[Include Property Checking by Emily Short.] [Include Object Response Tests by Juhana Leinonen.] The story title is "Bad Beer". The story author is "Vivienne Dunstan". The story headline is "An Interactive Adventure". The story genre is "Mystery". The release number is 1. The story description is "A tale of dodgy drinks, things that go bump in the night, and stuff from the past that just ain't right". Release along with cover art ("A chalk on blackboard drawing of a frothy glass of beer with the words Bad Beer beside it."). The story creation year is 2024. Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Free-to-explore-pub is a truth state that varies. Free-to-explore-pub is false. A person can be scared or free. The player is free. light-switch-is-off is a truth state that varies. light-switch-is-off is false. clues-found is a number that varies. clues-found is 0. clues-target is always 3. trigger-time is a time variable. the-ending is a number variable. the-ending is 0. trip-hazard-present is a truth state that varies. trip-hazard-present is true. have-relooped is a truth state that varies. have-relooped is false. listobjectscarried is a list of objects that varies. jumping-to-past is a truth state that varies. jumping-to-past is false. Part 1 - Main game coding Chapter 1 - Present Day Section 1 - Locations Pub NOW is a room. The printed name of Pub NOW is "Inside the Pub". The description of Pub NOW is "This is the main room of 'The Dog and Duck', your local pub. You've spent many a happy night here. The room is quaint, with wooden beams. You feel the sense of history here. There are several tables and seats. To the south is the front door leading onto the street, and to the north is the area behind the bar.". Some beamsNOW and some seatsNOW and some tablesNOW and a doorNOW and a barNOW are scenery in Pub NOW. The printed name of beamsNOW is "beams". beamsNOW is improper-named. The printed name of tablesNOW is "tables". tablesNOW is improper-named. The printed name of seatsNOW is "seats". seatsNOW is improper-named. The printed name of doorNOW is "door". doorNOW is improper-named. The printed name of barNOW is "bar". barNOW is improper-named. barNOW is a supporter. Understand "table" and "tables" as tablesNOW. Understand "seat" and "seats" and "chair" and "chairs" and "seating" as seatsNOW. Understand "beam" and "beams" and "wooden beams" as beamsNOW. Understand "table" and "tables" as tablesNOW. Understand "door" and "front door" and "street door" and "south door" as doorNOW. Understand "bar" and "pub counter" and "counter" as barNOW. The description of beamsNOW is "Sturdy wooden beams run across above the main pub area, giving an impression of age.". The description of seatsNOW is "Various seats are scattered around the pub.". The description of tablesNOW is "There are various tables in the pub for customers to sit by.". The description of doorNOW is "The door to the south leads out to the rest of the village.". The description of barNOW is "Drinks are served from the counter of the bar, with the landlord or other staff usually standing behind it to the north.". Instead of listening to Pub NOW, say "The room has the gentle sound of people drinking and chatting, though it's quieter than you're used to.". Instead of putting something on tablesNOW, say "Best not, you never know who might take something from the tables.". Instead of opening doorNOW, try going south. Instead of closing doorNOW, say "It's already closed.". Instead of entering the seatsNOW, say "Best not. Things to be getting on with.". Instead of entering the tablesNOW, say "Don't think Jack would like that! Best not.". Instead of exiting in Pub NOW, try going south. Every turn when the player is in Pub NOW, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]You hear the chat of regulars, though a smaller number than the pub usually has.[or]A customer makes a joke, and their friend laughs in response.[or]The room is filled with the pleasant sounds of people drinking. Though they don't seem to be enjoying the beer as much as usual.[at random]". Instead of listening to the regulars, say "You hear a mix of general chatter from the locals.". Behind the Bar NOW is north of Pub NOW. The printed name of Behind the Bar NOW is "Behind the Bar". The description of Behind the Bar NOW is "This is the area behind the pub counter, where Jack and June often stand to serve the patrons, though they are not here right now. Rows of taps for pulling curiously titled beers and ciders run along the wooden counter top, delivering drinks from the kegs stored below. Behind the standing area are shelves holding glasses for the drinks. Exits go to the south, east and west from here.". Some taps NOW are scenery in Behind the Bar NOW. Understand "tap" and "taps" and "beer" and "beers" and "cider" and "ciders" and "handle" and "handles" and "row" and "rows" and "counter" and "counter top" and "bar" and "wooden bar" as taps NOW. taps NOW is a supporter. The printed name of taps NOW is "bar counter and beer taps". The description of taps NOW is "A row of taps for pulling beer and cider run along the wooden bar. Among them are the pub's most popular beers: Honeyed Badger, Golden Hare, and the one you tried just now, Stinky Ferret. Each tap has an ornate handle for pulling the beer.". Some kegs NOW are scenery in Behind the Bar NOW. Understand "keg" and "kegs" and "line" and "lines" and "beer line" and "beer lines" as kegs NOW. The printed name of kegs NOW is "beer kegs". The description of kegs NOW is "You bend down, and see the kegs under the bar, each connected to its tap with a beer line. You're no expert, but everything looks as you think it probably should. You stand back up again, no wiser.". Honeyed Badger and Golden Hare and Stinky Ferret are scenery in Behind the Bar NOW. The description of Honeyed Badger is "One of your favourites, Honeyed Badger has a mellow honey taste combined with a rich beer flavour.". The description of Golden Hare is "Golden Hare is a blond beer, with a rich golden colour and a lighter taste.". The description of Stinky Ferret is "The strongest of all the beers the pub serves, Stinky Ferret certainly packs a punch.". Some shelvesBarNOW are scenery in Behind the Bar NOW. Understand "shelf" and "shelves" and "glass" and "glasses" as shelvesBarNOW. The printed name of shelvesBarNOW is "shelves". The description of shelvesBarNOW is "The shelves hold glasses ready for the drinks to be poured.". Instead of taking shelvesBarNOW, say "Best leave the glasses where they are.". Instead of putting something on shelvesBarNOW, say "Best not, the shelves are full enough already.". Instead of tasting taps NOW: say "You can't taste the beer when it's not been served."; try pulling a pint. Instead of tasting kegs NOW, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of tasting Honeyed Badger, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of tasting Golden Hare, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of tasting Stinky Ferret, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of eating taps NOW, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of eating kegs NOW, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of eating Honeyed Badger, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of eating Golden Hare, try tasting taps NOW. Instead of eating Stinky Ferret, try tasting taps NOW. Kitchen NOW is east of Behind the Bar NOW. The printed name of Kitchen NOW is "Kitchen". The description of Kitchen NOW is "This is the small but functional pub kitchen, east of the rest of the pub. A well lit room, filled with shelves of pots and pans, as well as a cooker, fridge freezer, and sink. This is mainly June's area, and she pops in and out during the pub's opening hours.[if unvisited] June is indeed here, preparing the pub's meals. Sally is also here, chatting to her and helping. Both look up and smile as you enter. 'Having a look around, are you love?' asks June. 'Jack hoped you might help.'[end if][if player is scared] June sees the expression on your face. 'Are you alright love?' she asks.[end if]". Some potspans and some shelves are scenery in the Kitchen NOW. A cooker and a fridge freezer and a sink are scenery in the Kitchen NOW. Understand "fridge" and "freezer" and "fridge freezer" and "fridge-freezer" as fridge freezer. Understand "cooker" and "oven" as cooker. Understand "pot" and "pots" and "pan" and "pans" and "pots and pans" and "pot and pan" as potspans. The printed name of potspans is "pots and pans". potspans is plural-named. Understand "shelf" and "shelves" and "thing" as shelves. Understand "tap" and "faucet" and "water" as sink. KitchenFood is scenery in Kitchen NOW. The printed name of kitchenFood is "food". Understand "food" and "meal" and "meals" as kitchenFood. The description of kitchenFood is "June and Sally prepare various meals for the pub customers here.". Instead of taking kitchenFood, say "Best not. June wouldn't approve.". Instead of eating kitchenFood, say "Best not. June wouldn't approve.". Instead of inserting something into sink, say "Best not. June wouldn't approve.". Instead of putting something on the shelves, say "Best not. June wouldn't approve.". Every turn when the player is in Kitchen NOW, if a random chance of 1 in 4 succeeds, say "[one of]June bustles away, sorting out food.[or]Sally washes up some things in the sink.[or]'It's been odd here lately, hasn't it?' says June, musing as she works.[or]'I hope Jack doesn't need anything fetched from the cellar,' says Sally. 'That place has been giving me the creeps.'[or]Voices come through from the pub. Sounds like the customers are having a good time.[or]Sally wipes her head. 'Oh, I'm tired!' she says, grinning at the same time.[or]'Hope you can find something, love,' says June, looking at you with concern.[or]'Even the vicar's been looking into it!' says June. 'We'll have an exorcism next at this rate, you mark my words.' Sally laughs.[or]Sally puts some things away. It's important to keep a small kitchen like this tidy.[or]June glances up at you as she works.[or]'I hope the diners enjoy the latest food,' says Sally, hard at work.[at random]". Instead of listening to Kitchen NOW, say "June and Sally are preparing things, and chatting away.". Instead of smelling Kitchen NOW, say "This is the best smelling part of the pub.". Instead of smelling KitchenFood, say "Oh the food smells good.". Instead of examining the fridge freezer the first time: say "You open the fridge freezer. It is full of supplies for the pub. You are about to shut the door when it suddenly BANGS shut on you by itself. 'There it's doing that again!' says Sally. 