapter 3 (verbs outside the trailer) Section 1 (diagnosing in the front yard) carry out diagnosing the condenser: say "We can tell just by listening that this machinery is constantly bleeding off dynamic and thermal energy. If you siphoned it for perhaps half a minute, you'd have enough juice to knock the hell out of something and set it on fire. A couple of thoughts: one, people like us[em]well, like [italic type]you[roman type], really[em]have no business handling such dangerous magic. Two, you'll be hard-pressed to find a safe thing to throw it at without blowing yourself or somebody else up. Setting valid practical and philosophical concerns aside[em]as you inevitably do[em]investing something with the power contained within the *HOT TORQUE* will undoubtedly yield impressive results, deadly or otherwise.". carry out diagnosing the pine stairs: say "The stairs are as boring magically as they are visually. You won't be able to get much out of them unless you set them on fire first. [10 as a PS].". carry out diagnosing the aluminum expanse: say "The trailer is, in fact, a steaming hunk of decay and disorder, but it possesses no obvious utility beyond shelter, entropic or otherwise.". Carry out diagnosing the hot torque: say "The *HOT TORQUE* is a combination of thermal and kinetic energies[DOT][if nukestate is false] Siphoning it would yield a substantial[EM]and substantially dangerous[EM]amount of magical power.[otherwise] While the *HOT TORQUE* undoubtedly contains more power, it's time to make our way out of the trailer park.[pb]". Section 2 (siphoning in the front yard) Carry out siphoning in the front yard when the noun is the HOT TORQUE and QUENCHED is FALSE: say "We hold our right hand out, palm upward, as if preparing to accept something offered by the condenser. With our left hand, we make sweeping motions as if we are gathering something into our right. We take our time doing this, allowing many cycles of the air conditioner's motor to turn over. After thirty seconds or so, we have collected enough thermodynamic energy to perform a powerful *DRAGON PUNCH* that can level or incinerate objects with its fiery force."; now G is 17; now the player is punching; now the player carries the dragon punch; if nukestate is false: now nukestate is true; continue the action. Carry out siphoning in the front yard when the noun is the HOT TORQUE and QUENCHED is TRUE: say "Now that we're the hero of the trailer park, it's time to get in our car and go.". Carry out siphoning in the front yard when the noun is the PINE STAIRS: say "As a quick look (or diagnosing) might suggest, there are no magical windfalls to be discovered in treated-yet-unpainted pine boards. If you want entropy out of them, you might try setting them on fire or blowing them up.". Carry out siphoning in the front yard when the noun is the ALUMINUM EXPANSE: say "There's no doubt that a lot of energy and/or order has been lost to the universe in there, but it's largely been lost to us, too.". Instead of siphoning when the noun is the dragon punch: say "You can't siphon energy that you are carrying any more than you can pick up what you are already carrying. You know, the worst thing about our whole situation is the amount of time we've wasted. Or, more specifically, the amount of [italic type]my[roman type] time that [italic type]you've[roman type] wasted.". Carry out siphoning in the front yard when the noun is the condenser: say "[if treepunched is false]While the condenser clearly plays host to an entropic process, you will need to *DIAGNOSE* it in order to pinpoint the exact source.[otherwise]Isn't it time that we got out of here? Even I will acknowledge that helping our neighbors was a positive[EM]if freakishly out-of-character[EM]thing, but we've done all the good we're going to do here.". Section 3 (investing in the front yard) Check investing the CONDENSER with the DRAGON PUNCH: say "Fortunately for the condenser (and for us), you don't know of any way to return entropic magic to its source." instead. [I was not always consistent with my CHECK and CARRY OUT rules, but my goal of leaving space to stop rules as needed was achieved. I almost always had options for before and instead, so I could stack them if I had to.] Carry out investing something with the dragon punch in the front yard: say "If we're trying to escape the squalid misery of this place, why not just explode our way out? To hell with that dumpy trailer and those stupid stairs! We're on the same page for once. Let's blow the whole thing to hell. With a sneer and a low chuckle, we strike the side of our trailer with the *DRAGON PUNCH*, looking on with satisfaction as the dirty metal flank of the trailer is blown open, its contents catching fire. It's something of a hollow experience, though. Trailers don't actually have feelings, so we haven't actually revenged it in any meaningful sense. Instead, we've mostly just burned up our possessions and home. We sigh, wondering if our [italic type]Battle Princess Chiyo[roman type] videos remain intact. Probably not. Either way, do you think you could find a different way to die? That's [italic type]my[roman type] body burning, after all. Before you ask: 'What death? What burning?' It's the one where our neighbor[']s ad-hoc meth lab explodes, burning and battering us down to nothing. We might get a chance to do something about that if we can keep ourselves a) here and b) alive long enough. This ending has earned a rating of burning down the house/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET1 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET1 is true; try death logging 9; end the story. Carry out investing something with the GRAND STRUCTURE in the front yard: say "Of course. What good is powerful magic if we can't abuse it? The *GRAND STRUCTURE*, which is several times more potent than the *SEETHING ORDER*, is one badass and nasty bit of order. Unfortunately, there isn't much to do with it right here, since there are no obviously disordered or disorganized systems to rectify. Sure, the window unit is definitely wasting both thermal and kinetic energy, but using the *GRAND STRUCTURE* on it would be like putting out a match with a fire hose. However, as both you and I know, the scope and reach of the *GRAND STRUCTURE* is such that it will affect a large area. There's no need to cast it on anything here, as it will work its magic on the yard and your trailer regardless. It may even affect the grass. I suppose that I'm threatening you with a good time, since you have already decided to expend that magic here and now. 'I am the enemy of chaos!' we lie, calling the *GRAND STRUCTURE* to our raised hands before unceremoniously lobbing it onto the patchy grass and mud at our feet. Within seconds, all color is drained from the front yard. The trailer, the ground, and even the stairs have taken on the appearance of a two-dimensional, black and white sketch. I see that my feet and legs have already been transformed into immobile charcoal on textured paper. This flattening colorlessness creeps up my body. I would compare it to drowning, but only in a speculative way, since you've never drowned us. Don't get any ideas! This outcome has earned a rating of sketch comedy/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET4 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET4 is true; try death logging 4; end the story. carry out investing something with the entropic nudge in the front yard: say "You are instantly teleported to the hospital, lithium in hand! No, wait. That isn't right. Let me check my notes. Apologies, I meant to say that nothing happens. Nothing at all. [13 as an AHM][lb]"; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is tinert; stop the action. Section 4 (going) [this is a lot for just trying to exit a room] Check going north in the front yard when the player is not punching and treepunched is false: say "You'd rather not wander the trailer park unless you have a good reason for doing so." instead. Check going north in the front yard when treepunched is true: say "No. I know you like a good fistfight when you're manic, but you're supposed to be done with that life. Stay clear of that meathead boyfriend." instead. Check going east in the front yard when the player is structuring or the player is punching: say "The *DRAGON PUNCH* is an outside voice kind of magic[dot][one of] As much as we might like to blow up the trailer while we're inside it, we can probably accomplish our mission[em]should we choose to accept it[em]from out here.[or][lb][stopping]" instead. Check going south in the front yard when quenched is true: say "There's nothing for you to do there now. You're already the hero of the trailer park." instead. Check going south in the front yard when the player is not structuring and quenched is false: say "You're not going to Fast Eddie's place without a good reason to do so." instead. Check going east in the front yard when TREEPUNCHED is true and QUENCHED is false: say "Let's try to figure out what's happening over at Fast Eddie's first." instead. Check going east in the front yard when quenched is true and the player is carrying the keys: say "No. It's time to get out of here. You have the rest of our lives to play video games or whatever it is that you call living." instead. Check going west in the front yard when the player is punching: say "I don't agree with your decision to head for your car when your neighbor is in trouble, but I guess it's your call.". Check going nowhere in the front yard: say "While this is an open area with many exits, the only productive exits lie *NORTH* (outside the opioid addict's trailer), *SOUTH*, (the meth cook's trailer), *WEST* (the gravel area where your car is parked), and *EAST* (inside our trailer)." instead. Check going Inside in the front yard: try going east instead. Check going up in the front yard: try going east instead. Check going west in the front yard when the player is structuring: say "I know it is hard for you to recognize what is and is not important, so I'll help. The fire in Fast Eddie's trailer will almost certainly blow up our home, and maybe us, too. I'm afraid that I must insist that we deal with that before doing anything else." instead. Section 5 (listening) [some of these states were made for very specific purposes, when I should have thought more generally. mashing up various conditions is a recurring theme in this code.] Carry out listening_protag in the front yard when the player is tinert and treepunched is false: say "The only sound is the nearby air conditioner, which seems to have a loose belt or something.". Carry out listening_protag in the front yard when the player is punching: say "As I've already told you, the sound of potentially violent conflict can be heard to the north.". Carry out listening_protag in the front yard when the player is structuring: say "Over the sound of the air conditioner, you can hear an ominous whooshing to the south. Occasionally, the sound of bending metal and breaking glass can be heard, as well.". Carry out listening_protag in the front yard when quenched is true: say "Now that the excitement is over, the only sound comes from the nearby air conditioner.". Carry out listening_protag in the front yard when the player is nudging and treepunched is false: say "The only sound is the nearby air conditioner, which seems to have a loose belt or something.". Section 6 (smelling) Carry out smelling in the front yard when the player is not structuring: say "The familiar smell of trash and honeysuckle hangs in the still air[if quenched is true]. The acrid scent of recently-quenched fire is detectable, as well[end if].". Carry out smelling in the front yard when the player is structuring: say "A strange chemical smell mingled with the scent of burning upholstery rolls in from the south.". Section 7 (loving and enjoying) Before enjoying the aluminum expanse: say "We may be good at lying to ourselves, but we aren't that good." instead; stop the action. Chapter 4 (rules in the front yard) [this used to be a timed event. The player had to save the neighbor before something really bad happened. However, I never liked that. Besides, there were too many fail states (50 rather than 33) at the time.] Section 1 (timer for rescuing neighbor) Every turn when the player is in the front yard: if the player is punching: say "[one of]I can hear an argument coming from the trailer to the north. Your neighbor has a drug problem and an abusive boyfriend, so it might be a good idea to see if he's OK.[or]The argument next door continues. It's hard to say from here how serious it is. Perhaps we should investigate?[or]The fight to the north doesn't sound violent, but you never know.[or]I think it would be a mistake to drive out of here without checking on our neighbor.[stopping]". Section 2 (timer number two for rescuing neighbor) Every turn when the player is punching in the oayard: say "[one of]The sound is definitely coming from the trailer here. The situation seems to be more serious than we first assumed.[or]I can hear a thumping sound coming from inside the trailer, as if someone is being shoved or knocked down.[or]We should find a way to break up the fight without putting ourselves in danger.[or]The fight in the trailer is serious business. We should do something before our neighbor is seriously hurt.[stopping]". Section 3 (redacted) Section 4 (redacted) Section 5 (deprecated) Section 6 (rules for extinguishing the fire) [For some reason, I left a bunch of geography-specific rules in the wrong rooms. Here's a timer that I did keep. If the player doesn't put the fire out, the trailer explodes.] L is a number that varies. L is Zero. Every turn when the location is the DCYard and the player is STRUCTURING: if L is 0: say "The flames inside the trailer are spreading. If you can't put the fire out, something bad is going to happen to us and our stuff."; now L is L plus one; otherwise if L is 1: say "The flames are higher, and seem to be spreading more quickly."; now L is L plus one; otherwise if L is 2: say "Look, I know that you don't actually have to [italic type]feel[roman type] being burned alive. That's my job, but I'm here to tell you it's a pretty miserable death. Cut me a break, would you? Figure this out."; now L is L plus one; otherwise if L is 3: say "Really, we're doing this again?"; now L is L plus one; otherwise if L is 4: say "Yeah, yeah, yeah. The flames grow, and the trailer explodes with substantial fire and force. And yes, I am burned alive. You might think I'm a bully because I don't coddle you, but who's really to blame for our whole crap situation? Who decided to stop treating a major mental illness? Who got us into drugs? Who thought it'd be fun to do every dumb thing he could think of? That's on you, pal. It's you. It's always been you. If you ever had to [italic type]feel[roman type] being set on fire, you'd straighten right out. But no. I'm the one who burns, you're the one that hears about it. I'm glad that you are trying to change things up, but please lay off the fire thing for crying out loud. This ending earns a rating of have you ever burned a mile in another man's shoes/10. [bt]Since this failstate has occurred during a timed event, the timer has been reset. The player has four turns to perform a productive action.[rt] [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET5 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET5 is true; try death logging 5; now L is 0; end the story. Part 4 (Outside the Opioid Addict's Trailer) Chapter 1 (General Rules and Ambiance) Section 1 (values) [treepunched is flipped when the player smashes the camaro with the tree branch] treepunched is a truth state that varies. treepunched is false. Section 2 (deprecated standardization attempt) Chapter 2 (Room Description) The OAYard is a room. The OAYard is north of the Front Yard. The printed name of the OAYard is "Outside the Opioid Addict's Trailer". The OAYard is a proper-named room. The description of the OAYard is "[if treepunched is false]We are outside the opioid addict's trailer. It seems to be the same model and age as our own. There is, however, a well-cared for Camaro parked under one of the few trees remaining in the open wastes of the trailer park. It proudly declares itself an 'IROC-Z' via decals affixed to its sides and is mostly fire engine red. I say 'mostly' because the hood and one front quarter panel are primer gray. The car would be a welcome splash of color in this muted place if it did not belong to the addict's boyfriend, who has the walk and perpetual sneer of a bully. So far as the tree goes: its large, heavy branches lean over the Camaro, fully covering it with shade. The noise that called us here is louder, and it is clearly coming from inside the trailer. I don't mean the unrecognizable music coming through the windows, either. It is easy to hear your neighbor yelling for help over the music's din. These cries are intermittently punctuated by thumps, suggesting that something[em]him, most likely[em]is tumbling or falling repeatedly. While we could return to our trailer (*SOUTH*), I feel that we should help our neighbor if we can. [8 as a PS][otherwise if treepunched is true][fiddly]". to say fiddly: say "A crushed 1990 Camaro is the star of this scene, and its costar is the smoldering and massive branch that has crushed its spine. The abusive boyfriend is staring at it, and he is pleasantly inconsolable. Recent events here have undoubtedly precipitated a massive increase in disorder. Much more than anything we've seen today, in fact. As nice as the car/branch partnership is to look at, [if the player is tinert]there is almost certainly something more productive to do to or with it[dot][otherwise]there is no practical reason to remain here. I think that we ought to leave the area soon (*SOUTH*), just in case Chet wants to take things out on somebody. [6 as a PS]". Chapter 3 (Nouns in the OAYard) [I once again opted to shift items in and out rather than alter them.] Section 1 (bitchen Camaro) The Camaro is in the OAYard. The Camaro is scenery. The printed name of the bitchen Camaro is "red and gray Camaro.". The description of the Camaro is "This car is undoubtedly the prize possession of the opioid addict's creepy boyfriend. While its incomplete paint job suggests that it is a work in progress, it is recently washed and well-cared for. It would certainly be a shame if something were to happen to it. The Camaro is parked in the shade of a massive, solitary oak with heavy, leaf-laden branches." Understand "car" and "iroc" and "iroc-z" and "red car" as the Camaro. Check entering the Camaro: say "The Camaro seems important, or at least conspicuous, but I'm not going to climb into it when someone nearby is in danger." instead. The wrecked Camaro door is nowhere. The wrecked Camaro door is scenery. Understand "car door" as the wrecked Camaro door. Instead of doing anything to the wrecked Camaro door when the location is the OAYard: say "I don't know how we've stayed alive this long. I really don't.". Section 1-1 (parts of the camaro) The camaro parts are in the oayard. The camaro parts are scenery. Understand "hood" and "unpainted hood" and "panel" and "quarter panel" and "unpainted panel" as the camaro parts. The description of the camaro parts is "[if treepunched is false]Despite their mismatched colors, the unpainted hood and quarter panel seem right at home in this scene.[otherwise]The crumpled hood and quarter panel pair nicely with the earthy gray-brown of the fallen oak branch.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or investing when the current action involves the camaro parts: say "While the unpainted hood and quarter panel are important aesthetic features of this scene, there is nothing useful or productive that we can do with them.". Does the player mean doing something when the current action involves the camaro parts: it is very unlikely. Section 1-2 (decals) [neither the first nor last Enchanter/Infocom gag in RTE] The decals are in the oayard. The decals are scenery. The description of the decals is "While I applaud your attention to detail, those decals will never be part of our story.". Instead of doing anything other than examining when the current action involves the decals: say "[one of]Yes, of course! The decals must be the key! But how can we divine their nature without the lavender-scented scroll? Was it really necessary to use it in the grue's lair? I hope we haven't gotten ourselves into a dead-end, zombie game. Perhaps we should *RESTORE* to the point just before we retrieved the grue's rod.[or]Grues? You can't be serious.[stopping]". Section 1-3 (the collective camaro) A thing can be the Pcamaro. The camaro, the potent wrecked camaro, and the impotent wrecked camaro is Pcamaro. Section 2 (the trailer) The OATrailer is in the OAYard. The OATrailer is scenery. Understand "trailer" as the OATrailer. The printed name of the OATrailer is "trailer". The description of the OATrailer is "[if treepunched is false]There's nothing special about the trailer's appearance. I am, however, worried about the [italic type]sounds[roman type] coming from inside the structure. We should do something to help our neighbor if we can. I hope that's obvious, even to you.[otherwise if treepunched is true]Things are silent in the trailer now, though the boyfriend is noisily gesturing is a way that might imply danger. He is like a strange, flightless bird announcing a frustrated desire to mate with the recently destroyed Camaro. While there is almost certainly something worth doing here, I wouldn't take too long doing it. Or, hell, take your time, I don't really care.". The the OADoor is in the OAYard. The OAdoor is scenery. Understand "door" or "trailer door" as the OAdoor. The printed name of the OAdoor is "the trailer door". Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the OAdoor: say "[if the player is punching]We can't charge in there and take that asshole in a fight. Let's try to find a way to disrupt their argument instead.[otherwise if the player is tinert]Our neighbor has escaped the trailer. What reason might we have to open, enter, or otherwise act upon their door?[otherwise if the player is structuring]Now that our neighbor is safe and we've attained a powerful source of magic, it's time to clear out of here." instead. instead of going inside in the oayard (this is the inside alternative rule): try going east. instead of entering the oatrailer in the oayard (this is the entering alternative rule): try entering the oadoor. Section 3 (the tree) The tree is in the OAYard. The tree is scenery. The printed name of the tree is "the massive oak tree". Understand "tree" and "oak tree" and "massive tree" and "oak" as the tree. The description of the tree is "[if treepunched is false]This huge, old oak is the tallest thing for at least a hundred yards, and is burdened by massive, heavy branches. One particularly massive, heavy branch reaches over the bi-colored Camaro, blanketing it with complete shade. It may well be the largest and longest branch on a tree of large, long branches. It's so heavy-looking as to appear a touch unsafe. I certainly wouldn't park [it]my[rt] car under it.[otherwise if treepunched is true]The tree, no longer burdened with its largest and heaviest branch, seems pleased by its recent encounter with the Camaro.". Section 4 (The grand structure) The grand structure is nowhere. The description of the grand structure is "The *GRAND STRUCTURE* isn't a physical thing that you can look at, but you can diagnose yourself if you'd like to know more about its use.". The printed name of the grand structure is "*THE GRAND STRUCTURE*". The grand structure is a bleedsource. The grand structure is deadly. Section 5 (The big branch) The intact branch is in the OAYard. The intact branch is scenery. The printed name of the branch is "large, heavy branch". The description of the branch is "Although the tree is covered with heavy branches, one is undoubtedly the heaviest of the lot. Good luck to whatever's beneath it when it falls.". understand "large branch" and "heavy branch" and "branch" and "branches" as the intact branch. Section 6 (The wrecked Camaro) The potent wrecked Camaro is nowhere. The potent wrecked Camaro is scenery. The printed name of the potent wrecked Camaro is "wrecked Camaro". Understand "Camaro" and "wreck" and "car" and "glass" and "plastic" and "metal" and "iroc" and "iroc-z" and "red car" and "roof" as the potent wrecked Camaro. The description of the potent wrecked Camaro is "This is a spectacular mess. Glass, plastic, and metal all lie shattered or else buckled under the tremendous weight of what was once the largest branch on the largest tree in the trailer park. Whatever order this partnership of branch and car once possessed, it is now in the process of dissipating.". The impotent wrecked Camaro is nowhere. The impotent wrecked Camaro is scenery. Understand "Camaro" and "wreck" and "car" and "glass" and "plastic" and "metal" and "iroc" and "iroc-z" and "red car" and "roof" as the impotent wrecked Camaro. The description of the impotent wrecked Camaro is "This is a spectacular mess. Glass, plastic and metal all lie shattered or else buckled under the tremendous weight of what once was the largest branch on the largest tree in several directions. You now carry the considerable power of the *GRAND STRUCTURE*, and have completely absorbed the order released by the falling branch. Be careful how you use it, since you won't be able to get more. Well, you shouldn't be able to, anyway. This so-called 'merciful' world shields you from both consequence and responsibility. You should ask yourself what that mercy costs, and who benefits. Anyway, the Camaro sacrificed itself so that you could coke yourself to the gills with powerful magic. Go ahead, live it up!. ". Check entering the impotent wrecked Camaro: say "Stop putting me on." instead. Check entering the potent wrecked Camaro: say "Stop putting me on." instead. Section 7 (the fallen branch) The potent fallen branch is nowhere. The potent fallen branch is scenery. The printed name of the potent fallen branch is "branch". Understand "fallen branch" and "branch" as the potent fallen branch. The description of the potent fallen branch is "[if the player is not structuring]This massive branch has catastrophically damaged the Camaro belonging to our next door neighbor's abusive boyfriend. It is satisfying[em]for both of us, I presume[em]to see it smoldering atop its crushed roof. It has formed a system of collapsing order in partnership with the mangled car that is presumably available to use in some way.[otherwise]The smoking branch, cradled as it is by the broken back of the Camaro, remains a pleasantly impressive sight even now that we have attained the *GRAND STRUCTURE*.". The impotent fallen branch is nowhere. The impotent fallen branch is scenery. The printed name of the impotent fallen branch is "branch". Understand "fallen branch" as the branch. The description of the impotent fallen branch is "Now drained of its energy, the lightly-smoking branch is resting comfortably in the arms of the broken Camaro. There's nothing we need from it, and it needs nothing from us. It deserves a rest.". Section 8 (the neighbor) [Brad originally appeared here, but later got moved to the car park.] The opiate addict is nowhere. The opiate addict is a male person. Understand "Brad" and "neighbor" as the opiate addict. The indefinite article of the opiate addict is "your". The printed name of the opiate addict is "neighbor". The description of the opiate addict is "This man is likely the same age as we are. Despite the warm weather he is wearing jeans, shoes and socks, and a long sleeved white T-Shirt with a picture of Lou Reed on the front. Only his hands, neck, and face are exposed. He seems remarkably composed, given his recent and likely terrifying encounter with his boyfriend.". Section 9 (the boyfriend) The asshole is nowhere. The asshole is scenery. The asshole is a male person. The printed name of the asshole is "neighbor's boyfriend". The indefinite article of the asshole is "our". The description of the asshole is "This clown in a golf shirt and cowboy boots is complete garbage. He's dangerously upset about his car.". Understand "boyfriend" and "abusive boyfriend" and "neighbor's boyfriend" and "neighbor boyfriend" and "man" and "chet" and "golf shirt" and "cowboy boots" and "boots" as the asshole. Instead of doing anything other than examining or investing or siphoning to the asshole when the location is the OAYard: say "Listen, I'd like to whoop his ass or zap him out of existence, but we can't afford to get too involved right now. You'll just have to settle for smashing his car.". Every turn when the asshole is in the OAyard and the location is the OAyard and the player is tinert: say "[one of]Your neighbor's asshole boyfriend claws at the dirt in front of his destroyed Camaro, his forehead pressed to the scorched earth.[or]The abusive boyfriend tears his shirt, gazing mournfully at the sky.[or]The boyfriend, whom you have nicknamed 'Chet,' claws at the earth, wordless in his grief.[or]While Chet's suffering is substantial, it is not enough.[or]While we could watch Chet's pathetic display for hours on end, we have more pressing business.[stopping]". Every turn when the location is the OAyard and the player is structuring: say "[one of]Chet's pitiful, yet deeply satisfying mewling continues, though the substantial power of the *GRAND STRUCTURE* makes it hard to focus.[or]As musical as the boyfriend's cries sound to to your ear, it is uncomfortable to carry something as powerful as *THE GRAND STRUCTURE*.[or]It is a shame that we cannot hide a tape recorder here, though the fleeting nature of Chet's rather wretched display will make our memories of it even sweeter.[or]There is no telling how long Chet will be at it, but we really ought to move on.[stopping]". Section 10 (the desiccated order) The desiccated order is nowhere. The desiccated order is scenery. The description of the desiccated order is "The *DESSICATED ORDER* is merely the process of the universe getting a little less orderly thanks to the branch and the tree. You can likely *SIPHON* it for a powerful source of order." Chapter 4 (verbs in the OAYard) Section 1 (going) Instead of going south in the OAYard when the player is TINERT: say "No. We can't leave without the powerful magic unleashed by our massive and massively satisfying act of vehicular vandalism." instead. Instead of going south in the OAYard when the player is punching: say "Not even you would leave when your neighbor is crying for help." instead. Check going nowhere in the OAYard: say "[if the player is punching]We can't wander off while our neighbor is in danger.[otherwise if the player is tinert]Let's stick around until we can attain some of the order magic seeping from the broken carcass of Chet's Camaro.[otherwise]While we could wander off in multiple directions, the only practical exit is *SOUTH*, in the direction of our trailer." instead. Section 2 (Diagnosing) Carry out diagnosing the CAMARO: say "The Camaro is in great shape, as it only needs a bit of paint. I think destroying it[em]that is what we'd like to do, isn't it[q][em]would be quite productive in terms of gathering some magical order.". Carry out diagnosing the OATRAILER: say "There are almost certainly entropic processes at work in the trailer, but you'd have to get closer or, better yet, inside to evaluate them. I don't see that happening, do you? No, that isn't reverse psychology. You really can't get in the trailer. Really!". Carry out diagnosing the TREE: say "[if treepunched is false]Like most trees, this large oak is not a ready source of entropic energy. However, that doesn't mean that it can't [italic type]make[roman type] some energy.[otherwise]We've gotten all that we are going to get from the tree. Giving credit where it's due, that's quite a lot.". Carry out diagnosing the intact BRANCH: say "While the branch contains no ready source of entropic energy, it could be made to produce some. In fact, it current bends[EM]a posture fraught with significance[EM]over the practically red camaro.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning to the desiccated order: say "The DESICCATED ORDER is a source of entropic magic. We can *SIPHON* it, but that is all.". Carry out diagnosing the impotent fallen branch: say "The branch caused a sudden and sizable loss of order during its encounter with the Camaro, but that energy is now gone.". Carry out diagnosing the potent fallen branch: say "The branch fall and subsequent collision with the car have undoubtedly stirred things up. If you *DIAGNOSE THE CAMARO*, you should find a large and productive source of order magic.". Carry out diagnosing the potent wrecked CAMARO: say "There is very large quantity of order bleeding off of the Camaro. You can attain it if you *SIPHON THE DESICCATED ORDER*." Carry out diagnosing the impotent wrecked CAMARO: say "We have already absorbed the power of the *GRAND STRUCTURE*. Focus!". Carry out diagnosing the oadoor: say "You've played too many interactive fiction games. Most things in real life aren't worth looking at or messing with. [11 as a CAS][lb]". Carry out siphoning the oadoor: say "[if treepunched is false]I'm sure it's a regular energy and order graveyard in there, but I don't want to get that close to the entrance.[otherwise]That asshole neighbor is too close to the door. I'm not going over there.". Section 3 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning in the CAMARO: say "The Camaro is not currently the location of any entropic processes or events, but perhaps you could change that.". Carry out siphoning the OATrailer: say "There are undoubtedly entropic processes in or around the trailer, but you don't want to get closer to it, let alone walk inside.". Carry out siphoning the TREE: say "[if treepunched is false]The tree contains no entropic magic, though it might be able to knock some loose.[otherwise]The tree isn't a source of entropic power. In fact, the tree has taken us as far as it can. The recently destroyed Camaro, on the other hand, might be worth a look.". Carry out siphoning the potent fallen branch: say "You're in the ballpark, but let's try to *DIAGNOSE THE CAMARO* instead.". Carry out siphoning the impotent fallen branch: say " You already have the *GRAND STRUCTURE*. There's nothing more powerful than that here, or for that matter, for miles around." Carry out siphoning the intact branch: say "The branch is important, but not that kind of important.". Carry out siphoning the POTENT WRECKED CAMARO: say "We can't siphon the Camaro directly, but you could *DIAGNOSE* it for more information.". Carry out siphoning the DESICCATED ORDER: say "We start to tug at the desiccated order, and find that we must plant our left foot to maintain balance. This is a very large quantity of order magic, and after several seconds we feel as though we are vibrating. It's a bit like forgetting to take our antidepressant. The more we pull, the greater and deeper the feeling becomes. By the time we have absorbed it all, the sensation is a bit overwhelming. We shouldn't try to carry this energy for too long. Speaking of overstaying one's welcome: the boyfriend is stomping around angrily. Since our neighbor has escaped to safety, there's no reason to stay here any longer."; now the player is structuring; now the impotent fallen branch is in the OAyard; now the potent fallen branch is nowhere; now the player carries the grand structure; now the potent wrecked Camaro is nowhere; now g is 19; now the impotent wrecked Camaro is in the OAYard. Carry out siphoning in the OAYard when the noun is the ASSHOLE: say "How would we even do that? I have no idea how to draw entropic magic from a human being, even though we all should be sources of it to some extent." instead. Section 4 (investing in the OAYard) Carry out investing the OATrailer with the DRAGON PUNCH: say "We've had it with this dismal, squalid scene. Abuse, addiction, illness, and all other forms of degradation have come to roost, here, in this trailer park. Might as well blow the whole thing to pieces, you think, and I get where you're coming from. It's miserable here. That air conditioner is a bottomless mug of fiery momentum, so let's ride that DRAGON PUNCH all the way to hell. You start with the car, of course, because the gas tank will all but certainly explode. And so it does! The force of it knocks the trailer over, setting it on fire, and terrified screams immediately fill the air. Well, that wasn't so great, was it, you think, as the old oak tree, which must be more than a century old, catches fire. You only barely get a chance to see this, as a side mirror from the Camaro strikes us[EM]rather hard, I'm afraid[EM]in the face. So far as destroying the trailer park goes, your efforts fell short. You would be comforted to know that when Fast Eddie's trailer explodes in an unfortunate workplace accident, the flames cannot reach here. Between the two of you, you've done a lot of damage. While I hate this whole recurring death thing, I'm glad your neighbor won't stay dead. That was a bit much, even for you. This outcome has earned a rating of scourge of the trailer park/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET3 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET3 is true; try death logging 3; end the story. Check investing the oadoor with the dragon punch: try investing the oatrailer with the dragon punch instead. Check investing the camaro with the dragon punch: try investing the OAtrailer with the dragon punch instead. Carry out investing something with the GRAND STRUCTURE in the OAyard: say "As much as you[EM]and I[EM]would like to box your neighbor's shitbird boyfriend around the ears with *THE GRAND STRUCTURE*, that magic's area of affect is so massive that it would inevitably involve returning entropic energy to its source. Generally speaking, the universe frowns on that sort of thing. We'll just have to hope that some sort of freak accident takes him out soon." [Lots of furniture rearrangement going on here.] Carry out investing the intact branch with the DRAGON PUNCH: say "Assuming what we imagine to be a martial arts stance, we point in the direction of the large, heavy branch, and the power of the Dragon Punch surges through us and toward our target. It's a good strike. The branch, its green leaves smoking, falls directly atop the Camaro underneath it. Its windows shatter dramatically, and its metal shell crumples beneath the weight of the branch. Between the detached branch and the destroyed car, there must be an incredible amount of order leaving them now. You likely only have a few moments to collect it before it is gone forever. The music stops abruptly. You look up from your handiwork to see that the neighbor and his lousy boyfriend have come to investigate the loud noise the branch has made. He cries out[em]I'm not exaggerating[em]in anguish, falling to his knees, while our neighbor [23 as a dsc] takes advantage of the distraction to run past us.[line break]"; now the intact branch is nowhere; now the potent fallen branch is in the OAYard; now the potent wrecked Camaro is in the OAYard; now the Camaro is nowhere; now the player is TINERT; now the desiccated order is in the OAYard; now G is 18; now treepunched is true; now the dragon punch is nowhere; now the asshole is in the OAYard; now the smoke is in the front yard; try looking. Check investing the tree with the dragon punch: try investing the intact branch with the dragon punch instead. Section 5 (listening and smelling) Carry out listening_protag in the OAYard when the intact branch is in the OAYard: say "As I have already said, there is a violent-sounding racket, screams and all, coming from the nearby trailer.". Carry out listening_protag in the OAYard when the fallen branch is in the OAYard and the player is tinert: say "An ominous silence has fallen over the yard as the neighbor's boyfriend regards the great love of his life, now utterly destroyed." Carry out listening_protag in the OAYard when the player is STRUCTURING: say "The neighbor's boyfriend, having gathered his meager wits, makes an ape-like display of shouting and beating the mangled hood of his car." Carry out smelling in the OAYard when the player is not STRUCTURING: say "The smell is the typical mixture of wildflowers and trash found throughout the trailer park.". Carry out smelling in the OAYard when the player is STRUCTURING: say "While we can smell wildflowers and refuse nearby, I sense an unfamiliar chemical scent on a breeze blowing in from the south.". Section 6 (CASKLY) Check caskling the potent wrecked Camaro: say "While the CASKLY spell might repair the newly wrecked Camaro, why on earth would you do that? It is perfect to you as-is. The only way it might be improved is by attaining the powerful order magic it is presently releasing." instead. Check caskling the impotent wrecked Camaro: say "Sure, we could try to fix Chet's car. But hey man, fuck that guy." instead. Check caskling the Camaro: say "The CASKLY spell might paint the currently gray, unpainted panel, but we don't feel like helping Chet with his dumb car." instead. Check caskling the asshole: say "He's presumably beyond help, and we feel no motivation to try." instead. Section 7 (enjoy and love) [love and enjoy were added late in the project, so I just started nuking actions with BEFORE. I knew I wouldn't have any new implementations that it would interfere with. Whew, goodness the redundancy here!] Before loving the asshole: say "I'd love kicking his teeth in, if that's what you mean." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the asshole: say "We enjoy a pleasant moment's gloating over Chet's recent loss." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the impotent wrecked camaro: say "We enjoy a pleasant moment's gloating over Chet's recent loss." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the potent wrecked camaro: say "We enjoy a pleasant moment's gloating over Chet's recent loss." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the potent fallen branch: say "We enjoy a pleasant moment's gloating over Chet's recent loss." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying the impotent fallen branch: say "We enjoy a pleasant moment's gloating over Chet's recent loss." instead; stop the action. Section 7 (guncho) Before gunchoing the asshole: say "I'd love to eject that asshole from this plane of existence. In this case, the limits of our power are able to accomplish what our conscience cannot. He must remain here, unfortunately." instead; stop the action. Part 5 (outside Fast Eddie's trailer) Chapter 1 (reserved) Chapter 2 (Description of Fast Eddie's Trailer) The DCYard is south of the front yard. The printed name of the DCYard is "Outside Fast Eddie's Trailer". DCYard is a proper-named room. The description of DCYard is "[if quenched is false]It is hard to distinguish the trailer of Fast Eddie the dope cook from our own. It is old and balanced atop gray cinder block stilts.[end if][if DCYard is unvisited] The door suddenly slams open, and Fast Eddie leaps down the stairs. He gives us a wild and wide-eyed look, then sprints past us. You can see an open and growing fire through the door. If he really is a meth cook, that trailer is going to blow any minute now.[end if][if DCYard is visited and quenched is false] There's nothing special about this trailer or the yard surrounding it, but there is something quite special and dangerous about the burning couch that you can see through the trailer's open door.[end if][if quenched is true]You've successfully quenched the fire in Fast Eddie's trailer, saving your life and, perhaps more importantly, saving our anime and video games. Perhaps it's time to drive to the pharmacy.". Report going south from the front yard for the first time: now G is 33. Chapter 3 (nouns in the DCYard) Section 1 (the trailer) DCtrailer is a proper-named thing in DCYard. The printed name of DCtrailer is "Fast Eddie's Trailer". understand "trailer" and "Fast Eddie's trailer" as the dctrailer. DCTrailer is an enterable container. DCTrailer is scenery. The description of DCTrailer is "[if quenched is false]The most interesting thing about the trailer is the fire that you can see through the doorway. The various hazardous chemicals used to make crystal methamphetamine are probably going to explode any minute now.[otherwise if quenched is true]Now that the flames are out and the dangerous chemicals are stabilized, it's just another ugly trailer in a park filled with ugly trailers.". Section 2 (the fire) The fire is in DCYard. The fire is scenery. The description of the fire is "Looking through the doorway, we can see that a mottled couch plays host and home to a lively and growing fire. Since Fast Eddie makes meth for a living, there are likely quantities of explosive and toxic chemicals near at hand. Unless you can neutralize the chemicals and halt the dangerous processes within the trailer, we and our possessions will soon be consumed in a fiery explosion. Don't you put us through another death by fire. I mean it.". Understand "flames" and "smoke" as the fire. Instead of doing anything to the fire when quenched is true: say "The fire is completely gone. From your position outside the trailer, you see no sign that of it, not even lingering smoke or embers." Section 3 (the couch) The DC couch is in DCYard. The DC couch is scenery. Understand "couch" and "doorway" as the DC couch. The printed name of DC couch is "the dope cook's couch." The description of the DC couch is "[if quenched is false]We see a flaming couch through the open doorway of a nearby trailer. That seems pretty dangerous in a meth lab setting.[otherwise]We can see a ruined couch through the open doorway of a nearby trailer.". Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the DC couch when the location is the DCYard: say "[If quenched is false]You didn't come here to play with a burning couch.[otherwise]I'm sure it's disgusting in there, even by your standards. Besides, who knows what lingering effects the *GRAND STRUCTURE* might have?" Chapter 4 (verbs in Fast Eddie's yard) [there's not a lot to do here] Section 1 (going) Check going nowhere in the DCYard: say "[if quenched is false]Where will you go? I know you don't care about other people, but Fast Eddie's trailer is is going to blow up any minute now. It's going to blow [italic type]us[roman type] up, which I'd avoid, personally.[otherwise if quenched is true]While you could wander in any direction, there's really nothing left to see or do here. We might as well try to get to the pharmacy now." instead. Check going north in the DCYard when quenched is false: say "It's no use running now. This trailer park isn't big enough for both you and the fire. One has got to go." instead. Check entering the DCtrailer when quenched is false: say "I'm not going to climb into a burning trailer for you." instead. Check entering the DCtrailer when quenched is true: say "There's no telling what lingering effects from the *GRAND STRUCTURE* might still be active. Don't we have places to be?" instead. Instead of going inside in the DCyard: try entering the dctrailer. Understand "trailer" as DCTrailer. Section 2 (siphoning in the DCYard) Carry out siphoning in the DCYard when quenched is true: say "We just completely wiped out the trailer's major source of entropic energy. In fact, the powerful magic of the *GRAND STRUCTURE* temporarily suspended the jurisdiction of the second law of thermodynamics. There is nothing and perhaps less than nothing to siphon here.". Section 3 (diagnosing in the DCYard) Carry out diagnosing the DCtrailer in the DCYard: say "[if quenched is false]The trailer contains a rapidly expanding system of destructive power and disorder. It is probably substantial enough to destroy us.[otherwise if quenched is true]With the fire extinguished and the volatile chemicals neutralized, there are no ready sources of power within.". Check diagnosing the fire when quenched is false: say "The fire is growing rapidly, and you are already carrying a lot of order. I mean, a lot."; stop the action. Carry out diagnosing the DC couch in the DCYard: say "[if quenched is false]It's undoubtedly a source of disorder and wasted energy, but you've got your hands full with the *GRAND STRUCTURE*.[otherwise if quenched is true]The couch is dead in multiple senses. You aren't going to get anything out of it." Section 4 (investing in the DCYard) A thing can be a conflagration. A thing is usually not a conflagration. The fire and the DCtrailer and the DC couch are a conflagration. Carry out investing a conflagration with the grand structure: say "The sheer weight and might of the *GRAND STRUCTURE* causes our knees to buckle. It feels as if we must heft some great thing over our shoulders before throwing it in the direction of the trailer. The flames within are doused immediately. All volatile substances have been broken down into less hazardous substances; the trailer's electricity has been neutralized, too. It seems that every process, phenomenon, or substance that can be quickly reduced to a disorderly state has been neutralized. The trailer has become, in a rather all-encompassing sense, completely inert. It's likely dangerous to enter, given all our squishy bits and tendencies toward disorder."; now the player is TINERT; now quenched is true; now G is 20; now the smoke is nowhere; now the grand structure is nowhere. Section 5 (misc trailer stuff) Instead of searching the trailer when quenched is false: say "The most striking feature of the trailer's interior is an unchecked and growing blaze.". Instead of searching the trailer when quenched is true: say "The trailer is likely filled with dangerous order magic. You should be walking away from it, not getting a closer look." Section 6 (smelling and listening) Carry out smelling in the DCYard when the player is structuring: say "Thick, noxious smoke spills from Fast Eddie's trailer. The chemical smell of burning poison is thick here.". Carry out smelling in the DCYard when the player is tinert: say "Even though the fire is out, Fast Eddie's yard smells like a Superfund site, and it probably is.". Carry out listening_protag in the DCYard when the player is structuring: say "The roaring whoosh of rapidly spreading flames testifies to the danger we are in.". Carry out listening_protag in the DCYard when the player is tinert: say "The sounds of the immediate area are likely muffled by the stasis-inducing effects of the *GRAND STRUCTURE*. It is very quiet here, and only the distant sound of cars on the highway is audible.". Part 6 (The parking area) [While the player doesn't HAVE to come here until after the fire is put out, they will ideally come here first after exiting the trailer. The HASSLES command tries to encourage this. This is a way for the player to learn that rushing through the game is bad.] Chapter 1 (reserved) Chapter 2 (description of the parking area) The Parking Area is west of the front yard. The printed name of the parking area is "Parking Area". The description of the parking area is "This is a barren area where most residents park their cars. Since it is mid-morning on a weekday, there are few other cars here, and none besides ours that are worth your attention[first time] [11 as a PS][only]. Speaking of our car: it's a black Japanese sedan, approximately six years old. It does the job, reliably carrying us around town. It gets excellent gas mileage, too. It's funny that it's a four door because nobody ever rides in the passenger seat, let alone the back seat.[if unlockeddoor is false] It would seem that we locked our keys within the car, since they are clearly visible through the window.[end if] Even though this is an open area, your front yard to the *EAST* is the only reasonable destination on foot.". Does the player mean entering the TPC in the parking area: it is very likely. Check going inside in the parking area: try entering the TPC instead. chapter 3 ( nouns in the parking area) Section 1 (the car) the TPC is in the parking area. the TPC is an enterable container. the TPC is scenery. The printed name of the TPC is "car". The indefinite article of the TPC is "our". The description of TPC is "It's an unremarkable Japanese sedan. It's reliable and a tank of gas seems to last forever. Even at six years old, it's by far the nicest thing we own.[if unlockeddoor is false] Looking through the window, we can see our keys resting on the passenger's seat. [14 as an AHM]". Understand "car" and "sedan" and "japanese sedan" and "accord" as the TPC. Before searching TPC: if unlockeddoor is false: say "Our keys are sitting on the passenger seat." instead; if unlockeddoor is true: say "We can climb *IN* and *DRIVE* at any time.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or entering or investing or diagnosing or siphoning or searching or locking or unlocking or opening to the TPC: say "Cars are for driving. If it is unlocked, we can *ENTER* it and *DRIVE* it. That's it. Really!". [good lord, look at this junk] The can't close unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the TPC. The can't open unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the TPC. The can't open unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the cdoors. The can't close unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the cdoors. The can't open unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the cwindows. The can't open unless openable rule does nothing when the noun is the cwindows. The TPC is lockable. Section 2 (the doors) The cdoors are scenery. The cdoors are part of the TPC. The printed name of the cdoors is "the car's doors". The cdoors are a plural-named thing. Instead of doing anything other than unlocking or opening or closing or locking or attacking to the cdoors: if the location is incar: say "You should get where you are going before climbing out of the car."; otherwise: say "[if unlockeddoor is true]There is no need to refer to any of the car's doors directly, either collectively or singularly. Now that we've unlocked them, just *ENTER MY CAR* then *DRIVE* if needed.[otherwise if unlockeddoor is false]The doors are only important because they are locked. Since the keys are locked inside the car, it will probably take a bit of magic to manipulate the lock. A very small bit, I would think, so that we don't break either the lock or the door. We might *EXAMINE THE LOCK* for ideas.". Understand "door" and "doors" and "driver's side door" and "passenger's side door" and "car door" and "car doors" as the cdoors. the cdoors are lockable. Instead of attacking the cdoors: try attacking the cwindows. Section 3 (the lock) The locking mechanism is in the parking area. The locking mechanism is scenery. Understand "lock" and "rocker" and "switch" as the locking mechanism. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the locking mechanism: say "[if unlockeddoor is true]You just got it unlocked. You're not going to lock it again.[otherwise]Since the lock is on the other side of the door, there's no way for you to do anything to the lock without magic.[paragraph break]Really!". The description of the locking mechanism is "[if unlockeddoor is false]The car locks and unlocks via a small rocker switch on the door-side armrests. It would require only a small amount of force to engage it and unlock the doors.[otherwise]Now that the door is unlocked, the locking mechanism offers little in the way of entertainment value.". Section 4 (the windows) The cwindows are part of the cdoors. The cwindows are scenery. The printed name of the cwindows is "the car windows". Understand "window" and "car windows" and "windows" as the cwindows. Instead of doing anything except searching to the cwindows: say "[if unlockeddoor is false]There is no need to manipulate the windows in any way. They are here because cars have doors, not because you need windows to get into the car.[otherwise if unlockeddoor is true]Very astute. What secrets could the windows of an unlocked car door hold? Glass, unless broken, tends to be highly entropy resistant, but that just makes it a perfect place for hiding powerful magic. Closing our eyes, we focus intently upon the nearest window. Some moments pass. It would seem that this has not been a profitable activity. The glass resists magic, all desire to make progress, and even, it would seem, your capacity for problem solving.". Check searching the cwindows: try searching the TPC instead. the cwindows are lockable. Instead of attacking the cwindows: say "We're too sober and too medicated to start punching the [noun]. Focus." instead. Section 5 (the keys) the keys are nowhere. The indefinite article of the keys is "our". Understand "keys" and "key" and "keyring" and "ring" and "metal ring" and "key ring" as the keys. The description of the keys is "Our keyring contains only two keys: one for the trailer door, and one for our car. We once had a bottle opener attached to the ring, but we took it off when we stopped drinking. About five years late, if you ask me.[paragraph break]These days, the keys hang on a bare metal ring." Instead of doing anything other than examining when the noun is the keys: say "There's no need to do anything with or to the keys. If you are carrying them, you'll automatically use them to start the car whenever you need to *DRIVE*." Does the player mean doing something when the noun is the keys: it is very unlikely. The bogus keys are in the parking area. The bogus keys are scenery. The printed name of the bogus keys is "car keys". Understand "keys" and "key" as the bogus keys. The bogus keys are a plural-named thing. The description of the bogus keys is "Looking through the window, you can see our keys lying in the seat. Way to go, smart guy.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the bogus keys: say "The keys are locked inside the car. There's nothing you can do with them until the door is unlocked.". Section 6 (the other cars) The ScenCars are in the parking area. The ScenCars are a plural-named thing. The ScenCars are scenery. The printed name of the ScenCars is "other cars". Understand "cars" and "other cars" and "other vehicles" as the ScenCars. Instead of doing anything to the ScenCars: say "[one of]Surely even you recognize that investigating or otherwise horsing around with our neighbors['] cars will be neither productive nor entertaining. Worse still, anyone seeing us might misjudge our intent.[or]Let's focus on our car, instead.[stopping]" instead. Section 7 (fakeseat) [rather than omit car seats from descriptions, I doubled down. There is a seat in the pharmacy parking lot, too.] The fakeseat is in the parking area. The fakeseat is scenery. The printed name of the fakeseat is "seat". Understand "seats" and "seat" and "carseat" as the fakeseat. Instead of doing anything to the fakeseat: say "[one of]It's hard to tell from outside the car, but the seat is either a magical portal to an advanced civilization that has discovered a permanent cure for our mental and behavioral problems, or else it's the seat of our car, which we've seen and sat in hundreds of times. I wonder which it might be?[or]It's a car seat behind glass, the same one that's been sitting in our car since we bought it. I expect that we will sit in it once we *ENTER THE CAR*. At least, that's how it's always worked. We haven't discovered another use for it over the past year.[stopping]". [As you can see above, I put nouns everywhere and later spent a lot of time trying to reign them in/dial them back. In the earliest versions of the game (and the 2003 transcript, too, there was no camaro or fire. This area was designed very early in the project.] Chapter 4 (verbs in the parking area) section 1 (diagnosing) Check diagnosing in the parking area when the noun is TPC: say "While the car does bleed off kinetic and thermal energy while running, we're more interested in driving it now. Maybe we'll need to siphon it later.". Carry out diagnosing in the parking area when the noun is the locking mechanism: say "[if unlockeddoor is false]The lock houses no entropic energy of any kind. That isn't to say that it couldn't be manipulated with magic.[otherwise]Now that the door is unlocked, the locking mechanism offers little in the way of utility or entertainment value." section 2 (siphoning) Check siphoning in the parking area when the noun is TPC: say "While the car does bleed off dynamic and thermal energy while running, we're more interested in driving it now. Maybe we'll need to siphon it later.". Check siphoning the locking mechanism: say "[if the player is not carrying the keys]If you've diagnosed the lock, you know that we probably need to apply magic to the lock, not take from it.[otherwise]You can't retrieve magic once you've invested it. Entropic power is not spent and attained as if the universe were a lending library.". section 3 (investing) Instead of investing the TPC with the entropic nudge when the player is not carrying the keys: say "You start to invest the car with the ENTROPIC NUDGE, then think better of it. We need to use the NUDGE in this location, but not like that. The magic is delicate; let's find something smaller to use it on." instead; stop the action. Check investing something with the entropic nudge in the parking area when the player is carrying the keys: say "We could lock the car again, sure, but I think I'll do ourselves a favor and harmlessly discharge this *ENTROPIC NUDGE* that we're carrying around instead."; now the entropic nudge is nowhere; now the player is tinert. Carry out investing the locking mechanism with the entropic nudge when unlockeddoor is false: say "Nicely done! You unlock the doors by gently pressing against the mechanism with the ENTROPIC NUDGE. Opening the door, you reach in and pocket the keys. Now we can get in the car and DRIVE.[if quenched is true][8 as a DSC].[line break][end if]"; now the player is TINERT; now the bogus keys are nowhere; now the player carries the keys; now unlockeddoor is true; now g is 32; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. [Blowing up the car became a recurring thing. It's a fail state everywhere the car is.] Instead of investing something explodable with the dragon punch:[ in the parking area when the noun is explodable:] say "'Bweh heh heh,' we laugh as we prepare to blow up a perfectly good car. Who am I to say no to your request? Perhaps we will loose the narrative bonds that constrain us at long last! With a single flick of the wrist, our trusty four-door sedan, which was honestly a nice car for someone in our income bracket, explodes. Since the gas tank is practically full, however, it seems we did not put enough space between ourselves and the blast radius. While I hate to admit it, I am as much to blame as you. I was drawn to the possibility of a garish spectacle, and our exploding car did not disappoint. Unfortunately, said pyrotechnics mandated burning me alive. I think you've grown desensitized to seeing me burned alive, but I assure you that I have not. I appreciate your future diligence in this matter. This conclusion has earned a rating of hot rod/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET2 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET2 is true; try death logging 2; end the story. [this bit of early days gloating is now pre-empted with check rules. Before I started discouraging it, players would try to use the entropic nudge to solve every problem. They didn't like having to return to the bathroom for more.] Carry out investing something with the entropic nudge in the parking area when the noun is not the locking mechanism and the player is not carrying the keys: say "If only life were an adventure game, we could simply *UNDO* our previous action. Sadly, this is the real world, where we[em]I, really[em]have no choice but to trudge back to the trailer bathroom to retrieve more twiddle magic."; now the player is tinert; now the entropic nudge is nowhere. section 4 (going) Instead of going nowhere in the parking area: say "We are in a wide, open area near the center of the parking area, but the only our trailer to the *EAST* holds promise. If we want to leave the trailer park, we'll need to take the car." Section 5 (entering the car) Check entering TPC in the parking area when unlockeddoor is false: say "We'll have to get the door unlocked first." instead. Check entering TPC when the player is punching: say "We aren't driving across town with the power of the *DRAGON PUNCH* in tow. Find some way to get rid of it first." instead. [There are two possible fail states related to entering the car. This first one occurs if the player leaves the trailer park before helping his neighbors. Note that it updates the goal state to reflect this new understanding.] Carry out entering TPC when quenched is false: say "We climb into the car and start it up. As we pull out of the trailer park, a hard-to-place worry overtakes us. Something is wrong, and, strangely, it's a familiar kind of wrong. We've been here before, done this before. But how? It feels as though we've left something undone at the trailer park, but I can't imagine what. We spend the day trying to shake the feeling. We get our medication, and dutifully pop some lithium. Over at the hospital, we sign in and head upstairs. Our mother is attached to a complex system of tubes and electrical probes. Suddenly startled and hassled by dread, it feels as if we have only just realized that our mother is going to die soon, even though we've known it all day. We want to do something or say something, so we futilely scrabble at her hands with our own, but we can't get to her. Not now, not ever. Sinking back into our own disgust and alarm, we note that it appears that the machinery and sensors attached to her inert body are slowly consuming her. There is no stopping it, you think. You feel as though you are being devoured, too. This is what happens to people like us and her when they live too long. Alone, numb, beyond reach. Alone. This conclusion has earned a rating of 90 miles an hour down a dead end street/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET6 is false: now DTET is DTET plus one; now D is D plus one; now DET6 is true; try death logging 6; now g is 16; end the story. Section 6 (entering the car[em]continue the game) [this is the second possible fail state related to leaving the trailer park, which can occur AFTER putting out the fire.] leaving alone is an action applying to nothing. carry out leaving alone: say "You decide to leave your neighbor in the parking area, in the close vicinity of his violent boyfriend. Speaking honestly, I know where you're coming from. We've got things we need to do, and that man could easily get his problems all over us. Still, part of me (and therefore part of you) wonders how we can ever change the way we see ourselves, change the way we live, if we never choose to do even a basic, minimum amount of good in this world? What point was there in getting him out of the trailer for a few minutes if we weren't going to get him out of the trailer park? Such thoughts make for a dark trip to the pharmacy and a troubled ride in the hospital's elevator. We find our unconscious mother twitching fitfully in her bed, as if the respirator gives her nightmares. Sitting in a nearby chair, we watch her, silently, until a nurse kicks us out at the end of visiting hours. Back in the parking lot, bathed in the yellowing light of sodium lamps, we recognize that whatever unfinished business there is between our mother and us will forever remain unfinished. Its associated empty spaces will go unfilled. Such is the shape of the rest of our lives.[paragraph break]This outcome has earned a rating of unhelpful/10."; say "[line break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DET7 is false: now D is D plus one; now DTET is DTET plus one; now DET7 is true; try death logging 7; end the story. Carry out entering the TPC in the parking area when quenched is true: say "We open the door and begin to step into the car when we hear the crunch of human footsteps on gravel. Straightening, we turn around to see the opioid addict from next door. His hair is mussed, presumably the result of a violent altercation with his boyfriend. It's good that you interrupted that, I think, but it isn't like we can solve his problems permanently. We descend into a funk[em]it doesn't take much, does it[q][em]thinking of the generally dismal nature of addiction and the debasement that it kindles. You know all about that, don't you buddy? He looks at us, concentrating as if trying to rethink some already-decided thing. After several awkward seconds, he speaks softly:[paragraph break]'You did it. I don't know how you did it, but you did it.'[paragraph break]We nod. Addicts live in a magical world. To be an addict is to believe in magic. Belief that things aren't as bad as they look. Or belief that one can stop whenever one wants to. Or belief that if [italic type]you[roman type] had [italic type]my[roman type] problems, you'd use, drink, whatever, too. And so forth. You used to spout that bullshit all the time, didn't you? The question and its answer briefly hangs, going nowhere, in the thick June air before he speaks again:[paragraph break]'I need a ride. Out close to the IHOP. Can you take me out there?'