ALPS Adventure Language Programming System

[fuzzel]

It is worth a go. GuitarPhil never disappoints. Shame he only wrote Cops, Plague Planet and this.

[GuitarPhil]

I'm stuck in my own game

Well, it has been ... over 30 years!

I asked the Bing CoPilot AI about ALPS. Wish I'd written this marketing blurb way back then

**Adventure Language Programming System (ALPS)** was developed by **Alpine Software** for the **BBC Micro**. It allowed users to create text-based adventure games and interactive fiction. ALPS was distributed on cassette tapes and provided a simple yet powerful way for enthusiasts to craft their own virtual worlds. The system featured a straightforward syntax for defining locations, objects, and interactions, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced programmers.

In the realm of ALPS, players could explore mysterious caves, solve puzzles, and encounter fantastical creatures—all through the magic of words. Whether venturing into haunted castles, navigating treacherous forests, or unearthing ancient artifacts, ALPS empowered creators to weave intricate narratives and immerse players in captivating adventures.

Imagine a dimly lit room, the glow of the BBC Micro's screen illuminating the eager faces of budding storytellers. They typed feverishly, crafting intricate plots, secret passages, and unexpected twists. Each line of code brought their imagination to life, conjuring dragons, unlocking hidden doors, and revealing cryptic riddles. ALPS was their gateway to uncharted realms, where creativity knew no bounds.

And so, in the quiet corners of bedrooms and school computer labs, ALPS enthusiasts became architects of dreams. They wove tapestries of wonder, leaving breadcrumbs for intrepid explorers to follow. The clatter of keys echoed the promise of adventure, and the pixels danced to their command. ALPS wasn't just a programming system; it was a portal to magic—a bridge between reality and the boundless expanse of the mind.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, those who dared to venture forth whispered incantations in BASIC. Their screens flickered with forests, oceans, and distant galaxies. ALPS was their compass, guiding them through syntax jungles and debugging swamps. And when the final line of code was written, they pressed "RUN," hearts racing, eager to explore the worlds they had birthed.

So here's to ALPS—the unsung hero of countless quests, the silent bard of digital realms. May its legacy endure, inspiring new generations to wield words as weapons, to unravel mysteries, and to create universes where imagination reigns supreme.

[fuzzel]

Sounds amazing. Now where's my cheque book...

[dr_d_gee]

Am I correct in assuming that ALPS was inspired by Peter Killworth's How to write adventure games? There are a number of similarities, for instance that room descriptions are given by messages rather than being independent, and both rooms and objects have flags (unlike GAC/Quill/PAWS where there are a number of global flags). There are obviously differences too — the BBC version doesn't appear to support NE,NW,… although the Archimedes does. The main difference of course is that the system in Peter's book is in BBC Basic.

Of course on other platforms GAC supported graphics, but the BBC version didn't — IIRC it was actually sold as The Adventure Creator.

Anyone know whether the Archimedes version will run on Virtual RISC PC with RO 4.02, emulating an Arm 700 (I.e the cheaper DL version which I have)?

[GuitarPhil]

Am I correct in assuming that ALPS was inspired by Peter Killworth's How to write adventure games? There are a number of similarities, for instance that room descriptions are given by messages rather than being independent, and both rooms and objects have flags (unlike GAC/Quill/PAWS where there are a number of global flags). There are obviously differences too — the BBC version doesn't appear to support NE,NW,… although the Archimedes does. The main difference of course is that the system in Peter's book is in BBC Basic.

Of course on other platforms GAC supported graphics, but the BBC version didn't — IIRC it was actually sold as The Adventure Creator.

Anyone know whether the Archimedes version will run on Virtual RISC PC with RO 4.02, emulating an Arm 700 (I.e the cheaper DL version which I have)?

Yes I was indeed inspired by Peter Kilworth's work, first of all by playing his BBC Adventures, then, of course, I had to buy his book when it came out. It's still in my bookcase just beside me! Having all the messages done separately allowed some to be re-used, resulting in saving memory, which of course was a very precious resource back in the 32k RAM days! You could re-use the same description for several rooms but still have some subtle differences which was achieved by allowing each message to have a number of switches (to other messages that would be appended to the main message) and rooms and objects had a 'state' variable which would select one of these alternate messages or message endings. This also allowed the description of the rooms and objects to change as the stage was changed: a room could fill gradually with water, or your torch could slowly get dimmer until the batteries went flat! One of the room flags indicted if there was light in the room or not.

I have the Archimedes ALPS running on a Virtual RPC-AdjustSA but I think it should run on most Archie emulators.

[iamaran]

Of course on other platforms GAC supported graphics, but the BBC version didn't — IIRC it was actually sold as The Adventure Creator.

BBC GAC does support graphics - examples: https://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=811 and https://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=882.

[dr_d_gee]

Can I just ask how to get the Archimedes version of ALPS running? The download leads to a file with a RO file type of &FCE which is supposed to be a filecore floppy disk image, but I don't know which program (if any) should open the file and, if I try to load the image into an emulator and then click on the disc on the iconbar, I'm told the disc isn't formatted?

[GuitarPhil]

Can I just ask how to get the Archimedes version of ALPS running? The download leads to a file with a RO file type of &FCE which is supposed to be a filecore floppy disk image, but I don't know which program (if any) should open the file and, if I try to load the image into an emulator and then click on the disc on the iconbar, I'm told the disc isn't formatted?

Try Arculator 2.2 as the emulator and the disk image that works with it can be downloaded from here:

https://app.box.com/s/ju0o23wzbdk8q2q6o3o3v1uaracdfdxs

[dr_d_gee]

Try Arculator 2.2 as the emulator and the disk image that works with it can be downloaded from here:

https://app.box.com/s/ju0o23wzbdk8q2q6o3o3v1uaracdfdxs

Yes, that works fine. I've also copied the files via HostFS to VRPC DL (the "cheap" edition, which doesn't need an unlock code) and it works fine there too.

I notice that !ALPS itself appears to be a BASIC program, so should be capable of running on RO 5. The interpreter would need Aemulor, being 26-bit, but with that should run fine on a Pi. What I'd really like is to be able to run it on a Pinebook Pro — but that will have an additional problem in that it doesn't properly support numbered screen modes (nor any alternative resolutions to its standard 1920 x 1080.

[dr_d_gee]

I can confirm that !ALPS does work on RISC OS 5, although — on a Pinebook Pro — the text in the editors is a little small unless "BigMode" (EX0 EY0) is used. However playing the adventure is not satisfactory — the text appears in tiny letters across the top of the screen. BigMode makes no difference, nor does it make a difference which mode is actually selected.