erkyrath.infocom-zcode-terps/amiga/refcard.old

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@Verbatim{
Interactive Fiction Reference Card for the  

Commodore {R} Amiga {R}
__________________________________________________________ 
}
This booklet tells you how to run your Infocom story on your computer,
and provides a few other handy bits of information.

@Verbatim{
I.  What You Need 

Required 

	[] Amiga computer

Optional 

 	[] Extra 3 1/2 inch disks (for SAVEs) 

	[] Second disk drive (for convenience with SAVEs) 

 	[] Compatible printer (for SCRIPTing) 


II.  Making a Backup Copy } 

In accordance with the licensing agreement in your package, we recommend
that you make a backup copy of the original story disk for your personal
use.  See your hardware manual for instructions on how to make disk
copies.  Store your original disk in a safe place and always start the
story from the backup.

@Verbatim{
III.  Starting the Story
}
  	
Turn on the Amiga and wait for the Workbench to appear. Insert the story
disk and open the disk icon into a window, then double- click on the
story icon.

The story can also be started from within the Command Line  Interpreter
(CLI) by typing its name.

@Verbatim{
IV.  Talking to the Story 
}

Whenever you see the prompt (>), the story is waiting for your
instructions.  You may type a full line of instructions at a time.  If
you make a mistake, use the backspace key to erase the error.  When you
have finished typing in your instructions, press the RETURN key. The
story will respond and the prompt (>) will reappear.

If a description will not fit on the screen all at once, [MORE] will
appear at the bottom of the screen.  After reading the screen, press any
key to see the rest of the description.

@Verbatim{
V.  The Status Line 
}

At the top of the screen is a status line.  This line is updated after
every move to show your current position in the story.  Depending upon
the type of story, it may also show other information.

@Verbatim{
Score and Moves 
}

In stories that keep a score, such as the @U{Zork} underground
adventures, the right side of the status line will show something like
this:
@Verbatim{

        Score: 245/920 
}

The first number is your score and the second is the total number  of
moves you have made.  In the example above, you have 245 points in 920
moves.

@Verbatim{
Time 
}

In stories that keep track of the time, such as the mystery thriller
@U{Deadline}, the right side of the status line will look something like
the following:
@Verbatim{

        Time: 9:22 a.m. 

This shows the current time of day in the story. 


VI.  SCRIPTing 
}

You can use the SCRIPT command to print out a transcript of your moves
as you go along.  SCRIPTing is an optional feature which is not
necessary to complete the story and may not be available with certain
hardware.

1. Connect the printer to the appropriate port at the back of the
computer. Use the Preferences tool (see Section IX below) to make sure
the system is configured correctly for your printer.

2. Turn on the printer and make sure it is ready.

3. Type SCRIPT at the prompt (>) to start the transcript.  To stop the
transcript, type UNSCRIPT.

4. SCRIPT and UNSCRIPT may be used as often as desired.


If a problem occurs with the printer, the story will "timeout" (appear
to hang) for 30 seconds or so, then a printer error message will appear.
If you don't correct the problem before the 30 seconds are up,
scripting is automatically cancelled.

@Verbatim{
VII.  Saving a Story Position
}

You can save your current story position to a disk in any drive, space
permitting.  The save disk must have been previously initialized.  No
other data on the save disk will be affected.


1. Type SAVE at the prompt (>).  A message will appear asking you to
type in a name for the save file.

2. If you want to SAVE to the story disk itself, just enter a file name.
If you want to SAVE to another disk, you must prefix the file name with
either the name of the second disk (e.g., Saves:) or the name of the
drive containing it (e.g., df0:).  The prefix is  needed even if the two
disks were swapped using a single drive.


The disk drive will spin for several seconds.  If all is well, the story
will respond:
@Verbatim{

	OK 

If it responds: 

	FAILED 

consult the Troubleshooting section below.
}
After saving your position, you may continue with the story.


Note: The file Icon.Data is used to create icons for new save files.  If
you delete or rename this file, new save files will not be visible in
the save disk under Workbench.

@Verbatim{
VIII.  Restoring a Saved Story Position 
}

You can return to a previously saved story position at any time.  Type
RESTORE at the prompt (>), and enter the name of the save file, as in
Section VII.

If you want to return to the most recently saved or restored  position
(the one displayed as the default), you can just press the RETURN key.
@Verbatim{
IX.  Amiga Preferences
}

Several aspects of the story presentation can be changed using the Amiga
Preferences tool, including text size (60 or 80 columns) and color.  The
size can be changed only before the story is started. You also use
Preferences to specify your type of printer and the port to which it is
connected.  The Amiga supports both parallel and serial devices.

@Verbatim{
X.  Memory Usage and Multi-tasking
}

On a multi-tasking computer such as the Amiga, tasks must share the
available memory.  Some tasks may require that a certain amount of free
memory be available at all times.  Also, actions like opening,  resizing
and hiding windows can require large amounts of memory.

When the Infocom story loads, it will always leave a specified amount of
memory free.  The default minimum amount is 64 Kbytes.  This can be
changed by starting the story from the CLI with a special argument of
the form F/n, where n is the new minimum number of bytes to leave free
(for example, Deadline F/32000).  If you supply an argument, memory use
statistics will be displayed when the story loads.

You may need to increase the amount of free memory if, for example, you
are running several tasks and switching between them causes the system
to hang.  On the other hand, you can probably decrease free memory if
you are running only the story.  This may reduce or eliminate the amount
of disk activity on versions of the Amiga with limited memory.

@Verbatim{
XI.  Troubleshooting 
} 

A. If the story fails to load properly, or if SAVE, RESTORE, or SCRIPT
fails, check each of the following items.  If none of these offers a
solution, consult your Commodore Amiga dealer for assistance.

1. Inspect all disks carefully for any visible damage. 

2. For SAVEs, make sure the save disk is not write-protected (the small
opening in the corner of the disk should be covered).

3. For SCRIPTing, make sure the printer is connected properly, enabled
for printing, not out of paper, etc.

4. Try again; the problem may only be momentary. 


If all else fails, you can call the Infocom Technical Hotline at (617)
576-3190.  Please note that this number is for technical problems only.


B. If the story produces an error message, run the following procedure: 

Restart the story.  When the initial screen appears, type $VERIFY.  The
disk drive will spin for a minute or so, and a message similar to one of
the following will appear.

1. "DISK CORRECT."  The disk has not been damaged; the data is intact.
This may indicate a problem with your hardware (usually with the disk
drive).  It is also possible the story contains a bug. If you suspect a
bug, call the Infocom Technical Hotline number.


2. "DISK FAILED" or "DISK READ ERROR."  This reply indicates either
hardware trouble or disk damage.  Repeat the $VERIFY process several
times.  Also try the $VERIFY process on another computer (such as your
dealer's).  If the story ever replies "DISK CORRECT," the problem is in
your hardware.

If you repeatedly get an error message on more than one computer, the
disk has most likely been damaged.  Please send the
@U{disk only} to Infocom for testing and replacement.

--------------------------------------------------------- 

Amiga is a registered trademark of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.

@U{Zork} and @U{Deadline} are registered trademarks of Infocom, Inc.


Infocom logo 

Infocom, Inc., 125 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA  02140