AGT Previews (Adapted from a Softworks Press Release) I mentioned briefly last issue that Softworks had announced the winners in their recent adventure writing contest. All the games will be reviewed as soon as possible in SynTax - in fact, some have already been covered - but here is a list of the winners and those who gained honourable mentions with their storylines. There were two winners this time and a new category. The winner of the individual category ($100) was: CLIFF DIVER: INVESTIGATOR FOR HIRE -- PURCHASED SIGHT UNSEEN By Pat Farley and the Winner in the special group effort ($100) was: SHADES OF GRAY -- AN ADVENTURE IN BLACK AND WHITE By Mark Baker, Steve Bauman, Belisana, Mike Laskey, Judith Pintar, the hercules/Assoc. SysOp, and Cindy Yans More about the winning games: CLIFF DIVER: INVESTIGATOR FOR HIRE -- PURCHASED SIGHT UNSEEN - "Contrary to popular belief, the life of a private investigator is not one of hot cars, flying bullets, and loose women." -- so begins this story about Cliff Diver, P.I. This game is the second of a series of interactive novels featuring Cliff Diver, a private investigator living and working in San Francisco. Cliff is cut from the same cloth as such famous PIs as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe. Pat Farley's first Cliff Diver adventure won first place in the 1990 contest. We're delighted to join Diver again. In this adventure you and Cliff search for lost paintings. Pat Farley's game has everything a good adventure should have. The judges agreed that this game shines because Pat writes so well and his game very faithfully recreates the sound and feel of the classic "hard-boiled" detective series of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. High praise indeed! SHADES OF GRAY -- AN ADVENTURE IN BLACK AND WHITE -- Shades of Gray was conceived, written and coded by seven people: two from England, two from the East Coast and three from the West. They have never met each other, never, in fact, spoken to each other on the phone, nor even corresponded by mail. The entire project was managed through E-Mail, from within a private CompuServe Gamer's Forum. The game begins with you waking from a nightmare into another nightmare -- even more frightening: "You wake painfully, from a fitful sleep, to find yourself surrounded by three shadowy figures....After a horrible dizzying moment, the shapes come into focus -- vampires, they are vampires, and they are nonchalantly discussing your fate....The swarthy one wants to kill you out of hand. The second argues against. 'He has tasted blood. He's one of us now ....' What blood have you been drinking? The thought of turning into a vampire frightens you: never to be able to face the light of day again, never to see Hilary laughing in the sun. But who is Hilary? You can't seem to remember anything. Not even who you are." This marvellous, mammoth game is as innovative as Pintar's previous winner, COSMOSERVE, which tied for first place last year. The Judges were unanimous in their praise of SHADES OF GREY. This game blows us away! OTHER WINNERS The 1992 winners circle also includes 15 great Honorable Mention Games (in alphabetical order by title): THE CAVES OF DYANTY -- A SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURE -- by Nathan Fritz -- The planet Dyanty had been the home of an incredibly advanced race which mysteriously disappeared long ago. You are one of the archaeologists working to recover the colossal cities of the ancient Dyantians. THE DETECTIVE -- by Kit W. Carson -- You're detective John L. Bloom and an attractive woman has hired you to find her missing husband. Your challenge: to bring a glimmer of brilliance to the world of detecting. JOURNEY INTO XANTH -- by Neil Sorenson (based on Piers Anthony) -- Welcome to Xanth, where everyone has a magical talent. Some talents are useless but your talent is the conjuration of a magic mirror of communication! THE LADY IN GREEN -- By D. F. Stone -- Friday night at a quiet 18th century hotel and return to the family were on the agenda. In your planning you hadn't counted on...the lady in green! MURDER OF JANE KRANZ -- A DETECTlVE ADVENTURE-- by Christian Andersen -- You are a famous detective in London during the madcap 1920s. The Yard summons you to a murder at Victoria Street 221B. OKLIB'S REVENGE -- by Sue Medley -- Sergeant Oklib himself "volunteered" you to find the King's missing staff. You are off on a classic quest vowing that you'll find your way back and show Oklib just what you think of him for doing this to you! QUEST FOR THE BLACK PEARL -- by Ralph W. Varble -- In this Indiana-Jones-type-adventure your old Professor begs you to meet him. He knows the location of the fabled black pearl. You must reach it before the volcano erupts. RERUNS AGAIN -- by Neil Sorenson -- In this dizzy adventure you are inside a world made of television reruns (Gilligan's Island, Star Trek Brady Bunch etc). Seek the answer for the age old question: Is there life after syndication? SPACE ALIENS LAUGHED AT MY CARDIGAN -- by Andre M. Boyle -- This is a take-off of a "Hitch-hikers' Guide to the Galaxy" with a little Star Trek thrown in. THE TEMPEST: AN ADVENTURE BASED ON SHAKESPEARE'S PLAY -- by David R Grigg -- All the elements for adventure are here: searches, shipwrecks, castaways, villains, and maidens to rescue. You play Ferdinand, prince of Naples, in this adaptation of the Bard. TIMESQUARED -- CHAPTER ONE -- CENTROPLIS -- by Bert Lee -- You are about to graduate from the Chronos Academy, class of 2098. However, before you graduate, you have a great adventure! Bert's the author of APPRENTICE - TESTING OF A MAGICAL NOVICE -- one of the Best of 1991. WHAT? NO LOW ALCOHOL MINERAL WATER! -- by Andre Boyle -- You wake in the data banks of a computer. Your life depends on performing Herculean tasks set by the none-too-benevolent computer. WHAT PERSONAL COMPUTER? -- by John Minson -- Ah, the joys of computer journalism. Jet-setting around the world, huge amounts of dosh, instantly attractive to members of the opposite sex. At least that's what you thought when you started! WRAITH BLASTER - by Ken Dibble -- Young, naive, but adventurous, you are bent on making your living as a trader and explorer in the great galaxy. This is a trading game with the object of acquiring wealth. ZIM GREENLEAF'S LABORATORY -- by Melody Grandy -- You are exploring a sorcerer-botanist's laboratory (complete with common and Latin botanical names if you're so inclined.) With nasty creatures that attack you, valuables to find and the challenge of getting back to your own dimension, this game has something for everyone.