From Thanet to New Romney by Daniel Gunnell

From Thanet to New Romney

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"From Thanet to New Romney" by Kentish Plover (Type HELP for instructions)

The story headline is "A sequel to Kentish Plover"

The block giving rule is not listed in the check giving it to rules.

Use brief room descriptions. Use no scoring.

Crediting is an action applying to nothing. Understand "help" as crediting. Instead of crediting, say "Interactive fiction can be hard for the first-time player, especially if you are a character in the game. Let me give you some helpful things to try. To move, try going in compass directions, such as north, south etc. You can give objects to people for example, you could type: 'Give cake to baker.' If you need any further instructions, type HELP at any time. This game is the sequel to Kentish Plover. If you haven't played Kentish Plover yet, I'd play it."

The player wears a digital watch. The description of the digital watch is "It's made by Ylloh, a clock-making company. Through the screen's glass, you can see the mechanism that powers it: the hour hand and the minute hand. As you examine the watch more closely, a tiny posh-sounding voice issues forth from the device. 'At the third stroke, the time will be [time of day].' This is followed by three short beeps." When play begins: say "You send all of your inventory items from the previous game back to New Romney, just to be safe. You never know what could happen in Margate. After that, you decide to make the long journey back to the Romney Marsh, stopping briefly to purchase a digital watch from Ylloh, a company that is famous throughout Kent for making clocks that use the same technology as the old speaking clock on telephones. Before venturing out to see what Thanet and the rest of Kent has to offer, you decide to have a quick look around the shop." Foyer of Ylloh is a room. "This is the foyer of Ylloh, a Kent-based company that produces clocks. The room has a calm atmosphere to it, and it makes you feel at home knowing that this place will tell the time more accurately than the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. There is a door leading north into a corridor and one leading south out to the street.[line break]Various clocks are displayed on walls, a soft ticking coming from them." Some clocks is scenery in Foyer of Ylloh. It is fixed in place. The description of some clocks is "They have been made to tell the time to anyone who wishes to know it. Some even have pictures of famous clock towers, such as the one in Margate, Big Ben and even a bell tower of a church. These clocks are not for sale and belong to the business.[line break]Acording to their displays, the time shows itself as [time of day]. As the clocks are only for show, they do not provide the speaking clock." Holly Backwards is a woman in Foyer of Ylloh. The description of Holly Backwards is "She is the owner of this small clock-making company and she is happy to tell you anything, as long as it doesn't include interactive fiction." North of Foyer of Ylloh is Corridor. Corridor is a room. "This is a corridor running north to the room in which the clocks are made and south to the foyer/shop of the business. The walls are covered in pictures of timepieces, such as hourglasses, alarm clocks and even the Time Turner from Harry Potter. The pictures are there to show customers what kind of clocks Ylloh can make (with the exception of the Time Turner). A wheel takes up the centre of the corridor here." A wheel is scenery in Corridor. It is fixed in place. The description of the wheel is "It is an exact replica of a certain wheel located somewhere on the Romney Marsh that provides a list of 24 chores. Some may refer to this as the Wheel of Fun, Wheel of Ylloh, the Wheel of chores, or even just the Wheel. Around the edge, the numbers 1 to 24 are carved into its surface, each representing a chore that has to be fulfilled when it is spun. To be honest, the wheel cannot be spun, because it is too large." North of Corridor is Factory Floor. Factory Floor is a room. "This is the factory in which thousands of clocks are made using machines. Once made, they go on sale in the shop two rooms to your south. The whole place is alive with the sound of ticking. There's a door to the south and a hole leading down." Eden Edna is a woman in Factory Floor. The description of Eden Edna is "Eden Edna is the person who actually makes the clocks before handing them over to Holly Backwards in the foyer of this clock-making company." Below Factory Floor is Recording Studio. Recording Studio is a room. "You are in the very room in which Holly Backwards and Eden Edna record the classic line 'At the third stroke the time will be ...' to be used in their clocks. The room is not as grand as what a recording studio would look like, but it serves its purpose as one. A hole leads up to the Factory floor." A note is here. The description of the note is "Thanks for stopping by our fine little clock-making shop, where we believe the speaking clock should not be restricted to phones. As a thank you for coming, we invite you to take this note away with you in the hope that you can spread the word of this place. In fact, we've already done so by building a sundial somewhere on the Romney Marsh in a small village called Greatstone. (You notice that there's a picture of the sundial with a duck flying over it.) We have heard that the Romney Marsh has been infamous for its smuggling and that houses collapse once you've finished building them. (A picture of a vinyl record follows this sentence. You notice that it features an old episode of Hancock's Half Hour, not that the owner of the business would know what that old comedy was.)