TADS, the Text Adventure Development System
Copyright (c) 1988, 1991 by Michael J. Roberts.  All rights reserved.

This package was prepared September 30, 1991.

This software is being distributed as shareware.  You may use and redistribute
it subject to the usual shareware rules; see LICENSE.DOC for full details.
You are requested to register your copy as described in LICENSE.DOC.  Please
see ORDER.FRM for information on ordering this and other High Energy Software
products.

We appreciate the concerns many people have about registering their shareware:
authors move or just disappear.  This is why we use a post office box (at a
REAL US Post Office!) to ensure that our address stays the same indefinitely.
We have a big pile of TADS manuals waiting for your order, and plan to be in
business for quite some time.  Please help us out by taking a manual off of
our hands - you'll be glad you did!  If you have any questions or comments,
we would love to hear from you; see ORDER.FRM for our address.  Thanks for
your interest!


Getting Started
---------------

To get started on the system, install the executables in a directory of your
choosing.  If you use a command shell, you may want to choose a directory on
your path.  Install the source files (*.T) wherever you please.  Compile
"Ditch Day Drifter" by typing this into your command shell:

     tc ditch
     
Alternatively, you can compile from the desktop by double-clicking on
TC.TTP and supplying DITCH as the parameter in the TOS-Takes-Paramaters
dialogue box.

Be sure that ADV.T is in your current directory; this file is included by
DITCH.T.  When you have compiled Ditch, you can run the game using TR.PRG in
one of several ways:

  - Run from a command shell by typing: TR DITCH
    This method may require you to set up your command shell to run a GEM
    application, because TR assumes the normal GEM environment is in effect
    (the mouse is shown, and the flashing text cursor is not).  For example,
    from the Mark Williams C microshell (msh), you must type GEMSET prior
    to running TR.PRG, and type MSHSET after the program exits to restore the
    normal msh environment.
  
  - Run from the desktop by double-clicking on TR.PRG.  TR will put up a
    standard GEM file selector box; enter DITCH.GAM and click on the OK button.
    
  - Rename (or copy) TR.PRG to DITCH.PRG.  When TR is renamed and started
    without any parameters, it looks for a .GAM file in the current directory
    with the same name as the program.  Hence, if you rename TR.PRG to
    DITCH.PRG and run it from the desktop, it will load the game in DITCH.GAM.
    Note that you should use this method when distributing your games to
    players, because the game can be used directly from the desktop when set
    up this way, without the need to specify the game data file through a
    file selector dialogue.

Do not rename TR.PRG to TR.TTP; it will not work properly if you do, because
TR expects a GEM application environment, not a TTP environment.

Please read DITCH.DOC for information on playing the game.  This file also
describes many features of the run-time system, including the parser.


Notes for ST users
------------------

On ST's, you may edit command lines with the arrow keys and other standard
editing keys.  Review Mode (described in DITCH.DOC) is activated with
function key F1.

Saved games are stored in standard TOS files, by default in the current
directory (the directory from which you start the game), so make sure
you have free disk space before you begin playing.

When running TR, you can specify your game file in two different ways.
One way is to run TR.TTP from the desktop, and supply the name of the game
you want to play as the dialogue box parameter.  The second way is to rename
TR.TTP to XYZ.PRG, and name your game data file XYZ.GAM (of course, you may
substitute any other filename for XYZ).  This will avoid the dialogue box,
and start the game directly.  Of course, XYZ.PRG will look for XYZ.GAM in
the current directory.


For More Information
--------------------

If you would like more information, or if you have comments on the system,
please contact us at:

    High Energy Software
    P.O. Box 50422
    Palo Alto, CA  94303

Or, we can be reached by electronic mail:

    CompuServe: User ID   73737,417
    GEnie:      Mail Name M.ROBERTS10

Internet users can send us electronic mail through CompuServe, and we
can reply to Internet addresses.  Send mail to 73737.417@compuserve.com
(note that the comma in the CompuServe address becomes a period for
Internet users).