The sun has gone. It must be brought. You have a rock.

[chipotle]

postvixen, I don't know if you play Infocom-style text adventures, but somehow the game "For a Change" reminds me of you.

The sun has gone. It must be brought. You have a rock.

For A Change
Release 1 / Serial number 990930 / Inform v6.21 Library 6/9

Under the High Wall (on the resting)
Sweetness fills the shade of the High Wall to your east. Under this sweetness lies a small expanse of fod. A mobile releases mildly to the west; far in that direction a tower proudly plants itself, while the ground rises more slowly to the south and relaxes to the north.

Spread on the resting is a guidebook.

Sleep gradually departs from your eyes. A small stone has been insinuated into your hand.

>examine guidebook
This tattered book describes itself quietly but firmly as an indispensable guide to the plain.

>read guidebook
The guidebook inflates itself with numerous definitions.

>get book
Taken.

>examine stone
It is a small smooth stone, the size of a small gland, a size to roll between your fingertips, nothing more than a pebble.

>stand
The resting sighs at your departure.

>e
That direction of motion will not exist while the High Wall reigns.

>examine wall
The High Wall looms above the shade, creating it. Its stones hold each other the entire distance. This distance is potentially, but unprovably, finite. A High Wall is not high to be measured in units of length, but of angle.

>w

In the Shade
The land increases towards your head to the south, and decreases away from your feet to the north. Mobiles lead accordingly in both directions. The High Wall may also be approached to the east. A long walk to the west is a tower, dwarfing your form, and dwarfed in turn by the wall.

It is clear, after a time, that all things are shaded, everywhere. Thus the Wall.

Inscribed on the brown grass is a toolman.

>examine toolman
The toolman is bright and misty. Thoughts and uses hang from his shoulders like birds.

>i
In hand:
  a guidebook (loquacious and proud)
  a small stone (humble and true)

I have absolutely no fucking clue what's going on in this game, but the language alone is keeping me fascinated.

Comments

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

So... where can I get it?

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

From the Interactive Fiction Archive at <http://www.ifarchive.org/>. You have to find an Infocom interpreter for your machine if you don't have one; for most platforms I'd recommend "Frotz":

<http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/frotz/windowsfrotz2002.zip>

(For Mac OS X, I'd recommend "Zoom," which is also on that site.)

I got the game file itself at:

<http://mirror.ifarchive.org/if-archive/games/competition99/inform/change/change.z5>

The "Guide to the IF Archive" at <http://wurb.com/if/> is a good place to hunt for games, as it's considerably better-organized than the IF Archive itself is.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Heavens, I remember that game from a contest of Infocom-style games. An incredible, lush game. Not too hard to solve, but beautiful.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Have you played Worlds Apart (http://www.igs.net/~tril/worlds/index.html)? Really, really good at bringing you into its world from a zero standing start.

[musewoozle.livejournal.com]

It reminds me a bit of James Joyce's "Ulysses." Very unusual.

I hope this doesn't seem to out of place, but I was curious if you received my story submission for the Claw and Quill?

I've been having computer and e-mail problems as of late, and my submissions did not show up as being sent. I'd be grateful if you could let me know if you received anything from purpmouse@msn.com

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

I did, yes. (I've actually set up something that should automatically reply to anything sent to 'editor@clawandquill.net' now once it gets picked up by my mail client, but that wasn't in place until after your submission came in.)