[line break]You finish reading the note." Before going south from Foyer of Ylloh for the first time, say "Holly Backwards comes over to you and says: 'By the way, Broadstairs is now basically a giant lake because of all the flooding caused by the storms that we've been having. I believe that some sort of transport is provided to take you across this temporary lake, but it's only a one-way service. Best of luck.' You exit the building." South of Foyer of Ylloh is A Street. A Street is a room. "You stand on a street in the middle of Margate, a glorious seaside town on the north coast of Thanet. To your north, a small shop advertises the various clocks that people can buy from it. The shop's sign seems to be in the shape of a clock, which is something that shop signs haven't done since the 17th century. The street leads east into Margate Old Town." Here is a sign. It is fixed in place. The description of the sign is "Because Broadstairs is flooded, the locals have provided a boat to take you across the water. This temporary dock is located at King George V Park and the water extends as far as Westwood Cross. The boat hasn't got an engine as some people kept going over the speed limit on the water. Broadstairs is located a few streets to the east." East of A Street is Somewhere in the Old Town. Somewhere in the Old Town is a room. "You are in Margate Old Town, which although being called that it really isn't old. I mean, people are actually driving around in cars rather than walking or taking the steam train, which is what people do on the Romney Marsh. Many locals and tourists hurry past you in a rush to get to their destinations. A street leads west to a shop of some kind and a road leads east towards Broadstairs which is completely flooded." Here is a vinyl record. The description of the vinyl record is "There are rumours going around that a certain number of people in Thanet are fans of the old 'educational' science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Well, you don't know if this is true, but you did hear that one of the leaders at a certain scout group enjoyed it. What you are looking at is the vinyl record of the first radio series, which was first made in 1979. The record has a label that reads: 'Take this to the new boathouse on the edge of a massive lake in Broadstairs.' If I were you, I'd be careful with the record." East of Somewhere in the Old Town is Near Dreamland. Near Dreamland is a room. "Dreamland, an old-fashioned Victorian theme park lies to your north, although its entrance is closed to try and prevent the rides from being flooded. The attraction is a popular place for tourists and locals, and is known for the Scenic Railway. The Old Town lies west and a road leads southeast towards what looks like a dock." Southeast of Near Dreamland is A Dock. A Dock is a room. "Because of the recent flooding, Broadstairs is now a giant lake, which completely covers the town as far as Westwood Cross. In the past, Broadstairs welcomed some famous people, including the late author Charles Dickens and many tourists. But now, it plays host to Kent's largest boating pool. To the northwest is Margate and south is the Broadstairs entrance to King George V Park." South of A Dock is King George V Park. King George V Park is a room. "King George V Park begins here and eventually leads to Ramsgate. At the moment, it is playing an important role in serving as the spot where a temporary boathouse has been set up to the east, allowing free passage across the lake. To the north is the entrance to the newly opened dock." East of King George V Park is Boathouse. Boathouse is a room. "This is the boathouse where boats are kept, allowing passengers to travel across the town of Broadstairs. Ever since Thanet banned boats with engines, the only boats on offer are sailing boats, although there is only one left." Number one is a man in Boathouse. The description of Number one is "This is the person in charge of this boathouse. He'll let you borrow a sailing boat, on the condition that people give him anything related to a certain comedy science fiction series." Every turn while the player is in Boathouse: say "Number one says: 'Now, look here. In order to get onto the pier, you must give me that vinyl record that you are holding in your hands. If you haven't got it, go and find it in Margate Old Town.' If I were you, I'd do what this man says." After giving the vinyl record to Number one: say "Well done. You have been a good chap and solved the Ultimate Question. You have also just made Number one happy. As the man takes the record, he begins to unlock a door that you had previously not noticed. 