CHAPTER 8

NOW WRITE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES


To give you a start in writing your own adventures, I will give you the plan of an adventure along with a list of what should happen in each of the rooms. The adventure is called "Tyranny of Maglar" and is the third of the trilogy - of adventures starting with "Dracula's castle". The main purpose of this adventure is to return the "JEWEL" to its correct place, and to kill "MAGLAR" who took control of your kingdom on hearing of your capture by Dracula. As well as this, you will have to return the situation to what it was before, for "MAGLAR", in his greed, took over your palace, and took various items from their proper place for this palace, and so there has to be a way for the player to find out which objects must be returned before the adventure can be completed. An interesting feature of this adventure is the ability for the player to trade objects for some form of money and so be able to gain new objects which will be useful. You may wish to include the ability ; for the player to find out his/her score while playing the game, and this can be worked out according to the number of objects in their correct places -- the final score will be as in previous adventures, with the exception that added to it will be the values for the objects (say 16 points for each object sorted out). For this you will have to remember to prevent the command "SCORE" from being accepted as the command "SOUTH", and also remember that it does not take an object.

   You should try and write the adventure according to the format in Chapter Two, using the data given in the rest of this chapter. However, if you have any novel ideas about things which could happen in the adventure, then by all means use them, for the situations which I suggest are not inflexible, and the purpose of writing an adventure is to use your own imagination, and creative instincts to challenge other people to win in the hypothetical situations in which you place them -- remember that it is you, the programmer, who is in control of what happens to the players in adventures. The more you decide to use your own ideas, the greater will be the pleasure that you will gain out of writing adventures, provided that these ideas are logical.


Plan


ROOMS


   The room names are given below in numerical order along with their expected functions in the adventure:

   1)   

ENTRANCE TO CITY

-- This is the starting location for the adventure, and the first action of the adventurer should be to pick up the "JEWEL" that is lying on the ground, for it must be returned to the appopriate place.

   2)   

AREA WITH A NOTICE BOARD

-- On the "NOTICE-BOARD" can be information pertaining to the recent removal of a "PAINTING" and some "RELICS" from the "Museum" to be put in the palace. This will be a . small piece of helpful information for the player to start off with, for these - are two of the objects which must be returned to their correct place.

   3)   

GARDEN SUPPLIES SHOP

-- If you "DROP" the "FERTILISER" here, which you can pick up from the circus, then you will receive a "TOKEN". This "TOKEN" may be used to buy some "MATCHES" from the "Chemist's shop".

   4)   

BANK

-- The money here will be sufficient to allow you to buy a "LOAF" of bread from the "Grocery shop". It is lying around and nobody will notice you taking it.

   5)   

GREENHOUSE

-- The extra piece of "GLASS" left here from the building of the greenhouse, will allow you to repair a broken "WINDOW" in the "Residential area" -- this would count as score when the repairs have been done.

   6)   

BOOK SHOP

-- You will find a "MAGAZINE" here; it is free and need not be paid for with anything. If you read it, then you will find an advertisement for the "Craft shop", and in particular, about a "SKEAN-DHU", which is a type of dagger.

   7)   

CARPARK

-- If you "DROP" the repaired "CAR" here, then a "CREDIT-CARD" will fall out of a slot in the metalwork. It turns out to be the one which you had lost a long time ago, before your journey to "Dracula's castle".

   8)   

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

-- Some "KEYS" can be found here and these may be picked up. The purpose of them is to "LOCK" up the casing in the "Jewellery room" after putting the "JEWEL" back into it, so that it is kept safe. Points are scored for the return of the "JEWEL".

   9)   

MAGLAR'S CIRCUS

-- Some "FERTILISER" can be found here, which was kindly left by one of the elephants. If you take this to the "Garden supplies shop", then you will be given a token in return for it.

   10)   

MARKET

-- You are able to "SELL" a "COW" here which you are able to steal from "Maglar's dairy". In return for selling the "COW", you will receive a "GUINEA".

   11)   

MAGLAR'S DAIRY

-- A "COW" is in here when you enter, and you are allowed to take it. As you have found out from the information about the "Market" above, you can "SELL" this "COW" for some form of money.

   12)   

CRAFTSHOP

-- You will be able to "BUY" a "SKEAN-DHU" from this shop with the "GUINEA" which you will receive from selling the "COW". The "SKEAN-DHU" is the object that you will require to kill "MAGLAR".