'Gives me the creeps it does.' June nods, adding, 'It's been going on for a while.'"; increment clues-found. The description of the fridge freezer is "It's a small but functional fridge freezer, used to store pub supplies. You consider opening it again, but think better of it.". Instead of opening the fridge freezer, try examining the fridge freezer. Instead of searching the fridge freezer, try examining the fridge freezer. Instead of closing fridge freezer, say "It's already closed.". Instead of closing cooker, say "It's already closed.". Instead of inserting something into the fridge freezer, say "Best not. It's probably already full of stuff needed for the pub.". The description of the potspans is "You glance at the pots and pans but don't spot anything of note.". Instead of taking the potspans, say "Best not. June needs them here.". The description of the cooker is "It's a pretty basic cooker. Nothing much to see here.". The description of the sink is "This is where the dishes and things are washed up.". The description of the shelves is "The shelves have various things on them.". Instead of opening the cooker, say "You look inside, but don't see anything unusual.". Instead of switching on the sink, say "Best not. June and Sally are busy here.". Bottom of Stairs NOW is west of Behind the Bar NOW. The printed name of Bottom of Stairs NOW is "Bottom of the Stairs". The description of Bottom of Stairs NOW is "This small hallway leads east to the bar area and up some stairs to the pub's bedrooms. An exit leads west and down into the pub's cellar.". Some stairsBottomNOW are scenery in Bottom of Stairs NOW. The printed name of stairsBottomNOW is "stairs". Understand "stairs" and "stair" and "staircase" as stairsBottomNOW. The stairsBottomNOW are improper-named. The description of stairsBottomNOW is "The stairs lead up to the pub's bedrooms for paying guests.". Instead of climbing stairsBottomNOW, try going up. Instead of entering stairsBottomNOW, try going up. Top of Stairs NOW is up of Bottom of Stairs NOW. The printed name of Top of Stairs NOW is "Top of the Stairs". The description of Top of Stairs NOW is "This is the top of the stairs. You feel surprisingly high up here, almost vertiginous. [if the player is in Top of Stairs NOW for the second time]This time around this spot also suddenly feels cold, causing you to shiver. That's strange. [end if]Two bedrooms lead off to the west and south. The stairs lead back down to the pub.". Some stairsTopNOW are scenery in Top of Stairs NOW. The printed name of stairsTopNOW is "stairs". Understand "stairs" and "stair" and "staircase" as stairsTopNOW. The stairsTopNOW are improper-named. The description of stairsTopNOW is "The stairs lead down to the main area of the pub.". Instead of examining down when the location is Top of Stairs NOW, say "It feels very high up here.". Instead of climbing stairsTopNOW, try going down. Instead of entering stairsTopNOW, try going down. Before going to Top of Stairs NOW the second time: increment clues-found. Bedroom 1 NOW is west of Top of Stairs NOW. The printed name of Bedroom 1 NOW is "In one of the pub's bedrooms". The description of Bedroom 1 NOW is "This is a small bedroom upstairs in the pub, with a small bed, plus a window. The room is decorated a pale green colour. Back to the east are the stairs down to the main pub.". The window1NOW and bed1NOW are scenery in Bedroom 1 NOW. bed1NOW is a supporter. The printed name of window1NOW is "window". The printed name of bed1NOW is "bed". window1NOW is improper-named. bed1NOW is improper-named. The description of bed1NOW is "The bed is made up ready for guests, though few people stay here.". Understand "window" as window1NOW. Understand "bed" as bed1NOW. Instead of opening window1NOW, say "It doesn't seem to open, no matter how hard you try.". Instead of searching window1NOW, say "You can see outside the pub. A very familiar sight.". Instead of examining outside when the location is Bedroom 1 NOW, try searching window1NOW. Instead of entering bed1NOW, say "Oh the bed looks tempting, but June wouldn't approve. Best not.". Instead of lying down bed1NOW, try entering bed1NOW. Instead of climbing bed1NOW, try entering bed1NOW. Instead of exiting in Bedroom 1 NOW, try going east. Bedroom 2 NOW is south of Top of Stairs NOW. The printed name of Bedroom 2 NOW is "In one of the pub's bedrooms". The description of Bedroom 2 NOW is "This is a small bedroom upstairs in the pub, with a small bed, plus a window. The room is decorated a warm red colour. Back to the north are the stairs down to the main pub.". The window2NOW and bed2NOW are scenery in Bedroom 2 NOW. bed2NOW is a supporter. The printed name of window2NOW is "window". The printed name of bed2NOW is "bed". window2NOW is improper-named. bed2NOW is improper-named. Understand "window" as window2NOW. Understand "bed" as bed2NOW. Instead of opening window2NOW, say "It doesn't seem to open, no matter how hard you try.". Instead of searching window2NOW, say "You can see outside the pub. A very familiar sight.". Instead of examining outside when the location is Bedroom 2 NOW, try searching window2NOW. Instead of examining bed2NOW the first time: say "The bed is made up ready for guests, though few people stay here. You suddenly feel a chill, as though someone is behind you. You turn around quickly, but there is no-one there."; increment clues-found. Instead of entering bed2NOW, say "Oh the bed looks tempting, but June wouldn't approve. Best not.". Instead of lying down bed2NOW, try entering bed2NOW. Instead of climbing bed2NOW, try entering bed2NOW. Instead of exiting in Bedroom 2 NOW, try going north. Cellar NOW is west of Bottom of Stairs NOW. The printed name of Cellar NOW is "Down in the Pub's Cellar". The description of Cellar NOW is "[if unvisited]You step down towards the pub's cellar, turning on the light switch at the top of the steps as you start to go down. [end if]This small room stores the pub's spare kegs of beer, crates of bottles, and other bits and pieces. The lighting is poor, and you remember when Jack showed you down here that the light has a habit of flickering.". Some spare kegs are scenery in Cellar NOW. Understand "keg" and "kegs" and "beer" as spare kegs. The description of spare kegs is "Various kegs of the pub's drinks are stored here.". Some crates of bottles are scenery in Cellar NOW. Understand "bottle" and "bottles" and "crate" and "crates" and "box" and "boxes" as crates of bottles. The description of crates of bottles is "Various heavy crates full of drink bottles are stored here.". Some bitsandpieces are scenery in Cellar NOW. Understand "other bits and pieces" and "bits and pieces" as bitsandpieces. The printed name of bitsandpieces is "bits and pieces". The description of bitsandpieces is "You can't see anything useful in there.". Instead of taking bitsandpieces, say "Best not. You don't think there's anything useful in there.". Instead of searching bitsandpieces, try examining bitsandpieces. Instead of examining crates of bottles the first time, say "Various heavy crates of drink bottles are stored here. You notice something hidden behind the crates, but can't quite reach it.". Instead of going down in Bottom of Stairs NOW, try going west. Instead of going up in Cellar NOW, try going east. Instead of exiting in Cellar NOW, try going east. Instead of searching the crates of bottles, try examining the crates of bottles. Instead of taking the crates of bottles, say "Best not. Jack needs them here.". Instead of taking the spare kegs, say "They're a bit heavy, and needed here. Best not.". A light switch is scenery in Cellar NOW. Instead of switching off the light switch: if light-switch-is-off is true: say "It is already off!"; otherwise: say "No way! You don't want to be in the dark down here.". Instead of switching on the light switch: if light-switch-is-off is true: say "You flick the switch, but the light won't turn back on."; otherwise: say "It is already on!". Outside the Pub NOW is south of Pub NOW. The printed name of Outside the Pub NOW is "Outside the Pub". The description of Outside the Pub NOW is "This is the village street outside the pub which lies to the north. Above the door is the old pub sign.". Instead of going inside in Outside the Pub NOW, try going north. Instead of opening outsideDoorNOW, try going north. Instead of closing outsideDoorNOW, say "It's already closed.". Instead of going nowhere in Outside the Pub NOW, say "Best not, Jack needs your help in the pub.". The village street NOW and the outsideDoorNOW are scenery in Outside the Pub NOW. The printed name of outsideDoorNOW is "door". Understand "door" as outsideDoorNOW. The printed name of village street NOW is "village street". Understand "street" and "road" and "village street" as village street NOW. The description of village street NOW is "The street runs past the pub. Apart from you it is currently empty.". The description of outsideDoorNOW is "The door leads back into the pub.". Instead of listening to Outside the Pub NOW, say "The air is filled with bird songs and you can also hear voices from inside the pub.". Instead of smelling Outside the Pub NOW, say "The air smells fresh and invigorating.". Some pubBirds are scenery in Outside the Pub NOW. The printed name of pubBirds is "birds". Understand "birds" as pubBirds. Instead of examining the pubBirds, say "You can't see any birds, but can hear them.". Instead of listening to the pubBirds, say "You can hear birds singing nearby.". Every turn when the player is in Outside the Pub NOW, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]You hear the song of birds nearby.[or]In the distance you hear the sound of grass cutting.[or]You can faintly hear happy voices of drinkers inside the pub.[at random]" A sign is scenery in Outside the Pub NOW. Understand "pub" and "window" and "windows" and "sign" and "dog and duck" and "dog" and "duck" as sign. Instead of examining the sign the first time: say "You look at the pub sign, which shows a black and white collie dog sitting beside a green and brown duck. Suddenly something catches your eye. At one of the pub's upper windows you see a face. Not one you recognise. You blink, and look again. They've gone."; increment clues-found. The description of the sign is "You look at the pub's old sign, featuring a black and white collie dog sitting beside a green and brown duck. You glance briefly to the upper window beside the sign, but see nothing strange this time.". Section 2 - NPCs Jack is a man in the Pub NOW. The description of Jack is "Jack is in his early sixties. He has receding grey hair, and is rather plump around the midriff. He likes his beer! He's a friendly chap, who you've got to know well over the years since you moved here.". Understand "landlord" and "publican" as Jack. June is a woman in the Kitchen NOW. The description of June is "June is a bit younger than her husband Jack, and has short wavy brown hair. She's always been welcoming and kind to you.". Understand "landlady" as June. Sally is a woman in the Kitchen NOW. The description of Sally is "You'd guess Sally is in her early forties, with long, straight, blonde hair. She's a real help in the pub to June and Jack.". Some regulars are people in the Pub NOW. The description of regulars is "There are a few people in the pub at the moment, quietly chatting and drinking. Normally the pub is busier than this.". Understand "people" and "drinker" and "drinkers" and "customer" and "customers" and "locals" and "contented regulars" as regulars. Reverend Bottledale is a man. The description of Reverend Bottledale is "The local vicar is quiet, and quite shy. Not very tall, with balding hair and glasses. Though you recognise a sharp intelligence there.". Understand "vicar" as Reverend Bottledale. Section 3 - Scenes When play begins: say "The landlord at the local pub has been having trouble with the beer for a while. First one drink occasionally tasted bad, then another, until now he’s almost scared to pull a pint. He's called you in for advice. Can you figure out what's going wrong?"; pause the game. A pint glass is in the Pub NOW. The description of the pint glass is "It is an empty pint glass, waiting to be filled with the pub's delicious beer.". A full pint glass is nowhere. The description of full pint glass is "This pint glass is full of rich coloured beer, with a good amount of froth on top. It looks delicious, as always, and your mouth waters in anticipation.". Understand "beer" and "froth" as full pint glass. Instead of smelling full pint glass, say "You sniff the beer. It doesn't quite smell right. Seems a bit off.". Before-have-glass is a scene. Before-have-glass begins when play begins. Before-have-glass ends when the player has the pint glass. Instead of talking Jack during Before-have-glass, say "'Give me that glass and I'll show you what's wrong!' says Jack.". Instead of asking Jack about something during Before-have-glass, say "'Give me that glass and I'll show you what's wrong!' says Jack.". Pulling-a-pint is a scene. Pulling-a-pint begins when the player has the pint glass. Pulling-a-pint ends when Free-to-explore-pub is true. Instead of going when Free-to-explore-pub is false, say "No way are you leaving before you've had your beer.". Every turn when the pint glass is in the Pub NOW, if a random chance of 1 in 2 succeeds, say "[one of]'Ere, give me that glass, will ee!' says Jack.