AND FOR SOMETHING TO READ...

Atlas Adventure Software, 67 Llyd St., Llandudno, Gwynedd, LL30 2YP
£3.00 (overseas readers add £1.00)

For authors of books on adventure games, the book for the beginner is surely the most difficult. First, because the author is, generally, an experienced adventurer and may find it difficult to appreciate the elements beginners find demanding. Second, he'll surely receive flak from some quarters for omitting an 'essential' piece of information. The conclusion? The author's on a hiding to nothing.

Dave Havard is a brave man, therefore, and, while his beginners book is by no means perfect it's good to see this neglected area addressed at all. A5 in format with 50 pages and a paper cover the Beginner's Guide divides into 11 chapters and an appendix. The first two describe themes and adventure types (text-only, icon driven, etc), The third, and largest, chapter takes you by the hand and guides you through a sample adventure transcript (including pre-drawn maps). In this case a golden oldie (literally!) - Artic's Golden Apple. After a chapter of notes on Golden Apple and another on saving and loading adventures, Dave discusses synonyms and includes a comprehensive sample list that'll prove a handy reference whilst playing any adventure. Chapter seven continues the verb/noun input discussion whilst eight expands into a full sentence parser debate. After sections on character interaction and the dreaded maze Dave devotes a chapter to experienced adventurers (describing the workings of adventures).

All in all an admirable stab at creating a beginner's guide. However, I have three gripes. First, the book is riddled with appalling spelling mistakes (who playtested the manual, Dave?). Second, although the basics are included I don't think they're given enough space. I'd have preferred the book to have dwelt on each point much Longer, introducing multiple examples in case the beginner finds one particular example hard to grasp.

Third, I thought the design could have had more thought given to it. The introduction of the transcript of Golden Apple appeared far too soon. There should have been a number of individual discussions on many more game element's. Once the reader had come to grips with each single component would have been the time to lump them all together and introduce the transcript.

However, the Beginner's Guide is still a recommended buy as it includes many hints and tips never before seen in a single publication. Excellent value for money.

A LOOK AT A BOOK

Title: A Beginner's Guide to Adventures
Author: Dave Havard
Price: £3 including p&p (overseas readers add £1 for extra ppostage)
Publisher: Atlas Adventure Software, 67 Lloyd Street, Llandudno, Gwynedd LL30 2YP
Reviewer: Mike Gerrard

Everyone knows there's only one book worth buying about Spectrum adventures, and of course that's Adventures On The Spectrum by, ahem, Mike Gerrard. As this tells you absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about the subject, what point is there in anyone ever producing another book? Well, a young upstart by the name of Dave Havard must think there's a point as he's just written a tomelet called A Beginner's Guide To Adventures. It's published by Atlas Adventure Software, the computer empire that also brings you Adventure Probe every month.

If you've seen Probe then the look of the book won't surprise you, as it's in exactly the same A5-size format, with 50 pages squeezed between the pale blue covers. The front has a cartoon-style piccie by graphics artist Dicon Peeke (of Scapeghost fame).

A-ha, but what's between and betwixt those covers? FIFTY PAGES, I'VE JUST TOLD YOU, YOU GOT CLOTH EARS OR SUMFINK?? Sorry, got a fit of the capitals there. The book was written at the suggestion of Mandy Rodrigues, editor of Adventure Probe, and no doubt like me she gets letters every month asking how can a newcomer get to grips with adventures, learn how to play them, discover what those 'usual commands' are that you're expected to know etc etc. So, in future I'll know what to say - buy this book.

The best and longest of the 11 chapters is the one on How To Play An Adventure, and I only wish I'd thought of doing this in my own book. Dave takes the novice player right the way through a typical adventure, from loading it up to the congratulatory message at the end. My only quibble (ooh, I love a quick quibble) is that he's made rather a bizarre choice of sample game. The one Dave has chosen is the old Artic title from 1983, The Golden Apple. While it's a good simple game that can be thoroughly explored in the chapter's 21 pages, the fact that it's no longer available is a definite disadvantage. Ideally the reader and novice gamesplayer should be able to load the game up and play it alongside reading Dave's comments and suggestions. As you gain more confidence you can try solving the problems for yourself, before perhaps turning to the author's advice if you're still getting nowhere. As only about 1% of the book's intended readers are likely to have a copy of The Golden Apple (unless they've been a beginner since 1983, of course) you're limited to just reading - rather than reading and doing, which is a much - better teaching method.

Having had me quibble, the book is still just what the beginner needs. It doesn't only deal with adventure-type problems, but remembers to tell you about saving your game too, and how and when you should do it, and about the use of filenames to label your saved positions. There are sections on mapping and other common adventure game features, like food and having to move round in the dark. There's a whole chapter on mazes, and another on loading and saving, and possible problems. At the front the author modestly states that he hasn't really gone into the question of loading problems in much depth, as he hopes to write another booklet on the subject, but he's covered them well enough for most newcomers to computing.

At the back there's a list of addresses, though you should note that Magic Missile is no longer in production, and Official Secrets isn't much use to Spectrum adventurers these days. A Beginner's Guide to Adventures, however, is definitely of use to Spectrum adventurers, and if you're new to the adventure game scene then you'd better go out and buy it now.