Inmate should run on any Apple ][ or clone with 64K RAM and one 5 1/4" disk drive. (BUG: This release works only when the disk drive is in slot 6.) To copy Inmate, you must copy the entire disk.
THE ADVENTURE
"Well, that seems to be the problem, doesn't it: your insistence that this is a computer game. But there's no adventure here. Really. You're totally safe. So just relax, and cooperate..."
Dr. Mark Sheffield
You awake, and find yourself in The Institute. This does not surprise you; you have been here as long as you can remember. Dr. Sheffield says you're not ready for the outside world. He must be right. Yet you don't think you're getting better. If anything, you're getting worse. Or are you? If only you could remember...
Sometimes you feel that some inner voice, hidden deep inside you, is screaming in terror. Something is buried in your mind. Perhaps Dr. Sheffield is trying to bring it to light. Perhaps he wants to extinguish it.
Perhaps you should get out of this place...
Inmate differs from other adventures in that it is more important to piece objects, events, and conversations together to figure out what is going on than to explore or manipulate objects.
INPUT
The part of a program which interprets input is known as the parser. Inmate's parser will accept the following basic sentence patterns (parentheses surround optional elements):
All these forms may be followed by an instrument, i.e. OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE KEY.
Some verbs may be divided into two parts: PICK THE BOX UP.
Some other patterns can be parsed because they are first transformed into one of the above forms. For example, TAKE A PICTURE OF THE PLANT is seen as PHOTOGRAPH THE PLANT.
Here are examples of the above patterns:
1. I [Inventory]
2. Look in the flashlight.
2. Enter the closet.
3. Put the tape which is on top of the desk in the tape player.
3. Tell Ed "Give me the little black key."
3. Pick 2 of the notes up.
3. Turn off the faucet and the flashlight.
3. Put everything in the shelf but the blue book and the key on the desk.
3. Clean the clean clothes with water. [Some words can mean different things depending on their use in the sentence.]
You can be spartan if you like:
>w
>go bed
>exam all
If you specify a verb but not an object or instrument, and there is only one of each available to which that verb applies, Inmate will assume it:
>Get
(digital watch)
>Attack
(Mark)
(with wooden bar) [You must be carrying the bar.]
Some commands that won't work are:
>Get everything inside the dresser.
>Talk to Ed.
>Get and read the book.
>Why is it locked? [The parser doesn't answer questions.]
>Unlock the door.
With what?
>with key
I don't understand that sentence.
[The parser doesn't combine two sentences into one.]
Entering commands:
Type your commands at the >, in upper or lowercase. Use the back-arrow to move back over the line, and delete or ctrl-D to delete characters.
You may enter punctuation; except for " and ? it is filtered out.
If you have not pressed any keys since the last command, Ctrl-B will place the last command on the input line, where you can change it or just press return. AGAIN will not do it.
You may only enter one command per line; GET BOTTLE AND GO NORTH won't.
Commas are ignored. Type GET A AND B AND C rather than GET A, B, AND C.
Enter numbers in decimal: 10, not TEN.
Inmate stores all the keys you press while it's busy, so you can keep typing. If you're fast enough, you can type a few moves ahead.
ALL refers either to all visible objects in the room, or all objects you are carrying, depending on the verb and whether anything is in the room.
IT or THEM always refer to the last single object. This includes single plural objects (i.e. marbles). If you used multiple objects, IT or THEM won't work.
The meaning of a sentence depends on the context. So if you type "PUT THE BALL IN THE BOX" once, Inmate will put the ball in the box. If you type it again, Inmate says, "You must give a destination!" This is because THE BALL IN THE BOX is then interpreted as THE BALL WHICH IS IN THE BOX.
If Inmate doesn't understand a sentence you think it should, try the DEBUG command. Then each sentence will be printed as the computer sees it. Try your command again and you may see why the computer is confused. Type NODEBUG to exit this mode.
If Inmate wrongly interprets an ambiguous sentence, try more specific words. For example, if it is confused by IN, try INTO to indicate motion or FROM to indicate location.
Error messages:
I don't see any here! : One of the objects you mentioned is not in the room.
You must give a destination! : The verb requires an object and a destination: PUT BALL IN CLOSET, not just PUT BALL.
You can't use that destination : Commands like ATTACH FLASHBULB TO LIBRARIAN just don't cut it.
Give only one place : You gave more than one destination (i.e. PUT BALLS IN CLOSET AND BOX).
Try a different preposition : You'll see this if you try to GIVE a ON b, LOOK TO x, POUR y THROUGH z, or a number of other silly things.
That verb needs 2 parts! : You entered only the root of a split verb (i.e. TURN FAUCET instead of TURN FAUCET ON or OFF).
With what? : The verb you used needs an instrument. Type in the whole sentence again plus a WITH <Instrument>.
Tell me what to put it in : You tried to GET a liquid.
There's another liquid in it : While water can be added to water, you cannot mix two different liquids.
CONVERSATION
To talk to characters, you must put your sentence in quotes:
Ask Ed "May I please borrow your camera?"
Say "Hi there!" to Dr. Sheffield.
Tell Mark "You're crazy!"
You may give them commands of the same type you can enter. Of course, they might not care to follow them. You may also say things which the command parser doesn't understand. Inmate doesn't even have to know all the words within quotes. Punctuation is unimportant except for question marks. And remember it is rude to break off a conversation without at least a goodbye.
USEFUL COMMANDS
DEBUG/NODEBUG: Debug mode prints the sentence after transformation, the augmented transition network (ATN) parsing, any assumptions or ellipsis, and some of the results of a successful parse. (You don't need to understand this.)
ELLIPSIS/NOELLIPSIS: Ellipsis tries to substitute an unparsable input into the last successfully parsed sentence. For example, if you type GET BAR and then EXAMINE, ellipsis will substitute EXAMINE for GET and come up with EXAMINE BAR. If you find this bothersome, turn it off with NOELL. It is normally on. (You don't need to understand this, either.)
END,RESTART,QUIT: Quits the game.
FAST/SLOW: Speeds up/slows down the game clock by a factor of 2. With repeated use of FAST you can run the game clock up to 128 times as fast. Beware - some events can only be controlled at normal speed. Otherwise they will be over before you can react.
HELP,HINT: Tries to provide a useful clue for your situation.
LOAD,RESTORE,RESUME: Load a saved game from disk.
LOWERCASE: Use this if Inmate does not recognize your computer as having lowercase.
PRINT ON/OFF: This won't print a transcript of the game, but it will let you get a printout of the vocabulary list when used with VOCAB if your printer is in slot 1.
SAVE: Save a game to disk. You can use the INMATE disk (which will give you a menu of 12 UNUSED games), or a blank initialized disk (which will have a blank menu). Don't save any files to the disk you use.
VOCAB: Prints all words known to Inmate. Some of them have no relation to the game and are only used for conversation.
HELPFUL HINTS
Examine everything - even things you cannot see but are told about while examining other objects.
In Inmate, a door is a solid object. You cannot go through it. To use a door, open it. A new direction will then appear under "Obvious Exits".
Characters will in general only say useful things if you ask them about something that is in or happens in the game.
If you get a strange response from the program instead of from the character you are talking to, it may be that the character interpreted your statement as a command and tried to follow it.
Beware that the FAST command is only to speed things up when you are waiting for something. If you experiment in fast mode, some events will go by before you can respond to them. You cannot finish the game without going into slow mode occasionally.
If something stumps you, leave it. You may need to do or get something in another room.
Use the HELP command.
Some puzzles are intentionally misleading. Items do not always have obvious uses. And don't always try to figure out how to use something; sometimes you have to try not to use it.
