SHERLOCK The Riddle of the Crown Jewels If you've never played Infocom's interactive fiction before, you should read this entire instruction manual. But, if you're an experienced Infocom game player, just read Section I: About The Riddle of the Crown Jewels. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I: About The Riddle of the Crown Jewels Preface to the Story . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 Hints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Sample Transcript and Map. . . . . . . . . . . .3 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 About the Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Section II: About Infocom's Interactive Fiction An Overview: What is interactive fiction?. . . . . . . . . . 8 Starting and Stopping. . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 "Booting Up" Saving and Restoring Quitting and Restarting Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Basic sentences Complex sentences Talking to characters in the story Special Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Tips for Novices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Eleven useful pointers about interactive fiction. Common Complaints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 If You Have Technical Problems . . . . . . . . .14 Copyright and Warranty Information . . . . . . .14 Quick Reference Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The most important things to know about interactive fiction. We're Never Satisfied. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 2 SECTION I: ABOUT THE RIDDLE OF THE CROWN JEWELS Preface to the Story In The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, you play the role of Doctor Watson. You have received an urgent summons to the rooms of your good friend Sherlock Holmes by his landlady, Mrs. Hudson. Normally you are not up and about so early on a Saturday. But here you are, outside the Baker Street residence, and not a moment too soon; for the fog has thickened and traveling is difficult since you can't see more than a few feet in front of you. Hints The Riddle of the Crown Jewels is partly a story for you to read and partly puzzles for you to solve. If you feel stuck on any puzzle in The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, you can type HINT and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions on your screen. Most of the hints are nudges in the right direction; the last hint in a sequence is usually a complete answer. Sample Transcript and Map This transcript is not from The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, but it does show many of the usual things you can do in the story. It shows a few simple puzzles and their solutions, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocom's interactive fiction works. The player's commands appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map shows the layout of the rooms in the sample transcript as you might have drawn it. Stationmaster !--------! !------------! !----------! ! Train !----! End of ! ! 221B ! ! Berth ! ! Platform ! ! Baker ! !--------!\ !------|-----! ! Street ! | | !----|-----! / !------|-----! | after trip --- / ! King's ! via ---- | / ! Cross ! cab | / ! Station ! | !-----|--! !--------! !-----/--! !------|-----! | !Outside !-!Victoria! Station !Laven- ! | | !Victoria! !Station ! Master !shire ! | | !Station ! !--------! !Station ! | !--------! !---|----! | / | !-----|--------!/ !----|------! !Outside King's! Shepherd! Outside ! ! Cross ! / \ ! Lavenshire! ! Station ! | ! Station ! !-----|--------! | !-----------! | | !-----|--------! | ! By the ! N ! Pushcart ! !--------------! Flowers Old woman "Well, Doctor, it seems that I shall have the honor of providing you with more material with which you may exaggerate and glorify my most elementary deductions. What do you make of this?" Holmes hands you a piece of paper. >READ THE PAPER "A thorny problem, a maiden's name, A cheeky colore, 'tis all the same. In Lavenshire he's heard of sheep. A stone's throw away fore'er you'll sleep. Holmes hands you your hat and coat and ushers you outside. "Let's go down to Lavenshire at once. Here's the train schedule," he says, pressing it into your hand. "Lead the way, Watson, so that I may reflect upon the riddle." Holmes furrows his brow and half closes his eyes in concentration. 3 221B Baker Street You are standing outside Holmes' residence on Baker Street. The door to the house is to the west. The street continues north and south. Holmes stands nearby, deep in thought. >INVENTORY You are carrying a whistle, a train schedule, a riddle, a pound note, a shilling, and your hat and coat. The cool damp air makes your bones shiver. >LOOK AT THE TRAIN SCHEDULE MORNING DEPARTURES FROM VICTORIA STATION Leaving Victoria Station Arriving (Place & Time) 6:40 Wellifleet 7:20, Muttontown 7:40 Simpson 9:00, Leominister 9:20, Pallis 9:45, Everett 10:15 9:55 Herringdale 10:25, Elmsford 10:40, Lavenshire 11:00, Farmington 11:20, Great Meadows 11:45, Cotsworth 12:10 11:20 South Torrington 11:40, North Torrington 11:55, Bateshire 12:20, Gladtree 12:45, The Firs 1:05 Save sixpence - Buy your ticket in advance from the Stationmaster. Schedule subject to change without notice. The cool damp air makes your bones shiver again. >TIME It is 9:45 a.m. [In The Riddle of the Crown of Jewels, the date and the time of day in the story are always displayed at the top of your screen, so you don't actually need to type TIME when you play.] Your teeth are beginning to chatter from the cold. >PUT ON THE COAT You put on the coat and immediately feel a little more comfortable. >BLOW THE WHISTLE Tweeet >WEAR HAT You don your hat and immediately