[STING OF THE WASP] Let's Play Interactive Fiction Together!

Hey, nerds! Now, we like us our forum adventures, but how many of us have gone back to scope out the antecedent text adventures parser-based interactive fiction? (Did you know they didn't stop making these things in the 80s? I know, right?) Me, I've always been fascinated by the potential and ideal of interactive fiction, but I have a problem: I'm just plain bad at video games! Any game that's not a hand-holding, highly-linear affair, or worse yet, has an actual puzzle? I'll never see the end of that story, maybe not even the 1/4th mark, without a walkthrough — which really takes the "interactive" bit out of "interactive fiction."

Which brings us to this thread. If we go through these parser-based interactive fiction games together, surely our combined brainmight can find the solutions that get us to the conclusions, and then we can all see the ending, where previously none of us would have! And it'll be a lot of fun. And we might even learn something! We might even learn a little something about... ourselves.

But before we can do all that, it might be necessary to give a primer on how parser-based interactive fiction works. Unlike the forum adventures here, we can't just type in any old garbage, up to and including full paragraphs, and have confidence the author will be able to interpret it. You can not change the grand flow of the story with a single command, you must work more granularly, dictating exactly what your character does moment-to-moment. (Thankfully, not to the level of >INHALE, >EXHALE.) These games have a parser, which means your commands have to fit into a grammar and vocabulary that even your dumb, dumb computer can understand. Luckily, it's pretty easy for us humans to pick up too. Here's a quick guide that'll tell you pretty much everything you need to know, with only one dumb joke:

SpoilerShow

You can find a more in-depth guide here. If you get something wrong and it's purely that you couldn't jigger it in a way the parser couldn't understand it, I'll try to modify it so it does work. Unless it's one of those situations where, even though the action is sensible, the computer can't understand it.

Our first game is Sting Of The Wasp, a 2004 game by Jason Devlin. It's about a bunch of terrible socialites, first and foremost yourself, at a country club. It's short, humorous, and so easy even I was able to complete it all by myself.

[WARNING:

This game contains sexual references
and some strong language. If you are
uncomfortable with this, please close
your interpreter now. Otherwise, press
any key to continue.

Despite the first scene, this is not a
pornographic game.]

-screen break-

[ Wasp or WASP (wôsp)

1)

Any of numerous social insects
with mouths adapted for biting
or sucking, and in the females
an ovipositor modified as a sting.

2)

A white, usually Protestant
member of the American upper
social class.

--American Heritage Dictionary]

-screen break-

"Oh, Julia! Where did you learn that?" Keith whispers breathlessly.

All tongue and fingers, he kisses the milky skin above your breasts, while your hands slide their way up and down his sculpted chest, so eager with lust that your watch occasionally snags on a stray chest hair. Your lips, glistening like two fresh strawberries laced with dew, hungrily roam across his neck. And your hips! Well, that's better left to the imagination.

Normally, you wouldn't even consider seeing Keith at Pine Meadows, but Frank's in Boston and won't be back until tonight's banquet. And when the cat's away...

Just then, a low shelf wedges itself in to your back, jarring you from your reverie. That's when you hear it.

A click. A flash. The tell-tale tapping of heels on concrete.

Sting of the Wasp
Interactive Damage-Control
by Jason Devlin.
(First time players should type ABOUT)
Release 1 / Serial number 040622 / Inform v6.30 Library 6/11

The next few minutes are a blur. Keith juts his tongue down your throat, but, without you reciprocating, it feels like he's searching for cavities. The rhythms of your body no longer coincide with his. In fact, the only rhythm left in your body is the pounding of your heart, the warm throbbing of blood in your ears. He must notice your discomfort as soon he backs off and starts buttoning his shirt.

"Well, I gotta get back to the Pro Shop, babe," he says, grabbing his shades. "Stop by later." With that, he takes off down the hall, leaving you, still stunned, slumped against the wall.

Utility closet
This is the first time you've been in this closet, and hopefully it will be the last. Keith assured you that no one ever comes down here. And now you can see why. The concrete walls are oppressively close, made more so by the smell of bleach and chemicals coming from a filthy shelf against the far wall. Various brooms clutter the room, displaying none of the pleasant tidiness characteristic of the rest of Pine Meadows. All this can be escaped through a door to the south.

Tossed to the side in the throes of passion, your bag, a fabulous Louis Vuitton original, lays on the ground.

>

I've helpfully navigated the ABOUT menu for you. There's the disclaimer that there will be (well, has already been) adult situations and we will be playing an awful person, some information about the author, and a "Hints" section, but the vital bit is:

Most of the new verbs implemented are not needed to complete the game, but rather they exist to allow a little more natural speech. For example, you can SPILL or POUR one thing on something else, but the same could be accomplished by PUT. However, one new verb is necessary to complete the game; hopefully it should be obvious when to use it. At at least one point, you will need to BLACKMAIL (someone) WITH (something), where the something is a word.

Additionally, to prevent the headaches associated with getting different responses from ASKing someone about something and TELLing them, the verb TALK TO (someone) ABOUT (something) is implemented. Although you can still use ask and tell (they'll both give you the same response, however).

So, what do you do next, Julia?

GO SOUTH

Don't stop to get dressed or get your stuff, just leave

GET BAG

GET BLEACH

About Julia

GO SOUTH

Just before you walk out, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the metal door. It isn't pretty. You hang back -- the last thing you need right now is to be seen in such a state.

GET BAG

Taken.

GET BLEACH

Nah, let the cleaning staff handle that.

About Julia x me

Your lipstick is smeared, your cheeks are flushed, and your mascara is running. At least the fact that your blouse is open should draw attention away from your face.

>

get cleanser
or get wipes

Wear Blouse.

Or maybe Fix Blouse?

Eat blouse

Wear Blouse.

You're already wearing that!

Or maybe Fix Blouse?

You hastily button up your blouse, careful not to break a nail.

Eat blouse

You're on the Kate Moss diet, so unless that's cigarettes or celery, put it down.

Fix mascara

Fix mascara makeup

Using your compact, you carefully apply your makeup, adding a little more powder than usual to your cheeks to hide the flush.

>

> Go South

x bag

> Go South

Access hall
A short, dimly lit hallway between the utility closet to the north and the stairs to the rest of the club leading south and up. While the dominant smell here is, as in the closet, chlorine, some other fragrance, a sweeter one, is mingled with it.

x bag

A Louis Vuitton original, your purse can practically carry anything, which comes in handy but is absolute hell when you have to find your keys.

Well, that didn't work.

x i

examine the inventory

x smell

x stairs

Well, that didn't work.

x i

examine the inventory

You are carrying:
your Louis Vuitton bag (which is open)
your make-up
a pair of banquet tickets
your watch (being worn)
your ensemble (being worn)

x stairs

A dingy access stairwell leads up from the access hall to the western hall.

x watch

Verbose

x tickets

x watch

Frank felt so guilty after spending a month in Tokyo that he bought you this. Honestly, you enjoyed the time apart, but that didn't stop you from playing up the guilt. So far, that little ploy has gotten you a mink stole, a diamond necklace, and a Bentley, but this watch takes the cake. Whoever said that flagrant displays of wealth were tacky must not have seen this. Exquisitely crafted from platinum and diamonds, the only downfall this watch has is that the gems tend to obstruct your view of its face, making it somewhat difficult to read the actual time. Still, it's a small price to pay to be seen sporting such a piece.

Verbose

Sting of the Wasp is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before).

x tickets

Knowing that the banquet would be the gala event of the season, you bought these months ago. They have today's date on them.

go south