What little I have on

Interactive Fiction


ftp.gmd.de - The (in my opinion) Best Interactive Fiction Archive in the World.

Mere words will never be able to describe the terabytes of adventure that this machine contains. I have barely scratched the surface (due to my slow, inefficient connection preventing me downloading any but the smallest of the small), but the adventure I have received will probably last me a lifetime (or at least a week, if I ever get a chance to really begin playing the games).


Introduction to Inform

http://skaro.lawlib.wm.edu/~mike/if/mirror/gdr/introduction.html

Inform is the programming language that the incredibly great Infocom used to make its cinematic text adventures with. Inform spins webs around the opposition, until one of the bugs takes it out to lunch. Well, you can't win 'em all. Check out the 600-page introduction to the beginner's version of the language.

You can actually buy all of Infocom's works from Activision, their new owner, for only $20US!


Programs I have Written


My IF engine, "Advnet":

I wrote a small interactive fiction engine in several languages, and the QuickBasic version has just become runnable, so here it is:

As I do not possess a QuickBasic compiler, I am unable to distribute an executable version of the engine, but I would love it if perhaps you, if you are lucky enough to have the ability to convert QuickBasic code into executable form, did so and sent it to me (at chrosk@capaccess.org). I can handle most compression/document encoding schemes. Thanks a lot!

As of now I have only written one (finished) data file for the basic engine, and here it is:


Here is another adventure game system that I am still in the process of writing.  I had challenged myself to write a really strange adventure game using under 16k of source files. Here is the Beta version of my first attempt at the task.

MINIVENT.BAS (less than 7 kb)

Although this game does not support many of the features that I hoped, it does include smell support with the three nouns and ten rooms. You will soon be able to pick up and drop objects, and I am hoping for some sort of plot or storyline to appear soon.


My Early IF

In my early days of interactive fiction, I remember writing a computer game for a fellow Boy Scout. As his name was Andy, here is the (finally) complete One-Verb AndyVenture.

andyadv.zip (5kb)

andyadv.exe (21kb) SEA for Win3.1

This adventure program must be decompressed, then executed with a QuickBasic interpreter. When filadv7.bas runs, it will display a line asking you to enter the name of the adventure file. At this prompt, enter andy.adv (or whatever you renamed that file). Then it should work, mostly. The "Backspace" key didn't seem to work when I was testing it, but I am sure you will find it curious. Built-in help is included (there are only four or five verbs in the entire game). I think it needs CGA, for some reason.

Also, I have written the ordaned DNDGAME, which is a slightly extended version of the Andyventure, allowing simple combat to take place during games. dndgame.zip dndgame.exe self extracting archive for Win3.1

All of these games require the QuickBasic interpreter, which can be found on many DOS and WIN95 cdroms and so forth. Perhaps demos which can interpret are available somewhere on the web. I would advise searching with AltaVista.


And now for something completely different !

I have just learned this new board game from a website on this great archive - http://www.gamecabinet.com/ , called Slimetrail. Wanting to be able to play this game on computer, I hacked up a quick, graphical BASIC (alas) program to allow me to play simple unmoderated games with my sister (as my brother Robin got completely disgusted after only three games and now he refuses to play with me. Anyway, here are the files:

SLUG.BAS The program itself. (2kb)

SLUG.TXT The comments for the program (2kb)-- this file is important and unless you like reading through uncommented spagetti code with werid variable names, you will probably want to download this too.

Also in the GameCabinet site are the rules for this really incredible game of dueling wizards called Waving Hands. I am really enjoying it, although I do not see how I can write a computer program to gamesmaster it yet.

Also, I was thinking of starting a contest as to who can write the best computer-game program in under 16k of storage space. If you do write any, I'd be glad to post them for you somewhere (if I get any more programs, I will be making a separate page for them). My email address is steel@cryogen.com today.


* NYXXL *

Masters of Magic

This is an adventure game that I am writing that uses AGT (the Adventure Game Toolkit) as its base. As I am just getting the rooms and so forth linked and assembled, the version that follows in this compressed ZIP file below is (fas usual) for IBM-compatible PCs running DOS 2 or better.

nyxxl.zip (less then 65 kb)

As this is the beta version, it is running with the GAGS interpreter, and none of the magic spells work. The riddle that is displayed when you start the game is taken from the net book of riddles. You can answer it correctly with one word, or just type enter and hit return. All required executables are included in the compressed file. The address mentioned on the title screen will exist when the game is finished, but, as it is not, the page does not exist (sorry): .

Or you can download the game piecemeal.

The actual game data files: nyxxldat.zip

The GAGS interpreter: ginterp.zip

When the game is done it will probably be freeware under the GNU GPL. Any suggestions or room descriptions would be welcome. Thanks.

My current email forwarding address is quickbeam@altavista.net .


If, on the other hand, you want to enjoy online entertainments, you may find what you are looking for at mud.html or merlemud.html.


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