feel much more comfortable. A growler cab pulls up beside you. >GET IN THE CAB You get in the cab. Holmes climbs in next to you. "Where to, guv'nor?" asks the cabbie. >VICTORIA STATION "Victoria Station it is, guv'nor." The cab deftly maneuvers through the narrow twisty streets. After awhile, the cab stops in front of Victoria Station. >GET OUT OF CAB You get out of the cab, and Holmes follows you. The cab drives away and disappears. Outside Victoria Station The entrance to Victoria Station is to the east. Streets lead off to the north, south, and southwest. >GO EAST Victoria Station This large train station is usually a hubbub of activity. At the moment, however, the platform is deserted, and the tracks are empty. >TIME It is 10:00 Holmes snaps out of his trance-like concentration and looks around. He sighs, smiles wanly, and says kindly, "My dear Watson, it seems we have missed the train to Lavenshire. No train, no case; and no case, no story for you. The next time you use your whistle, blow it twice, and a hansom cab shall arrive. Hansom cabs are vastly more reliable than growlers, and they are hardly any less comfortable." 4 >I You are carrying a whistle, a train schedule, a riddle, a pound note, and a shilling. You are wearing your hat and coat. >TURN OVER THE TRAIN SCHEDULE. READ IT. You turn over the train schedule. MORNING DEPARTURES FROM KING'S CROSS STATION Leaving King's Cross Station Arriving (Place & Time) 7:15 Hartley 7:35, Reeve 7:50, Cushing 8:10, Upper Tadworth 8:30, Tadworth 8:45, Selfridge 9:10 10:40 Bellingdon 11:05, Westwood 11:20, Lavenshire 11:40, Farmington 11:55, Great Meadows 12:25, Cotsworth 1:10 11:40 Galley Hill 12:00, Richmond 12:15, Sutton Green 12:35, Plainview 12:55, Elk's Way 1:20, Upton 1:40 Save sixpence - Buy your ticket in advance from the Stationmaster. Schedule subject to change without notice. >W Outside Victoria Station Holmes ambles along beside you, shaking his head. >BLOW THE WHISTLE Tweeet! >AGAIN Tweeeeet! Holmes looks at you expectantly. >LOOK AT HOLMES Holmes is wearing his cape and deerstalker cap. He is watching you carefully, as if he expects you to surprise him. A hansom cab pulls up beside you. >GET IN HANSOM CAB You get into the cab. Holmes seats himself next to you. "Where to, guv'nor?" asks the driver >KING'S CROSS STATION "King's Cross Station it is, then," says the driver. You are thrown back to the back of your seat as the cab races through the streets, and moments later, you find yourself outside King's Cross Station. Holmes is clearly pleased. "Good show Watson! We'll get to Lavenshire yet." He immediately furrows his brow again and thinks of the case that lies ahead, meditating with such concentration that he appears to be in a near-hypnotic state. >GET OUT OF THE CAB You get out of the cab, and Holmes follows. The cab drives away and disappears. Outside King's Cross Station Streets head off to the east and west, and the entrance to King's Cross Station lies to the north. Across the street to the south, an old woman with a pushcart sells flowers. >TIME It is 10:25 >S Holmes follows you across the street. By the Pushcart A dirty woman dressed all in gray stands here next to her wooden pushcart, which is full of bright and beautiful flowers. "Buy some flowers, gentlemen? For your wives or lady friends?" >LOOK AT THE FLOWERS The pushcart is covered with carnations, roses, tulips, verbena, irises, lobelia, chrysanthemums, and daisies. 5 >BUY ROSES "Ah, lovely, lovely. That'll be two shillings for a dozen, then." Holmes nods at you appreciatively. "A thorny problem, a maiden's name, a cheeky color, 'tis all the same." Roses! Good show, Watson!" >HAGGLE WITH THE WOMAN The old woman frowns. "But sir, these roses are good enough for the Queen herself. All right, then, one shilling six." >AGAIN "But sir, look at the color, the rich ruby red. Look at the stems, sir, long, beautiful, tapered stems. The finest roses in all of England, and you, a gentleman, want to steal them from me? Impossible, sir, impossible for me to settle for anything less than a shilling." >GIVE SHILLING TO WOMAN The woman takes the coin, shoving it into the folds of her clothing, then hands you a dozen roses. "Anything for you, sir?" she asks Holmes. But Holmes, again lost in thought, does not reply. >N.N Holmes follows you across the street. Outside King's Cross Station Holmes follows you into the station. King's Cross Station Unlike Victoria Station at this hour, King's Cross Station is bustling with activity. To the west, a train on the platform hisses impatiently as porters assist passengers and load baggage. Families give their tearful farewells to loved ones, and children run amid the crowds and columns. Beggars shake their tin cups at top-hatted gentlemen and perfumed ladies. At the northern end of the platform, a uniformed stationmaster watches over all, occasionally checking the watch he holds in his hand. The station may be exited to the south. >TIME It is 10:35 >GO NORTH Holmes follows you. End of Platform The platform is less crowded here. The stationmaster barely glances at you, then looks at his watch and studies the pandemonium behind you. >BUY TWO TICKETS TO LAVENSHIRE The stationmaster pulls a large pad from a deep pocket, rips two tickets from it, and with an efficiency acquired from years of practice, punches them to show date, point of departure, destination, and price. He hands you the tickets and says, "One pound, sir." >GIVE POUND NOTE TO THE STATIONMASTER "Thank you, sir." >BOARD THE TRAIN You find an empty compartment toward the front of the train, and you and Holmes settle yourselves. Holmes is still lost deep in thought. Train Berth You are sitting in a small but comfortable berth. You may exit the train via the door to the east, or enter the train's corridor to the west. Holmes sits opposite you, his eyes now completely shut in intense concentration. Outside you hear the stationmaster shout "All aboard!" >WAIT UNTIL 11:40 Time passes... The train pulls out of the station. A conductor enters the berth, checks your tickets, and leaves Time passes... 