X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=advent.adoc;h=6257e6c1b4f5e8926fb26101c8bc9310765d3d49;hb=e1ce7d6b6a02e19f0a15ae8fc61a44060843dcc4;hp=d0fd29b09918b1c54f4af0dcdfe3a0bbc6a57970;hpb=a0a35d8c7b8ed65230748647ff3c40e8119a643f;p=open-adventure.git

diff --git a/advent.adoc b/advent.adoc
index d0fd29b..6257e6c 100644
--- a/advent.adoc
+++ b/advent.adoc
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
 advent - Colossal Cave Adventure
 
 == SYNOPSIS ==
-*advent* [-l logfile] [-o]
+*advent* [-l logfile] [-o] [-r savefile] [script...]
 
 == DESCRIPTION ==
-The original Colossal Cave Adventure from 1976-77 was the origin of all
+The original Colossal Cave Adventure from 1976-1977 was the origin of all
 later text adventures, dungeon-crawl (computer) games, and computer-hosted
 roleplaying games.
 
@@ -18,16 +18,21 @@ adventure".  To learn more about the changes since the 350-point
 original, type 'news' at the command prompt.
 
 There is an 'adventure' in the BSD games package that is a C port by
-Jim Gillogly of the 1976 ancestor of this game.  To avoid a name
+Jim Gillogly of the Don Woods's 1977 version of this game.  To avoid a name
 collision, this game builds as 'advent', reflecting the fact that the
-PDP-10 on which it originally ran limited filenames to 6 characters.
+PDP-10 on which the game originally ran limited filenames to 6 characters.
 
 This version is released as open source with the permission and
 encouragement of the original authors.
 
-Unlike the original, this version supports use of your arrow keys to edit
-your command line in place.  Basic Emacs keystrokes are supported, and
-your up/down arrows access a command history.
+Unlike the original, this version has a command prompt and supports
+use of your arrow keys to edit your command line in place.  Basic
+Emacs keystrokes are supported, and your up/down arrows access a
+command history.
+
+Some minor bugs and message typos have been fixed.  Otherwise, the
+"version" command is almost the only way to tell you're not running
+Don's 1977 version.
 
 To exit the game, type Ctrl-D (EOF).
 
@@ -37,16 +42,42 @@ There have been no gameplay changes.
 
 -l:: Log commands to specified file.
 
--s:: Suppress Emacs-like line editing and command history.
-
 -r:: Restore game from specified file
 
--o:: Old-style.  Restores original interface, no prompt or line editing.
+-a:: Load from specified file and autosave to it on exit or signal.
+
+-o:: Old-style.  Reverts some minor cosmetic fixes in game
+     messages. Restores original interface, no prompt or line editing.
+     Also ignores new-school one-letter commands l, x, g, z, i. Also
+     case-smashes and truncates unrecognized text when echoed.
+
+Normally, game input is taken from standard input.  If script file
+arguments are given, input is taken from them instead.  A script file
+argument of '-' is taken as a directive to read from standard input.
 
 == BUGS ==
 
 The binary save file format is fragile, dependent on your machine word
-size and endianness, and unlikely to survive through version bumps.
+size and endianness, and unlikely to survive through version bumps. There
+is a version check.
+
+The input parser was the first attempt *ever* at natural-language
+parsing in a game and has some known deficiencies.  While later text
+adventures distinguished between transitive and intransitive verbs,
+Adventure's grammar distinguishes only between motion and action
+verbs. Motions are always immediate in their behavior, so both ACTION
+MOTION and MOTION ACTION (and even MOTION NOUN and MOTION MOTION) are
+invariably equivalent to MOTION (thus GO NORTH means NORTH and JUMP
+DOWN means JUMP). Whereas, with actions and nouns, the parser collects
+words until it's seen one of each, and then dispatches; if it reaches
+the end of the command without seeing a noun, it'll dispatch an
+"intransitive" action. This makes ACTION1 ACTION2 equivalent to
+ACTION2 (thus TAKE INVENTORY means INVENTORY), and NOUN ACTION
+equivalent to ACTION NOUN.
+
+Thus you get anomalies like "eat building" interpreted as a command
+to move to the building. These should not be reported as bugs; instead,
+consider them historical curiosities.
 
 == REPORTING BUGS ==
 Report bugs to Eric S. Raymond <esr@thyrsus.com>.  The project page is