It may sound strange to use a word such as "tradition" in connection with computers, but role-playing text adventures were among the first games to be developed for the old main-frame monsters.

Clive Johnson's Towers of Death and The Ice Kingdom are two fine modern examples of the art. In each case, you take on the role of the hero, who is despatched on a quest for a treasured object. At each move, your location is described, and you must decide on your next course of action. Sometimes, there is a simple choice of direction. Should you enter a castle, investigate a log hut, or move along a path? It you encounter an object, should you take it with you in case it is of value to you later?

The computer will accept simple two-word commands consisting of a verb and a noun, such as LOOK BOOK, GET SWORD or GO DOOR. If one of the words is not in its vocabulary, it will tell you so, and you will have to find another way of expressing yourself. For convenience, you need only use the first three letters of each word. The simple command LOOK will produce a description of your surroundings, and INVE (for Inventory) will produce a list of your current possessions. To move in a particular direction, you need only enter N, W, S or E. If you're really stuck, you might have missed a clue along the way, or left some necessary object behind.

It may take months to reach the end of the quest - but that's all part of the fun.

CLOAD (ENTER)

Each program is double-recorded.