games/competition2004/zcode/stack/stack.txt

Stack Overflow Readme, IFComp version
---------------------------------
Contents
0. If it's your first time playing IF/ZCode game.
1. Playing the game
2. Walkthrough


***
0. If it's your first time playing IF/ZCode game.
***
It just may happen that you haven't had a previous experience of playing Interactive
Fiction and thought that participiating in IFComp is a nice place to start with. Or you may
have played games of that genre, but haven't ever stumbled upon a .z5 extension and you don't
know what to do with it. Either way this section is for you.

First you need to get an appropriate Interpreter for your system. You can get it (if
you haven't got it already) either from IFComp site (www.ifcomp.org) or from IF-archive
(www.ifarchive.org).

For example if you've got a Windows system you need one of these:
	* WinFrotz
	* Windows Frotz 2002

This game runs fine under either of them, and it probably would run under any recent version of
anything with Frotz/Zip in the title.
  
Now you need to run the interpreter and, using its interface, select something like "Open new
story" or "Start new game". Some interpreters could be run from the command prompt, where you
first type the name of executable file and then of the story file like "winfrotz.exe stack.z5".
For that to work you must copy the story file into the interpreter's folder or you'll have to
type the whole path to stack.z5. The recent interpreters should also support drag-and-drop
feature where you simply drag the game icon onto the interpreter's executable icon and you're
done with it.

Then you play the game using guidelines from the next section. And the last note: if you
somehow don't like my game, don't let that drive you off from ever touching an IF piece
again. There are probably better games in the competition and you may like them more. 

*** 
1.Playing the game.
***
Here I'll discuss the wicked ways of playing this particular game and IF in general. The first
thing you need to know is that to control the protagonist's actions you must give him commands
in some reasonable subset of English (you type what he should do next like he was you - in fact
the game refers to him as "you" so while playing the game you should imagine that you and him
are the same person). The commands are divided into several groups:

a) System commands
These are used to do some story-unrelated actions and refer to the interpreter instead of protagonist:
SAVE/RESTORE - to save or restore a game.
QUIT - to quit the game 
BRIEF - used to skip a room description if you've been here before.
VERBOSE - used to cancel the previous command out
or some story-related, but still referring to the interpreter:  
SCORE/FULL SCORE - your current score
PLACES - the places you visited
OBJECTS - the objects you've seen
All of these commands do not influence the flow of the game and do not count towards "moves"
you see in the status line.
This game has its own hint system which will be available to you in the midgame. Just type HELP
when it'll be available.

b) Moving around
The game uses a traditional compass directional system. That means that to go somewhere you
must type a direction in which you want to go. Fortunately the protagonist has a good sense
of direction so you'll know where to go. You can use a shortened form of every compass direction
(N/NE/E/SE/S/SW/W/NW). You can also go up and down in some places (U/D).
Also there are things which you can enter and things on which you can stand. To do so type
something like "ENTER THING" and you're done (or you'll be told that you can't enter that
thing).  

c)Interacting with Environment
That's easy: if you want to hit boulder with club type "HIT BOULDER WITH CLUB". Or something
like that. Some useful actions: TAKE/DROP for items, EXAMINE(X) for almost everything (also
use LOOK to print a room description again and LOOK IN to look in containers/windows),
OPEN/CLOSE/UNLOCK for doors and containers, PUSH/PULL for moving around heavy items,
WEAR/REMOVE wearable items, PUSH buttons, FLIP switches and TURN dials... And there are lots
of other commands which you'd have to guess from context (that should be easy - no SQUEEZE LIE
DISTINGUISHERS here).

d)Interacting with NPC (Non-Player Characters)
Not a lot of NPCs in this game, but for completeness's sake...
There are two ways of interacting with NPC in this game (note that every IF game has its own
convention about NPCs so even if you played other IFs before I urge you to read this section).
The first way is direct: ASK NPC ABOUT SOMETHING and TELL NPC ABOUT SOMETHING (of course the
interaction is not limited to only talking - you can show them your items for example).
The second way is indirect: NPC, <do something>. Whether he or she will obey to your orders
depends on NPC. You can simulate other NPC-related actions this way: for example
NPC, TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING = ASK NPC ABOUT SOMETHING. Note that in Stack Overflow there are
three levels of saying something to someone:
1. User-level: you type for example ASK NPC ABOUT SOMETHING and want your character to ask NPC
   about SOMETHING.
2. Character-level: at this level the main character tries to formulate a question in his own way.
   Conveniently the game prints what exactly he asks. That may be not what you meant, but you can't
   force the protagonist to say something he doesn't want to say.
3. NPC-level: this is when you and your character get the responce. This may result in a short
   dialog between the protagonist and NPC which you have no chance to interrupt.
 
