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INTRODUCTION TO THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT This write-up (1) gives an overview of the Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT), a "shareware" adventure game development system, (2) presents a complete "walkthru" of a small game that was created using AGT, but without any programming by the game developer, (3) introduces AGT's unique metalanguage especially designed to give the game developer total control and flexibility in creating adventure games comparable to those from Infocom, and (4) tells how to register/order the AGT development system. 1 -- OVERVIEW OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT The Adventure Game Toolkit is designed to allow you to create and play your own text adventure games. Once created, your adventure games can be shared with and enjoyed by others -- even if they do not have a copy of the Adventure Game Toolkit themselves. The Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT) began life as a program by Mark Welch called the Generic Adventure Game System (GAGS). Using GAGS it was possible for the non-programmer to develop complete adventure games using a fixed (but relatively large) vocabulary of action verbs. David Malmberg took GAGS and made a number of enhancements including the ability to customize the vocabulary and to program complex conditional tests and a rich assortment of actions and messages using a special metalanguage (designed specifically for writing adventure games). The current Adventure Game Toolkit combines the best features of both approaches to enable the user to create two distinct levels of adventure games: (1) Standard Level games that require no programming experience (honestly!), only a fertile imagination. These Standard Level games follow the original GAGS format and only require that the user generate the game using a word processor or text editor to describe the various locations, objects and results of actions that collectively make up the game. (2) Professional Level games that also make use of the special adventure game metalanguage to create games as complex and rich as the game designer's imagination and prose style will allow. These games should be technically comparable with the published text adventure games from firms like Infocom. FEATURES OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT AGT has a number of features that make it a very comprehensive adventure product. These features make AGT more powerful, more professional and easier to use than any previously available text adventure game development system. Some of these key features are: POWERFUL * Big, complex games with up to 200 locations, 100 inanimate objects (e.g., treasures, swords, lakes, trees, books, etc.) and 100 animate objects (e.g., people, animals or creatures). * Large standard vocabulary with potential to define many more words unique to a specific adventure. Typical games can have a vocabulary of 500 words or more. * Sophisticated parser that can understand (1) complex input commands including pronouns (IT, HIM, HER, THEM, MY and ITS), and (2) compound commands separated by AND or THEN or punctuation symbols, and (3) commands addressed to characters within the game. Here are a few examples of commands AGT can handle with ease: GET THE FLASH LIGHT AND THEN SWITCH IT ON DROP THE FOOD, THE KEY AND THE BOTTLE THEN UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE BRASS KEY AND THEN LEAVE PUT ON THE CLOAK, THEN EXAMINE IT; READ ITS LABEL PLACE THE GREEN ROCK AND THE SMALL PEBBLE BEHIND THE TREE ENTER THE HOUSE; GET ALL; EXIT; SOUTH; SOUTH THEN DOWN SULU, SET A COURSE FOR ALPHA 14 SCOTTY, BEAM DOWN A TRICORDER AND THE QWERTY MODULE * Special, English-like metalanguage (especially developed for writing Adventure games) that gives the game designer total control and flexibility in the development of his/her games. * Source code available to Registered Users. Over 13,000 lines of Pascal source code that may be customized to fit the game designer's unique needs. PROFESSIONAL * Versions available for IBM, Macintosh and Atari ST. Games created on one kind of computer may be played on other computers without modifications to game source code. * "Look and feel" of Infocom adventure games with similar screen layout and standard vocabulary and routines. * Automatic screen adaptation to use either a color or a monochrome monitor. Color combinations may be specified by the game designer or by the player during the game. * Predefined function and cursor keys to input frequently used commands and move directions. * SCRIPT and UNSCRIPT commands to echo game output to printer. EASY-TO-USE * Large library of completed games that can be enjoyed simply as great entertainment or used as a platform by the game designer to build upon and/or learn from. * Professionally written documentation totalling over 200 pages. Has numerous examples that unveil the "secrets" of great adventure writers. