CURSED
======
By Nick Rogers

What's in the package
---------------------
The ZIP file of the game should include:
  cursed.taf            This is the main "Cursed" game file
  cursed_hints.taf      This is another game file devoted to hints for the game
  cursed_map.pdf        A map of the world where the adventure takes place, 
                        plus some additional game-specific information.
  cursed.txt            This file

Notes for players
-----------------
This game is designed to be played with the ADRIFT Runner version 4.51. It is 
also playable using the SCARE program, which attempts to emulate the 
functionality of the ADRIFT runner. The Gargoyle interpreter 
(http://ccxvii.net/gargoyle/) makes use of the SCARE interpreter to run ADRIFT 
games, as does the Spatterlight interpreter for Apple Mac users. However, 
please note that SCARE has some limitations when running ADRIFT games, some of 
which I've noted below in the section "Notes for SCARE users".

About the game
--------------
The game is divided into three main "chapters" or "parts", with a small 
interlude in between each, and a small epilogue at the end. For most of the 
three main parts, you will be playing as a non-human character which you will 
choose in the opening scenes of part 1. Depending on your choice, each part 
will have different tasks and objectives. Keep in mind the animal you have
become, and the skills and limitations of that animal.

The two interludes and epilogue are short, and are not designed to be difficult 
to complete.

While the game file might indicate the game is large, I would estimate that
only 50-60% of the game will be available on any one playthrough. 

There are lots of ways to die in Cursed, and I make no apologies for that. I've
tried to make all the "deaths" logical and with fair warning, so there should 
be no confusion about what happened. There are also a couple of points where 
your actions will stop you from moving forward. That is, depending on what you 
do, you can put the game into an unwinable state even though the game itself 
doesn't stop. Again, in those instances I hope the reasons are logical and 
clear. In all cases, judicious use of UNDO will help you around it, and I have 
included messages to inform you when such a situation has taken place.

There are no hints built into the game directly, but a separate file should 
have been included in your game package, called cursed_hints.taf, that includes
hints which may be of assistance. If you would like to ask a specific question 
about the game, please contact me by email at nickrogers123 {at} gmail.com.

Development note
----------------
Cursed was developed using the ADRIFT program by Campbell Wild 
(http://www.adrift.org.uk/). My thanks to Campbell for his software which has 
allowed me to realise a dream.

Thanks to all my beta-testers for their help and encouragement:
James Webb; Kevin Cantara; Simon Baldwin; Duncan Bowsman; Finn Rosenløv; 
Brad Morcombe, Katzy, David Hall, Richard Otter
And thanks to my wife for being so understanding.

Notes for SCARE users
---------------------
SCARE is an interpreter that attempts to emulate the operation of the ADRIFT
runner. Because Simon Baldwin (the author of SCARE) did not have access to the
original source code when writing the program, the implementation is missing
some important components.

The first issue that is worth noting is that object disambiguation does not 
work well in SCARE. The program will inform the user that it was unable to work
out which object was being referenced, but it does not remember the original
input if the player then provides the distinction.

For example, if there is a red door and a blue door visible to the player, and
the player enters "OPEN DOOR", SCARE would respond with "Please be more clear, 
what do you want to open? The red door or the blue door?" But if the player 
then enters "BLUE", SCARE assumes this is a new command and will respond with 
"I don't understand what you want to do with the blue door."

If you are running in SCARE and are having problems with object disambiguation 
then this is important to keep in mind.

Another issue relates to SCARE's ability to process multiple commands in one
line. SCARE will only process each command correctly if a comma (,) or a 
period (.) is used to separate each command. For instance, if you wanted to 
unlock the door and open it in one line, you would need to use "UNLOCK DOOR, 
OPEN IT", rather than either of these variations: "UNLOCK DOOR AND OPEN IT", 
"UNLOCK DOOR THEN OPEN IT".

"Cursed" has been tested quite extensively in SCARE and will generally work 
successfully. However, it is important to note that the game has been designed
to work best in the ADRIFT runner program. If you have a Windows machine I
would strongly suggest you get the latest version of the ADRIFT V4 runner from 
http://www.adrift.org.uk. (Please note: This game will not work with the V5
runner. Only use V4) If you are running Mac or Linux and don't have a virtual 
image of Windows you can use the ADRIFT runner in, then please make a note of 
these issues and take them into consideration while playing.

About the author
----------------
I am a 40-something computer programmer from the Blue Mountains, just outside 
Sydney, Australia. I am married with two georgous kids, and now have three pets
as well, a fish, a rabbit and a skittish guinea pig. I enjoy reading, writing, 
music (playing and listening), programming, playing computer games (when I get 
the time), and watching cricket. I don't enjoy writing blurbs about myself, so 
I'll stop here.
