T.A.C.L. The Adventure Construction Language ----------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1988, 89 by Alternate Realities Produced by Micro Momentum, Inc. This package is freely distributable only if it contains all of the following files: Name Description Size (in bytes) ------------------------------------------------------------ PADV The game player program 150,784 Padv.info 4,606 Padv.DOC How to use PADV 12,630 Padv.DOC.info 2,566 Jungle.GAM A TACL game with graphics 15,114 Jungle.GAM.info 2,773 Jungle.WRD 15,953 CaveGfx1 " " " " " 29,316 CaveGfx2 " " " " " 43,140 JungleGfx " " " " " 34,872 ObjGfx " " " " " 11,666 JungleSource.ZOO TACL source for Jungle game 22,812 Rescue.GAM A large TACL text adventure 90,126 Rescue.GAM.info 2,773 Rescue.WRD 117,519 README.1ST This file 4,517 README.1ST.info 2,566 ------------------------------------------------------------ Total: 17 files 563,733 bytes Welcome to The Adventure Construction Language! T.A.C.L. offers unprecedented control and flexibility in adventure game design (both Text AND Graphic!) through its use of a real, compiled language. It is a language designed specifically for adventure games by automatically handling and managing ALL of the low- and system- level magic that makes adventure games work. This allows you to let your creativity loose without worrying about HOW the game is going to work! Using T.A.C.L., you can create as large or as small a game as you want. This package includes two T.A.C.L. adventure games to get you going (Jungle & Space), the T.A.C.L. game player (PADV = "Play ADVenture"), a text file that explains how to use PADV (Padv.TXT), and the actual T.A.C.L. program that was used to create the Jungle adventure game (in JungleSource.ZOO). Listed below are some of T.A.C.L.'s features: - Up to 65534 objects and 65534 rooms in a single adventure - Up to 65534 integer variables can be manipulated - Subroutines can be created - IF...THEN...ELSIF...ELSE...ENDIF selections can be made as large as necessary - Sound and music can be played - IFF images including HAM can be displayed - TACL's special Vector Graphics-- a method of storing many images in a small amount of memory - VGED, TACL's Vector Graphics EDitor, stores up to 32 images in one file - Rooms can shift and change throughout a game - An object's or room's image can change - Non-Player Characters can be created - IBM PC and Macintosh versions are being developed-- a game written on one machine can be played on another. - PADV is freely distributable-- you can spread copies of it with the adventure games your write - Player can save the game as often as needed - Adventure games are compiled into an encrypted format so that players cannot peek at a game's secrets - MADV, TACL's compiler (Make ADVenture), has a cross-reference facility which generates any requested information about an adventure - TACL also has run-time debugging facilities that allow the author to play the game with extra, divine-like commands to manipulate the game, including jumping instantly from one room to the next - The 4 chapter, 5 appendice user manual includes tips and tricks for writing the tricky parts of complex games - Games as complex as those made by Infocom can be written - We are willing to consider YOUR adventure games for publication! If you would like to order the TACL Development System ($99.95 US), contact: Micro Momentum, Inc. PO Box 372 Washington Depot, CT 06794 1 (800) 448-7421 ...or visit your local computer store!