X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?p=open-adventure.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=advent.adoc;h=d40ad4cc67fd5cfbcf9dd5036df9bf15dff3aaf7;hp=d0fd29b09918b1c54f4af0dcdfe3a0bbc6a57970;hb=HEAD;hpb=a0a35d8c7b8ed65230748647ff3c40e8119a643f diff --git a/advent.adoc b/advent.adoc index d0fd29b..f132b0c 100644 --- a/advent.adoc +++ b/advent.adoc @@ -1,14 +1,16 @@ = advent(6) = :doctype: manpage +// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: (C) Eric S. Raymond +// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0 == NAME == advent - Colossal Cave Adventure == SYNOPSIS == -*advent* [-l logfile] [-o] +*advent* [-l logfile] [-o] [-r savefile] [-a 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 +20,22 @@ 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 -collision, this game builds as 'advent', reflecting the fact that the -PDP-10 on which it originally ran limited filenames to 6 characters. +Jim Gillogly of the 1977 version. To avoid a name collision, this game +builds as 'advent', reflecting the fact that the 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 until you get to the new cave sections added for +2.5. To exit the game, type Ctrl-D (EOF). @@ -37,16 +45,42 @@ 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 save file + +-a:: Load from specified save file and autosave to it on exit or signal. --r:: Restore game from specified file +-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. --o:: Old-style. Restores original interface, no prompt or line editing. +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. +The binary save file format is fragile, dependent on your machine's +endianness, and unlikely to survive through version bumps. There are +version and endianness checks when attempting to restore from a save. + +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 . The project page is