Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

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equinox
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Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

#1 Post by equinox » Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:19 am

Attempting the Spectrum version solution by Dorothy Millard, there is a library with some books, where we must do this:

EXAMINE BOOKS (one sticks out), PULL BOOK (a hidden door opens and you go north into the study)

We are not told to GET BOOK, but if you do try it, you can't ("that would be stealing").
Much later, however, we are expected to DROP BOOK (and use it for other things) but we don't have it. How can the book be obtained?

(There is mention of a PAPERBACK too but this appears to be an unrelated object...)

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Strident
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Re: Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

#2 Post by Strident » Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:57 am

One you've pulled the book you open the passage, and automatically go into the study.

EXAMINE STUDY produces the "good idea" response, and after a LOOK you'll see the BOOK that you're looking for.

equinox
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Re: Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

#3 Post by equinox » Sun Oct 18, 2020 11:50 pm

Hey Strident, thanks.
Pulling the book to go into the study is fine -- that's an early moment in the game.
The problem is not having a book much later, to drop. So you're saying that X STUDY, LOOK will produce the goods... I think...? If so, then I will retry that, and thank you.
Regarding doing the RZX recordings of text adventures: I started with GAC because they're cheap and cheerful and I had a tool that could rip them apart; then I can't remember why I went on to Zenobi but probably because they were pretty solid and well debugged (despite always having four or five different versions, ufff....); I have since moved onto PAW, which I love because it's got some modern Inform-esque features like understanding the word IT. And I just completed your "Deception of the Mind's Eye" -- I know you think I am bashing in the instructions like an automaton, but it's still like reading a good book :D
Currently I've got about 10 sheets of scribbles of an Inform 7 game that I want to write. But I will have to actually make myself do it. Hey ho.
Speccy forever.

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Strident
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Re: Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

#4 Post by Strident » Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:38 am

Yes, it's a different book that you retrieve once you're in the study.

(I must admit that, when playing, I never use the advanced features of a parser like the PAWs... I don't think I've even ever typed GET BOOK AND EXAMINE IT.

Lots of options to make a text adventure these days... even on 8-bit... inPAWs is great for Spectrum & Amstrad PAW, DAAD targets a whole host of 8-bit systems, and PunyInform gives you a cut-down Inform that hits a vast number of retro platforms, with the right interpreters)

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Garry
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Re: Error in solution - The Eunuch's Ball

#5 Post by Garry » Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:28 am

equinox wrote:
Sun Oct 18, 2020 11:50 pm
Currently I've got about 10 sheets of scribbles of an Inform 7 game that I want to write. But I will have to actually make myself do it. Hey ho.
There's nothing to say that you have to use Inform 7. There are plenty of alternatives out there. Inform 7 is not for everyone. If you struggle with Inform 7, then try Inform 6. Despite the name, they are completely different languages. Inform 6 is a more conventional object-oriented programming language. In either case, you can gets lots of help on intfiction.org.

If you decide to go the Inform 6 route, then you might want to consider PunyInform. This allows you to target older 8-bit and 16-bit platforms. There's probably an interpreter for the Spectrum.

And, of course, you should also take a look at Adventuron. Despite the oddball syntax, it is a lot more approachable for a newbie.

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