6 The train slows down and pulls into a station. A voice outside shouts "Bellingdon!" Do you wish to keep waiting? >Y Outside you hear a voice shout "All aboard!" Moments later, the train pulls out of the station. Time passes... The train slows down and pulls into a station. A voice outside yells "Westwood!" Do you wish to keep waiting? >Y Outside you hear a voice shout "All aboard!" Moments later, the train pulls out of the station. Time passes... The train slows down and pulls into a station. A voice outside yells "Lavenshire!" It is now 11:40 >WEST You step out of the train, and Holmes follows you. Lavenshire Station The air here, as anywhere in the English countryside, seems remarkably pure compared to London's. A stationmaster, somewhat older and frailer than the one at King's Cross, stands lookout to the north. The train hisses on the western track. The station may be exited to the south. >S Holmes follows you outside. Outside Lavenshire Station You are in the quiet English countryside. The Lavenshire train station lies to the north, and a small road runs east to west. A bearded shepherd stands alone nearby, holding his staff. Holmes whispers to you, "Odd, is it not, Watson, that the shepherd has no flock? Perhaps 'heard of sheep' is our punster's way of referring to a shepherd. Perhaps this fellow might provide us with some guidance." >I You are carrying a whistle, a train schedule, a riddle, a dozen roses, and two train tickets. You are wearing your hat and coat. >SHOW THE RIDDLE TO THE SHEPHERD Warily, the shepherd looks at the riddle. As he reads it, his eyes grow wide and his face turns white. The he notices what you're carrying. "Blood-red roses!" he croaks. He drops his staff, clutches his heart, and cries "Moriarty! He wore he'd find me!" Then he falls to the ground. >LOOK AT THE SHEPHERD He is quite dead of fright, his face twisted grotesquely. His left hand clutches a small stone. >TAKE THE SMALL STONE You pry the stone from the dead man's grip. >LOOK AT IT The stone has a small symbol scratched onto its surface. >GIVE THE STONE TO HOLMES Holmes studies the stone with his magnifying glass for a few seconds, then stares intensely at the horizon. "Watson, we are in great danger. I have been a fool, and this man is dead because of it. Come! We haven't a moment to lose!" Holmes dashes down the road to the east. 7 About the Author Bob Bates, a native of Greenbelt, Maryland, is a disgruntled graduate of Georgetown University and a gruntled employee of Challenge, Inc. He bewilders his fellow workers by wearing ties to work and by singing unaccompanied four-part harmony at odd times of the day. He seizes any excuse to read all night, and when he can't find an excuse, he does it anyway. About the Others The author thanks everyone who helped create this product, especially senior programmer Frederick Wilt and programmers Duane Beck and Mark Poesch. So many Info-people made major contributions - from the testers to the packagers and marketeers - that it would be unfair to single out just a few. Consequently, the author gratefully acknowledges the help of Stu Galley and Chris Reeve, and he hopes that all the others will be content with the large cash payment they will be receiving any day now. Special thanks are also due to Dave Wilt and Anne Mortimer at Challenge, and to Peggy Ariani, who not only married the author, but stayed with him through thin and thick. We gratefully acknowledge The Times of London for their kind permission to reproduce their nameplate and selected stories from their edition of June 17, 1887. SECTION II: ABOUT INFOCOM'S INTERACTIVE FICTION An Overview Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main character. Each interactive story, such as The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, tells you about a series of places, things, people, and events. You can move from place to place, use the things you find, and interact with the other people, to affect the outcome of the story. An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. If you find a locked door or a watchdog, don't think of it as an obstacle; it's just a puzzle to be tackled. (Find the key that unlocks the door, or figure out how to fool or get around the dog.) Often the best way to solve a puzzle is to find a certain thing in the story, bring it with you, and use it the right way. When you play The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, the story goes on only from the time you press the RETURN (or ENTER) key until you see the next prompt (>). Nothing happens until you type a sentence and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, so you can think and plan your turns as slowly and carefully as you want. Starting and Stopping Starting the Story: To start The Riddle of The Crown Jewels, follow the instructions on the Reference Card in your package. The computer will display the title of the story and ask you to press any key to begin the story. Then the computer will describe the place where the story begins: on Baker Street, outside Sherlock Holmes' residence. Finally the prompt (>) will appear, which means that the computer is ready for your command. Here are a few inputs for you to try at the first several prompts. After typing each input, don't forget to press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. >INVENTORY >LOOK AT THE BLACK BAG >KNOCK ON THE DOOR >OPEN THE BAG 8 Saving and restoring: You will probably have many hours of fun before you finish The Riddle of the Crown Jewels. If you use SAVE command, you can continue the story at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading. The SAVE command puts a "snapshot" of your place in the story onto another disk. You can also save your place before (or after) trying something dangerous or tricky. That way, you can go back to that point later, even if you get lost or "killed" in the story. To save your place in the story, type SAVE at the prompt (>), and then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions for saving and restoring on your Reference Card. Some computers require a blank disk, initialized and formatted, for saving your place. If you use a disk with data on it (not counting other saves), the data may be destroyed. You can save your place as often as you like, if you use more blank disks. You can restore a saved place any time you want. To do so, type RESTORE at the prompt (>), and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions on your Reference Card. You can then continue the story from the point where you used the SAVE command. Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over from the beginning, type RESTART and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. (This is usually faster than "booting up" again). Just to make sure, the computer will ask if you really want to start over. If you do, type Y for YES and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. If you want to stop entirely, type QUIT and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Once again, the computer will ask if this is really what you want to do. Remember when you RESTART or QUIT: if you want to be able to return to this point again, you must first use the SAVE command. Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction In The Riddle of the Crown Jewels you type your commands in plain English each time you see the prompt (>). The computer usually acts as if your sentence begins with "I want to.....," although you shouldn't actually type those words. You can use words like THE if you want, and you can use capital letters if you want; the computer doesn't care either way. When you have finished typing a command, press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. The computer will then respond, telling you whether your request is possible at this point in the story, and what happened as a result. The computer looks at only the first nine letters of each of your words, and it ignores any letters after the ninth. For example, the computer would think COUNTERFEit, COUNTERFEiter, and COUNTERFEited are all the same word. To move around, just type the direction you want to go. Directions can be abbreviated: NORTH to N, SOUTH to S, EAST to E, WEST to W, NORTHEAST to NE, NORTHWEST to NW, SOUTHEAST to SE, and SOUTHWEST to SW, UP to U, and DOWN to D. Remember that IN and OUT will also work in certain places. You don't need to walk around or turn around in a place. The computer recognizes many different kinds of sentences. Here are some examples. (Some of these things do not actually appear in the story.) >WALK NORTHEAST >DOWN >ROW WEST >TAKE THE GUN >OPEN BAG >LOOK AT THE HAIR THROUGH THE MICROSCOPE >HOLD THE FRYING PAN OVER THE FIRE >READ PLAQUE >EXAMINE THE WATCH WITH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS >PUT ON THE GLOVES >KNOCK ON DOOR 9 >UNLOCK BOX WITH KEY >RUB THE CHICKEN WITH THE GARLIC >BLOW THE WHISTLE >HIT THE BALL WITH THE MALLET >PUT CARD ON TRAY If you want to TAKE, DROP, or PUT more than one thing, you can do it in one command if you separate the things with a comma or the word AND. Here are some examples: >TAKE THE NEWSPAPER AND THE KNIFE >DROP BAG, CARNATION, AND HAT >PUT THE PIPE AND THE TOBACCO IN THE BAG You can type several sentences on the same line if you separate them with a period or the word THEN. (Each sentence will still count as a turn.) You don't need a period at the end of the input line. For example, you could type all of these sentences at once, before pressing the RETURN (or ENTER) key: >TURN ON THE LAMP.GO NORTH THEN CLIMB THE LADDER.READ THE NOTE Remember, use AND only to connect two direct objects. Use THEN or a period to connect two sentences. If the computer doesn't understand one of your sentences, or if something unusual happens, it will ignore the rest of your input line (see "Common Complaints" on page 13). The words IT and ALL can be very useful. For example: >TAKE THE NEWSPAPER.READIT.PUT IT ON THE TABLE >CLOSE THE HEAVY METAL DOOR. LOCK IT >TAKE THE TRENCH COAT.PUT IT ON >TAKE ALL >TAKE ALL EXCEPT THE WET EGG AND THE KEY >TAKE ALL FROM BAG >DROP ALL BUT THE RING The word ALL refers to every visible thing except those inside something else. If there were an apple on the ground and an orange inside a cabinet, TAKE ALL would take the apple but not the orange. You will meet many interesting people in the story, and you can "talk" to them and give them commands. There are some simple rules to follow when "talking" to people. To "talk" to a person, type the person's name, then a comma, then whatever you want to say to them. For example: >HOLMES, TELL ME ABOUT THE NOTE >WIGGINS, FOLLOW ME >SHERMAN, GIVE ME THE BIRD You can ask questions by typing ASK (someone) ABOUT (someone or something.) For instance: >ASK MYCROFT ABOUT WIGGINS >ASK HOLMES ABOUT THE RUBY However, most people in the story don't care for idle chatter. Your deeds will speak louder than your words. The computer will try to guess what you really mean if you don't give enough information. For example, if you say that you want