Note: This archive replaces the previously incomplete one uploaded to
the Aminet. The files in this archive have been re-packed with
tar and gzip as the archive contains a file which lha cannot
handle (a .D$$ extension). The unpacking program and a script
to execute it have been included also.
Thanks to Ben Straub for his feedback and apologies to anyone
who has previously dowloaded this game and found they could
not run it.
Welcome to Ducksoup!
A private investigator adventure
By C. Evans
Game and Text Copyright 1993
-----------------------------
How To Play DUCKSOUP Adventure
-----------------------------
COMMANDS AND VOCABULARY:
The DUCKSOUP Adventure Game understands a wide variety of commands.
However, it has only a limited vocabulary, totaling approximately four
hundred words, so it can get confused. If you give it a word that it
doesn't understand, it will tell you what word it doesn't know. Try
entering your command again using a different word in place of the one
the game objected to.
Your commands should generally be in the format:
<verb> <(multiple) noun phrase(s)> <preposition> <noun phrase/object>
Some (hypothetical) examples of valid commands:
SWIM IN THE RIVER
ATTACK HIM
("HIM" will refer to last noun mentioned, e.g., pop)
GET THE MANUAL (also: TAKE THE MANUAL)
READ IT
("IT" will refer to last noun mentioned, e.g., the MANUAL)
GET ALL (will get everything movable at the current location)
NORTH
SOUTHWEST
CLIMB UP THE TREE
DRINK THE WATER
NE (for NORTHEAST)
DROP THE KEY AND THE GLOB
ENTER THE CAR
LOOK AT THE DOG
ASK NEDLY ABOUT THE GATE
ASK POP ABOUT THE SYRUP
Compound commands can be created by connecting single commands (like
those above) with "AND", "THEN" or the punctuation symbols "," or ";" to
connect two or more separate commands. However, "end-of-sentence"
punctuation symbols like ".", "!" and "?" should not be used. Below are
a few examples of valid compound commands:
OPEN THE DOOR THEN GO UP THE STAIRS
CLIMB THE CHAIN THEN SOUTH, WEST AND NORTH
DROP THE MEAT AND THE NOTE THEN OPEN THE DOOR
THEN TALK TO FLOOD.
If the game understands all of the words in your command, but still
seems confused by the command -- then try to say the same thing using
fewer words and a simpler sentence. When in doubt, simplify your
commands as much as possible. This also saves typing effort.
The following is a parital list of valid verbs:
Movement Conversation Examination Other
-------- ------------ ----------- -----
North Talk Look Eat
South Speak Examine Drink
West Show Open Mix
East Give Close Get
Go Ask Push Take
Enter Train Pull Drop
Climb Tie Remove
Up Lock Wear
Down Unlock Wait
Jump Watch Blow
Step Raise
Put
Hit
Snap
Pour
Pry
Shake
Twist
SPECIAL COMMANDS:
The game uses a number of special commands for various "housekeeping"
chores. These are all pretty standard for most adventure games,
specifically:
G Repeats the last input command
HELP May (or may not) give you a hint.
SCORE Will summarize your progress, so far.
INVENTORY Will display a list of the items you are carrying, and
those items you are wearing.
BRIEF Will cause location descriptions to be brief.
VERBOSE Will cause location descriptions to be verbose.
LOOK Will give you a full (verbose) description of
your current location.
LIST EXITS Will list the obvious (visible) exits from your current
location. There may be other ways to exit the location
-- but they may not be obvious.
SAVE GAME Will save the current game status on disk.
RESTORE GAME Will restore a previously saved game from disk.
SCRIPT Causes output to go to both the screen and a printer
(using the LP1 port).
UNSCRIPT Causes output to go to the screen (only).
QUIT Quits the current game session. Always exit using QUIT
-- so the game can erase some temporary data files and
save disk space!
FUNCTION AND CURSOR KEYS:
The function keys have been predefined to stand for several of the most
frequently used commands. Similarly, the cursor keys have been
predefined to correspond to the appropriate compass directions, i.e.,
the up arrow is NORTH, the PgDn key is SOUTHEAST, the "-" key is UP, the
"+" key is DOWN, the Ins key is ENTER, the Del key is EXIT, and so
forth.
Hitting the '?' key will display a diagram of the definitions for all of
the function and cursor keys if you need a reminder.
|