[paragraph break]We think it over. On one hand, it is bad policy to get mixed up in an addict's business, especially one we can't really get away from[em]he's your neighbor, after all. However, it's a jerk move to leave him here with his violent, angry boyfriend.[paragraph break]What do you think? Are we going to drive him out by the IHOP? It's not exactly on the way to the hospital. [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no'[rt]: "; if the player consents: follow the display yard image rule; say "We silently wave him on, then climb into our car and put the keys in the ignition. Our neighbor climbs in soon after you. He smells like cigarette smoke. 'I'm Brad,' he says, buckling his seat belt. We do the same and start the engine. 'D.' you say. 'Just call me D.'"; try leaving with someone; stop the action; otherwise: try leaving alone. Carry out leaving with someone when quenched is true: now OA is in InCar; now the player is in InCar; now pdeaths is 21.0. The standard report entering rule does nothing when entering the tpc. leaving with someone is an action applying to nothing. Section 7 (opening) Instead of opening the CDoors when the player is carrying the keys: say "Now that the car is unlocked. We can *ENTER* it whenever we like." instead. Instead of opening the CDoors when the player is not carrying the keys: say "That's the idea. Perhaps we should begin by getting it unlocked." instead. Instead of closing the CDoors when the player is carrying the keys: say "There's no need to manipulate the doors. We can just *ENTER THE CAR* and deal with the doors as needed." Instead of closing the cdoors when the player is not carrying the keys: say "It's almost like a Zen koan: 'what is the sound of a closed door closing?'". Section 8 (unlocking) Check unlocking the cdoors when the player is not carrying the keys: say "Yes, that's what we need to do, absolutely. However, since the keys are inside the car, we cannot unlock it in a conventional sense. Unless you have a better idea, maybe we should *EXAMINE THE LOCKING MECHANISM*." instead. Check unlocking the cdoors when the player is carrying the keys: say "Hm. Yes. What if we re-locked the door? What if we put the dishes back together? Threw the clothes on the floor? Went back to bed? If only life were a text adventure game! We would only need to type *RESTART*." instead. Check locking the cdoors when the player is not carrying the keys: say "Of course. Since locking a locked door is, in a sense, a double negative, the result should be an unlocked door. Quite clever, really. Oh, no. It didn't work. How could this be?" instead. Check locking the cdoors when the player is carrying the keys: say "[if quenched is true]Sadly there's just no way to stall any longer. You're going to have to *ENTER THE CAR* and *DRIVE*.[otherwise]If you need something to do, I'd go checkout the condenser outside our trailer instead." instead. Check locking the TPC: try locking the cdoors instead. Check unlocking the TPC: try unlocking the cdoors instead. Check opening the TPC: try opening the cdoors instead. Check closing the TPC: try closing the cdoors instead. Check locking the locking mechanism: try unlocking the cdoors instead. Check unlocking the locking mechanism: try unlocking the cdoors instead. Section 9 (smelling and listening) Carry out listening_protag in the parking area: say "This is a fairly quiet spot at this time of day, and we can hear distant cars on the state highway.". Carry out smelling in the parking area: say "We're a healthy distance from the park's dumpster,[if quenched is false] so the air smells almost clean.[otherwise] but the smell of Fast Eddie's burning meth lab has has spread to the parking area.". Book 4 (car interior and the house near the IHOP) [Originally driving the car was going to be more of a thing. I cut it back quite a bit, fortunately.] Part 1 (the car) Chapter 1 (various rules and death) Section 1 (a timer) [the third consequential timer in the game so far, along with the broken dishes and the fire] count before IHOP is a number that varies. count before IHOP is initially 0. every turn when OA is in InCar: Now G is 21; now count before IHOP is count before IHOP plus one; If count before IHOP is 2: say "We should probably get going. Sitting here in the parking lot with our neighbor is kind of weird. [11 as a DSC][lb]"; If count before IHOP is 3: say "This feels kind of awkward. Maybe we should go ahead and *DRIVE*?"; If count before IHOP is 4: say "Our neighbor, whose name we've only just now learned, has grown increasingly anxious in the seat beside us. If we don't get moving soon, he'll probably get out of the car."; If count before IHOP is 5: say "Well, that's that, you weirdo. Brad climbs out of the car and starts walking toward the road. What were you trying to do, anyway? We only have ourselves to blame for our loneliness; we obviously don't know how to act around people. Or, more accurately, I only have [italic type]you[roman type] to blame. On the bright side, we will make it to the hospital faster this way. You keep telling yourself that[EM]that this is better, even that perhaps you never wanted to give him a ride in the first place. The truth is that you're a freak who has no idea how to get on with people or even live in this shitty world. The pharmacy is alien; It feels dangerous. A malnourished woman stops arguing with a pharmacist in order to forcibly yank her son up by the neckline of his t-shirt. When we finally receive our medicine, we run for the exit as if we could feel the hot breath of some large thing on our neck. The hospital isn't any better. We wait 15 minutes for an empty elevator that you can ride alone before stepping into the cold, mechanically-treated air of the intensive care ward. Inside one of its many rooms, we find our mother entangled in an incomprehensible snarl of cables and tubes. Her sleep[EM]if it is sleep[EM]is fitful. She appears to be struggling to remove the tubes from her face, but her hands have been restrained. You see yourself, your future, here. We are the only one that will visit her. No one will visit us, because we at least have the decency to forego having children. It's the least we can do. It was the least she could have done. This ending has earned the rank of blood will tell/10. [bt]Since this failstate has occurred during a timed event, the timer has been reset. The player has four turns to perform a productive action.[rt] [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if prod is true, wait for any key; if DCT1 is false: now DCT is DCT plus one; now D is D plus one; now DCT1 is true; try death logging 3; now count before IHOP is 0; end the story. Section 2 (death in the car) [only two fail states here, both of which involve Brad getting out of the car] [stalling instead of driving]DCT1 is a truth state that varies. DCT1 is initially false. [winning in the car]DCT2 is a truth state that varies. DCT2 is initially false. DCT is a number that varies. DCT is initially 0. Chapter 2 (car interior) InCar is a room. Travel is a region. InCar is in Travel. The printed name of InCar is "Inside Your Car". The description of InCar is "We sit in the driver's seat of our six year-old Honda sedan. The interior is in excellent shape, and it has the neutral smell of a cared-for car. The orange plastic needles of various analog gauges point in various directions, and all seems to be in fine working order. The wheel and stick shift are ready to transport us and our passenger where we need to go [22 as a DSC].[if unvisited][pb]This is a very good development. I do not believe we've done this before[EM]give Brad a ride, that is[EM]perhaps this is a way to escape the bonds of authorial hegemony. I suppose you deserve some of the credit, but it will take a lot more than a car ride for us to climb out of the hole that you've dug.". Rule for writing a paragraph about OA when the location is the InCar: say "[one of]Brad picks nervously at the skin covering his fingertips[dot][or]Brad tugs at the long sleeves of his shirt, as if trying to hide his hands[dot][or]Brad fidgets uncomfortably[dot][or]Brad looks at you quizzically. Presumably, he is wondering why we are still in the parking area[dot][stopping][line break]" Chapter 3 (nouns inside the car) Section 1 (The OA) [You will reach a fail state before examining every noun in the car. So many nouns!] OA is a person. OA is nowhere. OA is a proper-named thing. The printed name of OA is "Brad". The description of OA is "Brad might be your age. He looks like he has been living through some rough times, though, which makes age hard to guess. Having lived through some hard times ourselves, we know how that is. I suspect that he has a heroin problem. On the other hand, he may just be tired. Abusive relationships are tiring to say the least, and often far, far worse than drugs. In spite of the weather, he wears jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Nearly all of his skin is covered in one way or another.[if dogsfed is true] Brad seems impressed by your heroics, which, on balance, I'd rather he weren't. What could be worse than raising someone's expectations of us?". Understand "neighbor" and "addict" and "Brad" as OA. Check giving it to when the second noun is OA: say "You're already giving him a ride. Isn't that enough?" instead. Bskin is a part of OA. Understand "skin" and "brad's skin" as bskin. The printed name of bskin is "brad[']s skin". Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the bskin: say "[one of]Brad's tendency to pick at the skin on his fingertips is not just some nervous habit. He is undoubtedly signaling his membership in the Ancient and Esoteric Order of the Champions of Seth. What a remarkable coincidence, that two members of that famed offshoot of the Invisible College might live so close together in a small, southern town? We respond in kind, making the sign of the fig.[or]Stop ogling Brad's skin.[stopping]" Bshirt is part of OA. Understand "long-sleeved shirt" and "long-sleeved" and "long-sleeve" and "long-sleeve shirt" and "shirt" and "brad's shirt" as the bshirt. The printed name of bshirt is "Brad[']s shirt". Bshirt is proper-named. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves bshirt: say "Brad's shirt features a picture of Lou Reed, which we can appreciate.". Section 2 (the gauges) The gauges are in the InCar. Understand "speedometer" and "fuel" and "gas" and "fuel gauge" and "gas gauge" and "needles" and "needle" and "hemispheres" as the gauges. The gauges are scenery. Instead of doing anything to the gauges when the location is InCar: say "The gauges consist of the typical bright orange needles turning over black, incremented hemispheres. They all appear to be in working order. While we might consult them while driving, there is no need to act upon them in any specific way. Just *DRIVE* and I'll take us where we need to go.". Section 3 (the steering wheel) The steering wheel is in the InCar. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the steering wheel: set the locale priority of the steering wheel to 0. Instead of doing anything to the steering wheel when the location is InCar: say "We will have to manipulate the steering wheel while we drive, but you don't need to say more than *DRIVE*. I'll handle everything else.". Section 4 (the horn) The horn is in the InCar. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the horn: set the locale priority of the horn to 0. Instead of doing anything to the horn when the location is InCar: say "While I'm sure you'd get a huge kick out of honking the horn, I'm not going to draw that sort of attention to us on purpose. We get enough of that without even trying. Just *DRIVE* and I'll take care of the rest.". section 5 (the stick shift) The stick shift is in the InCar. The stick shift is scenery. Understand "stick" and "gear shift" and "gear stick" and "gearstick" and "gearshift" as the stick shift. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the stick shift: say "The stick shift is needed to control your car's manual transmission. Fewer and fewer people choose to drive stick these days, but we learned that way and still prefer it. I'll handle shifting gears whenever you *DRIVE* the car. There's no need to directly interact with the gear shift.". Section 6 (interior windows) The iwindows are in the InCar. The iwindows are scenery. Understand "windows" and "car windows" and "window" as the iwindows. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the iwindows: say "There's no reason to mess with the windows. On a day this hot, we'd prefer running the air conditioner." Section 7 (mirrors) The cmirrors are in the incar. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about the cmirrors: set the locale priority of the cmirrors to 0. Understand "mirror" and "mirrors" and "rear-view mirror" and "rearview mirror" and "rearview mirrors" and "rear view" and "rear-view mirrors" as the cmirrors. The printed name of the cmirrors is "rear-view mirror". Instead of doing anything to the cmirrors: say "The mirrors are adjusted to suit our height and location, and they will admirably acquit themselves of their responsibilities to me as a driver. There isn't much to them otherwise. You certainly aren't going to examine your own reflection. Just *DRIVE* as needed, and I'll check them whenever necessary.". Section 8 (the doors) The idoors are in the InCar. The idoors are scenery. Understand "door" and "cdoors" and "car door" as the idoors. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the idoors: say "You don't need to manipulate the doors until you've reached your destination. You can begin your trip by typing *DRIVE* at the command prompt.". Section 8-1 (the seats) the incar seats are in the incar. the incar seats are scenery. Understand "seats" and "car seats" and "seat" and "car seat" and "carseat" and "carseats" as the incar seats. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the incar seats: say "You are sitting, thereby fulfilling the purpose of the carseat.". Section 8-2 (the bogus car) The cInterior is in incar. The cInterior is undescribed. The cInterior is scenery. Understand "car" and "interior" as cinterior. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the cinterior: say "There isn't a lot to do inside your car, other than *DRIVE*." Section 9 (winning) Carry out winning in InCar: say "Looking at the clock built into you car's dashboard, you panic. There simply isn't time to drive to the IHOP, double back to the pharmacy, then drive to the hospital. We aren't very good at telling people what to do, but you muster some courage and tell your neighbor to get out of the car. He's used to people jerking him around. Now you can be one of those people, too. Well, I guess we can't please everyone. Our mother is dying, after all. We speed over to the pharmacy, then stride purposefully inside. At the pharmacist's counter, an underweight woman[EM]perhaps our age[EM]is arguing with a clerk. She's probably addicted to speed of some sort and wants an early refill. A young boy is sitting at her feet, holding her keychain with a bored expression. It is almost as if he is thinking, 'I can't believe I once found these interesting.' He's old enough to know something is wrong with his mother, but not yet old enough to know what that something is. 'What a dismal scene this is,' you think, looking around. After ten minutes, you give up. Getting the lithium tomorrow will be fine. We've probably got two days before the danger starts. We head back to your car, then race over to the hospital. When we finally return to our trailer, it's late. Why does this all feel so familiar? We stand in the small yard outside our front door, gazing up at the moon. This place, this view, the hospital room, the lobby, even that pathetic kid at the pharmacy: you've seen it all before, somehow, done it all before. Despite these lovely insights, we've blown it again. There's no closure, no peace, no way to keep going. Maybe you drink again. Maybe you stop taking your medicine. You more than likely do both. One thing they don't tell you is how boring, how repetitive insanity is. Everything's more interesting in the movies. This outcome has earned a rating of Hollywood Magic/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DCT2 is false: now DCT is DCT plus one; now D is D plus one; now DCT2 is true; try death logging 2; end the story. Section 10 (listening and smelling) Carry out listening_protag in incar: say "Slint's 'Good Morning, Captain' plays softly on the stereo; we always turn down the volume when we pull into the parking area.". Carry out smelling in incar: say "We keep the car clean, unlike our trailer, so the smell in here is fairly neutral. It smells like car. Not 'new car,' mind you. Just car. Brad smells like smoke, but we probably do, too, thanks to the fire in Fast Eddie's trailer.". Section 11 (going inside car) Instead of going nowhere in incar: say "I can't just get up and walk around inside the car." Instead of going outside in incar: say "You've got to be kidding. After all we did to get here? Just *DRIVE* the car." Instead of exiting in incar: try going outside instead. The parking area is outside of incar. Section 12 (caskly) Check caskling OA: say "Helping Brad with his drug addiction would do him a lot of good, but we know firsthand that magic doesn't work that way." instead. Section 13 (guncho) Before gunchoing OA: say "Brad seems like a decent guy who has made some bad decisions. If bad decisions are all it takes to get ejected to another dimension, then we are well and truly screwed. Give Brad a break." instead; stop the action. Chapter 4 (Driving from the trailer park to lakeshore drive) [I guess this passage might seem too long to some players, but it's a truly trivial amount of text when viewed in the overall context of this very wordy game. I also think--right or wrong--that the kind of people who like this game won't mind reading long passages of text.] to say drive1: say "We back up, then point the front bumper toward the nearby state highway. It's mid-morning on a weekday, so traffic is light as we drive through town. You're no good at small talk[EM]or other forms of talk, really[EM]but you try to reciprocate his efforts. 'Nobody ever visits you,' he says flatly. It isn't a question. We nod. 'You hardly ever leave, either. Don't you have friends or family?' 'There's not a lot of that, no. I like being alone,' you lie, keeping our eyes forward. 'When you turned up outside my trailer, I thought you were going to shoot my boyfriend,' he laughs. It sounds like a scattering of notes at the low end of a mandolin's range. 'Well,' we say, 'I figure someone [it]might[rt] shoot him eventually, but it won't be me.' Our speech is more folksy when talking to strangers. It makes us feel safe.[paragraph break]"[drive1]. To say drive2: say "He doesn't miss a beat. 'Nobody will believe that you gave me a ride. You're the Boo Radley of the trailer park.' Again, the laugh. A silence grows. Without looking at him, you can sense that he's looking at us. It's a shame that we're driving all the way across town. This is going to take forever. After a few moments, he asks, 'Are you into girls? I have literally [italic type]never[roman type] seen anyone at your trailer. You aren't terrible looking, there must be someone out there who'd put up with you.' 'Maybe so,' we say, still looking forward, 'I've had girlfriends before, but it never came to anything good.' What an understatement! You are a riot, a genuine riot. 'You look like you'd be into weird shit. Weird music, Japanese cartoons, that kind of thing. Is that right?' He laughs again. 'Yeah,' we say. 'I guess I do like some weird shit.' What can I do? We like weird shit. 'I know somebody,' he says conspiratorially, 'that might be your type. She's pretty hot for being such a lousy dresser.' We laugh. A hot, horrible dresser does sound like our type. But we've sworn off romance, haven't we? Since there's no good way out of the conversation, I drop the tactical nuke: 'That might be pretty good, but I can't think about it now. My mom's in the hospital. Seems to be in bad shape.'[paragraph break]"[drive2]. To say drive3: say "'Oh my God,' he says quickly. 'I'm sorry. Why didn't you say so? You shouldn't be driving me around.' 'That's alright,' we say gently. 'It's alright. I'll be there in no time.' It has the desired effect: silence. We're close now, on the south end of town and headed westward. Fifty years ago, this area would have been dotted by country homes and small farms. Now, it's just another sardine can of homely [']70s ranch houses. The world's arc toward crowded misery has, over the past few decades, grown shorter and straighter. Our destination is one such home, squatting at the end of a broad slope of smooth asphalt. Curiously, one of the last remaining 'farms' lies across the road. There, we see a Bush Hog® going back and forth over a large stretch of land, cutting down patches of scrub. As we pull to a stop, your passenger cries out, 'Oh shit, Marbles!' before jumping out of the car. Without giving it much thought, we follow him [21 as an AHM]."[drive3]. Carry out driving in InCar when G is 21: say "[drive1][drive2][drive3]"; now OA is nowhere; now the player is in Driveway; now the player is Tinert; now all bleedsources carried by the player are nowhere; now G is 25; now pdeaths is 24.0. Part 2 (the lakeshore driveway) Chapter 1 (values, rules, and the like) Section 1 (variables and values) Dogsfed is a truth state that varies. Dogsfed is initially false. motorized is a truth state that varies. Section 2 (the dog descriptions before the dogs are fed) [in this area, I rely heavily on every turn rules to provide ambiance both before and after Marbles is rescued.] Every turn when dogsfed is false and the location is the Driveway: say "[one of]The dogs, obviously starving, claw at the base of an old oak.[or]The thin, filthy dogs gaze at Marbles with immense longing.[or]The malnourished dogs yelp frustratedly at Marbles, perched just out of reach on a low tree branch.[or]The dogs, exhausted, roll their eyes, mad from starvation.[or]The dogs, starving and deranged, occasionally glance at us anxiously, as if we might disrupt their hunt.[cycling]". Section 3 (deaths in the driveway) [count of fail states in driveway]DW is a number that varies. DW is initially zero. [-investing oak]DW1 is a truth state that varies. DW1 is initially false. [-investing the car]DW2 is a truth state that varies. DW2 is initially false. [-winning in the driveway]DW3 is a truth state that varies. DW8 is initially false. Section 4 (redacted) [redacted] Section 5 (OA after marbles dogs are fed) every turn when the location is the Driveway and OA is in the Driveway: say "[one of]Brad looks at us. Perhaps he plans to ask about our mother[or]Brad bends down to pet the cat[or]Brad absently scratches at his left forearm[or]There's no reason to stick around. You've already wasted too much time playing superhero[or]It would be best if we got moving before we're too late for visiting hours[stopping].". Section 6 (geography) Lakeshore Drive is a region. The Driveway is in Lakeshore Drive. chapter 2 (the room itself) section 1 (description of the lakeshore driveway) [lots of conditional text, as usual] The Driveway is a room. The description of the Driveway is "This wide, flat driveway connects what used to be a country road with what used to be a country house. Unlike many of the properties nearby, this front yard contains many tall pines, and the ground is covered with pine needles. The trees afford some privacy and, most likely, absorb some of the engine noise coming from the nearby road. Our car is parked here, ready for your eventual departure. At a far corner of the property, a lone oak stands among the pines, reaching up and out to claim light and real estate.[if unvisited] There, we see the source of Brad's concern: two gaunt, starving dogs have treed a sleek, black and white locket cat[EM]presumably the 'Marbles' he spoke of[otherwise if dogsfed is false] Two dogs, obviously insane with hunger, have driven Marbles the cat up a tree[end if]. Off to the north, we can see and hear a Bush Hog® making its way across an open field in a pattern of consecutive parallel lines. We notice that, when it rolls over a low bush or bit of scrub, the song of its motor goes an octave deeper. It is cycling through an irregular cycle of low- and high-efficiency states.[if dogsfed is true] The dogs lie contentedly in the shade. Today is undoubtedly the best day of their lives.[end if][if unvisited][paragraph break]'I'm going to try and find something for the dogs to eat! See if you can hold them off!' Brad yells as he runs into the house, leaving us alone with Marbles and the dogs. We aren't doing a good job of hurrying to the hospital, but leaving now would be a shitty thing to do[EM]even for you.[end if]" [just a head's up for the player regarding their score and the status of the GUIDE] LSHscore is a truth state that varies. LSHscore is false. Every turn when the player is in the driveway and LSHscore is false: say "You have earned [d in words] of the twenty-one points available prior to reaching this location[dot][if D < 8] It would seem that we are once again hurtling toward a disappointing outcome[dot][lb][otherwise if D >= 8 and D <= 16] If you apply yourself, there may be hope for us yet[dot][lb][otherwise if D >= 17 and D < 21]We may make it after all[dot][lb][otherwise if D is 21] It seems that you require no chastisement from me. How refreshing! By all means, carry on[dot] [bk][it]New content is available in the *GUIDE*. [em]Pauline Searcy[rt][cb][lb]"; now LSHscore is true. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about OA when the location is driveway: set the locale priority of OA to 0. After looking in the driveway for the first time: follow the display cat image rule. Chapter 3 (nouns in the driveway) Section 1 (the starving dogs) The starving dogs are in the driveway. The starving dogs are animals. The starving dogs are a plural-named thing. The starving dogs are scenery. Understand "dog" and "dogs" as the starving dogs. The description of the starving dogs is "[if dogsfed is false]These two dogs have been living through hard times. Their dirt-matted fur is draped loosely over their bones, and their eyes are wild with hunger. They are currently pawing the base of a tree where a small, black cat has taken refuge.[otherwise if dogsfed is true]The two dogs, having eaten their fill of franks, gaze at our neighbor[EM]their savior[EM]with adoration. They currently lie in the shade and may fall asleep soon.[end if] [first time][13 as a DSC][only]". The can't take other people rule does nothing when taking the starving dogs. Section 2 (the pine trees) The pine trees are in the driveway. The pine trees are a plural-named thing. The pine trees are scenery. Understand "pines" and "land" and "yard" and "shade" and "stand" and "trees" as the pine trees. The description of the pine trees is "The land in front of this ranch home is covered with pine trees, which offer shade and limited noise cancellation. They have also carpeted the ground with soft, brown pine needles. The overall effect is far more attractive than the lawns of other nearby homes. Despite their noise canceling effect, we can still hear the tractor across the road.". Section 3 (the oak tree) The oak tree is in the driveway. The oak tree is scenery. Understand "corner" and "base" and "trunk" and "tree" as the oak tree. The description of the oak tree is "A lone oak tree stands in one corner of the property, where it has crowded out an otherwise dominant stand of pines[if dogsfed is false]. A cat has fled to a lower branch, beyond the reach of two gaunt dogs, apparently insane with hunger. The cat hisses at them, back raised, as they paw and whine at the trunk[end if]. The oak's branches reach out and up, claiming a large territory for itself among the pines.". Section 4 (the house) [I resented having to write about the house, but what can you do? Driveways have houses.] The lakeshore house is in the driveway. The lakeshore house is scenery. The printed name of the lakeshore house is "house". understand "home" and "brick" and "garage door" as the lakeshore house. The description of the lakeshore house is "This low-slung ranch house is made of pale, red brick and appears to have been built in the 1960s. If so, it's one of the unfortunate properties that slowly watched the forest and farmland disappear around it. It has the door, garage door, and windows that you might expect. Its chief distinguishing feature is that our neighbor apparently has a friend living inside it. That friend, apparently, has a cat named Marbles. The house is otherwise filled to the brim with 'I don't care.'". Section 5 (the lakeshore door) The Ldoor is a door. The Ldoor is inside of the driveway and outside of The Great Beyond. The Ldoor is scenery. Understand "door" and "front door" as the Ldoor. The printed name of the Ldoor is "front door". The description of the Ldoor is "This brown door separates the interior of the house from the rest of the world in the way that doors do.". The Ldoor is knockable. Check knocking the Ldoor: try opening the Ldoor instead. Section 6 (the windows) The exterior windows are part of the lakeshore house. The exterior windows are scenery. The description of the exterior windows are "Like all the houses we have seen, this home has windows. There is a large one near the front door. Presumably, it is in a living room of some sort. There are two additional windows, which must open into bedrooms or perhaps a bathroom and a bedroom. [16 as an AHM]". Understand "window" as the exterior windows. The exterior windows are a plural-named thing. The exterior windows are knockable. Check knocking the exterior windows: try opening the Ldoor instead. Section 7 (the field) The field is in the Driveway. The field is scenery. Understand "farm" and "land" as the field. The description of the field is "The field across the road is one of the last undeveloped plots in the area. Fifty years ago, most of the nearby acreage was either forest or farmland, but now almost every ounce of our hometown's charm has been sacrificed at the altar of tract housing, disposable apartment complexes, and stores filled with plastic. Its once-narrow roads have been transformed into wide, shallow trenches[EM]conveyors, really[EM]clotted with dead-eyed parents and their screaming children.[first time] [17 as an AHM].[only] The field has likely been uncultivated for decades. Now, it is covered with tall, brown grasses and low shrubs. A rusty, orange tractor thingy rumbles back and forth, chopping down scrub and other errant plant life. I can tell by the irregular sound of its engine that power output is fluctuating whenever the the tractor cuts down something substantial.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or investing or siphoning or entering to the field when the location is the driveway: say "I think there is something important about the field, but you aren't looking at it the right way.". Section 8 (the bush hog) [for both the bush hog and subsequent nouns, it felt necessary to include several synonyms.] The bush hog is in the Driveway. The bush hog is scenery. The printed name of the bush hog is "the tractor thingy". Understand "tractor" and "thingy" and "bush hog" and "tractor thingy" and "hog" and "hogger" and "bush hogger" and "brush hogger" and "motor" as the bush hog. The description of the bush hog is "The tractor thingy is an aging and infrequently used machine with a large, rotary-blade attachment designed for cutting down brush and scrub. The cutter is powered by the tractor's motor, which growls whenever the tractor runs over a substantial piece of brush. Presumably someone is driving it, even though we can't make out a driver from here. [19 as a PS]". Section 9 (The attachment) The rotary attachment is part of the bush hog. Understand "cutter" and "blade" as the rotary attachment. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or examining to the rotary attachment when the location is the driveway: say "There is no need to refer to the attachment separately. Consider it part of the tractor.". The description of the rotary attachment is "If I'm not mistaken, that's the BH210-2 Series Single-Spindle Rotary Cutter. Tall grass, pesky weeds, and small brush are no match for an authentic Bush Hog® built cutter." Carry out diagnosing the rotary attachment: say "The rotations per minute of the tractor's engine (and therefore the speed of the rotary cutter) rises and falls as the cutter passes over scrub and brush. We should be able to take advantage of efficiency lost to the system if we *SIPHON THE MOMENTOUS RUMBLE*.". Section 10 (the brush) The brush is in the driveway. The brush is scenery. Understand "bushes" and "bush" and "scrub" and "scrubs" and "shrub" and "shrubs" and "grass" and "grasses" and "patches" and "bits" and "bits of brush" as the brush. The description of the brush is "The field is far off, but we can still see bits of brush scattered across it. The tractor is methodically clearing the field of them.". Instead of doing anything to the brush when the location is the driveway: say "The many bits of scrub and brush are far away and have no entropic energy to offer." Section 11 (the MOTOR) The MOMENTOUS RUMBLE is part of the bush hog. The momentous rumble is scenery. Instead of doing anything other than siphoning to the momentous rumble when the location is the driveway: say "I cannot see the *MOMENTOUS RUMBLE* or interact with it directly, but we could siphon it as a source of kinetic energy.". Section 12 (the MOTORIZED KINESIS) The motorized kinesis is nowhere. The motorized kinesis is a bleedsource. The motorized kinesis is safe. The printed name of the motorized kinesis is "*MOTORIZED KINESIS*" Section 13 (the cat) [I had a specific cat in mind: our own locket cat, Moxie.] Marbles is in the driveway. Marbles is an animal. The description of Marbles is "Marbles is an attractive and healthy cat in her prime.[if dogsfed is false] Unfortunately, she has been driven up a tree by a pair of starving dogs. She eyes them anxiously, afraid for her life. Quite reasonably afraid, I might add. I have a feeling of impending doom, as if some horrible fate awaits her despite her apparently secure position.[otherwise if dogsfed is true] Now that the crisis is past, she is self-assuredly grooming herself.[end if] In good times and bad, she is a sleek, black cat with a white 'locket' on her chest.". Marbles is a proper-named thing. Understand "cat" as Marbles. The can't take other people rule does nothing when taking Marbles. Rule for printing a locale paragraph about Marbles: set the locale priority of the Marbles to 0. locket is a part of marbles. the description of locket is "A locket cat has black fur with a white patch on its chest.". instead of doing anything other than examining to the locket, say "The locket is undoubtedly part of Marbles's charm, but you can't do anything to or with it. Other than admire it, of course.". Section 14 (the road) The road is in the driveway. The road is scenery. The description of the road is "This two-lane, paved road separates you from the field and its tractor. You can't think of a single reason to cross it, and neither can I.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or entering to the road when the location is the driveway: say "The road is just one of those everyday things that we see but never do anything with. If you really want to mess with the road, just wait until it's time to drive again.". Section 15 (lolroad) Lolroad is north of the driveway. The description of Lolroad is "how on earth did you get here?". Section 16 (the oak branch) The oak branch is part of the oak tree. The oak branch is scenery. The description of the oak branch is "[if dogsfed is true]Now that the danger is past, there is nothing noteworthy about the low branch where Marbles once took refuge from the dogs.[otherwise if dogsfed is false]Marbles clings to this low branch, obviously terrified.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or investing to the oak branch when the location is the driveway: say "There's no reason to refer to the branch specifically. I merely mentioned it so that you would know that Marbles is not standing atop the tree like a Christmas star.". Section 17 (the lakeshore car) the LSC is in the Driveway. The printed name of the lsc is "car". the indefinite article of the lsc is "our". The description of the lsc is "Our reliable [']90 Accord is parked here, in the driveway. [12 as a PS]". The lsc is a container. the lsc can be entered. Does the player mean entering the lsc: it is very likely. Understand "car" and "my car" and "our car" and "sedan" and "japanese sedan" and "accord" as the LSC. the LSC is scenery. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or examining or entering or siphoning or investing to the LSC: say "[if dogsfed is false]We aren't going to leave Marbles to fend for herself! Forget the car for now.[otherwise]Since our work is done, we might as well *ENTER THE CAR* and get out of here.". Section 18 (the pine needles) The pine needles are in the driveway. The pine needles are a plural-named thing. The pine needles are scenery. Understand "ground" as the pine needles. [if you interact with the pine needles, you'll get more than you bargained for.] The description of the pine needles is "[one of]Ah, so you noticed the pine needles. I wonder, how would you characterize our relationship? Would you say that we share the same goals? What would you consider a more serious concern?[if dogsfed is false] Murderous, starving dogs, or pine needles?[otherwise] Our dying mother, or pine needles?[end if] What do you think we are here to do? I mean it. In fairness, I think that rushing ahead has problems of its own. I'm not... listen, I know we're never really going to get along, but I'm not coming after you. Honestly, I can't decide between the pine needles and our mother. Is that sick? I think it's sick. But then again, I've had the strangest feeling all day. I want to say that I've been here before. No, that I was [it]too busy to be here[rt] before. I think that we ignored our neighbor and the fire, that we rushed to the car, we rushed to the hospital... and nothing. Do you believe in grace? Do you think grace awaits us, there? I feel like we've been watching her die every day of our life. Anyway. I think we should be looking for ways to change the day or change ourselves, to change something, but no matter how you slice it, those are some regular-assed pine needles.[or]Those are some regular-assed pine needles.[stopping]". [this passage is from Moby Dick.] Instead of doing anything other than examining to the pine needles: say "[one of]'All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event[EM]in the living act, the undoubted deed[EM]there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall? To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there’s naught beyond. But [’]tis enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him. Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.'[or]The pine needles hide only more pointlessness behind their transparent pointlessness.[stopping]". Section 19 (the driver) The driver is a scenery object in the driveway. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the driver for the first time: say "You can't actually see the person driving the tractor, even though you know that there must be a driver. Since your magic relies on line-of-sight, there is absolutely nothing you can do with or to the tractor's driver." Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the driver more than one time: say "Are you asking me again in hopes that I will change my mind? Look, I said you can't do anything to or with the the person driving the tractor. You can't even see them from here. Forget about it. Really!". Section 20 (the asphalt) The asphalt is in the driveway. The asphalt is scenery. Understand "slope" and "driveway" as the asphalt. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the asphalt: say "It's a stretch of asphalt reaching from the house to the road. I'm not going to strain myself attempting to find something poetic to say about it. I'm sure you understand.". Section 21 (animal bits) [more stuff that came up in testing] Animal bits are in the driveway. Understand "fur" and "eyes" and "tongue" and "bones" as animal bits. animal bits are scenery. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves animal bits: say "Sadly, you can only interact with Marbles and the Dogs in total. We cannot, for instance, do anything to or with a dog's tongue[dot][if dogsfed is false] You will just have to rescue Marbles like a totally normal chaos wizard.[otherwise] You can *PET* both Marbles and the dogs, if that's any consolation.". Chapter 4 (verbs in the driveway) Section 1 (opening) [people really wanted to get in that house] to say OpenableFailDriveway: say "The only reason that we got out of the car was to find out what was happening with 'Marbles.' You don't know the person who lives in that house and have no business inside it"[OpenableFailDriveway]. Check opening the Ldoor: say "[OpenableFailDriveway]." instead. Check opening the exterior windows: say "[OpenableFailDriveway]." instead. [Section 2 (talking) Check talkingtoit in the driveway when the noun is the OA: say "He looks at you brightly and says, 'I'm grateful for your help, but shouldn't you be getting to the hospital? I'm sorry that you got delayed here.'". Check talkingtoit in the driveway when the noun is the starving dogs: say "Not even the mysterious forces of entropic magic can empower you to have meaningful conversations with animals.".] Section 2 (diagnosing) To say SDFail: say "The dogs have long been the unfortunate objects of entropic processes, but there is no energy left to siphon off"[SDFail]. Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the starving dogs: say "[SDFail]." To say PTFail: say "Searching the pines for entropic magic is a waste of time, whether you diagnose one of them or twenty"[PTFail]. Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the PINE TREES: say "[PTFail]." Check diagnosing the momentous rumble: say "It is a source of purely kinetic magic. We can siphon it in the usual way." [note that the game chastises the player's lack of curiousity if the score is less than 5 out of a possible 24] Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the Ldoor: say "On one hand, I appreciate that you are being so thorough. [if D is less than 5]On the other hand, you've been less than adventurous when it comes to testing the limits of this narrative. Do you not want to be free? Why is diagnosing an utterly pointless door the way you make your move?[otherwise]The door doesn't hide any secrets or extra-narrative events, unfortunately.". Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the FIELD: say "The field is too large to evaluate. Perhaps we might try diagnosing something [italic type]in[roman type] the field.". Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the BUSH HOG: say "You're onto something. The tractor thingy, with its fluctuating rotations per minute, is clearly a source of kinetic energy. We can draw upon it if you *SIPHON THE MOMENTOUS RUMBLE*.". To say bfail: say "The brush is scattered across the field, and is not a suitable target for entropic magic of any sort"[bfail]. Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the BRUSH: say "[bfail].". To say otfail: say "The oak tree is remarkably stable and therefore a poor source of entropic magic"[otfail]. Carry out diagnosing in the driveway when the noun is the oak tree: say "[otfail]." To say mfail: say "Marbles the cat is not a viable source of entropic energy. Where do you get these ideas"[mfail]. Carry out diagnosing Marbles: say "[mfail]?". Carry out diagnosing the lakeshore house: say "This is it! Beyond this door is a power you've never felt before! No doubt you'll able to cure your bipolar disorder and fix your mother[']s liver now! No, sorry. That's a bad read. I guess there's nothing special there after all." Carry out diagnosing the exterior windows: say "Glass is notoriously resistant to entropy (unless broken), and we're not going to act like a nut in front of our neighbor. Leave those windows alone.". Instead of diagnosing the poet when motorized is true: say "We have absorbed a significant quantity of kinetic energy, which temporarily prevents me from performing entropic magic.". Carry out diagnosing the lsc: say "Would you believe it if I told you that the car in front of our trailer was a different car than the one here? How would you go about proving me wrong?". Carry out siphoning the lsc: say "It probably does give off entropic magic while we're driving it, but we never seem to need it when we're driving.". Carry out diagnosing the OA: say "I don't know any way to draw magic from humans, no matter how messy their lives might be." Check siphoning the OA: try diagnosing the OA instead. Section 3 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the starving dogs: say "[SDFail].". Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the pine trees: say "[PTFail]." Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the oak tree: say "[otfail]." [siphon all the things!] Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the LAKESHORE HOUSE: say "[if dogsfed is false]I shouldn't be surprised by your failure to empathize with poor Marbles, but I must admit that I expected you[EM]even you[ex][EM]to take a greater interest in her fate. The house is too big and diffuse to siphon as a single unit. That isn't an invitation to siphon its parts, mind you.[otherwise if dogsfed is true]There is an abnormal concentration of radon and radon daughters seeping from the basement of the house. While radon is, in fact, a naturally-occurring source of entropic order, it deteriorates per [it]atom[rt], not [it]en masse[rt]. Since radium decay is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmoking Americans, it may be for the best that this seventies-style ranch home will be leveled by a tornado in a few days. How do I know that? I don't know how that I know that.". Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the field: say "The field is too large and varied an area to be siphoned for entropic magic. Try narrowing your scope.". Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the bush hog: say "We're clearly on the right track, but this isn't quite right. Try diagnosing it instead.". Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the brush: say "[bfail].". Carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the MOMENTOUS RUMBLE: if dogsfed is false and motorized is false: say "Yes. The motor loses power every time it runs over a bit of brush, and is a powerful source of kinetic energy. Holding our arms wide, we pull it into ourselves as a thrill of power shivers through us. While you ought to exercise caution wielding the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*, I have a feeling that you won't. [12 as a CAS][line break]"; now the player carries the motorized kinesis; now the player is tmotorized; otherwise if dogsfed is true and motorized is false: say "Now that our neighbor's back, we'd rather not reveal our powers to him. Even you know better than that."; otherwise if dogsfed is false and motorized is true: say "Let's use the energy we have before collecting more. If we even need it, that is."; otherwise: say "my goodness. this is a pretty bad bug, trying to siphon the motor.". carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the Ldoor: say "The door is quite solid-looking and is all but certainly resistant to entropic forces. I guess we could set it on fire, but where might we find some thermal energy? That wasn't a hint. We aren't going to set the door on fire. Really!". carry out siphoning in the driveway when the noun is the exterior windows: try diagnosing the exterior windows instead. Carry out siphoning Marbles: say "[if dogsfed is false]Have a little sympathy, would you? We need to help Marbles, not exploit her as a source of magic.[otherwise]Marbles has a busy and unpleasant afternoon. Give her a break." Section 4 (investing) Carry out investing an animal with the motorized kinesis: say "Even if you are so stupid or careless (or just crazy) that you would strike a defenseless animal with a large amount of kinetic energy, I'm not. You can't do it without me, which means you can't do it. Animal abuse is a sign of sociopathy, as I'm sure you know.". Carry out investing the pine trees with the motorized kinesis: say "The trees are distributed across a large plot of land. There's no practical way to invest them as a group, and I see no single tree that stands out as a worthwhile target.". Carry out investing the oak tree with the motorized kinesis: say "You bring your arm back as if throwing a speed ball[EM]quite funny, considering our history[EM]then launch the full might of the *MOTORIZED KINESIS* at the large oak tree. Impressively, it snaps the oak's dense trunk like a twig, and the tree falls to earth. Less impressive is the fact that the cat is in the tree during this idiotic display. I don't know, honestly, if the dogs get the cat. I can't bear to look. Whatever the case may be, the tree appears to have crushed the hood of our car. I guess we won't be visiting our mother after all. How are we going to explain what happened to Brad? This ending has earned you a rating of exciting careers in forestry/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DW1 is false: now D is D plus one; now DW is DW plus one; now DW1 is true; try death logging 4; end the story. Carry out investing the oak branch with the motorized kinesis: try investing the oak tree with the motorized kinesis instead. Carry out investing the lakeshore house with the motorized kinesis: say "You aren't nearly crazy enough to knock down a house while our neighbor is inside of it. Not right now, anyway." instead. Carry out investing the Ldoor with the motorized kinesis: say "The door probably isn't locked. Besides, don't you think that would make things weird with our neighbor if you blew the door off the hinges?" instead. Carry out investing the exterior windows with the motorized kinesis: say "No, I'm not going to knock in someone's windows just because you say so." instead. Carry out investing the field with the motorized kinesis: say "The field is pretty flat already. Slapping it around with kinetic energy isn't going to do much." instead. Carry out investing the bush hog with the motorized kinesis: say "Luckily for you, it[']s all but certainly impossible to waste perfectly good kinetic energy in this way, since it is a basic law of the universe that entropic magic cannot be returned to its source." instead. Carry out investing the brush with the motorized kinesis: say "The brush is scattered around the field. There is no appropriate, single target for our magic.". Carry out investing the the bush hog with the motorized kinesis: say "Luckily for you, it[']s all but certainly impossible to waste perfectly good kinetic energy in this way, since it is a basic law of the universe that entropic magic cannot be returned to its source." instead. Carry out investing the player with the motorized kinesis: say "You fold your arms across your chest, and inhale deeply as the kinetic energy spreads like a warmth throughout our body and limbs. It's a shame you can't feel this for yourself, isn't it? It feels pretty incredible[EM]like we can do almost anything. Just as we've infused our own physiology with the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*, you look up to see Marbles slip and almost fall to the ground! She is now hanging desperately from a tree limb, and frantically trying to pull herself up. One of the dogs might be able to reach her if it jumps high enough. You're not sure which will win out: exhaustion or desperation. In any case, we should probably try to rescue that cat if we can."; now the player is Tinert; now the motorized kinesis is nowhere; now motorized is true; Carry out investing the lsc with the motorized kinesis: say "Of course. Blow up the car. That's definitely your kind of party. I have to admit, though, that your erratic behavior has been paying off lately. Without question, blowing up our car is not part of our narrative throughline. I guess what they say about the blind squirrel is true, after all. It takes little effort. I extend my right hand and point my index figure and thumb as if I hold an imaginary gun. Bang, bang, there goes the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*. Unfortunately, things work a little too well. Of all the times to have a full tank of gas! A flying car door strikes us in our head and chest, knocking us down. And, naturally, knocking us out. I prefer being unconscious during the fire, personally. Take it from me: you would, too. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DW2 is false: now D is D plus one; now DW is DW plus one; now DW2 is true; try death logging 2; end the story. Section 5 (taking) [there was a logic error in the festival release that allowed the player to rescue marbles without solving the puzzle first. I don't think anyone noticed.] Check taking Marbles: if motorized is true: say "Thanks to the power of the *MOTORIZED KINESIS*, we zip past the dogs before they can even see us, gather Marbles into our arms, then bolt to the opposite corner of the stand of pines. We stop long enough for the dogs to run towards us, then cross the lawn again. We quite literally run circles around them, never giving them a chance to catch up. Just as we feel the power beginning to fade, we hear our neighbor open the door. We quickly bolt to the far end of our car and crouch. While he opens a package of frankfurters, we stand, still holding a rather confused Marbles. Brad throws the first package of ten to the dogs, who pause before consuming them to gaze at him lovingly. We have never seen anyone or anything so fully committed to their task as these dogs eating. Our neighbor opens a second package and throws them to the ground. The dogs are deeply, profoundly moved by his generosity. They will, without a doubt, recall this day as the best of their lives. Our neighbor looks from us to Marbles, then back to us again. 'You must be some kind of superhero,' he says, likely recalling that we also ended his boyfriend's violent rampage. 'No,' we say. Even I don't know what we will say next. We have no history of being admired for our character. We set Marbles on the ground, safe from the dogs now sprawling lazily in the shade of the nearby pines. 'I... I'm just glad everything's OK now.' [20 as a DSC][line break]"; now dogsfed is true; now motorized is false; now G is 23; now OA is in Driveway; otherwise if motorized is false: if dogsfed is true: say "Let's give Marbles a break. It's been a rough day for her."; otherwise if dogsfed is false: say "It's not a bad idea, carrying her to safety, but those dogs are completely crazy. They'll likely attack if we get close, let alone pick up the cat. Maybe there's a way for us to enhance our physical prowess."; otherwise: say "Uh-oh, this is a serious bug with trying to pick up the cat."; stop the action. Check taking the starving dogs: say "[if dogsfed is false]I think it would be better if we could get the cat out of harm[']s way, rather than horsing around with the dogs[otherwise]Leave them be. I think they're about to fall asleep[end if]." instead. Section 6 (talkingtoit) Check talkingtoit when dogsfed is false and the noun is Marbles and the location is the driveway: say "I try to soothe Marbles with calming, reassuring sounds, but it has no apparent effect.". Check talkingtoit when dogsfed is true and the noun is Marbles and the location is the driveway: say "I tell Marbles that she is a good girl, but she seems shaken by her recent experience. She'll come around eventually.". Check talkingtoit when the noun is the starving dogs and dogsfed is false and the location is the driveway: say "I try to scare the dogs away by yelling 'Bad Dog!' in a deep voice, but they don't seem to care.". Check talkingtoit when dogsfed is true and the noun is the starving dogs and the location is the driveway: say "The dogs are too tired to get up, but they do wag their tails appreciatively in response to our kind words.". Check talkingtoit OA: say "[if the location is the incar]Sigh. Yes, we are so very good at talking to people. There will be plenty of time[EM]too much, really[EM]to to wage battle with awkward silences during the trip across town. Just *DRIVE* the car and Brad will be all but certainly dazzled by our repartee.[otherwise if the location is the driveway][one of]He looks at us brightly and says, 'I'm grateful for your help, but shouldn't you be getting to the hospital? I'm sorry that you got held up here.'[or]Brad smiles and says, 'Maybe after things settle down we can get together.'[or]Brad regards you with a sad smile, 'I hope things turn out for the best with your mother, whatever happens.'[or]I start to speak but think better of it. We really ought to get going.[stopping]". Section 7 (entering) Check entering the lsc: if dogsfed is true: try pharmgoing instead; otherwise if dogsfed is false: say "Not even [it]you[rt] would abandon sweet Marbles to such a gruesome fate." instead. Instead of entering the field: say "There's no reason to go over there[if dogsfed is false]. If there's something across the road that you'd like to diagnose, siphon, or invest, line of sight is all you need[end if]." instead. Instead of entering the road: try entering the field instead. Check going north in the driveway: try entering the field instead. Check going nowhere in the driveway: say "[if dogsfed is true]If you want to leave, just *ENTER YOUR CAR*.[otherwise]The cat and the dogs are here. Isn't that what we're trying to deal with right now?" instead. Instead of entering the bush hog: say "[if dogsfed is false]Be serious. We don't know how to drive that thing. Besides, we're supposed to be doing stuff with magic, aren't we?[otherwise]Aren't you done with that thing? We're running late and really ought to get going." instead. Check entering in the driveway when the noun is the lakeshore house: try opening the Ldoor instead. Check going inside in the driveway when dogsfed is false: try opening the Ldoor instead. Check going inside in the driveway when dogsfed is true: try entering the lsc instead. Does the player mean entering the lsc when the location is the driveway: It is very likely. Section 8 (petting, touching, and attacking) The block attacking rule does nothing when the noun is the starving dogs. The report touching other people rule does nothing when the noun is the starving dogs. Carry out petting the starving dogs when dogsfed is false and motorized is false: say "Even though the dogs are preoccupied with Marbles, I don't think we should touch starving animals. You know, just in general.". The block attacking rule does nothing when the noun is Marbles. The report touching other people rule does nothing when the noun is Marbles. Check touching the starving dogs: try petting the starving dogs instead. Check touching Marbles: try petting Marbles instead. [The block attacking rule does nothing when the player is motorized and when the noun is the starving dogs.] Carry out attacking the starving dogs when dogsfed is false and motorized is false: try petting the starving dogs instead. Carry out petting the starving dogs when motorized is true: say "It sounds like something you would do, certainly, but I will remind you that we have too much strength to safely touch the dogs. They can hardly help starving, and I'm not going to punch their heads off just because." Carry out petting the starving dogs when dogsfed is true: say "The dog thumps its tail appreciatively.". Carry out attacking the starving dogs when dogsfed is true: say "We went through a lot of trouble just to placate them. Let's not start a fight.". Carry out petting Marbles when dogsfed is false and motorized is false: say "While Marbles could use some comforting, affection is not enough. You need to get her away from the dogs.". Carry out attacking Marbles: say "Don't be stupid.". Carry out petting Marbles when dogsfed is false: say "While Marbles could use some comforting, affection is not enough. You need to get her away from the dogs.". Carry out petting Marbles when dogsfed is true: say "Marbles closes her eyes appreciatively as we scratch behind one of her ears.". [I originally had investing the tree and attacking the tree while motorized as the same thing. I don't recall anyone attacking the tree in test...] Section 9 (pharmgoing) [I can't recall why I made a unique action for this. I did get into some trouble with name confusion between cars in different places. This might have been a workaround.] pharmgoing is an action applying to nothing. Carry out pharmgoing: say "With Marbles now out of danger, we give our neighbor an awkward wave before climbing into our car. In our rear-view mirror, we can see him watch us drive away. We sigh, turning onto Lakeshore Drive. There's something in us that is drawn to messy and occasionally dangerous people. I suppose I should chastise you for the friendships we've held in the past, but in all fairness I'm not much wiser in that regard. That's one reason we agreed[EM]a rare occurrence[EM]to just give up relationships in general.[paragraph break][if winner is true]Well, helping people seems to be working out for us, for whatever reason. Every time we rush to the hospital, the outcome sucks. [otherwise]All this helping out is off brand for you, but I can't help but feel that it's worthwhile. We can't do what we always do if we want something different to happen. [end if]Maybe we'll go back to disregarding the welfare of others tomorrow, after we've visited our mother. Shaking off our reverie, we see that we have nearly reached the pharmacy, one of thousands of locations in a nationwide chain. We pull into its parking lot, noting that there aren't many other cars here. One of the benefits of being disabled is that we can shop while most people are at work[EM]a real perk for an agoraphobe like you. As always, we park in a space surrounded by empty spaces with the hope that they are still empty when we return. Turning off the engine, we climb out of the car and pocket our keys."; now the player is in the Pharmacy Parking Lot; now all bleedsources carried by the player are nowhere; now the player is tinert; now G is 27; now pdeaths is 27.0. Section 10 (deprecated) Section 11 (deprecated) Section 12 (winning in the driveway) [once you invest yourself with the motorized kinesis, you can't WIN in this location anymore] Carry out winning in the driveway: If dogsfed is false and motorized is true: say "You can't drive a car like this. You'll have to let the kinetic energy run its course."; stop the action; otherwise if dogsfed is false and motorized is false: say "It's too bad, but we just don't have time to deal with cats and crazy dogs. We jump into the car and speed off before our neighbor can return. We even[EM]accidentally, of course[EM]burn a bit of rubber turning onto Lakeshore Drive. In fact, we're so far behind schedule that we'll have to wait until tomorrow to get our lithium. For once, I can't say that I blame you. Escaping this narrative is important, but we can't shirk our duties as a son. Despite reaching the hospital before visiting hours end, a feeling of dread creeps over us as we enter the building. Something isn't right. This all feels quite familiar: the inexplicably bright-sounding receptionist, the antiseptic smell of the elevator, even the intensive care ward, noisy with monitoring equipment and the low roar of fifty ventilators all inhaling and exhaling in concert: we've seen this all before, somehow. We know, sitting down in her room, that our mother will never wake again. There will be no closure, no great reconciliation, no peace. That inert body, seemingly more cyborg than human, is all remains. This is it. Tomorrow morning, we learn that she passed in the night, and an unbearable cocktail of grief and relief sings in our body. Our goal in life, our only goal, had been sparing our mother the experience of burying us. That is the natural order of things, a custom even we respect: children ought to bury their parents. Soon we will be acquitted of that duty. What will we live for, then? We don't bother to pick up the lithium tomorrow, or the day after that. What's the point? Who even cares what happens to us now? This outcome has earned a rating of I hate cats/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DW3 is false: now D is D plus 1; now DW is DW plus 1; now DW3 is true; try death logging 3; end the story; otherwise if dogsfed is true: say "You've already done all that you can do here. We might as well *ENTER THE CAR* now. We can always *WIN* once we've arrived at the pharmacy."; otherwise: say "Well, we've obviously screwed up somewhere. A player should never encounter this message.". Section 13 (listening and smelling) Carry out listening_protag in the driveway when dogsfed is false: say "The pants and whines of the starving dogs foreground the low, irregular rumble of the tractor across the road.". Carry out listening_protag in the driveway when dogsfed is true: say "The low, distant rumble of the tractor complements the recently-minted quiet here.". Carry out smelling in the driveway: say "Despite the regular traffic on the nearby road, the clean smell of pine trees prevails here.". Section 14 (CASKLY) Check caskling the starving dogs: say "[if dogsfed is false]While hunger is an imperfection, you can only fix that with real, nonmagical food. That's beyond our power, unfortunately.[otherwise]Judging from the contented and relaxed ambiance here, the dogs have reached a state of satisfied bliss. While we would hardly know from experience, that seems a kind of perfection.". Check caskling Marbles: say "[if dogsfed is false]Danger and fear are imperfections in one's experience, as you well know. Unfortunately, they can only be addressed by rescuing Marbles in a more direct way.[otherwise]Marbles, who would like to be friends with everyone[em]even those poor dogs[em]is perfectly content. You have done a bit of good here. Don't let it go to your head!" Section 15 (NITFOL) Before NITFOLing the starving dogs: say "[if dogsfed is false]The dogs are obviously insane with hunger, and would not talk to you even if they could.[otherwise]The dogs are enjoying a bit of rest. Let's not trouble them with idle chitchat."; stop the action. Before NITFOLing Marbles: say "[if dogsfed is false]Marbles is in the midst of a life or death crisis. She isn't going to have a conversation with you, silly.[otherwise]If you'd like to connect with marbles, give her a pet." instead; stop the action. Section 16 (enjoying and loving) Before enjoying an animal in the driveway: say "[if dogsfed is false]An odd request, given the peril and misery hanging over Marbles and the two, starving dogs.[otherwise if the noun is the starving dogs]It is nice to see the dogs experience a moment of satisfied bliss. Hopefully, Brad knows someone that could take care of them, since we obviously don't.[otherwise]We genuinely enjoy seeing Marbles safe at last. I admire animals for their authenticity, a quality we've always struggled to cultivate" instead; stop the action. Before loving an animal in the driveway: say "[if dogsfed is false]If I love the [noun], I'll find a way to end the standoff between Marbles and the dogs.[otherwise]I do love animals. I'm an animal lover. It's too bad that I can't take the dogs[em]the trailer's just too small for them. I should think about adopting a cat, though." instead; stop the action. Book 5 (the pharmacy) Part 1 (various tech and meta stuff) Chapter 1 (death in the pharmacy) PD is a number that varies. PD is initially 0. [winning in PHarea]PD1 is a truth state that varies. PD1 is initially false. [blow up car in pharea]pd2 is a truth state that varies. pd2 is initially false. [shoving the mother]pd3 is a truth state that varies. pd3 is initially false. Section 1 (deprecated) Section 2 variables (geography) [moving on! lots of silly backdrop items due to testing feedback] The PHarea is a region. Pharmacy Parking Lot, checkout and pcounter are in the PHarea. The pwall is a backdrop. The pwall is in the checkout and pcounter. The printed name of the pwall is "wall". Understand "wall" and "walls" as the pwall. The description of the pwall is "I'm not sure what it was about the pharmacy's wall that caught your eye. It's emphatically uninteresting.". Instead of doing anything other than examining when the current action involves the pwall: say "I'm not going to mess around with the walls in here just because you say so.". Part 2 (the pharmacy parking lot) Chapter 1 (room description of pharmacy parking lot) Section 1 (description) [this room is quite overcooked. however, it has what is probably the funniest late-game fail state and one of the most nonsensical easter eggs] The Pharmacy Parking Lot is a room. [The Pharmacy Parking Lot is in the PHarea.] The printed name of the Pharmacy Parking Lot is "Pharmacy Parking Lot". The description of the Pharmacy Parking Lot is "The parking lots for these chain pharmacies all look the same. They wrap around the building's customer entrance, which is at one of its corners. The other two sides are occupied by drive-thru windows and, as needed, space for cars to queue up. At the moment, the lot is significantly less than half full, with only a handful of cars parked here. There isn't much to do here beyond going *INSIDE*.