ScottCom, version 2.00
----------------------
(RCS ID: $Id: README,v 1.2 1996/10/17 05:53:07 bjorn Exp $)

ScottCom is a generator of adventure game files in the Scott Adams
format.  This release only supports the TI-99 version of that format,
not the more common TRS-80 format.

ScottCom is NOT a new general-purpose interactive-fiction writing tool.
If you simply intend to write an adventure, you should go for one
of the modern compilers, such as Inform.

ScottCom is provided under the GNU General Public License.
For further information, see the file COPYING.

Bug reports and suggestions can be sent to the address found below.

What you should know before use ScottCom
----------------------------------------

* How to use a C compiler and make.  If you can't compile it,
  you probably shouldn't use it.

* Something about the Scott Adams format.  If you are able to
  use ScottDec (by P.D. Doherty) and understand how a disassembled
  TRS-80 game works, you probably know enough.

Documentation
-------------
* escape.apl is a miniature file giving som example of the syntax.
  To compile: scottcom escape.

* MANUAL contains all conditions and actions with some explanations.

* The XREF file maps from the names found in ScottDec
  (by P. D. Doherty) to the names used in the compiler.

Running game files
------------------

Game files generated by the compiler can be run:

* On a TI-99 or emulator, provided you have the adventure module.

* Converted by new versions of Scott2Zip to Inform source code.
  Version 2.00 of Scott2Zip might get uploaded to the if-archive
  within a near future.
  (Note that version 1.x of Scott2Zip found in the if-archive
  doesn't quiet work, for various subtle reasons.)

* Run by an game interpreter which understands the TI-99 format.
  As far as I know, there is currently no such thing available
  in the if-archive.  One might get uploaded within the near
  future.

History
-------

I wrote the first version more than 10 years ago.  That version
tried to hide all the magic numbers inherent in the Scott Adams
format (e.g. that item 9 always is the light source, that GO, GET,
and DROP verbs must have certain numbers), but verbs had to be
presented all at once, then nouns, items, rooms, actions etc in a
fixed order, making the compiler simple but game writing difficult.

At the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996, I did a considerable
cleanup of both the C source code and the input game syntax itself.
As as a result, declarations can be mixed in any order, so that you
can keep everything needed for a puzzle in the same place in the
source file.

Credits
-------

Paul David Doherty, for advice and for some terms borrowed from
ScottDec.


Bjorn Gustavsson
etxbgus@access.etx.ericsson.se

