Short: Night at the Museum Forever (TADS) Author: Chris Angelini (cangelin@uoguelph.ca) Uploader: Bill Hoggett (mas supplies easynet co uk) Type: game/text Version: 1.0 Requires: The TADS Run-Time module v2.2+ Architecture: generic A Night At The Museum Forever Version 1.0 A Text Adventure Developed With The TADS Authoring System Written By: Chris Angelini (This game is copyright, 1995. All rights reserved and all that.) (1.0) WELCOME! And a great big thanks for playing this game! This archive should contain the following: a TADS run-time file; these documents; a cheat file. If any of these are missing, please contact me at cangelin@uoguelph.ca (if you are responding before 1997, that is. I can't guarantee that I'll still be there afterwards). (2.0) THE OBJECT OF THE GAME Most of this is explained in the game's introduction. However... a trouble consultant, who's mission is to enter an ancient artifact and return...alive. This artifact is a museum which was left behind by an Ancient race, that once ruled the stars. The artifacts which the museum contains were pulled from various time zones; and that is the entire problem. Those who have entered the museum do not fall victim to traps...but to time paradox. is a single, diamond ring in the museum. Can you get it, and leave without succumbing to paradox? Good luck, and godspeed. (3.0) COMMANDS You control this game through normal, English sentences. The game responds with text as a result of your commands. That's why this is called Interactive Fiction. game which direction you want to move. In an amazing yet brilliant move, early text adventures used the cardinal compass directions for their directional commands...and the trend stuck. Typing North, South, East, or West will move your character in that direction (these can be shortened to N, S, E, or W). You will have to manipulate objects in this game as well. These are implemented through a verb-noun combination. As an example, you might type: GET THE WRENCH (assuming there was a wrench in the area, and assuming that you wanted to get it!). GET is the verb, and WRENCH is the noun. instance, let's assume that now there is a nut that has to be turned, and you have deduced that it should be turned with the wrench. You could type: TURN THE NUT WITH THE WRENCH. (or fortunately, if you're thinking of HAL-9000). Its vocabulary is limited. Therefore, if one command doesn't work, try another. Attempted to EXCAVATE DIRT might make more sense to the computer as DIG DIRT. I've tried to use common words (so you won't find EXCAVATE as a command, unless DIG also worked in its place). Usually, it will tell you something (for instance, when you got the wrench, it might say TAKEN). On the other hand, you may have done something that it didn't recognise. It may say I DON'T UNDERSTAND, or something similar. These are all in plain English, so you will know for sure, what your command has done. You can also do things to things, for instance - LOOK UNDER THE COUCH, or LOOK IN THE CUPBOARD. (3.1) TYPES OF COMMANDS Here are some possible verbs that you can use. Remember, this list is by no means exhaustive. Other commands may exist to be used. Also, some of these may not be recognised by the program. GET TAKE DROP LISTEN SMELL PUT LOOK SAY TURN PULL OPEN CLOSE READ GO LIGHT WEAR REMOVE LIGHT RING EAT JUMP (3.2) SPECIAL COMMANDS INVENTORY (or 'I') - This command will list everything in your possession. SCORE - This command tells you your current score and rank. SAVE - Saves the game. RESTORE - Restores as saved game. RESTART - Starts the game over from scratch. QUIT - Ends the game. UNDO - Undoes the last move. Helpful if you just insulted a rather large, rather nasty dragon, who behaved rather predictably. (4.0) HINTS There should be a solution file included in this game. I suggest that you do not use it, as half of the fun is in discovering how to solve the puzzles. Here are some general hints, to help you do just that. -Examine everything. EXAMINE should be the first thing you do when you encounter something new. -Examine the text. Not everything that's important will be obvious. Read the text carefully for clues as to what to do next. -Think about the situation. One of the biggest problems that people have with text adventures is that they must be thought about carefully. Modern graphic games are almost instinctively intuitive - by looking at pictures, you can get a grasp on the situation. Not so in text adventures. Try to figure out what the main goal of the game is, and work from there. Once you've got the main goal, try to see what the sub-goals are. Is there a door that needs to be opened? Maybe you have to find a key. Finding the key may be a sub-goal in and of itself. -Map. Mapping the area will keep you from getting lost, or backtracking. -Take notes. Write down what everyone says, everything does, or what you find. Often, when first encountering something, its use may not be clear. But through further adventuring, something may give you a clue as to its use. Notes might help you make connections more easily. -Get some rest. ;-> If you've been working on a game all night, your brain may be stuck. Get some sleep, read a book. Your subconscious may solve the problem for you! (5.0) Legal Stuff This game is protected under international copyright. Therefore, it is mine. You are, however, allowed to copy it, make copies for friends, and distribute it to other people, with some exceptions. -Exception #1: You may NOT charge money for this game when you give it to someone else. It has to be free. You are allowed to charge for the price of the disk that you put it on, or other _reasonable_ copying fees (but see #2). -Exception #2: This game may not be included in a collection, or sold by Share-ware vending companies without my express permission. Sorry guys, if you want it, you have to ask. -Exception #3: This game must be distributed intact. That means that it must contain the document you are reading, the cheat file, and the main game program. -Exception #4: All of these materials must remain unmodified. Don't change the game or the doc file. If you've got a great idea, or a bug report, send it to (cangelin@uoguelph.ca). (6.0) OTHER STUFF Enjoy the game! Its free, so your financial obligations to me have ended before they even started. I do ask that if you like the game, and you have a few moments, please drop me a line. Either email me at (cangelin@uoguelph.ca), or write: Chris Angelini PO Box 21 Maidstone, Ontario NOR 1K0 CANADA I'd love to hear from you. If you think this game is absolutely marvellous, and cannot go without financial transactions (ha! fat chance!), then make a donation to your favourite charity. For fun, try having your cat or dog make the donation. In person. (7.0) THAT'S IT That's it! Go play the game already! Chris Angelini August 22, 1995 (Read Superguy!)