The Adventurer Consumer's Guide is a piece of Interactive Fiction written entirely by one person, Øyvind Thorsby, and released in 2007. If you recognise Thorsby's name, it's more likely to be from any of his fantastic webcomics rather than the two IF games he made (including this one).
If you don't recognise his name, all you need to know is that this game is gonna get weird. But like this kind of sensible weird. There's a consistent internal logic, even when things get out there.
I'm gonna take over here for a quick second to pop in one of these commands if you don't mind. Or even if you do for that matter:If you are unfamiliar with interactive fiction, type HELP.
If you care, type CREDITS.
In this game you can't examine things. Instead use either "look" to see descriptions of the things in the room you are in, or "inventory" to see descriptions of what you are carrying. You also can't use "look inside", "look under", "look behind", "look <direction>" or "search". But you can use "read".
To see your inventory without the long descriptions of all you are carrying, type: "inventory short". Or simply: "i s". Or simply: "is".
No time passes when you use "look" or "inventory".
You communicate by "talk to [whatever]", or by giving commands in this format: "goblin, give me the cow-o-meter".
It is possible to put this game in an unwinnable state, but you should be able to figure out when this has happened.
Should you wish to re-read the above information during the game, type ABOUT.
Just to be safe, since the example bit told us that some very common commands work differently and all.>HELP
In interactive fiction games you type in commands to make your character do what you want. Commands can be things like:
jump
get sledgehammer
get sledgehammer and banana
get all
drop everything except sledgehammer
put sledgehammer in box
put sledgehammer on table
get all from table
hit banana with sledgehammer
give banana to bob
throw banana at bob
eat banana
kill bob
buy banana
read sign
open door
close door
unlock door with key
lock door with key
push rock
push rock north
pull rope
enter car
leave car
wear hat
remove hat
touch hat
sit on chair
stand
You should try to type your commands as simply as possible. Don't type: I sure would like to pick up that nice looking piece of fruit that I see lying here before me. The game won't understand that. Instead type: get fruit.
If you want to have a look around, type: look. Or simply: l.
If you want to have a look at what things you are carrying, type: inventory. Or simply: i. In this game this will give you a description of all your things. If you wish to see a list of your things without the description, type: inventory short. Or simply: i s. Or simply: is.
If you want to talk to another character, for instance Bob, type: talk to bob. Or simply: talk bob. Or simply: t bob.
If you want Bob to do something, type his name, followed by a comma, followed by your command. Like this:
bob, jump
bob, get sledgehammer
Very often other characters will refuse to do what you tell them to.
To move around, type in the direction you wish to go. To go north for instance, type: north. Or simply: n. Most games use the directions north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, up and down. Some games also use in and out.
If you wish to wait for a short while, type: wait. Or simply: z.
There are some special commands. If you have done something stupid that you wish you hadn't, you can type: undo. Other special commands are: save, restore, restart and quit.
(In most games examine (x for short) and search are very important commands. But they don't exist in this game.)
Most games have a few commands that you have to figure out for yourself.
Anyway, let's get on with the show!
> _You are a product tester for the Adventurer's Consumer Guide, a magazine that reviews all sorts of equipment an adventurer might need for his adventures. Your magazine is highly respected because of the thorough tests you put the equipment through. The tests aren't just done at the magazine's offices. No, the product testers go on actual adventures to test the equipment out in the field. Sometimes you kill an evil overlord; sometimes you rescue a fair maiden. Most of the time, like today, you just go out looking for a treasure in Treasure Cave Mountain, a perfect place for adventures as it contains plenty of caves, treasures, monsters and traps.
As you are putting on the soon-to-be-tested magical coat, magical ring and magical helmet, your editor says, "On this mission you'll be having a helper with you."
"Really?" you say. You usually work alone.
"Yeah, but it's part of a test. See, there's this new agency that is renting out sidekicks. We are going to write a review about it. Oh, here he is now."
Into your office walks a goblin: a green humanoid creature with pointy ears, about a meter tall. "Hi, you must be my new boss," he says to you.
"I guess I am. What is it you're supposed to do, exactly?"
"Well, I'm very brave and helpful, plus I'm a ferocious killing machine. If you see any kind of monster, or anything at all, and you want it killed, just tell me, and it's toast."
"Okay... well, I think we should get going."
You and your new companion are off to Treasure Cave Mountain. Your mission is to return with one really big treasure. Any really big treasure.
On a mountain ledge
A narrow mountain ledge leading west (where you came from) and east. To the north is a tall mountain wall and to the south a long drop.
Very far to the east, near the end of the ledge, a huge monster is crouching. Its green skin is scaly, its body is bloated like a balloon, its four feet have long terrible claws, its wide mouth has thousands of sharp teeth and on top of its head is a cluster of about fifty bulging eyes as big as your head.
You can see the goblin sidekick here.