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS FOR AGT IBM: The games created by the Adventure Game Toolkit requires a computer with at least 384K of memory, MS-DOS 2.1, and at least one disk drive. It is possible to use any kind of monitor and AGT will automatically adjust its output to best suit the monitor. Macintosh and Atari ST: AGT reguires at least 512K of memory and one disk drive. 2 -- A "WALKTHRU" OF A STANDARD LEVEL GAME Using AGT, it is possible to create games that do not require any programming knowledge or experience (honestly!). The game designer just "fills in the blanks" as he/she describes the locations, objects and characters that collectively make up the game using his/her word processor or text editor. As an example, the following lengthy scenario is from a Standard Level game that is developed in the AGT printed manual in a detailed, step-by-step tutorial. This game was developed without any programming skill: It is the year 2093. You, a foolish explorer, decided to wander the radiation-filled areas near what used to be the nation's capital: Washington, D.C. You've found the adventure you sought, though few of your exploits turned out as you'd expected. In your six-month travels, you've been attacked by packs of wild dogs and a few wilder humans. Your supplies were stolen weeks ago, and you've been existing by eating the few surviving vegetables in long-abandoned gardens, despite the risks of eating food grown in this area. When you finally tried to leave this restricted region, you were shot at by patrols who detected too much radiation in your body. In your ever-more-desperate search for either a safe temporary home or a way out of the danger-zone, you've begun exploring the hills where other wanderers have said there are caves and tunnels. Somewhere here, it is rumored, there was once an underground complex where the elite few hid during the atomic cataclysm. No trace has ever been found of those hidden politicians and millionaires, though the mysterious roars of explosions were heard two years after the Last War ended, suggesting that the survivors above ground might have found and destroyed the survivors who hid below. After several weeks of living off the land, you discovered a deep pit, apparently man-made, at the center of a neatly-rounded hill. For two days, you explored the hill, trying to find another cave or even an out-of-place pile of dirt, to no avail. Far away to the south are five blackened pits in the earth, burned, ash-covered remnants of a few days of sheer hell; you've wondered if their target might have been hills like this. Finally, you locate a much-used rope and tie one end around some rocks near the pit, hoping to lower yourself into it. As you explore the top few feet of the cave, you drop your disposable atomic flashlight, and can hear it bounce against the sides of the cave for several seconds before striking the bottom. Slowly, in darkness, you lower yourself down the rope. Wisely, you started at noon, and the light is bright enough for you to see above you, though your body blocks most of the light below. As you approach what you think is the bottom of the pit, your legs push aside a clump of earth and suddenly you are hanging in empty space: the thin vertical tunnel has widened. As you turn awkwardly, you try to stop moving by reaching a hand out to touch the side of the tunnel, only to suddenly lose your grip with the other hand. You grab for the rope, but gain only rope burns as you feel the end of the rope slip from your fingers, hardly slowing your fall. Luckily, you were only about fifteen feet from the bottom of the pit. Of course, "only" is a relative term: in this case, it means you'll suffer from extreme pain and bruises, not broken bones. It takes you only a minute to realize that the sides of the pit are too steep and muddy to climb; the rope is dimly visible twenty feet above. By feeling the side of the pit, you can make out some sort of wooden or plastic door to the west. Despite the pain you still feel from the fall, you manage to kick the door open, leading to a dark room. You are in a deep pit. Climbing back up is simply impossible: the side of the pit is far too steep and is too slippery to grip. Through a shattered wooden door, you can faintly make out an exit to the west. There is a iron crowbar here. There is a disposable atomic flashlight here. What Now? GET THE FLASHLIGHT AND THEN SWITCH IT ON ^ | Note: Throughout this example, the player's input is shown in all capital letters. You are now carrying the atomic flashlight. The flashlight it now on. What Now? GET CROWBAR THEN EXAMINE IT You are now carrying the iron crowbar. The iron crowbar is about three feet long and weighs about eight pounds. It might be