Hello, and Thankyou for obtaining this copy of the C Adventure Toolkit.
If you use CAT and have not yet registered, please read REGISTER.TXT.

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You may be thinking 'ANOTHER adventure creating system - WHY?' - well I 
have now been playing (and occasionally writing) adventures for ten years,
going back to the days of Scott Adams and Adventure International - in the
hayday of the TRS-80 and Video Genie. I have used several adventure creators
for the Spectrum, Amstrad, PC and ST - and I have always been frustrated at 
the level of these systems. The early systems were limited by the machine 
itself. The current versions are limited by the 'punter factor' -
this states that if a 'novice' can't do something with it - it won't sell!

THIS APPROACH WAS NO GOOD TO ME.. I wanted a system that was a doddle for
a programmer to fall into, but still easy enough for a 'user' - IF HE WANTED
TO LEARN. I wanted a system that allowed any number of objects, rooms,
players, verbs. I wanted a system that performed all the dirty work for
me automatically. I wanted a system that allowed fast development of
professional adventure games. I wanted a system that gave me full control
over what the adventure did. I wanted a system that allowed me to produce
foreign versions with ease. I wanted a system that would create adventures
for any machine. I wanted a system that was fully expandable............
I wanted the "C Adventure Toolkit"! 

Fortunately, when developing CAT, I was not constrained by 
'machine limitations', or the 'punter factor'. I have now built a degree
of 'punterisation' into the system, but still I will make no false promises...
If you are a programmer, I am sure you will fall straight into CAT and love
it. If you are a 'punter', I would strongly urge you to make the effort and
see what the system is capable of - I think you will be suprised!

No pretty menus, no beginner level adventures, just a damn good system.

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If you encounter any problems with CAT, write any new standard definition
files, produce any foreign translations of the standard definition files, 
write an adventure with CAT... then PLEASE write to me and let me know about
it. I intend to gradually build a library of useful definition files, and
foreign versions, as well as CAT adventures - all of which will be available
to registered users. 

If you are writing with a problem, please give as much background information
as possible i.e. which machine, what peripherals, how much memory, are you
running from floppy or hard disk? What is the latest change date in your
standard definition files? What version of CAT are you using? Is there anything
unusual about what you are doing?

I will provide a helpline service to registered users, BUT I will only write 
back to non-registered users if they are reporting a GENUINE problem.

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I have released CAT onto the SHAREWARE market because I love the text adventure
world. I am committed to building a solid user base for the product. Please 
remember: if you are a registered user and you have ANY comments, criticisms,
suggested improvements, or anything else - then PLEASE LET ME KNOW. It is 
only from your comments that I can mould the system to your needs, and 
completely outshadow any existing systems. I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you use CAT, and you have not registered - then PLEASE DO IT! 

If you use CAT and you do not intend to register, please don't ever complain
about the price of software, there are too many hypocrits already!

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Cheerio for now,
		Tony.

Tony Stiles
103a Ludlow Road
Itchen
SOUTHAMPTON
Hants
SO2 7ER


