The Beast of Torrack Moor
An interactive fiction by Linda Wright (2007) - the Inform 7 source text
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Eldritch-Combe is a room in Moorland, southeast of Near the Combe. The printed name is "In Eldritch Combe". "The black cliffs rise on either side of this scary combe, your footsteps echoing ominously as you make your way along the only path, with the entrance to the northwest and what seems to be a pool to the southeast."
The Pool is a room in Moorland, southeast of Eldritch-Combe. "As dark as the black rock in which it lies, the water of the pool is quite still, and you realise that the whole combe is very sheltered. Above you, a ledge juts out from the cliff, whilst a thicket lies to the south and some mud, washed down perhaps from the cliff-top, lies between the pool and large rocks to the east."
The Thicket is a room in Moorland, south of The Pool. "With the only exits being to the north and northeast, this thicket of hawthorn would provide useful cover for animals, giving them protection from the elements as well as offering hiding places amongst the various shrubs and boulders that cover the ground."
Rocks-room is a room in Moorland, east of the Pool and northeast of the thicket. The printed name is "The Rocks". "Rocks and boulder that have lain here for centuries contrive to bring about an eerie feel to this part of Eldritch Combe, and are mainly the reason for its name, contorted as they are into shapes that could easily be mistaken for devils, ogres, witches and the like. They could also, serve, of course, as an ideal den or hideout for any beast and, although you can't even see the slightest hint of one, you cannot shake off the feeling that you are being watched."
The Ledge is a room in Moorland, above the Pool. "Although a fairly uncomfortable perch, this ledge, being directly above the pool, affords a good view of the latter, whilst the only exit is down."
[ ELDRITCH COMBE ]
[ Don't let the player go into the combe when it might be dark ]
After looking in Eldritch-Combe when the current day is day one:
say "As you advance further into the combe, you suddenly think that you see a ghostly apparition emerge from the shadows... terrified, you hastily run back the way you came, deciding that perhaps it would be best to wait and explore when the light is better...";
move the player to near the combe.
The black cliffs are a backdrop. They are in eldritch-combe and the pool. Understand "cliff" as the black cliffs.
Instead of climbing the black cliffs:
try going up.
[ THE POOL ]
The pool-object is a backdrop. The pool-object is in eldritch-combe and the pool. Understand "pool" and "water" as the pool-object. The printed name is "pool".
The ledge-object is scenery in the pool. Understand "ledge" as the ledge-object. The printed name is "ledge".
The thicket-object is a backdrop. It is in the pool and the thicket. The printed name is "thicket" . Understand "hawthorn" and "thicket" as the thicket-object.
Some mud is scenery in the pool. The description is "There are some paw-marks in the mud, some large and some smaller ones..."
The paw-marks are scenery in the pool. Understand "paw" and "marks" as the paw-marks. The description is "Cat-like!"
The beast-and-cubs is a thing. The printed name is "black beast and her cubs". Understand "black" and "beast" and "cubs" as the beast-and-cubs. The description is "Beautiful...and very photogenic!".
The beast-and-cubs can be either thirsty or not thirsty.
[ Allow the player to photograph the beast from the ledge]
After deciding the scope of the player when the location is the ledge:
if the beast-and-cubs is in the pool,
place the beast-and-cubs in scope.
[ The winning move... ]
Instead of photographing the beast-and-cubs:
record "getting the story" as achieved;
say "Click! From the safety of the ledge, you take several photos of the beast before it leaves, then head back to the village and, eventually, home. However, you have been stirred by the beauty of the Beast and its young, and decide not to report everything that you have seen straight away... instead, you contact the vet, who in turn contacts an expert on wild cats.... between they, they find the animal, just in time to prevent the Ranger from killing it, and succeed in having the panther and her cubs taken to a wildlife park. [paragraph break]You get the exclusive (of course), which pleases both you and your boss. The vet and Farmer Lamb are happy too, although the Ranger gets the sack (making you even happier) and all is well...[paragraph break]...but a while later more sightings are reported of [bold type]THE BEAST OF TORRACK MOOR[roman type] - and so the mystery endures...";
end the game in victory.
[ The beast moves to the pool to drink every so often. The player will scare it away. ]
The beast index is a number that varies. The beast index is 10.
To start the drinking session:
move the beast-and-cubs to the pool;
if the player is in the pool or the player is in the ledge,
say "A large black beast suddenly pads out from the nearby thicket, followed by two playful cubs...";
if the player is in the ledge,
say "After glancing round, the mother starts to drink, and the cubs join her...".
To end the drinking session:
remove the beast-and-cubs from play;
change the beast index to 10.
To check if the beast is scared away:
if the beast-and-cubs are in the pool and the player is in the pool begin;
remove the beast-and-cubs from play;
say "Seeing you, the beast roars and the cubs charge back into the undergrowth, followed not long afterwards by their mother...";
change the beast index to 0;
end if.
Every turn when the player is in the pool or the player is in the thicket or the player is in rocks-room or the player is in the ledge:
change the beast index to the beast index + 1;
if the beast index is 15,
start the drinking session;
check if the beast is scared away;
if the beast index is 35 begin;
end the drinking session;
change the beast index to 0;
end if.
[ THE THICKET ]
The thicket-shrubs are scenery in the thicket. Understand "shrubs" as the thicket-shrubs. The printed name is "shrubs".
The thicket-boulders are scenery in the thicket. Understand "boulders" as the thicket-boulders. The printed name is "boulders".
[ THE ROCKS ]
The animal carcass is a not portable thing in rocks-room. The description is "The remains of a deer, which has obviously been a tasty meal for something!". Understand "deer" and "remains" as animal carcass.
The rocks-rocks are a backdrop. They are in rocks-room and the pool. Understand "rocks" and "boulders" as the rocks-rocks. The printed name is "rocks".