useful as a weapon or as a tool, depending on the circumstances. What Now? WEST You are in a small, dimly-lit room. Empty shelves line the wall; this must have been a storage room of some sort. A broken plastic door leads east, back to the pit you fell into. Another open door leads west. There is a large wooden crate here. There is a small laser-powered handgun here. There is a grey wolf here, snarling and growling at you. What Now? GET THE LASER; SHOOT IT AT WOLF You are now carrying the laser gun. You aim the gun at the wolf and pull the trigger. It's a direct hit! The wolf screeches angrily, and falls to the floor for a moment. Then it leaps up and eyes you quite angrily. Though wounded, it seems no less dangerous or hostile. The wolf seems to be getting angrier! What Now? EXAMINE WOLF The wolf is grey, with a few white spots on its belly. It is also quite large, almost as tall as you are. Its claws look sharp. The wolf does not look friendly; it growls and snarls, plainly upset that you have disturbed it. The wolf seems to be getting angrier! What Now? SHOOT WOLF WITH GUN You aim the gun at the wolf and pull the trigger. It's a direct hit! The wolf screeches angrily, and falls to the floor for a moment. Then it leaps up and eyes you quite angrily. Though wounded, it seems no less dangerous or hostile. The wolf seems to calm down for a moment, but suddenly attacks. Its mouth opens to reveal teeth grotesquely out of proportion to the rest of its body, a fact you notice as those same teeth tear your flesh into tiny pieces. Oh dear, you seem to have gotten yourself killed. Would you like me to try to get you resurrected?.... YES I'll try...but don't blame me if something goes wr@#%&& ---- POOF ---- You are engulfed in a cloud of thick orange smoke, and you emerge coughing and gasping, and find that you must start all over ... You are in a deep pit. Climbing back up is simply impossible: the side of the pit is far too steep and is too slippery to grip. Through a shattered wooden door, you can faintly make out an exit to the west. What Now? WEST You are in a small, dimly-lit room. Empty shelves line the wall; this must have been a storage room of some sort. A broken plastic door leads east, back to the pit you fell into. Another open door leads west. There is a large wooden crate here. There is a grey wolf here, snarling and growling at you. What Now? THROW CROWBAR AT WOLF The crowbar soars through the air toward the wolf. It's a direct hit! The wolf screeches angrily and writhes in agony as it fades away in a cloud of green smoke. What Now? GET CROWBAR You are now carrying the iron crowbar. What Now? EXAMINE THE CRATE The crate is about eight feet long by six feet wide by six feet high. It is extremely heavy and quite solid. There is lettering on the side. It has a lid nailed to its top. What Now? READ LETTERING The side of the crate says, "U.S. Emergency Radiation Supplies. Do Not Open." What Now? OPEN CRATE You need to unlock it first. What Now? PRY THE LID WITH THE CROWBAR You have now unlocked the wooden crate, using the crowbar. What Now? OPEN CRATE The crate is now open. What Now? EXAMINE IT The crate is about eight feet long by six feet wide by six feet high. It is extremely heavy and quite solid. There is lettering on the side. It has a lid nailed to its top. There is a huge solid metal cube here. (in the crate) What Now? EXAMINE THE CUBE The huge metal cube may contain something, but you'd need a heck of a knife -- or a laser -- to cut into it. What Now? FIRE LASER GUN AT CUBE It would really make more sense to specify some living creature. Hostility really requires a target of some sort. What Now? GET CUBE You aren't strong enough to carry your current load plus the cube. What Now? WEST This is a large long corridor, leading north and south. To the east, an open door leads to a storage room of some kind. A door to the west is securely locked. The flashlight flickers on and off and finally goes out completely. However, the iron bar gives off a strange orange glow in this room, lighting up what would otherwise be a very dark place. What Now? OPEN DOOR You try your best, but the door won't open! What Now? NORTH This is the north end of a long corridor. An open doorway leads east; an arch leads north. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. Over the arch is a sign. What Now? READ SIGN "Enlisted Personnel Only. No Visitors." What Now? EAST This is another storage room. The shelves on the walls are empty. The only exit leads west. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. There is a hideous mutant here. It is hissing and cursing at you. What Now? INSPECT MUTANT The mutant is really ugly! It looks like it was once a man, but it is horribly disfigured and has open sores covering most of its body. It is very nervous and angry at you for disturbing its lair. What Now? TALK TO THE MUTANT The mutant just listens to you, but remains strangely silent. The mutant seems to be getting angrier! What Now? KILL MUTANT WITH CROWBAR The crowbar soars through the air toward the mutant. It's a direct hit! Unfortunately, the crowbar merely bounces off the mutant's head, and appears to make it quite angry. The mutant seems to be getting angrier! What Now? FIRE LASER AT MUTANT You aim the gun at the mutant and pull the trigger. It's a direct hit! The mutant screeches angrily and writhes in agony as it fades away in a cloud of green smoke. What Now? WEST This is the north end of a long corridor. An open doorway leads east; an arch leads north. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. Over the arch is a sign. What Now? NORTH This is a small entry hall. An arch leads south to a corridor; smaller arches lead east and west. Another passage goes north. There is a metal desk near the door. There is a small drawer. (in the desk) What Now? LOOK AT DRAWER The drawer looks like most drawers. What Now? OPEN DRAWER The metal drawer is now open. What Now? EXAMINE DESK This is a rather ordinary metal desk with a single metal drawer. There is a small drawer. (in the desk) There is a small plastic key here. (in the drawer) What Now? GET THE KEY AND EXAMINE IT You are now carrying the plastic key. The plastic key is like most keys you've seen. It is cylindrical and has many tiny holes through it; optical sensors in the correct lock will respond to it by opening a door or doing whatever it is the key is meant to do. What Now? EAST Something terrible has happened here, probably a cave-in. The walls have collapsed, and all exits are blocked except the door to the west through which you entered. Dirt and mud cover much of the floor. There is a small, square, electronic module here. What Now? GET MODULE AND EXAMINE IT You are now carrying the rt module. This is a standard-design RT-584 module. Like all RT-584s, it is the functional equivalent of a complete supercomputer with gigabytes of storage and a knowledge base of some sort. All you need to do is plug it into an RT-934 console and push it to access its information. What Now? EAT THE MODULE Eat the module? You must be kidding! What Now? WEST This is a small entry hall. An arch leads south to a corridor; smaller arches lead east and west. Another passage goes north. There is a metal desk near the door. There is a small drawer. (in the desk) What Now? SOUTH This is the north end of a long corridor. An open doorway leads east; an arch leads north. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. Over the arch is a sign. What Now? SOUTH For some reason, you can't see anything here. What Now? NORTH This is the north end of a long corridor. An open doorway leads east; an arch leads north. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. Over the arch is a sign. What Now? EAST This is another storage room. The shelves on the walls are empty. The only exit leads west. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. There is an iron crowbar here. What Now? GET CROWBAR You are now carrying the iron crowbar. What Now? WEST This is the north end of a long corridor. An open doorway leads east; an arch leads north. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. Over the arch is a sign. What Now? SOUTH This is a large long corridor, leading north and south. To the east, an open door leads to a storage room of some kind. A door to the west is securely locked. The flashlight flickers on and off and finally goes out completely. However, the iron bar gives off a strange orange glow in this room, lighting up what would otherwise be a very dark place. What Now? INVENTORY You are carrying the following: iron crowbar plastic key rt module atomic flashlight laser gun What Now? UNLOCK DOOR WITH KEY Nice try, but you can't seem to unlock the door. What Now? SOUTH This is the south end of a long north-south corridor. You see a large red triangle painted on the wall next to a doorway to the south. The flashlight flickers on and off, but finally stays on. What Now? SOUTH This is an elevator car, with an electroluminescent control panel. The turbo-thrusters hum quietly beneath your feet, ready to rush you to your destination. There is a blue square visible on the control console. What Now? EXAMINE SQUARE The blue square is an image on the touchscreen of the elevator command console. The command console is intended to be useful to anyone who can recognize simple graphic icons, even if they don't speak English. What Now? PUSH SQUARE As soon as your finger touches the blue square image on the control panel, the doors slide shut and you are slammed violently against the west wall as the car begins moving sideways, toward the east. Just as you get used to that motion, the car begins dropping, then seems to be both dropping and moving to the south. Panicked, you poke at the