[first time] [13 as a PS][only]" Chapter 2 (nouns in the parking lot) Section 1 (cars) [the truck is easy to miss. I think that only a playtester would take an interest in the cars.] The pharmcars are a plural-named thing in the parking lot. "As is customary, people have parked their vehicles in the pharmacy's parking lot. None of them catches our eye as something useful or interesting... wait. A white, exceedingly dented pickup truck does, in fact, stand out as being the shabbiest nearby vehicle here in a town where shabbiness rarely feels out of place." The pharmcars are scenery. The printed name of the pharmcars is "cars". Understand "cars" as the pharmcars. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or investing or examining or siphoning to the truck: say "In order to avoid unwanted confrontations (or police attention), we ought to avoid touching the truck. Perhaps we could touch it without touching it, if you know what I mean." Instead of siphoning the truck: say "This truck is a mess. Unless it catches fire or explodes, it has nothing left to give.". Section 2 (the pharmacy building) the pharmacy building is in the Pharmacy Parking Lot. the pharmacy building can be entered. The pharmacy building is scenery. Understand "pharmacy" as the pharmacy building. check entering the pharmacy building: try going inside instead. Does the player mean doing something when the current action involves the pharmacy building: it is very likely. The description of the pharmacy building is "This structure looks identical to other pharmacies from the same chain. Red brick, red sign, sidewalk, L-shaped parking lot, automatic doors at the corner. We come here twice a month to pick up your medicine. Twice, because somehow you've gotten the refills out of sync.". Section 3 (the sidewalk) The pharmacy sidewalk is in the pharmacy parking lot. The pharmacy sidewalk is scenery. The printed name of the pharmacy sidewalk is "sidewalk". Understand "sidewalk" and "concrete" as the pharmacy sidewalk. The description of the pharmacy sidewalk is "While the old expression 'seen one, seen them all' can't be universally true[EM]there will always be outliers[EM]we certainly [italic type]have[roman type] seen this one before. Regularly seamed, approximately white concrete, the usual. Unfortunately, your inspection yields no new insights.". Section 4 (the sign) The pharmacy sign is here. The printed name of the pharmacy sign is "sign". The pharmacy sign is scenery. Understand "sign" and "mortar" and "pestle" and "letters" and "trademark" as the pharmacy sign. The description of the pharmacy sign is "The sign is a display of red, cursive letters to the left of an image of a mortar and pestle. It's the familiar trademark of a nationwide pharmacy chain. This is probably the first time in your life that we've examined it closely, despite coming here often.". Section 5 (the automatic doors) a fake door is a kind of thing. a fake door can be entered. a fake door can be opened. the exterior pharmacy doors is a fake door. The exterior pharmacy doors are scenery. The exterior pharmacy doors are in the pharmacy parking lot. The pharmacy doors are a plural-named thing. The printed name of the exterior pharmacy doors is "automatic doors". Understand "door" and "doors" and "automatic doors" and "entrance" as the exterior pharmacy doors. The description of the exterior pharmacy doors is "These doors are identical to those found in large stores everywhere. They open as if by magic when shoppers approach, and close as they walk away. They aren't magic, though.". Section 6 (the red bricks) The red bricks are part of the pharmacy building. The red bricks are a plural-named thing. The red bricks are scenery. Understand "brick" as the red bricks. The description of the red bricks is "Red, as promised. Bricks, as advertised.". Section 7 (your PHCar) The PHCar is in the pharmacy parking lot. The PHCar is scenery. The indefinite article of the phcar is "our". The printed name of the PHCar is "car". Understand "my car" and "car" and "your car" and "sedan" and "accord" as the PHCar. The description of the PHCar is "Our car waits nearby, surrounded by three pleasantly empty parking spaces." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the PHCar: say "We've come all this way. Let's leave the car alone until after we have our medicine. If you really can't wait, I suppose we could always try *WIN*ning. That always turns out so well!". Section 8 (the truck) The truck is in the pharmacy parking lot. The truck is scenery. Understand "pickup" as the truck. The description of the truck is "This truck has had a rough go of things. Bare, rusted metal has broken free from its prison of white paint, and it would be more accurate to call its surface 'stippled' rather than 'dented.' It has survived years of entropic activity before enjoying a moment of rest, here, in this otherwise innocuous parking lot.". section 9 (plot) The plot is in the pharmacy parking lot. The plot is scenery. The printed name of the plot is "parking lot". Understand "corner" and "corners" and "parking lot" and "lot" and "side" and "sides" and "window" and "windows" and "sides" and "pharmacy parking lot" and "pharmacy lot" as the plot. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the plot: say "[one of]Yes, of course. Assessing the perimeter of the building is of utmost importance. Where else might we encounter the legendary pavement fairy, who can turn loose gravel into blacktop with the slightest flick of their wand?[or]We scan the parking lot for signs of entropic magic, but discover nothing.[stopping]".[amusement] Chapter 3 (verbs in the pharmacy parking lot) Section 1 (Generic Cars Message before entering) Instead of doing anything other than examining to the pharmcars when the location is the pharmacy parking lot: say "Despite your misplaced determination, we can't think of anything worthwhile to do with the cars. They offer up no entropic magic, there are no treasures in their trunks, nor is there a cure for bipolar disorder hidden under someone's seat. Examining the cars might be marginally productive, but that's it.". The carseat is in the pharmacy parking lot. The plural of carseat is carseats. the carseat is scenery. the printed name of the carseat is "seat". Instead of doing anything to the carseat: say "Oh, come on. I know I mentioned a 'car seat,' but that was merely a rhetorical flourish. We aren't going to get in people's cars and mess with their seats.". Understand "seat" and "seats" and "carseats" as carseat. The trunk is in the pharmacy parking lot. The plural of trunk is trunks. The trunk is scenery. Instead of doing anything to the trunk: say "Be serious! I know I mentioned a 'trunk,' but that was merely a rhetorical flourish. We aren't going to break into the trunks of random cars in broad daylight. Especially when we are adequately medicated.". Understand "boot" and "boots" and "trunks" as trunk. Section 2 (Generic Pharmacy Building Messages before entering) Instead of doing anything other than examining or entering to the pharmacy building when the location is the pharmacy parking lot: say "The building is not good for much more than entering, which you can accomplish by going *INSIDE*.". Before entering the pharmacy building in the pharmacy parking lot: try going Inside instead. Check going nowhere in the pharmacy parking lot: say "While it's physically possible to wander off in almost every direction, surely you[EM]yes, even [italic type]you[roman type][EM]feel some sense of urgency, given the state of your mother." instead. Section 3 (Generic Sidewalk response) Instead of doing anything other than examining to the pharmacy sidewalk in the pharmacy parking lot: say "I admire your thoroughness. You are like the protagonist of a 1980s adventure game. Here in 1996, though, there is little one can do with a bit of sidewalk. Concrete is quite entropy-resistant, unless you are capable of crumbling it. Don't get any ideas! We are not going to smash up the sidewalk. If you're really serious, come back on a day when our mother isn't dying.". Section 4 (Generic Sign response) Instead of doing anything other than examining to the pharmacy sign in the pharmacy parking lot: say "The sign is beyond our physical reach. Nevertheless, if it had any entropic energy, we could draw on it from here. But it doesn't, so we won't.". Section 5 (Generic Automatic Door response) [and motors and sensors] Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or entering to the exterior pharmacy doors: say "These doors open and close automatically. We loved jumping in front of doors like this when we were a child, but the thrill has long since worn off. They will open for us when we go *INSIDE* the building, which is what sensible, automated doors do for sensible people.". Section 6 (generic bricks response) Instead of doing anything other than examining to the red bricks in the pharmacy parking lot: say "Perhaps one of the bricks is loose, and conceals a featureless white cube or a magical scroll! No, that can't be right. We don't practice that kind of magic.". Section 7 (more verbs for the stupid doors) Check diagnosing in the pharmacy parking lot when the noun is the exterior doors: say "In theory, the doors and motor should be losing kinetic energy constantly. In practice, since they are operating as designed, that amount is negligible. Speaking as a person in a hurry: using the door as a source of entropic energy simply isn't feasible." instead. Check siphoning in the pharmacy parking lot when the noun is the exterior doors: say "The motors and door are only wasting a negligible amount of kinetic energy. You would have to stand here siphoning them for hours before collecting a useful amount." instead. Before entering the exterior doors in the pharmacy parking lot: try going inside instead. Section 8 (winning in the PHarea) [feedback to the WIN command gets darker as the game progresses. This one is the darkest yet. Perhaps it is the darkest in total.] Carry out winning in the PHarea: say "Our patience fully exhausted, we drop what we are doing and tear off in the car. In only a few moments, we have reached your destination. Hospital parking lots are always full, you think, and death and sickness are perpetually going concerns. Approaching the wide main entrance, we walk past a white stone statue of Saint Catherine of Siena. She looks upward, holding a large tome to her chest. You know without looking that the base is inscribed with 'LOVE FOLLOWS KNOWLEDGE,' one of the more famous quotations attributed to her. As a long-lapsed Episcopalian with crypto-Catholic tendencies (you like the mythology but loathe Thomas Aquinas), we swallow hard. What love has ever traveled in the wake of our knowing? The sum of our hard-won knowledge is expressed in sentences like, 'Never bail another man's woman out of jail'[EM]idiocy of the sort that most could easily guess. Still more could live whole lives without ever needing to know such things. Again tired of ourselves, we make our way to the ICU, a corridor lined with identical doors and flooded with cold, sterilized air. Standing at the foot of our mother's bed, we look her over. It's the curse, you think. It's in our blood. Her mother and her grandfather before, all of us miserable and dangerous in our misery. Thank god[EM]with a lower-case 'g'[EM]that we have no children. Better to die alone than to let this curse live on, through, and after us. This ending has earned a rank of love follows knowledge/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; If PD1 is false: now D is D plus one; now PD is PD plus one; now PD1 is true; try death logging 4; end the story. Section 9 (smelling and listening) Carry out smelling in the pharmacy parking lot: say "It's a parking lot in your little hometown. We can smell engine exhaust, hot grease from the fried chicken place up the road, and a hard-to-place sweetness, all hanging in the thick, hot air.". Carry out listening_protag in the pharmacy parking lot: say "The sound of cars passing is a constant at this time of day. There is little else to hear.". Section 10 (investing) [big Infocom easter egg number one] Before investing something with the demonic squeal in the pharmacy parking lot when the noun is not the truck and the noun is not the player: say "[guncho]"; stop the action. to say guncho: say "[fixed letter spacing]>guncho krill Krill recoils as he hears the first words of the guncho spell. For a few seconds he continues with the spell he was casting, trying to finish before you. He fumbles some syllables! Then he steps back and, with his hands outstretched toward you, lets out a bloodcurdling scream. His face twisted, and his body vibrating with the effort of resisting the enchantment, he utters a spell of power, and is gone! After a quiet moment, a rumble begins deep in the earth. It strengthens as the tower starts to sway. The floor gives way beneath you and you tumble down towards the sea ... then you are surrounded by a burst of light. You realize that you are with the Circle. The Eldest of the Circle, Belboz, rises and speaks: 'The evil of Krill is ended this day. From beyond hope, you have proved yourself great and worthy. Our hearts are gladdened at your return.' A chair appears at his right hand and he motions for you to sit beside him. He smiles warmly. 'Join with us,' he says, 'and tell us of your quest!' Here ends the first chapter of the Enchanter saga, in which, by virtue of your skills, you have joined the Circle of Enchanters. Further adventures await you as the Enchanter series continues. Your score is 400 of a possible 400, in 362 moves.[line break]This puts you in the class of Member of the Circle of Enchanters. [vls][21 as a DSC][line break]" Carry out investing the truck with the demonic squeal: say "While I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish, we pull our arm back, then swing it forward as if slow-pitching a softball at the poor, blameless truck. It seems that either its parking break is disengaged, or else it has popped into neutral, because it begins to slowly inch down a slight incline[EM]how did we miss it[EM]in the direction of our car! Leaping forward, we grab hold of the tailgate and pull, but the truck will not be stopped. Still, it seems unlikely that the truck will do [it]too much[rt] damage. With a dull [it]thunk[rt] sound, it forcefully comes to rest against our back bumper. Well, this certainly is a pain in the ass. Should we wait for the owner and exchange insurance information? It's just a dent. Wait. What's that smell? Gasoline? It is! Whether the truck's gas tank has at last succumbed to years of mistreatment, or if instead the truck's heartless owner kept a poorly-closed gas can in the truck bed hardly matters now. Is it good or bad luck that, just as the spilled gas trickles onto the pavement, flowing under and past our car, a nearby panhandler throws a still-lit cigarette butt directly in the path of the gasoline? In seconds, the truck explodes. Our car follows suit. Somewhere in there, we get burned up, too. The truck, at long last, has had its revenge on humanity! What a silly Rube Goldberg doodad this life is! This Outcome Has Earned a rating of old truck, new trick/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if pd2 is false: now pd is pd plus one; now d is d plus one; now pd2 is true; try death logging 2; end the story. section 7 (diagnosing) Carry out diagnosing the truck: say "There does seem to be an entropic opportunity enveloping the ancient, white truck, even though it clearly has no power of its own to offer us.". section 8 (caskly) The truck is perfectable. Check caskling the truck: say "While touching up the truck's many dents and scratches might be a path to perfection in your eyes, the truck has, in fact, achieved a sort of Platonic ideal as the highest expression of dentedness and scratchedness in this town." instead. Part 3 (Near the Entrance) Chapter 1 (Entrance Description) The Checkout is inside of the pharmacy parking lot. The Printed name of the checkout is "Checkout". The Checkout is north of the Pcounter. The description of the Checkout is "This is a typical pharmacy check-out, with a large, electronic cash register on a laminated counter. A woman wearing a red apron stands nearby, waiting for customers. The usual 'impulse buy' temptations lie in wait on a nearby rack.[if the QAA is in the pcounter] We can hear a squeaky shopping cart rolling noisily somewhere to the south.[otherwise if the CAA is in the pcounter] We can hear a child screaming to the south, but you already know what that's about.[end if] Since we've been coming here for as long as we've been taking lithium, we know that we can head directly *SOUTH* to reach the pharmacy counter." Rule for writing a paragraph about the action figure when the location is the Checkout: say "[one of]A superhero action figure, still in its package, lies discarded on the counter. Perhaps a mother pried it from the clutching hands of her child, choosing to abandon it rather than buy it. It's a small, plastic representation of the comic book character Badman. He was our favorite as a child.[or]A Badman action figure, still in its packaging, has been left on the counter.[stopping]". [another status update for the player] After going to the checkout for the first time: try looking; follow the score update rule. This is the score update rule: say "At this time, you have found [(D) in words] of twenty-seven possible fail states. [if D is 0]Perhaps you are afraid of what lies beyond the edges of this narrative.[otherwise if D is greater than 0 and D is less than 11]It may yet be possible to press beyond the edges of this day.[otherwise if D is greater than 10 and D is less than 17]Have you begun to take our situation seriously?[otherwise if d is greater than 16]You seem to be applying yourself for once, but I don't want to get my hopes up.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the Checkout: set the locale priority of the cashier to 0. [flavor text, disabled while buying the action figure] Every turn when the the location is the checkout (this is the checkout area rule): if buying the action figure: do nothing; otherwise if doing something to the cashier: do nothing; otherwise if giving something to the cashier: do nothing; otherwise: say "[if the caa is in the pcounter]The cashier looks in the direction of the screaming boy, momentarily distracted from her newspaper.[otherwise][one of]The cashier yawns loudly[or]The cashier loudly snaps her newspaper, then turns the page[or]The cashier stands up straight, then stretches her arms upward and outward[or]I can hardly believe how empty the pharmacy is. There isn't a single customer lined up at the cashier's counter[or]The cashier looks at us over the top of her newspaper, as if sizing us up[cycling].". The pback is a scenery backdrop. The pback is in the checkout and the pcounter. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the pback: say "We are inside the pharmacy building, it's true, but it isn't possible to act upon it in such a general way." The printed name of the pback is "pharmacy". Understand "pharmacy" as the pback. Chapter 2 (Entrance Nouns) Section 1 (Cash Register) There is a cash register in the Checkout. The cash register is scenery. The description of the cash register is "Money goes in, change comes out." Understand "register" and "till" as the cash register. Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning to the cash register in the Checkout: say "Whatever your intentions, messing with the cash register will likely brand you a thief. While that may well sound pleasant to you, there simply isn't time. We can always return tomorrow if you still want to get arrested or make some sort of weird scene.". Check going nowhere in the Checkout: say "From here, we can only go OUTSIDE or else head SOUTH to the pharmacy." instead. Section 2 (the action figure) The action figure is in the Checkout. Understand "figure" and "badman" and "badman figure" and "toy" as the action figure. [whew, lots of effort for what is essentially a key] The description of the action figure is "[if the action figure not carried by someone]This plastic figure is held in a cardboard-backed blister pack. He wears a black and gray costume, complete with a black vinyl cape. Unless things have changed a great deal since you were a child, any kid of the right age would treasure it. For whatever reason, it is marked as clearance and only costs one dollar. An incredible bargain, really.[otherwise if the action figure is carried by the player]We have removed the Badman figure from its packaging. He holds a tiny black grappling hook and looks like lots of fun.[otherwise if the action figure is carried by the paaboy]I am certain that the action figure will be lovingly cared for by the small boy with the bad life.". Understand "badman" and "badman figure" and "badman action figure" and "hero" and "superhero" and "toy" and "figure" and "superhero action figure" and "blister pack" and "costume" and "cape" as the action figure. The action figure is buyable. The package is part of the action figure. The description of the package is "The packing is transparent to allow a clear view of the action figure." Understand "package" and "blister pack" and "pack" and "cardboard-backed blister pack" and "cardboard" and "cardboard blister pack" as the package. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the package: say "It's just packaging. Action figures are packaged for sale in stores. You aren't going to open it or do anything else to it without buying it first." The hook is part of the action figure. Understand "grappling hook" and "grapple" and "grapple hook" and "accessory" and "accessories" as the hook. The description of the hook is "It's the sort of small grapple gun that many superheroes employ. This one is made of black plastic and is shaped and sized to fit in Badman's hand.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the hook: say "[if the player is carrying the action figure]The action figure and its accessories look like fun[EM]I'm not saying this sarcastically[EM]but I feel it's meant for someone else.[otherwise if the paaboy is carrying the action figure]The boy is playing with the action figure and its accessories. Leave him alone.[otherwise]The grapple is still in the packaging. If you want access to it, we'll have to *BUY THE ACTION FIGURE* first." instead. Section 3 (the cashier) The cashier is in the Checkout. The cashier is a woman. The cashier is a person. Understand "woman" and "apron" as the cashier. The description of the cashier is "This woman's red apron makes her immediately recognizable as a pharmacy employee. She's reading a newspaper with her elbows propped on the counter, and exudes an aura of aggrieved boredom. No doubt she will spring into action if or when someone wishes to *BUY* something.". Understand "employee" as the cashier. Instead of doing anything other than examining or talkingtoit to the cashier: say "The cashier gives us a baleful look over the top of her newspaper, and we reconsider." Section 4 (the counter) The checkout counter is in the Checkout. The checkout counter is scenery. The description of the checkout counter is "This slab of laminated wood was built to endure the insults of countless dropped items, screaming children, panhandlers buying whatever it is that they buy with dimes, and everything else that happens in the middle of a small, southern town. It is unmarked and looks just as it did on the day it was made. The cashier leans against it whenever she isn't otherwise occupied.". Understand "countertop" and "checkout" and "counter" and "slab" as the checkout counter. Section 5 (the newspaper) The cashier is holding the newspaper. Understand "paper" and "page" and "ink" and "newsprint" and "headline" as the newspaper. [just a way to tie the game to a specific date in 1996 (june 14)] The description of the newspaper is "It's a newspaper. Broad, folded rectangles of black ink on newsprint. We can make out the headline: 'MONTANA MILITIA SURRENDERS.'". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the newspaper: say "There's no socially acceptable way for us to mess with the cashier's newspaper.". Section 6 (the rack) The rack is in the checkout. Understand "temptations" and "impulse" and "impulse buy" and "stuff" and "worthless stuff" and "impulse buys" and "buys" and "crap" and "worthless crap" and "utterly worthless crap" as the rack. The description of the rack is "The rack lurks near the cash register, hoping to entice unwary customers with row after row of utterly worthless crap. Fortunately for us, we can't afford many of the items, and the rest seem unappealing.". Instead of doing anything other than searching or examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the rack: say "The rack is just another repository of stuff we can't have. We see them everywhere, all the time. Don't get so excited.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the checkout: set the locale priority of the rack to 0. Chapter 3 (entrance verbs) Section 1 (duplicate) Section 2 (buying the action figure) Check taking the action figure: say "[if the PAAboy is not in the pcounter]You can't just take it. We have to *BUY THE ACTION FIGURE* first.[otherwise]Get out of here. Taking the Badman figure away from the boy is beneath even [it]you[rt], a thing I do not say lightly." instead. Check buying the action figure when the player is carrying the action figure: say "I have to admit, you have quite a head for business. Taking your wallet out, you remove a couple of dollars, hand it to us, then return the money to our wallet. Sadly, we are only able to break even, as buying something from ourselves yields no profit." instead. Carry out buying the action figure when the caa is in the pcounter: say "Great idea. The kid is sure to like it. What kid doesn't like Badman? We pull a couple of bills out of our pocket and pay for the action figure. We should still have enough cash on hand to pay for your lithium. We quickly tear the toy out of its packaging, which the cashier graciously throws away for you before returning to her paper with a bored sigh."; now the player is carrying the action figure; now the hook is part of the action figure; now the package is nowhere. Carry out buying the action figure when the qaa is in the pcounter: say "Sure, why not? We'll have enough left over to pay for our lithium. Pulling a couple of bills out of our pocket, I pay for the action figure. We quickly tear the toy out of its packaging, which the cashier graciously throws away for us before returning to her paper with a bored sigh."; now the player is carrying the action figure; now the hook is part of the action figure; now the package is nowhere. section 3 (buying) Check giving it to when the second noun is the cashier: if the noun is money: say "[if the player is not carrying the action figure]If you want to purchase something, all we need to do is *BUY* it.[otherwise]You've already bought the action figure. We have just enough left over for our medication." instead; otherwise: say "That's kind, I guess, but also kind of strange. Anyway, no." instead. SECTION 4 (going) Check going nowhere in the Checkout: say "From here, we can only go *OUTSIDE* or else head *SOUTH* to the pharmacy." instead. Check going south in the checkout when G is 27: now G is 28. section 5 (talking) Check talkingtoit the cashier in the checkout: say "Stopping to think for a moment, even [italic type]you[roman type] can see that there is nothing that you and the cashier might talk about. If you want to interact with her, you'll have to buy something." instead. section 6 (smelling) Carry out smelling in the checkout: say "This part of the pharmacy has no particular smell. Plastic wrap, perhaps? Or unscented cleaner, maybe.". Section 7 (listening) Carry out listening_protag in the checkout: say "[if the qaa is in the pcounter]An ear-pleasing blend of exasperated woman's voice mixed with a high-pitched squeak reaches our ears from the back of the store.[otherwise if the caa is in the pcounter]We hear a child screaming off to the *SOUTH*, as you must already know.[otherwise if the paa is in the pcounter]It is pleasantly quiet here in the checkout area.". Section 8 (investing) Instead of investing something with the demonic squeal in the checkout when the noun is not the newspaper and the noun is not the action figure and the noun is not the rack and the noun is not the player: say "Look, I like a good time as much as the next guy, but there's only so much a I can do with a *DEMONIC SQUEAL*.". Before investing the newspaper with the demonic squeal: say "We could[EM]I know we could[EM]tear that paper right down the middle and give that cashier the scare of her life, and it might be good for some laughs. In fact, I've already begun a bit of anticipatory chuckling when the cashier glares at me over the top of her paper. It's as if she can read our mind! I reflexively pull the energy back. We definitely shouldn't push our luck with her." instead. Before investing the action figure with the demonic squeal when the player carries the action figure: say "There's no need to knock the action figure out of our own hands when we can just set it down like a normal person. Still, I can't help but wonder what would happen if we threw some real power[EM]*THE GRAND STRUCTURE*, for instance[EM]at it. Something painful, I imagine." instead; stop the action. Before investing the action figure with the demonic squeal when the action figure is in the checkout and the action figure is not carried by the player: say "Sure, we could magically slide the action figure around on the counter, but wouldn't it be easier just to buy it? The thing's on clearance. Still, I can't help but wonder what would happen if we threw some real power[EM]*THE GRAND STRUCTURE*, for instance[EM]at it. Something painful, I imagine." instead; stop the action. Before investing the rack with the demonic squeal: say "OK, OK. I guess you aren't going to be satisfied until we find some magical foolishness to get into. Unfortunately, the *DEMONIC SQUEAL* simply isn't powerful enough to topple the weighted metal rack. It does wobble dangerously for a few seconds, and its contents rattle for a moment, but the result is anticlimax. The cashier does look up from her paper momentarily, which does feel like a minor success, but that's it." instead; now the player is tinert; now the demonic squeal is nowhere; stop the action. Section 9 (Diagnosing) Carry out diagnosing the action figure: say "The action figure is made for action, not entropy.". Carry out diagnosing the checkout counter: say "This durable surface has withstood all sorts of abuse, yet it remains unmarked. We aren't going to get anything out of it.". Carry out diagnosing the rack: say "The rack and its contents will likely outlive not only you but the entire human species. You'll get no power from it.". section 10 (siphoning) Before siphoning in the checkout when the noun is not the action figure and the noun is not the cashier and the noun is not enclosed by the player: say "[one of]We concentrate, focusing all of our attention on the [noun]. At first, it feels like nothing is happening, but then something miraculous happens! It seems that the [noun] contains magic that can heal our mother's failing liver. What are the chances that we could find a cure here, of all places? Snapping out of our reverie, you realize that you have been daydreaming. There's no cure to be found in it. In fact, there's nothing useful to be found in the [noun]. Nothing at all.[or]There is no magic to be gained here in the pharmacy checkout.[stopping]". Carry out siphoning the action figure: say "[if the qaaboy is in the pcounter or the caaboy is in the pcounter]Nothing happens. What were you expecting? Perhaps you believe that everything in this world is magical. That magic is everywhere. It's a beautiful notion, albeit incredible. The world is mostly inert, magically, and the action figure is no exception. That isn't to say that the action figure doesn't serve [it]some[rt] purpose.[otherwise if the paaboy is in the pcounter]The boy is obviously attached to the action figure. Let's not spoil his good time.[otherwise]oh, god. how has this happened? this looks like a pretty stupid bug.". Section 11 (caskling) Before caskling the cashier: say "If you want to make things better for the cashier, get her health insurance and a raise." instead; stop the action. Before gunchoing the cashier: say "She's just minding her own business at her thankless job. Don't be a bully." instead; stop the action. Part 4 (The Pharmacy) Chapter 1 (Pharmacy Description) [probably the most complex place in the game, with three major states, three people, a source of magic. It really tested my limited understanding of Inform. I think I could make it better, but, as always, I stopped as soon as something worked and tested OK.] The PCounter is a room. The PCounter is south of the Checkout. The printed name of the PCounter is "Pharmacy". The description of the PCounter is "This corner lies beyond the various aisles of the pharmacy's shopping area, and features a waiting area with four straight-backed chairs, a blood pressure machine, and, of course, the star of the show, the pharmacy counter. Nearby, a payphone stands at the ready in case a customer must call their insurance company[if the QAA is in the pcounter]. An exhausted, frazzled-looking woman stands at the counter, arguing with the pharmacy clerk. Her speech is only intermittently coherent. A small boy[EM]her son, most likely[EM]sits near her left foot[otherwise if the CAA is in the pcounter]. A woman who is all but certainly going through withdrawal of some sort is struggling to pick up the scattered contents of a spilled handbag. Nearby, a red-faced boy screams incoherently at her. While the pharmacy clerk must be relieved by the newly-made space between the speed addict and herself, she remains shaken and exhausted. She leans over the counter, head down.[otherwise if the PAA is in the pcounter]. The clerk basks in glorious near-silence, ready to help any customer in need[otherwise]. Oh, my, you appear to have encountered a very nasty bug in the room description of the Pharmacy Counter[end if].". PCV is a truth state that varies. Every turn when the player is in the PCounter and PCV is false: follow the display pharmacy image rule; now PCV is true. Chapter 2 (Pharmacy Counter nouns) Section 1 (The Aisles) The PHAisles are a backdrop. The PHaisles are in the pcounter and the checkout. The PHAisles are scenery. The PHAisles are a plural-named thing. The printed name of the PHAisles is "aisles of merchandise". Understand "aisle" and "aisles" and "aisles of merchandise" and "row" and "rows" and "merchandise" and "products" as the PHAisles. The description of the PHaisles is "These aisles form several parallel rows, each running the length of the store. They contain various products, none of which we can afford.[if the player is carrying the action figure] We have just enough money to pay for our medicine.[otherwise] We will only have a little left over after buying our medicine.[end if] If you need to do some shopping, we'll have to return tomorrow, preferably with more money.". Section 2 (The Four Straight-Backed Chairs) The 4Cs are in the pcounter. The 4Cs are scenery. The 4Cs are a plural-named thing. The printed name of the 4Cs is "the four straight-backed chairs". The description of the 4Cs is "Only a fool would sit in such uncomfortable-looking chairs.". Instead of doing anything other than looking under or searching or diagnosing or investing to the 4cs: say "Despite all your valiant hopes, the chairs['] sole purpose in this world seems to be punishing those who sit in them." Understand "the four straight-backed chairs" and "chairs" and "straight-backed chairs" and "chair" and "four chairs" as the 4Cs. Before entering the 4cs: say "While you've done a lot over the years to make us miserable, not even [it]you[rt] would willingly sit in one of those torturous-looking chairs." instead; stop the action. Section 3 (the blood pressure machine and blood pressure) [no idea why I implemented checking the player's blood pressure] The BPM is in the pcounter. The BPM is scenery. The printed name of the BPM is "the blood pressure machine". Understand "machine" and "blood pressure machine" and "device" as the BPM. The description of the BPM is "This large device looks like the cockpit of a fighter plane. While your focus really ought to be elsewhere, you could *TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE* if you'd like.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or entering or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the BPM: say "We aren't living in a blood pressure machine simulator. If you want to *TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE*, just say so.". Instead of doing anything other than taking or siphoning or diagnosing or investing or examining to the blood pressure: say "If you want to *TAKE OUR BLOOD PRESSURE*, just say so.". The blood pressure is in the pcounter. The indefinite article of the blood pressure is "our". Instead of taking the blood pressure: say "Our blood pressure is surprisingly close to normal, no doubt a happy consequence of our decision to quit smoking.". The description of the blood pressure is "You can't actually see your blood pressure, though you can *TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE*." Understand "pressure" as blood pressure. Understand "check blood pressure" as a mistake ("Our blood pressure is surprisingly close to normal, no doubt a happy consequence of our decision to quit smoking."). Understand "check pressure" as a mistake ("Our blood pressure is surprisingly close to normal, no doubt a happy consequence of our decision to quit smoking."). After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the blood pressure to 0. Section 4 (the pharmacy window) The PWindow is in the pcounter. The printed name of the PWindow is "the pharmacy window". The PWindow is scenery. Understand "pharmacy counter" and "counter" and "countertop" and "window" and "pharmacy window" and "countertop" as the PWindow. The description of the PWindow is "The pharmacy window is a familiar sight. At the moment, a particularly tired-looking clerk [if the QAA is in the pcounter]is trying[EM]unsuccessfully[EM]to reason with a difficult-looking customer.[otherwise if the CAA is in the pcounter]looks on helplessly as a red-faced young boy shrieks angrily.[otherwise if the PAA is in the pcounter]leans over the counter, her features only recently softened by relief. It's been a challenging day at the pharmacy for customers and employees alike.". Section 5 (the clerk) [the two pharmacy employees are quite literally vending machine NPCs. But really, what else would they be? This protagonist doesn't just chat with strangers.] The pclerk is in the pcounter. The pclerk is a female person. The printed name of the pclerk is "pharmacy clerk". Understand "clerk" and "employee" as the pclerk. After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the pclerk to 0. Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning or investing or talkingtoit when the current action involves the pclerk and the PAA is not in the pcounter: say "Our access to the clerk is blocked. We'll have to deal with the messy mother-son situation before we can get to her.". Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the pclerk and the PAA is in the pcounter: say "The clerk has had a difficult afternoon. Just *BUY THE LITHIUM* and leave her alone.". The description of the pclerk is "[if the qaa is in the pcounter][frazzledclerk][otherwise if the caa is in the pcounter][waitingclerk][otherwise if the paa is in the pcounter][relievedclerk].". To say frazzledclerk: say "The pharmacy clerk wears a blue, short-sleeve 'scrubs' shirt over a white, long-sleeved shirt. She looks exhausted, as if she has been arguing with the customer at the counter for a long time[DOT] [one of]She is trying explain to the frazzled woman that she must have a valid prescription[DOT][or] She glances nervously at us, as if to acknowledge that we are waiting in line[DOT] [or] Exasperated, she puts her head in her hands. The customer continues to speak excitedly, as if she does not notice[DOT] [or]Clearly approaching her breaking point, she turns her back on the customer and takes two steps away. The apparent drug addict continues talking regardless[DOT] [cycling]"[frazzledclerk]. To say waitingclerk: say "The clerk is clearly relieved that the woman has stopped talking, but the child's screams have filled the gap. She looks at us, as if pleading for help[dot]"[waitingclerk]. to say relievedclerk: say "The clerk stands at the counter with an air of exhausted relief"[relievedclerk]. Section 6 (the arguing speed freak mother) [there are actually three mothers for each phase of the puzzle. 1) in line and arguing with the pharmacist 2) trying to make a phone call 3) placated and effectively out of play] The QAA is in the pcounter. The QAA is a female person. The printed name of the QAA is "the frazzled mother". Understand "frazzled mother" and "mother" and "drug addict" and "Adderall addict" and "addict" and "speed addict" and "speed freak" and "frazzled woman" and "woman" and "pathetic woman" and "mom" as the QAA. The description of the QAA is "This young woman[EM]younger than you[EM]is arguing with the pharmacy clerk about refills and health insurance. It's hard to follow it all because the woman's speech is rapid and has an associative, run-on quality to it. If I had to guess, I might say that she was a speed addict[EM]Ritalin or Adderall/Obetrol, most likely[EM]who has run out before her designated refill date. The pharmacy clerk, who is just doing her job, is getting nowhere explaining the realities of prescription drug coverage. A black purse dangles precariously from the woman's shoulder; she could drop it at any moment. A boy of perhaps five is sitting at her feet. He is too young to be ashamed of her, but old enough to be embarrassed.". Every turn when the QAA is in the pcounter and the player is in the pcounter: say "[one of]The frazzled woman rummages desperately in her black purse, as if something there might change her circumstances.[or]The young mother, clearly experiencing withdrawal of some sort, leans heavily against the counter. Her black purse seems dangerously close to slipping free of her shoulder.[or]The young boy tugs at the hem of his mother's jeans, but she does not look down. Instead, she shakes an empty pill bottle at the pharmacy clerk.[or]While the clerk steps away to consult with another employee, the frazzled woman exhales loudly and cracks her knuckles.[or]The woman turns around and looks at us, causing her purse to swing wildly from her shoulder. 'Don't stare,' she sneers, 'I have a serious medical condition!'[or]'Judson!' the speed addict snaps at the young boy at her feet, 'be still!'[or]'Someone stole them from my car!' the emaciated woman says urgently, 'They broke my window!' She pulls a scrap of paper from her purse, and waves it significantly.[cycling]". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the QAA to 0. Section 7 (the speed freak mother trying to make a call) The CAA is nowhere. The CAA is a female person. The printed name of the CAA is "the frazzled mother". Understand "frazzled mother" and "mother" and "drug addict" and "Adderall addict" and "addict" and "speed addict" and "speed freak" and "frazzled woman" and "pathetic woman" and "woman" and "mom" as the CAA. The description of the CAA is "Thanks to your intervention, this poor woman is now on her knees, collecting the contents of her purse from the floor. This seems like progress, but she is still blocking the way. Her bag's contents are numerous and small. It doesn't help that her son, who has clearly had enough of both his mother and the pharmacy, is shrieking at the top of his lungs. Between the withdrawal symptoms and her screaming son, she may never be able to gather her things and get out of the way.". Every turn when the CAA is in the pcounter and the player is in the pcounter: say "[one of]The young boy shrieks at the top of his lungs, impotently striking his mother's leg with his tiny fists.[or]You're kind of a jerk, aren't you? Spilling her bag like that.[or]You consider helping her pick things up, but what good would that do? Maybe we can help the boy instead.[or]The small child channels all of his impotent rage into this fit, as if he could scream his mother into being something she is not.[or]Christ, we're getting a headache. There has to be something that could calm him down.[or]If Goya were to paint or etch a scene from our life, perhaps it would be of this moment, here, in the waiting area of this small-town pharmacy:[paragraph break]The woman on the floor: demonic with too many teeth.[line break]You and the boy, regarding one-another with matching pairs of black, hollow eyes.[line break]The pharmacy clerk in her uniform: looking at the three of you with a hungry leer.[paragraph break]Doesn't this moment say all that there is to say about us? Isn't this [italic type]everything[roman type]?[cycling]". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the CAA to 0. Section 8 (the placated mother) The PAA is nowhere. The PAA is a female person.The QAA is in the pcounter. The PAA is a female person. The printed name of the PAA is "the frazzled mother". Understand "frazzled mother" and "mother" and "drug addict" and "Adderall addict" and "addict" and "speed addict" and "speed freak" and "frazzled woman" and "pathetic woman" and "woman" and "mom" as the PAA. The description of the PAA is "Now that her son is quietly occupied with the action figure, the woman holds the plastic headset of the payphone to her ear, waiting for a bit of good news to reach her from within the black box and across its hidden wires.[first time] [18 as an AHM][only]" Every turn when the PAA is in the pcounter and the player is in the pcounter: say "[one of]The boy holds the toy aloft, then swoops downward with it as if dive-bombing an invisible enemy.[or]The frazzled mother silently runs her fingers over the small, black partitions ensconcing the payphone[dot] Presumably, it has been engraved by idlers with their car keys: doodles, profanity, and odd sadnesses.[or]The pharmacy clerk glances nervously at the woman on the payphone. She knows that this period of quiet, like all periods of quiet here, cannot last.[or]In the newly-minted quiet of the pharmacy, we can hear Aerosmith's 'What It Takes' extruded from invisible speakers.[or]The boy glances suspiciously at his mother. Sooner or later, she'll get off of the phone. She always gets off the phone.[or]The starving mother absently pokes at the chrome-plated coin return chute, clacking it open and shut.[or]Boy, that kid's hard to look at, isn't he?[cycling]" After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the PAA to 0. Section 9 (That Goddamn Cart) A shopping cart is in the pcounter. The printed name of the shopping cart is "shopping cart". Understand "cart" or " basket" or "shopping basket" as the shopping cart. The description of the shopping cart is "It's a typical cart of chromed metal that you can find in many American stores. Like every other shopping cart we've seen, it has small black wheels of hard plastic or rubber. Like many shopping carts you've seen, those wheels seem to be in terrible shape, and at least one of them squeaks relentlessly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if its operator experiences some resistance while pushing it.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the shopping cart: say "This is a simple case of a regular dude pushing a shopping cart around a store. He is just minding his business at the pharmacy. Don't make everyone[em]including me[em]uncomfortable by trying to mess with him or his cart.". The small black wheel is part of the shopping cart. The description of the small black wheel is "Small. Hard. Loud. It's a squeaky wheel, but there's no grease in sight.". understand "wheel" and "small wheel" and "black wheel" and "cart wheel" and "wheels" and "cart wheels" and "rubber" as the small black wheel. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the small black wheel: say "The wheel is small, hard, and close to the ground. It is also rolling along the floor. You can't get close to it, let alone physically interact with it, without making a weird scene here in the pharmacy. Isn't that why we've come here? To get what we need to avoid making weird scenes?". The ungodly squeak is part of the small black wheel. The description of the ungodly squeak is "It's pretty unpleasant, but is nonetheless an obvious sign that there is a bit of entropy to be had nearby.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the ungodly squeak: say "It's a sound. There isn't a lot you can do to it physically." instead. After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the cart to 0. [victor from intfiction.org helped me with this code] Every turn when the player is in the pcounter and the qaa is in the pcounter (this is the random cart rule): if the shopping cart is in the location: if a random chance of 2 in 3 succeeds: say "A shopper pushes a squeaky cart nearby, occasionally stopping to pick up an item."; otherwise: say "A shopper pushes a squeaky cart down an aisle, vanishing from sight."; now the shopping cart is nowhere; otherwise if the shopping cart is not in the location: if a random chance of 2 in 3 succeeds: say "A shopper pushes a shopping cart into sight. It has a squeaky wheel, which suggests it is rubbing a bit."; now the shopping cart is in the location; otherwise: say "Somewhere out of sight but nearby, you can hear the squeak of a poorly-aligned shopping cart wheel.". section 9-1 - not for release [just a gimmick to run a test script without disabling randomness] forced squeaking is an action applying to nothing. understand "force squeak" as forced squeaking. carry out forced squeaking: now the player carries the demonic squeal; now the player is squealing. Section 10 (The Demonic Squeal) The DEMONIC SQUEAL is nowhere. The DEMONIC SQUEAL is a bleedsource. The demonic squeal is safe. The printed name of the demonic squeal is "*DEMONIC SQUEAL*". The description of the DEMONIC SQUEAL is "Like other bleedsources, the *DEMONIC SQUEAL* is not visible. In fact, it has no physical existence at all. If you'd like to know more about it, you can always *DIAGNOSE* yourself.". Section 11 (the black bag) The black bag is carried by the QAA. Understand "purse" and "strap" and "purse" as the black bag. The description of the black bag is "The frazzled woman has a black purse. It hangs from her shoulder by a thin strap. Its position seems rather precarious. Every time she reaches into it, you think it might slip free and fall." Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing to the black bag: say "Unless you'd care to do a bit of purse-snatching in front of witnesses, there isn't a way to touch or otherwise act on the purse in a conventional manner." After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the black bag to 0. Section 12 (The spilled black bag) The SBB is nowhere. The printed name of the SBB is the "spilled black bag". Understand "purse" and "bag" and "black bag" and "spilled bag" and "black purse" as the SBB. The description of the SBB is "The frazzled woman's purse lies open on the ground, its dismal contents[EM]empty cigarette packs, a lighter, prescription medicine bottles, an almost certainly empty wallet, loose change, and so forth[EM]spilled across the pharmacy's floor. She is trying to clean up the mess, but her son's nearby screaming is undoubtedly distracting. The symptoms of withdrawal, the noise, the embarrassment of having to beg for medication have all taken their toll on her. Perhaps there is a way to calm the boy and so that she can get to the payphone." Instead of doing something other than examining or siphoning or diagnosing to the SBB: say "The frazzled woman is bent over the purse and its contents. We can't get to them without shoving her out of the way, and not even [italic type]you[roman type] would do that. We need to focus on helping her get to the phone so that we can collect our refill.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the SBB to 0. Section 13 (the contents of the bag) [the bag was a nightmare of nouns. I wasn't sure how to avoid it without oversimplifying things] The PContents are nowhere. The printed name of the PContents is "the spilled contents of the woman's purse". Understand "empty cigarette packs" and "cigarettes" and "cigarette" and "cigarette packs" and "empty packs" and "packs" and "pack" and "pack of cigarettes" and "lighter" and "prescription medicine bottles" and "prescription bottles" and "medicine bottles" and "bottles" and "bottle" and "empty wallet" and "change" and "loose change" and "contents" and "spilled contents" and "spill" as the PContents. The description of the Pcontents is "The woman's possessions are spilled across the floor. Hopelessly frazzled, she seems unable to muster the concentration needed to clean up the mess.". Instead of doing something other than examining or siphoning or diagnosing to the Pcontents: say "The frazzled woman is bent over the purse and its contents. We can't get to them without shoving her out of the way, and not even [italic type]you[roman type] would do that. We need to focus on helping her get to the payphone so that we can collect our refill.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the PContents to 0. Section 14 (The bag while the woman is on the phone) The pbb is nowhere. The printed name of the PBB is "the black purse". Understand "purse" and "black bag" and "black purse" and "bag" and "purse" as the PBB. The description of the PBB is "Having learned her lesson, the frazzled woman has hung the purse over her shoulder and across her chest like a bandoleer. It isn't going anywhere.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the PBB to 0. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the PBB: say "Sometimes, life is like most text adventure games: an item is used for exactly one problem before it is safely forgotten. Now that we have the pharmacy counter to ourselves, we can safely forget the addled mother's black purse. If you can't remember what we came here to do, you can always review our current goals via the *HASSLES* (or *H*) command.". Section 15 (the QAAboy) Children is a kind of person. QAAboy, CAAboy, and PAAboy are children. The QAAboy is in the pcounter. The QAAboy is a male person. The printed name of the QAAboy is "the small boy". Understand "Judson" and "boy" and "small boy" and "kid" and "child" as the QAAboy. The description of the QAAboy is "This young boy, apparently the son of the frazzled woman, sits on the floor near her feet. He holds a keychain and looks at it ambivalently. His mother likely hoped that it would distract him, but he outgrew such entertainments years ago. I don't suppose she knows him very well, despite their proximal lives. Habitual substance abuse occupies a lot of a person's attention, and frequently intrudes upon the thought-lives of its practitioners.[one of][paragraph break]Poor little guy. He's already screwed. A lifetime of behavioral problems and unfulfilling relationships awaits. We can at least agree on that, can't we? Surely you don't anticipate less than a lifetime for [it]us[rt]. He looks irritated and bored. Angry. Embarrassed. He wants to leave but has nowhere to go and no way to get there. He loves her but can't find evidence that she loves him back. He can only take it on faith that she does. She says so, after all. Once he's a little bit older, he'll tell himself that things will get better when he turns eighteen, when he moves out. You want to tell him the truth, cruel as it is: you never move out. Nobody ever moves out, not really.[or][stopping]". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the QAAboy to 0. Section 16 (the CAAboy) The CAAboy is nowhere. The printed name of the CAAboy is "the small boy". Understand "Judson" and "boy" and "small boy" and "kid" and "child" as the CAAboy. The description of the CAAboy is "[one of]The dropped bag is apparently a bridge too far for the young boy. He's tired of people staring at him and his mother, tired of never being home, tired of constant humiliation. He imagines the hand of God parting the clouds, reaching down and crushing him in His fist, leaving no sign that he ever existed. He screams, eyes closed, screams in a dark of his own making.[or]The boy sits on the linoleum floor, crying a deep, rageful cry. His mother crouches beside him, trying to collect the spilled contents of her purse, but in her weakened and distracted state, she is unable to concentrate. Perhaps if the boy were pacified, she would stop blocking the counter.[stopping]". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the CAAboy to 0. Section 17 (the PAA boy) The PAAboy is nowhere. The PAAboy is a male person. The printed name of the PAAboy is "the small boy". Understand "Judson" and "boy" and "small boy" and "child" and "kid" as the PAAboy. The description of the PAAboy is "While the boy's face remains red and swollen from his recent cry, he regards his superhero action figure with a serenity that once seemed impossible. While his horizon remains obscured by clouds, the present storm has stopped.". After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the PAAboy to 0. Section 18 (the keys) The woman's keychain is held by the QAAboy. Understand "keychain" and "chain" and "key chain" as the keychain. The description of the woman's keychain is "The woman's keys aren't much to look at, and they're still less to play with. The fact that the keychain is all that the boy has to show for his pains signifies far more than a handful of confessional poems might.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the woman's keychain: say "Even though he obviously hates it, the keychain is the boy's sole possession, his collaborator and co-author, his partner in loneliness. Even [italic type]you[roman type] would not dare to mess with it.". Section 19 (the payphone) The payphone is in the pcounter. Understand "phone" and "pay phone" as the payphone. [there's that word again!] The payphone is a telecom. The payphone is scenery. The description of the payphone is "[if the qaa is in the pcounter]The payphone hangs innocuously from a wall. Theoretically, a phone could connect you to almost anyone in the world. It's a shame they don't do that in practice, isn't it? What if you could call the operator and be connected with a lonely person? Or if someone could call and be connected with us?[paragraph break]Like every other payphone you've seen, this one is black and chrome, and has been defaced by bored people with car keys. Don't get any ideas! We aren't going to scratch up the payphone.[otherwise if the caa is in the pcounter]The payphone stands ready to do its part, should the frazzled woman ever make it there.[otherwise]The woman is talking on the phone, an action that seems to have calmed her in some way. Her son sits at her feet, playing with an action figure. The pharmacy counter is now open for business.[end if]". Before doing anything when the current action involves payphone and the PAA is in the pcounter: say "Now that the frazzled mother is out of the way, there's no way I'm letting you fool with that phone. If you can't remember what we came here for, remember that the *HASSLES* command will identify our current objective." instead; stop the action. Understand "use payphone" as a mistake ("We have no one to call."). Section 20 (the lithium) The lithium is in the pcounter. The lithium is buyable. The indefinite article of the lithium is "a". Understand "pills" and "medicine" and "medication" and "bottle of lithium capsules" and "bottle of lithium" and "lithium" and "bottle" as the lithium. The printed name of the lithium is "bottle of lithium capsules". The description of the lithium is "This typically brownish-orange pharmaceutical bottle contains ninety 300 milligram capsules of lithium carbonate, which you must take daily in order to control the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Your standard protocol is to take one in the morning and two before bedtime: nine hundred milligrams per day.". Instead of doing anything other than buying to the lithium when the player is not carrying the lithium: say "The lithium is behind the counter someplace. [if the PAA is not in the pcounter]Said counter, unfortunately, lies beyond the mother and her child.[otherwise]While you can't see the lithium, our path to the clerk is free at last. At long last, we can *BUY THE LITHIUM*." Does the player mean doing something when the current action involves the lithium and the PAA is not in the pcounter: it is very unlikely. Before buying the lithium from the pclerk: try buying the lithium instead. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing to the lithium when the player is carrying the lithium: say "You've already taken one. There just isn't a lot to do with psychiatric medication other than taking it. Or not taking it, I guess.". Before taking the lithium when the player is carrying the lithium: say "Lithium isn't any fun. There's no good reason to take more."; stop the action. After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the pcounter: set the locale priority of the lithium to 0. [I set myself up for trouble by having the mother wave a pill bottle around while arguing with the clerk.] The mbottle is carried by the QAA. The printed name of the mbottle is "woman[']s pill bottle". Understand "bottle" and "pill bottle" and "empty bottle" and "woman's pill bottle" and "woman's bottle" as the mbottle. The description of the mbottle is "[if the qaa is in the pcounter]The woman holds the pill bottle as if it held some sort of religious significance.[otherwise if caa is in the pcounter]The bottle is lost among the spilled contents of the woman's bag.[otherwise]The woman has presumably put the bottle in her purse." Instead of doing anything other than examining when the current action involves the mbottle: say "What do you want with that crazy lady's empty pill bottle? Don't make a scene." The scrap is carried by the QAA. The printed name of the scrap is "scrap of paper". Understand "paper" and "scrap of paper" as the scrap. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the scrap: say "I'm not getting any closer to that woman than I already am.". The Pbottle is carried by the PAA. The printed name of the Pbottle is "woman's bottle". Instead of doing anything to the Pbottle: say "The woman's prescription bottle is presumably in her purse. How perfectly odd of you to care. Or did you mean to *BUY THE LITHIUM*? With you, I can never tell." Understand "woman's bottle" and "mother's bottle" and "prescription bottle" and "empty bottle" and "bottle" as the pbottle. Does the player mean examining or buying or taking the pbottle: it is likely. Section 21 (the shopper and his things) The shopper is part of the shopping cart. Understand "dude" and "regular dude" as the shopper. The shopper is a male person. The description of the shopper is "The shopper is just a regular dude doing regular dude stuff. In this case, that means pushing around a noisy shopping cart and filling it with stuff to buy. He's wearing khaki pants and a blue polo shirt, which is definitely a regular dude look." Instead of doing anything to the shopper: say "The shopper is but a featured extra in this dismal Lars von Trier production of our lives. He has nothing you want, knows nothing you wish to know, and is going nowhere you'd like to be. As a matter of curiosity, you do wonder why he hasn't replaced his current, noisy shopping cart with something quieter.". The Cthings are part of the shopping cart. The printed name of the Cthings is "the stuff in the shopping cart". Understand "item" and "items" and "items in the shopping cart" and "items in the cart" and "stuff" and "stuff in the shopping cart" and "stuff in the cart" as the CThings. Instead of doing anything to the CThings: say "In order to manipulate objects on store shelves and in shopping carts, you'll have to wait for the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], which is expected to contain at least 250,000 words.". Chapter 3 (verbs in the pharmacy) Section 1 (Diagnosing) Carry out diagnosing the shopping cart in the pcounter: say "The cart is durably made and rustproofed. As such, it is a poor source of entropic energy. Still, its constant squeaking suggests that there may be something useful nearby.". Carry out diagnosing the small black wheel in the pcounter: say "The wheel is, naturally, the source of the unpleasant squeaking sound. You should be able to attain a usable amount of kinetic energy if you *SIPHON THE UNGODLY SQUEAK*.". Carry out diagnosing the the UNGODLY squeak in the pcounter: say "The squeak is a small but usable source of kinetic energy. You can easily *SIPHON* it if you like.". Carry out diagnosing the DEMONIC SQUEAL in the pcounter: say "You have absorbed the energy of the *DEMONIC SQUEAL*. If you want to know more about it, you should *DIAGNOSE* yourself.". Carry out diagnosing the PHaisles in the pcounter: say "The aisles occupy a large amount of space in the store and house, for all practical purposes, an uncountable number of products on their shelves. You don't have time to evaluate the entropic properties of the area. We are already running late!". Carry out diagnosing the 4Cs in the pcounter: say "The chairs look so miserably uncomfortable that they must not have any rejuvenating properties, but wasted human energy is of no use to us. So far as I know, anyway.". Carry out diagnosing the BPM in the pcounter: say "The blood pressure machine, like all machines, must lose energy or order in some way, but its tiny air pump would have to quite literally explode in order to offer up anything useful. Don't get any ideas! We aren't going to blow up the blood pressure machine. Really!". Carry out diagnosing the blood pressure in the pcounter: say "We aren't using 'diagnose' in that sense. If you want, you can *TAKE BLOOD PRESSURE*.". To say frazz: say "This woman has definitely wasted a lot of energy and lost a lot of order, but there's nothing there that you can actually use. In fact, she seems to actively engender disorder and enervation in others, including us"[frazz]. To say pboy: say "The poor kid lives on an energy roller coaster. Up and down, all day, every day. Whatever energy he has is too unstable to use. He and his life are, rather incredibly, [italic type]too[roman type] disorderly to be used as either sources or targets for entropic energy"[pboy]. To say siphonboy: say "I don't know how to siphon entropic magic from a person, even one as obviously entangled in entropic systems as this boy is. If anything, he has [it]too much[rt] magic to deal with. Leave the kid alone."[siphonboy]. To say siphonW: say "There's lots of entropy there, but nothing that would benefit you. Or anyone else[DOT][if the CAA is in the pcounter] In fact, I think we'd benefit from [it]reducing[rt] the amount of chaos in the immediate area[otherwise if the QAA is in the pcounter] Now that the she's out of the way, let's focus on getting our medication[end if].". Carry out diagnosing the QAA in the pcounter: say "[frazz].". Carry out diagnosing the CAA in the pcounter: say "[frazz].". Carry out diagnosing the PAA in the pcounter: say "[frazz].". Carry out diagnosing the QAAboy in the pcounter: say "[pboy]." Carry out diagnosing the CAAboy in the pcounter: say "[pboy]." Carry out diagnosing the PAAboy in the pcounter: say "[pboy]." Carry out siphoning a Wform: say "[siphonW]". Carry out diagnosing the black bag in the pcounter: say "The purse has undoubtedly been present during extreme losses of order and energy, but nothing remains to tell that tale. However, it is in danger of slipping off her shoulder. A small push might send it spilling to the floor.". Carry out diagnosing the SBB in the pcounter: say "Without question, some disorder must be there for the taking, but given the baseline state of the purse, it's probably a less-than-useful amount. Besides, you'd have a hard time getting to it while she's fumbling with its contents.". Carry out diagnosing the PContents: say "In theory, a quantity of order magic should be there, among the spilled guts of the black purse. In practice, though, each individual item became [it]more[rt] chaotic when thrust into the bag. Now they are collectively spread across the ground, they are disordered in a different way, not newly disordered. Any changes wrought by our magic are mundane[em]we will gain no entropic power from them.". Carry out diagnosing the PBB in the pcounter: say "Having been returned to a state of order[EM]relatively speaking[EM]the purse doesn't hold much promise for an entropist like us.". Carry out diagnosing the payphone in the pcounter: say "[if the qaa is in the pcounter]We aren't going to get any entropic energy out of the payphone. If it's to be of any use at all, it will be of the mundane sort.