
============================
      THE TWO SEASONS
  Encounter With A Vampire
============================

By Andrew Apted, 2026.


Summary
-------

A missing boy.

A vampire in their midst.

A host of other tropes and clichés to enjoy.

Tag along with a pair of self-confessed "music geeks" as they
investigate a mystery at their high school, in this light-hearted
adventure which may not break new ground, but does threaten to
poke it repeatedly with a sharp stick.


Game Information
----------------

An unusual feature of this game is that you are controlling *two*
player characters.  Imagine you are whispering your orders into
their ears, like "GO WEST" or "EXAMINE DESK", and one or both
characters will carry out the task if they can.  Note that the
characters cannot be controlled individually.

The downloaded ZIP file contains the Z-code game file, this document,
the cover image, and a floorplan image.  The floorplan only gives
the rough layout of the school, and is safe to look at (no spoilers).

This game uses colors to highlight the dialog between characters.
The command "COLOR" (or "COLOUR") can be used to configure which
colors to use for each character, possibly none.  It is recommended
to use it straight away and select a scheme you find most comfortable
to read, since there is a lot of spoken text.  Note that the colors
are not required, the game is still playable on interpreters which
do not support color, such as Lectrote.

This game also uses menus in in various places.  These show a list
of options in parentheses, either letters or digits, and wait for
a single keypress.  Pressing a symbol or special key like ESCAPE
will usually cancel a menu.  Confirmations, e.g. when quitting the
game, also use menus, which may take a bit of getting used to.

There is a built-in hint system in this game.  The command "THINK"
will let the characters think about their current location, and
possibly display a hint.  Using it multiple times will display
progressively more detailed hints, where the last one will show
the actual command needed to solve that puzzle.

The "INVENTORY" command (abbreviated as "I") will not only list the
currently collected items, but also remind you what still needs to
be found or done.  Other special commands are "ABOUT" for showing
information about the game (what you are reading now), and "HELP"
will bring up a menu of several options, some of which are the same
as entering a more specific command.


Credits
-------

All writing and coding for this game by Andrew Apted.

No generative AI has been used to develop this game.

Many thanks to my testers: improvmonster, Mike Russo, Allyson Gray,
and Andrew Schultz.

The cover was created by the author, using three awesome images
from the Openclipart website which are under the CC0 (Creative
Commons Zero) license, very similar to being public domain.

The floorplan and welcome mat images were also created by the author,
using a compass rose sourced from Openclipart, plus toilet signs and
a reed mat photograph sourced from Wikimedia Commons.


Guide to Playing Interactive Fiction
====================================

1. What is Interactive Fiction?
-------------------------------

Interactive fiction, also called an adventure game, is a type of
game where a story is presented to the player using text, and the
player can interact with their environment, either by typing text
commands or by choosing from a set of choices which are described
by text.

When the game requires typing commands, it is called "parser based",
and when it provides a set of choices, it is called "choice based".
These are the two main kinds of interactive fiction.  This guide
focuses on parser based games, and uses uppercase words to show
examples of input commands.

In a typical parser game, the player controls a main character
(the "protagonist"), and explores an environment consisting of
locations (also called "rooms") and objects (or "items").  The
player is often required to solve puzzles to progress the story,
and these puzzles may be as simple as just pushing a button, or
involve complex interactions with objects and/or characters.


2. Looking and Examining Things
-------------------------------

Understanding the game world is a key part of playing an adventure
game.  The command "LOOK" lets you redisplay the description of your
current location, and "EXAMINE" gives you a description of something.
The "INVENTORY" command lists what items you are holding.  These verbs
are so common they can be abbreviated to "L", "X" and "I" respectively.

The "READ" command is good for anything written, like signs and books,
and the "SEARCH" command is needed in some games to find something
hidden, e.g. under a pile of leaves.  Occasionally the other senses
come into play: you may be able to listen to something, taste it,
feel it, or smell it, and doing this gives you a valuable piece of
information.