control panel, but nothing is displayed on it and it rudely ignores your whimpering. After a few minutes, the car's motion settles into a southeast direction, and seems to stop dropping. There's no way to tell how fast -- or far -- the car is traveling. As suddenly as it started, the car brakes, cuts to the west, and stops. To your surprise and confusion, the door opens behind you, to the south. This is an elevator car, with an electroluminescent control panel. The turbo-thrusters hum quietly beneath your feet, ready to rush you to your destination. There is a red triangle visible on the control console. What Now? SOUTH You are on a platform outside the hatch leading into a space shuttle. The shuttle hatch is open to the south. An elevator is to the north. What Now? ENTER SHUTTLE This is the bridge, the command hub of the shuttle. The only visible exit is to the north. Like most space vehicles, this one runs almost entirely automatically, with all flight parameters pre-programmed. There is a command console here, but it is dark. Mounted just below it is a small keyhole. It is currently set to 'off.' What Now? TURN KEY As you turn the key in the keyhole, you feel a surge as the ion drives prepare for a long-awaited takeoff. The whole ship begins to rumble and shake as the overhead bay doors are opened by huge motors built into the hillside, and you hear and feel vibrations as debris from above bounces off the shuttle. Out of fear, you reach to turn the key off, but it twists and breaks in the lock. The engines surge more violently, and you are slammed against the floor as the shuttle begins to rise into the air. Instantly, you realize that the bay doors have failed, because you can feel the shuttle collide with something as it ascends. The computer corrects for the damage somehow and the shuttle continues to rise, but is vibrating violently. The ion drives begin to squeal abnormally, and you realize that the shuttle cannot possibly remain in one piece for more than a few minutes. As if expecting your panic, a wall panel suddenly slides to one side, revealing an escape pod. This is the bridge. The exit to the north has been damaged by the vibrations and is twisted into an impossible position. An escape pod is visible to the west. What Now? WEST You are now in the escape pod. As you sit in the command couch, the door slides shut behind you and you feel the pod automatically ejecting from the shuttle. Not surprisingly, it hits something on the way out, and spins out of control for a moment before its thrusters regain control. You can hear the wind rushing by, and then the sound of an explosion -- very near by -- drowns out all other sounds. The escape pod rises for a few minutes, then begins to move horizontally. It's hard to tell what is happening, but it's certainly not as bad as what was happening just a few seconds ago. Directly before you is an extremely simple manual console with a small socket, above which are instructions which say "insert command module here." What Now? INSERT MODULE As you insert the RT-584 module, it exerts some sort of magnetic force which pulls it from your fingers and snugly into the RT-500 socket. The escape pod changes direction and velocity -- almost seeming to stop for a moment -- and then accelerates again toward some unknown destination. After a few minutes, you feel the pod turning and then decelerating and descending. Before you expected it, the pod touches down roughly, causing you to bump your head against the side of the pod. The pod's engines begin whining as they reduce power. The door suddenly clicks and swings open, revealing bright sunlight outside. Once the door is locked open, the pod's engines shut down completely, leaving you in complete silence. You are in the escape pod, which is not moving. An open door leads east. What Now? EAST You emerge from the pod to find the sun shinning brightly. The air is fresh and clean and smells like spring flowers. For the first time in a long while, you feel good about being alive. *** Congratulations. You have won the game. *** You have seen 16 rooms (out of 17), in 60 turns. Your score is 15 out of a possible 15 points. (The game was saved 0 times and restored 0 Times.) 