Xref: utzoo rec.games.programmer:822 comp.lang.forth:874
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncc!myrias!cg
From: cg@myrias.UUCP (Chris Gray)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer,comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Interactive Adventure Writting Language
Message-ID: <1085@myrias.UUCP>
Date: 18 Apr 89 01:44:26 GMT
References: <966@orbit.UUCP>
Organization: Myrias Research Corporation
Lines: 81

In article <966@orbit.UUCP> shawn@pnet51.cts.com (Shawn Stanley) writes:

>I understood that the program wasn't quite in the "Text Adventure" arena, but
>I could be wrong.  The salesman didn't describe the product in enough detail,
>and I wasn't given the opportunity to check it out.

>(I ended up writing my own game + "language", on my BBS.)

>Could you describe the "Adventure Construction Set"?

I have a version of Electronic Arts "Adventure Construction Set" for my
Amiga. I wasn't overly impressed (other than by how nonstandard the interface
was and by how much work it must have been to do the whole program). I never
finished any of the adventures that came with it, and didn't seriously try
to create any. There are no real opportunities for anything like programming
in it - everything is done by selecting from a bunch of options (using a
wierd hollow-circle mouse cursor!). The graphics were nice, and the sounds
provided were fine, but I always felt constrained by it. It started with
a top-level tiled world (overhead map view of rectangular regions), which
could then take you to other mini-maps, or to other places on the same one.

I've done three or four attempts at adventure writing systems, with varying
degrees of success. I fully intend on doing more, especially multi-user. I'll
try to be brief in the following descriptions.

SIX/FANT: SIX was a compiler for a fairly complete structured programming
language (reminiscent of Algol68 in syntax) which had been augmented by some
fairly powerful constructs for adventure-writing. Things like dynamically
expandable hash tables, linked lists, run-time typing, constructs for
formatted text input and output, special syntax for building locations and
parse rules, etc. It generated code for a stack machine, which was interpreted
by the FANT interpreter. Several full-scale adventures were written in it, by
myself and several others. One was a full re-implementation of the standard
Crowther & Woods "Adventure", which ran faster than the PL/I implementation.
Runs under the MTS operating system on IBM/Amdahl mainframes.

DDSPEC/DD: more of a D & D system than an adventure system. Used character
graphics on IBM 3270 terminals (ran on the same mainframe as SIX/FANT). DDSPEC
allowed on-screen design of rooms. Had lots of random monsters sort-of
animated on the screen. Goal was usually to collect objects, find keys to
unlock rooms, etc. Initially planned to be multi-user, but never got there.

Quest #1: First version done on my CP/M machine in my language Draco. Later
ported to MTS/Pascal by some other folks. Includes a built-in parser which
handles grammar rules/dictionary provided by scenario. Used character
graphics to window around in an algorithmically defined world. Screen display
has three windows: view of world, status window (health, position, items
carried, etc.), and text I/O. Text output automatically paginated and
formatted. No real adventures ever written, but could be done fairly
easily. This one is available in Draco for the Amiga or in C for UNIX.

Quest #2: Done in Draco on my Amiga. Has an interpreter for another full
structured programming language. Adds run-time typing, the same parser as
previous Quest, inter-calling of compiled and interpreted routines, list
manipulation, tables, properties, some inheritance. Again, no true scenario
ever built. Fully interpreted nature allows easy dynamic creation of
everything - in fact the test scenario is just a file that is 'sourced' to
build everything up.

Explore: Graphics D & D system with adventure overtones. First done in Draco
on CP/M, then ported to Amiga. I'm currently working to make the graphics in
this one a lot prettier (scrolling 3-D dungeons, scrolling map-view, etc.).
A full scenario (called "Amelon") exists. The whole thing is along the lines
of the "Ultima" series of commercial games. Program ExpCre allows for mouse-
driven creation of maps, tile patterns, mazes, etc. Text-oriented creation
of objects, monster types, etc. Allows for a fairly large text interaction
by having an auxilliary data file containing just text messages. I'm thinking
of adding the standard Quest parser.

--
So, I like building tools, but don't always use them or finish them. I have in
mind a future system, intended to be multi-player, intended to allow the
dynamic creation of things more complex than anything I know of has allowed.
Naturally, this will take quite a while. It will be based on an interpreted,
structured language like Quest #2, but will add a perspective graphics view
of the world. I also plan to spif up the parser a bit, to handle clauses
as well as phrases.

-- 
Chris Gray		Myrias Research, Edmonton	+1 403 428 1616
	{uunet!mnetor,ubc-vision,watmath,vax135}!alberta!myrias!cg