[or]'Let me show you what this beer is like. Hand that glass over,' says Jack.[or]Jack nods to you, eyebrows raised.[or]Jack looks at you expectantly.[at random]" Instead of giving the pint glass to Jack: if the player does not have the pint glass, try taking the pint glass. When Pulling-a-pint begins: say "'Yes, let me show you,' says Jack eagerly, taking the empty pint glass from you. He fills it carefully with beer, with a good head of froth on top. 'There, try that!' he says, passing it back to you."; Now the pint glass is nowhere; Now the player has the full pint glass. Instead of giving the full pint glass to Jack, say "'No, drink it up you daft turnip!' says Jack, rolling his eyes.". Instead of dropping the full pint glass, say "'No, drink it up you daft turnip!' says Jack, rolling his eyes.". Instead of drinking the full pint glass: say "You raise the glass to your lips, and drink. But unlike the usual good drink here, this tastes like something really bad, rotten, just all wrong. You pull a face, and put the glass back down. 'Aarr!' says Jack. 'Now you see! It ain't right!' He takes the glass from you and empties it with disgust. 'All our drinks taste like that now. I might as well shut up shop. I can't find anything wrongly set up. Can you check around the pub for me?' You nod, though uncertain what you will find. But Jack is just grateful, and shakes your hand warmly, before turning away, leaving you free to start exploring."; now the full pint glass is nowhere; now Free-to-explore-pub is true. Instead of tasting the full pint glass, try drinking the full pint glass. Instead of eating the full pint glass, try drinking the full pint glass. Exploring-the-pub is a scene. Exploring-the-pub begins when Pulling-a-pint ends. Every turn when the location is the Cellar NOW and the player is free, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]The light flickers.[or]There the light goes for a moment.[or]You shiver suddenly. It is cold down here.[at random]" A wooden figure is nowhere. The description of the wooden figure is "It is a small roughly carved figure, maybe a child's toy. Rather crudely carved, and simple in shape, but recognisable as a person.". Understand "toy" and "person" as wooden figure. Instead of pulling the crates of bottles: if wooden figure is nowhere: say "With an effort you move the crates slightly. There is something behind them, and you take it. You push the crates back in place."; now the player has the wooden figure; say "You look at the object in your hand. It is a small roughly carved figure, maybe a child's toy? As you ponder the light flickers suddenly then turns off. You feel a sense of dread, yet are unable to move."; increment clues-found; now the player is scared; now the light-switch-is-off is true; now the description of the Cellar NOW is "It's too dark in here to see anything much without the light on."; rescue arrives in three turns from now; otherwise: say "You've already moved the crates once. You don't think you'll find anything more a second time.". Instead of pushing the crates of bottles, try pulling the crates of bottles. Instead of going in the Cellar NOW when the player is scared, say "No it's no good, you're glued to the spot.". Every turn when the location is the Cellar NOW and the player is scared, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]You have a growing sense of claustrophobia down here in the dark.[or]This is silly, why are you so scared? Yet you are.[or]It seems to be getting colder, and you shiver more and more.[at random]". Instead of dropping the wooden figure in Cellar NOW, say "You want to drop the wooden object, but seem unable to release it from your hand.". Instead of attacking the wooden figure, say "It's a slightly unsettling object, but you can't quite bring yourself to damage it.". At the time when rescue arrives: now the player is scared; say "Suddenly you hear a voice up above. It's Sally. 'Is there someone down there?' You hear her flick the switch twice, and the light turns back on. 'Come out of there! What were you doing?' You climb the steps, grateful to see her, and step out of the cold. 'You daft thing!' says Sally, looking at you with concern. 'Come through to the kitchen for a chat if you like.'"; now the light-switch-is-off is false; now the player is in Bottom of Stairs NOW; now Sally is in Kitchen NOW. Instead of going west in Bottom of Stairs NOW when player is scared, say "No, that place spooked you far too much already. You are not going to go back down there.". Instead of giving the wooden figure to Sally, say "'Oh that gives me the creeps!' Sally says, handing it back to you. She shakes her hands, as if trying to get rid of the strange feeling.". Instead of giving the wooden figure to June, say "'What a curious figure!' June says, turning it over in her hands, before handing it back to you.". Instead of giving the wooden figure to Jack, say "'That looks old,' says Jack. You tell him where you found it, and he's puzzled, but knows nothing of its history. He hands it back.". Instead of giving the wooden figure to Reverend Bottledale, say "'That's a curious object,' says the vicar, turning it over in his hands. 'Maybe Victorian, perhaps a child's toy?' He hands it back to you.". Exploring-the-pub ends when the location is the Pub NOW and clues-found >= clues-target. Vicar-scene is a scene. Vicar-scene begins when Exploring-the-pub ends. When Vicar-scene begins: say "Jack comes over to you. 'Ere, the Reverend wanted to show you something.' You see a man approach, and recognise him as the village's vicar, Reverend Bottledale. 'I found some papers that might help,' says the vicar, handing some sheets of paper over to you. 'It's about the pub's history,' he adds."; now Reverend Bottledale is in the Pub NOW; now the player has the papers. Some papers are nowhere. The description of papers is "The papers are printouts of various notes about the pub and its history. Lots of small details, but not - at least yet - written up in a coherent history. You glance down the page and see details like:[line break] - Dates from at least the early 1800s, possibly earlier[line break] - May have gone under a different name before, but recorded under modern name back a long way[line break] - Publicans traced in census returns include Jacob Gudgeon, Arthur Pretty, George Sherry and Fred Sparks[line break] - Vague rumours of a tragic death here, maybe mid 1800s[line break] - Newspaper references include gaming competitions, notable events, plus dodgy drink selling and illegal gambling on site!". Understand "paper" and "sheet" and "sheets" and "sheets of paper" and "notes" and "printout" and "printouts" as papers. Instead of examining the papers the first time: say "The papers are printouts of various notes about the pub and its history. Lots of small details, but not - at least yet - written up in a coherent history. You glance down the page and see details like:[line break][line break] - The Dog and Duck dates from at least the early 1800s[line break] - Pub possibly under a different name before, but recorded under modern name back a long way[line break] - Publicans traced in census returns include Jacob Gudgeon, Arthur Pretty, George Sherry and Fred Sparks[line break] - Vague rumours of a tragic death here, maybe mid 1800s[line break] - Newspaper references to local pub games, other notable events, plus some dodgy drink selling and illegal gambling on site! You suddenly feel cold, and looking up from the papers see a pale, wispy figure standing. It looks like a young boy. He is pointing straight at you. Your chest clenches, and the view around you fades, before moments later you come to again ..."; pause the game; now the player is in Pub THEN; say "This looks so like the pub you know so well, similar layout, it feels familiar. But the decor and the people are like something from the past, in fact a really long time ago in the past. What just happened?! You look at yourself and [italic type]you[roman type] seem faint now. This just gets odder.". Vicar-scene ends when the player is in Pub THEN for the first time. Section 4 - Test code - Not for release Test vicar with "get glass / drink / s / examine sign / n / n / e / examine fridge / w / w / u / s / examine bed / n / d / d / move crates / wait / wait / wait / e / s". Test past with "get glass / drink / s / examine sign / n / n / e / examine fridge / w / w / u / s / examine bed / n / d / d / move crates / wait / wait / wait / e / s / x papers". Chapter 2 - Into the Past Section 1 - Locations Pub THEN is a room. The printed name of Pub THEN is "Inside the Pub". The description of Pub THEN is "This is a pub, with thick wooden beams, and lots of tables and chairs for people to sit in. It is a comfortable space. The area behind the bar is to the north and a door leads out to the south.". Some beamsTHEN and some seatsTHEN and some tablesTHEN and a doorTHEN and a barTHEN are scenery in Pub THEN. The printed name of beamsTHEN is "beams". beamsTHEN is improper-named. The printed name of tablesTHEN is "tables". tablesTHEN is improper-named. The printed name of seatsTHEN is "seats". seatsTHEN is improper-named. The printed name of doorTHEN is "door". doorTHEN is improper-named. The printed name of barTHEN is "bar". barTHEN is improper-named. Understand "table" and "tables" as tablesTHEN. Understand "seat" and "seats" and "chair" and "chairs" and "seating" as seatsTHEN. Understand "beam" and "beams" and "wooden beams" as beamsTHEN. Understand "table" and "tables" as tablesTHEN. Understand "door" as doorTHEN. Understand "bar" and "pub counter" and "counter" as barTHEN. The description of beamsTHEN is "Thick wooden beams stretch above this room.". The description of seatsTHEN is "This pub has various seats for customers.". The description of tablesTHEN is "There are various tables here.". The description of doorTHEN is "There is a door to the south, leading outside.". The description of barTHEN is "As in the pub you remember the bar counter is to the north in the room and the landlord stands behind it.". Instead of listening to Pub THEN, say "You hear the comforting sound of people relaxing as they drink.". Instead of entering the seatsTHEN, say "Best not. Things to be getting on with.". Instead of entering the tablesTHEN, say "Don't think the landlord would like that! Best not.". Instead of opening doorTHEN, try going south. Instead of closing doorTHEN, say "It's already closed.". Instead of exiting in Pub THEN, try going south. Instead of listening to the customers, say "You hear a mix of general chatter from the locals. Feels very familiar.". Behind the Bar THEN is north of Pub THEN. The printed name of Behind the Bar THEN is "Behind the Bar". The description of Behind the Bar THEN is "This is the area behind the pub counter. Similar to what you remember, though somewhat simpler. Exits go to the south, east and west from here.". The bar counter THEN is scenery in Behind the Bar THEN. The printed name of bar counter THEN is "bar counter". Understand "bar" and "counter" and "bar counter" and "counter top" and "wooden bar" and "beer" and "beers" and "cider" and "ciders" and "drink" and "drinks" as bar counter THEN. The description of bar counter THEN is "Various drinks are offered for sale, but not ones you recognise.". Some shelvesBarTHEN are scenery in Behind the Bar THEN. Understand "shelf" and "shelves" and "glass" and "glasses" as shelvesBarTHEN. The printed name of shelvesBarTHEN is "shelves". The description of shelvesBarTHEN is "As in the bar you know the shelves here hold glasses ready for drinks to be poured.". Instead of taking shelvesBarTHEN, say "Best leave the glasses where they are.". Kitchen THEN is east of Behind the Bar THEN. The printed name of Kitchen THEN is "Kitchen". The description of Kitchen THEN is "This is the pub's small kitchen, east of the rest of the pub. It looks familiar, though is missing all the modern electrical equipment from your time. A cook is here, preparing pub food at a table.". The kitchenTHENtable is scenery in Kitchen THEN. The printed name of kitchenTHENtable is "table". kitchenTHENtable is improper-named. Understand "table" and "food" as kitchenTHENtable. The description of kitchenTHENtable is "The table provides a good workspace for the cook to prepare food.". Every turn when the player is in Kitchen THEN, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]The cook turns around, looking for something, then carries on with his preparation.