Moonmist Transcript

This transcript is not from Moonmist, but it does show many of the usual things you can do in the story. It shows a simply mystery and its solution, and it will give you a good idea of how Infocom's interactive fiction works. The player's commands appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The comments inside brackets [ ] explain what is happening and are not real parts of the transcript. The map shows the layout of rooms in the sample transcript, as you might have drawn it. NOTE: In this sample transcript, you play a female character. In Moonmist you can be either a male or a female character.

[Picture of a map with 4 rooms. It can be drawn from the transcript so I won't include it.]

(outside museum)

You are at the front door of the Hollywood Classic Movie Museum.  A 
gold-colored star decorates the big glass front door.

>GO IN
The door is locked.

>EXAMINE THE STAR
The star sticks out a little from the surface of the door.

>PUSH THE STAR
The door swings open.

>GO IN
(lobby)
This is the air-conditioned lobby of the museum, decorated with old movie 
posters and autographed photos of movie stars.  Through the glass doors 
leading outside you can see the sidewalk glaring in the heat of the 
California sun.  North of you, under a large poster of "Gone with the Wind," 
is the entrance to the exhibits.  Across the linoleum floor, under a sign 
that says "Tours Meet Here," you can see a small group of people.
     A tour guide beckons for you to join the group.  "Welcome to the 
museum," she says, shaking your hand.  "I'm glad you could join us.  Tell me, 
what was your favorite movie creature?"

>KING KONG
"Did you say King Kong?"

>YES
"That's wonderful," she enthuses.  "It just happens that our special exhibit 
this week features King Kong."
     The tour guide points to her name tag, saying "My name's Spencer.  
What's your name?"

>MS. DANIELLE CROMPTON
"Did you say, Ms. Danielle Crompton?"

>YES
"Feel free to ask me questions about any of the exhibits you see.  Let's 
begin the tour."  Spencer leads you and three other people north into the 
first exhibition hall.

(Errol Flynn room)

Errol Flynn made quite a few movies in his heyday in Hollywood, and from the 
amount of props, costumes and photographs crammed into this room, there's 
something here from every single one of those movies.  There are doors on the 
east and south walls.

>LOOK AT GROUP
Besides yourself and the tour guide, there are threepeople in the group:  a 
good-looking man you judge to be about your age, an older woman and an older 
man.

>LOOK AT WOMAN
(Which woman do you mean, the tour guide or the older woman?)

>OLDER
The older woman is wearing a white silk dress with large purple flowers on 
it.  She has a hat to match.  And the woman is carrying an oversized purple 
tote bag.

     "This is an older section of the museum," Spencer says.  "It was built 
as a memorial to Errol Flynn.  The case on the north wall contains several of 
the swords he used in his swashbucklling roles.  Against the west wall there 
are several pairs of his trademark boots.  Let's move on."
     Spencer walks through the door on the east side of the room.

>GO EAST
You walk into the next room.  The other people follow you.

(horror movie room)

Among the different props in the room, your eyes are drawn to the large 
pendulum swinging overhead.  There is an open iron maiden near the entrance 
to the west, assorted coffins, and several glass jars on a shelf against the 
west wall.  Doors lead west and north.
     Spencer is waiting for you.

>INVENTORY
You are holding a linen suit (actually, wearing it).  In the pocket of the 
suit you see keys, money, and a magnet.

     "This room is a collection of props from the old horror movies," Spencer 
says, when the whole group has gathered.  "There is a card in front of each 
piece explaining what movie it is from, when the picture was released, and 
what part the prop played in the film."

>LOOK IN THE GLASS JARS
You notice that each jar contains a pair of false vampire teeth.

>TAKE THE VAMPIRE TEETH
You would have to open the jar to do that.

>OPEN THE JAR
You're not holding the glass jar.

>TAKE THE GLASS JAR
"Please don't touch the exhibits," Spencer says.  "Many of them are very old 
and fragile."

>LOOK AT SPENCER
She is wearing a navy blue jacket and skirt with a cream-colored blouse.  You 
assume that this is the museum uniform.

>ASK SPENCER AOBUT THE PENDULUM
(I don't know the word "aobut".)

>OOPS ABOUT
[You can fix a misspelled word if you type OOPS then the word that was 
misspelled.]
"Oh, we were very lucky to get that piece," she says.  "Many museums wanted 
it, but our curator happens to be a personal friend of Vincent Price, who 
donated it."

     "Our next room," continues Spencer, "is our special exhibit of the week, 
the King Kong exhibit.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Danielle."  Your group 
follows Spencer through the door in the north wall into the next room.

(King Kong room)

This room is filled with gorilla suits, comic books, and cartoons.  You find 
yourself drawn to the center of the room, where there is an amazing model of 
New York City with the Empire State Building rising up from it.

>LOOK AT THE MODEL
The other people in the group must have been waiting to see this too, because 
before you can get close enough to the model, they crowd in front of you.

>YELL
(Whom do you want to yell at?)

>THE GROUP
(You can't use more than one direct object with "yell"!)

>YELL AT THE OLDER WOMAN
The older woman glares at you in a way that reminds you of your second grade 
teacher.

     Someone moves away from the model, leaving room for you.  In your 
excitement, you inadvertently step on the toes of the good-looking man.

>ASK YOUNG MAN ABOUT THE MODEL
Too bad, but he is peeved with you.