'Thank you for returning this vinyl record to the boathouse,' he says 'I am grateful.'[line break]Number one takes the record from you and pushes you out the door. After closing the door behind you, you hear a *click* as it is locked."; move the player to Pier. Pier is a room. "A wooden pier extends over some water to the east. The pier seems to have been built in a hurry, as if Thanet depended on it. To the west is the boathouse, although it is locked from this side; there is no way back. You really must thank Holly Backwards for this. She did say that this was a one-way service." East of Pier is West Lake. The description of West Lake is "You are sailing on a lake, made entirely out of rainwater. You recall that this area of the lake must be over the place where they do all the folk festivals in the summer. Unless they invent some sort of tent that can withstand water, they will have to cancel it. The lake continues east and west is the pier." East of West Lake is East Lake. The description of East Lake is "This is the eastern shore of a lake that has been formed out of rainwater. In fact, you are floating over the three main secondary schools in Broadstairs. Pity. What a shame that Broadstairs is now just a puddle of water! To the west, the lake continues, and to the east is a jetty. Somewhere to the north, Wallpole Bay can be seen, however you are not going there in a hurry as its boating pool is no more." A sailboat is a vehicle in Pier. Understand "boat" as the sailboat. The description of the sailboat is "It's a sturdy sailing boat that could easily take passengers across Broadstairs. A nameplate informs you that it was made by Phoenix Explorers, and extra care has been taken to ensure that an engine cannot be fitted. Another sign beneath that tells you that this one-way service is only available from Monday to Friday and at weekends the boat just sits on the pier collecting dust. It looks as if the boat can only hold one passenger as well, but the material used to make it is just wood." Instead of exiting when the player is in a vehicle and the location is not the Jetty: say "The water is just dirty rainwater. Besides, it's all wet!" Instead of going east from Pier when the player is not in the sailboat, say "I don't think this text adventure said anything about swimming, do you?" East of East Lake is Jetty. Jetty is a room. "This is a wooden jetty on the east bank of a lake. Far to the west, the boathouse can be seen and to the east is Westwood Cross." East of Jetty is Road. Road is a room. "This is a straiht road leading west to a jetty and east to Westwood Cross, Thanet's own shopping centre. The road itself doesn't contain anything interesting, although there is some kind of lake to the west." East of Road is Outside McDonald's. Outside McDonald's is a room. "You are outside a branch of the fast food restaurant chain McDonald's, very near Westwood Cross. This very restaurant used to serve people from the Romney Marsh, however they banned it because most of the people from the Romney Marsh kept bringing their sheep into the establishment. A road lies west." A stay is here. Understand "wood" as a stay. The description of a stay is "A stay is a piece of wood that supports a bell in a belfry. On this particular stay, the following is written: 'Come and sample our victoria sponge, fresh from the oven[line break]Just pick up this stay and it will transport you to Biddenden High Street. Well done for surviving a boating adventure through Broadstairs.' I would hold onto the stay if I were you." After taking the stay for the first time: say "As you pick up the stay, you seem to hear a far off quarter peel."; move the player to Biddenden High Street. Biddenden High Street is a room. "You are on the high street of Biddenden, a small village in the Kent countryside. If you listen, you can hear the distant sound of ringing church bells. To your west is a bakery." West of Biddenden High Street is The Stay Bakery. The Stay Bakery is a room. "Delicious smells of baking bread fill this room. You are in The Stay Bakery, a local bakehouse that is run by the good people of Biddenden. Their speciality is a victoria sponge, and luckily there is one fresh from the oven for you to eat. To the east is the high street of Biddenden." A victoria sponge is here. It is edible. Understand "cake" as the victoria sponge. The description of the victoria sponge is "It's a homemade cake, the signature dish of this bakery. Everything about it is homemade, even the jam which is made from freshly picked fruit. It is also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. At Christmas, the jam that goes into the cake is made from holly berries. Oh dear, aren't they meant