[or]There is a wonderful smell here.[or]The cook works busily.[at random]". Instead of listening to Kitchen THEN, say "In the distance you can hear voices from the bar area.". Instead of smelling Kitchen THEN, say "This kitchen also smells nice.". Instead of smelling KitchenTHENtable, say "It's not as good smelling as June's food, but still tempting.". Instead of eating KitchenTHENtable, say "Best not. The cook wouldn't approve.". Instead of putting something on KitchenTHENtable, say "Best not. The cook is busy with the table as it is.". Bottom of Stairs THEN is west of Behind the Bar THEN. The printed name of Bottom of Stairs THEN is "Bottom of the Stairs". The description of Bottom of Stairs THEN is "This small hallway leads east to the bar area and up some stairs to the pub's bedrooms. An exit leads west and down into the pub's cellar. It feels virtually the same as you remember from your time.". Some stairsBottomTHEN are scenery in Bottom of Stairs THEN. The printed name of stairsBottomTHEN is "stairs". Understand "stairs" and "stair" and "staircase" as stairsBottomTHEN. The stairsBottomTHEN are improper-named. The description of stairsBottomTHEN is "The stairs lead up to the pub's bedrooms for paying guests.". Instead of climbing stairsBottomTHEN, try going up. Instead of entering stairsBottomTHEN, try going up. Top of Stairs THEN is up of Bottom of Stairs THEN. The printed name of Top of Stairs THEN is "Top of the Stairs". The description of Top of Stairs THEN is "This is the top of the stairs. As in your time you feel surprisingly high up here, almost vertiginous. Two bedrooms lead off to the west and south. The stairs lead back down to the pub.". The floor is scenery in Top of Stairs THEN. Understand "floor" and "carpet" and "stair" and "stairs" and "rug" as floor. Instead of examining down when the location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "It feels very high up here."; try examining the floor. Instead of examining the floor the first time: say "You look at the floor and notice a small part of the carpet at the top of the stairs is curled over. Which could catch someone out if they are unlucky. You straighten and smooth it out."; now trip-hazard-present is false. Instead of examining the floor at least the second time: say "There is nothing hazardous about the floor now.". Instead of climbing floor, try going down. Instead of entering floor, try going down. Bedroom 1 THEN is west of Top of Stairs THEN. The printed name of Bedroom 1 THEN is "In one of the pub's bedrooms". The description of Bedroom 1 THEN is "This is a small bedroom upstairs in the pub, with a small bed, plus a window. It looks much like in your time, but is more simply decorated. Back to the east are the stairs down to the main pub.". The window1THEN and bed1THEN are scenery in Bedroom 1 THEN. bed1THEN is a supporter. The printed name of window1THEN is "window". The printed name of bed1THEN is "bed". window1THEN is improper-named. bed1THEN is improper-named. Understand "window" as window1THEN. Understand "bed" as bed1THEN. Instead of opening window1THEN, say "It doesn't seem to open, no matter how hard you try.". Instead of searching window1THEN, say "You can see outside the pub. Somewhat familiar, but in the past.". Instead of examining outside when the location is Bedroom 1 THEN, try searching window1THEN. Instead of entering bed1THEN, say "Oh the bed looks tempting, but the landlord probably wouldn't approve. Best not.". Instead of lying down bed1THEN, try entering bed1THEN. Instead of climbing bed1THEN, try entering bed1THEN. Instead of exiting in Bedroom 1 THEN, try going east. Bedroom 2 THEN is south of Top of Stairs THEN. The printed name of Bedroom 2 THEN is "In one of the pub's bedrooms". The description of Bedroom 2 THEN is "This is a small bedroom upstairs in the pub, with a small bed, plus a window. It looks much like in your time, but is a lighter cream colour. Back to the north are the stairs down to the main pub.". The window2THEN and bed2THEN are scenery in Bedroom 2 THEN. bed2THEN is a supporter. The printed name of window2THEN is "window". The printed name of bed2THEN is "bed". window2THEN is improper-named. bed2THEN is improper-named. Understand "window" as window2THEN. Understand "bed" as bed2THEN. Instead of opening window2THEN, say "It doesn't seem to open, no matter how hard you try.". Instead of searching window2THEN, say "You can see outside the pub. Somewhat familiar, but in the past.". Instead of examining outside when the location is Bedroom 2 THEN, try searching window2THEN. Instead of entering bed2THEN, say "Oh the bed looks tempting, but the landlord probably wouldn't approve. Best not.". Instead of lying down bed2THEN, try entering bed2THEN. Instead of climbing bed2THEN, try entering bed2THEN. Instead of exiting in Bedroom 2 THEN, try going north. The plant pot is in Bedroom 2 THEN. Understand "plant" and "pot" and "plant pot" and "houseplant" and "house plant" as plant pot. The description of the plant pot is "The small plant pot has a small houseplant in it.". Instead of giving the plant pot to landlord, say "No matter how hard you try, you can't seem to give it to him.". Cellar THEN is west of Bottom of Stairs THEN. The printed name of Cellar THEN is "Down in the Pub's Cellar". The description of Cellar THEN is "This is the pub's cellar, though with no modern electric light it is gloomy, and you decide against going into it properly.". Instead of going down in Bottom of Stairs THEN, try going west. Instead of going up in Cellar THEN, try going east. Instead of exiting in Cellar THEN, try going east. Outside the Pub THEN is south of Pub THEN. The printed name of Outside the Pub THEN is "Outside the Pub". The description of Outside the Pub THEN is "Stepping outside you find yourself beside a rough surfaced old village street. And there's the pub sign, 'The Dog and Duck'. Of course it is. Though it looks to have a fresher lick of paint than you remember. Everything is different, but somehow it's still the same.". The village street THEN and the outsideDoorTHEN are scenery in Outside the Pub THEN. The printed name of outsideDoorTHEN is "door". Understand "door" as outsideDoorTHEN. The printed name of village street THEN is "village street". Understand "street" and "road" and "village street" as village street THEN. The description of village street THEN is "The street runs past the pub. Apart from you it is currently empty.". The description of outsideDoorTHEN is "The door leads back into the pub.". Instead of going inside in Outside the Pub THEN, try going north. Instead of opening outsideDoorTHEN, try going north. Instead of closing outsideDoorTHEN, say "It's already closed.". Instead of going nowhere in Outside the Pub THEN, say "Best not, you think the answers lie in the pub, even if it has changed.". The old-pub is scenery in Outside the Pub THEN. Understand "pub" and "window" and "windows" and "sign" and "dog and duck" and "dog" and "duck" as old-pub. The description of old-pub is "The pub sign is fresher but as you remember. Glancing at the pub the building is similar. At the windows you see nothing strange.". Instead of listening to Outside the Pub THEN, say "The air is filled with quiet country sounds. You can also hear some voices from inside the pub.". Instead of smelling Outside the Pub THEN, say "The air smells fresh.". Every turn when the player is in Outside the Pub THEN, if a random chance of 1 in 3 succeeds, say "[one of]A bird sings nearby.[or]The air is filled with the fresh smell of the countryside.[or]You faintly hear voices from inside the pub.[at random]" Section 2 - NPCs A landlord is a man in Pub THEN. The description of a landlord is "The landlord here looks of a similar age to Jack, but who knows how old he actually is if he lived in the past. He doesn't seem to notice you.". Understand "landlord" and "publican" as a landlord. Some customers are people in Pub THEN. The description of customers is "Several people are in the pub, drinking. They don't seem to notice you.". Understand "people" and "drinker" and "drinkers" and "locals" and "customer" and "customers" as customers. A cook is a man in Kitchen THEN. The description of a cook is "The pub cook here is a man, currently busy here in the kitchen. He doesn't seem to notice you.". Will is a male person. The description of Will is "Will looks to be in his early or mid teens, but seems quite small for his age. He has short, brown hair, and a cheery face.". Understand "boy" as Will. Instead of giving the wooden figure to Will, say "You reach out towards him, but can't quite manage it.". Section 3 - Scenes Exploring-the-past is a scene. Exploring-the-past begins when Vicar-scene ends. When Exploring-the-past begins: now listobjectscarried is the list of things carried by the player; now the trigger-time is time of day plus 2 minutes. Exploring-the-past ends when the location is the Pub THEN and time of day is after trigger-time. Instead of dropping the papers during Exploring-the-past, say "Best not drop the papers here. Who knows what might happen if people in this time find these notes from their future.". Instead of dropping the wooden figure during Exploring-the-past, say "You feel strangely reluctant to drop the figure at this time.". Instead of going from Pub THEN during Exploring-the-past, say "You feel strangely reluctant to go further into this version of the pub at the moment.". Instead of going south from Pub THEN during Exploring-the-past: say ""; move the player to Outside the Pub THEN. Looping-the-past is a recurring scene. Looping-the-past begins when Exploring-the-past ends. Looping-the-past ends when the-ending is not 0. When Looping-the-past begins: say "Some of the customers are laughing loudly, as one tells a risqué story. Then the landlord calls, 'Will, can you go and fetch the plant pot from upstairs? I think it would do better down here.' He is speaking to a young boy, maybe 14 or 15 years old, who you now notice standing beside the bar. A boy, you realise with a jolt, who is worryingly familiar. For a moment you remember the strange spectre you saw in your time. 'Aye, sir,' says Will, with a cheery voice, putting away a small wooden toy that he had been playing with. He walks round the bar and heads through to the back of the pub. Not knowing why, you follow him. No one notices as you pass them in the pub. In the hallway you see Will dart upstairs, sometimes two steps at a time. You follow, and see he dashes into one bedroom, then comes back out, holding a plant pot with a small leafy plant inside it. He steps back towards the stairs, then everything slows ... as you watch ... unable to act. Will catches his foot on the floor ... and with a strange, slow motion cry tumbles down the stairs ... the plant pot flying up into the air as he falls, only to land beside the boy's broken and bleeding body at the bottom of the stairs. The wooden toy he had been playing with also falls, rolling down towards the cellar. You know there is no hope. Your heart breaks. Shocked to the core, you suddenly feel light headed and pressed upon from all around. The room spins, and you find yourself ..."; move the player to Bottom of Stairs THEN, without printing a room description; pause the game; say "... back in the old version of the pub. You shake your head in disbelief. You hear the same story that you heard a few minutes ago. Will is standing by the bar. What on earth is happening?"; now jumping-to-past is false; repeat with n running through listobjectscarried: if n is not carried by the player, now the player carries n; move Will to Pub THEN; move the player to Pub THEN; Landlord-calls-to-Will in one turn from now. Instead of dropping the papers during Looping-the-past, say "Best not drop the papers here. Who knows what might happen if people in this time find these notes from their future.". Instead of dropping the wooden figure during Looping-the-past, say "You feel strangely reluctant to drop the figure at this time.". At the time when Landlord-calls-to-Will: [ say "Landlord calls to Will ...";] if location is Pub THEN: say "Suddenly you hear those fateful words again: 'Will, can you go and fetch the plant pot from upstairs? I think it would do better down here.' 