   13)   

GROCERY SHOP

-- A "LOAF" is here, and you will be able to "BUY" it with the "MONEY" which you can obtain from the "BANK". The "LOAF" is used to "FEED" some "BIRDS" which you will find in the "Park in the city".

   14)   

N. END OF SQUARE

-- This room has no function apart from acting as a connecting room. Perhaps you will want to think up some sort of other purpose for this location.

   15)   

NEWSAGENT'S SHOP

-- A "NEWSPAPER" is lying on the counter, and the newsagent recognises you as you enter, and allows you to take this object. The "NEWSPAPER" tells you about a new "MONUMENT" which Maglar has erected for himself. To gain score from this you will have to knock this "MONUMENT" down.

   16)   

HARDWARE SHOP

-- When you receive the "CREDIT-CARD" from dropping the repaired "CAR" in the "Carpark", you can use it to "BUY" the "COMPUTER" which is lying about in this shop.

   17)   

EXECUTIONER'S HOUSE

-- You will find a "HOOD" here which will disguise you from the "BODYGUARDS" who will kill you if they recognise you. This is an object which must be worn before it will have the desired effect.

   18)   

S. END OF SQUARE

-- Like the "N. End of square", this room acts as a connecting room, without a function, so you have the option of putting something here yourself if you wish.

   19)   

SPORT'S SHOP

-- If you take the "SNOOKER-CUE" from the "Games room" and "DROP" it here, then you will be given the option of picking up a "JAVELIN" which will appear.

   20)   

PLACE WITH PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE MAGLAR

-- When you come into this room, then a "PERSON" will come up to you and tell you that you must be wary because there have been muggings recently in the "Dark street", so you will have to carry some form of light with you when you enter this location.

   21)   

AREA WITH A GUILLOTINE

-- You will be given one move in which you will have the chance to dispose of the "GUILLOTINE". To do this, you will have to "THROW" the "T. N. T." at it, and with a bit of luck, it will be blown up before it chops your head off. If you attempt to leave this room before carrying out this action, then you will be killed.

   22)   

CHEMIST'S SHOP

-- You are able to "BUY" some "MATCHES" here with the "TOKEN" which you can obtain from the "Garden supplies shop". To light them, you can use either the command "LIGHT", or the command "STRIKE", and you will find that they stay alight for a long time.

   23)   

RESIDENTIAL AREA

-- There is a "WINDOW" here, and if you "EXAMINE" it, then you will discover that it is broken. If you "REPAIR" it with the "TOOLBOX" from the "Garage", and the "GLASS" from the "Greenhouse", then you will receive points to be added to your score.

   24)   

MISSILE ENCLOSURE

-- You will find a "MISSILE" here and if you try and "THROW" it, or "EXPLODE" it in any way, then you will be killed, for it is a red herring.

   25)   

ENTRANCE TO PALACE

-- You have to pass Maglar's "BODYGUARDS" here, and to do so, you will need to be wearing the "HOOD" from the "Executioner's house", for otherwise they will recog nise you and kill you.

   26)   

GARAGE

-- A "TOOLBOX" is here which can be picked up. It has two functions in this adventure: in one instance it can be used to help "REPAIR" a "WINDOW", and in the other, you are able to "REPAIR" the "CAR" which you can obtain from the "Desolate street".

   27)   

MUSEUM

-- This is where you can leave two items, to gain two lots of points. One object is the "PAINTING", and the other is the "RELICS", both of which you are able to find in the palace.

   28)   

DESOLATE STREET

-- A "CAR" can be picked up from here. On examination of it, you will find out that it requires several repairs, so you have to find something with which you can "REPAIR" it.

   29)   

ARMY CAMP

-- Some "T. N. T.." can be found here, and it should be used to remove the "GUILLOTINE" from your path before it kills you. Be careful, for if you simply "DROP" it, then it will explode, and you will be blown up with it.

   30)   

PICTURE GALLERY

-- This is a location inside the palace, and in it is a "PAINTING", which Maglar stole from the "Museum", so you will need to return it there to gain points.

   31)   

MAP ROOM

-- In this room is a "STREET-MAP", which you must pick uo and return to the "Park in the city", from where Maglar stole it for his owa personal use. By doing so, you will receive points to add to your score.

   32)   

POWER STATION

-- Whenever you enter this room, you should switch off the "POWER-SWITCH", for it will switch off the lights to the palace. If you enter the palace when the lights are still on, then you will be killed by one of the "BODYGUARDS".