>APOLOGIZE TO HIM
"Apology accepted.  By the way, my name's Ed."

>LOOK AT THE MODEL
You marvel at the detail in the towering skyscrapers and miniature cars.  As 
your eyes move over the model, you focus on the Empire State Building.  The 
spire is perfectly crafted, the antenna so thin and fragile...You gasp!  King 
Kong is missing from his customary perch!

>SPENCER, TELL ME ABOUT KING KONG
"He really was one of my favorite movie creatures too, Danielle."

>SPENCER, LOOK AT THE MODEL
Spencer stands next to you, surveying the model.  her face whitens and she 
trembles slightly.  "King Kong is missing!" she gasps.  "I've got to find 
that statuette.  This model is one of our most valuable pieces!"  
Immediately, she presses a button on the wall, which begins to glow red.  You 
hear a voice from a hidden speaker ask, "What's the problem?"  Spencer 
urgently replies, "King Kong is missing from the Empire State Building model.  
Come quickly!"

>SPENCER, DESCRIBE THE MODEL
"It was built in 1979 by a local artist.  He used papier mache for most of 
the buildings and metal for the framework of Kong.  All the details are 
handpainted," she says.

>SEARCH THE MODEL
You peer closely at each tiny building.  Clinging to the antenna of the 
Empire State Building is a small scrap of what appears to be white silk.

>G
[Using the letter "G" this way is a short way to say "again".  The program 
will repeat your previous action.]
A second search of the model reveals a strand of grayish hair between two of 
the miniature skyscrapers.

>TAKE THE SCRAP AND THE STRAND OF HAIR
Strand of hair:  Gently you lift the strand of hair from the model.
Scrap of silk:  Gently you lift the scrap of fabric from the model.

>COMPARE SCRAP TO THE OLDER WOMAN'S DRESS
Holding the scrap of fabric near her dress, it looks like the same material!

>LOOK AT THE WOMAN'S DRESS
Near the cuff on her right hand you notice a small hole.

>ASK WOMAN ABOUT KING KONG
"I'm not as interested as you are in that ragged chimp, dear.  Errol Flynn 
was my one and only movie favorite.  Furthermore," she adds, "you may address 
me as Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore if you wish any further conversation with me."  
Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore casually walks south out of the room.
     The guard arrives, circles the model slowly, looks under the table, then 
begins questioning people separately.

>LOOK AT THE STRAND OF HAIR
It appears to be from someone with gray hair.

>ASK ED ABOUT KING KONG
"Definitely one of my favorites.  I say, has anyone ever told you that you 
look like Fay Wray?"

>NO
"Well, maybe if you had a blond wig."

>I
[You can use the short word "I" instead of INVENTORY.]
You are holding a scrap of silk and a strand of hair, and a linen suit 
(actually, wearing it).  In the pocket of the suit you see keys, money, and a 
magnet.

>LOOK AT THE OLDER MAN
From the possessive way Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore was holding onto his arm, you 
assume the older man to be Mr. Vanderbiltmoore.  He is quite distinguished 
looking in his tan suit with red paisley ascot.

>GO TO ERROL FLYNN ROOM
[You can type "GO TO (a room)" if you know the name of the room you wish to 
go to, and the program will take you there.]

(Errol Flynn room)

Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore is here, gazing at one of the many portraits of Errol 
Flynn.

>SHOW THE SCRAP TO MRS. VANDERBILTMOORE
Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore glances nervously at the fabric.  "It looks llike a 
pretty piece of fabric."
     She leaves the room to the east.

>FOLLOW HER

(horror movie room)

Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore is here, tightly clutching her bag to her.  She leaves 
the room, heading north.

>G

(King Kong room)

The security guard is questioning Ed.
Mr. Vanderbiltmoore is smoothing his ascot.
Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore is tapping her foot anxiously.
Spencer is searching the room.

>THROW THE KEYS TO MRS. VANDER
[If you want to save time while typing, you can always shorten words to six 
letters.]
(You take the keys out of your pocket first.)
The keys sail through the air toward Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore, who catches them 
somewhat anxiously with her right hand.

>PUT THE MAGNET ON MRS. VANDER'S BAG
You can't put the magnet on the bag, but when you pass the magnet near it, 
something inside the bag is attracted to the magnet and clunks against the 
bag.

>COMPARE STRAND TO MRS. VANDER'S HAIR
The strand of hair matches almost exactly to Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore's hair.

>ACCUSE MRS. VANDERBILTMOORE
You call the guard over to you.  Realizing the jig is up, Mrs. 
Vanderbiltmoore rushes south from the room into the horror movie room.

>RUN SOUTH
(horror movie room)
Apparently Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore ran too closely past the iron maiden.  Her 
white silk dress is stuck on one of the spikes protruding from the iron 
maiden.  The large purple tote bag lies open at her feet.
     Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore is tugging frantically at her dress, trying to get 
away from the iron maiden.

>LOOK IN THE BAG
Among the scattered coins, tissues, and make-up, you see the metallic 
statuette of King Kong.
     The guard and Spencer arrive just as Mrs. Vanderbiltmoore begins 
sobbing.  He removes the statuette from the bag and hands it to Spencer.
     Spencer thanks you for solving the mystery of the missing King Kong and 
gives you a lifetime pass to the museum.  Congratulations, Danielle!

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Last revised: Wed Sep 13 11:02:33 EDT 1995 / Peter Scheyen <pete@csd.uwo.ca>