'Aye, sir,' says Will. He turns, and almost seems to notice you. But then he turns away again, and the moment has passed."; if location is Behind the Bar THEN: say "Suddenly you hear those fateful words again: 'Will, can you go and fetch the plant pot from upstairs? I think it would do better down here.' 'Aye, sir,' says Will. He turns, and almost seems to notice you. But then he turns away again, and the moment has passed."; Will-moves-behind-the-bar in two turns from now. At the time when Will-moves-behind-the-bar: [ say "Will moves behind the bar ...";] if location is Pub THEN: say "Will heads off to the back of the pub."; if location is Behind the Bar THEN: say "Will arrives from the main pub area."; move Will to Behind the Bar THEN; Will-moves-to-bottom-of-stairs in one turn from now. At the time when Will-moves-to-bottom-of-stairs: [ say "Will moves into stairwell ...";] if location is Behind the Bar THEN: say "Will walks out west towards the stairs."; if location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "Will arrives from the main pub area. He looks so full of life, and steps up towards the stairs."; move Will to Bottom of Stairs THEN; Will-climbs-stairs in one turn from now. Instead of giving the plant pot to Will: say "You reach towards him, trying to hand over the plant pot. He looks confused for a moment, but then seems to see you, and takes the plant pot."; now the plant pot is carried by Will. At the time when Will-climbs-stairs: [ say "Will climbs stairs ...";] if the location of the plant pot is Bottom of Stairs THEN: if the plant pot is not carried by Will: if the player has the plant pot: say "Will suddenly seems to see you, spots the plant pot, and takes it from you, smiling.[paragraph break]"; otherwise: if location is Bottom of Stairs THEN, say "Will spots the plant pot, and picks it up.[paragraph break]"; now the plant pot is carried by Will; if the plant pot is carried by Will: if location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "Will pauses, looking at what he is carrying. He grins, and turns round back towards the pub."; Will-goes-back-to-pub in one turn from now; otherwise: if location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "Will starts to climb up the stairs."; if location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "Will climbs up the stairs towards you. It is all happening again, as it did before."; move Will to Top of Stairs THEN; Will-goes-into-bedroom in one turn from now. At the time when Will-goes-back-to-pub: say "You breathe a sigh of relief. He is safe. The accident hasn't happened. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "SAFE! Ending 3";] now the-ending is 3. At the time when Will-goes-into-bedroom: [ say "Will goes into bedroom ...";] if the location of the plant pot is Top of Stairs THEN: if the plant pot is not carried by Will: if the player has the plant pot: say "Will suddenly seems to see you, spots the plant pot, and takes it from you, smiling.[paragraph break]"; otherwise: if location is Top of Stairs THEN, say "Will spots the plant pot, and picks it up.[paragraph break]"; now the plant pot is carried by Will; if the plant pot is carried by Will: if location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "Will pauses, looking at what he is carrying. He grins, and turns round back towards the pub."; Accident-happens in one turn from now; otherwise: if location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "You see Will vanish into one of the pub's bedrooms."; if location is Bedroom 2 THEN: say "Will comes into the bedroom and looks around."; move Will to Bedroom 2 THEN; Will-grabs-plant-pot in one turn from now. At the time when Will-grabs-plant-pot: [ say "Will grabs the plant pot ...";] if the location of the plant pot is Bedroom 2 THEN: if the player has the plant pot: say "Will suddenly seems to see you, spots the plant pot, and takes it from you, smiling."; now the plant pot is carried by Will; otherwise: if Will has the plant pot: if location is Bedroom 2 THEN, say "Will pauses, looking at what he is carrying. He grins, and turns round back towards the pub."; otherwise: if location is Bedroom 2 THEN, say "Will spots what he is looking for, and picks up the plant pot."; now the plant pot is carried by Will; otherwise: if location is Bedroom 2 THEN, say "Will looks around, puzzled, but can't seem to find what he's looking for."; Will-leaves-bedroom in one turn from now. At the time when Will-leaves-bedroom: [ say "Will leaves bedroom ...";] if location is Bedroom 2 THEN: say "Will leaves the bedroom."; if location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "Will comes back out from the bedroom."; if location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "You hear a noise at the top of the stairs, as Will returns."; move Will to Top of Stairs THEN; if the location of the plant pot is Top of Stairs THEN: if the plant pot is not carried by Will: if the player has the plant pot: say "Will suddenly seems to see you, spots the plant pot, and takes it from you, smiling."; otherwise: if location is Top of Stairs THEN, say "Will spots the plant pot, and picks it up."; now the plant pot is carried by Will; Accident-happens in one turn from now. At the time when Accident-happens: [ say "Accident happens ...";] if trip-hazard-present is false: if the location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "Will steps lightly down the stairs. And doesn't fall. You breathe a sigh of relief. He is safe. The accident hasn't happened. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "SAFE! Ending 3";] now the-ending is 3; [the best ending - Will lives] otherwise: if the location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "Will steps lightly down the stairs. And doesn't fall. You breathe a sigh of relief. He is safe. The accident hasn't happened. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "SAFE! Ending 3";] now the-ending is 3; [the best ending - Will lives] otherwise: say "Though you don't witness it happening yourself, somehow you know Will is safe this time, with the trip hazard removed. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "SAFE! Ending 3 (at a distance)";] now the-ending is 3; [the best ending - Will lives] otherwise: if the location is Top of Stairs THEN: say "To your horror the accident happens all over again. You didn't stop it. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "FALLS! Ending 2";] if have-relooped is true: now the-ending is 2; [second best: see him fall, but witness it] otherwise: [loop again] now the-ending is 0; now have-relooped is true; move the player to Bottom of Stairs THEN, without printing a room description; pause the game; say "... and you find yourself back in the old version of the pub. You shake your head in disbelief. You hear the same story that you heard a few minutes ago. Will is again standing by the bar. Suddenly, and differently from last time, you hear a ghostly voice in your head say, 'Just one last chance to save me. Please.'"; repeat with n running through listobjectscarried: if n is not carried by the player, now the player carries n; move Will to Pub THEN; move the player to Pub THEN; move plant pot to Bedroom 2 THEN; now trip-hazard-present is true; Landlord-calls-to-Will in one turn from now; otherwise: if the location is Bottom of Stairs THEN: say "To your horror the accident happens all over again. You didn't stop it. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "FALLS! Ending 2";] if have-relooped is true: now the-ending is 2; [second best: see him fall, but witness it] otherwise: [loop again] now the-ending is 0; now have-relooped is true; move the player to Bottom of Stairs THEN, without printing a room description; pause the game; say "... and you find yourself back in the old version of the pub. You shake your head in disbelief. You hear the same story that you heard a few minutes ago. Will is again standing by the bar. Suddenly, and differently from last time, you hear a ghostly voice in your head say, 'Just one last chance to save me. Please.'"; repeat with n running through listobjectscarried: if n is not carried by the player, now the player carries n; move Will to Pub THEN; move the player to Pub THEN; move plant pot to Bedroom 2 THEN; now trip-hazard-present is true; Landlord-calls-to-Will in one turn from now; otherwise: say "Though you don't witness it happening, somehow you know the accident has just happened all over again. You didn't stop it. Suddenly you feel faint, and the world spins around you ..."; [ say "FALLS! Ending 1 (at a distance)";] if have-relooped is true: now the-ending is 1; [poorest - he still falls, you didn't see it happening] otherwise: [loop again] now the-ending is 0; now have-relooped is true; move the player to Bottom of Stairs THEN, without printing a room description; pause the game; say "... and you find yourself back in the old version of the pub. You shake your head in disbelief. You hear the same story that you heard a few minutes ago. Will is again standing by the bar. Suddenly, and differently from last time, you hear a ghostly voice in your head say, 'Just one last chance to save me. Please.'"; repeat with n running through listobjectscarried: if n is not carried by the player, now the player carries n; move Will to Pub THEN; move the player to Pub THEN; move plant pot to Bedroom 2 THEN; now trip-hazard-present is true; Landlord-calls-to-Will in one turn from now. Chapter 3 - Back to the Present [Epilogue] Section 1 - Locations Churchyard NOW is a room. The printed name of Churchyard NOW is "In a small country churchyard". The description of Churchyard NOW is "This is the village's old churchyard. A calm place, where old gravestones push up among wild flowers and grasses, with ancient trees leaning overhead, dappling the sunshine and providing shade. You can hear birds singing nearby.". Some gravestones and a church and some wildflowers and some grasses and some trees are scenery in the Churchyard NOW. Understand "gravestone" and "gravestones" and "grave" and "graves" and "tomb" and "tombs" and "tombstone" and "tombstones" as gravestones. The description of gravestones is "There are many gravestones here, of various ages, scattered among the flowers and long grasses.". The description of church is "The village church lies a short distance away from here.". Understand "flowers" and "flower" and "wildflowers" and "wildflower" and "wild flowers" and "wild flower" as wildflowers. The description of wildflowers is "The flowers are a mix of colours, and grow vigorously in the churchyard, adding a wonderful atmosphere.". Understand "grass" and "grasses" as grasses. The description of grasses is "The grass is long but not disturbingly so, and gives a rich sense of life and vitality among the old stones.". Understand "tree" and "trees" as trees. The description of trees is "Various trees arch over the churchyard, providing shade and also a place for wildlife.". Some churchyardBirds are scenery in Churchyard NOW. The printed name of churchyardBirds is "birds". Understand "birds" as churchyardBirds. Instead of examining the churchyardBirds, say "You can't see any birds, but can hear them.". Instead of listening to the churchyardBirds, say "You can hear birds singing nearby.". Instead of listening to Churchyard NOW, say "The sounds you can hear are calm, country ones.". Instead of smelling Churchyard NOW, say "There is a gorgeous smell here of fresh wild flowers.". Instead of climbing the trees, say "Best not. It doesn't feel right here.". Instead of going nowhere in Churchyard NOW, say "Best not, the vicar said he had something to show you.". Instead of picking the wildflowers, say "Maybe another time. For now the vicar has something to show you.". Section 2 - Scenes Epilogue is a recurring scene. Epilogue begins when Looping-the-past ends. When Epilogue begins: move the player to Pub NOW, without printing a room description; move the player to Bottom of Stairs NOW, without printing a room description; pause the game; move Reverend Bottledale to Churchyard NOW; say "Some time has passed, since your jaunt into the past. Today you are meeting Reverend Bottledale in the small churchyard some distance from the pub. He said he had something to show you."; move the player to Churchyard NOW; Reverend-shows-you-the-grave in one turn from now. At the time when Reverend-shows-you-the-grave: if the-ending is 1, do poorest ending; if the-ending is 2, do fair ending; if the-ending is 3, do best ending; if the-ending is 0, do bug ending. To do poorest ending: [ say "Poorest ending - didn't save Will.";] say "'I've been thinking about what you said, about what you saw in the past,' says the vicar quietly. 