Appendix 3: Help! (The Beatles, 1965)

1. User Commands - the following commands may prove useful while playing the game.

VERBOSE:       The default: prints long room descriptions on first visit, 20% of the time thereafter.

BRIEF:              Prints short room descriptions and short object descriptions for rooms which have been visited.

SUPERBRIEF:  Prints short room descriptions and short object descriptions all the time, even on the first visit.

INFO:                Prints information on what the game is about.

HELP:               Prints this message.

QUIT:                Prints your score, and asks whether you wish to continue playing; "Q" is equivalent.

SCORE:            Prints your score (and deflates your ego).

TIME:                Prints how much time you have wasted playing the game.

VERSION:         Prints the current version number.

SAVE:              Saves the current game for future continuation.

RESTORE:        Restores a previous saved game.

AGAIN:             Repeats the last command.

LOOK:              Describes the current surroundings; "L" is equivalent.

ROOM:             Prints the verbose description of the current room, without object descriptions.

RNAME:           Prints the short description of the current room.

OBJECTS:        Prints the verbose description of all the objects in the current room, without describing the room.

INVENTORY:     Prints a list of your possessions; "I" is equivalent.

DIAGNOSE:      Prints your current state of health.

WAIT:               Causes "time" to pass.

2. Command parser

A command is one line of text terminated by a carriage return.  For reasons of simplicity, all words are distinguished by their first eight letters.  All others are ignored.  For example, typing "DISASSEMBLE THE ENCYCLOPEDIA" is not only meaningless, it also creates excess effort for your fingers.  Note that this truncation may produce ambiguities in the interpretation of longer words.

You are talking to a moderately stupid parser, which understands the following types of things:

Actions - among the more obvious of these, TAKE, PUT, DROP, etc.  Fairly general forms of these may be used, such as PICK UP, PUT DOWN, etc.

Directions - NORTH, SOUTH, UP, DOWN, etc. and their various abbreviations.  Other more obscure directions (LAND, CROSS) are appropriate in only certain situations.

Objects - Most objects have names and can be referenced by them.  Multiple objects, separated by commas or AND, can be used with TAKE, PUT, and DROP.  In addition, there are collective objects EVERYTHING, VALUABLES, and POSSESSIONS, which may also be used with TAKE, PUT, and DROP.  Collective objects may be qualified with an EXCEPT clause; for example, TAKE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE RUG.

Adjectives - Some adjectives are understood and required when there are two objects which can be referenced with the same noun (e.g., DOORs, BUTTONs).

Prepositions - It may be necessary in some cases to include prepositions, but the parser attempts to handle cases which aren't ambiguous without.  Thus "GIVE CAR TO DEMON" will work, as will "GIVE DEMON CAR".  When a preposition is used, it should be appropriate; "GIVE CAR WITH DEMON" won't parse.

Sentences - The parser understands a reasonable number of things.  For example, multiple commands (separated by periods or semicolons) can be placed on the same line.

Ambiguity - The parser tries to be clever about what to do in the case of actions which require objects that are not explicitly specified.  If there is only one possible object, the parser will assume that it should be used.  Otherwise, the parser will ask. Most questions asked by the parser can be answered.

Containment - Some objects can contain other objects.  Many such containers can be opened and closed.  The rest are always open.   They may or may not be transparent.  For you to access (e.g., take) an object which is in a container, the container must be open.  For you to see such an object, the container must be either open or transparent.  Containers have a capacity, and objects have sizes; the number of objects which will fit therefore depends on their sizes.  You may put any object you have access to (it need not be in your hands) into any other object.  At some point, the program will attempt to pick it up if you don't already have it, which process may fail if you're carrying too much.  Although containers can contain other containers, the program doesn't access more than one level down.

Fighting - Occupants of the dungeon will, as a rule, fight back when attacked.  In some cases, they may attack even if unprovoked.  Useful verbs here are "ATTACK <villain> WITH <weapon>", "KILL", etc.  Knife-throwing may or may not be useful.  You have a fighting strength which varies with time.  Being in a fight, getting killed, and being injured all lower this strength.  Strength is regained with time.  Thus, it is not a good idea to fight someone immediately after being killed.  Other details should become apparent after a few melees or deaths.  The "DIAGNOSE" command describes your state of health.

Vehicles - These are some objects in the labyrinth which are rumored to have the ability to transport the fearless adventurer to mysterious regions which are inaccessible on foot.  Needless to say, the adventurer faces great personal peril as he encounters these regions.  The vehicles can usually be entered with the "BOARD" command and can be exited with the "DISEMBARK" command.