This is a restoration of the classic Original Adventure game
(sometimes called Colossal Cave Adventure or simply Adventure)
for Atari ST computers. The goal in preparing this version was to
make this game available on a modern, generally available personal
computer and thus (hopefully) preserve it for the next generation of
computer enthusiasts. This game was literally the first game of its
type; since it was named "Adventure", that became the name of the
entire family. All of us who have worked on this version hope that
you enjoy it.
This version is distributed by the Austin Atari Computer Enthusiasts
(AACE) in two different variants: one containing only the executable
files for players, and the other containing all of the source files (in
addition to the executable files) for developers. The list of files
in each variant is found in the file CATALOG.DOC.
The first version of this game was written prior to 1977 for a large
mainframe computer (some say a DEC-10) in FORTRAN. At the time it was
written, it was the one of the largest programs around and one of the
few to do extensive textual processing (a real feat in the early
versions of FORTRAN!). Because of its large size, few translations
for home/personal computers have been entirely successful: either the
textual descriptions were abbreviated so that both they and the
program would fit into memory (thus destroying the readability of the
game); the text was kept in disk files that were read as needed
during the playing of the game (thus slowing down the game response
and detracting from its playability); or features of the original game
were left out to reduce both the program and text size (thus making
the game less enjoyable). None of these compromises are necessary on
the Atari ST and this version has all of the features of the original
game. This version is written in "C", but attempts to retain the same
playing characteristics as the original mainframe version; all of the
text and game features are present, no accesses to disk files are
needed after the game initialization, and the program logic has been
verified against the original FORTRAN code.
To play this version of Original Adventure on the Atari ST:
1. The minimum equipment required is an Atari 520ST or 1040ST
with at least 512 K-Bytes of RAM, a single, single-sided
floppy disk drive, and a monochrome or color monitor. High
or medium resolution must be selected (for the display of
80 characters per line text).
2. Be sure that the files ADVENT.TOS, ADVENT0.DAT, ADVENT1.DAT,
ADVENT2.DAT, ADVENT3.DAT, ADVENT4.DAT, ADVENT5.DAT,
ADVENT6.DAT, and ADVENTR.DAT are all located either in the
main directory or in the same folder of the game disk.
3. After opening a GEM Desktop window showing the above files,
double click on the ADVENT.TOS program name or icon (or
single click on the ADVENT.TOS program name or icon and then
select OPEN from the FILE menu).
4. The screen will clear and, after a few seconds, a brief
"sign-on" message will appear. The program will then read
the data files, which will take about 30 seconds from floppy
disk (much less when loading from hard disk or ram disk).
5. After the data files have been read, the program will ask if
you want instructions. When the character ">" followed by the
flashing, block cursor is displayed on the left side of
the screen, reply by typing "yes" or "no" on the keyboard.
End this and all subsequent entries by pressing the RETURN key.
The mouse is not used during the playing of this game. Except
for saving and restoring a game, the disk will not be used
any more during play.
6. The program will display further information and descriptions
on the screen and then request your keyboard commands by
displaying the ">" character as before. You can correct or
change your input before pressing the RETURN key by pressing
the BACKSPACE key to move the cursor to the point at which you
wish to make changes and then retyping the remainder of your
command. As you press the BACKSPACE key, the cursor will move
but the characters will not be erased; any characters under and
to the right of the cursor when the RETURN key is pressed are
ignored.
7. If you have not played this game before, I suggest that you
read the instructions provided with the game itself (type "yes"
and press the RETURN key in response to the first question the
game asks).
8. If you get a "Fatal error number..." message, the most common
causes are a missing or corrupted data file (file whose name
end with '.DAT'), or insufficient memory in the ST. Be sure
that all the ".DAT" files are in the same folder as the
"ADVENT.TOS" file. The program requires about 150K of free
RAM and will run on a 520ST with the control panel and
emulator desk accessories, but it may be necessary to reboot
without other desk accessories and/or reduce the size of any
ramdisks. If necessary, get help from your local Atari Users
Group.
This version of Adventure was prepared by Marvin W. Rasmussen in "C"
for the Megamax C compiler and is based on three previous versions:
1) The CP/M public domain library version converted into BDS-C
by Jay R. Jaeger and updated by L. C. Calhoun;
2) An ISIS-II FORTRAN-77 version which itself is based on two
previous versions --
- a FORTRAN-10 version done by Willie Crowther and
Don Woods (the original authors), and
- a FORTRAN-IV-PLUS version done by Kent Blackett; and
3) A FORTRAN version believed to be for a mini-computer (maybe
Harris).
Starting with the BDS-C source code, a large number of corrections,
modifications, and restorations have been made to bring the operation
of this version consistent with the FORTRAN versions. Information
about the conversion can be found in the file DIARY.TXT (only in the
developer's variant).