'And I think I've found Will's grave.' He leads you over towards a small gravestone. There you can just make out the name Will Sharman. Your skin tingles. 'He died in 1856,' says the vicar sadly. 'He was just 15 years old. At least he lies in a quiet spot.' If only he was still at peace. The disturbances have continued at the pub. But you know why now. Even if you dearly wish you could have changed what happened. [if the player has the wooden figure]You place the small wooden toy that you found in the pub's cellar beside Will's grave. It is only a small token, but it feels like the right thing to do. [end if]You turn away, determined not to forget the boy."; end the story finally. To do fair ending: [ say "Fair ending - didn't save Will, but saw the accident happen.";] say "'I've been thinking about what you said, about what you saw in the past,' says the vicar quietly. 'And I think I've found Will's grave.' He leads you over towards a small gravestone. There you can just make out the name Will Sharman. Your skin tingles. 'He died in 1856,' says the vicar sadly. 'He was just 15 years old. At least he is at peace here in a quiet spot.' These are true words indeed. There have been no more strange occurrences at the pub. Even the beer tastes fine now. You turn around, and glimpse a spectral figure nearby. He is watching you, with a sad but calm face. Maybe it helped that you saw what happened to him, even if you dearly wish you could have changed what happened in the past. [if the player has the wooden figure]You place the small wooden toy that you found in the pub's cellar beside Will's grave. It is only a small token, but it feels like the right thing to do. [end if]You turn away, determined not to forget the boy."; end the story finally. To do best ending: [ say "Best ending - saved Will.";] say "'I've been thinking about what you said, about what you saw in the past,' says the vicar quietly. 'And I think I've found Will's grave.' He leads you over towards a small gravestone. There you can just make out the name Will Sharman. Your skin tingles. 'See: he died in 1912,' says the vicar. 'He lived a long, and happy life. I find it hard to believe what you told me, but he did not die from an accident, and lived to a grand old age. And this is a beautiful spot,' he says, gently touching the top of the gravestone. Beyond the gravestone among the trees you see a faint figure watching. It is Will, young again. He smiles, and waves, then vanishes. There have been no more strange occurrences at the pub. Even the beer tastes fine now. He is truly at peace. [if the player has the wooden figure]You place the small wooden toy that you found in the pub's cellar beside Will's grave. It is only a small token, but it feels like the right thing to do. [end if]You turn away, determined not to forget the boy. But first it's time for a proper drink. Jack promised you a glass of the pub's once again excellent beer this afternoon. You head off towards the pub, chatting to the vicar about Will as you walk."; end the story. To do bug ending: say "Bug ending - this shouldn't happen! Please contact the author."; end the story. Section 3 - Extra coding for the PAST loop allowed after the game ends Looping-the-past begins when jumping-to-past is true. Epilogue ends when Looping-the-past begins. This is the jump to the past rule: resume the story; now jumping-to-past is true; now the-ending is 0; move plant pot to Bedroom 2 THEN; now trip-hazard-present is true; now have-relooped is false; say "Jumping you to the point where you first see the accident ..."; pause the game; follow the turn sequence rules. [game design: Bad Beer A tale of dodgy drinks, things that go bump in the night, and things from the past that ain’t right Introduction The landlord at the local pub ‘The Dog and Duck’ has been having trouble with the beer for a while. First one drink occasionally tasted bad, then another, until now he’s scared to pull a pint. He called you for advice, but it turns out more has been going on. Strange noises and bangs are heard, cold sensations. The pub is haunted. In fact by the spirit of a boy who tumbled to his death on the pub’s staircase 150 years ago. Can you put that right or bring the boy to peace, or will the disturbances continue? Background The player is a friend of the landlord who’s helped him solve some problems before. They’re not skilled in occult matters, but get drawn into this while trying to help. The back story in the past is the boy tripped on a toy that had fallen on the floor by the stairs. If that can be removed – when the player shifts back in time – he can be saved. Or brought to peace if you take the toy to his graveside in the churchyard. Setting The game takes place almost entirely in the village pub. But there are different points of time, so eg the same locations may be revisited in different time zones. The NPCs encountered are the pub landlord, his wife, waitress Sally and some regulars. The player also encounters the ghost of Will Sharman, initially as a poltergeist, only later in a more corporeal form. Through the course of the game other characters appear as appropriate, including the local vicar. Structure The game is written as a series of scenes the player plays through. Timers are not used to advance the scenes, rather the actions of the player move things on. Sideways steps are possible, and encouraged, but there is a core series of events that the entire game should play through ideally. Main Scene: intro, tasting the drink, exploring the pub, hearing strange noises, input from waitress etc Vicar arrives: appearance of vicar, telling you some of local legends, the tale of Will Sharman. Hands you a newspaper. Maybe have a seance, here or before vicar bit. Could have time shift prompted by something that happens in the seance. Maybe you're sitting around a table in the pub, then feel light headed, around you starts to fade away, and you find yourself back in the past. Trip to the Past: somehow go back, when you have a chance to change what happens, and save Will Sharman - should we have a time loop back here to first watch what happens then try again? Conclusion: various possible endings (need to be interactive) - Summarise those scenes here - Eg scene 1, scene 2, scene 3 etc. Dramatis Personae Jack the pub landlord Jack is in his late fifties, with grey hair and a long beard, and a cheery personality well suited to his job as a pub landlord. After asking the player to check out the dodgy beer he’ll leave you to explore, but is happy to answer questions as posed. June the pub landlord’s wife June is in her early fifties, a smiling, brown-haired woman. More shy than her husband, you know her well. Like Jack she will answer questions you pose. Sally the pub waitress [maybe have her going to and fro between the pub and the kitchen] Some regulars Reverend Bottledale the local vicar Will Sharman the ghost boy Main Scene The game starts mid conversation with landlord Jack, pulling a pint for you, and demonstrating that it ain’t right! He explains a bit more, then prompts you to try the beer, and explore the pub more. Here the player has free rein to explore the pub. He or she will run into other NPCs as they go, getting clues to what is going on: Sally the pub waitress – has heard bangs in the kitchen at night, and chills in the cellar June the pub landlord’s wife – feels uneasy in the hallway and by the stairs Some regulars – tease landlord Jack, but admit to feeling unsettled of late. And the beer ain’t right! Different locations - Behind bar – Pub paraphernalia eg pumps, taps etc, glasses - In main area of pub – hubbub of chat, regulars drinking - Kitchen – pots, pans, freezer with food prepared, BANG! - Hall at bottom of stairs – dark space, feel uneasy yourself, SHIVER! - Top of stairs – sense of vertigo, NEARLY FALL! - Bedrooms upstairs - Cellar below – barrels, CHILLS that grow the longer you stay there - Outside areas M1. Location Description of location. What’s happening here? Who do the characters meet? Are there enemies lurking here? Treasure to find? Employ the “five senses” guide to flesh out these sections. The vicar arrives The vicar arrives with new clues and information, that set you on a different path. This scene is triggered after the player has explored at least two out of the kitchen, hallway/stairs and the cellar. So ideally after you’ve started to get spooked, and a feeling for what is going on. The vicar tells you the tale of Will Sharman. Write this in a way that the player gets a growing and visceral sense of unease, and the strong feeling that this is relevant to what is happening here. How exactly does the vicar tell the tale? - FILL IN Vicar gives you a newspaper cutting which tells you more, and leads directly to the next scene. - What is in the newspaper cutting? - Maybe have the player move (prompted) to the staircase after reading Seance - maybe suggested by waitress Sally Trip to the Past Reading the newspaper clipping leads to a time shift, taking the player back to the time of Will Sharman. Have them as a semi corporeal person, effectively a ghost, but with the ability to interact with physical things. Like the temporal reverse of what is happening in the present day! Populate the pub with mid 19th century inhabitants. Introduce Will. Need to allow the player to somehow change the past re the accident, or otherwise witness it happening, leading to a number of potential endings. Thinking of having them first witness the accident, then time loops back, and the player has a chance to change what happens. Want an escalating sense of tension and danger, as you realise the situation you are in. Or perhaps the sense of impending danger to someone else / somewhere else. Maybe you need to race past Will to the stairs. Don’t let the player seem uninvolved or removed. 