Question: What is a text adventure?



Answer:   Like a graphical adventure, except better



Question: Why is it better?



Answer:   Because you can use your own imagination to build the scene,

	  from the text provided; because you are not bound to 'predicted 

	  actions', and because I say so!



Question: How do I talk to this 'text adventure' thing?



Answer:   Much the same way as you would talk to a person, well sort of

	  anyway. Here are some examples of valid commands...



          GET THE APPLE 

          EXAMINE THE APPLE AND EAT IT

          GET THE HAT AND THE GLOVES, THEN WEAR THEM

          I (short for INVENTORY)

          LOOK

          TOM, GIVE EVERYTHING TO ME, THEN GO SOUTH.

          GET ALL. GIVE THE COAT TO PETER.

          LOOK IN THE CHEST

          UNLOCK THE CHEST WITH THE GOLD KEY, THEN OPEN IT.

          LOOK IN THE CHEST

          TAKE THE RING FROM THE CHEST

          LIGHT LAMP

          SWITCH OFF LAMP

          SAVE

          LOAD

          VERBOSE

          BRIEF

          SCRIPT

          UNSCRIPT

          BECOME TOM

          BECOME DICK

	  

Question: How does the computer (games master) talk to me? 



Answer:   It sends text to your screen! It may be responding to your command

	  or, it may be informing you of something that has happenned that

	  is quite unrelated to your command.... i.e.

  

          If you type GET APPLE

          ...and the APPLE isn't here, you may get the response

                      I don't see that here.



          If you type EAT THE APPLE

          ...and the programmer was feeling a bit mean, you may get

		      Aaah! It was poisoned, the venom courses through your

		      lifeblood.. drone drone drone etc.

	  ...or if the programmer is a nice guy (like me)....

		      Yummy yummy, in my tummy!



          Maybe a goblin appears randomly sometimes.....

		      A goblin appears as if from nowhere! 



Question: How do I know where I am?



Answer:   The adventure world is divided into 'rooms'. These rooms do not 

	  have to be physical rooms.. i.e. a room could be 'a field'; they 

	  are just a way of dividing the universe! Whenever you enter a 

	  room, the computer will kindly tell you where you are (presuming

	  it is light enough to determine!). If you have already visited 

	  the room, you will just get a short description.



Question: What's the point? 



Answer:   These can be varied! Perhaps you have to get 

	  all the treasure and stick it in the chest; killing all the 

	  monsters as you go... or maybe you have to rescue the beautiful

	  princess lulu from the dark vader... or maybe the point of the

	  adventure is to discover the point of the adventure (a bit twisted).



Question: Okay. So what do I need to play it?



Answer:   Well you're on to a good start! A computer, the adventure, a 

	  sense of adventure, a sense of fun, a logical/illogical approach

	  (depending on the approach of the programmer), some paper,

	  a pen, and a padded cell.



Question: What am I waiting for?



Answer:   Search me! 

