Not bad for a five-minute game. The puzzle solutions were logical enough and the clues were reasonable.
Playthrough:
[spoiler]A freelance spy is a great job. It pays well and you get to travel to new and interesting places. Unless you get caught, that part is not so great.
You tear open the unmarked envelope and unfold the mission briefing enclosed within: Infiltrate MegaCorp, gain access to the data centre, download the database.
So here you are, one week later - standing in the foyer of MegaCorp, under guise as a repairman.
Code Name Silver Steel
An Interactive Fiction by Special Agent
Release 1 / Serial number 170423 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N)
Foyer
The spacious foyer of the MegaCorp building carries indistinguishable sounds along the sterile tiled floor and angular furniture, giving the impression of cold detachment.
You are standing by the reception desk in the centre of the room. The raised desk shields the small stature of the person behind it, oblivious to your presence.
To the north is an elevator, and a door beside it.
(New players should type âhelpâ)
You can see a receptionist here.
x door
A white metal door with the words âmaintenanceâ in bold black letters.
x me
As good-looking as ever.
i
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)
go to door
You canât see any such thing.
n
(first opening the service entrance)
âSir!â, the receptionist calls after you, âYou canât enter there without clearance.â (You could ignore her warning and go ahead, if you dare).
i
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)
x job card
This is a forged job card that states you are on-site to repair a faulty air conditioning unit. During the past week you gained access to the company intranet, and forged a matching maintenance record on their systems.
show job card to receptionist
She takes the job card from you and scrutinizes it against her records.
âFineâ, she says, handing you a clip-on tag. âCarry this with you at all times. The maintenance door is thereâ, she points north. âHave a nice dayâ.
wear tag
You canât wear that!
i
You are carrying:
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)
n
(first opening the service entrance)
The receptionist eyes you from behind her fortress-desk as you open the door.
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.
There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.
x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.
open panel
The panel is screwed shut.
open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver, a data disc and a suit.
take screwdriver
Taken.
unscrew panel
Perhaps you meant to turn screws?
turn screws
You loosen the screws using the screwdriver. The panel swings open.
look
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.
There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.
x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.
open panel
The panel is already open
look
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.
There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.
go panel
You sense that you should change your disguise first.
i
You are carrying:
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a suit
a wrist watch (being worn)
remove overall
You take off the overall.
wear suit
(first taking the suit)
You put on the suit.
go panel
Deftly, you step through the access tunnel and into the emergency fire escape stairwell. You ascend the stairs in the dim light and emerge surreptitiously in the administrative level of the building. Your arrival goes unnoticed.
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. There is a doorway to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see a copy machine here.
x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.
In the cubicle are a security pass and an elderly man.
i
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)
x elderly man
He is an elderly man with receding brown hair. He seems preoccupied with his paperwork.
put screwdriver in toolbox
You put the screwdriver into the toolbox.
close toolbox
You close the toolbox.
w
Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesnât want relaxed employees.
There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.
You can also see a coffee mug here.
x pot
A pot of hot coffee.
x mug
A white unmarked mug.
i
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)
open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver and a data disc.
x watch
The time on your spy watch shows as 9:34 am.
e
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see a copy machine here.
go elevator
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.
x copy machine
It is a chunky piece of machinery with many tiny buttons. You notice stains on top of the machine.
x stains
They are coffee ring stains, their location suggests it is where a cup is prone to spill. Somebody has a bad habit of putting their cups on the copy machine.
look
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see a copy machine here.
x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.
In the cubicle are a security pass and an elderly man.
take pass
It is out of reach. You need to enter the cubicle.
go cubicle
Not while the cubicle is occupied.
w
Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesnât want relaxed employees.
There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.
You can also see a coffee mug here.
x mug
A white unmarked mug.
take mug
Taken.
put coffee in mug
(the coffee pot in the coffee mug)
You fill the mug with hot coffee.
e
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see a copy machine here.
put coffee on cpy machine
You canât see any such thing.
put coffee on copy machine
You make sure nobody is watching, and quietly place the mug on the side of the copy machine.
talk to elderly man
Thatâs not a verb I recognise.
l
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
The elderly man gets up from his cubicle and walks to the copy machine. He shuffles his papers and pushes the buttons.
go cubicle
You get into the cubicle.