1850s NPCs: - Earlier landlord - Waiter - Cook - Customers - WILL 1850s locations: - Loc1 - Loc2 - Loc3 - Etc Trigger point - Eg … If your adventure climax includes a boss battle, an epic escape, or another major obstacle, this is typically the chapter where that happens! Clearly outline what the climax of the adventure is, including any tips the GM/DM needs to efficiently run encounters or obstacles Conclusion After the trip to the past another time shift brings the player back to the present day. But have they changed anything? Outcome #1 The best outcome – the player prevents Will’s accident, meaning he lives. How does the player know? Outcome #2 A middling outcome – the player witnesses the accident, and hears Will’s plea for peace. They visit his grave, bringing him to peace, and saving the pub Outcome #3 Worst outcome – the player causes a worse event in the past, maybe a fire, or a second death, and is tormented by this for years to come Dramatis Personae / NPCs Modern Day - Jack the pub landlord - June the pub landlord’s wife - Sally the pub waitress - Some regulars - Reverend Bottledale the local vicar - Will Sharman the ghost boy 1850s - Earlier landlord - Waiter - Cook - Customers - Will Sharman in corporeal form] [how a beer/tap/keg system works: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_tap https://content.kegworks.com/blog/parts-of-a-draft-system https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/how-do-bar-pumps-and-kegs-work.302411/] [ say "You look up at the pub sign: a chestnut-coloured farm horse standing beside a large oak tree. Suddenly something catches your eye. At one of the pub's bedroom windows you see a figure. Not someone you recognise. You blink, and look again. They've gone."; increment clues-found. The description of the sign is "This is the pub's old sign: a chestnut-coloured farm horse standing beside a large oak tree. You glance briefly to the bedroom window beside the sign, but see nothing strange this time.".] Part 2 - Extra Coding Definition: a direction (called thataway) is viable if the room thataway from the location is a room. Instead of going nowhere: if the number of viable directions is 0, say "Sorry, you can't go that way. You appear to be trapped here."; otherwise say "Sorry, you can't go that way. From here, you can go [list of viable directions].". Instead of showing something to someone, try giving the noun to the second noun. Instead of telling someone about something, try asking the noun about it. Instead of answering the noun that something, try asking the noun about it. A person has a table name called conversation. Instead of asking someone about something: let the source be the conversation of the noun; if topic understood is a topic listed in source: if there is a turn stamp entry: say "[The noun] has already told you that [summary entry]."; otherwise: now turn stamp entry is the turn count; say "[reply entry][paragraph break]"; otherwise: say "[reply in row 1 of the source][paragraph break]". The conversation of June is the Table of June's Chatter. Table of June's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "June looks puzzled. Perhaps you should ask her about something else. Try TOPICS for ideas." "summary default" a number "beer/bad/taste/badger/hare/ferret" "'Oh Jack's so worried. The beer has been off for a while, and we can't find anything wrong with the setup,' says June, shaking her head sadly. 'Though it's not the only strange thing that's been going on here,' she says, nodding to you significantly." "the beer tastes bad but it's not the only strange thing that's been happening" -- "jack" "'I haven't seen him this unsettled before,' says June anxiously." "she hasn't seen Jack so unsettled before" -- "strange/noise/noises/bang/bangs/sound/sounds" or "strange things" "'We've had so many strange things going on,' says June. 'Not just the beer, but also odd noises everywhere.' 'And cold spells too,' adds Sally. 'Especially on the stairs and in the cellar. I don't like going in there now.'" "that they've had strange things going on, including odd noises, and (as Sally adds) cold spells too" -- "kitchen" "'This is my favourite spot usually, but it's been odd lately,' says June, glancing as she says it towards the fridge in particular." "that the kitchen has been odd lately, and she indicates the fridge" -- "cellar" "'Oh I don't go down there usually,' says June, 'and certainly not now. It gives me the creeps it does.'" "that the cellar gives her the creeps now" -- "bedroom/bedrooms/upstairs" "'Oh we've some nice bedrooms, but there's been an unsettling feeling there of late,' says June." "that they have some nice bedrooms but they've been unsettling places lately" -- "cold/chill/chills/temperature" "'The pub is usually such a cosy place,' says June. 'But there are some chilly areas now.'" "there are now some chilly areas in the pub" -- "history/pub" "'Oh I don't know much of the pub's history,' says June thoughtfully. 'Though I think the vicar's been looking into it.'" "that the vicar has been looking into the pub's history" -- "ghost/ghosts/haunting/haunted/poltergeist/poltergeists" "'Sometimes it almost feels as though we have a ghost,' says June. 'Or maybe a poltergeist?' adds Sally." "it sometimes feels as though there's a ghost, or poltergeist" -- "vicar/reverend/bottledale" or "reverend bottledale" "'I don't know him well, but he seems like a good vicar,' says June." "she thinks the vicar is a good one" -- "fridge/freezer" or "fridge freezer" or "fridge-freezer" "'It keeps shutting suddenly!' says June." "the fridge freezer keeps shutting suddenly" -- "sally" "'Oh she's a gem!' says June, reaching out to squeeze Sally's hand. 'We couldn't manage without her help.'" "they couldn't manage without Sally's help" -- "toy/figure" or "wooden figure" "'We've never had an object like that,' says June. 'It looks very old though.'" "they've never had an object like that, and it looks very old" -- The conversation of Sally is the Table of Sally's Chatter. Table of Sally's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "Sally looks puzzled. Perhaps you should ask her about something else. Try TOPICS for ideas." "summary default" a number "pub/history/strange/ghost/ghosts/haunting/haunted/poltergeist/poltergeists" or "strange things" "'Oh it's an old pub this, with history back as long as your arm,' says Sally. 'Sometimes I wonder if the place is haunted. Right enough we've been having cold spells lately. And odd noises.'" "the pub has an old history, and then there are the cold spells and odd noises of late. Maybe the pub is haunted" -- "beer/jack/badger/hare/ferret" "'Jack's not happy about the beer!' says Sally. 'I don't drink it myself, but he says it tastes very bad.'" "Jack's not happy about the beer which tastes very bad" -- "cold/chill/chills" "'There are so many cold spots now,' says Sally, shivering as she speaks. 'Especially up the stairs and down in the cellar.'" "there are cold spots, especially upstairs and in the cellar" -- "kitchen" "'There have been odd things going on here too,' says Sally. 'Especially that fridge!' which she glowers at." "the kitchen has had odd things happen too, especially the fridge" -- "fridge/freezer" or "fridge freezer" or "fridge-freezer" "'I don't want to open it now!' says Sally." "she doesn't want to open the fridge freezer now" -- "cellar" "'I still have to go in the cellar to get stuff,' says Sally, 'but I don't like it one bit now.'" "she doesn't like going into the cellar" -- "bedroom/bedrooms/upstairs" "'I've had a funny feeling sometimes in one of the bedrooms,' says Sally." "that she's had a funny feeling in one of the bedrooms" -- "noise/noises/sound/sounds/bang/bangs" "'Gives me the creeps the odd noises do!' says Sally fiercely." "the odd noises give her the creeps" -- "june" "'We have some right laughs,' says Sally, grinning at June." "she has some right laughs with June" -- "toy/figure" or "wooden figure" "'I've not seen a wooden figure before,' says Sally. 'But the pub is of some age. Maybe it was lost long ago?'" "the wooden figure may have been lost in the pub's past history" -- The conversation of Jack is the Table of Jack's Chatter. Table of Jack's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "Jack looks puzzled. Perhaps you should ask him about something else. Try TOPICS for ideas." "summary default" a number "pub/history" or "dog and duck" "'I've been here twenty five years with June,' muses Jack. 'Reet happy we've been too. But now, oh I'm so worried. If it's not the beer it's the other strange goings on. Ain't right. That's what I say!' he says, slapping the pub counter." "he's been happy here with June for twenty five years, but now is worried" -- "beer/drink/taste/drinks/beers/badger/hare/ferret/customers/regulars/locals/custom" "'It was one drink occasionally at first, then more and more often, until now they all taste bad!' wails Jack. 'The locals don't like it!'" "now all the drinks taste bad and the locals don't like it" -- "june" "'She's a love,' says Jack, smiling warmly." "his wife is a love" -- "sally" "'We couldn't manage without Sally's help, that's for sure,' says Jack." "they couldn't manage without Sally's help." -- "kitchen" or "fridge/freezer" or "fridge freezer" or "fridge-freezer" "'I don't know much about the kitchen, but June and Sally have said there are odd things happening,' says Jack." "June and Sally have told him about odd things happening in the kitchen" -- "cellar" "'We store the drinks and other things down in the cellar,' says Jack." "they store drinks and other stuff in the cellar" -- "bedroom/bedrooms/upstairs" "'Sometimes we have paying guests staying overnight,' says Jack, scratching his ear." "they sometimes have paying guests staying in the bedrooms" -- "noise/noises/sound/sounds" "'June and Sally have heard more odd noises than me,' says Jack." "June and Sally have heard more odd noises than him" -- "cold/chill/chills" "'Right enough it does feel chilly sometimes, for example down in the cellar,' says Jack thoughtfully." "the cellar feels chilly" -- "ghost/ghosts/haunting/haunted/poltergeist/poltergeists" "'June and Sally think this old place might be haunted,' says Jack, rubbing his chin." "June and Sally think the pub might be haunted" -- "vicar/reverend/bottledale" or "reverend bottledale" "'The vicar's a good [apostrophe]un!' says Jack." "the vicar is a good [apostrophe]un" -- "strange" or "strange things" "'There have been some strange things going on,' says Jack thoughtfully. 'But you'd be better asking June or Sally about those.'" "you should ask June or Sally about the strange things going on" -- The conversation of Reverend Bottledale is the Table of Bottledale's Chatter. Table of Bottledale's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "The vicar looks puzzled. Perhaps you should ask him about something else. Try TOPICS for ideas." "summary default" a number "pub/history/paper/papers/sheet/sheets" "'I found quite a lot in the local library,' says the vicar. 'And old newspapers as well.'" "he found a lot of information in the local library and old newspapers" -- "jack/beer/drink" "'I'm not a big drinker myself,' says the vicar, with a wry smile. 'But Jack's really worried. I hope we can figure out what is wrong.'" "he doesn't drink much himself but Jack is very worried" -- "ghost/ghosts/haunting/haunted/poltergeist/poltergeists/exorcism/june" "'June has mentioned that she thinks this place might be haunted,' says the vicar thoughtfully. 