to do something, but not what you want to do it to or with, the computer will may decide that there is only one possible thing you could mean. When it does so, it will tell you. For example: >UNLOCK THE DOOR (with the key) The door is now unlocked If your command is not clear enough, the computer will ask what you really mean. You can answer most of these questions briefly by supplying the missing information, not the entire sentence again. You can do this only at the very next prompt. For example: 10 >OPEN THE DOOR Which door do you mean, the front door or the parlour door? >FRONT You open the front door, but no one is there. or >TAKE THE BUTTERFLY Which butterfly do you mean, the delicate magenta butterfly or the fat yellow butterfly? >DELICATE The delicate magenta butterfly flutters away as you reach for it. The computer recognizes over 1400 words, nearly all that you are likely to use in your commands. However, there are many words in the story's descriptions that the computer will not recognize in your sentences. For example, you might read, "The fog swirls around you, and the sound of your footsteps seem amplified on the empty cobblestone street." If the computer doesn't recognize the words FOG or FOOTSTEPS when you type them, then you know that you don't need them to finish the story; they just give you a more vivid description of where you are or what is going on. Special Commands This is a list of useful one-word commands and their explanations. You can use them whenever you want. Some count as a turn, others do not. Type the command after the prompt (>) and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. AGAIN - The computer will act as though you had typed your previous command again. For instance, typing BLOW THE WHISTLE then typing AGAIN would be like blowing the whistle twice in a row. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G. BRIEF - After this command, the computer will tell you all about a place or thing only the first time you see it. If you see it again later, the computer will tell you only that it is there. This is the normal way that the computer will act, unless you use the VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF command. SUPERBRIEF tells the computer to tell you only the name of a place you have entered, even the first time you see it. Of course, you can always LOOK to get a description of a place, and the things there. In SUPERBRIEF mode, there is no blank line between turns. SUPERBRIEF is for players who are already very familiar with the story. VERBOSE tells the computer to tell you all about a place or thing every time you see it. HINT - If you have difficulty while playing the story, and you can't figure out what to do next, just type HINT. You will see a list of questions you can ask. Just follow the directions at the top of your screen to see the hint of your choice. INVENTORY - The computer will tell you what you are carrying and wearing. You can abbreviate INVENTORY to I. LOOK - This tells the computer to describe your location in full detail. You can abbreviate LOOK to L. 11 OOPS - If you accidentally misspell a word, and the computer doesn't recognize it, you can fix it at the next prompt (>) by typing OOPS and the correct word. For example, if you typed GIVE THE MANGIFYING GLASS TO HOLMES and were told "[I don't know the word 'mangnifying'.]" You could type OOPS MAGNIFYING instead of typing the whole sentence again. QUIT - This lets you stop. If you want to save your place before stopping, follow the instructions in the "Starting and Stopping" section on page 8. You can abbreviate QUIT to Q. RESTART - This stops the story and starts it over from the beginning. RESTORE - This lets you continue from any point where you used the restores SAVE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 8 for more details. SAVE - This puts a "snapshot" of your place in the story onto a storage disk. You can use the RESTORE command at a later time to continue from the same place. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 8 for more details. SCORE - The computer will give you your current score in the story. SCRIPT - This command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of the story as you play. A transcript may help you remember things, but you don't need it to play. It will work only on certain computers; read your Reference Card for details. SUPERBRIEF - See BRIEF above. UNDO - You can use this command to "back up" one more. Note that this command works only on certain computers with enough memory. UNSCRIPT - This commands your printer to stop making a transcript. VERBOSE - See BRIEF above. VERSION - The computer responds by showing you the release number and the serial number of your copy of the story. Please send us this information if you ever report a "bug" in the story. WAIT - This will make time pass in the story while you do nothing. For example, if you get in a boat, you might WAIT to see where it will take you; or if you meet someone, you might WAIT to see what will happen. You can also wait a specified number of minutes; for instance, you can WAIT FOR 15 MINUTES or WAIT FOR 40 MINUTES. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z. WAIT UNTIL (time) - This causes time to pass until the desired time arrives. For instance, you can WAIT UNTIL 12 or WAIT UNTIL 3:35. If anything interesting happens during this time, you will have a chance to stop waiting. Tips for Novices 1. Draw a map showing each location and the directions connecting it to adjoining locations. When you find yourself in a new location, make a note of any interesting objects there. (See the small sample map that goes along with the sample transcript on page 3.) Note there are 10 possible directions (NORTH, SOUTHEAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, UP, AND DOWN) plus IN and OUT. 2. EXAMINE all objects you come across in the story. You can abbreviate EXAMINE to X. 3. If you find an object that you think you can use, TAKE IT. Some objects will help you solve some of the puzzles. 4. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or get "killed," you won't have to start over from the beginning. See page 9 for instructions. 5. Read the story carefully! There are often clues in the descriptions of locations and objects. 6. Try everything you can think of - even strange or dangerous actions may provide clues, and might prove to be fun! You can 12 always save your position first if you want. Here's a silly example: >GIVE THE RUBBER DUCK TO THE GUARD DOG The guard dog isn't interested in a rubber bone, let alone a rubber duck. He continues to growl and stare at your throat. Here you have a clue and maybe giving something else to the guard dog (like a steak) would be better. 7. Unlike other "adventure games" you may have played, there are many possible routes to the end of the story. If you get stuck on one puzzle, move on to another. Some puzzles have more than one solution; other puzzles don't need to be solved at all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or information you need to solve another puzzle. 8. You may find it helpful to go through the story with another person. Different people may find different puzzles easy and can often complement each other. 9. If you really have difficulty, you can type HINT. The screen will then show you a list of questions to which you can get answers. (Simply follow the directions at the top of your screen to see the hint of your choice.) You don't need to use the hints to enjoy the story, but it will make solving the puzzles easier. 10. Read the sample transcript on page 3 to get a feel for how Infocom's interactive fiction works. 11. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, if you wanted to take a black bag, you could type in any of the following: >GET BAG >TAKE THE BAG >PICK UP THE BLACK BAG If you type in a command that the computer doesn't understand, try rewording the sentence or using synonyms. If the computer still doesn't recognize your sentence, you are almost certainly trying to do something that you don't need to do. Common Complaints The computer will complain if you type a sentence that confuses it completely. It will then ignore the rest of the input line if there are any more commands. (Certain events, such as being attacked or walking into something, may also cause the computer to ignore the rest of your commands, since the event may have changed your situation drastically.) Some of the computer's complaints: THIS STORY CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE WORD "__________" WHEN YOU USE IT THAT WAY. The computer knows the word you typed, but couldn't understand it in that sense. Usually this is because the computer knows the word as a different part of speech. For example, if you typed DROP THE OPEN BAG, you are using OPEN as an adjective, but the computer might know OPEN only as a verb, as in OPEN THE WINDOW. THERE ARE NOT ANY VERBS IN THAT SENTENCE. Unless you are answering a question of typing a compass direction, each sentence must have a verb (or one of the special commands). THERE AREN'T ENOUGH NOUNS IN THAT SENTENCE. This usually means your sentence was incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE or PUT THE BOOK IN THE. THERE WERE TOO MANY NOUNS IN THAT SENTENCE! An example is PUT THE SOUP IN THE BOWL WITH THE LADLE, which has three noun "phrases," one more than the computer can digest in a single action. WHAT? You pressed the RETURN (or ENTER) key without typing anything. YOU CAN'T SEE THAT HERE! The thing in your sentence was not visible. It may be somewhere else, or inside a closed container. 13 YOU CANNOT REFER TO MORE THAN ONE OBJECT AT A TIME WITH "______." You can use multiple objects (that is, nouns or noun phrases separated by AND or a comma) or the word ALL only with certain verbs. Among the more useful of these verbs are TAKE, DROP, and PUT. You can't use more than one object with most verbs, like EXAMINE; so you can't EXAMINE ALL or EXAMINE THE MATCH AND THE CIGARETTE. PLEASE TRY TO EXPRESS THAT ANOTHER WAY. The computer thought the sentence you typed was nonsense, such as GIVE SHERLOCK WITH NEWSPAPER. Or you may have typed a reasonable sentence but used a syntax that the computer does not recognize, such as WAVE OVER THE FENCE. Try rephrasing the sentence. If You Have Technical Problems You can call the Infocom Technical Support Team to report "bugs" and technical problems, but not for hints to solve puzzles, at (617) 576-3190. If your disk develops a problem within ninety (90) days after purchase, we will replace it at no charge. Otherwise, there is a replacement fee of $5.00 (U.S. funds). If you call to report a bug, please provide your version number, which you can find by typing VERSION. Please return your registration card if you'd like to be on our mailing list and receive our newsletter. Copyright and Warranty Information Limited Warranty This software product and the attached instructional materials are sold "AS IS", without warranty as to their performance. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the computer software program is assumed by the user. However, to the original purchases of a disk prepared by Infocom and carrying the Infocom label on the disk jacket, Infocom warrants the medium on which the program is recorded to be free from defects in materials and faulty workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If during this period a defect on the medium should occur, the medium may be returned to Infocom or to an authorized Infocom dealer, and Infocom will replace the medium without charge to you. Your sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a defect is expressly limited to replacement of the medium as provided above. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. N.B. After the warranty period, a defective Infocom disk may be returned to Infocom with a check or money order for $5.00 U.S. funds for replacement. 14 Quick Reference Guide 1. To start the story ("boot up"), see the separate Reference Card in your package. 2. When you see the prompt (>) on your screen, is waiting for your input. There are four basic kinds of sentences or commands that the computer understands: A. Direction commands: To move from place to place, just type the direction you want to go: N (or NORTH), S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW, UP, DOWN, IN, or OUT. B. Actions: Just type what you want to do. Some examples: READ THE BOOK or OPEN THE DOOR or LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW or GIVE THE BALL TO THE CAT. Once you're familiar with simple commands, you'll want to use more complex sentences are described in "Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction" on page 9. C. Commands given to other characters: Talk to characters in the story by typing their name, then a comma, then what you want to say to them. For example: HOLMES, TELL ME ABOUT THE NOTE or WIGGINS, GIVE ME THE SAPPHIRE. D. Special commands: Some commands, such as INVENTORY or SUPERBRIEF, give you specific information or affect your output. A list of these appears in the "Special Commands" section on page 11. 3. After typing your input, you must press the RETURN (or ENTER) key before the computer will respond. 4. Your location in the story and the day and time are displayed at the top of your screen on a special line called the status line. 5. You can pick up and carry many of the items you'll find in the story. For example, if you type TAKE THE FLASK, you will be carrying it. Type INVENTORY to see a list of the items you are carrying. 6. When you want to stop, save your place for later, or start over, read the "Starting and Stopping" section on page 8. 7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of the manual for more detailed instructions. We're Never Satisfied Here at the Infocom, we take great pride in the quality of our stories. Even after they're "out the door," we're constantly improving, honing and perfecting them. Your input is important. No matter how much testing we do, it seems that some bugs never crawl into view until thousands of you begin doing all those wild and crazy things to the story. If you find a bug, or if you think a certain puzzle was too hard or too easy, or if you have some other suggestion, or if you'd just like to tell us your opinion of the story, drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter from you is just such an excuse! Write to: Infocom 125 CambridgePark Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 Attn: Mycroft 15 Interactive Fiction Reference Card for the COMMODORE AMIGA This booklet tells you how to run your Infocom story on your computer, and provides a few other handy bits of information. I. What You Need Required: Amiga computer For Interactive Fiction PLUS only: A monitor that supports an 80-column display, such as an RGB-type monitor. Optional: 256K memory expansion cartridge (for faster execution; especially recommended for Interactive Fiction PLUS) Extra 3-1/2 double-sided disks (for SAVEs) A second disk drive (for convenience with saves) Compatible printer (for SCRIPTing) II. Making a Backup Copy In accordance with the licensing agreement in your package, we recommend that you make a backup copy of the original story disk for your personal use. See your hardware manual for instructions on how to make disk copies. Store your original disk in a safe place and always start the story from the backup. III. Starting the Story Turn on the Amiga and wait for the Workbench to appear. Insert the story disk and open the disk icon into a window, then double-click on the story icon. The story can also be started from within the Command Line Interpreter (CLI). If the default drive and directory are not the same as the story's, they must first be changed with the "CD" command (for example, CD DF1:) Then type in the story name. IV. Talking to the Story Whenever you see the prompt (>), the story is waiting for your instructions. If you make a mistake, use the backspace key to erase the error. When you have finished typing in your instructions, press the RETURN key. The story will respond and the prompt (>) will reappear. If a description will not fit on a screen all at once, "[MORE]" will appear at the bottom of the screen. After reading the screen, press any key to see the rest of the description. V. The Status Line At the top of the screen is a status line. This line is updated after every move to show your current position in the story. Depending upon the type of story, it may also show other information. Score and Moves In stories that keep a score, such as the ZORK underground adventures, the right side of the status line will show something like this: Score: 245/920 The first number is your score and the second is the total number of moves you have made. In the example above, you have 245 points in 920 moves. Time In stories that keep track of the time, such as the mystery thriller DEADLINE, the right side of the status line will look something like the following: Time: 9:22 a.m. This shows the current time of day in the story. VI. SCRIPTing You can use the SCRIPT command to print out a transcript of your moves as you go along. SCRIPTing is an optional feature which is not necessary to complete the story and may not be available with certain hardware. 