A lighthearted look at the cost of illumination ...
_Enlightenment:_A_One_Room_Absurdity_
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0. Note from the author.
The documentation looks better in a fixed-width font than a proportional
font. It also looks better if you read the .htm files with a web browser,
since there's pretty graphics (Ok, they aren't beautiful, but they're
functional). I refuse to point out the inherent contradiction in requiring
graphics for the proper documentation but not the game proper =).
The text of Spelunker Today!, the pack-in magazine is in "spelunk.txt".
I hope you find it useful and/or amusing; you don't HAVE to read any of
the documentation if you don't want to, though. Well ... except for the bit
about not having to read any of the documentation which you've probably
just read.
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1. Welcome to Enlightenment: A One Room Absurdity
In Enlightenment, you take on the role of a daring adventurer who goes where
no other adventurer has gone before (or, more correctly, where no other
adventurer has gone before and survived). Now you are on your way back to
the surface, but unfortunately getting out may not be as simple as you had
assumed ...
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2. What is Interactive Fiction
Interactive Fiction is a type of role-playing game where the computer
describes your surroundings, and responds to your input. Here are some
sample sentences that you would find useful if Enlightenment actually
allowed them to do anything useful:
> WALK EAST
> GO UP
> WEST
> NE
> TAKE MY TEMPERATURE
> EAT MY SHORTS
> PUT ALL EXCEPT THE BIRD INTO THE CAGE
> EXAMINE THE INVISIBLE MAN
> PUSH BIG RED BUTTON
> HIT THE ROOF
> KILL TIME
Should you get a headache from all the capital letters, you may also type
in lower or mixed case; for instance:
> PusH sTudLyCaps tO THe maX
> look at eecummings
Some other verbs you may find useful (by no means a comprehensive list):
Attack, Close, Cut, Drop, Eat, Examine, Get, Inventory, Look, Open, Pull,
Push, Put, Search, Tie, Throw, Untie
Also some meta-verbs:
Oops - To replace an incorrectly typed word with another incorrectly typed
word.
Again - To repeat an action Save - To save a game.
Restore - To load a game.
Undo - To undo a move that you'd rather not have done.
Footnote - To read a listed footnote.
Hint - To access Enlightenment's online adaptive hints.
Quit - Strangely enough, to quit.
Verbs other than directions can be abbreviated:
Inventory ("I"), Again ("G"), Examine ("X"), Wait ("Z") and Look ("L")
You may communicate with intelligent lifeforms as follows:
> ASK BEEBOP ABOUT RAPSTEADY
> WAITER, GIVE ME WATER
> COMPUTER, TEA. EARL GREY. HOT
Alternatively, you can turn off the computer and talk to some real people.
Should you come across an intelligent lifeform in Enlightenment, please
contact the author as he certainly didn't put one in the game, and it will
come as a great surprise to him.
In the following sample script, player input is on the lines beginning with
">"
You wake to the sound of music blaring from your bedside radio. You
attempt to open your bedroom door, and are not amused when the
handle falls off. At this rate, you'll be late.
Stuck
A One-Room Non-Interactive Mundanity
In Your Bedroom
Your bedroom is sparsely furnished; it only contains your bed and a
bedside table. Morning light streams in from the window, while the
door in the south wall is unfortunately broken.
> OPEN THE DOOR
You can't even think while that radio is blaring.
> BREAK THE RADIO
As you smash the radio, you wonder if there was a better way.
> UNDO
In Your Bedroom
[Previous turn undone.]
> TURN RADIO OFF
With a *click* the room falls silent.
> OPEN HANDLE
That's not something that can be opened.
> OPEN DOOR
It's broken.
> PUSH ON IT
The door opens inwards.
> PULL IT
You can't get a grip on it.
> KNOCK ON IT
You hammer on the door, but get no answer.
> BREAK IT
You try your best, but only get a sore shoulder.
> PUT HANDL IN IT
I don't understand the word "handl"
> OOPS HANDLE
You attempt to fit the handle into the door, but fail. It really
seems broken.
> DROP HANDLE
Dropped.
> INVENTORY
You have nothing except your wits.
> EXAMINE BED
It's a sturdy wooden bed. Its blankets and sheets are still messed
up because you just got out of it.
> LOOK UNDER BED
There's nothing but dust there.
> LOOK
In Your Bedroom
Your bedroom is sparsely furnished; it only contains your bed and a
bedside table. Morning light streams in from the east window, while
the door in the south wall is unfortunately broken.
Someone has dropped the door's handle.
> OPEN WINDOW
The window opens a little.
> AGAIN
You manage to force the window open.
> LOOK THROUGH WINDOW
You see your garden below.
> JUMP INTO GARDEN
That's too great a leap.
> LOOK AT BED
It's a heavy king-sized bed with soft sheets and warm blankets.
> GET SHEETS
Done.
> TIE SHEETS TO BED
Tied.
> PUT SHEETS THROUGH WINDOW
You put the sheets through the window, and note with satisfaction
that they end only a few feet from the ground.
> CLIMB DOWN SHEETS
But you're still wearing your pajamas.
> LOOK AT TABLE
It's a wooden single-drawer type.
> OPEN DRAWER
Inside are some clothes.
> GET CLOTHES
(first taking the clothes)
You pull your clothes out of the drawer.
> WEAR THEM
(removing your pajamas first)
You put on the clothes.
> I
You are carrying your pajamas.
> E
You climb down the sheets into your garden.
-----
3. Enlightenment Credits
Written by:
Taro Ogawa (
[email protected])
Alpha Testers:
Ben Farrell
Ben Howard
Josh Price
Seiji Ogawa
Beta Testers:
Alex Hoffer
Gina Simon
Jennifer Maher
TenthStone
Theresa (Contralto)
Vincent Lynch
Thanks to:
Activision
for permissions
Crowther & Woods, Infocom, Magnetic Scrolls, and the Nethack Dev Team
for hours of enjoyment
David Dyte
for continuing the comp, and lotsa useful advice
G. Kevin Wilson
for starting the IF competition (An incentive to write!)
Graham Nelson
for Inform, and Curses
L. Ross Raszewski
for a plethora of libraries
Laird Malamud
for arranging permissions
Lima Dev Team
for thought processes
Liza Daly
for co-running the beta-tester pool
Lucian Smith
for co-running the beta-tester pool
Mary Kuhner
for help when needed
The int-fiction community
for keeping it alive
Special Thanks to:
Anyone who's ever put a troll
... or a bridge
... or a maze
... or a &*$&^$& deathtrap
in their game
The Official Mascot of Enlightenment is:
Wishywashy, the pet rock.
The Mascot's colours are:
GREY, GREY, GREY, GREY, GREY
-----
4. Licence/Copyright
Enlightenment is copyright 1998, Taro Stephen Ogawa (
[email protected]).
Permission is given to distribute this game without fee (If you want to
distribute this for a fee, no matter how nominal, please contact me) provided
all documentation is distributed unaltered with the game file. No implied or
express warranty is provided with this product. By receiving this licence,
you accept all liability for any physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or
financial damage including (but not limited to) loss of sleep, loss of hair,
gnawing of fingers, maiming, mutilation, heart failure, brain failure,
carpal tunnel syndrome, bankruptcy, damage to equipment, death, or purchase
of a Microsoft Product. Failure to read this licence constitutes acceptance
of all conditions. Reading this licence constitutes acceptance of all
conditions. You are also responsible for any and all problems not mentioned
in this licence including, but not limited to, everything. If you resemble
any of the characters in this game or documentation, you should quit
impersonating fictional characters.
Properties of Activision are used by their permission, and remain the
property of Activision Inc.
