New AGTs - previews The 1991 AGT Adventure Writing Contest is in full swing and the results will be announced some time after mid-April. There are 19 entrants and the standard is very impressive. Some games use the normal AGT, some the new BIG version and a couple use customised versions of AGT where the authors have adapted the source code. A. Normal AGT games. ------------------- APPRENTICE -- THE TESTING OF A MAGICAL NOVICE -- By Bert Lee The wizard came to you this morning, as you were finishing your kitchen chores, and told you your Initiation as a Apprentice had been approved, but you must prove yourself by journeying to Dardhad with several treasures that are being entrusted to your care. Along the way, you must listen, learn, hone your magical skills, pass some basic Apprentice-level tests, and guard the treasures with your life. CASTLE OF THE ALCHEMISTS -- By Super Chicken Productions The Castle of the Alchemists has long been abandoned and few have entered its imposing gateway ... now it's your turn. Gazing around, you feel the room whirl and the colours in the light dissolve. You suddenly find yourself clothed in a long, flowing robe, with amulets and charms of all sorts hanging from your neck. You could be pummelled by an Ogre's club, changed into a frog through the sorcery of Circe, or sickled by the Black Death. You might also fall in love with a Nymph, conjure up a Demon to serve you, or engage in a battle of wits with the Mad Scientist. Contains lewd and tame modes. Also has POPHINTS in the PC version. COLOSSAL CAVE -- THE FIRST ADVENTURE -- adapted by David Gasior An accurate version of the original Crowther and Woods adventure. According to Dave Malmberg, David Gasior objected to the liberties Dave took when he did his version of Colossal using AGT (eg the cloak to protect the player from the dwarves' attacks) and so did his own "true" version. ESCAPE FROM PRISON ISLAND -- A LITERARY ADVENTURE -- By Christian Andersen Wrongly accused and found guilty of a heinous crime, you are sentenced to exile on Prison Island. You won't be alone, but unfortunately, poison gases from a volcano on the island rapidly drive the inhabitants mad. Thus your only companions will be the other prisoners ... all insane. Your sole chance of escape is to find your favourite book on the island and then the only exit. DISENCHANTED -- by Joseph S. Licari The ST version of this adventure has been in the SynTax list for a while. You are accidentally summoned by a group of old enchanters who were "aiming" for a hero. Oops. They tell you that you will have to take the place of this hero and recover an Artifact for them. It has been stolen by an ex-member of their Circle, the evil wizard Vartok and, if it is not recovered, Vartok will use its power to plunge the world into Darkness. DEADLY LABYRINTH -- by Frank West Loosely based on the Death Gate Cycle novels of Weis and Hickman (coincidentally reviewed this issue) you must cross eight levels, each containing its own monsters, puzzles and mazes, to reach the final gate. There is no score - the aim is to survive! HOTEL NOTELL -- Richard Baribault Written by the author of FASTLANE, one of the Best of the Contest in 1989, Hotel Notell starts when you wake, naked, in a sleazy hotel. Your aim is to clean up the city, collecting evidence to convict those people who are guilty of corruption. THE LOST STONE MANSION -- by Paul Merkley While on a hiking expedition you find a chateau tucked away deep in the woods. Inside you discover a hidden doorway and another part of the house which contains some strange gems. Discover the secret of the gems and escape with your life - if you can. FLEECE QUEST -- by Simba (Barbara Peck) In this game you play a very different character - Simba Pachyderm, an elephant who is in charge of a library. Many other animals work there and you get on with all except one; a sheep called Fleece. She's been driving you crazy with her behaviour and today's the day you see the chance to sort her out. MOP AND MURDER - A MASTERFUL MURDER IN ONE ROOM - by Brad Friedman You must solve a murder mystery in the CIA where you work as a janitor by examine the various clues you find at the scene of the crime. Contains POPHINTS on the PC version. LIBRARY -- by Frederick D. King, MSLS Based around the Library of Guildford College. You're a student and have to get a paper in by 8.00 in the morning. Only one more quotation is needed to complete it ... and it's locked in a safe in the library and the library is closed for the night! THE TOMB OF THE ANCIENT PHARAOHS -- by Anne T. Brenner While on a trip to Egypt you have decided to take a tour of The Tombs of the Ancient Pharaohs. You seem to have wandered off from the rest of the group and become lost. You fall into a deep pit and find yourself in an unknown tomb from which you must escape. TALES OF TAVISA -- A COMPUTER FANTASY SIMULATION -- By Charles Williams and Jay Holloway This adventure is a D&D-type adventure that uses the same type of logic that is employed when playing D&D -- complete with magical powers, spells, battles, hit points, etc. Unlike the other games in the competition, this is a standard level game, without meta-commands. THE RESCUE OF THE FAIR PRINCESS PRISCELLA FROM THE EVIL BARON KRAUSS' HANDS -- A FANTASY ADVENTURE -- by Christian Andersen The title says it all. You'll win the hand of the Princess if you can rescue her and kill the wicked Baron. You'll also have to deal with the Baron's Wizard and avoid being captured by his guards. B. BIG AGT Games. ---------------- NEW ENGLAND GOTHIC -- by Simba (Barbara Peck) The year is 1899 and you are a secretary working in New York. A message reaches you that your Great Aunt has died and left you an old colonial house in New England ... and a lot of debts. Solve the mystery of your Great Aunt's reclusive life, realise the potential of your inheritance and find true love in this Gothic tale of romance and mystery. SANITY CLAUSE or, WHY SANTA DIDN'T MAKE IT TO YOUR HOUSE THAT YEAR -- by Mike McCauley Written by the author of SON OF STAGEFRIGHT, winner of the 1989 contest. How DOES Santa make all his Christmas trips while staying within the night-time hours of Christmas Eve so that he retains his Christmas Magic? With great difficulty, it seems, especially when he is "aided" by an apprentice elf like Dudley who is liable to cause you all sorts of problems! You have several key locations to deliver presents to during the game and must visit them in several trips - it's impossible to do them all in one go. SHERWOOD -- By Charles Williams This adventure is a D&D-type adventure in which you play the role of Robin Hood in and around the area of Sherwood Forest. Rescue Maid Marion from the clutches of the Sheriff of Nottingham and return her to safety in your hide-out deep in the middle of the forest. Your task will be difficult since you have a price on your head and the Sheriff's men have orders to kill you on sight. THE SPELUNKER'S TREMENDOUS CAVE ADVENTURE -- Converted to the Adventure Game Toolkit by Douglas Harter This is apparently a conversion of St Bride's Very Big Cave Adventure, a spoof of Colossal, and comes in two parts like the original. You have to save your position at the end of part 1 to continue on to part 2. C. Customised AGT games. ----------------------- COSMOSERVE -- AN ADVENTURE GAME FOR THE BBS-ENSLAVED -- by Judith Pintar As a computer consultant working from home, there are benefits and drawbacks. No commuting, no boss .... but no secretary, no free weekends and your only human contact is by Electronic Mail via Bulletin Boards, especially your favourite board, CosmoServe. This game is even bigger than a BIG AGT game and is PC only. THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL THIEF -- by Joel Finch This game was written by one of the co-authors of WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO CALL THIS GAME, one of the "best of the contest" in 1990. Your ambition in life is to join the best organisation that covers your trade - and you're a thief, a good one. So when a tall man in a long cloak offers you membership of the Multi-Dimensional Thieves' Guild, you're very interested. All you have to do is perform a simple task ... escape from a specially prepared set of rooms which have been "borrowed" from other universes and magically spliced together to test your ability to deal with rapid changes of scenery. Pophints are included. PC only.