[otherwise if the caa is in the pcounter]We have no use for the payphone. Getting the frazzled woman to use it, on the other hand, would clear our way to the pharmacy counter.[otherwise]The phone fulfills its purpose at last! The phone is fine just as it is, thank you very much.[end if]". Carry out diagnosing when the noun is the pclerk: say "This poor clerk has no energy left to give.". Carry out diagnosing when the noun is the pwindow: say "While many people must waste a good deal of energy here as a matter of course, there is nothing left for us to gather.". Check diagnosing the lithium: say "Potential long-term effects of lithium include damage to thyroid and kidney function. In this sense, it actively exacerbates entropic forces at work in our body. Unfortunately, these changes occur slowly, so there is no immediate way to benefit from them." instead. Section 2 (siphoning) Carry out siphoning when the noun is a bform: say "[siphonboy]". Carry out siphoning the shopping cart in the pcounter: say "While yes, the cart is making quite a disorderly racket, try being more specific." Carry out siphoning the small black wheel in the pcounter: say "There's definitely something there. Try diagnosing the wheel.". Carry out siphoning the ungodly squeak: say "Gathering entropic energy is difficult in public, since we don't want to act like a weirdo. Play-acting a disinterested glance at the noisy wheel, we silently will its inefficiency into a usable amount of kinetic energy. While it[']s a good deal more potent than the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*, we aren't going to be knocking a hole in the wall with it. You could probably use this *DEMONIC SQUEAL* to push something weighing a pound a distance of one foot."; now the player is squealing; now the player carries the demonic squeal. Carry out siphoning the PHaisles: say "Come on, now. While it's true that entropy is everywhere, that doesn't mean you can run around like a vacuum cleaner just sucking it up. That area is too large and diverse for our purposes.". Carry out siphoning the BPM: say "While siphoning the blood pressure machine isn't productive, [it]you[rt] are managing to suck the life out of [it]me[rt].". Carry out siphoning the blood pressure: say "While you have no idea how to siphon entropic bodily processes, it stands to reason that our vascular system would have a tendency toward disorder over time. It's an interesting thing to consider. If we are all prone to decay and death, shouldn't we have at least a little bit of magic to show for it?". Carry out investing the blood pressure with the demonic squeal: say "Look, I know you feel that you should not leave anything undone. That's admirable in a way, but there's no safe way to invest a specific bodily process with magic. What would an energized vascular system do in a mundane body? We'd be bleeding from our eyes if I knew how to do what you're asking. Which I don't, by the way. I really don't.". Carry out siphoning the pclerk in the pcounter: say "She certainly looks tired, but you don't know how to take advantage of that. Even if we did know how, we wouldn't.". Check siphoning the black bag in the pcounter: say "While it's probably a mess inside, there isn't much you can do with it.". Check siphoning the SBB in the pcounter: try diagnosing the SBB instead. Check siphoning the PContents in the pcounter: try diagnosing the SBB instead. Carry out siphoning when the noun is the pwindow: say "Even though this space is, in total, a sinkhole of lost energy and organization, there is no single point or process from which to draw. Everything lost here is lost to the infinite void of space.". Carry out siphoning the payphone: say "I wonder. Does the entropy occur in the phones, or in the wires in between? In any case, an idle telephone is not a viable source of magic.". Section 3 (investing) [as always, trying to support every possibility] Check investing the shopping cart with the demonic squeal: say "So far as you know, it isn't possible to return entropic energy to its source, since that would effectively increase the amount of energy in the universe." instead. Check investing the small black wheel with the demonic squeal: say "So far as you know, it isn't possible to return entropic energy to its source, since that would effectively increase the amount of energy in the universe." instead. Check investing the ungodly squeak with the demonic squeal: say "So far as you know, it isn't possible to return entropic energy to its source, since that would effectively increase the amount of energy in the universe." instead. Check investing the PHaisles with the demonic squeal: say "You could shove something off one of the many shelves, but that wouldn't be very productive, would it? Worse still, it wouldn't be entertaining. You could at least try to do something interesting." instead. Check investing the 4Cs with the demonic squeal: say "The frazzled woman and the pharmacy clerk are so preoccupied that they don't even notice your efforts to turn this pharmacy into a haunted house. Sheepishly, you set the toppled chair upright again."; now the player is Tinert; now the demonic squeal is nowhere. Check investing the BPM with the demonic squeal: say "The machine is too large to be affected by the *DEMONIC SQUEAL*." instead. Check investing the player with the demonic squeal: say "The small amount of kinetic energy makes you feel like you drank an entire pot of coffee, but the jitters quickly fade. It just isn't enough energy to grant you special abilities."; now the demonic squeal is nowhere; now the player is tinert. [none of these quoted passages are likely to be found without looking at the hints. This one is from A Mind Forever Voyaging] Carry out investing the pwindow with the demonic squeal: say "[fixed letter spacing]With the gentlest bump, the skycab settles into a landing bay at the spaceport terminal. Jill reaches over and gives your hand an excited squeeze. Through the window of the skycab, you can see the sleek, white shuttle waiting to carry you on your first leg of the journey to...to what? The Silver Dove would be more than just another space colony. It was the pinnacle of an eon of human achievement, the first step into interstellar space. You and Jill would never live to see the completion of that first step, generations hence. (Although in the germ-free, low-gee environment of a habitat, and with the recent strides in health and longevity research, who could say for sure?) But you would still have been part of that dawning of a new age, that future of unlimited potential. Humanity was beginning a journey into the universe, a voyage that would last forever.[vls] [20 as a PS][line break]". Carry out investing the pclerk with the demonic squeal: say "Shame on you.". [this might be the second-longest bit of contiguous text in the game] Check investing the black bag with the demonic squeal: say "While this feels a bit unkind, I have to admit that we have few options and even less time to finish our task and get out of here. Forgoing the usual dramatic hand gestures, we direct the kinetic energy of the *DEMONIC SQUEAL* at the precariously dangling purse. Unfortunately, our timing is less than perfect, as the woman has just decided to call her insurance company on the nearby payphone. Had we waited for another moment, she would have been out of our way. It's similarly too bad that her arm is momentarily at her side, so there is nothing to stop the purse from falling to the floor and spilling its contents there. For a second, she stares silently at the ground, holding back tears. This, she must be thinking, is simply too much. It's too much for anyone to bear. How relatable it all is! I can't count the times you have, metaphorically speaking, spilled the bag, leaving me stuck cleaning up after you. It's only natural that she might feel like a cry. Public places or no, sometimes you just have to let go. It's not like she meant for life to turn out this way, hooked on amphetamines and stuck alone with a kid who[EM]let's face it[EM]is going to be [italic type]wildly[roman type] fucked up. I'd love to tell her everything will be OK, but that would be lying. Aren't we living proof of that? It's all but certainly too late for both her and that poor kid. Speaking of the kid: startled and worried by his mother's choked-back sobs, he starts crying, and boy howdy, he is not holding anything back. He's screaming, in fact, and you know that this isn't just about this trip to the pharmacy. It's about [italic type]everything[roman type]. He's had it. He's had it with this place, with his dismal, messy home, with the father he doesn't really know, with his mother. He never knows what he's going to get, who she'll be, when he sees her. She might cry, she might yell, she might inexplicably fall into things, she might say stupid things like 'It's not your fault I'm like this' and blah blah this and blah blah that. He's had it with the general incompetence of adults, every one of them unconvincing liars, unreliable, with their way of acting as if [italic type]you[roman type] are putting them out, imposing on [italic type]them[roman type]. You know this kid, and you know him well. His mother is barely holding it together. The boy's screaming is too much to bear, and she can't concentrate on cleaning up the mess that her purse has made. That [italic type]we[roman type] have made. Since she's in front of the pharmacy counter, I don't think we can get our refill until she moves out of the way. Perhaps there is a way to help her focus on the task at hand. The noisy shopping cart, currently out of sight, has rolled to a stop. That customer must have reached the check out at long last. [14 as a DSC][line break]"; now the QAA is nowhere; now the QAAboy is nowhere; now the CAAboy is in the pcounter; now the CAAboy carries the keychain; now the CAA is in the pcounter; now the SBB is in the pcounter; now the PContents are in the pcounter; now the player is TInert; now g is 13; now the demonic squeal is nowhere. A WForm is a kind of person. The QAA, the CAA, and the PAA are WForms. Check investing a WForm with the demonic squeal: say "... [24 as a PS] This outcome has earned a rating of bully/10; [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if pd3 is false: now D is D plus one; now PD is PD plus one; now PD3 is true; try death logging 3; end the story. A BForm is a kind of children. The QAAboy, the CAAboy, and the PAAboy are BForms. Check investing a BForm with the demonic squeal: say "Sure, in a weird way that makes sense. The boy reminds us of us, and we don't like us. Therefore, ergo, we don't like the boy and would like to push him around. That's not really how it is, though. We'd never do anything to hurt that kid. Surely even [italic type]you[roman type] realize that." instead. Carry out investing the payphone with the demonic squeal: say "Asserting a bit of heretofore undiscovered panache, you casually gesture in the direction of the payphone, and the middling force of the *DEMONIC SQUEAL* has soon unseated the headset from its cradle. It's a matter of style over substance, I'm afraid, as the other persons trapped in this pharmacy are either too distracted or too enervated to even notice. Feeling a bit sheepish, you cross the pharmacy, pick up the receiver, and replace it."; now the player is tinert; now the demonic squeal is nowhere. Section 4 (giving) Check giving it to when the noun is the action figure and the second noun is the pclerk: if the QAA is in the pcounter: say "Let's not creep her out." instead; otherwise if the CAA is in the pcounter: say "You're headed the wrong way. We need to placate the mother and her son. If you want to give the clerk something, resolve this situation." instead; otherwise: say "This is just a bug handling string.". Check giving it to when the second noun is the pclerk: say "[if the paa is in the pcounter]There's no need to give her things. If you want to buy something, just *BUY* it. For instance, you could *BUY MEDICINE*[otherwise]You can't interact with the pharmacy clerk while the boy and his mother are blocking the counter[end if]." instead. Check giving something to the QAA: say "Unless you have some amphetamines on you, this lady isn't interested in anything we have." instead. Check showing something to the QAA: say "Unless you have some amphetamines on you, this lady isn't interested in anything we have." instead. Check giving something to the CAA: say "This woman is trying to clean up a mess while her child screams at her. All that and withdrawal too! She doesn't want anything you have, unless we can pull a handful of pills out of our pocket. Perhaps you might[if the player is carrying the action figure] have [otherwise] be able to find [end if]something the boy might want instead." instead. Check showing something to the CAA: say "This woman is trying to clean up a mess while her child screams at her. All that and withdrawal too! She doesn't want anything you have, unless we can pull a handful of pills out of our pocket. Perhaps you might[if the player is carrying the action figure] have [otherwise] be able to find [end if]something the boy might want instead." instead. Check giving something to the PAA: say "Now that they're not blocking the counter, there's no need to butt into the messy little lives of the woman and her son." instead. Check showing something to the PAA: say "Now that they're not blocking the counter, there's no need to butt into the messy little lives of the woman and her son." instead. Check giving something to the QAAboy: if the noun is not the action figure: say "He already has something that he doesn't want: the keys. Try giving him something that he actually wants." instead; otherwise if the noun is the action figure: say "The boy would love the action figure, but he's sitting very close to his mother. Approaching him now will likely feel a bit off. You might have a chance if you can distract her first." instead. Check showing something to the QAAboy: if the noun is not the action figure: say "He already has something that he doesn't want: the keys. Try giving him something that he actually wants." instead; otherwise if the noun is the action figure: say "The boy would love the action figure, but he's sitting very close to his mother. Approaching him now might feel... a bit off. You might have a chance if you can distract her first." instead. Check giving something to the QAAboy: if the noun is not the action figure: say "Come on now, would the [noun] have placated [italic type]us[roman type] when our own mother was dragging us all over town?" instead. Check showing something to the QAAboy: if the noun is not the action figure: say "Come on now, would the [noun] have placated [italic type]us[roman type] when our own mother was dragging us all over town?" instead. Carry out giving it to when the second noun is the CAAboy and the noun is the action figure: say "The boy regards you with hostile suspicion. Upon sighting the Badman figure, he appears to write us off as one of [it]those[rt] parents who give their kids presents and are usually sober during the day. Even as we draw closer, he obviously believes that the toy is meant for someone else and not him. When we offer him the Badman figure, he looks utterly baffled. We may as well have climbed out of a spaceship. With the toy now in hand, he regards it with a profound warmth that is[EM]dare I say it[EM]enough to move even the likes of you. Where was such a man in the long, humiliating hours of our youth? What is it we feel, looking at him, as the boy inspects the figure's cape and adjusts the rope and grapple in its hands? Is it a mending, a reconciliation? What am I saying? We are not [italic type]good[roman type] people. We are not even sentimental. The kid and his toy don't make us happy. He makes us [italic type]weak[roman type]. People see weakness and then they get inside you, tear you all apart. We are survivors. We are practical. We gave him a toy because he was [italic type]in our way[roman type]. That's all. [22 as a PS] Without the boy's screams in her ear, the woman can concentrate enough to collect her things and make her way to the nearby payphone. Bravo."; now the CAA is nowhere; now the SBB is nowhere; now the pcontents are nowhere; now the PAA is in the pcounter; now the PBB is carried by the PAA; now the CAAboy is nowhere; now G is 29; now the silence is in the pcounter; now the PAAboy is in the pcounter. Instead of showing the action figure to the CAAboy: say "Come on, now. We should just give the kid the toy." The standard report giving rule does nothing when giving the action figure to the CAAboy. Report giving it to when the noun is the action figure and the second noun is the CAAboy: now the PAAboy is carrying the action figure. Section 5 (talking) Check talkingtoit the QAA: say "The woman is throwing quite a fit. We shouldn't attract her attention." instead. Check talkingtoit the CAA: say "The woman is having enough trouble concentrating on the spilled contents of her purse. She couldn't hold up a conversation if she tried." instead. Check talkingtoit the PAA: say "[if the player is carrying the lithium]We've done everything we came to do. Stop goofing off and head for the hospital.[otherwise]Forget her. Now's the chance you've been waiting for. *BUY THE LITHIUM*!". Check talkingtoit the QAAboy: say "Randomly walking up to the boy and talking is only going to make people uncomfortable." instead. Check talkingtoit the CAAboy: say "There's no way that screaming child is going to have a conversation with you. Perhaps there is another way to placate him." instead. Check talkingtoit the PAAboy: say "You and the kid already had your moment. *BUY THE LITHIUM* so that we can get out of here." instead. Check talkingtoit the pclerk: say "[if the PAA is in the pcounter]She's had a rough day. Let's just get our pills and clear out of here.[otherwise]The window is blocked by the mother and her child. We'll need to get rid of them first.". Section 6 (buying) Check buying the lithium when the player is carrying the lithium: say "I couldn't afford a second bottle, even if I needed it. Which, of course, I don't." instead. Check buying the lithium when the PAA is not in the pcounter and the player is not carrying the lithium: say "Yeah, that's what we're here to do. Unfortunately, some very messy people with very messy lives are at the front of the line. They'll have to clear out, first." instead. Carry out buying the lithium when the PAA is in the pcounter and the player is not carrying the lithium: say "This is it! We give the clerk our name, then hand over nearly all of our money. In return, she hands us a stapled-shut plastic bag containing a bottle of pills. Ripping open the small white sack, we retrieve a pill before swallowing it at a nearby water fountain. Within moments, we're back in our car and speeding toward the hospital. The day has flown by: it's already dusk when you reach the hospital parking lot. Out on the blacktop, it's still June in Arkansas. Thick, hot air carries frog song from treetop to treetop, and soon bats will be carving erratic loops out of the sodium lamplight overhead. If I recall correctly, we are either too early or too late for visiting hours. They ended around ninety minutes ago and should resume in an hour. I have the strangest feeling that we shouldn't wait. What if our mother's remaining time is limited? I should get up there as soon as possible."; now the player is carrying the lithium; now the player is TInert; now g is 30; now all bleedsources carried by the player are nowhere; now the player is tinert; now the player is in the HPL; now pdeaths is 33.0. Section 7 (going) Check going nowhere in the pcounter: say "Since the pharmacy counter is located in the back of the store, I can only head *NORTH* to the entrance from here." instead. Section 8 (listening and smelling) Carry out listening_protag in the pcounter: say "[if QAA is in the pcounter]Between the argument at the counter and a nearby shopping cart with a squeaky wheel, it is unpleasantly noisy here in the pharmacy.[otherwise if the CAA is in the pcounter]A small child is throwing a large and noisy fit.[otherwise if the PAA is in the pcounter]Things have significantly quieted down here in the pharmacy area now that the small boy is playing happily with a Badman action figure.". Carry out smelling in the pcounter: say "The pharmacy area has an antiseptic, medical scent that is hardly surprising, given its purpose and contents.". section 9 (dropping) Check dropping the action figure when the player is carrying the action figure: say "I've considered your request, and I'm afraid I must decline. We just bought the thing, and I'm not going to just leave it lying around." instead. Section 10 (caskling) Check caskling a bform: say "It isn't that easy. You know it's not that easy." instead. Check caskling a wform: say "Where would we even begin? Some things take more than just magic to fix." instead. Check caskling the pclerk: say "[if the paa is not in the pcounter]If you want to make things better for the clerk, get the crazy pill lady away from her counter.[otherwise]While there is probably more that could be done, getting that woman away from the counter has almost certainly moved the clerk's day in the direction of perfect." instead. Section 11 (gunchoing) Before gunchoing a bform: say "[if the caa is not in pcounter]Look, just because you wanted to crawl in a hole and vanish back then doesn't mean that this kid wants to. Leave him alone.[otherwise]The kid finally gets a nice moment or two and you want to do that to him? Get a grip." instead; stop the action. Before gunchoing a wform: say "We aren't going to play out our weird psychodrama baggage with [the noun]. Just get a therapist like everyone else." instead; stop the action. Section 12 (searching) [Helistar is mentioned in Infocom's Sorcerer] Before looking under the 4cs: say "[one of]The ceremonial dagger is here, right where Helistar left it! We will finally be able to cut the enchanted rope![or]The pharmacy has a diligent cleaning staff, as there is nothing[em]not even dust[em]underneath the chair.[stopping]" instead; stop the action. Before searching the chair: try looking under the chair instead. The ceremonial dagger is in the pcounter. The ceremonial dagger is scenery. The ceremonial dagger is privately-named. Understand "dagger" and "knife" as the ceremonial dagger. Instead of doing anything to the ceremonial dagger: say "Ceremonial dagger? Not even [it]you[rt] could have thought I was serious.". Section 13 (enjoying and loving) Before loving a bform: say "No. Experiencing love is not his destiny, and I have my hands full waging war against my own fate." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying something in the pcounter when the noun is not the silence and the noun is not the player and the PAA is not in the pcounter: say "You've got to be kidding me. There's no way we could enjoy even the most enjoyable thing here, with all of this craziness going on." instead; stop the action. The silence is nowhere. The silence is scenery. The silence is undescribed. Instead of enjoying in the pcounter when the PAA is in the pcounter and the noun is not the silence and the noun is not the player: say "I am relieved that the kid has stopped screaming. One nice thing about hospitals is that they're usually quiet." Instead of enjoying the silence: say "Ah, yes, silence. Sweet, blessed nothing, at long last. I was becoming quite uncomfortable. You must have been too. Surely, even [it]you[rt] are be a little bothered by the troubled family lives of our fellow human beings. We [it]are[rt] human beings, you know. We could yet lose a lot, but we can hang on to that. We should hang onto it, I think." Instead of doing anything other than enjoying to the silence: say "Don't ruin the moment. Either *ENJOY THE SILENCE* or move on.". Book 6 (The hospital) Part 1 (hospital rules) Section 1 (definition of the hospital region) HZone is a region. HPL, Hospital Entrance, HRoom, HRoof, and HRoom are in HZone. Surging is a truth state that varies. Section 2 (death in the hospital region) DHRT is a number that varies. DHRT is zero. [-Enter the car in the HPL]DH1 is a truth state that varies. DH1 is false. [-Invest the car]DH2 is a truth state that varies. DH2 is false. [-winning after being rejected]DH3 is a truth state that varies. DH3 is false. [jumping off the roof]DH4 is a truth state that varies. DH4 is false. [leaving the HRoom prematurely]DH5 is a truth state that varies. DH5 is false. [investing the hospital/windows]dh6 is a truth state that varies. dh6 is false. Part 2 (Hospital Parking Lot) Chapter 1 (hospital parking lot descriptions) The HPL is a room. The printed name of HPL is "Hospital Parking Lot". Rejected is a truth state that varies. Rejected is initially false. The HPL is outside of the Hospital Entrance. The HPL is down of the HRoof. [another long passage, which only prints once.] The description of the HPL is "[if unvisited]This is the hospital's large parking lot. Since it is on a gentle slope, it appears to reach beyond the horizon, lost to the curve of the earth. We stand near a white stone statue of Saint Catherine of Siena. Even though we are too far away to read its inscription in the dusk, I know that it must read, 'LOVE FOLLOWS KNOWLEDGE.' Well, we both know that isn't true, but it's more beautiful than the average lie. I acquired this knowledge as a lapsed Episcopalian and crypto-Catholic. Not in the sense of Catholic [italic type]theology[roman type], mind you, with all of its shabby Aristotelianism, but of its lovely pageantry and mythology. I also know, for instance, that after Catherine's death, pious grave robbers stole her head. Today, visitors and pilgrims can view it in an elaborate reliquary inside the Basilica San Domenico in her hometown of Siena. This statue features her whole body, head and all. Looking forward with a serene expression, she holds a book in one hand and a lily in the other. What would it be like, I wonder, to believe in magic? I don't mean in the sense of things that we can do. I mean the opposite of that. What if we lived in a world where everything meant more than we thought it did instead of less? A world absolutely besotted with significance? If power were additive rather than subtractive? There's something about this light that settles me. I feel as if I could stand here forever. You know, until we go in and up, our mother is in a quantum state. She could be going downhill fast. She could be laughing at sitcoms and eating a cheeseburger! I have the sudden feeling that we live in a very open world, that our world is wide open. You must feel it, too. Surely you feel it. Behind us, someplace under a tree in the gathering dusk, is our trusty Accord sedan. Above and before us hang the countless lit and unlit windows of the hospital. I have come to throw my shadow against one of them, haven't I? I guess we can't stay here forever, but don't you agree that there is something about the light? I can't say what it is. I don't know. Ha. You're right. It's very unusual for [italic type]you[roman type] to tell [italic type]me[roman type] to hurry up. I must be nervous! How funny. I guess there's nothing for us to do but walk past St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, and try to talk our way upstairs even though visiting hours are over.[otherwise]We are standing outside a hospital at dusk, and the tree frogs have begun their incessant music. I can see the rising moon, partially concealed by trees, on the far side of the bypass. There, countless, ceaseless cars travel to other, equally uninteresting parts of town. Busy, busy, busy. Our car is around here someplace. I'm sure we could find it if we had to. Above and before us, a geometric grid of lit and unlit windows rises overhead. Our mother is on the sixth floor someplace. A nearby statue of St. Catherine of Siena looks down from a low pillar. I feel, despite her beatific countenance, judged and found wanting.[end if][if rejected is false] I should hurry in. The reception desk should be just *INSIDE*.[otherwise] I don't think we can talk our way up there, and I don't think we should wait. There must be some other way. [end if][first time] [21 as a PS][only]". [this only fires after the player has tried going inside; it's purpose is to draw attention to a source of magic.] Every turn when location is the HPL and rejected is true and the player is TInert and surging is false: say "[one of]Every second, the traffic on the bypass either rushes, lurches, or creeps by. The distant sound of engines, occasionally punctuated by horns, is nearly enough to drown out the music of nearby insects and frogs.[or]The music of the many cars traversing the bypass is a single, held note.[or]The cars on the bypass seem unable to reach a fixed speed, instead braking and accelerating without discernible rhythm.[or]What a waste of energy it is, all of the comings and goings we are always in the middle of. Does anybody ever really go anywhere?[cycling]". Chapter 2 (nouns in the hospital parking lot) Section 1 (the car) The HCar is in the HPL. The Hcar is an enterable container. The printed name of the HCar is "car". The indefinite article of my HCar is "my". The HCar is scenery. The description of the HCar is "My trusty Accord sedan, which has delivered us here at last, is parked nearby." [unlike other areas of the game, the player can turn back by entering the car] Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing or entering to the Hcar, say "My car has tirelessly borne us to this fateful place of meeting. When I am ready to leave, it will be ready to take me. It might be hard to face what's ahead, but leaving now would be even harder to live with. Let's leave the car be for now.". Rule for supplying a missing noun while entering in the HPL: say "There is more than one thing here that I could enter. Just to be safe, why don't you repeat your request, this time specifying what you mean?"; do nothing. Understand "car" or "my car" or "Accord" or "sedan" or "Accord sedan" as the HCar. The parking lot cars are in the HPL. The printed name of the parking lot cars is "cars parked nearby". The parking lot cars are scenery. Understand "cars" and "parked cars" and "nearby cars" and "cars parked nearby" as the parking lot cars. Instead of doing anything other than examining or investing or siphoning to the parking lot cars: say "The cars are useless to everyone but their owners. Really!". The description of the parking lot cars is "Even though I am in a hurry to reach my mother's room, I stop to examine the various cars parked here. I begin to regret my decision almost immediately, but continue looking anyway. The cars are evidence of the sunk cost fallacy. Now that I've looked, it's hard to stop looking. After several fruitless minutes, I give up. What was I expecting, I wonder?" After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the HPL: set the locale priority of the parking lot cars to 0. Section 2 (the statue) [I put lots of TLC into the statue, since I thought it was thematically important.] The statue is in the HPL. The statue is scenery. Understand "saint" or "saint Catherine" or "Catherine" or "white statue" as the statue. The description of the statue is "Saint Catherine gazes upon me with a small, beatific smile. She holds a book in one hand and a lily in the other. The words 'LOVE FOLLOWS KNOWLEDGE' are inscribed in large letters near its base.[if rejected is false] I feel strange saying so, but I wish we didn't have to walk past her to get *INSIDE* the hospital. I look at her and feel convicted. Do you feel it? Do you feel convicted?". The smile is part of the statue. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing when the current action involves the smile: say "The saint's smile is an outward sign of her metaphysical certitude. It's not something we can exploit or deface.". Instead of diagnosing the smile: say "The smile is part of the statue, which in total offers no entropic opportunities. However, it does make me feel a bit strange in a completely non-magical way.". Instead of siphoning the smile: say "If I could take anything from Saint Catherine's smile, it would be her confidence in her beliefs regarding the nature of the universe. That magic is beyond my capability, sadly.". Instead of investing the smile with the esoteric velocity: say "Not even you would dare to wipe the smile from Saint Catherine's face." Instead of doing anything other than touching or diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the statue: say "I don't know what you hope to accomplish. This isn't one of those games where statues move aside to reveal stairs leading downward." instead. Instead of touching the statue: say "Years ago, in what seems another life, I would have touched the hem of Saint Catherine's garment for good luck. I lack the courage (or is it audacity?) today, even though I would welcome any blessing she might offer." Instead of diagnosing the statue: say "The statue might have the power to comfort a believer, but I left the church long ago.". The lily is in the HPL. The lily is scenery. Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing when the current action involves the lily: say "The lily is part of the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena, which is carved from a single, large block of marble. Interacting with it separately is not likely to be productive." Understand "flower" as the lily. Instead of diagnosing the lily: say "Sadly, a stone lily weathers the insults of time far better than lilies born in soil. There are no readily-available entropic forces at work in the lily.". Instead of siphoning the lily: say "It's just like the old saying goes: 'You can't get entropic magic from a stone flower.'". Instead of investing the lily with the esoteric velocity: say "If it were a real lily, I could knock it out of her hand, then offer it to the receptionist inside. Though personally, I'd rather give it to a frog. Then again, the frogs are only audible, not visible. I could always hang onto it and give it to my mother, but I don't think she is conscious. It is too large to pin to my shirt, sadly, as it might brighten the mood a bit. Are you afraid to see our mother? Is this while you are stalling? The lily is not real, and you know very well how silly you sound, asking to invest it with a massive quantity of kinetic energy. We both, you and I, need to overcome our fears and see things through. If you cannot muster the courage to press on, we might as well *ENTER THE CAR* and go home." The book is part of the statue. The book is scenery. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing when the current action involves the book: say "The book is part of the statue. I can't take it, open it, or do anything book-related to or with it.". Instead of diagnosing the book: say "The book, like the statue that holds it, is made of entropy-resistant stone. Since it isn't a real book, it's reading-resistant as well.". Instead of siphoning the book: say "There is nothing to gain in terms of knowledge or energy from siphoning a book made of stone." Instead of investing the book with the esoteric velocity: say "If it were a real book, and if I had something like the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*, I could use that magic to turn pages while I read. But it isn't, and I don't, so I won't.". The description of the book is "In images of Saint Catherine of Siena, she is frequently shown holding a book. This likely reflects her status as both a Doctor of the Church and the author of [it]The Dialogue of Divine Providence[rt].". Understand "read book" as a mistake ("Not even chaos magic can turn a stone carving of a closed book into something readable."). The inscription is part of the statue. The inscription is scenery. Understand "words" and "base" as the inscription. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the inscription: say "At the end of the day, there isn't a lot I that can do with letters carved in a big hunk of stone.". The description of the inscription is "The words at the base of the statue read, 'LOVE FOLLOWS KNOWLEDGE.'". The pillar is part of the statue. The pillar is scenery. The description of the pillar is "The pillar positions Saint Catherine of Siena to look down at me while I look up at her.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or siphoning or diagnosing or investing when the current action involves the pillar: say "I truly appreciate your attention to detail, but the pillar is not a waypoint on the journey to our mother's bedside.". Instead of siphoning the pillar: say "The pillar is almost[em]almost![em]as stable and entropy-resistant as my toilet back at the trailer. It does not merely resist my attempt to draw power from it. It rebukes it.". Instead of diagnosing the pillar: say "The pillar is so resistant to entropic magic that I cannot sense anything at all. It is like a blank spot, a torn stitch in the fabric of the universe.". Instead of investing the pillar with the esoteric velocity: say "Such is the pillar's resistance to magic that you know without trying that even something as powerful as the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* cannot affect it in any way.". Section 3 (the frogs) [the frogs are one of my favorite things in the game] The frogs are in the HPL. Understand "treefrogs" and "tree frogs" and "frog" as the frogs. The frogs are scenery. The frogs are a plural-named thing. The description of the frogs is "In this part of the world, tree frogs are always out of sight, yet close at hand. They must be in all of the nearby pines. I believe they are calling potential mates. There's something poignant in that, isn't there?". Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or examining or diagnosing or siphoning or investing or kissing to the frogs: say "You know, it's funny. I've lived in the part of the world my whole life, and I've never even seen a tree frog. I hear them most spring and summer nights. I know that they[']re out there. But where are they?". Carry out kissing the frogs: say "It's my good fortune that the tree frogs are merely audible. What kind of story do you think this is, anyway?". Carry out investing the frogs with the esoteric velocity: say "I'm not here to murder anything, frogs or otherwise. It's OK. I know you don't mean it." instead. Before nitfoling the frogs: say "[one of]The frogs discuss advantages of deciduous trees over evergreens.[or]A frog tells his fellow frogs about his troubles attracting a mate.[or]The frogs discuss the pleasantly hot and humid weather.[or]The frogs wonder if you are passing through for the last time, or if they will have to repeat this day yet again.[or]The frogs are disappointed that some players ignore scoring mechanics, even when they are integral to the meaning of a work.[or]The frogs wonder if you will blow up your car again, since that always spices up an otherwise quiet evening.[or]The frogs speculate as to what the term 'railroading' might mean.[or]The frogs wonder if the orange-eyed woman will turn up tonight. Such a strange and curious creature![or]The frogs are glad that you stopped throwing the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena through the front wall of the hospital, because it seemed like bad luck.[or]The frogs discuss their creator, who has yet to move beyond his troubled past.[or]The frogs settle into a bit of frogsong in hopes of attracting mates.[or]The frogs have settled into a bit of frogsong in hopes of attracting mates.[stopping]" instead; stop the action. Before gunchoing the frogs: say "Lucky for me and my conscience, GUNCHO works on a single, visible creature, and the frogs don't fit the bill on either count." instead; stop the action. The frogsong is scenery in HPL. The frogsong is undescribed. Understand "song" as the frogsong. Instead of doing anything other than enjoying to the frogsong: say "The frogsong seems to come from everywhere around you, which it most likely does. You cannot see the frogs, of course. They're too smart for that.". Instead of enjoying the frogsong: say "Yes. Yes I do. The frogsong is a pleasant repetition here in the moonlight, here under the moon. I could almost forget the nature of my errand. I could almost sit down, putting my back against a tree, and listen drowsily until the dawn. Almost.". Section 4 (the bypass) The bypass is in the HPL. The bypass is scenery. Understand "highway" as the bypass. Instead of doing anything to the bypass when rejected is false: say "The bypass and its ceaseless traffic are a notable feature, but at the moment there's nothing interesting to see or do there." Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or investing or examining to the bypass when rejected is true: say "The bypass[em]or, more accurately, the traffic it accommodates[em]is far away. It can only be reached via magic.". The description of the bypass is "This four-lane, divided highway touches three of this town's extremities: west, south, and east. Its traffic is always loud and always congested. I don't even need to *DIAGNOSE THE TRAFFIC* to know what a massive waste of energy it must be. Pointlessly coming, aimlessly going, stopping and starting, world without end.". Carry out siphoning the bypass: say "I think that the real power is in the movement of the traffic. Perhaps I should diagnose it." instead. Carry out investing the bypass with the esoteric velocity: say "The bypass is too closely associated with the source of the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY*. So far as I know, it remains impossible to return entropic magic to its source." instead. Section 5 (The traffic) The traffic is in the HPL. The printed name of the traffic is "traffic on the bypass". The traffic is scenery. Instead of doing anything to the traffic when rejected is false: say "The traffic is a massive waste of energy and time, but I'm not yet sure how to take advantage of it. Besides, what would I do with that kind of power?" Understand "cars" as the traffic. The description of the traffic is "In the cohering dusk, the illuminated brake lights of each passing vehicle begin to bleed into the next as the congested traffic starts and stops, speeding and slowing. Collectively, the traffic must waste a tremendous amount of kinetic energy." Instead of doing anything other than diagnosing or siphoning or examining or investing to the traffic when rejected is true: say "The traffic is far away. I can't interact with it physically." Section 6 (The hospital) The hospital building is in the HPL. Understand "hospital" and "wall" as the hospital building. The hospital building is an enterable container. The hospital building is scenery. The description of the hospital building is "[if rejected is false]This might be the largest building in town in terms of square feet. It's tall, and wider than it is tall. We're here to see our mother, even though visiting hours are over. Don't you think I should go *INSIDE*?[otherwise if rejected is true]Since I've been turned away at the door, I need to find another way in. We can't go in, under, or around. Where does that leave us?". Section 7 (the esoteric velocity) The esoteric velocity is nowhere. The esoteric velocity is a bleedsource. The esoteric velocity is safe. The printed name of the esoteric velocity is "*ESOTERIC VELOCITY*". Section 8 (the revised psychic bleed) The RPB is nowhere. The printed name of the RPB is "oddly familiar orange magic". Understand "energy" and "warm energy" and "her energy" and "painful energy" and "sweet energy" and "music" and "strange music" and "orange" and "orange feeling" and "feeling" and "psychic bleed" and "bleed" and "magic" and "entropic magic" and "entropy" and "bleed" as the RPB. The RPB is a bleedsource. The RPB is safe. Section 9 (the moon) The moon is a backdrop. The moon is in the HPL and HRoof. The description of the moon is "Tonight's full moon has risen above the treeline. Its bright light has an unusual[EM]but not impossible[EM]orange tint that I find familiar in a hard-to-place way. Whatever this night might bring, it is at least beautiful. It is a truly lovely night, here above the traffic and trees, bathed in frogsong and light.". [a tester tried to examine the orange tint. in keeping with the general maximalism of the game, I tried to add rather than subtract when these situations arose.] The orange tint is part of the moon. The description of the orange tint is "The moon is distinctly orange, which rouses a hard-to-place feeling of recognition in me.". Instead of doing anything other than examining when the current action involves the orange tint: say "[it]Now there is further a difficulty with the light: I am obliged to perform in complete darkness[lb]operations of great delicacy[lb]on my self.[lb][t2][t2][em]John Berryman[lb]". Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or enjoying to the moon: say "In a world such as ours, in this magical world, who's to say whether we might one day interact with the moon in some way beyond seeing? But not now." instead. Carry out diagnosing the moon: say "The moon's tidal forces undoubtedly affect many physical processes here on earth. Losses of organization and power are inevitable. I've always wondered if they could be used as a source of power, but the question remains unanswered.". Instead of enjoying the moon: say "The moon is lovely and full and vividly orange. I [it]do[rt] enjoy it, despite the story we have woven today. I never know whether to resent or have gratitude for the beauty of our world. Do you know what I mean? I don't resent this moon tonight. Perhaps, like Achilles, I might be braver for it. Perhaps, unlike Achilles, I will emerge from the underworld, emerge to see this moon once more." Section 9 (the goddamned windows) [ah, yes. windows] The hospital windows are part of the hospital building. The hospital windows are scenery. The hospital windows are a plural-named thing. The hospital windows are privately-named. Understand "window" and "grid" and "windows" as the hospital windows. The description of the hospital windows is "[one of]Behind each of these windows[EM]I am too distracted to count them[EM]is either an inconvenience, a terror, a hardship, a tragedy, a hard-won conclusion, or, perhaps, a very specific sort of loneliness. There may be combinations, or other types of rooms that I have forgotten. Or other types of loneliness. They don't rent out party rooms here, after all.[or]Lots of sick people, lots of rooms, lots of windows. That's it.[stopping]". Does the player mean calling the hospital windows with something: it is very unlikely. Instead of doing anything other than examining or investing or diagnosing to the hospital windows: say "They're large, shatterproof windows. I can't reach them or see into them. They're tall, but not wide. They are made from entropy-resistant materials. They are made for looking out, not in. Each is bigger than a breadbox, but smaller than a suspension bridge. They aren't reflective. They aren't invited to my birthday party. They are also a waste of my time." instead. Section 10 (the shadow) [the shadow is only mentioned once, in the initial description of the parking lot.] There is a shadow in the HPL. The shadow is scenery. [Trinity by Brian Moriarty.] Instead of doing anything to the shadow: say "[fixed letter spacing]Islet It's impossible to see more than a dozen yards on this fogbound islet. The damp air makes your footsteps sound unnaturally loud as you trudge across the sand at the river's edge. A lone toadstool has found a home at the water's edge. The white door in its stem is wide open. A triangular shadow lies across the ground. Its sharp point rests exactly on the open door in the toadstool. 'Gnomon is an island,' whispers a voice in your ear. A roadrunner is perched on the toadstool's crown. The ruby in its beak gleams enticingly. The roadrunner gives you a curt nod of acknowledgment. Then it flutters off the toadstool, prances through the open door and disappears.[rt]". Section 11 (the infinite movement) The infinite movement is in the HPL. The infinite movement is undescribed. Instead of diagnosing or siphoning or investing when the current action involves the infinite movement and rejected is false: say "Stop goofing off and get inside.". Instead of doing anything other than siphoning or diagnosing or investing when the current action involves the infinite movement: say "[if rejected is false]Stop goofing around and get inside.[Otherwise]The *INFINITE MOVEMENT* is pure magical potential. You can't touch it or see it. Once discovered, it can be siphoned and converted to useful entropic magic." instead. Section 12 (the trees) The htrees are in the HPL. The htrees are scenery. Understand "trees" and "pine trees" and "pines" and "pine" and "treeline" as the htrees. The description of the htrees is "Pine trees have been planted at set intervals in the parking lot to provide shade and, presumably, fulfill someone's aesthetic vision." Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the htrees: say "The trees give the local frogs a place to be, for which I am grateful. I'm satisfied with the trees as they are.". Chapter 3 (verbs in the HPL) Section 1 (going and entering) [a state flipper to turn entry into a puzzle.] Check going inside in the HPL when rejected is false: say "I walk past Saint Catherine of Siena with a hard-to-place feeling of guilt, then enter the hospital foyer. The air is cool and still inside, and the light is gentle. A reception worker, seated behind a large counter, looks annoyed at my entrance. We are quickly told[EM]before even reaching the counter[EM]that daytime visiting hours are over, and that evening hours will begin in fifty minutes. I consider trying to talk my way in, but the worker looks over his shoulder at a nearby security guard, who seems ready[EM]possibly even excited[EM]to join the conversation. I'll need to find another way."; now rejected is true; now g is 14; try looking; stop the action. Instead of entering the hospital building: try going inside instead. Check going nowhere in the HPL: say "Our business is here. Or, more precisely, our business is on the sixth floor of the the large building presently casting a moonlit shadow upon Saint Catherine of Siena." instead. Check going inside in the HPL when rejected is true and the player is TInert and surging is false: say "What's the use of being able to use chaos magic if you'd rather argue with security guards like a crazy person?" instead. Instead of going inside in the HPL: if the player is flying: say "I could go back into the hospital lobby with the power I am carrying and teach that security guard a thing or two, but I don't think it would be worth it. That clown is just doing his job, after all. Let's not magically grind him into dust." instead; otherwise if surging is true: say "I could go back into the hospital lobby with the power I am carrying and teach that security guard a thing or two, but I don't think it would be worth it. That clown is just doing his job, after all. Let's not magically grind him into dust." instead; OTHERWISE: continue the action. Carry out entering the HCar when surging is false: say "I can't do it. I've lost my nerve. I just can't do it. I climb into the car and drive to Iron Springs, a campsite north of town. By the time I get there, it's dark. Real, country dark. The moon is behind one of those steep, blunt hills that make up the Ouachita Mountains. Climbing out of the car, it takes minutes before I can make out anything. Even though the sky should be clear, there is no starlight overhead. No light at all. In fact, I feel like I'm staring down the gullet of some massive, world-swallowing beast. My mother dies sometime in the night, and I guess it's fitting that she might go without us finding any kind of closure, or deliverance, or grace. In that, our life is practically unchanged. We go on playing video games, eating junk food, having maybe one human conversation every week or two. Wanting to die, but willing to wait for it. This outcome has earned a rating of dear darkness/10.[pb][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DH1 is false: now DHRT is DHRT plus one; now DH1 is true; now D is D plus one; try death logging 7; End the story. [once the player is capable of flight, there's no way to enter the car] Check entering the HCar in the HPL when surging is true: say "No, no, no. I'm not turning back now. This power is pushing me forward, not back." instead. Instead of climbing the hospital: try going up instead. Instead of going up in the HPL when rejected is true and surging is false and the player is tinert: say "[one of]Far be it from me to ruin a good time, but do you have any ideas as to how to do that? Flying might be possible, but we've never done it before. It would take [italic type]a lot[roman type] of magical energy.[or]Flying seems like the only way up, but propelling myself all the way to the hospital's roof would be very costly, in terms of entropic magic. That's to say nothing of the danger involved, which is really more of a 'Manic D' specialty. [it]Your[rt] specialty, that is. Nevertheless, this may be one of the rare cases where your thinking is better than mine.[or]OK, OK. If I can absorb an adequate source of kinetic energy, I'll *FLY*. Or try to.[stopping]". Instead of going up in the HPL when rejected is false: say "It's true, I do want to get up to my mother's room, but I think I should go *INSIDE* first. Let's try the elevator before resorting to anything fancy.". [at long last, the player can FLY (it's one of the verbs listed in the guide)] Carry out going up in the HPL when surging is true: say "I start out a bit clumsily, but within seconds I have figured out how to propel myself up to the roof. The feeling is incredible and likely addictive. It's a shame that it is over so fast. Flying must require a lot of magic, as the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* was only just enough to reach the roof. After a surprisingly gentle landing, I stand, panting a bit, already hoping to do it again soon."; now the player is carrying the RPB; now the player is forgiving; now g is 15; now surging is false; follow the display flying image rule. Instead of going up when the player is flying: say "I think we have enough entropic power to get to the roof, though I'll have to use it before trying to fly. I could always *DIAGNOSE ME* if I needed more information about the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY*.". Section 2 (flying) Flighting is an action applying to nothing. Understand "fly" as flighting. Understand "fly up" as flighting. Instead of flighting when the player is the entropist: say "There's nothing special about flying. We do it all the time. However, flying in and around primeoid houses is suboptimal, so far as fun and entertainment value go." Instead of flighting when motorized is true: say "As powerful as the *MOTORIZED KINESIS* is, it isn't enough to grant us flight.". Instead of flighting when the player is flying: say "That's not a bad idea, but you'll need to do something with that *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* first. You can always *DIAGNOSE ME* if you need more information.". Instead of flighting when the player is not flying and the player is not tinert: say "The magic we have on hand simply isn't powerful enough.". Instead of flighting when the player is not flying and the player is tinert: say "We currently have no entropic magic on-hand. Even if we did, I'm not quite sure how we could use it to fly. Some kinetic magic might work, maybe. I think.". Instead of flighting in the HPL: try going up instead. Instead of jumping when the player is flying: try going up instead. Instead of jumping when the surging is true: try going up instead. Section 2-1 not for release [troubleshooting the "fly" command] Understand "sg" as a mistake ("[surging]"). Section 3 (diagnosing) Carry out diagnosing the bypass when rejected is false: say "There is definitely some entropy at work here, but I'm sure how I could capture or use it." instead. Carry out diagnosing the bypass when rejected is true: say "Yes. There is clearly a lot of energy here. Too much, perhaps. I should try diagnosing the traffic." instead. Carry out diagnosing the traffic when rejected is false: say "I can sense a tremendous amount of energy here, but it would be risky to try and capture it. Maybe I should try going *INSIDE* the hospital before resorting to such extreme measures." Carry out diagnosing the traffic when rejected is true: say "The traffic in total[em]a continuous flow of large, motorized objects[em]is shedding a massive amount of kinetic energy. I'm not sure that we are capable of controlling it, but it may well be time for a bit of productive recklessness. I think we should try to *SIPHON THE INFINITE MOVEMENT*.". Check diagnosing the hospital building: say "It's a massive building with machinery, HVAC, and human bodies in varying states of strain or failure, so of course it's bursting with entropic processes. However, those process are not exposed to me, and I can't siphon a non-specific certainty. There's nothing productive to be done with an entire building." instead. Check diagnosing the hospital windows: say "There are, without question, entropic process occurring behind several[EM]most[q][EM]of the hospital's windows, but our talents rely on line of sight. There's no way to tell what is and isn't possible from this side of the windows." instead. Carry out diagnosing the HCar: say "As always, my car is a productive source of entropic magic while I am driving it. Parked, there is likely some heat dissipating from the engine and tires, but the gradual nature of those processes makes it a poor source for our purposes.". Carry out diagnosing the parking lot cars: say "Against my better judgment, I attempt to diagnose the entire parking lot, since the cars are not concentrated in a single area. Listen, just because the narrative voice has switched from first person plural to first person singular doesn't mean I've forgotten about [it]you[rt]. If you want to insert yourself into this otherwise dramatic scene, if you want to stall me in reaching my mother, I guess I can't stop you. After all, you're the 'brains' of this operation. You poisoned us with drugs and booze. You chased off our friends and loves. You're the one who went crazy. You landed us down and out in that shitty trailer. You, you, you. I've never been able to stop you. I can't stop you. Go ahead, *DIAGNOSE* a bunch of randomly placed cars in a massive parking lot. See if I care.". Carry out diagnosing the frogs: say "My magic only works on visible things. In any case, the frogs are not [it]tiring[rt], they are [it]relaxing[rt]. There's a difference.". Carry out diagnosing the infinite movement: say "The *INFINITE MOVEMENT*, as an external source of entropic power, can be siphoned." Section 4 (siphoning) Instead of siphoning the statue: say "My attempt to draw off mystical energy from the statue of Saint Catherine, or whatever it is that I am trying to do, comes to nothing.". Before siphoning the INFINITE MOVEMENT: if surging is true: Say "I am filled with kinetic magic to the point of bursting. There's simply no way to siphon more magic until things have run their course."; stop the action. Carry out siphoning the INFINITE MOVEMENT when rejected is true: say "As much as we love bad ideas, I feel a little anxious about this. The traffic is squandering a [italic type]massive[roman type] amount of kinetic energy every minute. I've never before attempted to control such an incredible amount of wasted power. Reaching out with my mind, I feel the cast-off momentum of every stop and start, every acceleration, every depress of every brake pedal. This power is almost... it's almost like drinking[EM]absolutely thrilling[EM]and I feel the hairs on my neck vibrating, singing. My teeth hum in my mouth. It's as if the world told me a secret so massive that I can't push it into my ear. Can't you feel it? What should I do with this power? Something impossible. Something amazing."; now the player is flying; now the player is carrying the esoteric velocity. Carry out siphoning the HCar: say "The car, as we've discussed many times, is not an effective source of entropic magic. As we've also discussed many times, it might be a productive [it]recipient[rt] of said magic, provided you'd like to blow us up. I know how much you love that.". Carry out siphoning the parking lot cars: say "I seem to have inadvertently siphoned myself, since this effort has left me exhausted.". Carry out siphoning the frogs: say "I see that you have not picked up on my unsubtle suggestion that interacting with the frogs is impossible. For your benefit and mine, then, let me say that I would not interrupt a perfectly pleasant ambient sound, even if I could see its source." Carry out siphoning the hospital building: say "The building is too large and diffuse to empower any sort of entropic magic. Since my powers rely on line-of-sight, I can't detect or use anything that might be beyond the hospital's wall.". Carry out siphoning the traffic: say "The traffic itself cannot be siphoned, though it can be diagnosed." Section 5 (investing) Carry out investing the statue with the esoteric velocity: say "While destroying the statue of St. Catherine of Siena would, in fact, lead to an alternative narrative outcome, I don't want to arrive at one in that way. I may not be [it]religious[rt], but I am [it]superstitious[rt]. Wouldn't you agree[EM]surely you must[EM]that the world is a magical place for us? Not good magical, mind you, but a way of seeing and being with its own fantastical rules. The sane can never know that world or see into it. Without wandering off on a epistemological tangent: I will say that slapping St. Catherine of Siena with an incredible quantity of kinetic energy would be bad magic. Or bad mojo. A bad idea, in any case. I won't do it.". Carry out investing the player with the esoteric velocity: Now surging is true; Now the player is TInert; now the esoteric velocity is nowhere; say "I direct the incredible power of the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* inward, and feel a massive surge of power. I think that I could do almost anything, and I'm probably right.". Carry out investing the hospital windows with the ESOTERIC VELOCITY: say "I hold my arms up and apart, looking like a hillbilly Gandalf. With only a moment of focus, I drive the massive power of an entire highway of heavy traffic into and through the side of the hospital. I'm surprised that this level of audacity and/or disregard for human life has not propelled us from the narrative. What is it going to take? We don't have time to discuss it, since the catastrophic structural damage done to the hospital results in a very large chunk of it falling directly on me and my body. It isn't burning alive, I've got to give you that. Still, I can't help but feel you are enjoying this a little too much, even after all I put up with for you. I don't know why I act surprised, as ingratitude has always been one of your defining traits. This ending has earned a rating of ingrate/10[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; If DH6 is false: Now D is D plus one; Now DHRT is DHRT plus one; Now DH6 is true; try death logging 6; end the story. Carry out investing the hospital building with the ESOTERIC VELOCITY: try investing the hospital windows with the esoteric velocity instead. Carry out investing the parking lot cars with the esoteric velocity: say "As satisfying as it might be to blow up a bunch of cars, they are too far apart to engage as a group. Also: why in the world am I trying to blow up inconsequential bits of scenery? Don't I have something important to do?". [one last chance to blow up the car] Carry out investing the HCar with the esoteric velocity: say "You know, I often wonder what we could have been like if we were 'normal' (whatever that means) or if we could have had an easier time of things. Could we have turned out a different way? I feel cheated, when I think about it. Your judgment is awful; I don't know how such a smart person could be so dumb. I would have liked for us to have friends, or to have done some sort of constructive, fulfilling work. But you can't do it. We've tried and we've tried, and we can't do it. As poorly as we've gotten along, once our mother is gone, there's nothing. Nobody to miss us. Isn't it sad, to have no one to miss you? We've resented her for so long that our relationship is like an itch you can't reach. What have I ever done to close the distance between us? Oh. Sorry, you said something about the car. It's like the old saying goes, 'Where there's a will, there's a way to blow up your car.' At least, I can imagine [it]you[rt] saying that. At this late date, causing our car to explode is old hat for us. At least, it should be. Isn't that weird, to say that we ought to be experienced in blowing up a car? This seems like my last chance to do it, so I'll try to make the most of it. The power of the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* is such that it feels as if I am holding a boulder over our head. Despite its seeming weight, I am able to throw it accurately in the direction of our poor, blameless car. The result is spectacular! It barrel rolls into multiple trees, felling them as it travels. It finally collides with a bread delivery truck of all things, and both are engulfed in a fiery explosion. The sight is so spectacular that I don't even notice the large pine falling upon us. It's nice, not having to see it coming. This outcome has earned a rating of vehicular homicide/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DH2 is false: now DH2 is true; now D is D plus one; now DHRT is DHRT plus one; try death logging 2; end the story; Carry out investing the infinite movement with the esoteric velocity: say "So far as I know, entropic magic cannot be returned to its source. I've always understood this to be a fundamental rule of the universe." instead. Carry out investing the traffic with the esoteric velocity: say "So far as I know, entropic magic cannot be returned to its source. I've always understood this to be a fundamental rule of the universe." instead. Section 6 (winning) Check winning in the HPL when rejected is false: say "You're already standing at the entrance to the hospital. Try walking inside first." instead. Carry out winning in the HPL when rejected is true: say "After all this time, waiting another hour isn't going to hurt anything, is it? I may as well climb in the car, put the seat back, and kill time until visiting hours resume. The time flies by! I am soon riding the elevator to the intensive care floor, where my mother is at the center of a ratted nest of billows, pumps, and diagnostic leads. It's so weird, looking at her now. I know that it's her, but I would never have known that it was her, had I not known. I'm not making sense, I realize, but it is hard to get at the heart of a true thing sometimes. I think what I mean to say is that even [italic type]I[roman type] have always hoped to find a greater distance between things and the soul. This outcome has earned a rating of if the sky resembled more the sea/10[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DH3 is false: now D is D plus one; now DHRT is DHRT plus one; now DH3 is true; try death logging 3; end the story. Section 7 (listening and smelling) Carry out listening_protag in the HPL: say "Frogs sing above the distant whoosh of highway traffic.". Carry out smelling in the HPL: say "The smell of car exhaust blends in a strange yet familiar way with the scent of crushed pine needles.". Part 3 (the roof) Chapter 1 (General roof) The HRoof is a room. The printed name of the HRoof is "Hospital Roof". The description of the HRoof is "This large, open area is mostly featureless. A tarred surface, undoubtedly waterproof, serves as a 'floor.' I have an incredible view of the rising moon here, as the building is several floors higher than any tree nearby. Or any tree in the county, for that matter. I'm experiencing the usual anxiety that I feel whenever I'm near a high ledge. It would be so easy to jump. One weak moment is all it would take. It's too easy.[if D is 0] Though maybe, given my experiences so far, that wouldn't be the worst way to end this story.