3 -- INTRODUCTION TO AGT'S METALANGUAGE FOR CREATING PROFESSIONAL LEVEL GAMES The Adventure Game Toolkit comes with a number of complete, ready-to-play adventure games including an AGT version of the "Colossal Cave" (sometimes called the "Original Adventure") by Woods and Crowther. The AGT version of this classic game has over 140 locations, a vocabulary of about 500 words, and is comparable in quality and playability to professional games from firms like Infocom. The complete source code for this classic game is included as part of the basic AGT package. The AGT version of the "Colossal Cave" is a Professional Level game that makes use of AGT's unique English-like metalanguage -- developed especially for writing adventure games. Metalanguage commands consist of various conditional tests and actions to be executed. These commands are very English-like and easy to understand. For example, below are a few typical conditional tests: Sample Conditions Explanation ----------------- ----------- NOT AtLocation 5 Tests if player is NOT in Room 5 IsOpen 208 Tests if Noun 208 is currently open Present 210 Tests if Noun 210 is currently nearby NOT Present 210 Tests if Noun 210 is NOT currently nearby TurnsGT 25 Tests if game has lasted more than 25 turns Chance 10 Test has a 10% chance of being TRUE VerbIsDirection Tests if player is trying to leave Room ScoreLT 20 Tests if player's score is less than 20 points CounterEquals 4 100 Tests if Counter number 4 equals 100 IsCarrying 203 Tests if player is carrying Noun 203 OR OR IsCarrying 204 is carrying Noun 204 NamePresent Tests that command's Addressee is nearby RoomNeedsLight Tests if current Room needs a light There are a total of 84 separate meta-command conditional tests. Since each may be prefaced by a NOT, there are actually a total of 168 conditional tests in the AGT metalanguage. These tests may be connected by multiple "OR's" to create compound conditional tests. In addition to conditions, there are 71 metalanguage action codes or tokens. For example: Sample Actions Explanation -------------- ----------- GoToRoom 23 Sends the player to Room 23 PutInCurrentRoom 205 Puts Noun 205 in current Room PrintMessage 47 Prints message number 47 from .MSG file LockNOUN Lock the current NOUN SwapLocations 206 207 Swap the locations of Nouns 206 and 207 PlusScore 10 Add 10 points to player's score KillPlayer Kill player at end of current turn SendToRoom 225 57 Send Noun 225 to Room 57 DestroyNOUN Destroy current NOUN (sends it to Room zero) DescribeThing 310 Prints the description of Creature 310 TurnCounterON 4 Starts Counter number 4 counting at 1 ChangePassageway 1 35 Creates a passage: North(1) to Room 35 ChangePassageway 1 0 Closes the passage in direction 1 (North) META-COMMAND EXAMPLES Here are a few typical examples of AGT metalanguage commands. The following meta-commands would allow the adventure game player to CLIMB a TREE and to CROSS a BRIDGE during a game: COMMAND CLIMB TREE InRoom 208 (* The sturdy oak tree is in the room *) OR AtLocation 23 (* a location in the forest *) OR AtLocation 47 (* a location in the forest *) OR AtLocation 82 (* a location in the forest *) GoToRoom 36 (* Go to branches at top of oak tree *) PrintMessage 43 (* You climb up to the top of the tree. *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND CROSS BRIDGE AtLocation 23 (* At West side of bridge *) GoToRoom 24 (* Go to East side of bridge *) PrintMessage 44 (* You walk across the bridge to the other side. *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND CROSS BRIDGE AtLocation 24 (* At East side of bridge *) GoToRoom 23 (* Go to West side of bridge *) PrintMessage 44 (* You walk across the bridge to the other side. *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND The words within the "(*" and "*)" are comments; they are not actually part of the meta-command itself. The messages referred to in the "PrintMessage" actions above would be contained in a separate message file. Here is another example, where meta-commands are set up to create the proper game response whenever the player inputs a command to KISS something: COMMAND KISS PRINCESS InRoom 305 (* Princess is here *) AtLocation 99 (* In Bridal Suite of palace *) PrintMessage 45 (* The princess melts into your strong arms, etc. *) PlusScore 25 (* Bonus for Kiss *) WinGame (* Win the game *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND KISS PRINCESS InRoom 305 (* Princess is here *) NOT AtLocation 99 (* Not in the Bridal Suite of palace *) PrintMessage 46 (* The princess pushes you away coyly, "Not here!" *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND KISS TROLL InRoom 307 (* Ugly Troll is here *) PrintMessage 47 (* The troll kills you! *) KillPlayer (* That will teach you to KISS THE TROLL!! *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND KISS ANY NOUNpresent (* NOUN (whatever it is) is here *) PrintMessage 48 (* You try to $VERB$ the $ADJECTIVE$ $NOUN$ for awhile. *) MinusScore 10 (* penalty for sick mind *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND COMMAND KISS ANY PrintMessage 49 (* The $ADJECTIVE$ $NOUN$ isn't here! *) MinusScore 10 (* penalty for sick mind *) DoneWithTurn END_COMMAND Meta-commands are processed in the order encountered -- so the last two "KISS ANY" meta-commands above represent "default" commands and would be activated only if you weren't trying to KISS the PRINCESS or the TROLL. For example, if you gave the input "KISS THE BLARNEY STONE", the game would respond with "You try to kiss the blarney stone