1. Connect the printer to the appropriate port at the back of the computer. Use the Preferences tool (see Section IX) to make sure the system is configured correctly for your printer. 2. Turn on the printer and make sure it's ready. 3. Type SCRIPT at the prompt (>) to start the transcript. To stop the transcript, type UNSCRIPT. 4. SCRIPT and UNSCRIPT may be used as often as desired. If a problem occurs with the printer, the story will "timeout" (appear to hang) for 30-seconds or so, then a printer error message will appear. If you don't correct the problem before the 30 seconds are up, scripting is automatically cancelled. VII. Saving a Story Position You can save your current position in the story to any disk in any drive, space permitting. The save disk must not be write-protected. No other data on the save disk will be affected. 1. Type SAVE at the prompt (>). A message will appear asking you to choose a name for the save file. 2. If you want to SAVE to the story disk itself, just enter a file name and press RETURN. 3. If you want to save to another disk, you must prefix the file name with either the name of the second disk (e.g., Saves:) or the name of the drive containing it (e.g., DF0:). The prefix is needed even if the two disks were swapped using a single drive. If the save succeeds, the prefix becomes the default prefix, and need not be typed again for the next save. The disk drive will spin for several seconds. If all is well, the story will respond: OK If it responds: FAILED consult the Troubleshooting section (see Section XI). After saving your position, you may continue with the story. NOTE: The file "Icon.Data" is used to create icons for new save files. If you delete this file, new save files will not have visible icons. VIII. Restoring a Saved Story Position You can return to a previously saved story position at any time. Type RESTORE at the prompt (>). The most recently saved or restored position will be displayed as the default. Then enter the name of a save file, as in Section VII. If you want to return to the default position, you can just press the RETURN key. IX. Amiga Preferences Several aspects of the story presentation can be changed using the Amiga Preferences tool, including text size (60 or 80 columns, except for Interactive Fiction PLUS, which requires 80 columns) and color. The size can be changed only before the story is started. You also use Preferences to specify your type of printer and the port to which it is connected. The Amiga supports both parallel and serial devices. X. Memory Usage and Multi-tasking On a multi-tasking computer such as the Amiga, all tasks share the available memory. Some tasks may require that a certain amount of memory be available to work correctly. Also, actions like opening and resizing windows or loading a printer driver can use large blocks of memory. When the Infocom story loads, it will normally leave a minimum of 64 Kbytes (32 Kbytes for Interactive Fiction PLUS). This can be changed by starting the story from the CLI with a special argument of the form "F/n", where n is the new minimum number of free bytes (for example, Deadline F/32000). If you supply an argument, memory use statistics will be displayed when the story loads. You may need to increase the amount of free memory if, for example, you are running several tasks and switching between them causes the system to hang. On the other hand, you can probably decrease free memory if you are running only the story. This may reduce or eliminate disk activity on versions of the Amiga with limited memory. X. Troubleshooting - Load, SAVE, RESTORE and Other Problems A. If the story fails to load properly, or SAVE/RESTORE or SCRIPT fails, check each of the following items. If none of these offers a solution, consult your Commodore dealer for assistance. 1. Inspect all disks carefully for any visible damage. 2. For SAVEs, make sure the save disk is not write-protected (the small opening in the corner of the disk should be covered). 3. For SCRIPTing, make sure the printer is connected properly, enabled for printing, not out of paper, etc. 4. Try again; the problem may be only momentary. If all else fails, you can call the Infocom Technical hotline at (617) 576-3190. Please note that this number is for technical problems only, not hints. B. If the story produces an error message, run the following procedure: Restart the story. When the initial screen appears, type $VERIFY and press the RETURN key. The disk drive will spin for a minute or so, and a message similar to one of the following will appear: 1. "DISK CORRECT". The disk has not been damaged and the data is intact. If you are having problems, they are most likely hardware related. It is also possible that there is a bug in the program. If you suspect that there is a bug, call the Infocom Technical Hotline. 2. "DISK FAILED" or "DISK READ ERROR". This reply indicates either hardware trouble or disk damage. Repeat the $VERIFY procedure several times. Also try the $VERIFY process on another computer (such as your dealer's). If the story ever replies "DISK CORRECT", the problem is your hardware. If you repeatedly get a negative response on more than one computer, the disk has most likely been damaged. Please send the disk only to Infocom for testing and replacement. ============================================================================ DOCS PROVIDED BY -+*+-THE SOUTHERN STAR-+*+- for M.A.A.D. ============================================================================