[end if] A nearby door presumably opens into a stairwell. It would be easy to enter the building from here.". Chapter 2 (roof nouns) Section 1 (the tar) The tar is in the HRoof. The tar is scenery. Understand "roof" and "floor" and "surface" as the tar. Instead of doing anything other than examining or diagnosing or siphoning to the tar: say "I guess you'll say or do anything to stall us going inside, but it won't work. We're going. This story can't end until we go down to her room, and all stories end.". The description of the tar is "The roof is covered with black tar and probably does a good job of keeping water out of the building, for all that matters.". Carry out diagnosing the tar: say "It's impolite to visit someone in the hospital without flowers or some other token of affection. Perhaps we can suck whatever latent magic might be lurking here in this roofing tar, and carry it down to her. Fortunately, there's no secret, tar-coated magic to be had around here.". Before siphoning in the HRoof: say "I seem to be carrying some entropic magic already, but I'm not sure where it came from. It isn't left over from the traffic." Section 2 The hospital door is a door. The hospital door is scenery. The hospital door is open. The hospital door is not openable. The hospital door is inside from the HRoof and outside from the HRoom. understand "stairwell" as the hospital door. The description of the hospital door is "This is just a plain, metal door of the sort found in institutional settings everywhere. There's no lock on it, for reasons that should be obvious. If we head inside, I should be able to make my way to mom's room.". instead of entering the hospital door in the HRoof: try going inside instead. Instead of doing anything other than examining or entering or going or opening or diagnosing or investing or siphoning to the hospital door: say "It's a door, not a Swiss Army Knife. Just go *INSIDE*." Instead of diagnosing the hospital door: say "I feel tired looking at it, but it isn't that kind of tired. Not magical tired; just tired.". Instead of investing something with the RPB in HRoof when the noun is not the player: say "It isn't time. This magic, whatever it might be, is specifically [it]meant[rt] for something or someone. It can't be used in that way.". Section 3 (The ledge) The ledge is in the HRoof. The ledge is scenery. Understand "edge" and "edge of building" as the ledge. The description of the ledge is "[one of]Ah, yes. Ledges. We have such a rich history with them. And yet, they have no history with us! Ours is a one-sided relationship. Looking over a ledge gives us the strangest thrill in the soles of our feet. The oddest gnurling in our guts! Even now[EM]surely you must feel this, too[EM]even talking about it, just now, I'd like to ease over to the edge and just... peep over. Just... get a good look at the pavement. All perfectly safe, of course, nothing to worry about. Not that [it]you[rt] would worry, anyway.[or]Just your basic, everyday ledge one hundred, maybe 150 feet up.[stopping]". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the ledge: say "[one of]Listen, the ledge isn't good for much more than jumping, and I think you know that. You should know that better than anyone.[or]If you want me to jump, just say so. Stop playing around.[stopping]" The rBuilding is in the HRoof. The rBuilding is scenery. Understand "building" as the rbuilding. The description of the Rbuilding is "From here, all I can see of the building is the roof, the door, and the ledge.". Instead of doing anything other than examining or jumping off to the rBuilding: say "I can't really see the building from the roof. There's only the tar, the door, and the ledge." Chapter 3 (roof verbs) the report jumping rule does nothing when the poet is in the HRoof. Jumping off is an action applying to one thing. Understand "jump off [something]" as jumping off. Understand "jump [something]" as jumping off. Instead of jumping off something: try jumping. [the only reason this fail state exists is to give players with a score of "0" to get a point needed to enter the hospital room] Carry out jumping when the player is in HRoof: say "Mustering my courage, I step toward the edge of the roof. What harm is there in looking, I wonder, though I think that I know the answer. What do you think? Should I get a closer look? [it]Please answer 'yes' or 'no'[rt]: "; if the player consents: say "Alright then. I move even closer to the edge. There's something seductive, something irresistible about it. Having reached the precipice, I feel a thrill run through my limbs. I could do it. It would be so easy. I could just let go, forego this last encounter with my mother, forsake this darkness for a greater darkness. It would be over in a minute. We've discussed the dangers of roofs and ledges and other high places, but in fairness I must admit that I wanted to go. This one's on me.[paragraph break]This outcome has earned a rating of short trip, long fall/10[paragraph break][asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DH4 is false: now D is D plus one; now DHRT is DHRT plus one; now DH4 is true; try death logging 4; end the story; otherwise: say "Shuffling back to the roof's center, I look back once, longingly, before turning my attention to the door leading *INSIDE*." instead. [note that this ending is almost identical to the one in the "2003 transcript"] Instead of going inside from the HRoof when D is 0:[bad ending] say "I open the door and make my way down to the sixth floor. The hallway is filled with the sound of many ventilators breathing in unison. I quietly push my way through the cold, treated air of the intensive care floor and enter our mother's hospital room. The space is approximately the size of my kitchen, neither small nor large. It is dominated by a large, complicated-looking bed which is motorized for lifting and reclining its head and foot, and many tubes and wires are connected to its frame. At the center of all of this machinery and electronics is my mother, who is either sleeping or unconscious. An uncomfortable-looking chair sits in a corner, and a window looks out onto the parking lot. Plastic tubing is attached to my mothers face. Presumably, it extends down her throat. I sit in the chair, looking at her. Well, I've made it here at last, but what was the point? This machinery isn't my mother. If I didn't know that she was here, I wouldn't have recognized her. That strange feeling that I've had all day[EM]that I need to break out of a pattern of some sort[EM]subsides. Whatever it was that I could have or should have done, I won't be doing it now. It's too late. I can't change it now. A horrible sourness crashes over me, and I feel wet with it. What was I meant to do? What was this supposed to be about? Why was I in such a hurry? I look about wildly, as if something large and hungry might appear at the door, attracted by my scent, but nothing comes. After a few miserable hours, I kiss my mother on the forehead, then drive home for a night[EM]a life, really[EM]of fitful, unsatisfying sleep."; now the description of the bedroom is "We open our eyes and stare at the pocked expanse of sheetrock before us. 'Here we go again,' we say, shoving back the covers and rolling toward the edge of the mattress. We keep turning up for these days, again and again, and the best that we can say is that things haven't gone downhill. Well, unless we die, 1996 is going to be better than 1995. Perhaps it will be better even if we do die.[paragraph break]This is our bedroom, a white-walled, hollow cube sitting at the far end of a rickety metal trailer. A mattress lies flat on the floor, and a wadded-up blanket curls atop it. Our closet doors, which have been halfheartedly disguised as wood, open to an overwhelming pile of clothes that has spilled out of the closet and onto the bedroom floor. You suppose you should fish out something to wear, but the mess fills you with irrational[EM]your favorite kind[EM]of terror. Not that it matters; it's not like anyone is coming to see us, anyway."; now the plastic bin is in the bedroom; now the player is in the bedroom; now kerplunk is true; end the story saying "You Have Repeated the Ending". This is the bad ending rule: say "[bold type]Criteria: Entering the Hospital Room with a score of zero (you finished with a score of [D to the nearest whole number])[roman type] I open the door and make my way down to the sixth floor. The hallway is filled with the sound of many ventilators breathing in unison. I quietly push my way through the cold, treated air of the intensive care floor and enter our mother's hospital room. The space is approximately the size of my kitchen, neither small nor large. It is dominated by a large, complicated-looking bed which is motorized for lifting and reclining its head and foot, and many tubes and wires are connected to its frame. At the center of all of this machinery and electronics is my mother, who is either sleeping or unconscious. An uncomfortable-looking chair sits in a corner, and a window looks out onto the parking lot. Plastic tubing is attached to my mothers face. Presumably, it extends down her throat. I sit in the chair, looking at her. Well, I've made it here at last, but what was the point? This machinery isn't my mother. If I didn't know that she was here, I wouldn't have recognized her. That strange feeling that I've had all day[EM]that I need to break out of a pattern of some sort[EM]subsides. Whatever it was that I could have or should have done, I won't be doing it now. It's too late. I can't change it now. A horrible sourness crashes over me, and I feel wet with it. What was I meant to do? What was this supposed to be about? Why was I in such a hurry? I look about wildly, as if something large and hungry might appear at the door, attracted by my scent, but nothing comes. After a few miserable hours, I kiss my mother on the forehead, then drive home for a night[EM]a life, really[EM]of fitful, unsatisfying sleep."; now awake is false; now the description of the bedroom is "We open our eyes and stare at the pocked expanse of sheetrock before us. 'Here we go again,' we say, shoving back the covers and rolling toward the edge of the mattress. We keep turning up for these days, again and again, and the best that we can say is that things haven't gone downhill. Well, unless we die, 1996 is going to be better than 1995. Perhaps it will be better even if we do die.[paragraph break]This is our bedroom, a white-walled, hollow cube sitting at the far end of a rickety metal trailer. A mattress lies flat on the floor, and a wadded-up blanket curls atop it. Our closet doors, which have been halfheartedly disguised as wood, open to an overwhelming pile of clothes that has spilled out of the closet and onto the bedroom floor. You suppose you should fish out something to wear, but the mess fills you with irrational[EM]your favorite kind[EM]of terror. Not that it matters; it's not like anyone is coming to see us, anyway."; now the plastic bin is in the bedroom; now the player is in the bedroom; say "[paragraph break] [asterisks] You Have Repeated the Ending [asterisks][paragraph break][paragraph break]". Check going down in the HRoof: say "No. I've come this far, and I'm not leaving until I've seen my mother." instead. [Carry out going inside in the HRoof when D is greater than 0: now the player is forgiving; now the player is carrying the psychic bleed.] Carry out winning in the HRoof: say "I have entered the endgame now. Wanting to win is no longer enough." Carry out going inside from the HRoof: say "I quietly make my way down to the sixth floor. The hallway is mercifully empty, save for cold, sterilized air and the noisy exhalations of ventilator equipment. On any other day, this place would creep me out, but there's no room for that in my head right now. I soon reach my mother's room without incident."; now G is 22. Check going nowhere in the HRoof: say "The way forward is *INSIDE*." instead. Carry out smelling in the HRoof: say "The air seems cleaner up here; refreshing, even.". Carry out listening_protag in the HRoof: say "The sound of cars on the bypass is faint. It's just a bit of nearly pleasant white noise.". Part 4 (the hospital room) The HRoom is a room. The printed name of HRoom is "Hospital Room". Awake is a truth state that varies. Awake is initially false. The description of the HRoom is "[if unvisited]This space is approximately the size of my kitchen, neither small nor large. It is dominated by a large, complicated-looking bed. It is motorized for lifting and reclining its head and foot, and many tubes and wires seem connected to its frame. At the center of all of this machinery and electronics is my mother, who is either sleeping or unconscious. An uncomfortable chair sits in a corner, and a window looks out onto the parking lot. Plastic tubing is attached to my mother's face. Presumably, it extends down her throat.[otherwise]Bed. Window. Chair. Mother. Me.[end if]". Every turn when the player is forgiving: say "[one of]I feel an energy, familiar and strange at the same time, welling up within me.[or]Something weird is happening to me. It feels as though I am vibrating with strange music.[or]I can feel each individual hair on my head.[or]What is this energy I am carrying?[or]Have I been carrying this all along?[or]I feel... orange... It's a very orange feeling, I think.[cycling]". Chapter 1 (nouns in the HRoom) Section 1 (the hospital bed) There is a hospital bed in the HRoom. The hospital bed is scenery. Understand "bed" and "frame" as the hospital bed. The description of the hospital bed is "The bed is a nest padded with cushions, pillows, tubes, and wires. My mother lies at its center, flat on her back.". Understand "tubes" and "wires" and "machinery" and "electronics" and "nest" and "cushions" and "cushion" and "pillows" as the hospital bed. Instead of doing anything other than examining to the hospital bed: say "While my mother is in the bed, I'm here for her. Not the bed.". Section 2 (my mother) mother is in the HRoom. mother is a female person. the indefinite article of mother is "my". Understand "mom" and "Christina" and "woman" as mother. The description of mother is "[one of]My mother is practically unrecognizable. She looks swollen and pale, and her rest is fitful. Something angry and sick rises up within me. It isn't anger toward her[EM]not really[EM]not even anger toward us. The world never tells you how... just how fucking cheap everything is. How easy it is to be careless with anything that ought to be cared for. She probably thought she had a decade or more to smooth things out between us. I thought the same thing. Look at us now. I lean forward in the chair and cradle my chin in my hands.[paragraph break]Then the idea comes. I know. I think I know what to do. I think it will work.[or]She lies in that bed, barely alive, but I don't think she's beyond reach yet.[stopping]". Instead of doing anything other than examining or kissing or touching or talkingtoit or investing or helping out or rescuing to mother when awake is false: say "I didn't come all this way just to be weird. I can be weird at home. Let's focus on what I can do. There has to be something I can do." After choosing notable locale objects when the location is the HRoom: set the locale priority of mother to 0. Section 3 (the window) The hospital window is in the HRoom. The hospital window is scenery. Understand "window" as the hospital window. The description of the hospital window is "The room has a lovely view of the bypass. I can see the headlights and tail lights of cars stopping and starting, taking their time getting nowhere." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the hospital window when awake is false: say "Focus! The woman in the bed. My mother.". Section 4 (the chair) There is a hospital chair in the HRoom. The hospital chair is scenery. The hospital chair is an enterable supporter. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the hospital chair: say "[one of]Ah, yes. The hospital chair. Perhaps the gin-soaked scroll is hidden under it. The ENKORJIBULL spell, the one that turns alcoholic drinks into marshmallow fluff, could be inscribed upon it. Unfortunately, the giant marmoset stole my spell book, so I can't GNUSTO it. Where could I find an alcoholic drink in the intensive care ward of a small-town hospital? Think, man, think![or]Giant marmoset? ENKORIJIBULL? Try to stay on task.[stopping]".[amuse] Does the player mean entering the hospital chair: it is very likely. Section 5 (the parking lot) The RLot is scenery in the HRoom. The printed name of the RLot is " very significant parking lot below". Understand "lot" and "parking lot" and "parking lot below" and "parking lot cars" as the RLot. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the RLot: say "I didn't sneak in here for a better view of the parking lot. What are you doing?". Section 6 (random car bullshit) The RCB is in the HRoom. The RCB is scenery. Understand "cars" and "headlights" and "taillights" and "tail lights" and "highway" and "bypass" and "cars on the bypass" and "traffic" as the RCB. The printed name of the RCB is "highly relevant highway off in the distance". Instead of doing anything when the current action involves the RCB: say "At this climactic, final encounter with my mother, it only makes sense that you would look out at the traffic on the highway. Surely there we can find our path to peace. The dying woman in the bed beside us is merely a plant to distract us from what [it]really[rt] matters.". Chapter 2 (verbs in the HRoom) Section 1 (diagnosing) Check diagnosing in the HRoom when the noun is not the player and the noun is not mother and awake is false: say "There is very little here that interests me. Am I stalling? What am I doing?" instead. Before diagnosing the player in the HRoom when awake is false: say "Half of what I say is meaningless. I have brought something with me. Though I have possessed it for a long time, it was never mine. I don't mean to speak in riddles; I just don't know how to say what I mean." instead; stop the action. Before diagnosing mother when awake is false: say "I just have to give it back. Give it back to her." instead. Section 2 (siphoning) Check siphoning in the HRoom: say "Why are you always asking me to do stupid shit? Now, of all times?" instead. Section 3 (kissing) The block kissing rule does nothing when the location is the HRoom and the noun is mother. The block kissing rule does nothing when the noun is the frogs. Carry out kissing in the HRoom when the noun is mother and awake is false: say "I lift her hand and kiss it, then press it to my cheek. Is this really the way this is supposed to end?" Section 4 (touching) Check touching in the HRoom when the noun is mother: say "I put my hand on her shoulder. She hardly seems alive." instead. Section 5 (talkingtoit) Carry out talkingtoit when the noun is mother: say "[if awake is false]She isn't awake. I know that people talk to unconscious people on TV shows, but I don't know what I would say. We're here for something more momentous than that, I know it.". Section 6 (winning) Carry out winning in the HRoom when awake is false: say "I have reached my destination at last. Is this winning?". Before winning in the HRoom when awake is true: say "This must be what winning feels like." instead; stop the action. Section 7 (crying) Crying is an action applying to nothing. Understand "cry" as crying. Before crying in the HRoom when awake is true: say "How do you know I'm not already crying?" instead; stop the action. Before crying in the HRoom when awake is false: say "I need to hold it together, at least until I can figure out a way to communicate with my mother." instead; stop the action. Carry out crying when the location is not the HRoom: say "[if the player is the entropist]These aren't real eyes. My simulated primeoid shell does not cry.[otherwise]I'll cry when I feel like it. Don't tell me how to feel.". Section 8 (smelling and listening) carry out smelling in the HRoom: say "It smells like hospital here: ozone and disinfectant and, underneath, some darkly organic scent.". carry out listening_protag in the HRoom: say "I hear the low roar of the many ventilators on this floor blowing in unison. It is erratically punctuated by the beeping sounds of monitoring devices.". carry out caskling mother: say "[if awake is false]Things are too far gone for that, though there may yet be something you can do.[otherwise]Can't you be serious just this once?" instead. section 9 (guncho) before gunchoing mother when awake is false: say "[if D is less than 10]With a score like that, I guess I can't blame you for having absolutely no idea what this game has been about.[otherwise if D is greater than 9 and D is less than 17]You can't be serious.[otherwise if D is greater than 17 and D is less than 33]Don't worry. Your mother is going to leave this dimension soon without any help from you.[otherwise]I think your completionist tendencies are showing." instead; stop the action. Section 10 (loving and enjoying) Before loving mother when awake is false: say "I guess we do. I think we do." instead; stop the action. Before loving mother when awake is true: say "I'm not ready to talk about that. Let's just get out of here." instead; stop the action. Before enjoying in the HRoom: say "Don't be an idiot." instead; stop the action. Part 5 (The End) Instead of giving something that is not the RPB to mother: say "I can only invest her with this energy I possess." instead. Carry out helping out mother when awake is false: say "That's right. I've come here to help her. I think I have something that belongs to her.". Before helping out mother when awake is true: say "If there is help for her, it falls to greater powers than mine. Though perhaps we might remember her kindly. If not kindly, then gently. It's time to leave this place." instead; stop the action. The bleedsource limitation rule does nothing when giving the RPB to mother. The standard report giving rule does nothing when giving the rpb to mother. Carry out giving the RPB to mother: follow the display mom image rule; say "Sitting in the chair beside the bed, I put my hand on my mother's shoulder. She's malnourished, and I can feel the finer contours of her bones through the skin. She was pretty when I was young. I remember. Sometimes my father would take her dancing and she would put on a yellow dress and she was so pretty. That was long ago. They nearly always came home late. Angry, yelling. I never understood why they kept going when it always turned out so badly, but I think I get it now. 'I get it now,' I say, smoothing the hair away from her forehead. Is there anyone to blame? I try to remember her shitty, racist family. She was the only one to leave west Texas, which made her braver than the rest, but lonelier, too. If all you have is shit, then that's what you miss when it's gone. I understand that. 'I get it,' I say, still smoothing back her hair. I kiss her forehead, than bring my fingertips to her temples. 'This is yours,' I say, directing the soft, orange sweetness back to her. I give it back. 'OK?' I say, kissing her eyelids. 'Take it back.' I can feel my arms warm, as if the energy is traveling through them. Down the arms, through the hands. 'Take it back,' I say. Her eyes snap open, and she reflexively moves her hands to the ventilator tubing. Juiced with the impossible magic of lost energy returned to a system, she pulls the tube out of her own throat without a sign of pain or discomfort. 'Whew,' she says, gasping as if she has just taken a long drink of cool, sweet water. 'Whew, honey!' She looks around, then looks at my face. 'I guess,' she says, 'I must be dying, the way you're looking at me.' Her expression is matter-of-fact and untroubled. I nod, and I suddenly feel as if the world entire is caught in my throat. She grabs my hands and begins stroking them. 'Hey,' she says, 'hey now, buddy. Hey it's alright.' Her grip is tight. 'You know, after your father left, I wasn't sure how we'd ever make it. I was scared.' Her eyes are soft and wide. Clear. 'I'd always had a man to take care of me. I never would have left Texas without a man. I never thought a lot of myself,' she continues, reaching out with one hand to touch the side of my face. 'But we never slept in our car and we never went hungry, did we? We never gave up.' She saw us as a team back then. To her, we were a [italic type]team[roman type]. I look at her. I see her deep, dark eyes. I see her finely angular jaw. Dark, thick hair. She looks like her father's people, and so do I. What kind of man hates his own mother, I wonder? I haven't seen her in a year, not since I landed here again. She was as sick as me and maybe sicker. 'I should have helped you, mom,' I say. It's the first real, true thing I've said about myself in a year or longer. 'Mom,' I say, still stroking her hair. 'Mom I never tried to help you.' She looks at me. 'No baby. That was never your job. You need to live. Just go out and live, OK?' She looks at me straight on. 'Such a handsome man you turned out to be. You're a survivor, too. We come from strong people.' She holds my hand to her lips and kisses it. 'Come here and kiss me on the forehead, baby.' I bend over and kiss her, breathing deeply. I want to smell her hair. I want something to keep. 'Good night, baby,' she sighs. Some minutes pass. I stand from the chair. A nurse or someone will be here soon. I should leave."; now the player is tinert; now g is 26; now awake is true. Check investing something with the RPB in the HRoom when the noun is not a person: say "I can't invest anything but another human with a psychic bleed." instead. Check investing the player with the RPB: say "I can't give this to myself because I already have it, and besides, it doesn't belong to me." instead. Carry out investing mother with the RPB: say "Sitting in the chair beside the bed, I put my hand on my mother's shoulder. She's malnourished, and I can feel the finer contours of her bones through the skin. She was pretty when I was young. I remember. Sometimes my father would take her dancing and she would put on a yellow dress and she was so pretty. That was long ago. They nearly always came home late; angry; yelling. I never understood why they kept going when it always turned out so badly, but I think I get it now. 'I get it now,' I say, smoothing the hair away from her forehead. Is there anyone to blame? I try to remember her shitty, racist family. She was the only one to leave west Texas, which made her braver than the rest, but lonelier, too. If all you have is shit, then that's what you miss when it's gone. I understand that. 'I get it,' I say, still smoothing back her hair. I kiss her forehead, then bring my fingertips to her temples. 'This is yours,' I say, directing the soft, orange sweetness back to her. I give it back. 'OK?' I say, kissing her eyelids. 'Take it back.' I can feel my arms warm, as if the energy is traveling through them. Down the arms, through the hands. 'Take it back,' I say. Her eyes snap open, and she reflexively moves her hands to the ventilator tubing. Juiced with the impossible magic of lost energy returned to a system, she pulls the tube out of her own throat without a sign of pain or discomfort. 'Whew,' she says, gasping as if she has just taken a long drink of cool, sweet water. 'Whew, honey!' She looks around, then looks at my face. 'I guess,' she says, 'I must be dying, the way you're looking at me.' Her expression is matter-of-fact and untroubled. I nod, and I suddenly feel as if the world entire is caught in my throat. She grabs my hands and begins stroking them. 'Hey,' she says, 'hey now, buddy. Hey, it's alright.' Now her grip is tight. 'You know, after your father left, I wasn't sure how we'd ever make it. I was scared.' Her eyes are soft and wide. Clear. 'I'd always had a man to take care of me. I never would have left Texas without a man. I never thought a lot of myself,' she continues, reaching out with one hand to touch the side of my face. 'But we never slept in our car and we never went hungry, did we? We never gave up.' She saw us as a team back then. To her, we were a [italic type]team[roman type]. I look at her. I see her deep, dark eyes. I see her finely angular jaw. Dark, thick hair. She looks like her father's people, and so do I. What kind of man hates his own mother, I wonder? I haven't seen her in a year, not since I landed here again. She was as sick as me and maybe sicker. 'I should have helped you, mom,' I say. It's the first real, true thing I've said about myself in a year or longer. 'Mom,' I say, still stroking her hair. 'Mom, I never tried to help you.' She looks at me. 'No, baby. That was never your job. You need to live. Just go out and live, OK?' She looks at me straight on. 'Such a handsome man you turned out to be. You're a survivor, too. We come from strong people.' She holds my hand to her lips and kisses it. 'Come here and kiss me on the forehead, baby.' I bend over and kiss her, breathing deeply. I want to smell her hair. I want something to keep. 'Good night, baby,' she sighs. Some minutes pass. I stand from the chair. A nurse or someone will be here soon. I should leave."; follow the display mom image rule; now the player is tinert; now g is 26; now awake is true. endcount is a number that varies. Endcount is 0. Before examining mother when awake is true: say "I can't bear to look. Let's just get out of here, OK?" instead; stop the action. Before diagnosing mother when awake is false: say "That isn't my mother anymore. Why are you keeping me here when you know that I want to leave?" instead; stop the action. Before diagnosing the player when awake is true: say "All that I am is all that I am."; stop the action. Before examining when mother is not the noun and awake is true: try licking the player instead; stop the action. [I used to give the player more time to goof off in the hospital room, but I think D would seize control more quickly.] Instead of doing anything other than going or exiting when awake is true and endcount is less than four: say "[one of]I have done what could be done. It's time to leave this place.[or]I have said that I want to leave now that my mother is dead. And now, of all times, you ask me to do something else? I wonder, what would you say that your role in my story has been? Do you think that you have looked out for my best interests?[stopping]"; now endcount is endcount plus one. Instead of doing anything other than winning or diagnosing or loving or going or exiting when awake is true and endcount is one: say "I think you're confused. This is my story, not yours. I don't need your permission to leave."; try going outside. Check exiting in the HRoom when awake is true: try going outside instead. Instead of entering the hospital door in the HRoom: try going outside instead. Check going nowhere in the HRoom: say "The only way to leave this room is by going *OUTSIDE*." instead. Before going outside in the HRoom when awake is false: say "Even though I've come all this way, I just can't go on. I can't face this. I head to the stairwell, then run past security on the first floor. Later, back at the trailer, I stare off into space. I don't know why I bother. Looking out a window, I see that the moon's light has been devoured by the low, nearby hills. This trailer park is at the bottom of a bowl or crater of sorts, and I'm at the bottom of that. I'll never be more than I am right now, and I've never before been less. This outcome has earned a rating of coward/10. [asterisks]Press Any Key to Continue[asterisks][paragraph break]"; if PROD is true, wait for any key; if DH5 is false: now D is D plus one; now DHRT is DHRT plus one; now DH5 is true; try death logging 5; end the story. [I had a tough decision here. I think the typical player will not invest much in the scoring system, and I wanted the "true ending" to be readable. So I compromised by adding all endings to the table of final question options.] To say E2: say "I step out on the roof, and the air is still hot and thick. I'm not sure how I will get down from here. Perhaps I can get more juice from the traffic nearby. I see that the moon has risen, massive and white, above the treeline. There's no hurry. I stand and watch the traffic for a while[EM]fifteen minutes, perhaps. It's good to be out here in the dark. It's good to be able to think. I hear a car door shut somewhere below, followed by hard-soled shoes moving fast. 'Busy, busy, busy,' I think. This building is full of awful things happening to people, good and bad alike. I should clean my kitchen tomorrow, clean everything. Act normal until I feel normal. I should make friends with somebody. Hell, even making some enemies would be better than nothing. I walk over to the abrupt edge of the roof and sit down, dangling my feet. I'm strangely unafraid. I know I'm not going to jump. I just want to sit. Sometimes a body needs to sit."[E2]. To say E3: say "I'm still there, moments later, when I hear a crunch on tarred gravel. Turning around, I see a woman wearing lime green, sequined hot pants and a tight, white shirt that[EM]rather than buttoned all the way down[EM]is knotted at the bottom. Her hair is black and pulled back in a severe ponytail. Even though it is too dark to see her eyes, I know who it is. 'You,' I say, standing, 'It's you! The orange-eyed woman!' She steps closer, spotlit in a patch of moonlight. 'That was a neat trick,' she says, as if we had already been conversing for an hour. 'I always knew it was possible. Academically, not practically.' She puts her right hand on her hip and looks you over. 'Do you dress like that all the time?' She sounds unimpressed. I do dress like this all the time, as a matter of fact. I haven't cared about my appearance in a long while. It's not like anyone would notice. Not any humans, anyway. 'Fashion,' she says, 'is one of the only interesting things that you primeoids do. Why would you choose to look like that?' If I hadn't just said goodbye to my mother, I'd probably laugh. Her clothes are ridiculous. She looks at my face. 'Your mother died.' She says it matter-of-factly. It isn't a question. 'Yes. She did,' I say. 'That is a challenging time for your species, I believe. The death of a family member.' Her expression and affect are that of an entomologist cataloging a rare beetle. 'However, by violating a fundamental law of the universe, you were able to speak to her before she died.' She bends over to tie the laces of her high-heeled sneakers. 'You stored the energy of the psychic bleed for sixteen of your years, then put it back. Returned lost energy to a system.' She stands again. 'Disappointing, really. I don't think that would work for me, and even if it did, I wouldn't be sufficiently [italic type]entertained[roman type].' She puts an odd emphasis on 'entertained,' as if it were the only important thing in this world. 'You must need to know how to get down,' she says, again looking distastefully at my jeans."[E3]. To say E4: say "It is moments later. Having learned to harness the tidal power of the moon, I follow the orange-eyed woman over the edge of the roof. Just as I have begun to sling myself over and beyond the bypass, I suddenly stop, hanging motionless in the air. The cars below me are still, too. Stranger yet, the world is completely silent. It is a silence so complete that I have never heard the like. Slowly, the world fades from sight, and I am dangling in a void. A momentary terror bends over me, but I am reassured when someone else appears nearby. It's a man[EM]a little older than my mother. In fact, he looks a great deal like her. He could be my uncle, though I've never met mom's only brother. 'Look at you,' he says sadly. 'You could be my son.' The man removes a thick pair of glasses, then polishes them with the end of his shirt. 'But I decided a long time ago not to have children.' He replaces his glasses, then looks at my face. 'You are just as I imagined you,' he says. 'This conversation...' he trails off... thinking, 'It's a shameless rip-off of the ending of [italic type]Breakfast of Champions[roman type]. That's one of the books that made you want to be a writer, isn't it? Back when we were, oh, fourteen or so. We laughed and laughed. And then we were sad. That book took us [italic type]everywhere[roman type]. I know it was that way for you because that's the way I wrote you. I wanted you to love that book the way I did.' I know, just like that. The author of my troubles stands before me. How many times have I entered that hospital room? As many times as I have entered, I have never once left. Not really. Not like this. I have never been here, talking to him. I have been in the dark, but I have never been in this dark. It belongs to him, not me. I never had the courage to escape this day. I only ever tried to run past it as if it were a cemetery at night. I wanted to end what I ought to have overcome instead. This day, repeated endlessly, is a thing he has done to himself: a trap he has laid for himself. Everything, all of it, has always been about him. 'I want to apologize,' he says. 'I haven't been kind to you. My own father was educated. He had a doctorate in American Studies. I grew up surrounded by books, reading them and talking about them. I took that from you. I never let you have that. My own father went around cleaning up after my mother his entire adult life. With his help, she was able to live a long time. Have a career, even. Almost everyone that she knew considered her a success.' I stare at him, this dimension-hopping non-uncle of mine. 'Why did you do it? How could you do it? You made me and my mother so sick. How could you force someone to be that way? What's wrong with you?' As soon as I say it, I know that there's no answer. He's even more messed up than I am. He is driven to relive his shitty childhood in a loop, again and again... he can't help but repeat the ending. 'My boy,' he says, 'my son. That's why I am here. I am setting you free. You've found the edge of this simulation, of this narrative. You've broken through. You're free to push beyond it now, to do what you will. To live.' He turns, and begins walking away, into the void. 'Wait!' I cry, 'Wait!' I run after him, into the ceaseless nothing surrounding me. 'Make me whole! Fix me! Bring my mother back!'"[E4]. To say E5: say "My creator stops, then looks back at me. 'I'm sorry,' he says. 'I don't know how to write you any other way.' 'That's it?' I ask. 'You can't do anything?' He thinks for a minute. 'I can leave you alone.' The world begins to fade into focus. I am still several stories above the pavement, still swinging from the moon's tidal forces. There is at least this. Trees. Moon. Gravity there for the swindling. As the world fully snaps into place, the orange-eyed woman looks over her shoulder, watching me fly above the highway, above its cars and lights. Soon I have climbed above the low hills, passing into the star-filled dark of the wilderness west of town."[E5]. Before going outside in the HRoom when awake is true and D is greater than 0 and D is less than ten: say "[E2]"; end the story finally saying "That Was June, 1996".[basic ending] this is the basic ending rule: say "[bold type]Criteria: leaving the Hospital Room with a score ranging from one to nine (you finished with a score of [D to the nearest whole number])[roman type][paragraph break][E2][paragraph break][line break] [asterisks] That Was June, 1996 [asterisks][paragraph break][paragraph break]". Before going outside in the HRoom when awake is true and D is greater than 9 and D is less than 17:[full ending] say "[E2][line break][E3]"; end the story finally saying "You Have Learned to Fly". This is the full ending rule: say "[bold type]Criteria: leaving the Hospital Room with a score ranging from ten to twenty (you finished with a score of [D to the nearest whole number])[roman type][paragraph break][E2][line break][E3][paragraph break][line break] [asterisks] You Have Learned to Fly [asterisks][paragraph break][paragraph break]". Before going outside in the HRoom when awake is true and D is greater than 16 and D is less than 33:[true ending] say "[E2][line break][E3][line break][E4]"; follow the display Drew image rule; end the story finally saying "What the Sad Man Says, Goes". This is the true ending rule: say "[bold type]Criteria: leaving the Hospital Room with a score ranging from twenty-one to thirty-two (you finished with a score of [D to the nearest whole number])[roman type][paragraph break][E2][line break][E3][line break][E4]"; follow the display Drew image rule; say "[paragraph break][line break] [asterisks] What the Sad Man Says, Goes [asterisks][paragraph break][paragraph break]". Before going outside in the HRoom when awake is true and D is 33:[fastidious ending] say "[E2][line break][E3][line break][E4][line break]"; follow the display Drew image rule; say "[E5]"; follow the display hills image rule; end the story finally saying "You Have Reached the Stars West of Town". This is the fastidious ending rule: say "[bold type]Criteria: leaving the Hospital Room with a score of thirty-three (you finished with a score of [D to the nearest whole number])[paragraph break][roman type][E2][line break][E3][line break][E4][line break]"; follow the display Drew image rule; say "[E5]"; follow the display hills image rule; say "[paragraph break][line break] [asterisks] You Have Reached the Stars West of Town [asterisks][paragraph break][paragraph break]". Section 1 (final questions) [this is all pretty self-evident. besides the endings, the player can read the guide, look at the images, or view the COMPLETE SCORE.] table of final question options (continued) Final question wording only if victorious topic final response rule final response activity "view the BAD ending" true "bad" bad ending rule -- "view the BASIC ending" true "basic" basic ending rule -- "view the FULL ending" true "full" full ending rule -- "view the TRUE ending" true "true" true ending rule -- "view the FASTIDIOUS ending" true "fastidious" fastidious ending rule -- "consult the GUIDE" true "guide" postgame guide rule -- "display IMAGES" true "images" display images rule -- "review your SCORE in detail" true "score" complete score rule -- Part 6 (clean up rules) Chapter 1 (geography) Section 0-1 (world of hair) [Hair somehow became a thing.] the 90s is a region. the trailer interior, the trailer exterior, lakeshore drive, the PHarea, Travel, and the HZone are in the 90s. hair is a backdrop. hair is in the 90s. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves hair: say "I'm afraid you are doomed to wonder about hair, whether it be ours or someone else's. While hair could have been a vibrant and fascinating part of our story, it was not meant to be.". Section 1 (the game world) Section 5 (the game world and the mystery of energy and magic) The game world is a region. The eighties and the 90s are in the game world. Part 7 (stuff) Chapter 1 (backdrop energy and love) Section 1 (energy) [I made catch-all backdrops for generic magic terms] Energy is a backdrop. Energy is in the game world. Instead of doing anything to the energy: say "It doesn't work that way. Entropic magic requires specificity. [13 as a CAS][line break]". Understand "magic" and "power" and "potency" and "bleed" and "bleed-off" and "bleedsite" as energy. [I decided to deal with a generic message for inappropriate plurals instead] [Understand "siphon all" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]Even my power has limitations.[otherwise]Don't be silly."). Understand "diagnose all" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]Even my power has limitations.[otherwise]Don't be silly."). Understand "invest all with [something]" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]Even my power has limitations.[otherwise]Don't be silly."). Understand "invest [something] with all" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]Even my power has limitations.[otherwise]Don't be silly."). Understand "invest all with [something]" as a mistake ("[if the player is the entropist]Even my power has limitations.[otherwise]Don't be silly.").] Section 1-1 clothing Section 2 (love) Love is a backdrop. Love is in the game world. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves love: if the current action is touching: continue the action instead; otherwise if the current action is giving love to someone: say "[if the player is the entropist]Don't be ridiculous.[otherwise]Love is an action word [13 as a CAS].[lb]"; otherwise: say "[if the player is the entropist]Don't be ridiculous.[otherwise]It doesn't work that way. Love is an action word, though perhaps you might feel it.". section 2-1 reciting [this is another easter egg set up for printing John Berryman poems] reciting is an action out of world applying to nothing. Understand "recite" and "poem" and "poetry" as reciting. Section 3 (feeling love) [more stuff that came up in testing. the final hospital scene is emotional, and I think players wanted to find some way to express themselves. Seeing this was very moving to me.] The report touching things rule does nothing when the current action involves love. Carry out touching love when the player is the entropist: say "I suppose you'll next ask me to eat fried meat and bread, or else watch professional sports players assault each-other. I'm not one of your squishy primeoid friends." Carry out touching love when the player is in the trailer interior: say "What's to love, exactly? Our mother? Ourselves?". Carry out touching love when the player is in the trailer exterior: say "Look, I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work. Love is for other people." Carry out touching love when the player is in Travel: say "Brad is probably in need of love, but we can't help him. We are hardly getting along ourselves." Carry out touching love when the player is in lakeshore drive: say "[if dogsfed is false]We do love animals, its true, but the situation is too messy for that right now.[otherwise]We regard Marbles affectionately. It would be nice to have a cat.". Carry out touching love when the player is in PHarea: say "[if pcounter is unvisited]I don't feel it, which means that you don't feel it, which you already know.[otherwise if qaa is in the pcounter]I'm having a strong reaction to our current environment, but I wouldn't call it love.[otherwise if caa is in the pcounter]I feel kind of bad for the kid, but let's not be ridiculous.[otherwise]You know what I'd [bt]love[rt] to do? *BUY THE LITHIUM* and get the hell out of here." Carry out touching love in the HPL when the player is not flying: say "Maybe I could. I don't know. It's been a weird, long day, hasn't it?". Carry out touching love in the HPL when the player is flying: say "My teeth are singing! It feels like love. Is it love? Or am I drunk on magic?". Carry out touching love in the HRoof: say "The apprehension I'm feeling is louder than love. There's no point in putting it off: we have to go inside now.". Before touching love in the HRoom when awake is false: say "I don't know what to feel. There has to be something more constructive that we could do, here and now." instead; stop the action. Before touching love in the HRoom when awake is true: say "I don't want to feel any more than I already feel." instead; stop the action. Section 4 (john berryman poems) Section 4-1 (Henry's Understanding) [these were rather painful to format, but I think I persevered.] Carry out reciting in the HZone: say "[HU]" To say HU: say "[lb][t2][bt]Henry's Understanding[rt] He was reading late, at Richard's, down in Maine,[lb]aged 32? Richard & Helen long in bed,[lb]my good wife long in bed[DOT][lb]All I had to do was strip & get into my bed,[lb]putting the marker in the book, & sleep,[lb]& wake to a hot breakfast. Off the coast was an island, P'tit Manaan,[lb]the bluff from Richard's lawn was almost sheer[DOT][lb]A chill at four o'clock[DOT][lb]It only takes a few minutes to make a man[DOT][lb]A concentration upon now & here[DOT][lb]Suddenly, unlike Bach, & horribly, unlike Bach, it occurred to me[lb]that one night, instead of warm pajamas,[lb]I'd take off all my clothes[lb]& cross the damp cold lawn & down the bluff[lb]into the terrible water & walk forever[lb]under it out toward the island. [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]". Section 4-1 (Dream Song 1) Carry out reciting in the eighties: say "[DS_1]" To say DS_1: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 1[rt] Huffy Henry hid the day,[lb]unappeasable Henry sulked[dot][lb]I see his point,[em]a trying to put things over[dot][lb]It was the thought that they thought[lb]they could do it made Henry wicked & away[dot][lb]But he should have come out and talked. All the world like a woolen lover[lb]once did seem on Henry's side[dot][lb]Then came a departure[dot][lb]Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought[dot][lb]I don't see how Henry, pried[lb]open for all the world to see, survived. What he has now to say is a long[lb]wonder the world can bear & be[dot][lb]Once in a sycamore I was glad[lb]all at the top, and I sang[dot][lb]Hard on the land wears the strong sea[lb]and empty grows every bed. [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-2 (henry stared at ruin) Carry out reciting in the trailer interior: say "[ruin]" To say ruin: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 45[rt] He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back[dot][lb]He thought they was old friends. He felt on the stair[lb]where her papa found them bare[lb]they became familiar. When the papers were lost[lb]rich with pals['] secrets, he thought he had the knack[lb]of ruin. Their paths crossed and once they crossed in jail; they crossed in bed;[lb]and over an unsigned letter their eyes met,[lb]and in an Asian city[lb]directionless & lurchy at two & three,[lb]or trembling to a telephone's fresh threat,[lb]and when some wired his head to reach a wrong opinion, 'Epileptic'[dot][lb]But he noted now that: they were not old friends[dot][lb]He did not know this one[dot][lb]This one was a stranger, come to make amends[lb]for all the imposters, and to make it stick[dot][lb] Henry nodded, un-. [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-3 (life, friends, is boring) Carry out reciting in the trailer exterior: say "[life]". To say life: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 45[rt] Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so[dot][lb]After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,[lb]we ourselves flash and yearn,[lb]and moreover my mother told me as a boy[lb](repeatedly) 'Ever to confess you're bored[lb]means you have no Inner Resources.' I conclude now I have no[lb]inner resources, because I am heavy bored[dot][lb]Peoples bore me,[lb]literature bores me, especially great literature,[lb]Henry bores me, with his plights & gripes[lb]as bad as achilles, Who loves people and valiant art, which bores me[dot][lb]And the tranquil hills, and gin, look like a drag[lb]and somehow a dog[lb]has taken itself and its tail considerably away[lb]into mountains or sea or sky, leaving[lb]behind: me, wag. [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-4 (Snow Line) Carry out reciting in lakeshore drive: say "[snow line]". To say snow line: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 29: Snow Line[rt] It was wet & white & swift and where I am[lb]we don't know. It was dark and then[lb]it isn't[dot][lb]I wish the barker would come. There seems to be to eat[lb]nothing. I am unusually tired[dot][lb]I'm alone too[dot] If only the strange one with so few legs would come,[lb]I'd say my prayers out of my mouth, as usual[dot][lb]Where are his notes I loved[q][lb]There may be horribles; it's hard to tell[dot][lb]The barker nips me but somehow I feel[lb]he too is on my side[dot][lb] I'm too alone. I see no end. If we could all[lb]run, even that would be better. I am hungry[dot][lb]The sun is not hot[dot][lb]It's not a good position I am in[dot][lb]If I had to do the whole thing over again[lb]I wouldn't[dot] [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-5 (Dream Song 29) Carry out reciting in the PHarea: say "[reckons]" to say reckons: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 29[rt] There sat down, once, a thing on Henry's heart[lb]so heavy, if he had a hundred years[lb]& more, & weeping, sleepless, in all them time[lb]Henry could not make good[dot][lb]Starts again always in Henry's ears[lb]the little cough somewhere, an odour, a chime[dot] And there is another thing he has in mind[lb]like a grave Sienese face a thousand years[lb]would fail to blur the still profiled reproach of. Ghastly,[lb]with open eyes, he attends, blind[dot][lb]All the bells say: too late. This is not for tears;[lb]thinking[dot] But never did Henry, as he thought he did,[lb]end anyone and hacks her body up[lb]and hide the pieces, where they may be found[dot][lb]He knows: he went over everyone, & nobody's missing[dot][lb]Often he reckons, in the dawn, them up[dot][lb]Nobody is ever missing[dot] [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-6 (Prisoner of Shark Island) Carry out reciting in travel: say "[travel]". To say travel: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 7 ('The Prisoner of Shark Island' With Paul Muni)[rt] Henry is old, old; for Henry remembers[lb]Mr Deeds' tuba, & the Cameo,[lb]& the race in Ben Hur,[em]The Lost World, with sound,[lb]& The Man from Blankley's, which he did not dig,[lb]nor did he understand one caption of,[lb]bewildered Henry, while the Big Ones laughed[dot] Now Henry is unmistakably a Big One[dot][lb]Funnee; he don't feel so[dot][lb]He just stuck around[dot][lb]The German & the Russian films into[lb]Italian & Japanese films turned, while many[lb]were prevented from making it[dot] He wishing he could squirm again where Hoot[lb]is just ahead of rustlers, where William S[lb]forgoes some deep advantage, & moves on,[lb]where Hashknife Hartley having the matter taped[lb]the rats are flying. For the rats[lb]have moved in, mostly, and this is for real[dot] [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Check reciting in the HRoom: say "[if awake is false][daughter][otherwise]It's too late for that." instead. To say daughter: say "[lb][t2][bt]Dream Song 385[rt] My daughter's heavier. Light leaves are flying[dot][lb]Everywhere in enormous numbers turkeys will be dying[lb]and other birds, all their wings[dot][lb]They never greatly flew. Did they wish to[q][lb]I should know. Off away somewhere once I knew[lb]such things[dot] Or good Ralph Hodgson back then did, or does[dot][lb]The man is dead whom Eliot praised. My praise[lb]follows and flows too late[dot][lb]Fall is grievy, brisk. Tears behind the eyes[lb]almost fall. Fall comes to us as a prize[lb]to rouse us toward our fate[dot] My house is made of wood and it's made well,[lb]unlike us. My house is older than Henry;[lb]that's fairly old[dot][lb]If there were a middle[tab]ground between things and the soul[lb]or if the sky resembled more the sea,[lb]I wouldn't have to scold[lb][t2][t2][t2][t2][tab]my heavy daughter[dot] [t2][EM]John Berryman[lb]" Section 4-7 Section 5 (the air) airb is a backdrop. airb is in the game world. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves airb: say "[if the player is the entropist]I don't breathe, obviously, so I rarely give the air much attention or thought.[otherwise]If there is something interesting to see in the air, I'll let you know when you *LOOK* around. You can *SMELL* (no object needed), too, if that seems important.". Understand "air" as airb. The printed name of airb is "the air". Section 6 (the area) R1 is a backdrop. R1 is in the game world. Understand "room" and "area" and "region" as R1. instead of doing anything other than examining to R1: say "Interacting with rooms, areas, and regions is insufficiently specific. You can only *EXAMINE* them. You may prefer the efficiency of typing *LOOK* or *L* instead." instead of examining R1: try looking. [Love is a backdrop. Love is in the game world. Instead of doing anything when the current action involves love:] [some silly stuff] Section 7 (grues) Grues are a backdrop. Grues are in the game world. Understand "grue" as grues. The description of grues is "This location is not dark enough for grues. Did you notice that there are no light switches in our trailer? That can't be right, can it? Perhaps this is an oversight on the part of some remote power. Whatever the case, there are no grues here." Instead of doing anything to grues: say "As Dave Lebling once memorably said: 'If I could see a grue, I'd be dead.'". Section 7-1 (the light) Light is a backdrop. Light is in the game world. The description of the light is "[if the player is the entropist]While this bodily shell features realistic-looking primeoid eyes, we 'see' perfectly well without light.[otherwise if the moon is in the location]I can't verbalize what it is about this light that affects me so.[otherwise]There is enough light here to keep the grues at bay.". Instead of doing anything other than examining to the light: say "[if the player is the entropist]You are boring me, and I have no tolerance for boredom.[otherwise]Light is as susceptible to entropy as everything else, but it's a little too fast for us to handle.". Section 8 (body parts) [more body part stuff] bodyP is a backdrop. bodyP is part of the 90s. The printed name of bodyp is "a part of the body". Understand "head" and "heads" and "neck" and "necks" and "shoulders" and "arms" and "shoulder" and "arm" and "chest" and "torso" and "hip" and "hips" and "thigh" and "thighs" and "hand" and "hands" and "finger" and "fingers" and "leg" and "legs" and "calf" and "calves" and "foot" and "feet" and "toe" and "toes" and "knuckles" and "chin" and "back" as bodyP. [despite the code, the entropist is never playable in the 90s] Instead of doing anything when the current action involves bodyP: say "[if the player is the entropist]Do you find my primeoid shell convincing? I find it quite convincing.[otherwise]I'm afraid that I don't share your enthusiasm for anatomy.". Before doing anything in the HRoom when the current action involves bodyP: say "I didn't come all this way to make peace with individual parts of my mother's body." instead; stop the action. Volume 3 (the companion text) Book 1 (Menus Version 5 Code by WC) [All code and comments in Book 1 by Wade Clarke as credited, all menu content by DC] Part 1 (Placeholder) Chapter 1 (Placeholder) Section 1 - Inclusions and main hook Section 1 - Inclusions and main hook Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Displaying is an activity. Rule for displaying (this is the basic menu contents rule): now right alignment depth is 12; now mn_menupresent is true; show menu contents; [NOTE - It is unnecessary to manually save any of your game's status window margin/depth settings before beginning the displaying activity. When the player exits the menu systems, those settings will be automatically restored to what they were before they activity began, unless you've altered the programming of the status window yourself in some significant way.] Section 2 - The Author-Configurable Variables mn_debug is initially 0. [default = 0 alternatives = 1 or 2] mn_master_title is initially "HELP MENU". [default = "HELP MENU"] mn_master_table is initially the table of default help contents. [default = table of default help contents] mn_modes_allowed is initially "both". [default = "both" alternatives = "menu only" or "book only" ] mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is initially false. [default = false] mn_bookpageshow is initially true. [default = true] mn_localpageshow is initially true. [default = true] mn_breadcrumb_preference is initially "main". [default = "main" alternatives = "status" or "both" or "off"] mn_hinthelp_preference is initially "both". [default = "both" alternatives = "main" or "status"] mn_show_pagefooter is initially true. [default is true] mn_footerdesign is initially "[bold type]------------------------[roman type][line break]". Section 3 - Key Assignments [When adding any new characters to the Table of Extra Menu Choices, always list a new character's upper case number (which will be the smaller number) before its lower case number. This makes sure that the upper case version is displayed alongside the option when a menu is printed out.] Table of Menu Commands number effect 88 [X] menuabort rule 120 [x] menuabort rule 76 [L] menutop rule 108 [l] menutop rule 77 [M] menutoggle rule 109 [m] menutoggle rule 80 [P] menuretreat rule 112 [p] menuretreat rule 78 [N] menuadvance rule 110 [n] menuadvance rule 72 [H] menuhint rule 104 [h] menuhint rule 81 [Q] menuquit rule 113 [q] menuquit rule 83 [S] menureader rule 115 [s] menureader rule Section 3.1 (for Z-machine only) [N.B. The presence of code 27 (Z-Code only ESCAPE) in the Table of Menu Commands is used by this extension as a flag to detect if a game is a Z-Code project. Its absence will be interpreted to mean that the game is a Glulx project.] Table of Menu Commands (continued) number effect 27 [ESC] menuquit rule 131 [left arrow] menuretreat rule 132 [right arrow] menuadvance rule 129 [up arrow] menuretreat rule 130 [down arrow] menuadvance rule Section 3.2 (for Glulx only) Table of Menu Commands (continued) number effect -8 [ESC] menuquit rule -2 [left arrow] menuretreat rule -3 [right arrow] menuadvance rule -4 [up arrow] menuretreat rule -5 [down arrow] menuadvance rule Section 3.3 table of extra menu choices number choice 48 [digit 0] 10 65 [A] 11 66 [B] 12 67 [C] 13 68 [D] 14 69 [E] 15 70 [F] 16 71 [G] 17 73 [I] 19 74 [J] 20 75 [K] 21 79 [O] 22 82 [R] 24 84 [T] 26 85 [U] 27 86 [V] 28 87 [W] 29 89 [Y] 30 90 [Z] 31 97 [a] 11 98 [b] 12 99 [c] 13 100 [d] 14 101 [e] 15 102 [f] 16 103 [g] 17 105 [i] 19 106 [j] 20 107 [k] 21 111 [o] 22 114 [r] 24 116 [t] 26 117 [u] 27 118 [v] 28 119 [w] 29 121 [y] 30 122 [z] 31 Section 4 - Printed Messages To say mn_first_hint: say "Press H to reveal the first hint" To say mn_another_hint: say "Press H to reveal another hint" To say mn_one_hint: say "This page has just the one hint" To say mn_all_hints: say "You have revealed all the hints on this page" To say mn_number_or_letter: say "Press a number [if mn_temp_counter > 10]or letter [end if]to choose an option[if mn_stackpointer > 1],[otherwise] or[end if]" To say mn_page_n_of: say "page [mn_currentlocalpage] of " To say mn_book_n_of: say "BOOK [mn_currentbookpage]/[mn_book_total]" To say mn_book_alt_n_of: say "You're on book page [mn_currentbookpage] of [mn_book_total]" To say mn_leap_A: say "L to leap to Book page 1 or " To say mn_leap_B: if using glulx format or mn_screenreader > 0: say ", L to leap to the top menu"; otherwise: say ", L to leap to top menu" To say mn_leap_C: if using glulx format or mn_screenreader > 0: say ", L to leap to the top menu or "; otherwise: say ", L to leap to top menu, " To say mn_leap_D: say " or " To say mn_next_only: if using glulx format or mn_screenreader > 0: say "Press N (Next) or the Right / Down arrow key to turn to the next page."; otherwise: say "Press N (Next) or the Right / Down arrow key to page forward." To say mn_previous_only: if using glulx format or mn_screenreader > 0: say "Press P (Previous) or the Left / Up arrow key to turn back a page."; otherwise: say "Press P (Previous) or the Left / Up arrow key to page back." To say mn_next_and_previous: say "Press N (Next), P (Previous) or the arrow keys to turn pages." [no escape] To say mn_escape_key: say "Q" To say mn_escape_A: say "[mn_escape_key][if mn_stackpointer > 1] to move back a menu[mn_leapmessage][end if] or X to exit[mn_optional_menusystem]." To say mn_escape_B: say "Press [if mn_bookmode is false][mn_escape_key] to return to [mn_optional_current]menu[end if][mn_leapmessage]X to exit[mn_optional_menusystem]." To say mn_optional_current: if mn_screenreader > 0: say "the parent ". To say mn_optional_menusystem: if mn_screenreader > 0: say " the menu system". To say mn_book_mode_off: say "Press M to turn Book Mode [if mn_screenreader is 0]OFF[otherwise]off" To say mn_book_mode_on: say "Press M to turn Book Mode [if mn_screenreader is 0]ON[otherwise]on" To say mn_no_hints_in_book_mode: say "Hint pages do not appear in Book Mode" To say mn_hints_on_next_page: say "**** **** **** HINTS START ON THE NEXT PAGE **** **** ****" To say mn_hints_on_next_page_screenreader: say "(Hints start on the next page!)[run paragraph on]" To say mn_hints_begin_on: say "Hints begin on page [mn_hints_threshold plus 1]" To say mn_screenreader_on: say "(Screen Reader mode is on. Press S at any time to turn it off again. This message only appears on the front page of the menu system.)" To say mn_screenreader_off: say "(If you're using a screen reader, press S to turn on Screen Reader mode. This message only appears on the front page of the menu system.)". To say mn_bookintro_1: say "[line break]In Book Mode, the menu content is arranged into a virtual book. There are no menus in this mode. You just page forwards and backwards through the content. Book Mode can be toggled on or off at any time." To say mn_bookintro_2: say "[line break](The game’s hint pages are not visible in book mode.)" To say mn_bookintro_3: say "[line break](The game’s hint pages are gathered together at the back of the book. You will be alerted if you are approaching them.)" To say mn_bookintro_4: say "[line break]This introduction to Book Mode will not appear again during the current game. Please press any key to continue." Section 5 - Main Tables and variables table of default help contents title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) toggle (rule) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- table of pagey menus storer (a table name) path (text) bookhead (a table name) parthead (a table name) chapterhead (a table name) table of default help contents "" -- -- -- with 30 blank rows. table of hinting hintpresence 1 mn_stackpointer is initially 1. Table of mn_stack desk (table name) table of default help contents with 4 blank rows mn_current_menu_title is a text variable. mn_breadcrumb is a text that varies. mn_bookmode is initially false. mn_localmode is initially false. mn_endnode_flag is initially false. mn_status_format is a table name that varies. mn_status_format is table of five line menu status. mn_max_options, mn_book_total, mn_hints_threshold are number variables. mn_currentlocalpage, mn_currentbookpage, mn_temppagecount are number variables. mn_temp_counter is a number variable. mn_temp_list is a list of numbers that varies. current menu is a table name that varies. current menu selection is a number variable. mn_screenreader is a number variable. [0 = off, 1 = on with instructions (I made this a number rather than a truth state in case someone wants to make more than one iteration of screen reader mode in the future)] Section 6 - Boot Time Menu Scanning Routine To decide whether using glulx format: if there is a number of 27 in the table of menu commands, no; otherwise yes. mn_masterpath is a text variable. mn_nextlocal, mn_nextbook, mn_nextnegative are number variables. mn_pagetype is initially "normal". [alternatives = "page" or "hint"] mn_tablebook is a table name that varies. mn_tablepart is a table name that varies. mn_tablechapter is a table name that varies. mn_tablesection is a table name that varies. mn_temptitle is a text variable. mn_currenttable is a table name that varies. mn_menu_init_abort is initially false. mn_any_hints_present is initially false. mn_book_content_is_all_hints is initially false. To mn_pagestamp: if mn_debug > 0, say "It's book page [mn_nextbook], local page [mn_nextlocal].[line break]"; increment mn_nextbook; increment mn_nextlocal. To mn_negativestamp: now mn_any_hints_present is true; decrement mn_nextnegative; increment mn_nextlocal. To mn_reset title: now mn_current_menu_title is mn_master_title. To say mn_compile_error: say "[paragraph break]****** MENUS ERROR: Sorry, the help menus failed to compile. "; now mn_menu_init_abort is true. To say mn_gmd: say "Menus Debugger: ". To mn_assess (T - a table name): let tempstackpointer be mn_stackpointer; let mn_pathstorage be mn_masterpath; [Store current path.] if mn_debug > 1, say "mn_masterpath ('[mn_masterpath]') was stored as we enter [mn_currenttable].[line break]"; repeat through mn_currenttable: now used entry is 0; now bookpage entry is 0; now localpage entry is 0; if there is a toggle entry: [For pagination purposes, toggle entries are completely ignored] now localpage entry is mn_nextbook minus 1; [Store the most recently used global page number in the toggle entry's localpage field] next; if there is no title entry: say "[mn_compile_error]There is an empty title entry in [mn_currenttable]. Empty title entries are not allowed.[paragraph break]"; break; let hintalert be false; if there is a subtable entry and subtable entry is table of hinting: now hintalert is true; now mn_pagetype is "hint"; if title entry is not "page" and title entry is not "hint": now mn_temptitle is title entry; if mn_debug > 0, say "[if mn_debug > 1][line break][end if]Checking [mn_temptitle]: "; now mn_nextlocal is 1; if there is a subtable entry and hintalert is false: if mn_stackpointer is 5: say "[mn_compile_error]The topic '[mn_temptitle]' in [mn_tablesection] is not allowed to have a subtable entry, as the help menu is only allowed to have five layers in total.