text adventure question

[Neil Cerutti]

On 2006-12-02, Ara Kooser <ghashsnaga at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am working on a text adventure game for python to get back
> into python programming. My version 0.1 used only functions so
> I could get familiar with how those work. I want to move beyond
> that. I am not sure what would be a good Python way of handling
> this.  I was wondering if classes would help? What things
> should be included in the main program?

The language used by the Infocom implementors was called ZIL, and
it so happens that the ZIL manual is available for download.
It was sort of a wimpy version of Lisp.

   http://www.mv.com/ipusers/xlisper/zil.pdf

Anyway, the ZIL manual explains how Infocom's "library" for text
adventures worked.  That should be inspirational for your design.
It's also an entertaining historical artifact, if the history of
computer games is your thing. Here's an amusing sampling:

  EXERCISE THREE
  Design and implement a full-size game. Submit it to testing,
  fix all resulting bugs, help marketing design a package, ship
  the game, and sell at lest 250,000 units.

-- 
Neil Cerutti