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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, (4) describes the other "goodies" you get when you register your copy of the "Classic" Edition of AGT and describes the new "Master's Edition" of the AGT, and (5) tells how to register/order the AGT development system (either the "Classic" Edition or the "Master's" Edition). 1 -- OVERVIEW OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT The ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT (AGT) is designed to allow a game designer/writer to create and play his/her own high-quality text adventure games. Once created, these adventure games can be shared with and enjoyed by others -- even if they do not have a copy of the Adventure Game Toolkit themselves. Using AGT the game developer can create two distinct levels of adventure games: STANDARD LEVEL games that require no programming experience (honestly!!), only a fertile imagination. These Standard Level games only require that the game designer/writer generates 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. PROFESSIONAL LEVEL games that also make use of AGT's 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 game creation product. Some of these key features are: * "Look and feel" of Infocom adventure games with similar screen layout and standard vocabulary and routines. * 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 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 DROP THE FOOD, THE KEY AND THE BOTTLE THEN UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE BRASS KEY AND THEN LEAVE * Function and cursor keys predefined to input frequently used commands and move directions. * SCRIPT and UNSCRIPT commands to echo game output to printer. * Versions for IBM, Macintosh, Atari ST and Amiga. Games created on one of these computers can be played on all of the other computers without making any modifications to the game. WHAT THE REVIEWERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT "Using the Adventure Game Toolkit, anyone with an ounce of imagination can create a text adventure game ... similar in layout and sophistication to those made by Infocom and other commercial developers." -- Donald B. Trivette in PC Magazine "The Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT) acts as a compiler which allows for creating remarkably complex and sophisticated games in a fairly simple way .... AGT's parser reminds me of Infocom's." -- Scorpia in Computer Gaming World "If you have ever wondered what it is like to create your own adventure games, but didn't have the programming knowledge to do it, this product is for you .... The process is easy ... and you'll have hours of fun doing it." -- Resul DeMaria in Public Domain Software & Shareware "The Adventure Game Toolkit from Softworks ... provides all the tools you need to build your own text based adventure games .... The Adventure Game Toolkit is an extremely powerful development package." -- Bob Napp in Big Blue Disk Recently, the Adventure Game Toolkit was awarded the "Golden Chalice" Award by the Adventure And Strategy Club (of England). 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. This game can be found in the file SAMPLE on the disk. 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 -- THE "CLASSIC" AND THE "MASTER'S" EDITIONS OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT IMPORTANT NOTE: Everything that has been described above refers to the "Classic" Edition of AGT. The "Classic Edition" (i.e., the normal/old/regular version) of AGT is very simple to use and can be used by programming novices or even by non-programmer's to create very professional text adventures similar to those from firms like Infocom. Versions of the "Classic Edition" are available for IBM, Macintosh, Atari ST and Amiga computers and games created on any of these computers can be re-compiled and played on any of the other computers. The Classic Edition is still supported and available from Softworks as Shareware for only $20 (or $40 including a 223 page printed manual with lots and lots of detailed examples). Anyone who orders the "Classic" Edition will get two disks filled with a number of "goodies" that are NOT included with the "unregistered" versions of AGT -- specifically, you will get a number of great games (in AGT source code format): QUEST Recover your magic spells and amulets from Blackwing's Pit. SQUYNCH Challenge the evils and mysteries of the Land of Squynch. Very clever! As good as Infocom! PARANOIA An adaptation of a classic fantasy role-playing game from "SpaceGamer/FantasyGamer" magazine. ELF Help Santa make it a merry, merry Christmas by discovering how to make Rudolph's nose shine bright enough to fly the sleigh through the fog covering the North Pole. UNDERGND A game of survival after World War III. Uses all of the tricks of the original GAGS (Standard Level) adventures. DEENA A woman warrior's struggle to escape from the lecherous Gendi tribe. (R-rated) DRAGONS An adventure in the Sultan's palace with side trips to his dungeon, the torture chamber and the harem. (R-rated) BIGDATE Get ready for your big date. An adventure told from a woman's point of view. CTA "Cristian Text Adventure" is an allegorical adventure where you battle figures like "Unbelief", "Greed" and "Lust" using such weapons as the "Sword of the Spirit" and the "Staff of Righteousness". FABLE An allegorical quest for meaning and understanding in life. LOTTERY An adventure in San Francisco with emphasize on the "red light" district. (R-rated) NMR "Adventures in NMR" is an example of how one might use an AGT game format to explain/describe something like a complex product or how to diagnois a problem with equipment, etc. Specifically, in NMR, the object is to purchase an NMR spectrometer and measure a spectrum without killing yourself in the process. EASTER A game aimed at and suitable for children from 7-12. Hunt for Easter Eggs around the house. Truly charming! VANPELT An orientation to the Van Pelt library at the University of Pennsylvania. Used to teach new students how to find their way around the library and how to undertake basic library research. Plus, anyone who orders the "Classic" Edition will get several great game creation utilities: AA "Adventure Author" -- a utility to create Standard Level games by "filling-in-the-blanks" using a form. The form is then turned into the basic data file that AGT needs. AGTMACRO A TSR that creates "templates" for ROOMs, NOUNs, etc. from within your text editor or word processor -- saving you both time, errors and typing. AGTNUM A utility than enables you to use meaningful "labels" rather than numbers, e.g., NOUN 233 can be expressed as NOUN [Big Ax], and MESSAGE 41 can become MESSAGE [Don't go near the dragon!]. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CLASSIC EDITION AND THE MASTER'S EDITION OF AGT The "Master's Edition" is the long-awaited and long-promised version 2.0 of AGT and represents the response to over five years of AGT user's requests for improvements and additional capabilities and features. The MASTER'S EDITION of ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT is designed to allow a game designer/writer to create and play his/her own high-quality text adventure games with optional graphic illustrations, sound effects and music. Once created, these adventure games can be shared with and enjoyed by others -- even if they do not have a copy of the Adventure Game Toolkit themselves. FEATURES OF MASTER'S EDITION OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT In addition to ALL the features and capabilities of the "Classic" Edition, the Master's Edition of AGT has a number of additional features, including: * Bigger games; approximately twice as large as "Classic" games, e.g., up to 300 rooms, 200 nouns, 900 messages, etc., and a typical game can have a vocabulary of 1000 words or more. * An OOPS feature that allows you to edit/correct your input commands. * Optional graphic illustrations using PCX formatted pictures for display on CGA, EGA or VGA screens. The PCX format is the most widely available of any picture format and is supported by most PAINT and/or DRAW programs. Plus -- a great deal of PCX "clip-art" is available. * Optional animation using FLI files (produced by Autodesk's Animator, Animator Pro, 3D-Studio and other animation packages) that can be displayed on VGA screens (only). The FLI format is the most widely used animation format. Plus -- a great deal of FLI animation "clip-art" is available. * Optional music and sound effects that can be played in the "background" during the game. These sound effects can either use the PC's internal speaker or use an AdLib or SoundBlaster (or compatible) "sound card" (if one is available). * Optional user-definable "look-and-feel" interface including a menu-driven player input option that displays feasible commands for the player to pick from. * Optional "pop-up" hints available when the <Alt> and <h> keys are pressed at the same time. * Optional fonts (EGA and VGA monitors only) that can be changed to suit the needs of the game. The Master's Edition comes with over 30 sample fonts including Old English, Scrawl, Computereze. Plus, a Font Editor is provided that allows you to create your own unique fonts. The "Master's Edition" is totally compatible with the Classic Edition and games originally developed for the Classic Edition can be easily converted to (using a provided conversion utility) and used with the Master's Edition. The Master's Edition is available only for IBM (or compatible) computers. However, be warned: The Master's Edition is aimed at the more sophisticated and experienced programmer/game designer. The Master's Edition is available from Softworks for only $50. This price includes the cost of six ZIPped disks with over 5 megabytes of goodies including complete documentation on disk, a bunch of game creation utilities, several brand new sample games including the complete AGT source code to: * HUMONGOUS CAVE (believed to be the largest text adventure game available on any microcomputer). Based on the "Colassal Cave" adventure, but expanded to 1000 points, 300 locations, hundreds of objects, elves and other creatures, treasures and puzzles. * HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! -- an illustrated, musical text adventure about a mystery in a traveling circus with all of the game's related font, music, sound effects and pictures files. * SHERLOCK HOLMES -- a very unusual, menu-driven adventure where you play the famous detective and try to solve a total of 18 separate cases. This adventure illustrates the Master's Edition's vastly improved capability to handle questions and answers. * BRAINSCAPE -- an adventure that takes place inside the brain similar to the novels (and movie) by Isaac Asimov "Fantastic Voyage" and "Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain". * SQUYNCH -- a classic adventure in-the-style-of-Infocom in which you challenge the evils and mysteries of the Land of Squynch. Very clever! * PORK -- a parody of the Infocom ZORK series of adventures. If you were frustrated by ZORK, play PORK and enjoy the sweet fruits of revenge. * ADVENTURELAND and PIRATE'S ADVENTURE -- two true classic games by Scott Adams converted to AGT. See how a real master of the genre does his magic! WHICH VERSION IS RIGHT FOR YOU? If you are a "power" gamer/programmer and know that you can use (or need) the full power of the Master's Edition, then by all means -- get the Master's Edition. If you have less experience with programming or game design, then you should probably start with the Classic Edition. If you select the Classic Edition, you can always upgrade later when you need the full power of the Master's Edition -- for a special "registered AGT user" upgrade price of only $35. REMEMBER: Softworks is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals -- your guarantee of quality in shareware software. ┌─────────┐ ┌─────┴───┐ │ (tm) ───│ │O │─────────────────── │ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of │ │ ├─┘ Shareware └───┤ O │ Professionals ───────│ ║ │───────────────────── └────╨────┘ MEMBER 5 -- HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT THE ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT IS NOW "FREEWARE!!" AGT is now "freeware." This means that the authors, David Malmberg and Mark Welch, still retain the copyright to AGT and all of its related files, such as the documentations and sample games. However, you or any other user may use the AGT system to develop and distribute your own games without paying any royalty to the AGT authors. So enjoy!!