   33)   

PARK IN THE CITY

-- There will be some "BIRDS" here, and if you decide to "FEED" them with the "LOAF" of bread, then they will tell you that Maglar stole the "STREET-MAP" from this location, and they will ask you to retrieve it for them.

   34)   

COMPUTER SHOP

-- By dropping the "COMPUTER", which you had bought from the "Hardware shop", here, a "SLEDGEHAMMER" will appear in its place. This object is required to knock down the "MONUMENT" which was erected by Maglar, in the location entitled "Monument of Maglar".

   35)   

ROOM FULL OF ANTIQUES

-- Some "RELICS" can be found here, and they must be picked up, and then dropped again in the "Museum" for you to gain points.

   36)   

JEWELLERY ROOM

-- You have to replace the "JEWEL" in the "OPEN-CASING", which you will find in here. The door to this casing must be locked with the "KEYS" from the "Sheriff's office" to gain the points you deserve for retrieving it from Dracula.

   37)   

MINISTER'S HOUSE

-- In here you will find nothing if you enter without having previously played the "ORGAN" in "The church". If you have played it then you will find a "BIBLE" here. With this in your possession when you try and kill "MAGLAR" with the "SKEAN-DHU", your action will be rewarded, but, on the other hand, if you do not have this object, then the "BODYGUARDS" will intervene at the crucial moment and kill you.

   38)   

MONUMENT OF MAGLAR

-- The "MONUMENT" here must be knocked down with the help of the "SLEDGEHAMMER", and by doing so, you will gain some points for your score.

   39)   

BODYGUARDS' ROOM

-- Instead of finding some "BODYGUARDS" here, you will find a "WATCHDOG", which will not let you past it. To remove it from your way, you will have to "SHOOT" it with the "PISTOL" which you will find in the "Ammunition room".

   40)   

GAMES ROOM

-- A "SNOOKER-CUE" can be found here. This is linked with the "Sport's shop", and if you "DROP" it there, then a "JAVELIN" will appear in its place.

   41)   

THE CHURCH

-- An "ORGAN" is here, and cannot be moved. However, you are able to "PLAY" it, and the result of doing so is for a "BIBLE" to appear in the "Minister's house".

   42)   

DARK STREET

-- To pass here without being mugged and killed by some layabouts, you have to be carrying the "LIT-MATCHES" which you will have obtained from the "Chemist's shop".

   43)   

MAGLAR'S CHAMBER

-- Maglar can be found here, and you must "KILL" him with the "SKEAN-DHU" from the "Craft shop". By killing him, you will gain points.

   44)   

AMMUNITION ROOM

-- You will need the "PISTOL" from here so that you will be able to pass the "WATCHDOG", which you will "SHOOT" in the "Bodyguards' room".

   45)   

RECREATION GROUND

-- A "WRESTLER" is here and will not let you pass to the east. To pass him you have to "THROW" the "JAVELIN" from the "Sports shop" at him. This will distract him, and you will be able to pass into the next room.

   46)   

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE

-- A "SHEET" can be picked up from here and it will give details about the "JEWEL" being returned to the "OPEN-CASING", if you decide to "EXAMINE" it, or "READ" it.

   47)   

ENTRANCE TO BLACKSMITH'S HOUSE

-- There is an "ANVIL" at this location, and you can use it to make a "HORSESHOE", which will give you a little good luck.

   48)   

BLACKSMITH'S HOUSE

-- You will find a "METAL-STRIP" here and will need to use the "ANVIL" in the entrance to the house, to make the "HORSESHOE" out of it. If you are not carrying the "HORSESHOE" when you complete the last point-scoring part of this adventure, then you will receive some bad luck -- this will be in the form of some sort of death.

   The above information, along with that in Chapter Two, should be sufficient for you to write this adventure. Once you have tried this adventure, . then you will wish to write adventures of your own -- you will need to make up a plan, and so on, following the details in Chapter Two. Note that the - objects and commands of this adventure, and the details on how to complete it are not given in the appendices. This is to give you the chance to change it to suit yourself, although pointers are given for the objects and commands to be used, as well as virtually all the situations in each room.

   From this point on, you are on your own, regarding the making of adventures, so I must wish you success in making them in the future. I trust that this book has proved useful to you in both learning how to program BASIC adventures, and in improving your programming structure -- I, myself, started to program by writing adventures, and through this, my skills as a programmer developed.