for a while" (Message number 48 in the message file) or "The blarney stone isn't here!" (Message number 49) depending upon if the Blarney stone is present at your current location or not. Meta-commands can also be used for "random events", such as, (1) having a dwarf appear in the room and throw an axe at the player, or (2) having a bear (that the player has befriended) follow him into a new room, or (3) having a voice boom out an announcement that "The Cave will close in 25 turns", or (4) having the player die because of some random event (e.g., falling into a pit). Below are a few examples of typical "random event" meta-commands. These meta- commands will be tested for ANY player input and if the conditions are satisfied, the meta-command's actions will be taken. COMMAND ANY Present 210 (* Blazing torch is here *) CounterGT 2 75 (* Torch has been lit for at least 75 turns *) PrintMessage 21 (* Your torch is flickering and growing weaker *) CounterEquals 2 100 (* Torch has been lit for 100 turns *) PrintMessage 22 (* The torch finally goes out! *) TurnCounterOFF 2 (* Torch has gone out, so turn torch counter OFF *) SwapLocations 210 211 (* swap blazing torch for unlit torch *) END_COMMAND COMMAND ANY NOT Present 312 (* Angry guard is NOT in room (yet) *) Chance 10 (* 10 % chance of guard appearing *) PutInCurrentRoom 312 (* put guard in room *) PrintMessage 23 (* An angry guard suddenly storms into the room! *) END_COMMAND COMMAND ANY FlagON 5 (* Flag 5 is ON if player has befriended parrot *) PutInCurrentRoom 306 (* Once befriended, parrot stays with player *) VerbIsDirection (* Player is going to new room *) PrintMessage 24 (* The parrot flies after you and lands nearby. *) END_COMMAND COMMAND ANY InRoom 306 (* The parrot is here *) FlagOFF 4 (* Parrot is thirsty if Flag 4 is OFF *) Chance 5 (* 5 % chance of parrot talking *) PrintMessage 25 (* The parrot squawks "Polly wants a beer!" *) END_COMMAND COMMAND ANY InRoom 308 (* A vampire bat is here *) Chance 5 (* 5 % chance of being bitten *) PrintMessage 26 (* The vampire bat bites you on the neck!! *) KillPlayer (* Too bad, but vampire bat bites are fatal! *) DoneWithTurn (* No further process for this turn *) END_COMMAND 4 -- HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT The Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT) is distributed as "Shareware". Copies can be found on many electronic bulletin boards and time-sharing services including Genie, CompuServe, Source and BIX. AGT is also available by mail directly from the authors at: Softworks 43064 Via Moraga Mission San Jose, California 94539 You can also order by phone using your Mastercard or VISA to (415) 659-0533, 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM, PST ONLY. The price list for various versions/options of AGT is as follows: 1. AGT Registration ................................. @ $ 20.00 ea $ ______ includes: (1) Notice of all future AGT upgrades, new AGT Adventures and related AGT products. (2) Latest version of the program, sample Adventure game source files (CAVE, CRUSADE, UNDERGRD, ALICE and others), and summary documentation on disk. Over one megabyte of program and data files -- ARCed on two disks. (3) Telephone support from 7:00 to 9:00 PST (M-Th). (4) A warm glow from having supported at least one of the many Shareware products you probably use. (5) The AGT authors' eternal gratitude. 2. Above with printed AGT manual .................... @ $ 40.00 ea $ ______ includes: Above items plus printed manual over 200 pages with numerous detailed examples on how to use the Adventure Game Toolkit to create very professional and very clever Adventure games. The printed AGT manual has approximately 250% the amount of information as contained in the summary disk documentation. 3. Printed AGT manual (Only) ........................ @ $ 25.00 ea $ ______ 4. UPGRADE to the newest AGT version (Only) ......... @ $ 12.00 ea $ ______ includes: Latest version of the program, sample Adventure game source files (CAVE, CRUSADE, UNDERGRD, ALICE and others), and summary documentation on disk. Over one megabyte of program and data files -- ARCed on two disks. 5. AGT Pascal source code .......................... @ $ 50.00 ea $ ______ includes: IBM: Turbo Pascal 4.0/5.0/5.5/6.0 source code for AGT's COMPILE and RUN programs. Macintosh: Think PASCAL 2.0/3.0. Over 13,000 lines of Pascal source code. YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED AGT USER TO ORDER THE SOURCE CODE! Orders are normally shipped by US mail at no additional charge. For UPS shipment, please add $4.00..................@ $ 4.00 ea $ ______ For shipments outside the United States, please add @ $ 8.00 ea $ ______ Subtotal ______ (California residents please add 7.25% sales tax) Tax ______ Total $ ______ Circle Version Desired: IBM 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 Macintosh Atari ST