'Though I declined when she asked if I might perform an exorcism.'" "June thinks the place might be haunted, but he won't perform an exorcism" -- "churchyard/graveyard/gravestone/gravestones/graves/grave/church" "'It's a beautiful spot isn't it?' says the vicar." "the churchyard is a beautiful spot" -- Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about something during Epilogue, say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". [Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "will" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "boy" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "accident" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "death" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "jack" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "beer" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.". Instead of asking Reverend Bottledale about "drink" during Epilogue: say "The vicar says nothing, but looks thoughtful for a moment.".] The conversation of regulars is the Table of Regulars Chatter. Table of Regulars Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "They look at you blankly, then return to their drinks. I don't think you're going to get much information out of them." "summary default" a number The conversation of Landlord is the Table of Landlord's Chatter. Table of Landlord's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "You try to get his attention, but he doesn't respond. In fact he doesn't seem to see or hear you at all." "summary default" a number The conversation of customers is the Table of Customers Chatter. Table of Customers Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "You try to get their attention, but they don't respond. In fact they don't seem to see or hear you at all." "summary default" a number The conversation of Cook is the Table of Cook's Chatter. Table of Cook's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "You try to get his attention, but he doesn't respond. In fact he doesn't seem to see or hear you at all." "summary default" a number The conversation of Will is the Table of Will's Chatter. Table of Will's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "For a moment it's as though Will can hear you. But then he looks away." "summary default" a number The conversation of yourself is the Table of Yourself's Chatter. Table of Yourself's Chatter topic reply summary turn stamp "AXXBYCCZ" "Talking to yourself is never a good sign." "summary default" a number Understand "topics" as asking for topics. Asking for topics is an action out of world. Carry out asking for topics: say "The pub staff especially will be happy to answer your questions. Try asking them about topics like beer, the pub and its history, or parts of the pub. Then see what further topics their responses suggest you could ask about. For example ASK JACK ABOUT BEER.". Understand "talk to [someone]" as talking. Understand "talk [someone]" as talking. Talking is an action applying to one visible thing. Check talking: if the noun is: -- yourself: say "Talking to yourself is never a good sign. Are you feeling ok?"; -- Jack: say "'Getting on ok I hope,' says Jack. 'You're doing me a great favour.'"; -- June: say "'How are you getting on love?' says June. 'If you want to ask us anything about what's been happening go ahead.'"; -- Sally: say "'We're so grateful you're having a ferret around,' says Sally. 'Things have been getting very strange here.' She nods significantly towards June, who nods back, eyes wide open for emphasis."; -- regulars: say "They look at you blankly, then return to their drinks. I don't think you're going to get much information out of them."; -- Reverend Bottledale: say "'Jack said you were looking into what's been going on,' says the vicar quietly. 'I hope you can find some answers.'"; -- Landlord: say "You try to get his attention, but he doesn't respond. In fact he doesn't seem to see or hear you at all."; -- customers: say "You try to get their attention, but they don't respond. In fact they don't seem to see or hear you at all."; -- Cook: say "You try to get his attention, but he doesn't respond. In fact he doesn't seem to see or hear you at all."; -- Will: say "For a moment it's as though Will can hear you. But then he looks away."; -- otherwise: say "There is no response.". Understand "follow [someone]" as following. Following is an action applying to one visible thing. Carry out following: say "No I'm afraid you'll have to follow [noun] the hard way.". Understand "pull a pint" or "pull pint" or "pull a beer" or "pull beer" or "pour pint" or "pour a pint" or "pour beer" or "pour a beer" or "fill glass" or "fill a glass" or "use tap" or "operate tap" as pulling a pint. Pulling a pint is an action applying to nothing. Carry out pulling a pint: if the location is: -- Behind the Bar NOW: say "Jack's tried to show you how to pull a pint, but you're still unsure, so best not."; -- Behind the Bar THEN: say "You reach out, but can't touch anything. So no pint pulling for you."; -- otherwise: say "You can't do that here.". Instead of pulling taps NOW, try pulling a pint. Instead of pushing taps NOW, try pulling a pint. Instead of opening taps NOW, try pulling a pint. Instead of drinking taps NOW, try pulling a pint. Instead of drinking Honeyed Badger, try pulling a pint. Instead of drinking Golden Hare, try pulling a pint. Instead of drinking Stinky Ferret, try pulling a pint. Understand "thank [someone]" as thanking. Thanking is an action applying to one visible thing. Carry out thanking: if the noun is: -- yourself: say "No, that would be weird."; -- otherwise: say "You thank [noun].". Understand "pick [something]" as picking. Picking is an action applying to one visible thing. Carry out picking: say "I didn't understand that sentence.". Understand "credits" as asking for credits. Asking for credits is an action out of world. Carry out asking for credits: say "Inform 10 is the work of Graham Nelson. Many thanks to my playtesters: Amanda Walker, Jeffrey Elliott, Jkj, Mel Jason, Josh Grams, Martin Dunstan and Nick Marsh.". Understand "about" as asking for about. Asking for about is an action out of world. Carry out asking for about: say "This is a short parser interactive fiction game which sprang out of a game idea brainstormed while taking the Write Your First Adventure Workshop run by Storytelling Collective. That course was aimed at RPG scenario writers, but could be twisted to interactive fiction. Then the idea was put to one side, until it was rediscovered, perfect in scale and length for IFComp. Influences for this game include K.M. Peyton's book [italic type]A Pattern of Roses[roman type], Helen Cresswell's book [italic type]Moondial[roman type], Dee Cooke's PunyInform game [italic type]Morris[roman type], and British TV series [italic type]Sapphire & Steel[roman type]. There are also elements inspired by my husband's home county Somerset, or, as I often like to think of it, Zummerzet. For thanks to playtesters etc. please use the CREDITS command.". Understand "help" or "hint" or "hints" or "info" as asking for help. Asking for help is an action out of world. Carry out asking for help: say "This is an interactive fiction game that responds to user input. Type commands then press enter to see what the game says in response. You can move around the world by typing things like NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, UP and DOWN. To interact with objects around you type EXAMINE and the object name, e.g. 'EXAMINE SHELF'. GET and DROP allow you to pick up and drop objects. This particular game has some support for conversations with other characters to find out information. Use ASK to ask them about specific things, e.g. 'ASK JACK ABOUT BEER'. Use the TOPICS command if you are stuck for things to ask about. For more information about the game and its background try commands ABOUT and CREDITS.". Table of Final Question Options (continued) final question wording only if victorious topic final response rule final response activity "read an AFTERWORD" false "afterword" print afterword rule -- "oh go on then, have another trip into the PAST to try to save Will" true "past" jump to the past rule -- This is the print afterword rule: say "Thank you for playing my game! I hope that you enjoyed it. I want to thank again my testers (Amanda Walker, Jeffrey Elliott, Jkj, Mel Jason, Josh Grams, Martin Dunstan and Nick Marsh), who spotted so many things, and without whom this game would have been much poorer. This game came out of an original design written during a short RPG scenario writing course, although I was intentionally thinking of something that might work as parser interactive fiction. It was ages before I pulled out the design again and started coding it. The main literary inspiration was K.M. Peyton's book [italic type]A Pattern of Roses[roman type]. Other inspirations were Helen Cresswell's book [italic type]Moondial[roman type], Dee Cooke's PunyInform game [italic type]Morris[roman type], and British TV series [italic type]Sapphire & Steel[roman type]. There are also elements inspired by my husband's home county Somerset, or, as I often like to think of it, Zummerzet. I am not a great beer drinker myself, but love cider, thanks to my husband's Somerset background. I should probably have coded some bizarre cider names in the game as well, to go along with the beers Honeyed Badger, Golden Hare, and Stinky Ferret! Thank you again for playing.". Instead of examining yourself, say "You look older than you feel, but otherwise you're just you.". Instead of examining yourself during Exploring-the-past, say "Looking down you seem fainter than usual. Almost as though you're not quite here.". Instead of examining yourself during Looping-the-past, say "Looking down you seem fainter than usual. Almost as though you're not quite here.". Instead of examining yourself during Epilogue, say "You're your usual everyday self. Although then again, perhaps not, after the things you've seen lately.". Understand "xyzzy" as xyzzying. Xyzzying is an action applying to nothing. Carry out xyzzying: say "You feel a strange sensation for a moment, but then it passes. Best get back to the task at hand.". Understand "exits" as exit-reporting. Exit-reporting is an action applying to nothing. Carry out exit-reporting: if the number of viable directions is 0, say "Sorry, you can't go anywhere. You appear to be trapped here."; otherwise say "From here, you can go [list of viable directions].". Understand "sit down" as sitting down. Sitting down is an action applying to nothing. Check sitting down: if the location is: -- Pub NOW: try entering the seatsNOW instead; -- Pub THEN: try entering the seatsTHEN instead; -- Bedroom 1 NOW: try entering the bed1NOW instead; -- Bedroom 2 NOW: try entering the bed2NOW instead; -- Bedroom 1 THEN: try entering the bed1THEN instead; -- Bedroom 2 THEN: try entering the bed2THEN instead; -- otherwise: say "There's nothing suitable to sit on here." instead. Understand "lie on [something]" as lying down. Lying down is an action applying to one visible thing. Check lying down: say "No you can't lie on that. Sorry." instead. The block thinking rule response (A) is "You ponder things for a while." The standard looking under rule response (A) is "[We] kneel down but [find] nothing of interest." The examine directions rule response (A) is "[We] [see] nothing unexpected in that direction. Maybe you should go that way to check it out though?" The block attacking rule response (A) is "You're not the violent type." The kissing yourself rule response (A) is "Ewww no way!" The report smelling rule response (A) is "[We] sniff carefully but [smell] nothing unexpected." The report listening rule response (A) is "[We] listen carefully but [hear] nothing unexpected." The report jumping rule response (A) is "[We] [jump] on the spot. That was fun!" The block drinking rule response (A) is "A drink would be nice but you can't drink that." The announce the score rule response (C) is "[There] [are] no score in this story. Focus rather on uncovering the story." The can't take yourself rule response (A) is "Sure you like picking things up, but you can't take yourself." The can't take other people rule response (A) is "Sure you like picking things up, but I don't suppose [the noun] [would care] for that." The can't take scenery rule response (A) is "[regarding the noun][They're] not portable." The can't take component parts rule response (A) is "[regarding the noun][Those] [seem] to be a part of [the whole]. You can't take [regarding the noun][those]." The can't take people's possessions rule response (A) is "[regarding the noun][Those] [seem] to belong to [the owner]. You can't take [regarding the noun][those]." Instead of searching someone, say "Best not. They wouldn't like that.". Instead of searching yourself, try taking inventory.