This month let's look at the rules I use to write what I consider a good compunovel. I feel that any compunovel will need to follow these rules fairly closely to become a success, though like any rules there are always exceptions.

1) LOGICAL CONSISTENCY

Is the compunovel logical? This is of course a very basic point that any compunovel writer needs to adhere to very closely or the results can be really disastrous.

Simple things like whether when exiting a room to the easy you can get back by then going west are important and can completely ruin the feel of an otherwise fun program! (Unless of course it is in a logical place such as a maze or maybe lost in a desert and so on.)

Also very important: Do the responses fit the actions? If you drink a flask of water it would be extremely illogical to then develop a case of sunstroke and die. If a particular response doesn't fit the requested action, then there should be some sort of logical reason why not. An example might be the reason you developed sunstroke in the above because the water had a specific drug in it.

Whatever the reason is, though, it should become obvious to the player and not remain a secret with the author, or the believability of the game will suffer!

2) EXOTIC KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE UNNECESSARY

Knowledge that is not common or readily available should not be required to complete a game (though it might be required for special scoring). The main purpose of playing a compunovel is more to overcome obstacles and problems by using intelligence than by knowing something someone else doesn't.

Example: Needing to know the Russian word for cow before milking said beastie.

3) ITEMS AND LOCATIONS SHOULD FIT THE PLOT

A dragon and magic words are quite appropriate in a fantasy adventure, but would be greatly out of place in a nuclear reactor!

4) MULTI LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY

All problems and obstacles to overcome should not be of the same degree of difficulty or the player will become extremely bored or extremely frustrated. One obvious exception to this rule is when the program is written for a specific age group.

5) MORE WAYS TO SKIN THE CAT

Whenever it is possible (usually memory is a constraint here), try to have more than one way to reach a desired goal as not all people think alike! Also along this line, it is a good idea to provide responses to all the different things a player might enter. (This is probably one of the easiest rules to lay down and one of the hardest to follow!)

6) NO SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME

Unless the plot is specifically written to need it (like DEATH DREADNAUGHT), is it not a good idea to capriciously kill off players without giving them some sort of warning ahead of time. This allows the clever player a chance to escape the doom the author has envisioned for them!

So that sums it up for this month. If anyone out in the real world has any additional rules they think are valid, drop me a line!

And oh yes, Adventure 10 is now out!

Now, I'll just 'til next month, SAY YOHO ......... (BYE)!

ONE LINE ADVENTURE
by Phillip Case

0 CLS:PRINT"ADVENTURE
VISIBLE ITEMS: TREES
OBVIOUS EXITS: EAST WEST
";STRING$(30,"-"):INPUT"TELL ME";A$:IFA$<>"E",0ELSEPRINT@0,"I'M
IN A CAVE.";:PRINT@79,"NOTHING";:PRINT@143,"NONE",;:PRINT@263,""
;:INPUTA$:IFASC(A$)=72ANDMID$(A$,4)="P",PRINT"YOU WIN!!"ELSE0

ONE LINE REVIEW by Scott Adams

(See Say Yoho column this month.)

RULE 1: usually
RULE 2: yes
RULE 3: yes
RULE 4: well maybe
RULE 5: hardly
RULE 6: yes.

RATING 5/6 = 84% (not bad for one line!); SAY YOHO, and we gone .....