Hint sheet for "The Beetmonger's Journal". General hints. 1. Turn on verbose mode by typing >VERBOSE. Often important details can be found in room descriptions. 2. Examine everything. Clues are sometimes hidden in details. 3. You can interact with other characters in the story several ways. Here are some examples. Most synonymous forms work as well. >ASK LASSIE ABOUT TIMMY. >TELL TIMMY ABOUT OLD DELAPIDATED WELL. >LASSIE, GIVE FARM DEED TO ME, SEARCH OLD DELAPIDATED WELL, AND RESCUE TIMMY. >TIMMY, WHO IS FARMER BROWN? >LASSIE, HELLO. >TIMMY, GOOD BYE. >GREET FARMER BROWN. >SHOW DEED TO IRS AGENT 4. Most interactive fiction is told in present tense, 2nd person, each command answering the question, "What did you do next?" This is not one of those games. These changes in perspective should be obvious (and hopefully natural and invisible) to you. 5. While playing this story you will have to make a big decision without precisely knowing the end-result of that decision. (As is life.) I will tell you this: both decisions are valid, and yeild different storylines. If it is your pleasure, and you wish to see the other path, you may play the second path, and get a different story with different challenges. 6. There are several times in this game where you may be asked "yes" or "no" questions. You may answer these, "CHARACTER, YES" or even more simply "YES". Answering every question may not be necessary, but some clues may be hidden there, and characters' attitudes can sometimes be changed by your answer! Not answering might be considered rude... 7. Some characters have been programmed with crude states of emotion, and may treat you differently, depending on the situation. They may react differently one time rather than another, depending on a trust that you've built. Adventure game primer for new players: ====================================== Text adventure games are a story in which you play the main character with the assistance of a computer. Every so often, the computer will prompt you for a command to manipulate the main character towards his or her goals. Most of these commands come in the form of imperative commands, prefaced with the imaginary words, "I want you to. . ." Some commands are just a single verb or phrase: >NORTH >JUMP >PARRY >DODGE >XYZZY >YES >INVENTORY >EXIT >ENTER Often, commands come in the form: >GET THE ELVEN SWORD >DROP LANTERN >PLANT SEED >EXAMINE NECRONOMICON >SEARCH DUFFEL BAG >TURN ON THE COMPUTER Commands can also come in the form: >PUT ACE OF SPADES ON THE TABLE. >CLEAN HANDS WITH MOIST TOWELETTE. >PUT CASSETTE IN VCR >CHOP TREE WITH THE AXE You can ask questions of the game, and sometimes get useful answers. >WHO AM I? >WHAT IS A BEET? >WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? >WHO IS THE MASKED VILLAIN? You can communicate and interact with other characters in the story. >FUZZY, TELL ME ABOUT THE GUACAMOLE DIP. >LAWRENCE, WHO ARE YOU? >SHOW CAPTAIN KIRK FIGURINE TO MARTIN >GIVE RABID CAT TO SHAUN >ROBB, YES. >TELL MORIBUND MIKE ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHER SONG >DAVE, FLAP YOUR ARMS >KARL, SHOOT THE HECKLER. >ASK SCOTTO ABOUT RUTABEGA. >DOGGIE, HEEL! If the object you refer to is ambiguous, the computer will ask you to clarify: >OPEN BOX OF DOUGHNUTS Which box of doughnuts do you mean, the box of day-old doughnuts or the freshly baked doughnuts? >FRESH The box opens. You can also use words like ALL or ANY to disambiguate your command. >TAKE ALL INGREDIENTS >PUT BOTH MUFFINS IN THE BAG >PICK ANY CARD >TAKE ALL BUT THE GREEN M&M AND THE DIRTY SOCK If you mess up, you can use the OOPS command. >ORDER MOO GOO GAI PAX [The word "pat" is not recognized.] >OOPS PAN The friendly clerk takes your order. Some more handy commands. ========================= BRIEF (Puts game in "brief" mode, giving long descriptions when you enter a place for the first time.) INVENTORY or I (Find out what you are carrying.) LOOK or L (Look around the surrounding area.) NORTH or N (short for "go north". Any compass point will make the main character travel in that direction.) OOPS or O Corrects a mistyped word. WAIT or Z (short for "Zzzz..." Waits around while the action progresses.) VERBOSE (Puts game in "verbose" mode, giving long descriptions of rooms.) QUIT or Q (Quit the game.) RESTART (Restarts the game from the beginning.) RESTORE (Restores a saved game.) SAVE (Saves the current game.) SCRIPT (Starts a transcript of play.) UNSCRIPT (Ends a transcript.) VERSION (Find out which version you are playing.) UNDO (Undoes the last turn.) YES (Answers a question affirmatively.) NO (Answers a question negatively.) EXAMINE or X (Look at an object in detail.) GET DROP READ CLEAN EAT OPEN PUT ON GIVE TO ASK ABOUT TELL ABOUT ATTACK WITH