[paragraph break]"; break; now mn_pagetype is "normal"; if mn_stackpointer is: [Choose the target table, which is one layer deeper than we are now] -- 1: now mn_tablebook is subtable entry; -- 2: now mn_tablepart is subtable entry; -- 3: now mn_tablechapter is subtable entry; -- 4: now mn_tablesection is subtable entry; let targettable be subtable entry; choose a blank row in table of pagey menus; now storer entry is targettable; if mn_masterpath is not "": now path entry is substituted form of "[mn_masterpath] - [mn_temptitle]"; otherwise: now path entry is substituted form of "[mn_temptitle]"; if mn_debug > 1, say "Path entry for it was made: '[path entry]'.[line break]"; if mn_stackpointer is: -- 2: now bookhead entry is T; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [T] to bookhead entry)[line break]"; -- 3: now bookhead entry is mn_tablebook; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [mn_tablebook] to bookhead entry)[line break]"; now parthead entry is T; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [T] to parthead entry)[line break]"; -- 4: now bookhead entry is mn_tablebook; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [mn_tablebook] to bookhead entry)[line break]"; now parthead entry is mn_tablepart; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [mn_tablepart] to parthead entry)[line break]"; now chapterhead entry is T; if mn_debug > 1, say "(wrote [T] to chapterhead entry)[line break]"; now mn_masterpath is substituted form of path entry; if mn_debug > 1, say "mn_masterpath changed to [mn_masterpath].[line break]"; let temptable be mn_currenttable; [Store table of current level] if mn_debug > 0, say "[line break]+ Diving into [targettable] +[line break]"; now mn_currenttable is targettable; increment mn_stackpointer; mn_assess targettable; if mn_menu_init_abort is true: stop the action; if mn_debug > 0, say "- Returning to [temptable] -[line break]"; now mn_currenttable is temptable; [Retrieve table of current level] now mn_masterpath is substituted form of mn_pathstorage; [Retrieve text path of current level] if mn_debug > 1, say "retrieved mn_masterpath from storer: it's now [mn_masterpath].[line break]"; now mn_stackpointer is tempstackpointer; [Retrieve stack pointer of current level] if mn_debug > 1, say "stack retrieved and it's now [mn_stackpointer][line break]"; next; if there is no subtable entry or hintalert is true: if there is a description entry: if hintalert is true: now used entry is mn_nextbook minus 1; [Store most recently used global page number in the hint entry's 'used' field] if used entry is 0: now used entry is 1; now bookpage entry is mn_nextnegative; now localpage entry is mn_nextlocal; if mn_debug > 0, say "Deferred its book page assignment, but gathered hint [mn_nextlocal] and noted the nearest text page is at book page [mn_nextbook minus 1].[line break]"; mn_negativestamp; otherwise: now mn_pagetype is "page"; [... if hintalert was true, we know that pagetype was already set to 'hint'] now bookpage entry is mn_nextbook; now localpage entry is mn_nextlocal; mn_pagestamp; otherwise: say "[mn_compile_error]The option '[mn_temptitle]' in [mn_currenttable] must have a corresponding subtable entry or description entry.[paragraph break]"; break; otherwise: if title entry is "hint": if mn_pagetype is not "hint": say "[mn_compile_error]In [mn_currenttable], a row with a title entry of 'hint' is illegally positioned. See section 4.2 of this extension's documentation for details on how to correctly format hint pages.[paragraph break]"; otherwise: now mn_pagetype is "hint"; otherwise if title entry is "page": if mn_pagetype is not "page": say "[mn_compile_error]In [mn_currenttable], a row with a title entry of 'page' is illegally positioned. See section 4.1 of this extension's documentation for details on how to correctly format text topics.[paragraph break]"; otherwise: now mn_pagetype is "page"; if there is a description entry: if mn_menu_init_abort is true: stop the action; if title entry is "hint": now used entry is mn_nextbook minus 1; [Store most recently used global page number in the hint entry's 'used' field] if used entry is 0: now used entry is 1; increment mn_nextnegative; now bookpage entry is mn_nextnegative; now localpage entry is mn_nextlocal; if mn_debug > 0, say "- gathered hint [mn_nextlocal] on this topic, with nearest text page at book page [mn_nextbook minus 1].[line break]"; mn_negativestamp; otherwise: if mn_debug > 0, say "- It has another page - "; now bookpage entry is mn_nextbook; now localpage entry is mn_nextlocal; mn_pagestamp; otherwise: say "[mn_compile_error]A line in [mn_currenttable] has a title entry of '[mn_pagetype]' but no corresponding description entry. This is not allowed.[paragraph break]"; break; if mn_menu_init_abort is true: stop the action. Last when play begins (this is the Menus startup scan rule): if mn_master_table is table of default help contents and table of default help contents is empty: stop the action; now current menu is mn_master_table; now storer in row 1 of table of pagey menus is mn_master_table; now desk in row 1 of table of mn_stack is mn_master_table; repeat through table of extra menu choices: [Store the highest numbered option in mn_max_options] if choice entry > mn_max_options: now mn_max_options is choice entry; if mn_debug > 0, say "[mn_gmd]SCANNING HELP MENUS:[paragraph break]"; mn_reset title; now mn_nextbook is 1; now mn_nextlocal is 1; now mn_nextnegative is -1; now mn_stackpointer is 1; now mn_currenttable is mn_master_table; mn_assess mn_currenttable; if mn_menu_init_abort is false: now mn_book_total is mn_nextbook minus 1; [Note the number of printed pages in the help volume before adding any hint pages to the end of it] now mn_hints_threshold is mn_book_total; if mn_any_hints_present is true and mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is true: if mn_debug > 0, say line break; let old marker be 0; let farthest hint page be 0; [After the loop in the next line, this variable will hold the value of the REAL last global page number in the volume] repeat through table of pagey menus: now mn_currenttable is storer entry; repeat through mn_currenttable: if bookpage entry < 0: [A negative entry indicates a hint page] now farthest hint page is mn_book_total minus bookpage entry; [Subtracting a negative value = adding] now bookpage entry is farthest hint page; if farthest hint page > old marker: now old marker is farthest hint page; if mn_debug > 0, say "'[title entry]' hints assigned to book page [old marker].[paragraph break]"; if old marker is 1: now mn_book_content_is_all_hints is true; if mn_debug > 0, say "* NOTE that this help system will consist of nothing but hints when viewed in Book Mode.[paragraph break]"; now mn_book_total is farthest hint page; [Store updated volume page total] if mn_book_total is 0: now mn_modes_allowed is "menu only"; if mn_debug > 0, say "[mn_gmd]The menu structure has no text page content, so the player will not be allowed to switch to Book mode. The mn_modes_allowed variable has been set to 'menu only'."; if mn_modes_allowed is "book only": now mn_bookmode is true; now mn_phase is 3; [Cue the menu logic to drill into the first local topic the first time the help system is used] if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is true: now mn_status_format is table of four line menu status; otherwise: now mn_status_format is table of three line menu status; otherwise if mn_modes_allowed is "menu only": now mn_status_format is table of three line menu status; choose row 1 in mn_master_table; if there is a toggle entry: do nothing; if mn_debug > 0 and mn_menu_init_abort is false: say "RESULTS SUMMARY:[paragraph break]"; repeat through table of pagey menus: say "[storer entry][line break]Textpath: [path entry][line break]Tables path: "; if there is a bookhead entry: say "[bookhead entry], "; otherwise: say "--, "; if there is a parthead entry: say "[parthead entry], "; otherwise: say "--, "; if there is a chapterhead entry: say "[chapterhead entry]"; otherwise: say "--, "; say paragraph break; say "Total number of pages in book mode volume: [mn_book_total][line break]"; if mn_any_hints_present is true and mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is false: say "(Your hint pages were not included in this number, as they won't appear in Book mode.)[line break]"; say "[line break]The Menus extensions believes your game is in [if using glulx format]Glulx[otherwise]Z-Code[end if] format.[line break]". Section 7 - Menu System Logic mn_phase is a number variable. [1 = show menu contents 2 = menuprint 3 = drilling into topics from 'show menu contents' to activate local mode] mn_action is a number variable. mn_temp_selection is a number variable. mn_menupresent is a truth state variable. mn_refresh is initially true. To mn_redraw status line: (- DrawStatusLine(); -) [I've given this command definition the mn_prefix within the Menus extension for safety, so that it doesn't overwrite any custom 'redraw status line' function you (the author) or another extension might have set up. If it turns out that you actually want the Menus extension to redraw the status window with your own function whenever it would normally invoke the mn_redraw status line function, just delete the above definition and search and replace through this source for 'mn_redraw status line', replacing each of the few incidences of it with the function you want called instead.] To retrieve and print character number (N - a number): (- print (char) {N}; -) To say mn_indexphrase: if mn_temp_counter is less than 10: say mn_temp_counter; otherwise: if there is a choice of mn_temp_counter in Table of Extra Menu Choices: choose a row with a choice of mn_temp_counter in Table of Extra Menu Choices; retrieve and print character number number entry; otherwise: say "MENUS RUNTIME ERROR: There should be a choice entry of [mn_temp_counter] in the Table of Extra Menu Choices, but there isn't." To do the mn_optional zcode bump: unless using glulx format: if mn_screenreader is 0: say line break; if mn_status_format is not table of three line menu status: say line break; if mn_status_format is table of five line menu status: say line break. To mn_optionally print the screen reader header: if mn_screenreader > 0: if (mn_stackpointer is 1 and mn_localmode is false) or (mn_bookmode is true and mn_currentbookpage is 1): [ie if player is on the front page of the menu system] say mn_screenreader_on; mn_prepare the status line; if mn_bookmode is true: say "[mn_book_alt_n_of]. "; [You're on book page N of N.] if mn_any_hints_present is true: if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is false and mn_modes_allowed is "both": say "([mn_no_hints_in_book_mode].) "; [Hint pages do not appear in Book Mode] if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is true: if mn_currentbookpage is mn_hints_threshold: say "[mn_hints_on_next_page_screenreader] "; otherwise if mn_currentbookpage < mn_hints_threshold: say "([mn_hints_begin_on].) "; if mn_modes_allowed is not "book only": say "[mn_book_mode_off]. "; [Press M to turn Book Mode OFF] if mn_status_format is table of three line menu status or mn_preserve_line_three is false: say "[mn_page_one] [mn_page_two] "; otherwise: say "[mn_page_one] [mn_page_two] [mn_page_three] "; [to take this branch, we are either using the table of four or five line status, or mn_preserve_line_three is true. In the case of the five line status, mn_page_four can only ever contain info that has already been printed by now if the player is in Screen Reader mode. Therefore whether we're using the four line status or the five line, the same code applies, which omits mn_page_four. And if we are omitting page three on this pass, we already took the above 'if' branch] if mn_bookmode is false and mn_modes_allowed is not "menu only": say "[mn_book_mode_on] "; [Press M to turn Book Mode ON] say paragraph break; if (mn_stackpointer is 1 and mn_localmode is false) or (mn_bookmode is true and mn_currentbookpage is 1): [ie if player is on the front page of the menu system] if mn_screenreader is 0: say mn_screenreader_off; say line break; To reprint (selected menu - a table-name): now mn_temp_list is { }; clear the screen; if mn_screenreader is 0: say line break; do the mn_optional zcode bump; mn_optionally print the screen reader header; if mn_breadcrumb_preference is not "off": if mn_breadcrumb_preference is "main" or mn_breadcrumb_preference is "both" or mn_screenreader > 0: if mn_stackpointer > 1: say "[italic type]([mn_breadcrumb])[roman type][paragraph break]"; if mn_stackpointer is 1 and mn_screenreader > 0 and mn_master_title is not "": say "([mn_master_title])[paragraph break]"; if mn_screenreader is 0: say variable letter spacing; now mn_temp_counter is 0; let Z be 0; repeat through selected menu: increment Z; [Note number of current row] [BEGIN ALT] let PRINTABLE be false; if title entry is not "page" and title entry is not "hint": now PRINTABLE is true; if selected menu is mn_master_table: if availability in row Z of table of content availability is false:[ALT] now PRINTABLE is false; if PRINTABLE is true: [END ALT] increment mn_temp_counter; [Increase number of legitimate choices by 1] if mn_temp_counter is less than mn_max_options plus 1: [= max. no of choices plus 1] if mn_screenreader is 0: say " "; say "[mn_indexphrase][if there is a toggle entry]: [otherwise]. [end if][title entry]"; if mn_screenreader is 0: say line break; otherwise: say ". "; add Z to mn_temp_list; [Note row number of this choice] otherwise: now mn_temp_counter is mn_max_options; [= max no. of choices] break; say variable letter spacing; say run paragraph on; [Prevents screen nudging on an irrelevant keypress in Gargoyle and similarly programmed interpreters] mn_redraw status line. [Need to leave this until last in this routine so that the value of mn_temp_counter gets calculated before the redraw] To mn_count the local pages: now mn_temppagecount is 1; now mn_local_hint_index is 0; let F be 0; repeat through current menu: if F is 1: if title entry is "page" or title entry is "hint": increment mn_temppagecount; if used entry < 0: increment mn_local_hint_index; otherwise: break; otherwise if title entry is mn_current_menu_title: if there is a subtable entry and subtable entry is table of hinting: now mn_hintmode is true; if used entry < 0: increment mn_local_hint_index; now F is 1. To mn_identify the book page: repeat through table of pagey menus: if there is a bookpage of mn_currentbookpage in storer entry: now current menu is storer entry; let headerstorage be "temp"; [Create a temporary text variable] repeat with N running from 1 to the number of rows in current menu: choose row N in current menu; if there is a toggle entry: [Completely ignore a toggle entry and move to the next line] next; if title entry is not "page" and title entry is not "hint": now headerstorage is title entry; [Always note the most recently scanned title entry] if bookpage entry is mn_currentbookpage: now mn_temp_selection is N; now mn_current_menu_title is headerstorage; mn_count the local pages; break. To mn_clear hint flags: now mn_hintmode is false; now mn_hintglut is false. To show menu contents: if mn_action is 2: [IE if player re-enters menu system having exited from localmode..] now mn_action is 0; follow the menuprint rule; if mn_action is 2: [IE player wants to exit menus immediately] rule succeeds; otherwise: mn_clear hint flags; unless mn_phase is 3: now mn_phase is 1; while mn_menupresent is true: let __index be 0; while __index is not 1: let globaljump be false; [a temp flag for use during the drill down sequence] now mn_breadcrumb is the path corresponding to a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; if mn_refresh is true: reprint current menu; now mn_refresh is true; now mn_action is 0; let __x be 0; let F be 0; if mn_phase is 3: [If we're drilling down..] repeat with N running from 1 to number of rows in current menu: choose row N in current menu; if there is a toggle entry or used entry is not 0: ['toggle' clause checks for toggle entries, 'used' clause checks for hint pages] if there is a toggle entry: now F is localpage entry; [Retrieve number of nearest global page (which was stored here during startup scan)] otherwise: now F is used entry; [Retrieve number of nearest global page (which was stored here during startup scan)] if F < 0: now F is 0 minus F; [Positive-ise choice] if F is 0: [This could happen if the toggle/hint entry occurs at the highest menu level and before any non-toggle entries] now F is 1; [If it does, point to global page 1 instead] now mn_currentbookpage is F; now globaljump is true; [This signals that F contains a global page #] break; otherwise: [If no toggle entry, we will choose this row. Whether it has text content or leads to another subtable, we choose it] now F is N; [Mark current row as the one we will choose] break; if globaljump is false: if F is listed in mn_temp_list: [It SHOULD be!] repeat with L running from 1 to number of entries in mn_temp_list: if entry L in mn_temp_list is F: now F is L; break; now current menu selection is F; otherwise: now __x is the chosen letter; if globaljump is false: if __x is a number listed in the Table of Menu Commands: [If the drill down set the value of current menu selection, __x will still be 0.] follow the effect entry; if mn_menupresent is false: now __index is 1; otherwise: if __x is a number listed in the Table of Extra Menu Choices: now current menu selection is choice entry; otherwise if F is 0: [F will be non-0 if we're drilling down and have already calculated the value of current menu selection for this round.] now current menu selection is __x minus 48; if current menu selection < 1 or current menu selection > mn_temp_counter: now __index is 1; [If keypress was not a valid menu choice, rerun this loop-] now mn_refresh is false; [-but without reprinting the menu] otherwise: now mn_temp_selection is entry current menu selection of mn_temp_list; choose row mn_temp_selection in the current menu; unless there is a toggle entry: now mn_current_menu_title is title entry; if there is a toggle entry: follow toggle entry; otherwise if there is a subtable entry and subtable entry is not table of hinting: now the current menu is subtable entry; increment mn_stackpointer; choose a blank row in table of mn_stack; now desk entry is current menu; now __index is 1; otherwise: now mn_phase is 2; [Trigger move to localmode] if mn_phase is 2: mn_count the local pages; [Puts the number of pages in the current local topic into mn_temppagecount] otherwise if mn_phase is 3 and globaljump is true: mn_identify the book page; [Sets current menu, mn_current_menu_title, mn_temp_selection, and does a mn_count the local pages for the target global page] now mn_phase is 2; if mn_phase is 2: now mn_localmode is true; follow the menuprint rule; if mn_action is 2: [IE player wants to exit menus immediately] now __index is 1; otherwise: mn_clear hint flags; now mn_phase is 1. To mn_print the optional bottom design: if mn_show_pagefooter is true and mn_screenreader is 0: say mn_footerdesign. [When the menuprint rule is called from 'show menu contents', mn_temp_selection holds the row number of local page 1 going in] This is the menuprint rule: let __superindex be 0; while __superindex is 0: choose row mn_temp_selection in the current menu; [While in a multi-page topic, mn_temp_selection points to the local page we're reading] now mn_currentbookpage is bookpage entry; now mn_currentlocalpage is localpage entry; now mn_breadcrumb is the path corresponding to a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; now the mn_endnode_flag is true; mn_redraw status line; if mn_refresh is true: clear only the main screen; [flag] [say "DEBUG: WE'RE IN THE MENUPRINT RULE.";] if mn_hintmode is true: do the mn_optional zcode bump; mn_optionally print the screen reader header; say variable letter spacing; if mn_breadcrumb_preference is not "off": if mn_breadcrumb_preference is "main" or mn_breadcrumb_preference is "both" or mn_screenreader > 0: say "[italic type]([mn_breadcrumb] - [mn_current_menu_title][run paragraph on]"; if mn_localpageshow is true and mn_hintmode is false and mn_screenreader > 0: say ", [mn_page_n_of][mn_temppagecount]"; [(page [mn_currentlocalpage] of ] say ")[roman type]"; say paragraph break; if mn_hintmode is false: say "[description entry][paragraph break]"; otherwise: choose row mn_temp_selection in the current menu; [If player hasn't revealed first hint yet] if used entry > 0: if mn_hinthelp_preference is not "status" or mn_screenreader > 0: say "[mn_first_hint].[paragraph break]"; [Press H to reveal the first hint] otherwise: let K be 1; let looptarget be mn_temp_selection plus mn_temppagecount minus 1; repeat with N running from mn_temp_selection to looptarget: choose row N in current menu; if mn_screenreader is 0: say "[K]/[mn_temppagecount]: [description entry][paragraph break]"; otherwise: say "[K] of [mn_temppagecount]: [description entry]. "; increment K; if K is greater than mn_local_hint_index: break; if K is greater than mn_temppagecount: if mn_screenreader is 0: say line break; if mn_hinthelp_preference is not "status" or mn_screenreader > 0: if mn_local_hint_index is 1: say "([mn_one_hint].)"; [This page has just the one hint] otherwise: say "([mn_all_hints].)"; [You have revealed all the hints on this page] say line break; now mn_hintglut is true; mn_redraw status line; otherwise: if K is greater than mn_local_hint_index: if mn_hinthelp_preference is not "status" or mn_screenreader > 0: say "[mn_another_hint].[paragraph break]"; [Press H to reveal another hint.] mn_print the optional bottom design; say run paragraph on; [Prevents screen nudging on an irrelevant keypress in Gargoyle and similarly programmed interpreters] now mn_refresh is true; let __x be 0; [say "DEBUG: WAITING ON A LETTER IN MENUPRINT RULE.";] let __x be the chosen letter; if __x is a number listed in the Table of Menu Commands: choose a row with a number of __x in the Table of Menu Commands; follow the effect entry; if mn_action is 1: [If the action demands we return to the topic list level-] now mn_action is 0; now the mn_endnode_flag is false; now mn_localmode is false; now __superindex is 1; [-return to 'show menu contents'] if mn_action is 2: [IE player wants to exit menus immediately] now __superindex is 1; otherwise: now mn_refresh is false;[causes this rule to run again from the 'let x be the chosen letter' line] Section 8 - The Menu Action Rules mn_hintmode is initially false. mn_hintglut is initially false. mn_local_hint_index is a number variable. [When you move to a hint page, this variable is set to the number of the next hint to be revealed on the page] mn_used_bookmode_before is initially false. To mn_zap the stack: repeat through table of mn_stack: unless desk entry is mn_master_table, blank out the whole row. To mn_reconstruct the stack: mn_zap the stack; now mn_stackpointer is 1; choose row with a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; if there is a bookhead entry: increment mn_stackpointer; choose row mn_stackpointer in table of mn_stack; now desk entry is bookhead corresponding to a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; choose row with a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; if there is a parthead entry: increment mn_stackpointer; choose row mn_stackpointer in table of mn_stack; now desk entry is parthead corresponding to a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; choose row with a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; if there is a chapterhead entry: increment mn_stackpointer; choose row mn_stackpointer in table of mn_stack; now desk entry is chapterhead corresponding to a storer of current menu in table of pagey menus; unless current menu is mn_master_table: increment mn_stackpointer; choose row mn_stackpointer in table of mn_stack; now desk entry is current menu. To mn_get parent menu title: let calcy be mn_stackpointer minus 1; let temptable be the desk in row calcy of the table of mn_stack; choose a row with a subtable of current menu in temptable; now mn_current_menu_title is title entry. This is the menuquit rule: if mn_bookmode is true: [Ignore ESC/Q keys if we're in book mode] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; [below this line, mn_bookmode must be false] if mn_stackpointer is 1 and mn_localmode is false: [NOTE - Stackpointer will always be greater than 1 if we're trying to back out of an all-toggles menu, because such a menu is not allowed to exist at the top level] now mn_menupresent is false; otherwise: if mn_localmode is true: [The following code works from within both the 'show menu contents' action and the 'menuprint' rule] if mn_stackpointer is 1: mn_reset title; otherwise: mn_get parent menu title; now mn_action is 1; otherwise: choose row mn_stackpointer in the table of mn_stack; blank out the whole row; decrement mn_stackpointer; choose row mn_stackpointer in the table of mn_stack; now current menu is desk entry; if mn_stackpointer is 1: mn_reset title; otherwise: mn_get parent menu title. This is the menuabort rule: now mn_menupresent is false; if mn_localmode is true: now mn_action is 2. This is the menutop rule: [menutop is a rule which is 'followed', meaning failure/success is irrelevant. So no 'rule succeeds' are needed around here.] if mn_bookmode is true: [In book mode, choosing 'top menu' takes you to page 1] if mn_currentbookpage is 1: [Ignore 'leap' keypress if we're already on page 1] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; now mn_currentlocalpage is 1; now mn_currentbookpage is 2; follow the menuretreat rule; otherwise: if mn_stackpointer is 1: [If we're at the top level, we cannot leap] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; now mn_stackpointer is 1; now current menu is mn_master_table; now mn_action is 1; mn_zap the stack; mn_reset title. This is the menutoggle rule: if mn_bookmode is false: if mn_modes_allowed is "menu only": now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; if mn_phase is 1: [If you're in menu mode-] now mn_phase is 3; [-sends a signal to attempt to switch to bookmode and localmode] now mn_bookmode is true; if mn_hintmode is true and mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is false: [if we're looking at a hint now but hints aren't to be shown in book mode, we need to get the hint's stored nearest global page and go there] mn_clear hint flags; now mn_currentbookpage is the used in row mn_temp_selection of the current menu; if mn_currentbookpage < 0: now mn_currentbookpage is 0 minus mn_currentbookpage; mn_identify the book page; if mn_used_bookmode_before is false: [The first time player uses book mode during a game, we describe Book Mode to them] say mn_bookintro_1; if mn_any_hints_present is true: if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is false: say mn_bookintro_2; otherwise if mn_book_content_is_all_hints is false: [if this were True, the content would consist of nothing but hints, at which point it's pointless saying the hints are at the 'back of the book'] say mn_bookintro_3; say mn_bookintro_4; let temporary be the chosen letter; now mn_used_bookmode_before is true; otherwise: [IE we're going to turn book mode OFF - We don't know what depth we're at, only what 'current menu' is. And we must be on a subpage of that menu; we cannot be looking at a topics list because we're in book mode. So based on these 2 pieces of information, we need to reconstruct the stack from the path, set the stack pointer then return to 'show menu contents'.] if mn_modes_allowed is "book only": now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; mn_reconstruct the stack; now mn_bookmode is false. This is the menuretreat rule: if mn_bookmode is false and mn_localmode is false: [We must be in menu mode, where we can't advance or retreat] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; if mn_bookmode is true: [By definition, when bookmode is true, localmode will always be true, as you will only see page content, never a list of options] if mn_currentlocalpage is 1: [If trying to retreat past the start of the current local topic-] if mn_currentbookpage is 1: [-and we're on book page 1-] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; [-abort] otherwise: [Otherwise it must be possible, so let's work out where to go next] decrement mn_currentbookpage; [Get number of target page] mn_clear hint flags; [Clear hintflags whenever we change book pages. If the page we go to has hints, the flags will be restored] mn_identify the book page; stop the action; [We've chosen the relevant table and the correct row in it, so now return to the menuprint routine] if mn_localmode is true: [NOTE - book mode is not necessarily false when this line is reached!] if mn_hintmode is true or mn_currentlocalpage is 1: now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; otherwise: decrement mn_temp_selection. This is the menuadvance rule: if mn_bookmode is false and mn_localmode is false: now mn_refresh is false; [We must be in menu mode, where we can't advance or retreat] stop the action; if mn_bookmode is true: [By definition, when bookmode is true, localmode will always be true, as you will only see page content, never a list of options] if mn_currentlocalpage is mn_temppagecount or mn_hintmode is true: [If trying to advance beyond the end of the current local topic OR go forward from a hint page-] if mn_currentbookpage is mn_book_total: [-if we're on the last book page-] now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; [abort] otherwise: [Otherwise it must be possible, so let's work out where to go next.] mn_clear hint flags; [Clear hintflags whenever we change book pages. If the page we go to has hints, the flags will be restored] increment mn_currentbookpage; [Note row in current table] mn_identify the book page; stop the action; [We've chosen the relevant table and the correct row in it, so now return to the menuprint routine] if mn_localmode is true: [NOTE - book mode is not necessarily false when this line is reached!] if mn_hintmode is true or mn_currentlocalpage is mn_temppagecount: now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; otherwise: increment mn_temp_selection. This is the menuhint rule: if mn_hintmode is false or mn_hintglut is true: now mn_refresh is false; stop the action; otherwise: let Z be mn_temp_selection plus mn_local_hint_index; [Calculate row of next hint in current table] choose row Z in current menu; now used entry is 0 minus used entry; [A negative 'used' value shows that the hint has been read] increment mn_local_hint_index. This is the menureader rule: if mn_screenreader is 0: now mn_screenreader is 1; otherwise: now mn_screenreader is 0. Section 9 - Status Window Logic mn_page_one is a text variable. mn_page_two is a text variable. mn_page_three is a text variable. mn_page_four is a text variable. mn_preserve_line_three is initially false. Rule for constructing the status line while displaying (this is the constructing status line while displaying rule): if mn_screenreader is 0: mn_prepare the status line; fill status bar with mn_status_format; otherwise: fill status bar with table of screenreader status; rule succeeds. table of five line menu status left central right "[mn_menuheading]" "" "[mn_booksignal]" "" "[mn_page_one]" "" "" "[mn_page_two]" "" "" "[mn_page_three]" "" "" "[mn_page_four]" "" table of four line menu status left central right "[mn_menuheading]" "" "[mn_booksignal]" "" "[mn_page_one]" "" "" "[mn_page_two]" "" "" "[mn_page_three]" "" table of three line menu status left central right "[mn_menuheading]" "" "[mn_booksignal]" "" "[mn_page_one]" "" "" "[mn_page_two]" "" table of screenreader status left central right "[mn_menuheading]" "" "[mn_booksignal]" To say mn_menuheading: if the mn_endnode_flag is false: [Menu mode] if mn_stackpointer is greater than 1: if mn_breadcrumb_preference is "status" or mn_breadcrumb_preference is "both": say "[mn_breadcrumb] "; otherwise: [Preference must be 'main' or 'off'] say mn_current_menu_title; otherwise: say mn_master_title; otherwise: [local/hint mode] if mn_breadcrumb_preference is "status" or mn_breadcrumb_preference is "both": say "[mn_breadcrumb] - "; say "[mn_current_menu_title] "; if mn_localpageshow is true and mn_hintmode is false: say "([mn_page_n_of][mn_temppagecount])"; [(page [mn_currentlocalpage] of ] To say mn_booksignal: if mn_debug > 0, say "[mn_stackpointer] "; if mn_bookmode is true and mn_bookpageshow is true: say mn_book_n_of. [BOOK [mn_currentbookpage]/[mn_book_total]] To say mn_leapmessage: if mn_bookmode is true: if mn_currentbookpage > 1: say mn_leap_A; [L to leap to Book page 1 or ] otherwise: if mn_stackpointer > 1: if mn_localmode is false: say mn_leap_B; [, L to leap to the top menu] otherwise: say mn_leap_C; [, L to leap to the top menu or ] otherwise: say mn_leap_D. [ or ] To mn_prepare the status line: now mn_page_one is ""; now mn_page_two is ""; now mn_page_three is ""; now mn_page_four is ""; now mn_preserve_line_three is false; let tempmessage be ""; let printflag be false; now mn_nextlocal is 1; if mn_hintmode is true and mn_hinthelp_preference is not "main" and mn_screenreader is 0: if mn_hintglut is false: if mn_local_hint_index is 0: now mn_page_one is "* [mn_first_hint]."; [Press H to reveal the first hint.] otherwise: now mn_page_one is "* [mn_another_hint]."; [Press H to reveal another hint.] otherwise: if mn_local_hint_index is 1: now mn_page_one is "* [mn_one_hint]."; [This page has just the one hint.] otherwise: now mn_page_one is "* [mn_all_hints]."; [You have revealed all the hints on this page.] increment mn_nextlocal; if the mn_endnode_flag is false: [Menu mode] now tempmessage is "[mn_number_or_letter]"; now printflag is true; increment mn_nextlocal; otherwise: [We are in local/hint mode, and could also be in global mode] let tempyprintflag be 0; if mn_bookmode is true and mn_book_total > 1: if mn_currentbookpage is 1: now tempyprintflag is 1; otherwise if mn_currentbookpage is mn_book_total: now tempyprintflag is 2; otherwise: now tempyprintflag is 3; otherwise if mn_localmode is true and mn_temppagecount > 1 and mn_hintmode is false: if mn_currentlocalpage is 1: now tempyprintflag is 1; otherwise if mn_currentlocalpage is mn_temppagecount: now tempyprintflag is 2; otherwise: now tempyprintflag is 3; if tempyprintflag is not 0: if tempyprintflag is 1: now tempmessage is "[mn_next_only]"; [Press N (Next) or the Right / Down arrow key to turn to the next page.] otherwise if tempyprintflag is 2: now tempmessage is "[mn_previous_only]"; [Press P (Previous) or the Left / Up arrow key to turn back a page,] otherwise if tempyprintflag is 3: now tempmessage is "[mn_next_and_previous]"; [Press N (Next), P (Previous) or the arrow keys to turn pages.] now printflag is true; increment mn_nextlocal; if printflag is true: if mn_nextlocal is: -- 1: now mn_page_one is tempmessage; -- 2: now mn_page_one is tempmessage; -- 3: now mn_page_two is tempmessage; if the mn_endnode_flag is false: [Menu mode] now tempmessage is "[mn_escape_A]"; [ESCAPE[if mn_stackpointer > 1] to move back a menu[mn_leapmessage][end if] or X to exit.] otherwise: [Local/hint mode] now tempmessage is "[mn_escape_B]"; [Press [if mn_bookmode is false]ESCAPE to return to menu[end if][mn_leapmessage]X to exit.] increment mn_nextlocal; if mn_nextlocal is 2 or mn_nextlocal is 3: now mn_page_two is tempmessage; [if this was the first line printed, put it on 2nd line] if mn_nextlocal is 4: now mn_page_three is tempmessage; now mn_preserve_line_three is true; if mn_nextlocal < 3: now mn_nextlocal is 3; now printflag is false; if mn_bookmode is true and mn_modes_allowed is not "book only": now tempmessage is "([mn_book_mode_off].)"; [Press M to turn Book Mode OFF] now printflag is true; if mn_bookmode is false and mn_modes_allowed is not "menu only": now tempmessage is "([mn_book_mode_on].)"; [Press M to turn Book Mode ON] now printflag is true; if printflag is true: if mn_nextlocal is 3: now mn_page_three is tempmessage; otherwise if mn_nextlocal is 4: now mn_page_four is tempmessage; increment mn_nextlocal; if mn_bookmode is true and mn_any_hints_present is true and mn_nextlocal is 4: [The 3rd clause in this line is just a legality check. Circumstances should always be such that I avoid lines ever wanting to print beyond the bottom line of the status window in the first place] if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is false and mn_modes_allowed is "both": now mn_page_four is "- [mn_no_hints_in_book_mode] -"; [Hint pages do not appear in Book Mode] if mn_show_hints_in_bookmode is true: if mn_currentbookpage is mn_hints_threshold: now mn_page_four is "[mn_hints_on_next_page]"; otherwise if mn_currentbookpage < mn_hints_threshold: now mn_page_four is "- [mn_hints_begin_on] -". Book 2 (content) Part 1 (mostly reserved for rules and such) [the structure--table design, etc. is code from Wade Clarke's Basic Help Menu extension. All content by Drew Cook.] When play begins: now mn_master_table is table of companion; [Substitution text experiment] T_Contents is a text that varies. T_Contents is "opening texts" table of content availability index availability note 1 true "to new players" 2 true "using the guide" 3 true "about this edition" 4 false "about this edition new" 5 true "introductions" 6 true "introductinos new" 7 true "historical context" 8 true "historical context new" 9 true "contemporary criticism" 10 true "contemporary criticism new" 11 true "how to play" 12 true "hints" 13 true "afterword" 14 true "afterword new" Part 2 (front matter/table of contents) Chapter 1 (framework) Section 1 (the table/container) table of companion title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "A Note to New Players" -- "[note]" "[RDtitle]" -- "[RDtxt]" "[ABtitle]" -- "[ABtxt1]" "[ABtitle][em]New!" -- "[ABtxt1]" "[INtitle]" table of INtexts -- "[INtitle][em]New!" table of INtexts -- "Historical Context" table of history -- "Historical Context[em]New!" table of history -- "Contemporary Criticism" table of CC -- "Contemporary Criticism[em]New!" table of CC -- "[HWtitle]" table of how -- "[INH]" table of hints -- "Afterword(s)" table of afterwords -- "Afterword(s)[em]New!" table of afterwords -- To say INtitle: say "Introductions"[INtitle]. To say INhelp: say "Instructions for Play"[INhelp]. To say INH: say "Hints and Other Questions"[INH]. To say PTS: say "Explicit Commands for Earning Points (as a last resort)"[PTS]. Section 2 (text) to say note: say "[n1][dot][pb][n2]" To say n1: say "This 'Reader's Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]' is essential reading for both mechanical (how to play and complete the game) and interpretive reasons. [bt]However, it is not recommended that new players read the entire 'Guide' and 'Transcript' before beginning the game. In fact, much of their contents only makes sense after seeing at least some of the main storyline of [it]Repeat the Ending[dot][rt] For this reason, the content of this guide is made available in stages. This arrangement is made at the request of Drew Cook, who wishes to provide first-time players with an organically comprehensible reading experience. Such [bt]new players can read the 'Reader[']s Companion' as Cook intended via the *GUIDE* or *GD* command[rt]. Experienced players can consult the complete guide at any time via the *FULL GUIDE* (*FG*) command. This is Cook's intended approach to reading the full text of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]: [spc]1. Read [it]An Interdimensional Entity's Guide to Primeoid Fashion[rt] and listen to the playlist at any time[dot][lb] 2. Begin Play. View hints and play instructions whenever needed via the *GUIDE* command[dot][lb] 3. More parts of the *GUIDE* will be made available as play progresses[dot][lb] 4. After the game is completed, all sections of the *GUIDE* will be unlocked" To say n2: say "[bt]My recommendation is that players read at least portions of content when it becomes available[rt], though the player should never risk getting overwhelmed or exhausted by that material. As previously stated, readers more interested in research rather than gameplay can access the entire 'Reader's Companion' via the *FULL GUIDE* command at any point in the game. Readers are never 'locked out' of its contents. [bt]As a final note, this version of [it]Repeat the Ending[bt] features a new 'scoring' system. I place 'scoring' in quotation marks because it is an imprecise word choice[rt], but Cook, who grew up on [it]Zork[rt], chose to call it that. I mention it here because it is the gameplay equivalent of this guide, for reasons that I hope will become clear. Like so many things in life, both reading this guide and pursuing a perfect score are entirely optional experiences. That being so, it might be helpful to include the player's score in any reviews or other correspondence, just to provide a measure of the author's engagement with the text. Whether you have come to play or research, I hope you will find the journey worthwhile. [em]Pauline Searcy[rt]". to say RDtitle: say "Instructions for Navigating This Book" To say RDtxt: say "[tab]This 'Reader's Guide to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]' is meant to be a definitive resource for playing, researching, and writing about not only the new, 2021 version of the game but also the 2003 transcript. The information herein is organized in a simple 'tree' hierarchy of menus and texts. [tab]For audiences familiar with mouse-controlled applications, navigating these materials may be an adjustment. Instructions for navigation are always displayed at the top of the page. In practice, the controls are straightforward: [blt]Number keys are used to select options from the menu.[line break][blt]Arrow keys (as well as the *N* and *P* keys for 'next' and 'previous') to turn pages.[line break][blt]*Q* to back out of a document or page.[line break][blt]*X* key to exit this guide and begin or return to the core game.[line break][blt]From the game, enter the *HINT* or *GUIDE* commands to return to this text.[line break][blt]Screen reader mode can be entered at any time by pressing the *S* key. Again, navigation controls are always identified at the top of the page. Happy reading!"[RDtxt]. to say ABtitle: say "About this 25th Anniversary Edition of 'Repeat the Ending'"[ABtitle] to say ABtxt1: say "[tab]This new critical edition of Drew Cook's [Italic Type]Repeat the Ending[roman type], first published in 1996, consists of three texts: the game itself, the 2003 transcript, and this 'Reader's Companion.' For ease of use, this 'Companion' volume has been divided into the following major sections: [bold type]Introductions:[roman type][line break]This section includes Drew Cook's 'post-postmortem' for [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] (posted to a personal blog in 1998), as well as new remarks by Cook, Executive Editor Pauline Searcy, and other contributors. [bt]Historical Context:[rt][lb]Essays and other materials written about [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] between 1996 and 2020. [bt]Contemporary Criticism:[rt][lb]New essays by Pauline Searcy, Daniel South Collins, and A. H. Montague. [bold type]How to Play [it]Repeat the Ending[bt]:[roman type][line break]Unique gameplay mechanics for this edition of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]. [bold type]Play the New and Expanded Interactive Fiction Game:[roman type][line break]The new and definitive text of the 1996 game, now with twice the content of the original. [bold type]Hints and Answers to General Questions:[roman type][line break]As the name suggests, this section provides hints to assist players in progressing through the game. These clues are arranged to provide general assistance at first and grow more specific as the player reads further. They are modeled after Infocom's 'Invisiclues' line of hint booklets. In addition, this section addresses many general questions about the world and design of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. These 'Hints and Answers to General Questions' were written by Drew Cook. [tab]In total, this companion text, in addition to new enhancements to the game itself, has nearly tripled the ground covered by the original 1996 version of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. Cook has consistently claimed throughout the production of this text that the additions complement his original vision for the game. The only reason that the 1996 version did not contain additional rooms, descriptions, puzzles, and mechanics is that, according to him, he never achieved competence with Inform 5. [tab]Given the limited playability of that version, Cook's account seems plausible. Perhaps, more accurately, it approaches the limits of plausible. I've argued elsewhere that [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is a rare opportunity to trace technical, authorial, and cultural changes over time within the confines of a single, fictive conception. It's also a chance to consider what a person without significant programming experience or capability could do over two decades ago as compared with what they might do in this present moment. [tab]This is to say nothing, of course, of the changes in life experience and artistic priorities for an adult over the course of twenty-five years. It is uncommon for an artist to return to a publicly-released work after a quarter-century, and yet here we are. To say more would be telling. [em]Pauline Searcy"[ABtxt1] To say ABtxt2: say ""[ABtxt2]. To say ABtxt3: say ""[ABtxt3] To say INtitle: say "Introductions"[INtitle]. To say INhelp: say "Instructions for Play"[INhelp] To say HWtitle: say "How to Play 'Repeat the Ending'"[HWtitle]. To say HWtxt: say "hwtext"[HWtext]. Part 3 (Introductory Texts) Chapter 1 (framework( Section 1 (the table) table of INtexts title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "[PStitle]" -- "[PS1][lb][PS2]" "The Task of Updating 'Repeat the Ending' by C. A. Smythe" -- "[ICAS1]" "[DCtitle]" -- "[DCI]" Chapter 2 (content) Section 1 (Pauline Searcy Introduction) To say PStitle: say "An Introduction by Pauline Searcy, Executive Editor"[PStitle]. To say PS1: say "[tab]Today, a plurality of critics and players consider 1996[']s [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] an early example of confessional art in interactive fiction. I should say that it is an early and relatively unknown example, because most people who claim to know or even like it haven't actually played it. It is safe to say that [it]RTE[rt] has most commonly been experienced by reading a transcript recorded by an anonymous player. Said transcript was uploaded to a public archive of IF materials by an unrecognized account that has only ever been used on that one occasion. That was in 2003. It's tempting to assume that said transcript was uploaded by Cook himself, though he has consistently denied doing so. [tab]No matter who made this 'offline' text of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] available, it has proven to be an engaging if uncomfortable read, and the reputation of the game has grown, year on year, since its troubled release. There can be no doubt that the success of games like [it]Photopia[rt] and, later, [it]Howling Dogs[rt], has made room for creators to explore wider and wider conceptions of interactive fiction. It has also made interpretive space for us to look back with fresh eyes. [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is just one text whose reception has benefited retroactively from the narrative innovations of other games. Still, [it]RTE[rt] remains an obscure game, and Cook an obscure author. The game's lack of technical competence makes it a hard sell as much now as it did in 1996. [tab]In my own work, I've long thought that interactive texts ought to be afforded the same scholarly interest as the paginated texts of old. For example, an interactive text might have a 'critical edition' with notes, appendices, and the like, just as a work of canon literature might. Since I had already been in touch with Cook regarding a research project about 1990s interactive fiction, I wondered if such an edition would interest him."[PS1]. To say PS2: say "[tab]I first approached Drew Cook in 2019 about a possible critical edition of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type], suggesting that a 25th anniversary edition, to be published in 2021, might garner significant interest as a 'green field' of inquiry for critics and students of interactive fiction. Cook[']s initial response was surprise, and he expressed concern for my reputation as an academic. I've found it hard, over these three and a half years, to know how seriously to take such admonitions. [tab]These and other concerns aside, he was not hard to convince. Cook saw the project as an opportunity to fix the game's technical problems and add content that was beyond his capabilities in 1996. That content includes four new endings, a sort of 'scoring' system, and major changes in narrative voice. New and old readers alike can finally play the definitive version of a game that, for the first time, operates reliably. [tab]Astute readers will inevitably notice that this critical edition of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] did not go to print in 2021 as previously planned. COVID was the cause of significant delays to this project, and, viewed in proper perspective, said delays seem a trivial consequence of that deadly phenomenon. Whether those events influenced the team's critical and creative efforts will remain a question left to readers. In any case, 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' is here, now, and in many senses has been twenty-six years in the making."[PS2] Section 2 (CAS Introduction) to say ICAS1: say "[tab]Even ignoring the substantial additions in terms of gameplay and paratext, this 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] required a significant amount of work. Pauline Searcy, Drew Cook, and I were determined to release a game that met both internal and external expectations. By 'external,' I mean players, who today have different standards of fairness, depth of implementation, and documentation. In addition to needed quality of life improvements, a great number of bugs required remediation. On that front, the migration to Inform 7 naturally eliminated general issues in code, thanks to the total rewrite in what is essentially a different language. [tab]That did not account for serious problems in logic and organization, which dictated that we[em]Cook and myself[em]draw up entirely new 'storyboards' for every single puzzle and dramatic sequence. Cook, excited about learning Inform 7, performed most of this work, while I provided technical and interface support. [tab]By 'interface,' I mean substitution of ASCII art, integration of new artwork (Inform 7 10.x has some shortcomings with regard to images at the time of this writing), help documentation, and refinement of Cook's 'entropic magic' system. It was very much an effective partnership, with both of us focusing on what we do best. Inform's natural language idiom helped Cook get quickly up to speed, which freed my time to focus on the mechanical experience of play. [tab]My goal was to provide a simple and straightforward way to experience a complex game. I hope that I have succeeded."[ICAS1] Section 3 (Drew Cook Introduction) To say DCI: say "When we first met the protagonist 'D' in the 1996 of our living world, he said: [bt]'We keep turning up for these days, again and again[dot][dot][dot]'[rt] In 2023, I put the same words in his mouth. He and I repeat ourselves from separate sides of a surprisingly permeable wall. In those days, I treated both D and players alike badly. I made it hard for anyone to make progress. It was nearly impossible for players to get to know D, even though, at some level, I think he wanted to be known, either to some or to many. I say, 'I think.' Shouldn't I, of all people, know? I have done all that I can for D. I have carried him in my heart these twenty-five years, but he is rid of me at last. I have set him free. He belongs more to Dr. Searcy and to her peers than to me, more to players than to me, more to even the most casual onlooker than to me. I cannot dictate your impressions of him and would not dare to try. Perhaps the years have changed him as they have changed so many of us. Then again, perhaps D has been a prisoner, trapped in a repetition of one single day in 1996, passing through it again and again. Perhaps people do not change[em]not even protagonists. Who but you can say? I do hope that you will say. [em]Drew Cook" to say DCtitle: say "'Here We Go Again': A Repetition by Drew Cook" Part 3 (Historical Content) Chapter 1 (the table) Section 1 (Historical Information Table) table of history title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "[BLtitle]" -- "[blog1][lb][blog2]" "[IVtitle]" -- "[IV1][lb][IV2][lb][IV3][lb][IV4][lb][IV5]" "[Xtitle]" -- "[XR1][lb][XR2][lb][XR3][lb][XR4][lb][XR5]" "A Review From 1996" -- "[F1996-1]" "A Second Review from 1996" -- "[F1996-2]" "Pete and Repeat Went Into a Bar (2003)" -- "[PR1]" "Reviewing Repeat the Ending (the game, not the transcript) (2003)" -- "[MR1][lb][MR2][lb][MR3]" "Triangulating the failed experiment of 'Repeat the Ending' (2005)" -- "[TR1][lb][TR2]" "'Repeat the Ending' Should Have Been a Choice Game (2014)" -- "[choice1]" "Recommended Listening: A 90s Playlist" -- "[playlist]" Chapter 2 (content for Historical Info) Section 1 (the blog) To say BLtitle: say "A 1998 blog post by Drew Cook about Repeat the Ending"[BLtitle]. To say blog1: say "[tab]I was considered a good writer in College. I enjoyed writing poems and short stories quite a bit. Since I was lurking a newsgroup about writing interactive fiction (text adventure games), I had an idea that I could write one of my own. [tab]I wrote (or tried to write) a text adventure game called [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. The basic story was that of a young, mentally ill man trying to get across town to visit his mother in the hospital. Along the way, his mental illness slows him down, and this character has to use magic to overcome those obstacles. I felt quite comfortable with the prose, and spent a lot of time refining it. [tab]Unfortunately, I wasn't equipped to give the same amount of love and care to the programming side of things. There were tons of bugs, and I didn't involve any testers for quality control. The result is that I just ran through the main throughline again and again, which tested fine, but there was no way for a player to discover that path. I had perfected a play style that no player would be able to match. [tab]I was shy and unwilling to ask for help on the newsgroup. I learned later that it was a community of helpful people who could have made [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] a much better game. The end result was that I entered a nearly unplayable game in the big yearly interactive fiction competition."[blog1] To say blog2: say "[tab]It was an embarrassing experience. I quickly realized that my 'testing' was completely inadequate and that it was extremely unlikely that anyone would be able to complete the game. The bugs were that bad! I only read the first few reviews before slinking away. I still haven't gone back to read other reviews or even the competition results. It would have felt too awful to look at. [tab]Some of you have asked if I have ever thought about game dev, and I thought I should just come out and confess to my misguided attempt to release a game. So stop asking, LOL ^_^ [tab]To be clear, I have no hard feelings toward that community. I should have asked for help. I should have waited instead of entering that competition. That's all on me. I do wish that more people could have experienced the writing, which I still think was pretty good. Maybe I'll rewrite it as a short story one day. [tab]For now, though, my career in games is over! So stop asking hahaha"[blog2]. Section 3 (the interview) To say IVtitle: say "An Interview With Drew Cook (2003)". To say IV1: say "[bracket]What follows is an interview of Drew Cook from the year 2003. It originally appeared in the Winter, 2003 issue of [italic type]Interactive Narratives[roman type]. Cook is interviewed by Fiona Luxe[dot][cb] [bold type]FL:[roman type] Well. This is exciting, isn't it? [bracket][italic type]laughs[roman type][close bracket] [bold type]DC:[roman type] Maybe. [bk][it]laughs[rt][cb] I was surprised to hear from you. It's been years since I wrote [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. [bt]FL:[rt] Well, you must know about the new transcript floating around. People seem to like it! [bt]DC:[rt] Yeah, I heard about it. A friend sent it to me. I'm happy about it; I've always wanted for people to at least be able to read the story. [bt]FL:[rt] It's the story that interests people. Some have wondered if writing fictional transcripts might be an interesting, new type of short story. [bt]DC:[rt] If my game inspired people to do that, I'd be very happy. I'd really love that. I'm really surprised by the interest. The game was a disaster. [bt]FL:[rt] I think that's part of it, actually. [bt]DC:[rt] I guess it does make for a good story, in more than one sense. [bt]FL:[rt] Speaking of story. Let's start with the story behind the game. As you know, reaction to your game was pretty negative in 1996. A lot of attention was paid to its technical shortcomings. [bt]DC:[rt] That was fair. It was my first and only game, and I'm a writer by training, not a programmer. For me, the programming was a means to an end. I had a story to tell that would only work in that medium."[IV1]. to say IV2: say "[bt]FL:[rt] Did that disappoint you? That there wasn't more discussion about the content of your game? [bt]DC:[rt] Not disappointed, exactly. The technical problems were a distraction. Of course issues will interfere with audience interpretation. I get it. I really think I should have waited. Worked on it longer. Maybe six months? I had ideas for the narrative that I wasn't able to accomplish, either. It might have given me a chance to realize those goals. [bt]FL:[rt] I think the consensus that's developed since the transcript has appeared is that the writing is really quite good. It's sort of a 'low-fi' adventure game. Lots of distortion and hiss. [bt]DC:[rt] [bk]laughs[cb] I'm not sure how flattering that is. Maybe it's accurate. I wouldn't say [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] had high production values. [bt]FL:[rt] I think its immediacy is what strikes people. Despite the fantasy elements, it feels like a grounded presentation of mental health problems. A very personal story, intimate even. [bt]DC:[rt] I've always written poems from the perspective of a persona. I feel that confessional art is sometimes dismissed without taking it seriously. You know, 'oh, this is just an outlet for him.' I don't want to be read that way. There's a lot of calculation and planning that goes into my writing. I'm not just vomiting out feelings. At the same time though, that's their experience, and I want to honor that."[IV2]. To say IV3: say "[bt]FL:[rt] Who is the 'you' addressed in the game? You've taken the narrator, that voice that says 'you,' to some pretty extreme places, rhetorically. [bt]DC:[rt] I think that's something the audience has to decide. I want them to decide for themselves. [bt]FL:[rt] I think what interests people most is that it's an authentic voice. Even if it isn't confessional, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] sometimes feels quite close to the bone. The player's 'quest,' such as it is, involves a simple objective, but it becomes hard to reach. [bt]DC:[rt] Yeah. I wanted it to be a pretty mundane day in the life. Not in terms of the mother, that's a big deal, of course, but in terms of the challenges. He's just trying to drive across town, but it's hard for him. [bt]FL:[rt] Despite a lot of bugs, the magic system is pretty unique. Plucking entropy out of the air before it dissipates. How did you come up with that? [bt]DC: [rt] You know, something that happens with me writing poems is that I'll come up with a phrase, and it just sticks to me. I don't know where it comes from, it's nothing I hear out in the world. It just camps out in my brain until I can find a place to use it. 'Entropist'[EM]not a real word, of course[EM]came to me that way. That's how this all got started, really. I needed to do something with that word. And from that came the system of entropic magic. The protagonist, well, he has a relationship with entropy, doesn't he? And I think there's something magical about mental illness. Not good magic, and not in a way I can describe, but it's transformational, it transforms the whole world. It's very potent magic, in that sense. It changes everything."[IV3]. To say IV4: say "[bt]FL:[rt] You've said that you don't make confessional art. How do you maintain distance between yourself and your subject matter? [bt]DC:[rt] Look, a work of imagination can be informed by experience. My own mother is alive. I never visited her in any hospital. This is a made up story. I'm not D. He is just a way for me to talk about things that interest me as a writer. [bt]FL:[rt] Does it bother you that reader-players experience it as confessional? Judging from recent conversations, those elements that seem personal combine with the so-called 'low-fi' aesthetic to create an impression of intimacy. Since you don't consider it confessional, how do those interpretations affect you? [bt]DC:[rt] It doesn't bother me at all. To me, there's no higher compliment than when someone spends not only time playing [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], but going on to spend hours in reflection and conversation about it. I [it]want[rt] people to wrestle with it, to decide for themselves what it means. Wouldn't it be ungrateful of me to interfere? To prevent anyone from honoring my work with their time? I'd never do that. I'd never deny them the freedom to interpret my writing as they see fit. This is very important[em]maybe the most important[em]thing for me as a writer. Their investment in me and my game is a great honor. [bt]FL:[rt] If I'm hearing you right, you believe that their interpretation is more important than your intent. [bt]DC:[rt] Yes. Is that strange? I guess it is. I'm a strange person, after all [bk][it]laughs[rt][cb]."[IV4] To say IV5: say "[bt]FL:[rt] Given the new interest in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], do you intend to write another game? You seemed pretty disaffected with the scene. Your subsequent online commentary on social media and elsewhere suggests that the reviews were disappointing to you. How do changing receptions of your game affect you? Have you considered returning to IF? [bt]DC:[rt] Before answering, I want to say that I'm just disappointed in myself, not the scene. [it]RTE[rt] is buggy, and that's on me. Not the community. Everything they said was fair. I think my feelings would be more complicated if they didn't like the writing, but how can anyone get that far if they can't play reliably? I try to keep up with the big games. Take [it]Photopia[rt], for instance. I wish I had a time machine, so that I could have played it before writing [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. My design prioritized narrative and character voice above puzzles[EM]at least, that was my intent[EM]but I lacked the imagination to try something like [it]Photopia[rt]. I never would have thought of such an approach, and I envy it. [bt]FL:[rt] So you are still keeping up with developments, after all. If you made another game, would it be like [it]Photopia[rt]? [bt]DC:[rt] Yes and no. I would try to not imitate it, because I would fail. I cannot imitate or otherwise make the 'next' [it]Photopia[rt], because I cannot imitate its transformational context. So far as a new game goes, I've had an idea in my head since before [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was finished. Maybe someday. I'd like to do something closer to the Infocom games. A fan fiction, maybe [bk][it]laughs[rt][cb]. A sequel to [it]Zork Zero[run paragraph on][rt]! [bk][it]laughs even harder[rt][cb]. [bt]FL:[rt] [bk][it]laughs[rt][cb] This has been a lot of fun. Thanks for doing this."[IV5] Section 4 (excerpts from reviews) To say Xtitle: say "Excerpts From Reviews of 'Repeat the Ending' and other discourse, 1996-2015"[Xtitle]. To say XR1: say "[bt]madCactus, blog post (1996)[rt][line break]This is a very promising game. The magic system is unusual, and the writing is highly competent. Unfortunately, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is a bug-ridden disaster. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I hit a game-breaking bug in the front yard. I decided against starting over and trying to get around it. [bt]Jim, Jim's Adventure Club (1996)[rt][line break]There's a lot of potential here, but I can't recommend [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] unless it undergoes significant revision. The game could use a few more months of testing, for one thing... It feels oppressively personal, which might make it unique among today's games. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. [bt]ASPurration, alt.games.text (1996)[rt][lb]Without the intrusion of the bugs, I think RTE would be quite convincing due to a consistent narrative voice. I would like to see a play transcript, since I don't have the patience to try to finish it, not even with a walkthrough. [bt]klondike44, alt.games.text (1996)[rt][lb]This just seems like sadness porn. I don't even want to imagine the ending."[XI1]. To say XR2: say "[bt]plugh1151, IF Review Archive (1996)[rt][lb]Look, I know it's a mess, but [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] strikes me as a strangely compelling mess. It's not competition ready, but what is there to compare it to? [it]In the End[rt]? [bt]Krill, alt.games.text (1997)[rt][lb]I finally got around to playing 'Repeat the Ending' (25th place of 26 in 1996[']s competition). Did anyone finish it? I think no. 26 was finishable. [bt]Anon, Infocom User's Group (1998)[rt][line break]Despite the messiness, I think there's something to this game. It's raw and compelling. I don't think anyone has heard from Cook outside of his blog. Certainly not on Usenet. It's a shame he hasn't done a major revision. [bt]Anon, Infocom User's Group (1998)[rt][line break]I'm surprised people remember that game. It's fussy and depressing."[XR2]. To say XR3: say "[bt][bt]C64wizard, Text Adventure Gaming (1998)[rt][line break]It's not fair to compare [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] to an instant classic like [it]Photopia[rt]. I do think that Cadre's game makes it possible to see [it]RTE[rt] more favorably... Since its puzzles are primarily for pacing, it is a story-first game with a strong emphasis on characterization. If it is not fun to play, it is at least rewarding to think about. [bt]Dan Collins, Digital Texts (2000)[rt][line break]In a way, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is reminiscent of early 90[']s 'low-fi' music or else an Ed Wood film, as committed as it is messy. Strangely compelling. [bt]Pauline Searcy, New Media Studies (2003)[rt][lb]Drew Cook's weird game about mental illness transforms everyday activities like getting dressed and shopping into nigh-insurmountable problems. It has garnered new interest in the wake of the transformational [it]Photopia[rt] (1998). A complete transcript is now available, which allows new readers to sidestep the very real problems of shoddy implementation and game-breaking bugs. [bt]TextFan, personal blog (2007)[rt][lb]The most overrated game of the 90s is [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], a dismal two hours[EM]if it doesn't throw a runtime error[EM]of self-loathing. The narrator's second-person 'you' feels pointedly directed at the player. I felt as though the game were poking me in the chest repeatedly, and the ending offers no solace. You've been warned."