***
3.Walkthrough
***

Walkthrough is provided in case you stumble upon the puzzle you can't solve yourself (and the 
internal hint system is of no help) or you just prefer to play the game using the walkthrough.
Or you want to see the ending before the 2 hour limit. Note that the game is made in such a way
that you could win without much hassle and without visiting all of the locations. There are
several endings which earn different amounts of points.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
 
S
P
A
C
E

Intro

E. S. W.

Small room

OPEN CABINET. TAKE RED. TAKE HAMMER.
OPEN PLAYER. TAKE GREEN. PUT RED IN PLAYER.
CLOSE PLAYER. TURN IT ON. BREAK WALL WITH HAMMER.
OPEN CABINET. TAKE CUBE. BLORPLE CUBE.

Space Station

PUSH BUTTON. Z. Z. E. PUSH 1.
W. W. TAKE SUIT.
PUSH TABLE E. PUSH BUTTON. PUSH TABLE E.
(now the timing is important. If you return back too early you would be shot with 30% chance.)
BLORPLE CUBE. Z. Z. Z. Z.
BLORPLE CUBE. Z. Z. Z.
TAKE TOOLBOX. Z. TAKE TOOLBOX.
Z. (until the noises disappear)
PUSH BUTTON. (instead you can E to visit the new location) 
E. PUSH 2. Z. W.
WEAR SUIT. X SUIT. CLOSE HELMET.
JUMP. X CONSOLE. UNLOCK LOCKER WITH KEYCARD.
OPEN LOCKER. TAKE MANUAL. TAKE GYRO. D.
OPEN SUIT. PUSH BUTTON. E.
PUSH 3. W.
SW. PUT MANUAL IN SCANNER.
RIP PAGE FROM MANUAL. (x6)
PUT PAGE 5 IN SCANNER. CLOSE SCANNER.
PUT PAGE 3 IN SCANNER. CLOSE SCANNER.
PUT PAGE 2 IN SCANNER. CLOSE SCANNER.
(remember the appearances of these 3 controls and write them down somewhere)
NE.
--Optional - the boring diamond ring puzzle.
NE.
PUSH BUTTON. PUSH BUTTON. TAKE BAND. (x4)
SE.SW.
X CONTROL PANEL.
PUT STRIP IN LEFT. PUT STRIP IN RIGHT. X DISPLAY.
PUSH BUTTON. TAKE CYLINDER
PUT STRIP IN LEFT. PUT STRIP IN RIGHT.
PUSH BUTTON. TAKE CYLINDER.
PUT CYLINDER IN LEFT. PUT CYLINDER IN RIGHT. X DISPLAY.
FLIP SWITCH. PUSH BUTTON. TAKE BOTTLE.
NE. FILL BOTTLE. NW. SW. NW.
POUR LIQUID ON FLOOR.
OPEN BARREL. TAKE SOMETHING. PUSH BARREL.
LOOK. TAKE RING. WEAR RING. SE.
--End Optional
PUSH BUTTON. E. PUSH 2. W.
CLOSE SUIT. U.
(now push/turn/flip 3 controls in the required order)
D. DOFF SUIT. DROP SUIT.
PUSH BUTTON. E. PUSH 4. Z. W.
W. W. ENTER POD.
Z. X KEYBOARD. Z.
X SPACESHIP. PUSH 1234. PUSH 2345. PUSH 3456.

End Game

Z. Z. WAKE UP YOU BASTARD.
OUT. X RIGHT ARM. REMOVE NEEDLE.
NURSE, HI.
I. ASK NURSE FOR STUFF.

-- Standard ending (max 40 points) --
TELL NURSE ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES.
SHOW CUBE TO NURSE.
SHOW MANUAL TO NURSE.
SHOW GYRO TO NURSE.
SHOW KEYCARD TO NURSE. (this is actually a foreplay game...)

-- Better ending (max 42 points - only if you have a ring - and it's not stolen) --
NURSE, TELL ME YOUR NAME
GIVE RING TO JANE
(bah, so easy!)

--Worse endings--
Z. (a lot)/ NURSE, GET OUT / SHOW NURSE THE DOOR / NURSE, FUCK OFF
(basically whatever you do after escaping the space station, you already won. Your goal is to
finish off the story somehow.)