In the cubicle you can see a security pass.
Clang!
âWhat the hell!â the man curses, trying to save his coffee soaked pages.
take security card
I only understood you as far as wanting to take the security pass.
take security pass
Taken.
âDarn itâ, the man curses.
out
You get out of the cubicle.
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
.
n
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.
.
use security pass
Thatâs not a verb I recognise.
l
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
.
w
Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesnât want relaxed employees.
There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.
e
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
âDarn itâ, the man curses.
go panel
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.
.
s
You have no reason to go back to the maintenace level now.
.
look
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
âDarn itâ, the man curses.
go cubicle
You get into the cubicle.
.
look
Administration (in the cubicle)
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
.
out
You get out of the cubicle.
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.
A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.
You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.
âDarn itâ, the man curses.
x elderly man
He is an elderly man with receding brown hair. He seems preoccupied with his paperwork.
.
n
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.
.
i
You are carrying:
a security pass
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a screwdriver
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)
.
use security pass
Thatâs not a verb I recognise.
x security pass
A security pass attached to a lanyard. The print on the card reads âelevator accessâ.
.
show pass to elevator
You can only do that to something animate.
use pass on elevator
Thatâs not a verb I recognise.
open elevator
It seems to be locked.
.
unlock elevator
What do you want to unlock the elevator with?
unlock elevator with pass
You swipe the security pass across the elevator scanner, the door slides open and you step inside. You feel gravity reduce as you descend undergroundâŠ
Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.
A technician is here, working on a terminal.
You can also see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.
x database terminal
This terminal controls the information database. You notice a drive bay attached to it. You can log on terminal to use it.
log on terminal
Which do you mean, the fire control terminal or the database terminal?
log on database terminal
You canât use that terminal while the tech is busy on it.
x tech
A middle-aged woman wearing a long white coat. Her brown hair is tied up.
i
You are carrying:
a security pass
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a screwdriver
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)
x fire control terminal
This terminal controls the fire detection and sprinkler systems of the building. You can log on terminal to use it.
log on fire control terminal
MegaCorp fire and safety control - Status: no fires - Activating fire drill
A siren rings out loudly, accompanied by a flashing red light in the ceiling.
The technician runs through the rows of servers, out of sight.
log on database terminal
Error - No disc in drive bay.
put disc in drive bay
(first taking the data disc)
You put the data disc into the drive bay.
log on database terminal
You download the files to the data disc in the drive bay, you have what you came for. Now to advance your own agenda: you upload a trojan horse into the server, and log off.
l
Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.
You can see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.
take data disc
You grab the data disc and make your escape by way of elevator to the roof. You reverse you suit jacket, turning it into a harness. A few minutes later, a glider soars overhead, a cable trailing below it. Executing a perfectly timed run, you grab the cable while hooking it into your suit harness - You soar silently out of sight.
Your mission was a success!
*** The End ***[/spoiler]
A couple notes:
[spoiler]* Try to implement common commands. For example, the game should recognize âtalk to [character],â even if it doesnât let you have a conversation. Talking to the receptionist can make it clear that sheâs interested in your security clearance and nothing else. Talking to the elderly man can admonish you for attracting too much attention to yourself.
-
Allow for synonyms. I was a little surprised that âsecurity cardâ didnât work. (Not a big deal in this case, as trying again with âsecurity passâ was obvious). I realize you might have been trying to avoid ambiguity between âjob cardâ and âsecurity pass,â but âsecurity card/passâ should be unambiguous enough.
-
I tried âuse pass on elevatorâ first, which seems like something the parser should accept. The fewer guess-the-word problems you have, the better.
-
I would code the elderly man so he uses the copy machine every few turns and immediately returns to his cubicle. Creating the expectation that heâll go back and forth adds plausibility to the coffee cup distraction. Small touches like that also help the game world feel less static.[/spoiler]
None of my notes are a huge deal in a game this small, but you might want to consider them in something larger and more ambitious.