Examples:
>  LOOK
>  INVENTORY
>  EXAMINE BOOK
>  READ BOOK
>  SEARCH PILE OF JUNK
>  SMELL FLOWER
>  TASTE SOUP
>  LISTEN TO RADIO
>  FEEL CACTUS


3. Moving Around
----------------

Exploring the different locations is a big part of parser based
adventure games.  Most games use compass directions to move around:
"NORTH", "SOUTH", "EAST", "WEST", plus "UP" and "DOWN".  Since these
are used frequently, they can be abbreviated to "N", "S", "E", "W",
"U" and "D".  Other ways of moving around include climbing things,
entering or exiting something, swimming, and occasionally you will
use a vehicle like a car or a boat.

Examples:
>  UP
>  NORTH
>  GO SOUTH
>  ENTER CAR
>  CLIMB LADDER
>  SIT ON CHAIR
>  STAND UP


4. Using Objects
----------------

There is usually numerous objects scattered around the game world.
Many of these you can "TAKE" to carry around with you, or "DROP"
when no longer needed.  The solution of a puzzle often depends on
finding a particular item and using it the correct way.  Old games
would allow you to "USE" the item, but more modern games usually
need you to be more explicit, for example: "PUT COIN IN SLOT" or
"SHOOT GUN AT ALIEN".  Clothing items can be worn and removed.

Also scenery can often be interacted with, such as pushing a button,
reading a computer screen, or opening a chest.  Doors and containers
are often locked, and require you to find the key before you can
"UNLOCK" and "OPEN" them.

Examples:
>  TAKE BOOK
>  DROP BOOK
>  EAT APPLE
>  DRINK WATER
>  UNLOCK DOOR
>  OPEN DOOR
>  PUSH BOULDER
>  PULL LEVER
>  WEAR HAT
>  REMOVE HAT
>  BREAK STICK


5. Interacting with Characters
------------------------------

Most games contain other characters you can interact with.  These
are often people, but could be almost anything which seems alive.
It is a good to try talking to them, especially asking them about
something, and often the solution to a puzzle is to find some item
which that character wants or needs.  Occasionally the only course
of action requires getting violent with a character.

Examples:
>  GREET TEACHER
>  TALK TO JAMES
>  TELL JAMES ABOUT MONSTER
>  ASK JAMES ABOUT JUDY
>  ASK JUDY FOR BOOK
>  GIVE BOOK TO JUDY
>  SHOW BANANA TO MONKEY
>  ATTACK PIRATE
>  KILL MONSTER


6. Saving, Restoring, and Quitting
----------------------------------

Some commands are called "meta commands" since they allow you to
manage your current playing session, rather than affect anything in
the game world.  For example: "QUIT" will let you leave the game,
"SAVE" lets you save your place into a file which you can come back
to later by using the "RESTORE" command, and "UNDO" (which is not
always available) lets you take back the last thing you did.

Examples:
>  SAVE
>  RESTORE
>  RESTART
>  QUIT
>  UNDO
>  SCRIPT ON / OFF
>  SCORE


7. Tips for Solving Puzzles
---------------------------

It is completely normal to find yourself stuck in an adventure game,
not knowing how to get past a particular puzzle or obstacle.  When
this happens, don't worry!  My first tip is to simply have a good
think about the situation in the game, even sleep on it, and maybe
in the morning the answer will come to you.

Sometimes you know roughly how to solve the puzzle, but not the right
words to use.  Try rephrasing your command.  For example, maybe the
verb "INSERT" will work but the verb "PUT" doesn't, or "RIDE HORSE"
will work but "CLIMB ONTO HORSE" doesn't, etc...

Thirdly, make sure you have been everywhere, seen everything which
is possible at that point in the game.  It is surprisingly easy to
accidentally miss an exit from a room, and some people find it very
helpful to draw a map of all the rooms in the game.  Plus make sure
you have examined all the objects, even a boring piece of scenery
may hold a vital clue.

Next, a game may provide built-in hints via a "HINT" or "HELP"
command, or the game may come with a document containing hints or
a walkthrough.  This should be considered as a last resort, since
solving a difficult puzzle can be really satisfying!

Finally, there are several community forums on the internet where
people can discuss interactive fiction, and requests for hints are
often answered.  One such forum is: https://intfiction.org

Good luck and happy adventuring!