to be poisonous for you?" After eating the victoria sponge: say "You stuff the entire cake into your mouth and chew. Delicious! After eating it, you wash your hands and go to sleep, as you are tired after your journey. When you wake up, you find yourself in..."; move the player to Ruins. Ruins is a room. "You are standing on the Romney Marsh, in the ruins of a house. Something tells you that you are very near Greatstone. All around you lie the ruins of the house that once stood here, probably being lived in by people who liked ducks, as there are thousands of them flying around. A road leads towards New Romney to the west, but it seems to be abandoned after the roads in Thanet." Here is a sundial. It is fixed in place. The description of the sundial is "The sundial is made by Ylloh, as stated in their note that you must have found in their recording studio. It is a round slab of metal and allows the local people to tell the time by gazing at the sun. In fact, this is the most advanced piece of technology that the kind people of the Romney Marsh will get. At the moment, the sundial says that it is [the time of day in words]." A plaque is here. It is fixed in place. The description of the plaque is "We are sorry that we built this sundial in the exact spot where a house once stood. Luckily, there was no one there except some ducks who wouldn't have cared about living in some ruins anyway. This sundial was placed here for the people of the Romney Marsh to tell the time, as the people of Thanet have been getting reports that electricity doesn't work on the other side of Kent. (Doesn't it?) Please do not take this sundial, and more importantly, do not feed the ducks as they are now wild with their house in ruins. Another person who probably won't mind his home being destroyed by a clock-making company is Dan. (You wonder who Dan is.) Anyway, we will leave you to explore the rest of the Marsh." West of Ruins is A Cart Track. A Cart Track is a room. "This is an old cart track, perhaps last used by someone in the Victorian times to transport their goods to market for the last time. Today, it's used by people walking to New Romney. According to Holly Backwards, electricity doesn't work around these parts. To the east is some ruins and there's a pub to the north." North of A Cart Track is The Same Boat. The Same Boat is a room. "Rather than being a traditional pub, The Same Boat is a converted sailing ship that someone has run aground in order to serve drinks in. Because it is open to the skies, the wind blows harshly through the timbers of this old ship. The pub is also used by retired sailors and other men coming off the high seas. To the south is an old cart track." The skipper is a man in The Same Boat. The description of the skipper is "He's an old retired sailor, rumoured to be descended from the fictional Scarecrow himself. He has also managed to turn his old ship into a pub, which now stands out in the middle of the Romney Marsh." Every turn while the player is in The Same Boat, say "The old sailor says in a posh voice: 'If you want to win the game, be a good chap and salute.'." Saluting is an action applying to nothing. Understand "salute" as saluting. Instead of saluting when the player is not in The Same Boat, say "There are no sailors to return the salute." Instead of saluting when the player is in The Same Boat: say "You give the old sailor the sea scout salute and his face lights up. 'You must be the person who sailed across Broadstairs,' he says 'hold still, I'm going to move you to the galley of my ship. There's a beam missing from the roof, and the stay you are holding should work.' He opens a trapdoor and pushes you inside..."; move the player to Galley. Galley is a room. "This is the galley of The Same Boat, where food and drink is prepared using very fresh and very local produce. This week's speciality seems to be roast lamb. The roof of the galley seems to have a beam missing; you can see the old skipper up above you, yelling out orders to people in the same situation as you. You are starting to realise why they named this place 'The Same Boat.' The stay you have could serve very well as a beam." After dropping the stay in Galley: say "You prop the stay against the wall and it somehow becomes the missing beam for the roof. 'BRAVO!' shouts a voice from above you as the stay does its job and well, stays put.[line break]You return to Kentish Plover at long last to find that your inventory items have been placed on your desk. You begin writing your interactive fiction and it soon is what everyone is talking about. In fact, Holly Backwards from the clock-making shop even asks you to write a game especially for her. She even asks you if you can show her how interactive fiction works. Naturally, you refuse, as electricity doesn't seem to work around here."; end the game in victory. Rule for amusing a victorious player: say "Congratulations! you have survived this little game that I made. Before I go, I need to ask a few questions: have you tried[line break]Saluting?"