| Moonmist | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Infocom |
| Publisher(s) | Infocom |
| Designer(s) | Stu Galley |
| Engine | ZIL |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, TRS-80, TI-99/4A, Macintosh |
| Release date | Release 4: September 18, 1986 Release 9: October 22, 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Interactive fiction |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | n/a |
| Media | 3½" or 5¼" disk |
| System requirements | No special requirements |
| Input methods | Keyboard |
Moonmist is an interactive fiction computer game implemented by Stu Galley and published by Infocom in 1986. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer Stu Galley is an American developer of Interactive fiction who was an Implementor at Infocom. A game engine is a software system designed for the creation and development of computer and video games The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit Home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992 The Atari ST is a home / Personal computer that was commercially available from 1985 to the early 1990s DOS, short for "Disk Operating System" is a shorthand term for several closely related Operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation 's desktop Microcomputer model line sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early The Texas Instruments TI-99/4A was an early Home computer, released in June 1981 originally at a price of USD $525 Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction In video gaming, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of Video games into suitability-related groups Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. A floppy disk is an increasingly Obsolete data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin flexible ("floppy" Magnetic storage medium encased A floppy disk is an increasingly Obsolete data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin flexible ("floppy" Magnetic storage medium encased In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather Stu Galley is an American developer of Interactive fiction who was an Implementor at Infocom. Infocom was a Software company, based in Cambridge Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of Interactive fiction. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) By using Infocom's portable Z-machine, the game was released simultaneously for many popular platforms, including the IBM PC, Apple II, Atari ST and Commodore 64. See also Software portability In Computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created The Z-machine is a Virtual machine that was developed by Joel Berez and Marc Blank in 1979 and used by Infocom for its text adventure games IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. The Atari ST is a home / Personal computer that was commercially available from 1985 to the early 1990s It is Infocom's twenty-second game.
Contents |
Plot
The player's character is a young detective, asked by friend Tamara Lynd to investigate her new home of Tresyllian Castle in Cornwall, England. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Tamara has recently become engaged to the castle's lord, Jack Tresyllian. She was very happy until she began seeing what appeared to be The White Lady, a ghost who has allegedly haunted the castle for centuries. As if seeing a ghost wasn't nerve-wracking enough, she's also begun to fear for her life. Is Tamara's imagination just overly excited from living in a large old castle, or is someone really trying to kill her? And if her life is in danger, is it from a ghost or someone using it as a disguise?
Feelies
To add to players' immersion in the story (as well as a means of copy prevention), Infocom bundled extra items in with each game package. Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy prevention, or copy restriction, is a technology for preventing the unauthorised reproduction These objects were referred to as feelies. Infocom used the term feelie to refer to the extra content included with the boxed versions of their Interactive fiction Computer games Feelies differed The feelies for Moonmist were:
- A book, The Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall written by Lady Lisbeth Norris, which includes a page dedicated to "The White Lady of Tresyllian Castle"
- Two letters from Tamara Lynd to the player; one explaining Tamara's engagement to Lord Jack Tresyllian and her moving to the castle, and one begging the player to investigate the "White Lady"
- A Visitor's Guide to Tresyllian Castle, a tourist-type brochure providing a history and rough maps
- An iron-on logo of the game's title
Notes
Infocom marketed Moonmist as an "Introductory" level game. Iron-on s are images that can be imprinted on fabric. They are frequently used to print onto T-shirts On one side is paper and on the other is the image
The book included with the package, Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall, had a stamp indicating it had been checked out from the Festeron Town Library. (Festeron was the setting of Wishbringer, another game aimed towards younger or less experienced players. Wishbringer The Magick Stone of Dreams is an Interactive fiction Computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published by Infocom )
The Tresyllian coat of arms as shown on the cover of the visitor's guide bears the motto "Quaerite et Invenietis". This is a Latin phrase that is usually translated as "Seek and ye shall find". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The visitor's guide also lists the castle as being in the fictional "Frobzance Cove" in Cornwall. ("Frob" is a word in MIT slang, and appears as a prefix for invented words throughout many of Infocom's works. Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. Here it is most likely playing on 'Penzance Cove', the backdrop of the famous comic opera Pirates of Penzance. The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by W )
There are actually four different plot lines in Moonmist, depending on the player's choice of favorite color at the start of the game. This choice determines the identity of the culprit, as well as the locations and identities of the clues and treasure. This variation makes Moonmist more replayable than most text adventures.
Tagline
A ghostly mystery.
External links
- Moonmist at MobyGames
- Moonmist information and overview
- Scans of Moonmist package, documentation and feelies
- Infocom-if.org's entry for Moonmist
- The Infocom Bugs List entry for Moonmist