Acid Rain

Aicd Rain is a text adventure for several personal computers, as it was written in Infocom Z-Code, which means it can easily be ported to various computers. This was the version ported to the C64 in the same year that the original was written.

Introduction:

You were driving home from the Second National Conference on Acid Rain when you started getting tired. As it was late at night, and you were in the middle of nowhere, you pulled over to the side of the road for a bit of shut-eye.

When you wake up, you find that it's dark and dismal outside and raining heavily. You'd better get a move on and get the car under cover. Despite all the protective coating you've applied, acid rain can still make a mess of your duco.

Goal:

Your goal is to start the car and drive home. You will soon find that this is not as easy as it sounds. As the story develops, you will find that there are multiple sub-goals. I can't tell you what they are, as that would spoil the fun.

Instructions

This is a traditional text adventure that was written for ParserComp 2021.

A text adventure is a form of computer game that presents you with a story. You take on the role of the main character in the story and control that character's actions. The story has a goal, and you will need to solve puzzles in order to achieve that goal. The computer tells you where you are, what you can see and what's happening around you. You can then move around, examine the things you find, and manipulate those things by telling the computer what to do using simple English commands.

Commands consist of a verb phrase, optionally followed by a noun phrase. Most commands can be abbreviated to a verb followed by a noun. For example, START THE CAR can be abbreviated to START CAR.

In some cases, the verb phrase and first noun phrase may be followed by a second noun phrase. The two noun phrases are usually separated by a preposition. For example, UNLOCK GATE WITH IRON KEY. If you only use a verb and a noun, the game will generally tell you if it needs an extra phrase or implicitly try to deduce what is needed for the second phrase.

Don't panic! It's not as complicated as it sounds. Just use simple English sentences starting with a verb, and it will all feel quite natural.

Movement:

To move around, use commands like GO NORTH and WALK SOUTH. You can move in any of the four cardinal compass directions, as well as UP and DOWN. (There are no diagonal directions in this game.) To save typing, movement commands can be abbreviated to N, S, E, W, U and D. You can sometimes use other movement commands such as CLIMB, ENTER, EXIT, GET ON, GET OFF and JUMP. Most of these are alternatives to normal compass directions. There is only one exception, and this will be reasonably obvious when the time comes.

Whatever you do, make sure you draw a map as you go. This is a medium-sized game. If you don't draw a map, you will most certainly get lost or miss exits to other locations.

Examining things:

Make sure you EXAMINE everything you find, as subtle hints and clues are scattered everywhere. It might even reveal a new object. When you enter a new location, scan the location description for nouns and examine each of those nouns. If the responses reveal any new nouns, then examine those as well. To save typing, EXAMINE can be abbreviated to X. For example, EXAMINE CAR can be abbreviated to X CAR.

You can also try your other senses when it seems appropriate, e.g. SMELL, TOUCH and LISTEN. Unlike EXAMINE, these actions probably aren't necessary to solve any puzzles, so don't feel obligated to use them.

Manipulating objects:

Apart from exploring and examining things, most of your time will be spent manipulating objects. Use commands like GET or TAKE to pick up an object, e.g. GET CAR KEY. Use commands like DROP or DISCARD to drop an object, e.g. DROP TORCH. Use WEAR to wear something, e.g. WEAR RAINCOAT. Use REMOVE to remove something that is already worn, e.g. REMOV