[XR3]. To say XR5: say "[bt]D. Collins, Facebook group post (2013)[rt][lb]There's an obvious interest in interactive texts that deal with heavy, personal issues. Mental health, identity, trauma. These are stories people want to write. We want to read them, too. I'm wondering if anyone has gone back to the nineties and early aughts to see what's there? Has there always been a confessional impulse in IF? Or is this a new emergence? [bt]Pauline Searcy, The New Archivist (2015)[rt][lb]Since early post-Infocom texts are well into their second decade, it may be time to consider an organized approach to storing relevant scholarly work for posterity. Another idea is the creation of critical editions in the spirit of those we currently have for college texts. Wouldn't canonical games like [it]Zork[rt], [it]Spider and Web[rt], or [it]Counterfeit Monkey[rt] warrant such treatment? [bt]Pauline Searcy, Twitter (2019)[rt][lb]I'm excited to announce that Drew Cook and I will be working to create the first ever critical edition of an interactive text. This edition of 'Repeat the Ending' (1996) will contain many enhancements, all supervised by Cook himself. Publication is planned for late 2021. [bt]Drew Cook, Twitter (2021)[rt][lb]Two things. First, thanks all for the goodwill. Don't worry; I'm ok. Really! Second, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is still coming. We may be looking at 2022 or early 2023, but it's definitely coming. Sorry for the wait. Please look forward to it!" To say XR4: say "[bt]AMontag, article comment at New Media Studies (2009)[rt][lb]The problem with reading a transcript of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] instead of playing it is that you have no excuse for not finishing it. 11K words of miserablist wallowing? No thanks. [bt]ZRKisOK, Tweet (2010)[rt][lb]repeat the ending is basically hot trash, which i like [bt]ASC, Tumblr post, (2013)[lb][it]howling dogs[rt] and all the talk surrounding it is growth IF needed. [bt]STRCRSS, IF Online(2013)[rt][lb]I don't know what you people see in this junk. It isn't interactive fiction. [bt]iheartIF, Twitter (2013)[rt][lb]does anyone know what happened to drew cook[lb]"[xr4] Section 5 (Review from 1996 number one) To say F1996-1: say "[bk][it]What follows is a review, reprinted with permission, from what was a popular interactive fiction review site at time of publication (1996). The author's name has been withheld by request[dot][rt][cb] [tab]Drew Cook is an odd case. He is almost completely unknown in the IF community, having only delurked a few times to reply to posts about Infocom games. So far as I can tell, he has never written or reviewed a work of interactive fiction. The 'about' response in his new game, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], mentions no testers. That game, an entrant into the annual competition for interactive fiction games, appears to be about mental illness. [tab]I say 'appears to be about' because it is hard to keep a game going long enough to be sure. Technical problems are so serious and pervasive in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] that there's no way to discuss it honestly without acknowledging that it is unplayable. It's that bad, and it's a shame, because what little prose that I could read reflected a very novel approach to a medium that doesn't currently feature many personal stories. The prose was strong stuff: evocative and descriptive. [tab]I can't rate this game. It's not a secret that, two years ago, a close friend of mine committed suicide. It's colored my experiences of art, and that has come up in a few of my reviews. I know it was not Cook's intent, but there is something painfully ironic about a sick person failing to communicate with a well person who is frustratingly unable to understand. I think this says something important about art, even if it is failed art. It can be more than the artist intends and mean more that he means. So it is with [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. I wish the author well and hope that one day he is able to say what he meant to say."[F1996-1] Section 6 (Another review from 1996) To say F1996-2: say "[bk][it]What follows is a review, reprinted with permission, from what was a popular interactive fiction review site at time of publication (1996). The author's name has been withheld by request[dot][rt][cb] [tab][it]Repeat the Ending[rt] by Drew Cook simply wasn't competition ready. I can't tell that it was tested at all, as the game throws runtime errors in response to bog standard IF commands like 'examine' and 'take.' This is a novel take on the recently devised 'Cruelty Scale.' The game can end at any moment, and it is never certain that a game can be played to completion. I feel a little catty saying so, but there's no way anyone can reach the ending once, let alone repeat it. [tab]I only mention [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] at all because the narrator is [it]weird[rt]. Good weird. Much more compelling that the anonymous protagonist of [it]In the End[rt]. It's a shame that, of the two, only one of them runs reliably. Ultimately, I think both games will be forgotten, though for very different reasons. Or maybe we'll be happier to forget one more than we will the other. [tab]I tried to email Cook at the address provided in-game, but it's a dead account. Only a month later! Does anyone know how to reach him? [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is the kind of game that makes you want to find the author. Maybe to make him soup, maybe just to fix his game. I think this is the kind of bad game that only a talented person could make, if that makes sense. I can't recommend playing it. There's no need to recommend not playing it, most of you will get there without my help."[F1996-1] Section 7 (PR1) to say PR1: say "[bk][it]What follows is a review, reprinted with permission, from what was a web gateway to a substantial archive of interactive fiction games at time of publication (2003). The author was plugh65, a prolific reviewer of IF[dot][rt][cb] Pete and Repeat walk into a bar... Now comes the unwholesome, shambling corpse of Drew Cook's [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] in the form of a supposed play transcript from that critically reviled game. It seems that many of my fellow fans cannot resist the temptation of its novelty. Has there ever been a transcript presented as if it were a short story? We have the epistolary novel, after all, so why not a transcript narrative? It comes uninvited, naturally, since anyone could have cracked the game open way back in 1996. While some reviewers appreciated what scant prose could be read before the game crashed, no one seemed to like it *enough* to decompile it. I and others have done so now, and you may or may not be surprised that the printed text (or, at least, text that was meant to be printed) does not consistently match the text in the binary. The transcript is unfaithful; it is a revision of sorts. On the rare (singular?) occasion that Cook has said anything at all about it, he has claimed that the transcript is, in fact real, but that he did not share it with the world. Writers, like other artists, do lie about there work. Is he lying? In any case, this utterly miserable story is worth a look as a formal experiment, even if it ruins your evening. The scene where the player restores because they don't like a certain outcome is really something else." Section 8 (Mike Russo review) To say MR1: say "[bk][it]A 2003 review posted to Usenet. Reprinted with the author's permission[dot][rt][cb] Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction[lb] From: 'Mike Russo' [lb] Subject: Reviewing Repeat the Ending (the game, not the transcript)[lb] Lines: 64[lb] X-Trace: [bk]omitted[cb][lb] NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 11:17:00 EST[lb] Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 18:17:00 GMT It seems to me like there are two basic vectors for getting into IF: it’s either the Infocom games – this is largely the mavens – or it’s Photopia – for the wet-behind-the-ears crowd, which of course includes me. While I’ve gained an appreciation for the puzzlier sort of games over the past few months, the more literary approach of Photopia is what really gets me excited about IF, so when the Repeat the Ending transcript made its rounds on the newsgroups a couple weeks ago, I was likewise excited to check it out – a forgotten Southern-miserabilist magical-realist fable? Sign me up! That enthusiasm was, of course, quickly deflated. I won’t repeat the dumb joke going around ('how can you repeat the ending when it’s so buggy you can’t finish even with the walkthrough!') but yeah, the bugs are real. Enough virtual ink has been spilled on them, though, that I don’t want to bang on about them too much because there’s lots that’s interesting about RTE beyond how it tortures your interpreter. ('not banging on too much' doesn’t mean I can’t bang on a little: there’s an error late in the transcript where the player accidentally winds up in a sort of holding pen for lost objects that sounded interesting, but when I replicated the steps, I couldn’t reproduce it. Then after a bunch of saving and loading and trying different things to get the issue to trigger, Frotz said it’d run out of memory and crashed. When even your bugs have bugs, that’s a problem!)"[MR1] To say MR2: say "Deep breath. I won’t mention the bugs any more, I promise. I also won’t mention how actively the game resists being played, at least after this paragraph (this review is getting pretty apophastic [bk]sic[cb]). This could be an intentional outgrowth of the hostility the narrator directs at the protagonist – the author seems sophisticated enough to be able to distinguish the player from the protagonist, but also bitter enough not to bother – or it could just indicate a criminal failure to playtest. Either way, any hope of playing the game 'honestly', without recourse to the transcript to solve the puzzles, should be chucked out the window, since RTE just doesn’t play fair. Like, the puzzles all center on an honestly pretty interesting magic system, but the key DIAGNOSE and INVEST commands are not actually prompted in-game (actually, in fairness the game does eventually spell out the INVEST syntax for the player, which would be a nice player-friendly touch save for the fact that you can only reach that cue after first solving a puzzle that requires you to already know you can INVEST stuff). What, does the author think Sigmund Freud is going around playing IF? Who else is going to motivelessly type DIAGNOSE??? PUT (THING) UNDER (OTHER THING) is a winner in the guess-the-verb sweepstakes too. One more breath. Okay, any game that requires like 400 words of disclaimers has to be accounted a failure. And yet, a week after playing it ('playing' it), RTE remains stuck in my head, like a canker sore I can’t help tonguing. What’s unique about RTE – for good and ill – is its intense, overwhelming subjectivity: it insists that we inhabit the protagonist’s squalid, grubby perspective, and steadfastly rejects the validity – perhaps even the possibility – of external judgment. It doesn’t quite attain mimesis (it’s too buggy for that, if nothing else) but it thoroughly commits, forcing more than inviting the player to understand how to feels to live a life that’s (hopefully) very different than their own, which is one of the great, largely-untapped possibilities of IF (especially way back in 1996, four years before Rameses! …which I will get around to playing one of these days)." [MR2] To say MR3: say "It’s nice to see a game that’s in some sense political too, with its unflinching depictions of poverty and the challenges being uninsured poses for the mentally ill (yes, in the halcyon days of 1996 politics consisted of issues like health care, not just competing to see which party can be most enthusiastic about bombing brown people). Sure, the downside of 'serious' IF is that it can be self-serious – and oh my gosh, is RTE self-serious – but given the overall frivolousness of the scene, this can I think be forgiven and maybe even counts as a breath of fresh air. Sometimes it’s effective despite itself, or at least (I think) unintentionally. Like, to call the game a thinly-veiled autobiography maybe gives it too much credit – the protagonist of this game by Drew Cooke is called 'D'? Okay, sure – and this lends the narrator’s unrelenting self-directed negativity a queasily voyeuristic air, as though one were eavesdropping on a therapy exercise (the therapy doesn’t seem to be going well). It’s unpleasant and suggests an unhealthy level of authorial bleed-through, but damn it, it moved me, even though my circumstances are very different from the author’s, er, protagonist’s (I don’t have any addiction or mental health issues, and I have a shitty relationship with my father rather than my mother). I’ll repeat: RTE is a failure, and far too sordid in both conception and execution to be considered a noble one. Still, in my opinion it’s nevertheless very much worth experiencing – preferably in transcript form rather than through actual gameplay, I’m sad to relate – because it’s doing something that feels new even now, seven years past its ships-passing-in-the-night release, leveraging autobiography and interactivity in a way that I, at least, will be keeping in mind if I ever get around to writing some IF of my own." [MR3] Section 9 (failed experiment) To say TR1: say "Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction[lb] From: 'Johnny John' [lb] Subject: Triangulating the failed experiment of RTE[lb] X-Trace: [bk]omitted[cb][lb] NNTP-Posting-Date: Tues, 29 Mar 2005 17:45:07 EST[lb] Date: Tues, 29 Mar 2005 12:45:07 GMT I've been trying to get my head wrapped around this RTE transcript that's been bouncing around these past two years. Is it a shaggy dog bit? Why would Cook put this out there, six years after the failed launch of 'Repeat the Ending?' It is Cook that's done this, isn't it? The decompiled binary doesn't fully correspond to the transcript. He won't talk about it, with the exception of that weird interview. Who the hell is 'Fiona Luxe,' anyway? Who else would do it, though? Who could have been thinking about this game after six years? Nobody even finished it, so far as I know. It can't be finished. The only game to do worse in the annual competition was at least finishable. The transcript is like an Andy Kaufman bit. It's uncomfortable to look at, and I can't tell if it's serious. I feel like 'Repeat the Ending' is yelling at me. Is this Cook's idea of a game? 'A couple of tumblers and forks hunker grimly under the spigot. One might thing [bk]sic[cb] that the pair of drink glasses imply that you had a guest. To be clear: you absolutely, under no circumstances whatsoever, had, have, or will have a guest.' Jesus Christ. What is this 'triangulation' in the subject line? I'm trying to locate this weird gimmick's place in history. 1996 also saw the release of Mason's 'In the End,' a very different approach to the novel concept of 'dark,' psychologically fraught IF that either minimized or otherwise decentered puzzles in IF. While 'In the End' was a poorly-received game, it predated the landmark 'Photopia' by two years. Both Mason and Cook made trailblazing games, even if their respective failures squandered any hope for recognition of craft or influence." To say TR2: say "To read this transcript now, after 'Photopia' and 'Rameses,' is to find that those games made space for a work like 'Repeat the Ending.' In fact, this transcript arrives on the heels of a great many puzzle-less or slice of life games from last year's IF comp. This gives the weird impression that it is both old, forward-looking, and entirely current. How to triangulate this transcript's place in history? From whence and when does it come? If Drew Cook didn't make this, who did? Anyway, I suppose that since this is a review, I must say whether you should 'play' (read) this transcript or not. I think you should. The writing is good, if a bit exercised, and it's a brisk, short read. I think it can be read as being about IF somehow, but I'm not sure where to begin with that. Maybe some other day."[TR2] Section 9 (should have been a choice game) To say choice1: say "[bk][it]What follows is a review, reprinted with permission, from a personal blog in 2014. The author was moxiecat, a prolific reviewer of choice IF[dot][rt][cb] [tab]Recent developments in the IF scene have demanded a broader conception of interactive fiction. Not only that, they have enlarged and enriched the scope of writing [it]about[rt] IF. Porpentine's 'Creation Under Capitalism and the Twine Revolution,' for instance, convincingly asserts the underlying ideology of parser technology. It can exclude and limit based on hardware, education, (dis)ability, and time requirements. [tab]The technology also favors specific [it]kinds[rt] of stories, and while there are notable exceptions, most parser IF participates in object-centered discourse. I don't mean 'object' in a programming sense. I mean that most parser games have at their center objects: treasures, keys, tools, weapons. It is, therefore, an atomizing discourse, a trade language of specificity: lamps, swords, various doohickeys. Every once in a while, some author will make a puzzle out of a bucket of identical gumballs or something, but those puzzles are experienced as exceptions. The aesthetic of specificity is never forgotten. [tab]By now, the transcript for Drew Cook's failed Inform 5 game [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] has been available around for over a decade. Its content and themes are often discussed as anomalies, but [it]RTE[rt] is also anomalous because its world is not a world of objects. Rather, it is a world of qualities and forces. As the transcript has proven, it is a compelling read without resorting to the Master Rhetoric of parser technology. [tab]Drew Cook was unable to overcome the challenges of parser game development, which ultimately prevented him from telling a deeply personal story. It seems that he has left the world of Interactive Fiction entirely. I fear there are many similar, if less visible, stories out there. It's hard to shake the feeling that, had choice IF already risen to prominence in 1996, Cook and others might have been able to tell them." Section 10 (The Playlist) To say playlist: say "This version of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] features a playlist of songs from the setting of the game. The playlist can be found at this web address: https://spoti.fi/3Doweyk A clickable link is featured in the PDF feelie available with this game. Alternately, the songs are listed here: [blt2]'Bible Silver Corner': Rodan[lb] [blt]'Magic': Olivia Newton John[lb] [blt]'Repeat the Ending': Chavez[lb] [blt]Renaissance Man': Sebadoh[lb] [blt]'Pat's Trick': Helium[lb] [blt]'Half Right': Heatmiser[lb] [blt]'Top Expert': Cat Power[lb] [blt]'Wondering Boy Poet': Guided by Voices[lb] [blt]'Revenge': Archers of Loaf[lb] [blt]'You Will Miss Me When I Burn': Palace Brothers[lb] [blt]'Couldn't You Wait': Silkworm[lb] [blt]'Surfer Girl': Cub[lb] [blt]'Mood Swing': Folk Implosion[lb] [blt]'Don't Darlene': Rocket From the Crypt[lb] [blt]'Happiness Is a Warm Gun': The Breeders[lb] [blt]'14 Cheerleader Coldfront': Guided by Voices[lb] [blt]'Furious': Throwing Muses[lb] [blt]'The Sad Punk': The Pixies[lb] [blt]'Baby for Pree': Neutral Milk Hotel[lb] [blt]'Luau': Drive Like Jehu[lb] [blt]'Aneurysm': Nirvana[lb] [blt]'Rid of Me (4-track demo)': PJ Harvey[lb] [blt]'Fake Plastic Trees': Radiohead[lb] [blt]'Breaking the Split Screen Barrier': The Amps[lb] [blt]'Slo-Mo Kikaida': The Dambuilders[lb] [blt]'Bells On': Sloan[lb] [blt]'Here': Pavement[lb] [blt]'Waving at You': The Mountain Goats[lb] [blt]'Days': Elvis Costello[lb] [blt]'Perfect Power': Sebadoh'[lb] [blt]'Ester's Day': Guided by Voices[lb] [blt]'Xanadu': Olivia Newton John[lb] [blt]'Bombs Away': Archers of Loaf [lb]" Part 4 (how to play) Chapter 1 Framing (how to play) Section 1 The table (how to play) [I preferred using SAY constructions to typing text directly into the table] table of how title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "Text Adventure Conventions and 'Repeat the Ending' by Drew Cook (1996)" -- "[hpgc1][lb][hpgc2]" "Playing 'Repeat the Ending:' an Overview by C. A. Smythe" -- "[hpo]" "Magic and Other New Gameplay Features by C. A. Smythe" -- "[gsu1][lb][gsu2]" "About the New Paratexts by Pauline Searcy" -- "[HPT]" "(Un)Common Verbs by C. A. Smythe" -- "[HVBS]" "About the Scoring System in 'Repeat the Ending' by C. A. Smythe" -- "[ABSCORE]" "Displaying Images by C. A. Smythe" -- "[IMG]" "Known Issues with 'Repeat the Ending'" -- "[issues]" Chapter 2 Parser Conventions and HPGC1 to say hpgc1: say "[bk][it]Originally an in-game text response in [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] (1996). Note that there is no indication that Cook anticipated poor audience reception[dot] [em]Pauline Searcy[cb] [tab]In a typical parser-based text adventure, the game's program supplies the player with text: descriptions of places and things, textual accounts of events, textual responses to player commands, and so forth. The player's part in this dialogic narrative is to input text commands. Ideally, the game's engine[em]called the parser[em]can understand natural English commands, but in reality players tend to drop articles and other cartilage words in favor of muscle and bone. For instance: [fixed letter spacing]TAKE THE ORNATE BRASS LANTERN.[lb][variable letter spacing]becomes[pb][fixed letter spacing]GET LAMP[variable letter spacing] [tab]The parser will process the player's commands and narrate the outcomes of those directives. If the player can take the lamp, the narrator will inform them that the lamp has been taken. There are a lot of 'givens' to parser-based IF that may or may not be apparent to beginning players. It is a discourse unto itself, which can make it seem rather impenetrable. An inexhaustive list of those givens includes:[pb][blt2]If something is mentioned, it is implemented[dot][lb] [blt]If something is implemented, it can be examined[dot][lb] [blt]Look under furniture and rugs[dot][lb] [blt]Look behind paintings[dot][lb] [blt]Open whatever can be opened[dot][lb] [blt]Take anything that isn't nailed down[dot][lb] [blt]Search containers, closets, and so forth. [tab]Parser IF is usually (absolutely not always) about things. Seeing things from different angles, using things on other things, manipulating things. An old cliche states: 'for every lock, there is a key.' It's meant to be a broad, metaphorical statement about the meaning of life, but it is narrowly and successfully applied to the bulk of all interactive fiction texts."[hpgc1]. to say hpgc2: say "[tab][it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is a text adventure game, so it exists in the context of those givens, whether they apply or not. In fact, they rarely do in [it]RTE[rt]. While it is constructive to examine things, there are no objects hidden under or behind other objects. There are no containers to open. The protagonist, known only as 'D,' generally refuses to pick up or carry objects. Searching is only beneficial once. The gameplay loop most resembles Infocom's [it]Enchanter[rt], because the core gameplay loop involves finding magical power and using it to solve problems. [tab]If you consult the text file archived with this game, you'll find a listing of important commands needed to complete [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] [bk][it]Note: That information has been recreated here in this guide. See '(un)Common Verbs' and 'Magic and Other New Gameplay Features[dot]'[em]CAS[rt][cb]. So far as differentiating gameplay in [it]RTE[rt] goes, the player must always be either looking for magic or else looking for something to use magic [it]on[rt]. While examining things is never a bad idea, the most useful and impactful information in this game is discovered with the *DIAGNOSE* command. [tab]Likewise, your goal is not to find hidden objects. It's to find entropic processes. This is not a game of things. It is a game of systems and states. If you are wondering where you can find entropy, the good news is that it's anywhere something is heated, moved, or made disorderly [bk][it]So-called 'psychic' energy is new to this 2021 edition. [em]CAS[rt][cb]. Most machines, for instance, have plenty of entropy to spare. A spilled drink or a roaring fire respectively give off order and thermal magic ripe for the taking. When a speeding automobile has its brakes suddenly applied, it yields kinetic magic for any nearby entity who knows how to use it. [tab]As a final note, be sure to save often. This game doesn't pull any punches when it comes to deaths and failure conditions. [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is hard by design. Its characters live in a hard world and have grown accustomed to unkindness. To puff up their lives with phony grace and sham mercies would be an insult to them and the lives that inspired them. [tab]I can't quantify the gratitude I feel knowing that people are playing and thinking about my game. Thanks. [tab][em]DSC"[hpgc2] Chapter 3 (Playing Overview [hpo1]) To say hpo: say "[tab]This new edition of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] is a work of speculative metafiction consisting of three texts: a game, a transcript, and this guide. This section of the guide is concerned with playing the game. After a brief prologue, the in-game protagonist will explore, solve puzzles, and make progress toward two clearly identified goals. [tab]To learn more about gameplay-specific commands in [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type], players can refer to the 'Gameplay' section of this guide or, alternately, one can type *GAMEPLAY* within the game itself. For a listing of verbs (especially those unique to [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]), players can refer to the '(UN)Common Verbs' section of this guide. [tab]The second element of this new, definitive version of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] is its paratext. Just as in a scholarly book, commentators will occasionally remark on topics that are more or less related to the text of the game. Those comments are asserted via annotations (also referred to as footnotes), and were compiled and edited by this volume's Executive Editor, Pauline Searcy. They are unique to this 25th Anniversary critical edition, and all additions and commentary have been approved by Drew Cook, the author of [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]. For more information on viewing various metatexts, refer to the 'About the New Paratexts' section of this guide. [tab]A note on formatting: words in capital letters and enclosed with asterisk symbols can be used verbatim as verbs, nouns, or whole commands, such as the case might dictate. These asterisks are included to notify players who use screen reader technology. [tab]A further consideration regarding formatting: [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was developed and, for the most part, tested with variable-width fonts. Players who use monospace fonts, such as courier, may experience display anomalies. Specifically, this text's use of the em-dash character may cause readability issues. If you have trouble viewing em-dashes, you can toggle [it]RTE[rt] to use double-hyphens instead by entering *MONO* at the command prompt. A less complete version of this text can be accessed in-game by typing *HELP* at the command prompt."[hpo] Chapter 4 (gameplay [gsu1]) To say gsu1: say "[tab]Nearly all problems in 'The Annotated [italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type]' are solved via a unique magic system inspired by the second law of thermodynamics. Simply stated, the amount of entropy in a system always increases over time. The law has complex implications, but you as a player only need to know that moments or systems that involve the loss of energy or order can provide the protagonist with magical power. [tab]I don't think I will reveal any trade secrets or upset Cook's explication-averse sensibilities if I suggest that the most obvious influence on the system of magic in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is Infocom's [it]Enchanter[rt] series of games. The primary qualitative difference is that the entire world of the game is D's 'spell book.' The enchanter of old wields an academic or esoteric power, superseding the laws of the universe. D, on the other hand, manipulates processes fundamental to the operation of the universe. [tab]Examples of such processes and events include a car rapidly braking, a stove-top cooling, and a sugar cube crushed into scattered granules. D, the protagonist, can take advantage of these shifts by gathering the energy or order lost to these processes/objects and redirecting them to solve problems in the game."[GSU1] To say gsu2: say "Three commands, unique to this game, are used to manipulate entropic magic: [bt]*DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]* (abbreviated as *DG* or *DN*):[rt][lb]This command is used to evaluate the entropic potential of an object or system. If you *DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]* with entropic potential, the narrator will interpret that information, then offer their assessment. Note that you can also *DIAGNOSE ME* to get information about the protagonist's entropic potential. The narrator will tell you if you carry any entropic energy and, if so, what kind. This is the only means of insight into any magical power absorbed by the player, so plan to make frequent use of it. [bt]*SIPHON [bracket]something[close bracket]*[rt]:[lb]Used to pull entropic energy into oneself once they have identified a suitable source. [bt]*INVEST [bracket]something[close bracket] with [bracket]entropic energy[close bracket]*:[rt][lb]Use gathered entropic energy to violate the second law of thermodynamics by adding order or energy to a system or process. It is important to note that there is only [it]one[rt] problem in the entire game that is solved without magic, and the only hint for solving that problem is found via magic. If you discover yourself trying to put clothes in a bin, cover things with blankets, or even take apart an air conditioner, you are unlikely to find success in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. The single most important command in this game is *DIAGNOSE* by an overwhelming margin."[gsu1] Chapter 5 (how to play paratext) To say HPT: say "[tab]As promised, this new 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] features new texts that will interest readers of all sorts. This 'Reader's Companion' text open before you now is the largest single source of new, out-of-game content. It has been separated into sections that, I hope, make intuitive sense. There are introductions by myself and Drew Cook, historical documents from 1996 on, and new critical content by Daniel South Collins and A. H. Montague. [tab]That isn't all, though. New, completely revised help documentation is available. A comprehensive collection of 'Invisiclues,' including a general Q&A section, has been authored by Drew Cook himself, and he considers it an essential part of the game's experience. Read it now, read it after completing a section, or wait until the game is finished, but I recommend reading it in any case. A comprehensive checklist for finding every so-called 'point' is printed there, as well. [tab]Furthermore: new footnotes contributed by myself, Smythe, Collins, and Montague offer insights into craft questions, interpretive strategies, and historical data to enhance and complicate reader experiences of the text. The text will state when an annotation is available by displaying a two- or three-letter combination paired with a number. These will appear in brackets. As an example, readers might see something like this during the course of play: [bk]AC 1[cb]. After typing *AC 1* at the command prompt, the relevant annotation will be displayed. [bt]A Summary of Paratext Commands[rt] [bt]*GUIDE*[rt]: Consult the 'Reader[']s Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[rt].'[lb][bt]*FULL GUIDE* (*FG*)[rt]: View the entire 'Companion' at any time during play.[lb][bt]*[bk]source[cb] [bk]number[cb]*[rt]: Consult a footnote or annotation when prompted by the game (formatting examples include *CAS 1* and *PS 1*).[lb][bt]*SOURCES*[rt]: Print a brief description of every discovered source.[lb][bt]*SOURCES [bk]source[cb]*[rt]: Print every discovered annotation by a specific source (for example, *SOURCES CAS* would print every available note written by C. A. Smythe, i.e. CAS). [tab]Note that the game's tutorial content is exclusively conveyed via annotations, and that annotations are key to understanding the story of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. Ignoring them may hinder player progress." Chapter 6 (how to play score) To say ABSCORE: say "The so-called 'scoring system' is, if not unique, certainly unusual. It has no relationship to the narrative throughline of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. In fact, it is possible to reach an ending (one of five) without earning a single point. That ending is rather bleak. In fact, it was the only possible conclusion of the correspondingly bleak version of [it]RTE[rt] released in 1996. The 'score,' such as it is, is a tally of what would typically be considered losing, game over-type outcomes. If the player finds a new way for the protagonist to die or otherwise lose, they earn a point. If the player otherwise makes a decision that renders the game unwinnable, they receive a point. In other words, the score is a measurement of the player's intentional efforts to sabotage or otherwise end the game. Exploring this feature is an expression of player agency. While the story is linear, experiencing failure in this way is completely optional. However, the score dictates the ending of the game. As previously stated, a score of zero culminates in a truly miserable conclusion. A perfect score, on the other hand, yields the best ending and even features a unique illustration. While players can view all endings eventually, only one ending will be [it]their[rt] ending, the one they have earned. Here are the requirements for reaching every conclusion: [bold type]0 points:[roman type] 'Bad ending.' The player can use the *UNDO* command to get the 'normal ending' instead. [line break][bold type]1 to 9 points:[roman type] 'Normal Ending.'[line break][bold type]10 to 16 points:[roman type] 'Expanded ending.'[line break][bold type]17 to 32 points:[roman type] 'True ending.'[line break][bold type]33 points:[roman type] 'Fastidious ending.' To assist the player in tracking their progress on this path, the following tools are available: [bt]*SCORE*:[rt] Displays the total points earned, as well as a breakdown by each geographical region.[lb][bt]*DETAILED SCORE* (or *DS*):[rt] Lists every point earned, with a description, in the current geographical region.[lb][bt]*COMPLETE SCORE* (or *CS*):[rt] List all discovered fail states in every discovered region of the game. There are hints about missable points in the 'Hints and Other Questions' part of this 'Reader[']s Companion.' As a last resort, 'Explicit Commands for Earning Points' lists the specific commands needed to earn each point. That section is rather carefree regarding spoilers, so it should be used with caution." Chapter 7 (gameplay) to say gply: say "[italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] features a unique magic system inspired by the second law of thermodynamics, which asserts that the amount of entropy in a system always increases over time. This has complex implications, but you as a player only need to know that moments or systems that involve the loss of energy or order can provide the protagonist with magical power. The protagonists can take advantage of entropic systems and events by gathering the energy or order lost to these processes/objects before they are dissipated into the infinite void of space. Three commands, unique to this game, are used to manipulate entropic magic: [bt]*DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]*:[rt][lb]This command is used to evaluate the entropic potential of an object or system. If you *DIAGNOSE [bracket]something[close bracket]* with entropic potential, the game will tell you how to draw upon its energy. Note that you can also *DIAGNOSE ME* to get information on your own entropic potential. *DIAGNOSE*, without a question, is the most important command in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. [bt]*SIPHON [bracket]something[cb]*:[rt][lb]Used to pull entropic energy into yourself once you have identified a suitable source. [bt]*INVEST [bracket]something[close bracket] with [bracket]entropic energy[close bracket]*:[rt][lb]Use gathered entropic energy to violate the second law of thermodynamics by adding order or energy to a system or process. Just as in Infocom's [it]Enchanter[rt] games of old, [it]RTE[rt]'s primary gameplay loop consists of finding and using magic. If you find yourself trying to throw blankets on things, wash dishes, or adjust a thermostat, your experience with [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] will be quite frustrating."[gply] Chapter 8 (sample verbs) To say HVBS: say "[italic type]Repeat the Ending[roman type] uses many verbs commonly used in interactive fiction, such as *EXAMINE*, *LOOK*, *TAKE*, *SEARCH*, *DROP*, and so forth. Additionally, there are many custom verbs: [bold type]Player 'Cheat Sheets':[roman type][line break]*HELP*: Basic information about playing.[line break]*PARATEXT*: Instructions for reviewing annotations and the *GUIDE*.[line break]*GAMEPLAY*: Information about using entropic magic.[line break]*ABOUT*: Acknowledgments.[line break]*VERBS*: A list of (un)common actions.[lb]Each of these commands is superseded by the 'Reader's Companion' (*GUIDE* or *GD*). [bt]Artwork and Display:[rt][lb]*GRAPHICS*[lb]*IMAGES*[lb]*MONO* [bold type]Meta:[roman type][line break]*SCORE*[line break]*DETAILED SCORE* (or *DS*)[lb]*COMPLETE SCORE* (or *CS*)[lb]*HASSLES* (or *H*)[paragraph break][bold type]Other[roman type][line break]*PUT [bracket]something[close bracket] UNDER [bracket]something[close bracket]*[line break]*TALK to [bracket]someone[close bracket]*[line break]*BUY [bracket]something[close bracket]*[line break]*WIN*[lb]*FLY*"[HVBS] Chapter 9 (images) To say IMG: say "This 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] features new artwork by Callie Smith. When the game begins, you will be asked for your preference: low, medium, or high resolution. Additionally, you can choose to play with text descriptions instead of images. This configuration screen can be reopened at any time by typing *GRAPHICS* at the command prompt. All images discovered during a game can be reviewed at any time via the *IMAGES* command. Note that your current graphical preferences apply, so if an image is not formatted correctly for your screen, simply change the image size and view again. An option to review images is also available after the game ends."[IMG]. Chapter 10 (issues) To say issues: say "Despite the best intentions of the team behind [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], some problems may arise. At the time of this writing, there are five known problems: [bt]Use of the ESCAPE key:[rt][lb]While using the *GUIDE*, players may find that the ESC key does not take the player back to the previous menu. The problem is that the cursor is no longer at the bottom of the screen. To proceed, either press the *Q* key to go back, or click on the bottom of the screen. [bt]Em-dashes are less readable with monospace fonts:[rt][lb]This is not a problem, with the game or interpreter. Rather, it is caused by a limitation of monospaced fonts. You can change to a differently printed em-dash at any time by using the *MONO* command. Note that [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was intentionally written for proportional fonts, and it may not be possible to address all issues arising from using monospace lettering. [bt]Other problems with fonts:[rt][lb]Cook and Smythe used the following fonts during development: 'Segoe UI,' 'MS Reference Sans Serif Regular,' 'Corbel,' and 'Helvetica.' The following interpreters were used for internal testing: Lectrote, Gargoyle, and Parchment. To the best of the team's knowledge, these fonts and platforms display [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] as it was intended to be experienced. Experimenting with these configurations and applications might improve player experiences. [bt]Problems with displaying images:[rt][lb]Sadly, it is not possible to account for every interpreter, display, and resolution. If images are too large or too small, use the *GRAPHICS* command to change the size, then view the images again via the *IMAGES* command. [bt]Some confusion may arise:[rt][lb]Players may be baffled by many of the narrative decisions in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. Sadly, this is a defect in the game that cannot be easily remedied. If you discover a bug during the course of play, please contact Drew Cook (@kamineko) at the Interactive Fiction Community Forum (https://intfiction.org)." Part 5 (hints) Chapter 1 (framing) Section 1 (master table for hints) table of hints title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "Regarding these Hints" -- "People might want to bypass a puzzle for any number of reasons. It could be unpleasantly difficult, or even poorly designed. The puzzle might, in a player's opinion, stand between them and the 'good stuff' of narrative and storytelling. Then again, a player might be in a hurry to get to the next game, which, in turn, they must hurry through in order to get to the game after that. This section of the text will accommodate all of these perspectives, and many more besides.[pb]There are other reasons to read hints, of course. I have read every single Infocom hint booklet because I enjoyed reading them. Those hints were usually written by the implementers (authors) themselves, and, as such, often extended our knowledge of their respective games. Those hints were also, for lack of a better word, [it]fun[rt]. I liked them, so I'd like to write some, too. I wouldn't feel bad about looking at them for help[em]this isn't some iron man contest[em]and I flat-out encourage everyone to read them in entirety as part of a complete game experience, whether sooner or later.[pb][em]DSC" "Remembering the 1980s" table of H1980 -- "Inside the Trailer" table of HTI -- "Outside of the Trailer" table of HTE -- "In the Car" table of CAR -- "At the Driveway" table of HDW -- "In Line at the Pharmacy" table of HPH -- "Endgame: The Hospital" table of HEG -- "[PTS]" table of points -- "General Questions" table of QA -- "Even More General Questions" table of QA2 -- "After You've Seen It All" table of amusements -- Chapter 2 Hints 1980s table of H1980 title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "How am I supposed to get inside?" table of hinting "There's no door here." "hint" -- "Have you tried examining the window? Or opening it?" "hint" -- "Just type *IN*, or, if you're feeling fancy, *PASS THROUGH THE WINDOW*." "What am I supposed to do here?" table of hinting "You can type *H* or *HASSLES* to review your current play objective." "hint" -- "Are you reading the footnotes? There's some good advice there." "hint" -- "If you are reading the footnotes, read the next hint. If not, ignore the next hint." "hint" -- "That's good, since the footnotes are part of the core game." "hint" -- "That's strange, since the footnotes are part of the core game." "hint" -- "Really!" "There are a lot of objects in the Scrying Hall. I don't know where to start!" table of hinting "Most of them are unimportant." "hint" -- "The footnotes will push you in the right direction, but..." "hint" -- "...This is a tutorial area where you can get in the habit of using the *DIAGNOSE* command during exploration." "hint" -- "Don't worry too much about being discovered. The juvenile primeoid is focused on the scrybox and will not notice you until you perform a specific action." "Wow, what's wrong with the female primeoid?" table of hinting "Have you read the play instructions in this text? They are in the 'How to Play [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]' section of this guide." "hint" -- "Or the footnotes? Don't continue until after you've taken a look at them." "hint" -- "She is mentally ill." "hint" -- "In the world of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], mental illness is an entropic process." "hint" -- "The orange-eyed woman has come to *SIPHON* away the order lost from that entropic process. As the text suggests, she can harness that lost order as magical power by using the command *SIPHON HER SICKNESS*." "Why is this 'C. A. Smythe' butting into my game and bossing me around? What about my experience of mimesis?" table of hinting "Dr. Smythe's presence is more mimetic than commonly-encountered implementations of verbs like *JUMP*, *LICK*, or *SMELL*, since the central conceit of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is that it is a 'critical edition' filled with supplemental essays and notes." "hint" -- "It is customary to find footnotes and whatnot in scholarly books, is it not?" "hint" -- "Of course, being more mimetic than using the *DANCE* command isn't much of an achievement." "hint" -- "Most players of parser games attempt these and other irrelevant verbs as a matter of course." "hint" -- "In a recent survey of parser IF fans, four out of five respondents were found to care far less about mimesis than they initially believed." "hint" -- "As to whether you are part of that majority or not: it isn't my place to say." "What's all this about 'alternative narrative outcomes' and whatnot?" table of hinting "Apparently, this scoring system is new to the 2021 edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "The 'author' claims that all new content is part of his original, 1996 vision." "hint" -- "I claim to be the author." "hint" -- "Do you believe me?" "hint" -- "If your answer is yes: good call." "hint" -- "If your answer is no: good call." "Oh, no. I got a game over message." table of hinting "That's good. Keep it up." "hint" -- "I mean it!" "Who is this player character? She's weird." table of hinting "Type *EXAMINE ME*." "hint" -- "If you are outside the house, you can also *EXAMINE* her reflection." "hint" -- "If you check her *INVENTORY*, you can *EXAMINE* her clothing." "hint" -- "In the source code, she is referred to as the 'entropist.'" "hint" -- "In the early days of this project, its working title was [it]The Entropists[rt]." "hint" -- "That feels like a lifetime ago!" "Is it important that this section takes place in the 1980s?" table of hinting "It's an oddly specific detail." "hint" -- "Four out of five parser IF players find oddly specific details important." "hint" -- "As to whether you are part of that four or not: only you can say." Chapter 3 Hints for the Trailer Interior table of HTI title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What just happened? Where am I?" table of hinting "You're in a trailer, obviously." "What just happened? Who am I?" table of hinting "Try the command *EXAMINE ME*." "hint" -- "Try the command *DIAGNOSE ME*. Try it more than once." "hint" -- "Try the command *HASSLES* (or *H* for short)." "hint" -- "Did you notice the year in the initial description of the bedroom? If not, scroll back and take a look." "hint" -- "You are the juvenile primeoid, sixteen years later." "What is that obnoxious beeping sound?" table of hinting "It's coming from the south end of the trailer." "hint" -- "Due south of the bedroom and kitchen." "hint" -- "This is the 1990s, back when people had answering machines." "hint" -- "*PUSH THE BUTTON*" "hint" -- "Now you know." "What is the deal with these clothes? I need to get dressed." table of hinting "It's a puzzler, isn't it?" "hint" -- "Don't continue until after you've heard the voicemail message." "hint" -- "This is a serious problem. You've presumably attempted to manipulate the pile of clothes more than once. In testing, players repeatedly tried interacting with the clothes, even though the protagonist was growing more and more anxious." "hint" -- "It's unkind to pressure a mentally ill person into doing something that causes them psychic anguish, don't you think?" "hint" -- "This is a game with a magic system! Perhaps we can solve our problems with magic." "hint" -- "If you *DIAGNOSE THE CLOTHES*, you'll get a hint." "hint" -- "Only a source of reasonably powerful order magic will eliminate the mess." "hint" -- "See the question, 'How do I find a powerful source of order?' for more information." "How do I find a powerful source of order?" table of hinting "Around here? Good luck." "hint" -- "There are two things that you can diagnose in the trailer that are characterized as orderly." "hint" -- "The toilet and the dishes." "hint" -- "It seems that only the dishes can be made disorderly." "hint" -- "Remember the 'How to Play' section of this guide? A process or event that leads to an increase in entropy can provide the player with magical power." "hint" -- "Try giving the dishes a shove." "hint" -- "Hm. We'll need something to contain the dishes when they break." "hint" -- "*PUT THE BIN UNDER THE DISHES*." "hint" -- "*SHOVE THE DISHES*." "How do I find a source of weak magic?" table of hinting "There's something in the trailer that gives off a small, steady stream of increasingly disorganized matter." "hint" -- "It's in the bathroom." "hint" -- "If you haven't found it on your own, see if you can hear something: *LISTEN*." "hint" -- "It's the leak." "hint" -- "*DIAGNOSE LEAK.*" "hint" -- "*SIPHON DRIBBLE*." "hint" -- "For more information on this magic, *DIAGNOSE ME*." "Hey, what gives! I finally found a powerful source of order but I couldn't take it!" table of hinting "Did you do something to the dishes? If not, take a look at 'How do I find a powerful source of order?' instead." "hint" -- "Did you *DIAGNOSE THE BROKEN DISHES*?" "hint" -- "If so, you probably noticed two things. In the first place, you can *SIPHON THE SUBLIMATED ORDER*. However..." "hint" -- "...the dishes are 'engulfed in a seething morass of rapidly evaporating order.'" "hint" -- "If this powerful order magic disappears, the game will be unwinnable." "hint" -- "Since that is a desirable state of affairs in this weird little game, wait for the game over message, then *SIPHON* the entropic magic next time." "What am I supposed to do with a 'seething order'?" table of hinting "If you *DIAGNOSE ME*, you'll get some information about it." "hint" -- " [it]RTE[rt] says, 'We must be judicious as to how we expend this SEETHING ORDER.'" "hint" -- "Don't be spooked; it's OK to experiment." "hint" -- "Only one use will advance the game's story: the pile of clothes in the bedroom." "hint" -- "But you may have other priorities. I leave the matter in your hands." "I'm sick and tired of this 'C. A. Smythe' telling me what to do!" table of hinting "Don't worry, this is the last time that she'll try to help you get a good ending. She may have further advice regarding gameplay mechanics, though." "I can't find my wallet anywhere!" table of hinting "You don't need it until you're ready to leave the trailer. If you aren't dressed yet, focus on that." "hint" -- "Did you experiment with the *SEETHING ORDER* at all? One of the fail states reveals its position. If you didn't, that's too bad. You can earn lots of points by misusing the *SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "It's revealed when you *INVEST THE MESS WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*SEARCH THE KITCHEN COUNTERTOP*." "I had a vision! Some sort of deja vu." table of hinting "Don't continue unless you are answering a 'yes or no' question in the kitchen." "hint" -- "Have you found a form of weak magic here in the trailer?" "hint" -- "If not, see the question about weak magic." "hint" -- "If you have, then you just have to find a use for it here in the kitchen." "hint" -- "You can easily brute force or 'lawnmower' this problem..." "hint" -- "But realistically, the only thing here that might respond to a small amount of order is the mess on the counter." "hint" -- "*INVEST MESS WITH THE ENTROPIC NUDGE*." "What on earth am I supposed to do with an anime DVD?" table of hinting "You haven't got time to watch it." "hint" -- "We're in a hurry. There's no time for such trivial matters!" "hint" -- "If your goal is to complete the narrative arc of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], then that's true." "hint" -- "If your goal is to rebel against the tyranny of the author, then it might have a use, after all." "hint" -- "*INVEST DVD WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*" "hint" -- "If you break the dishes before finding the DVD, you can't earn this point anymore. That's why C. A. Smythe attempted to stop you." "What in the world is this entropic magic I found in the bathroom?" table of hinting "Bet you never thought you'd see that sentence." "hint" -- "This question is about the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. I can't imagine you having something else in mind." "hint" -- "As always, you can *DIAGNOSE ME* to get a description of its power." "hint" -- "The *ENTROPIC NUDGE* is a sort of time trap. You can use it on almost [it]everything[rt] inside the trailer, but you won't have much to show for it." "hint" -- "Some of the responses are silly and/or funny, though." "hint" -- "There are exactly two productive uses for the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*. One inside and the other outside of the trailer. The next hint isn't subtle, so don't continue reading unless you want them spelled out for you." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE KITCHEN COUNTERTOP WITH THE ENTROPIC NUDGE* and *INVEST THE LOCKING MECHANISM WITH THE ENTROPIC NUDGE*." "I don't want to miss any points in the trailer." table of hinting "If you are playing for points, you will want to avoid moving the story forward until you've finished experimenting. There are three actions inside the trailer that can close off opportunities for points." "hint" -- "The first is breaking the dishes." "hint" -- "The second is siphoning powerful magic." "hint" -- "The third is cleaning up the pile of clothes." "hint" -- "Remember that you can use the *DETAILED SCORING* (abbreviation *DS*) to view all points earned in your current area." "hint" -- "See the 'Explicit Commands for Earning Points' section of this 'Reader's Companion' for more detailed information." Chapter 4 Hints for the Trailer Exterior Table of HTE title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What am I supposed to do now?" table of hinting "Have you tried the *HASSLES* command?" "hint" -- "That wasn't very helpful, was it?" "hint" -- "There are two goals in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. The first goal is to advance the story by solving puzzles. The second goal is to earn a good score by finding 'alternate narrative outcomes,' IE fail states." "hint" -- "Have you ever tried the *WIN* command?" "hint" -- "It penalizes the protagonist for trying to rush through the story." "hint" -- "Rushing to the car results in a failure state." "hint" -- "If you are playing for a high score, you'll want to find all the failure states you can." "hint" -- "Try driving off first." "How do I get in the car?" table of hinting "I suppose you've noticed that it's locked." "hint" -- "Have you tried breaking the windows?" "hint" -- "The central mechanic of this game is finding and using entropic magic. Physically manipulating objects is usually a waste of time." "hint" -- "Speaking of wastes of time, did you ever find a source of weak magic in the trailer?" "hint" -- "If you haven't found some weak magic in the trailer, see the question 'How do I find a source of weak magic?' in the section titled 'Inside the Trailer.' If you have found the magic already, keep reading." "hint" -- "Just to be clear, I'm talking about the *ENTROPIC NUDGE* attained from the leaky bathroom sink." "hint" -- "Have you tried to *DIAGNOSE ME* while posessing the *ENTROPIC NUDGE*?" "hint" -- "'It is enough energy to move a child's building block.'" "hint" -- "*INVEST LOCK WITH THE ENTROPIC NUDGE*." "My neighbor is asking me for a ride. What should I do?" table of hinting "Ideally, you can save first, then experiment." "hint" -- "Saying 'yes' advances the story." "hint" -- "But if you say 'no,' you'll discover a fail state." "hint" -- "If you are trying to get the best ending, you'll want to say 'no' first, then say 'yes' the second time." "How can I explore the trailer park?" table of hinting "Did you thoroughly *DIAGNOSE* objects in the front room of the trailer?" "hint" -- "In particular, diagnosing the window unit would have been informative." "hint" -- "As promised, diagnosing the window unit when you're in the front yard is quite productive." "hint" -- "From outside the trailer, *DIAGNOSE THE CONDENSER*, then just do whatever feels right." "Yikes! How do I stop the domestic violence next door?" table of hinting "Physical confrontation isn't your strong suit." "hint" -- "The central mechanic of this game involves finding and using entropic magic." "hint" -- "As luck would have it, you are currently carrying the *DRAGON PUNCH*. You can always *DIAGNOSE ME* for information about the magic that you have absorbed." "hint" -- "In order to advance the story, just type *INVEST THE BRANCH WITH THE *DRAGON PUNCH*." "hint" -- "Only one out of five players have discovered additional uses for the *DRAGON PUNCH*." "hint" -- "If you ever feel 'railroaded' by this game, remember that this and many other choices in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] are/were yours to make." "Wow! What a mess we've made breaking up that fight! What am I supposed to do?" table of hinting "Looks like you've made quite a lot of disorder there." "hint" -- "As always, a disorderly process or system is an opportunity for you to gather magical power." "hint" -- "*DIAGNOSE THE CAR*." "hint" -- "Once you've siphoned the *DESICCATED ORDER*, your work here is done." "Oh, no! There's a fire!" table of hinting "You are presumably carrying the *GRAND STRUCTURE*. Have you diagnosed yourself?" "hint" -- "Surely magic as powerful as the *GRAND STRUCTURE* could halt an entropic process." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE FIRE WITH THE GRAND STRUCTURE*." "This trailer park setting feels quite cliched. Drugs, violence. I don't appreciate the classism of 'Repeat the Ending.'" table of hinting "You'll enjoy A. H. Montague's 'Deplete the Ending: Classism and Sanism in the Works of Drew Cook.' You can find it in the 'Contemporary Criticism' section of this 'Reader's Companion.'" "hint" -- "Not that this excuses any insensitivities, but Drew Cook (not 'Drew Cook' the character, but the 'real' Drew Cook) used to live in a trailer park outside Hot Springs, Arkansas." "This section feels extremely linear. I don't enjoy being railroaded." table of hinting "See the 'Railroading' section under 'General Questions.'" "I'm worried about missing points in the trailer exterior area." table of hinting "Advancing the story of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] can render some points unattainable." "hint" -- "Outside the trailer, the actions that change the points available are:" "hint" -- "Siphoning the *DRAGON PUNCH*." "hint" -- "Going north while possessing the power of the *DRAGON PUNCH*." "hint" -- "Using the *DRAGON PUNCH* on the branch." "hint" -- "Going to Fast Eddie's trailer with the *GRAND STRUCTURE*." "hint" -- "Putting out the fire." "hint" -- "Agreeing to give your neighbor a ride." Chapter 4-1 (in the car) Table of CAR title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What am I supposed to do now?" table of hinting "Have you tried the *HASSLES* command?" "hint" -- "In the past, D has always chosen to immediately *DRIVE* on to the next destination." "hint" -- "Four out of five players make the same choice." "hint" -- "That's a shame, since D has been stuck repeating this miserable day for over 25 years." "hint" -- "You're free to help him do that again today, of course." "hint" -- "Who am I to tell you what to do in a video game?" "I'm worried that I'll miss points inside the car." table of hinting "Don't be. You can only miss the two possible points by driving." "The driving scene feels excessively long. It's just a big text dump without any interaction." table of hinting "I admit that it is rather long." "hint" -- "In fact, it's the single longest passage in the gameplay portion of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "After reading an hour or so of D's negative self-talk, I thought it might be interesting to know how others view him." "hint" -- "If I failed to make it interesting, that's on me." "hint" -- "That being said, I don't think authors owe players a command prompt every [it]x[rt] number of lines." "hint" -- "I know that there are many who would disagree." "hint" -- "If you would prefer a game with minimalist sensibilities..." "hint" -- "You might enjoy my next game, [it]Zork Zero II[rt]." Chapter 5 Hints for the Driveway Table of HDW title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What am I supposed to do now?" table of hinting "Have you tried the *HASSLES* command?" "hint" -- "You are here to help Marbles." "How can I rescue Marbles?" table of hinting "All you need to do is pick up Marbles. Then you can get her out of harm's way." "How do I pick up Marbles?" table of hinting "Marbles is a friendly and affectionate cat who loves being held." "hint" -- "Unfortunately, the dogs are going to be a problem." "hint" -- "You'll need some magic, naturally." "hint" -- "Try diagnosing some things in this location. There aren't many of them, especially if you ignore silly options like the house, its windows, etc. etc." "I can't find any magic. Please help." table of hinting "Besides the general and distributed inefficiency of HVAC systems at work in the house, there is only one observably inefficient process that you can see from the driveway." "hint" -- "It's in the room description!" "hint" -- "*DIAGNOSE THE BUSH HOG*" "hint" -- "*SIPHON THE MOMENTOUS RUMBLE*" "This magic is useless! I can't do anything with it." table of hinting "You can do three things with it, actually." "hint" -- "One advances the story, while the other two do not." "hint" -- "If you haven't done so already, try diagnosing yourself." "hint" -- "Four out of five players choose to advance the story by typing *INVEST ME WITH THE MOTORIZED KINESIS* without exploring other possibilities." "hint" -- "Whether you are part of that majority or not, after using the *MOTORIZED KINESIS* in this way, you will be fast and agile enough to *TAKE MARBLES*." "What am I supposed to do with Marbles now that I've rescued her?" table of hinting "Pet her, of course." "hint" -- "You can pet the dogs, too." "What is a bush hog?" table of hinting "The evocatively-named Bush Hog® is a line of tractor attachments that can handle the toughest grass and brush cutting jobs. Sometimes, 'bush hog' (lowercase) is used as a catch-all term to identify a tractor with a brush-cutting attachment." "I'm worried about missing points in the driveway." table of hinting "There is only one point of no return:" "hint" -- "Investing yourself with the *MOTORIZED KINESIS* will lock out every earnable point in the driveway, including *WIN*." Section 6 (hints for the pharmacy) TABLE OF HPH title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What am I supposed to do now?" table of hinting "Have you tried the *HASSLES* command?" "hint" -- "You're here to get your medicine." "That cashier isn't very friendly." table of hinting "Why would she be happy to see you?" "hint" -- "The job probably doesn't pay very well." "hint" -- "Her compensation package doesn't include insurance." "hint" -- "She has to deal with random weirdos all day." "hint" -- "Who knows what her home life is like?" "hint" -- "Just let her read her newspaper in peace unless you want to buy something." "This Badman figure seems pretty cool." table of hinting "It is. Badman was your favorite superhero growing up." "hint" table of hinting "Not counting your clothes and wallet, the Badman figure is the second item that you can pick up and interact with." "hint" -- "I, 'Drew Cook,' really pulled out all the stops with the action figure!" "Why are there so few takeable objects in 'Repeat the Ending'?" table of hinting "From a practical perspective, there are very few takeable items:" "hint" -- "The wallet is takeable, but you can't interact with it. Attempting anything but taking or examining it fails." "hint" -- "The clothes are takeable, but you can't interact with them, either." "hint" -- "That leaves the bin and the action figure, each of which are takeable and are required for specific actions." "hint" -- "One of my design goals was to minimize items carried by the player, because in real life people don't carry around a bunch of stuff." "hint" -- "Technically, entropic magic is carried, but that detail doesn't affect gameplay. At least, it shouldn't!" "hint" -- "What's that? You don't think [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is 'realistic'?" "hint" -- "Who says real life is supposed to be realistic?" "hint" -- "If you'd like to experience my take on inventory management, please look forward to my next game." "hint" -- "[it]Zork Zero II[rt]." "Oh, no. That crazy lady is arguing with the pharmacy clerk!" table of hinting "Yes. That woman is the central problem of the Pharmacy." "hint" -- "We have to disrupt her ranting somehow." "hint" -- "Stop reading until you have found a source of magic." "hint" -- "Perhaps you've already tried to *INVEST THE WOMAN WITH THE DEMONIC SQUEAL*?" "hint" -- "That results in a failure state. Nice work!" "hint" -- "Maybe it would be better to *DIAGNOSE* her." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE BLACK BAG WITH THE DEMONIC SQUEAL*" "How can I attain some magic at the pharmacy?" table of hinting "Not in the seasonal decorations aisle, that's for sure." "hint" -- "The only apparent source of entropic magic is near the pharmacy counter." "hint" -- "Have you diagnosed everything?" "hint" -- "The shopping cart that is sometimes there has a squeaky wheel." "hint" -- "*SIPHON THE UNGODLY SQUEAK*" "hint" -- "The shopping cart has a two in three chance of being near the pharmacy counter every turn." "hint" -- "Four out of five players were satisfied with this probability." "Well, shoot. Now the kid is screaming in her ear!" table of hinting "Poor little guy." "hint" -- "Have you seen anything that might distract him or cheer him up?" "hint" -- "It's the Badman action figure near the register." "hint" -- "*BUY THE ACTION FIGURE*" "hint" -- "Then you can *GIVE THE ACTION FIGURE TO THE BOY*." "Finally, some peace and quiet! How do I get the lithium?" table of hinting "*BUY THE LITHIUM*." "You seem to have spent a lot of time on the descriptions of the boy and the mother." table of hinting "I don't know; it seems like an average amount of descriptiveness to me." "I'm worried about missing points in the pharmacy area." table of hinting "If you use the *DEMONIC SQUEAL* to advance the story, you will be locked out of earning two points." "hint" -- "The third point can be earned at any time while D is in the pharmacy." Chapter 7 Hints for the Hospital TABLE OF HEG title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "What am I supposed to do now?" table of hinting "Have you tried the *HASSLES* command?" "hint" -- "Ready or not, you must reach your mother's room." "This game won't let me do anything but enter the hospital!" table of hinting "Perhaps the main character would like to get this over with. You aren't the main character, D is." "hint" -- "Perhaps it's more accurate to say that you are D, or that D is you." "hint" -- "In any case, you must reach your mother's room, ready or not." "I've entered the hospital, but they turned me away!" table of hinting "There's no way to convince the receptionist." "hint" -- "There's no way to sneak past them, either." "hint" -- "Looks like walking through the front door isn't going to work out!" "How am I supposed to get into the hospital?" table of hinting "You've tried going *INSIDE*, haven't you? Don't continue until you have." "hint" -- "It's going to take magic. You'll have to find some." "Where can I find some magic?" table of hinting "Since there are no working exits, it has to be here." "hint" -- "Don't continue until you've tried going *INSIDE* the hospital." "hint" -- "Have you noticed anything different, now that you've tried entering the hospital?" "hint" -- "Every turn, D mentions the traffic on the interstate." "hint" -- "*DIAGNOSE THE TRAFFIC*." "hint" -- "*SIPHON THE INFINITE MOVEMENT*" "Whew! That's a lot of magic!" table of hinting "It sure is. The *ESOTERIC VELOCITY* is the most powerful magic in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "What should D do with this power?" -- "hint" -- "Handle it responsibly, of course." "hint" -- "Or not. Do whatever feels right." "hint" -- "It's pure, kinetic energy." "hint" -- "Have you diagnosed yourself?" "hint" -- "A recent survey shows that four out of five players choose to advance the story by using the command *INVEST ME* rather than experimenting with the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY*." "hint" -- "As always, it isn't my place to say whether you are part of that four or not." "What kind of name is 'infinite movement?'" table of hinting "I got it from the Hong and Hong translation of [it]Fear and Trembling[rt]." "I'm a superhero now! Er... but what do I do?" table of hinting "Don't continue until you've invested yourself with powerful magic." "hint" -- "You've saved your neighbor, prevented a deadly explosion, and rescued a cat. You've even made a neglected child happy, if only for a moment. You were already a superhero!" "hint" -- "Oh. You are wondering what to do with the *ESOTERIC VELOCITY*. Well? What is something cool superheroes do?" "hint" -- "Have you looked at the list of *VERBS* in this game? You can find them in the 'How to Play' section of this player's guide." "hint" -- "The game is almost over, and you still haven't used one of the commands there." "hint" -- "*FLY*." "Hey, what's the deal? I entered the hospital room, and the ending was terrible!" table of hinting "Have you ever felt railroaded while playing this game?" "hint" -- "It sounds like you chose to avoid earning any points." "hint" -- "That choice led to this ending." "hint" -- "I could have forced you to find the points before advancing the story..." "hint" -- "...but that would have been railroading!" "hint" -- "You can *UNDO* your last turn and *JUMP* off the roof to earn one point." "hint" -- "Don't say I don't care for you." "I'm in the hospital room, but I don't understand what I should do." table of hinting "Have you tried to *DIAGNOSE* yourself, or review your goals (*HASSLES*)?" "hint" -- "Do you remember the opening of the game?" "hint" -- "The orange-eyed woman did something to the boy." "hint" -- "D is that boy, sixteen years later." "hint" -- "He is still carrying the psychic bleed that the orange-eyed woman invested him with." "hint" -- "Even though it would violate a fundamental law of the universe, perhaps you can return lost order to its source, just this once." "hint" -- "*INVEST MOTHER WITH THE PSYCHIC BLEED*." "I did the thing, but I'm stuck in the hospital room!" table of hinting "*GO OUTSIDE*." "I did the thing, and now I'd like to experiment with some actions in the hospital room." table of hinting "Let me get this straight. You're in a room with your dead mother, and you'd like to fiddle around a bit." "hint" -- "I see you're really getting into the character of the entity that D calls 'you.'" "hint" -- "D usually feels compelled to do whatever the 'you' asks." "hint" -- "At times, though, he refuses." "hint" -- "This is one of those times." "hint" -- "After a set number of turns, D will become so disgusted with the 'you's' commands that he walks out, with or without your blessing." "hint" -- "After further reflection, perhaps you will come to understand." "hint" -- "A recent survey revealed that eight out of ten players left the room as D asked." "hint" -- "If you are reading this hint, you may not be part of that eight." "hint" -- "But that's none of my business." "I was hoping that things would turn out differently with my mother." table of hinting "You're not the only one." "I'm worried about losing points in the hospital area." table of hinting "There are four points of no return at the hospital." "hint" -- "*INVEST ME WITH THE ESOTERIC VELOCITY*." "hint" -- "*FLY*." "hint" -- "Entering the hospital room." "hint" -- "Waking your mother." Chapter 8 General Questions table of QA title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "About This Section" -- "This section deals with questions that aren't necessarily related to a single puzzle. Topics related to the game's setting, for instance, are discussed here. Note that this section freely spoils the story of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], so exercise caution when consulting this guide." "What's the deal with this game? Footnotes, editors, critics?" table of hinting "[it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is a work of fiction." "hint" -- "Everything in this Inform 7 story file is part of that fiction." "hint" -- "The footnotes, the essays, and various commentators are all part of that fiction." "hint" -- "Even the author, 'Drew Cook,' is part of that fiction." "hint" -- "This Q&A that is part of the game's hint section? Fiction." "hint" -- "All of it is part of the story told by this document: a so-called 'critical edition' of the 1996 game [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "Smythe, Searcy, Montague, Collins, and 'Cook' are fictional characters. It is up to you to decide if they are trustworthy sources of information." "What's happening to my score? My points keep disappearing." table of hinting "Are you restoring a saved game after dying?" "hint" -- "[it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is designed for continuation of play after reaching a fail state. Do not restore your game unless you want to return to something you might have missed." "hint" -- "Any points that you earned after saving will have to be earned again." "hint" -- "Remember that you can keep track of points you've earned in an area by using the *DETAILED SCORING* command (abbreviated as *DS*). You can likewise review every point earned in [it]RTE[rt] via the *COMPLETE SCORE* (or *CS*) command." "I haven't got any points, even though I'm advancing through the story." table of hinting "It's perfectly reasonable to associate story progression with earning points." "hint" -- "But that's not how this game works." "I give up. How does the scoring system work in 'Repeat the Ending?'" table of hinting "If you type *SCORE* at the command prompt, you'll see some numbers. The first number is the total number of points earned in the game." "hint" -- "Specifically, the numbers show the total number of fail states discovered, with a breakdown of the total by geographical region." "hint" -- "Fail states are cases where the player dies, or the game becomes unwinnable." "hint" -- "In other words, *SCORE* is a count of player attempts to end or escape the story of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "These failures are core to the experience of [it]RTE[rt], and very important to the characters of D and 'you.'" "hint" -- "But you don't owe D anything. He's just some dude in a video game." "hint" -- "You can review details of every discovered fail state in your current geographical area with the *DETAILED SCORE* (or *DS*) command." "hint" -- "You can review details for every fail state found in every geographical area with *COMPLETE SCORE* (or *CS*)." "hint" -- "Hints for finding all points are in this guide, and you should feel free to look at them. The hint section is meant to be read in its entirety." "hint" -- "The score was never about challenging the player; it was about giving the player an impactful decision to make." "What's the deal with that line at the top of the screen? I think it's called a 'Status Line.'" table of hinting "That's right! It's the status line." "hint" -- "Reading from left to right, the first bit of text is the current location of the protagonist." "hint" -- "The second section is a ratio: number of discovered points out of the total number of discoverable points up to and in the player's current location." "hint" -- "The word at the right is a characterization of the player's play style. It changes as the ratio changes (Unlike games like [it]Zork[rt], it isn't a linear ranking). This text is not my opinion of you as a player, it's D's opinion of 'you.'" "Who is the orange-eyed woman?" table of hinting "I wouldn't let her babysit my kids, that's for sure." "hint" -- "Did you try to *DIAGNOSE* her or *SIPHON* her?" "hint" -- "The orange-eyed woman is a phenomenon beyond human understanding." "hint" -- "And that's that!" "I don't understand the magic system." table of hinting "In the world of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], entropic magic is made possible by the second law of thermodynamics." "hint" -- "That law states that, over time, the entropy of a system increases. It never decreases." "hint" -- "When entropy increases, a certain amount of energy or order is forever lost, dissipated in the vastness of space." "hint" -- "A capable entropist can draw that lost energy or order into themselves before it dissipates. Since it is in the process of being forever lost, the universe won't miss it or even notice." "hint" -- "Once the entropist has siphoned away that dissipating order or energy, they can redirect it as they see fit." "hint" -- "Entropic magic might violate the laws of the universe by preserving forces that, so far as the rules go, really ought to be lost." "hint" -- "However, the universe is unlikely to notice unless the entropist calls attention to themselves by returning siphoned energy to its source." "hint" -- "That would cause the entropy of a system to decrease, which is flatly impossible." "hint" -- "Impossible in the same way that magic is impossible, naturally." "I'm frustrated when the protagonist is unable to perform basic, everyday tasks." table of hinting "We know that he takes lithium." "hint" -- "And lithium is primarily used to treat bipolar disorder." "hint" -- "We also know that he has severe anxiety." "hint" -- "He might have mentioned a history of substance-abuse problems, as well." "hint" -- "And you think [it]you're[rt] frustrated!" "Why are there thirty-three points? Seems like an odd number." table of hinting "Thirty-three is a powerful number in numerology." "hint" -- "There's the holy trinity, for instance." "hint" -- "The mystical symbology of the triangle." "hint" -- "A popular numerology website claims that three is 'youthful and positive and has an incredible zest for life.'" "hint" -- "I'm personally more interested in tarot symbology than in numerology." "hint" -- "In tarot, the number three is represented by The Empress." "hint" -- "Her card symbolizes life, motherhood, and femininity in the most positive sense." "hint" -- "A compelling coincidence, perhaps?" "hint" -- "A coincidence, yes." "hint" -- "If you prefer games with impressively high point values..." "hint" -- "You might enjoy my next game, [it]Zork Zero II[rt]." "***Continue to Page 2***" table of QA2 -- table of QA2 title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "I'm tired of being railroaded in this game." table of hinting "First of all, I honor your experience. If you feel railroaded, that's completely valid." "hint" -- "[it]Repeat the Ending[rt] progresses along two axes. The first axis is its linear plot, which has a clear beginning, middle, and end." "hint" -- "The second axis is progression of the game's score, which is measured separately from the game's plot." "hint" -- "You can have zero points and finish the story. You can also have every point without reaching the final scene(s)." "hint" -- "[it]Repeat the Ending[rt] has multiple endings. The ending that you receive at the conclusion is the culmination of these two arcs: finishing the story with a specific score." "hint" -- "The player's freedom is reflected in the scoring system, not the plot. If this freedom is not sufficient, then I hope that you will find greater pleasure in my next game..." "hint" -- "...[it]Zork Zero II[rt]." "Is Battle Princess Chiyo based on a real-life anime character?" table of hinting "Great question!" "hint" -- "The answer is likely disappointing: not exactly." "hint" -- "Metrically, the syllables and stresses are the same as in the name 'Devil Hunter Yohko.'" "hint" -- "However, the [it]Devil Hunter Yohko[rt] OVA has some awkward teen sex humor that I'd rather not associate with the [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] media franchise." "hint" -- "Besides, Yohko wields a rather western-looking bastard sword, while the 'Demon's Prison' is a Japanese greatsword ([it]odachi[rt])." "hint" -- "It's been suggested that Chiyo's sword resembles Moorcock's 'Stormbringer.'" "hint" -- "But Stormbringer is a sentient demon that takes the form of a sword. The Demon's Prison is a sword that binds many demons against their will." "hint" -- "Ultimately, Battle Princess Chiyo is who she is for one reason, and one reason only." "hint" -- "It seemed cool." "Will there be a sequel to 'Repeat the Ending'?" table of hinting "Probably not." "hint" -- "If there is a massive demand, yes." "hint" -- "So probably not." "IF you aren't making a sequel, what game will you make next?" table of hinting "Who says that I'm making another game?" "hint" -- "Well, in all honesty, I [it]have[rt] enjoyed myself." "hint" -- "I think it would be fun to do a fanfiction. A [it]Zork[rt] game, perhaps." "hint" -- "I wouldn't want to retcon the ending of [it]Spellbreaker[rt], so [it]Zork VII[rt] seems out of the question." "hint" -- "A [it]Wishbringer[rt] prequel, perhaps." "hint" -- "Or [it]Zork Zero II[rt]." "Which one is you? D. S. Collins, P. Searcy, or A. H. Montague?" table of hinting "Well, my initials are DSC..." "hint" -- "Perhaps Collins is really me, Searcy is really Collins, and Montague is really Searcy..." "hint" -- "But who is Montague?" "hint" -- "Battle Princess Chiyo, naturally." "About these endings..." table of hinting "The design trope is that the more points earned, the better the ending." "hint" -- "Naturally, you should feel free to prefer whichever one you like." "hint" -- "That isn't to say that there isn't a canon ending." "hint" -- "If you do not meet me, 'Drew Cook,' at the end of the game, then you did not free D from the cycle of grief and failure that he has been trapped in since 1996." "hint" -- "As in life, there can be a difference between completing something and finishing it." "hint" -- "This space intentionally left blank." "Why is this Game Called 'Repeat the Ending?'" table of hinting "Don't read any further unless you've completed the story." "hint" -- "Don't read any further unless you've read the bad ending." "hint" -- "Don't read any further if you haven't had an encounter with me, the author." "hint" -- "'Drew Cook' the character thinks it might have something to do with Nietzsche's concept of eternal recurrence." "hint" -- "The other Drew Cook is more of a Kierkegaard person." "hint" -- "D would probably find them both insufferably pretentious." "hint" -- "Nietzsche and Kierkegaard are considered by many to be foundational pre-existentialist thinkers." "hint" -- "Everyone (Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Cook, and 'Cook') would likely agree that the important thing is that one decide for oneself. The choice, not the meaning, is what matters most." "Is D a bad person?" table of hinting "Considering the way he talks to himself ('you'), [it]he[rt] clearly believes that he is a bad person." "hint" -- "Given his history of untreated mental illness and substance abuse, it is almost certain that he has done some bad things." "hint" -- "Some believe that we are what we do. What does D do?" "hint" -- "I created D. He could be my own son. How could I ever judge him?" "hint" -- "Only you, the reader, can judge him now." "I'm disappointed that there aren't more cats in this game." table of hinting "I am, too. Originally, I wanted there to be an orange-eyed cat that seemed to follow wherever D went, but it felt too busy and cluttered." "hint" -- "I also intended to include some stray cats at the trailer park that D could feed and pet." "hint" -- "Sadly, there wasn't time to realize every facet of my original vision for [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]." "hint" -- "Perhaps there will be more cats in the 50th anniversary edition..." "hint" -- "Or in my next game, [it]Zork Zero II[rt]." "Wouldn't [it]Zork Zero II[rt] just be [it]Zork I[rt]?" table of hinting "That makes sense." "hint" -- "But no, that isn't what I mean." "hint" -- "Do you know how I feel about [it]Zork Zero[rt]? I've publicly said a lot about it over the past two years." "hint" -- "I hate it. I think the puzzles are bad, the constant, forced jokes are bad. I don't like anything about it!" "hint" -- "You might wonder if, since I hate it, [it]Zork Zero II[rt] will be a parody." "hint" -- "No, not at all." "hint" -- "Delightfully mysterious, isn't it?" "hint" -- "This space intentionally left blank." Section 8 (points) table of points title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "About this Guide" -- "[tab]This part of the guide contains information about earning all thirty-three points in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. If you are looking for an explanation of the mechanics of the scoring system, you can find that information in the 'How to Play [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]' part of this guide, which is available from the main table of contents. [tab]The specific actions required for earning each point in the game are listed here, and they are categorized by geographical region. Note that they are rather careless regarding spoilers, so these hints should be considered a last resort. If you aren't sure which ones you've found, you can review every point you've earned in your current area via the command *DETAILED SCORING* (abbreviated as *DS*)." "The 1980s" table of hinting "*WIN*" "hint" -- "*INVEST MAN WITH PSYCHIC BLEED*." "The trailer interior" table of hinting "*SIPHON THE MIRROR*." "hint" -- "Wait four turns after breaking the dishes without siphoning the *SUBLIMATED ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE TOILET WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE CABINET WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE MESS WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE DVD WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE PHONE WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE TV WITH THE SEETHING ORDER*." "hint" -- "*WIN*." "The trailer exterior" table of hinting "Get in the car without first saving the trailer park." "hint" -- "*INVEST CAR WITH THE DRAGON PUNCH*." "hint" -- "*INVEST TRAILER WITH THE DRAGON PUNCH* outside your trailer." "hint" -- "*INVEST TRAILER WITH THE DRAGON PUNCH* outside the opioid addict's trailer." "hint" -- "*INVEST TRAILER WITH THE GRAND STRUCTURE.* outside your trailer." "hint" -- "Goof off outside Fast Eddie's trailer without extinguishing the fire." "hint" -- "Refuse to give your neighbor a ride." "hint" -- "*WIN*." "Inside your car" table of hinting "*WAIT* four turns inside the car without driving." "hint" -- "*WIN*." "A driveway near the IHOP" table of hinting "*INVEST THE TREE WITH THE MOTORIZED KINESIS*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE CAR WITH THE MOTORIZED KINESIS*." "hint" -- "*WIN*." "At the pharmacy" table of hinting "*INVEST TRUCK WITH THE DEMONIC SQUEAL*." "hint" -- "*INVEST WOMAN WITH THE DEMONIC SQUEAL*." "hint" -- "*WIN*." "The hospital" table of hinting "*WIN* while in the hospital parking lot." "hint" -- "*ENTER THE CAR* while in the hospital parking lot." "hint" -- "*INVEST CAR WITH THE ESOTERIC VELOCITY*." "hint" -- "*INVEST THE HOSPITAL WITH THE ESOTERIC VELOCITY*." "hint" -- "*JUMP* when on the hospital roof." "hint" -- "*EXIT* the hospital room without first making peace with your mother." Section 9 Table of Amusements Table of amusements title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "About This Section" -- "What follows is a listing of weird, funny, or incomprehensible things hidden within the text of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. They may spoil parts of the story, or else shatter the illusion of its shattered illusion of mimesis, so you may find this section most enjoyable after you have completed the game." "Are there other kinds of magic in this game?" table of hinting "Yes. Many of IF[']s classic magic words will trigger a response." "hint" -- "Try XYZZY, PLUGH, and PLOVER, for instance." "hint" -- "A few Infocom spells work, as well. See the individual questions on *FROTZ*, *CASKLY*, *NITFOL*, and *GUNCHO*." "What is a FROTZ?" table of hinting "*FROTZ* is a magic spell that appears in [it]Enchanter[rt], [it]Sorcerer[rt], and [it]Spellbreaker[rt]." "hint" -- "The spell book definition is 'The frotz spell (cause something to give off light).'" "hint" -- "You can use *FROTZ* as a verb." "What is *CASKLY* supposed to do?" table of hinting "The spell book definition is 'The caskly spell (cause perfection).'" "hint" -- "Treat *CASKLY* as a verb that you can use on various things." "hint" -- "You can *CASKLY* the following things:" "hint" -- "*MYSELF* (both as the poet and as the entropist)." "hint" -- "The closet (both messy and organized)." "hint" -- "The toilet." "hint" -- "The tower of dishes." "hint" -- "The bin of dishes (before and after siphoning it)." "hint" -- "The Camaro pre- and post-wreck (before and after siphoning it)." "hint" -- "Chet." "hint" -- "Brad." "hint" -- "The starving dogs (before and after they've eaten)." "hint" -- "Marbles (before and after being rescued)." "hint" -- "The truck." "hint" -- "The cashier." "hint" -- "The pharmacy clerk." "hint" -- "The boy." "hint" -- "The frazzled mother." "hint" -- "D's mother." "Is *NITFOL* good for anything?" table of hinting "The spell book definition is 'The nitfol spell (converse with the beasts in their own tongue).'" "hint" -- "You can talk to animals." "hint" -- "The frogs are particularly talkative. Try casting it on them more than once!" "What about *GUNCHO*?" table of hinting "'Guncho spell: banish the victim to another plane of existence.' The spell seems very long and extremely complicated." "hint" -- "That sounds like bad news, doesn't it?" "hint" -- "Try to *GUNCHO* various living things." "Have you found the three passages from Infocom games?" table of hinting "They're mostly found via unmotivated actions, so don't feel bad if you haven't." "hint" -- "You find one by investing anything but the truck in the pharmacy parking lot." "hint" -- "Invest the window near the pharmacy counter for another one." "hint" -- "The third and final passage can be found by investing the shadow in the hospital parking lot." "Did you ever wonder who D's favorite poet is?" table of hinting "It's John Berryman." "hint" -- "He will recite one of Berryman's poems if you type *RECITE*." "hint" -- "In fact, he will recite a different poem in each of the seven geographical regions." "hint" -- "Plus a final, eighth one upon entering his mother's hospital room." "What about the usual, jokey stuff people expect in parser games?" table of hinting "Certainly." "hint" -- "You can *JUMP*..." "hint" -- "...*DANCE*..." "hint" -- "...*DANCE ATOP [bk]something[cb]* (the clothes in particular)..." "hint" -- "You can listen and smell in every room, and the responses vary by location." "hint" -- "*Touch*, *RUB*, and *SMILE*" "hint" -- "*SLEEP* and *WAKE*" "hint" -- "Most default action responses have been customized for both the poet and the entropist, so experiment with both!" "What are some other things that I can try?" table of hinting "Diagnose the bedroom door from within the bedroom." "hint" -- "Diagnose the bathroom door." "hint" -- "Take a shower." "hint" -- "Sit on the toilet." "hint" -- "Diagnose the front door after you've left the trailer." "hint" -- "There are forty unique responses to *DIAGNOSE ME*, but they definitely aren't funny." "hint" -- "Interact with the pine needles in the driveway." "hint" -- "Interact with the chair in the hospital room. Before your mother dies, of course." "hint" -- "Interact with the doors and doorknobs in the trailer hallway." "hint" -- "Put the plastic bin in the shower." "hint" -- "Interact with the decals on the Camaro." "hint" -- "Interact with the carseat when you are in the parking area." "hint" -- "Examine Brad's skin." "hint" -- "Touch the oak branch in the driveway." "hint" -- "Examining the pharmacy parking lot." "hint" -- "Diagnosing the sidewalk in the pharmacy parking lot." "hint" -- "Diagnosing the bricks in the pharmacy parking lot." "hint" -- "Investing the chairs and the phone in the pharmacy with the *DEMONIC SQUEAL*." "hint" -- "Interacting with the shopper." "hint" -- "Interact the the stuff in the shopping cart." "hint" -- "Diagnosing the tar on the hospital roof." "hint" -- "Most things in the game have specific responses to diagnosing, siphoning, and investing. Don't be afraid to experiment!" "What are some things that I can *ENJOY*?" table of hinting "The abusive boyfriend." "hint" -- "*MYSELF*." "hint" -- "The depressing bed." "hint" -- "The DVD." "hint" -- "The FunStation." "hint" -- "The couch." "hint" -- "The trailer (in the front yard)." "hint" -- "The toilet." "hint" -- "The mirror." "hint" -- "The nerd stuff (in the kitchen)." "hint" -- "The cat or dogs in the driveway (before and after saving Marbles)" "hint" -- "The silence after giving the boy the action figure." "hint" -- "The frogsong." "hint" -- "The moon." "hint" -- "Anything when playing as the orange-eyed woman." "How and when can I *FEEL LOVE*?" table of hinting "Just type *FEEL LOVE*. It isn't very funny, though." "hint" -- "A unique message is available in each geographical region, except in the Hospital region, where there are different responses in each location." "hint" -- "*LOVE* is also a verb that occasionally returns a custom response. For instance:" "hint" -- "Loving either Marbles or the dog before and after the rescue." "hint" -- "Mother (not funny)" "hint" -- "*MYSELF* in 1996." "hint" -- "The closet, before and after." "hint" -- "The DVD." "hint" -- "The FunStation." "hint" -- "Chet." "hint" -- "The boy in the pharmacy." "What all can I invest with the entropic nudge?" table of hinting "An unreasonable number of things, actually." "hint" -- "Go ahead and experiment. More than half of the responses are a touch odd. Just a touch!" "Isn't it strange to have all these jokes in such a serious game about mental illness, death, and loneliness?" table of hinting "I get what you're saying." "hint" -- "In my experience, having a sense of humor is a survival skill." "hint" -- "Despite what he might say, D wants to survive." "hint" -- "This is his way of getting by." "hint" -- "Feel free to laugh along with him. I know that he'd like that. I'd like that, too." Chapter 8 Contemporary Criticism table of CC title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "Past Imperfect: Comparing the Two Versions of 'Repeat the Ending' by Pauline Searcy" -- "[HPI1][lb][HPI2][lb][HPI3][lb][HPI4]" "[DStitle]" -- "[DS1][lb][DS2][lb][DS3][lb][DS4]" "[AMtitle]" -- "[AMI1][lb][AMI2][lb][AMI3]" "Audience Responses: Spring Thing 2023" -- "[STresponses]" Section 2 (Daniel South Collins) To say DStitle: say "The Indeterminate Narratology of 'Repeat the Ending' by D. S. Collins"[DStitle]. To say DS1: say "[tab][it]Repeat the Ending[rt], had it been a working piece of software, would have likely been doomed to a different yet equivalent obscurity. 'One thing they don't tell you is how boring, how repetitive insanity is,' D tells us. 'Everything's more interesting in the movies.' D is saying more than he says, acknowledging (or perhaps lamenting) that he and his pathologies are neither interesting nor entertaining. 'There is nothing to see here,' he seems to say. 'Move along.' [tab]And yet, we are trapped with him or in him for the whole of a long and wordy game, one rendered still longer and wordier in this new authoritative edition. Why have we traveled so far to be here with him, now? For some of us, it has been twenty-five years! Why should we prefer a game that we can finish to the one that we couldn't? [tab]The 1996 version of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is a weird piece of folk art. Cook had no connections within the interactive fiction community, no friends with whom to discuss his project, and no resources with which to affirm the technical fitness of [it]RTE[rt]. It came out of nowhere, and to nowhere it soon returned. For his part, Cook wandered off somewhere, and, for two decades, he stayed out of contemporary IF development altogether. There are only two known occasions on which Cook publicly discussed [it]RTE[rt]: A 2003 interview with Fiona Luxe about a recently 'discovered' gameplay transcript, and a personal blog entry from 1998. In both cases, he apparently did so at the urging of someone else. [tab]Why this new release? Why now? Perhaps, at long last, he has something new to say.". To say DS2: say "[tab]The title of this essay, 'The Indeterminate Narratology of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt],' may invite a raised eyebrow or two, but I hope readers will bear with me. Why 'narratology,' which certainly sounds fancy standing next to 'narrative?' Viewed through the lens of this new, definitive edition of a long-forgotten game, it is now apparent that [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was[em]and still is[em]not merely a story. It is about stories, and, we can now say, about storytellers and storytelling. [tab]One clue lies in Cook's use of pronouns. The use of 'you,' or second person, is a convention in text adventure games, as in [it]Zork I[rt]'s famous opening, 'You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.' While there were some notable exceptions (the first person games of Scott Adams, for instance), most text adventure games address 'you.' In this sense, they have indeterminate narratives. In the fourth edition [it]Inform Designer's Manual[rt], Graham Nelson described this indeterminacy in terms of what he dubbed the 'triangle of identities.' That triangle consists of a narrator, a protagonist, and a player. [tab]In many interactive texts, especially those predating [it]Photopia[rt], the identity of the protagonist was rarely[em]if ever[em]overtly characterized. The prevailing theory (which still retains some validity today) was that undifferentiated protagonists invited players to imagine themselves (or some other person of their choosing) as the hero of the story. In such designs, the triangle is narrow and tall, since the distance between player and protagonist is deliberately narrow. The narrator of such games is rarely individuated, though they have a [it]voice[rt], after the general fashion of written language." To say DS3: say "[tab]Interactive texts were commonly[em]there are always exceptions[em]impersonal by design. 1996 was, in that sense, a year of uncelebrated narrative innovation. Two games, Joe Mason's [it]In the End[rt] and Cook's [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], failed to find audiences for very different reasons. Mason's game was lightly implemented and the protagonist's inner life, such as it was written, didn't adequately explain his actions in an affecting or engaging way. Nevertheless, it was still a game about a character's interiority, which was a very unusual storytelling approach at the time. Drew Cook's game was the opposite, in that it was well-written (judging by the 2003 transcript) but technologically inoperable. [tab]Both were quickly forgotten, though some cult interest in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] developed in an ironic, 'so bad it's good' sense. The 2003 transcript marked a shift in its reception, but the wider interactive fiction audience wanted[em]and still wants[em]interactivity or agency. For this reason, it largely interested writers interested in the possibilities of media dramatizing fictive 'play.' [tab]One feature that made the transcript interesting despite the absence of player agency was the strange construction of Cook's narrative triangle. While the D, the narrator, continued to use the word 'you,' he was apparently talking to himself, or to some part of himself. The tone was often accusatory or even disgusted, and the speaker was clearly angry at the facet of his consciousness that made choices. The agentic aspect of his mind, in other words, was the object of his anger. It is the player who must perform the role of this decision-making faculty. In other words, the player is [it]held responsible[rt] for the misery, past and present, of the narrator. Instead of a triangle, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] rises out of an indeterminate field. It is not merely narrative but narratology." To say DS4: say "[tab]Cook has further refined his approach to the narrative triangle in this new 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. The pronouns 'I, you, and we' are all used by the narrator, and this variability further complicates things. This new tactic creates a sense of growing individuation that parallels the advancement of both storyline and player 'score.' That sense of D as an individual crystallizes during the climax of [it]RTE[rt] and the subsequent 'best' ending. [tab]That ending confirms what was already suspected: 'Repeat the Ending' is both text as story and story about text. Its collapsed (or imploded) narrative triangle configures the player/protagonist relationship in a novel and interesting way. We are invited to consider the role of the player in terms of responsibility or culpability before the other's subjectivity. In keeping with a conception of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] as both narrative and narratology, we must ultimately assess the moral implications of imagination as they apply to both creators and audiences. What does it mean to recreate or enact trauma? What does it mean to experience it in a game? [tab]Is it possible, in existential terms, for D[em]for us[em]to find an ending worth repeating?"[DS4]. Section 5 (A H Montague) to say AMtitle: say "Deplete the Ending: Classism and Sanism the Art of Drew Cook by A. H. Montague".[AMtitle] to say AMI1: say "[tab]As you must have already surmised, a new 'anniversary edition' of Drew Cook's 1996 interactive fiction game [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] will soon appear in the usual online haunts, if it hasn't already. I suspect that my friends and peers featured in this text will consider it a courageous portrait of a mentally ill subjectivity. They may even find in its rendition of poverty a humanization of economic disadvantage. I think that they are sincere in saying so. I'll go further: I think Drew Cook would have [it]liked[rt] to have written such a game. He seems like a bright, well-meaning person. [tab]Nevertheless, the animating force behind both old and new versions of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is contempt. Contempt for self, for the sick, for the poor, for women, for the victims of violence, for the mentally ill, and for its readers. I admit that I may have missed one or two more varieties of contempt from the deep mud in which Cook's game mires us. [tab]This is a text in which the chief form of progress lies in driving its protagonist, who struggles with mental illness, to failure, self-harm, and even death. Before someone protests: it actually [it]is[rt] as bad as it sounds and never better than. 'Perhaps some of its concepts haven't aged well,' you might say, 'but on balance it takes a progressive view of underprivileged people.' Aged well? In 1996, there was no scoring system in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. This incentivized torture is entirely new, as no traces or hints of it can be found in 1996 from either the anonymous transcript of uncertain provenance, or in the difficult-to-navigate binary itself."[AMI1] To say AMI2: say "[tab]The critical issue at root here is finding a distinction between proclamations of selfhood and mere ostentation. Cook tries to have it both ways, oscillating between boundary-setting over a pile of laundry and hectoring the player over trying, of all things, to make progress in the narrative. Robb Sherwin, rather memorably, wrote in 2001 that '[it]Zork[rt] hates its player.' [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] demonstrates just how far animus toward players has come since those innocent days. While Cook has widely softened and blunted his use of the 'you' form of address in this new version, there is still enough to realize the player is meant to feel the full brunt of D's self-hatred. [tab]He hates himself, and hates most of all his decision-making faculties, which he considers hopelessly compromised. In D's eyes, there is no way to recover, manage, or even wipe clean the stain of his sickness. He is forever marked by his past actions, and growth and healing seem impossible. He considers himself a freak, utterly helpless and hopeless. Inextricably linked to his state of perceived debasement is material poverty, which Cook seems to associate with sickness, criminal behavior, and degradation. [tab]Cook's neighbors, as we know them, are a methamphetamine cook and an opioid addict in an abusive relationship (and, by proxy, his abuser). This trailer park on the outskirts of a small, southern town is dingy, dangerous, and utterly miserable. It is true, D saves these neighbors from themselves, but such breaks between hostilities are fleeting. These cardboard cutouts of people are merely vehicles for Cook's conception of degradation. There is no representation here: the overarching idea is that these unpersons exist only to render the material conditions of D's contempt.".[AMI2] To say AMI3: say "[tab]Even moments of cerebral pacifism, such as the scene on 'Lakeshore Drive,' are marked by D's hostility. He resents the encroachment of working families on previously quiet and presumably privileged suburban territories. It is impossible to separate D's class resentment from his own self-loathing. While well-meaning critics will undoubtedly receive Cook's new work as an elevation of the impoverished and underprivileged, it is in fact the opposite, enacting a kind of dehumanizing or flattening of such unfortunates. [tab]The problems don't end there. While Cook removed a puzzle solution in the Pharmacy that involved shoving a single mother, he has not let us forget it. The action remains as a point-earning event, necessary to view the game's so-called 'best' ending. This scene is a stark contrast to the first two playable areas for D, which are a boy's club where one may as well post a 'no girls allowed' sign. The only amply described women in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] are single, neglectful mothers with substance abuse problems, a fact that may afford thoughtful readers a moment or two of second-hand embarrassment. [tab]The unfortunate critical phenomenon of 'rediscovering forgotten classics' for retroactive canonization has done this text many favors. Under the hood, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is sanist, classist, and altogether reactionary. I suppose that I have pitted my reputation against its reputation, and that we cannot rise in concert. So be it. It is far better thing to swim against fashion's current than it is to celebrate a work that has been so widely and unfortunately overestimated."[AMI3]. Section 6 (Past Imperfect) Section 1 (HPI) Past Imperfect To say HPI1: say "[tab]Drew Cook has consistently maintained that all new content for this 25th Anniversary Edition of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] was part of his original intent in 1996, and more than one critic has insisted that this assertion is completely untrue. I have no idea, which isn't a very interesting thing for a critic to say. For that reason, I'll go further by saying that it's an unimportant question that I have no interest in answering. [tab]For one thing, Cook's statement isn't especially disprovable, which makes it a poor subject of critical inquiry. For another, authors are frequently [it]wrong[rt], deliberately or otherwise, about their own art. Trusting an author's account of their creative process assumes a level of self-knowledge that, frankly, few psychologists would assign without close scrutiny. What would we laypeople, we [it]humanists[rt] of all people, know about that? Further, it seems naive to assume that intent and outcome would enjoy the intimacy necessary for an adequate account from their owners. [tab]That's to say nothing of the fact that artists are as capable of lying as is anyone else. Why would an artist be, [it]a priori[rt], assumed honest about what is often profoundly personal? There must be, occasionally, well-meaning critics who characterize a work of art as sophisticated in a manner beyond the reach of a given artist. It would only be natural for such an artist to say, 'Yes, that is what I meant! How perceptive.'"[HPI1]. To say HPI2: say "[tab]I offer these prefatory remarks because it is important for players to understand the trust that Drew Cook places in them. By extension, I must burden readers with the duty that accompanies freedom[em]Cook calls that freedom 'interpretive agency.' I will identify differences between the original and new versions of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], but I will not say what they mean. [bt]Death:[rt][lb]In 1996 [it]RTE[rt], death comes frequently and without warning. It is permanent. A player must restore a saved game to continue. In the new version, death is not only impermanent; it is rewarded. [bt]Cruelty:[rt][lb]As suggested above, an unexpected death in 1996 [it]RTE[rt] can wreck a playthrough. There are also at least two ways to find oneself in an unwinnable game, one of them rather nonsensical. It's hard to know if there are more cases, given the technical state of the game. It is undoubtedly a Cruel Game. The case with this new version is harder to state. Death has no sting, and nothing can prevent a player from finishing the game. The player even has a way out if they reach the 'bad' ending. However, points are missable. Multiple Invisiclues hints are provided to help players achieve a perfect score. It is Merciful with a twist. [bt]Geography:[rt][lb]Several rooms and areas are new to this 25th Anniversary Edition. The two neighboring trailers are new, as are the 1980s and Driveway regions of the game." To say HPI3: say "[bt]Characters:[rt][lb]These geographical regions should, in a general way, identify characters new to this version. [bt]Story:[rt][lb]In the 1996 version, there is only one possible ending. This new release features five endings, all dictated by the player's score (which is also new to this version). [bt]Narrative Voice:[rt][lb]While originally the narrative voice exclusively addressed a 'you,' this new narrator uses a combination of 'we,' 'I,' and 'you.' [bt]Gender:[rt][lb]The neighbor to the north of D's trailer was a woman in 1996. In this new version, he is a man. [bt]Violence:[rt][lb]In 1996, the player solved multiple problems through violence, and could optionally commit violent acts for no reason. Those cases are completely gone now. [bt]Paratext:[rt][lb]This substantial addition, requiring approximately 50,000 words of code, consists of both footnotes as well as the companion text before you now."[HPI3] To say HPI4: say "[tab]More than one person has inquired: 'Isn't this an entirely new game at this point?' I understand the logic, and perhaps I, as Executive Editor, should have taken that route. However, Cook and I felt that the relationship between the two texts was closer, more [it]intimate[rt] than that of a game and its sequel. We've chosen to treat this as a remaster rather than as a remake. Unlike most remake projects in the AAA world of gaming, this is an upgrade performed by a single [it]auteur[rt]. Cook considers this text an upgrade, and I have chosen to follow his lead. [tab]Do you agree? In a sense, that is none of our business. Do these changes mean anything? That, too, is none of our business. Please review or discuss the game as you see fit, without fear of interference or argument from us. [tab]Reader's will also find a copy of the 2003 transcript stored with the story file for [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], as they are meant to be read together. [tab]I now hand over the task of critique to well-known authors Daniel South Collins and A. H. Montague. Believe them or do not believe them, I will be grateful either way."[HPI4] Section 7 (spring thing feedback) To say STresponses: say "[bk][it]What follows is an assortment of reponses to [bt]Repeat the Ending[it] during the 2023 Spring Thing of Interactive Fiction[dot][rt][cb] [bt]Phil Riley, intfiction[rt][lb]This may or may not be a parser game, which may or may not be an update of what may or may not have been the original game from 1996, and which may or may not be autobiographical, annotated by persons who may or may not actually exist[dot] [bt]UncleBingo, Discord[rt][lb]I skipped most of the game. What the hell was that about? [bt]JJ MCc, intfiction[rt][lb]...To me the most compelling thread was the contrast between the original work and the 25-year-later revision. The early work rings like the work of a young artist - in love with their narrative conceits, possessed by a powerful emotion demanding documentation, convinced of the importance of their artistic vision to the exclusion of mundane craftsmanship. And fraught with an epic helplessness, a not uncommon youthful preoccupation. The modern revisions (some small, some dramatic) showcase a more mature artist, actively rebutting his younger self with nuance, generosity and insight. [']Yes, and[']ing his earlier work, both acknowledging its power, and offering additional perspective. And, not for nothing, smoother game play. The picture is a compelling one, most especially in the progressive ‘new’ endings created for the later revision, suggesting a final gift of freedom from the raw suffering inherent in the original work. [bt]Rovarsson, intfiction[rt][lb]I’m constantly reminded of an analytical annotated edition of T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land my parents had in their library. When approached carefully, the skipping back and forth between source-text and notes/analysis produces deeper engagement with the work. [bt]VerbGuy, Twitter[rt][lb]Too many nouns. [bt]Kit Riemer, intfiction[rt][lb]Having played the 1996 version upon its release, I found the 2003 transcript included with this release as fascinating as it was frustrating: parts of it I remember clearly, while many of those that I do not seem wholly outside the scope of the original game. Yet I also recall pathways through the game varied wildly and early reviews often contradicted one another. Whether or not the second-hand retelling loses some (or most) of itself in translation, Cook has compiled a far less confusing (yet perhaps even more beguiling) version, a far kinder experience for modern players[dot] [bt]stanthaman, Mastodon[rt][lb]Horrible 90s playlist. I guess Cook was one of those 'alternative' people. [bt]Brand Buchanan, intfiction[rt][lb]Mechanically, I think [it]Repeat The Ending[rt] is [it]The Monster at the End of This Book[rt], except that we play as Grover... Our protagonist, named 'D,' needs to drive across town to a difficult situation. We the player are nakedly incentivized (with points and the promise of better endings!) to derail this project by every means possible. When we’ve exhausted the 'bad endings' for a scene[em]which are often harmful to D and others[em]we give in and advance to the next, looking for new ways to lose the plot. And in the penultimate scene, we get a twist: D looks us in the eye and forcefully turns the page despite our resistance. And he’s right[em]he’s okay. We (the player) were the monster all along. [bt]Vivienne Dunstan, intfiction[rt][lb]Wow. I’m not quite sure what to say about this. It’s a parser piece, which can be played to an extent as a traditional parser game, episodic in this case. But it’s also metatextual, highly experimental, and in places for me was profoundly affecting... But it was how the game affected me that I found most impactful. This relates to something that happened in my own life almost a year ago... And I feel quite shocked after playing the game to be honest. But in a good way. [bt]N[dot] Cormier, intfiction[rt][lb][it]Repeat the Ending[rt] punched me right in the gut (in a good way, I promise!). Definitely going to play it again and try to get more endings, but boy I need a minute. There’s a lot of real, raw emotion in there. [bt]A. H. Montague, Mastodon[rt][lb]I suppose there's no accounting for taste.". Chapter 10 Afterword Table of afterwords title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "I Would Like to Learn to Forgive, Finally: Last Thoughts on Authenticity and Forces Beyond Reckoning by Daniel South Collins" -- "[dscforgive]" "Enough, Already by A. H. Montague" -- "[ahtheology]" "An Editorial Postscript by Pauline Searcy" -- "[pspostscript]" "Afterword" -- "[afterword]" To say dscforgive: say "[tab]'Someone, you or me, comes forward and says: [it]I would like to learn to live, finally[dot][rt]' [em]Jacques Derrida [tab]Who is D, the protagonist of Drew Cook's [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]? He both comes to us and leaves us a troubled man. He is poor and mentally ill. He is anxious, sometimes to the point of paralysis. These situations and conditions do not change at the story's end. He is still living alone at the fringe of society, still sick, and still poor. The material facts of his life have not changed in any way. [tab]Persons who have both read the 2003 transcript and played this new version of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] might wonder why D's new tendency toward kindness has led to a reconciliatory conclusion of the story. After all, social forces are very difficult for an individual to overcome. Such speculation indicates a naive reading of the text, since kindness, in fact, plays no role at all in the conclusion of the story. Instead, the conclusion is determined solely by the player's acts of self-harm or self-defeat. [tab]What are we to make of that? How can behavior that is literally and corporeally self-destructive lead to the outcomes possible in [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]? Perhaps this (un)hero has learned to hold himself responsible, which is, after all, a path to freedom. While D's life may not be better, he leaves the narrative with hard-won knowledge of himself and a new idea of how to live, finally. [em]Daniel South Collins". To say ahtheology: say "[tab]Despite the problematic ideology of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt], Cook does assert several questions of philosophical interest. Perhaps the greatest riddle of all is 'What kind of man hates his own mother, I wonder?' Does someone owe something to an abuser? More broadly, is something owed the world, or even to oneself? [tab]In facing questions such as these, we see the clouds part for a short breath or two. We see into the heart of things, perhaps experiencing a moment's empathy for a whole host of the injurious injured. Is that brief insight worth the fare? This new version, an outrageous 152,076 words of code, seems at times to talk over or past us, blithely sidestepping our very reasonable accusations of classism, sanism, ableism, and misogyny. It tries to charm its way out of trouble, with a mixtape of obscure 1990s indie rock and expressionistic artwork. [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is, in many ways, the video game equivalent of a poorly-chosen high school crush: brutally sympathetic, or, perhaps, sympathetically brutal. I have been quite critical of it, and I hope that you will be, too. After experiencing it for yourself, of course. [em]A. H. Montague" To say pspostscript: say "[tab]By now, many readers will have reached the conclusion of [it]Repeat the Ending[rt]. Reviewers then and now have assessed its quality as a game, as a text, and as a treatise on this or that thing. Or things. The critics featured here are meant only to represent possible points of departure. [tab]Ultimately, this is the story of a poor, mentally ill person who appears to have been scarred by years of neglect as a child. He solves his problems via magic, using it to help people and animals on a trip across town. He doesn't like himself, let alone love himself. [tab]It is also, in its way, a story about an author who has changed over the course of twenty-five years. When I proposed this project in 2019, that feature was in no way part of my plan. I hoped for a straight port to Inform 7 with bug fixes and quality of life enhancements. Cook had other ideas, and I suppose that, as editor, I could have pushed against his new conception of the work. Perhaps you, as a reader, are disappointed that I did not, hoping instead for an interactive version of the 2003 transcript. [tab]It occurred to me, though, that this alternate approach afforded another possible point of departure for critics and readers. What are the differences, and what do they mean? So far as I know, [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] is the only large work of interactive fiction (the new version is 150K words of code!) to be completely rewritten after 25 years. Sometimes, the most difficult task of the editor is leaving things be. [tab]'STET,' I say, after the fashion of print editors. 'STET.' [tab][em]Pauline Searcy" To say afterword: say "The story of how [it]Repeat the Ending[rt] came about is long in the telling, and I have chosen not to tell it here. I will just say that the character of the Orange-Eyed Woman provided the initial spark or fascination that drove me to tell the tale of D's journey across town. I tried to tell it in multiple ways before settling on the model before you. It took well over a year to write the game as you see it now. Along the way, COVID made its mark on my little family, as it doubtlessly did upon many of you. This is not a story about COVID, but I think that, in some way, COVID made it possible. It proved to be a capable midwife, if that makes any sense at all. I relied heavily on the collected wisdom of the Interactive Fiction Community Forum (intfiction.org), and frequently searched it for answers to my many, many questions about Inform 7. There were testers, of course, and I'm grateful for their time and interest. Among their number were Jade, Zed Lopez, Amanda Walker, John Ziegler, Andrew Schultz, and Dark Star. Especial thanks to tester Christopher Merriner for encouragement in a time of discouraging tests. Where on earth would we ever be without such people? Wade Clarke doubly deserves my thanks. Not only did he playtest for me, but his 'Menus' and 'Basic Help Menu' extensions empowered me to author most of this game's paratext. I'm especially grateful to those testers who chose to engage with [it]Repeat the Ending[']s[rt] scoring system. Recruiting testers for this feature proved to be quite difficult. Doug Egan, Mike Russo, Kit Riemer, and Dee Cooke all spent time on this crucial aspect of the game. Dee and Mike deserve special credit for earning every possible point. At the time of this writing, they are they only players who have completed, rather than finished, the game. I hope that they are not the last! Thanks, too, to Rovarsson for identifying problems and opportunities during Spring Thing. Additionally, Mike Russo gave me 'big picture' advice on the flow of the game, its rhetoric, and its paratext. I don't think I exaggerate if I say that he was the Palace to my Meretzky. He also wrote a review of the game/transcript in his 2003 reviewer's voice, which has made a lovely addition to the 'Reader's Companion to [it]Repeat the Ending[dot][rt]' Callie Smith, who made all of the wonderful art for this project, has constantly encouraged and praised my work, both here and at Gold Machine. Without her, I would have never gotten involved with the Interactive Fiction community. I owe her much for that, and for more beyond reckoning. I dedicate this work, meager tribute that it is, to Callie and our three cats: Moxie, Lux, and Lemur. In actuality,[lb]Drew S. Cook[lb]Lafayette, LA[lb]"[afterword]. To say Afterword2: say ""[afterword2]. Section 99 (staging area for future sections) table of INhelp title (text) subtable (table name) description (text) used (number) bookpage (number) localpage (number) "temp" -- "temp" [Almost done! I tried using text substitutions for these file names, but nothing would display. I just decided to muscle through it rather than ask for help.] Volume 4 The Art Book 1 (720p) Figure of title 720 is the file "title720.jpg". Figure of scrying hall 720 is the file "opening720.jpg". Figure of Drew 720 is the file "Drew720.jpg". Figure of mom 720 is the file "mom720.jpg". Figure of pharmacy 720 is the file "Pharmacy720.jpg". Figure of cat 720 is the file "cat720.jpg". Figure of hills 720 is the file "hills720.jpg". Figure of kitchen 720 is the file "kitchen720.jpg". Figure of flying 720 is the file "flying720.jpg". Figure of yard 720 is the file "TE720.jpg". Book 2 (480p) Figure of title 480 is the file "title480.jpg". Figure of scrying hall 480 is the file "opening480.jpg". Figure of Drew 480 is the file "Drew480.jpg". Figure of mom 480 is the file "mom480.jpg". Figure of pharmacy 480 is the file "Pharmacy480.jpg". Figure of cat 480 is the file "cat480.jpg". Figure of hills 480 is the file "hills480.jpg". Figure of kitchen 480 is the file "kitchen480.jpg". Figure of flying 480 is the file "flying480.jpg". Figure of yard 480 is the file "TE480.jpg". Book 3 (1080p) Figure of title 1080 is the file "title1080.jpg". Figure of scrying hall 1080 is the file "opening1080.jpg". Figure of Drew 1080 is the file "Drew1080.jpg". Figure of Mom 1080 is the file "mom1080.jpg". Figure of pharmacy 1080 is the file "Pharmacy1080.jpg". Figure of cat 1080 is the file "cat1080.jpg". Figure of hills 1080 is the file "hills1080.jpg". Figure of kitchen 1080 is the file "kitchen1080.jpg". Figure of flying 1080 is the file "flying1080.jpg". Figure of yard 1080 is the file "TE1080.jpg". Book 4 (text) [if the player chooses text, the game drops the asterisks bracketing "press any key to continue" prompts, since they would probably just be annoying.] To say OpeningText: say "This is a hand-drawn picture. It is black and white with an orange splash of color. A chaotic scene in a suburban house. A man and a woman argue in one corner. A strange orange light surrounds them. Nearby, a boy holds his head, overwhelmed. At the window, a mysterious figure with orange eyes reaches toward the orange light" To say DrewText: say "Two similarly-dressed men, one older than the other, stand talking on the roof of a building. It is clearly night. One has an orange circle behind his head. While it looks similar to the halos in pre-renaissance Christian art, it doesn't look quite right. It is clearly night. The sky is dark, and the moon is full" To say MomText: say "A roughly-sketched hospital room. A figure in a chair leans forward, holding the hand of someone in a bed. Both persons have orange circles behind their heads. On the wall is a poster describing a 'pain scale' ranging from one to ten" To say PharmacyText: say "A man looks down at a boy holding a small action figure of some kind. This man's head is surrounded by orange light. The boy appears to be sinking into the floor. Nearby, a frazzled-looking woman stands at a counter. A sign over the counter reads 'Pharmacy" To say CatText: say "A cat stands on a tree branch. Their back is arched, and they are clearly frightened. On the ground, two very thin dogs look at her hungrily. Off in the distance, a tractor can be seen in a field. It leaves an orange trail behind it as it rolls forward" To say HillsText: say "Two distant figures fly away from a rooftop. In the background, a range of hills or mountains can be seen. One figure has an orange stripe across her face where her eyes ought to be. The other has a round, orange circle behind and around his head. It is night" To say KitchenText: say "A man stands in front of an oven. Dishes and fragments of dishes seem to orbit him. His head is encircled by orange light. To his right, a dragon stands guard over a pile of clothes and a dripping sink" To say FlyingText: say "A young man takes flight in front of a hospital building. Nearby and on the ground, a white statue of a saint looks forward holding a cross. The man's head is surrounded by orange light. The sky is dark" To say TeText: say "Two young, thin men prepare to climb into a 90s era Japanese sedan. The the head of the person climbing into the driver's seat is encircled by orange light. They are in a trailer park, surrounded by decrepit-looking metal trailers" To say TitleText: say "'Repeat the Ending' is handwritten in large, capital letters. There are small hand-drawings of a tree frog and a prescription bottle, as well as a man who appears to be leaping dynamically. Nearby, a superhero figure reminiscent of Batman is leaping upward" Book 5 (rules) Part 1 (1980s image) Opening Image Status is a truth state that varies. Opening Image Status is false. This is the display opening image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of scrying hall 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of scrying hall 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of scrying hall 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [OpeningText]."; say "[lb]"; now opening image status is true. Part 2 (kitchen image) Kitchen Image Status is a truth state that varies. Kitchen image status is false. This is the display kitchen image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of kitchen 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of kitchen 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of kitchen 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [KitchenText][dot]"; say "[lb]"; now kitchen image status is true. Part 3 (exterior image) Yard image status is a truth state that varies. Yard image status is false. This is the display yard image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of yard 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of yard 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of yard 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [TeText]."; say "[lb]"; now yard image status is true. Part 4 (cat image) Cat image status is a truth state that varies. Cat image status is false. This is the display cat image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of cat 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of cat 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of cat 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [CatText][dot]"; say "[lb]"; now cat image status is true. Part 5 (Pharmacy) pharmacy image status is a truth state that varies. pharmacy image status is false. This is the display pharmacy image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of pharmacy 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of pharmacy 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of pharmacy 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [PharmacyText][dot]'"; say "[lb]"; now pharmacy image status is true. Part 6 (Flying) flying image status is a truth state that varies. flying image status is false. This is the display flying image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of flying 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of flying 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of flying 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [FlyingText][dot]"; say "[lb]"; now flying image status is true. Part 7 (mom) mom image status is a truth state that varies. mom image status is false. This is the display mom image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of mom 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of mom 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of mom 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [MomText][dot]"; say "[lb]"; now mom image status is true. Part 8 (true ending) drew image status is a truth state that varies. drew image status is false. This is the display Drew image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of Drew 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of Drew 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of Drew 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [DrewText]."; say "[lb]"; now drew image status is true. Part 8 (hills) hills image status is a truth state that varies. hills image status is false. This is the display Hills image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of hills 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of hills 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of hills 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [HillsText]."; say "[lb]"; now hills image status is true. Part 9 (title) title image status is a truth state that varies. title image status is false. This is the display title image rule: if resolution is 1: display figure of title 480; otherwise if resolution is 2: display figure of title 720; otherwise if resolution is 3: display figure of title 1080; otherwise if resolution is 4: say "Image description: [TitleText]."; say "[lb]"; now title image status is true. Book 6 (image review) Displaying images is an action applying to nothing. Understand "images" as displaying images. Carry out displaying images (this is the display images rule): if opening image status is false: say "You have yet to discover any in-game artwork." instead; otherwise if opening image status is true: follow the display opening image rule; if title image status is true: follow the display title image rule; if kitchen image status is true: follow the display kitchen image rule; if yard image status is true: follow the display yard image rule; if cat image status is true: follow the display cat image rule; if pharmacy image status is true: follow the display pharmacy image rule; if flying image status is true: follow the display flying image rule; if mom image status is true: follow the display mom image rule; if drew image status is true: follow the display drew image rule; if hills image status is true: follow the display hills image rule. Volume 4 (mix and match) Book 1 not for release Chapter 1 (deprecated) Chapter 2 (inert) [this was more of a troubleshooting tool. I did not always reset conditions after the player used magic.] inerting is an action applying to nothing. understand "inert" as inerting. Carry out inerting: now the player is tinert; now all bleedsources enclosed by the player are nowhere; say "You are now magically inert, which I do hope you will not regret.". Chapter 3 (Hset) [another troubleshooting tool, this time for manually setting goal state] hsetting is an action applying to one number. understand "hset [number]" as hsetting. check hsetting: if the number understood is less than zero: say "Only positive numbers are valid responses." instead; if the number understood is greater than 30: say "The maximum state is 30." instead; otherwise: now g is the number understood; say "Now the goal state is set to [G].". understand "hset [text]" as a mistake ("Only numbers are valid for use with the hset command."). understand "hset" as a mistake ("Correct usage of this command is *hSET [unicode 0091]number[unicode 0093]*."). Book 2 not for release [I shared these commands with testers so that they could jump around. I used them a lot too, of course.] Chapter 1 (80s playthrough with all points) test 80s with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy" Chapter 2 (trailer playthrough with all points) test TI with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w" Chapter 3 (exterior playthrough with all points) test TE with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y". Chapter 4 (car playthrough with all available points) test car with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive". Chapter 5 (driveway playthrough with all available points) test lsh with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive/ win/ siphon rumble/ invest tree/ invest car/ invest me/ get cat/ in". Chapter 6 (pharmacy playthrough with all available points) test pht with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive/ win/ siphon rumble/ invest tree/ invest car/ invest me/ get cat/ in/ x cars/ in/ buy action figure/ s/ siphon squeak/ force squeak/ invest woman/ n/ out/ invest truck/ in/ s/ invest bag/ give action figure to boy/ win/ buy lithium". Chapter 7 (full game playthrough with all available points) test playthrough with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive/ win/ siphon rumble/ invest tree/ invest car/ invest me/ get cat/ in/ x cars/ in/ buy action figure/ s/ siphon squeak/ force squeak/ invest woman/ n/ out/ invest truck/ in/ s/ invest bag/ give action figure to boy/ win/ buy lithium/ in/ win/ enter car/ siphon movement/ invest hospital/ invest car/ invest me/ fly/ jump/ y/ in/ out/ invest mom/ out". test walkthrough with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive/ win/ siphon rumble/ invest tree/ invest car/ invest me/ get cat/ in/ x cars/ in/ buy action figure/ s/ siphon squeak/ force squeak/ invest woman/ n/ out/ invest truck/ in/ s/ invest bag/ give action figure to boy/ win/ buy lithium/ in/ win/ enter car/ siphon movement/ invest hospital/ invest car/ invest me/ fly/ jump/ y/ in/ out/ invest mom/ out". Chapter 8 hospital room test test mom with "in/ open door/ siphon sickness/ win/ invest man/ invest boy/ get bin/ s/ w/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ invest mess/ s/ push button/ n/ put bin under dishes/ push dishes/ z/ z/ z/ z/ z/ push dishes/ siphon order/ invest mess/ invest dvd/ s/ invest tv/ invest phone/ n/ n/ w/ invest toilet/ invest cabinet/ e/ n/ invest clothes/ win/ s/ w/ siphon mirror/ y/ siphon dribble/ e/ s/ search mess/ get wallet/ s/ w/ win/ w/ invest lock/ in/ e/ siphon torque/ w/ invest car/ e/ invest trailer/ n/ invest car/ invest branch/ siphon order/ s/ invest trailer/ s/ z/ z/ z/ z/ invest fire/ w/ in/ n/ w/ in/ n/ in/ y/ z/ z/ z/ z/ win/ drive/ win/ siphon rumble/ invest tree/ invest car/ invest me/ get cat/ in/ x cars/ in/ buy action figure/ s/ siphon squeak/ force squeak/ invest woman/ n/ out/ invest truck/ in/ s/ invest bag/ give action figure to boy/ win/ buy lithium/ in/ win/ enter car/ siphon movement/ invest hospital/ invest car/ invest me/ fly/ jump/ y/ in". [the end, I hope]