Graphic Adventure Creator
Graphic Adventure Creator ( GAC ) was a program for developing and creating text adventures with graphics from 1985.
Range of functions
Compared to the programs The Quill and Adventure Master , which had previously appeared, the GAC had an improved parser that could process more complex inputs. The built-in graphics editor, which was controlled via the cursor keys and keyboard commands, also contributed to the popularity of the system. Only the Professional Adventure Writer was able to offer extensive programming options and then replaced the Graphic Adventure Creator in popularity.
For the creation of the function library of a game, the GAC provided a programming language reminiscent of BASIC, but de facto oriented towards Forth , whose programs were translated into assembler by a compiler . Games created with the GAC could run without the development program (" standalone "). For the three home computers for which the GAC was distributed, numerous commercially distributed adventures were published, including by the companies Codemasters , Firebird and Incentive Software .
Development history
The program was developed by British programmer Sean Ellis and published by Incentive Software. Ellis wrote the program on a Schneider CPC from 1984 , initially under the name ADVAL . He was 18 years old at the time and a student at the University of Calgary . During a lecture given by Incentive Software Founder Ian Andrew, Ellis came into contact with the company and signed a contract to publish his program. The total development time was just over a year. The programming language used was assembler .
The GAC was sold for the home computers Commodore 64 , Schneider CPC and ZX Spectrum . The images in the sample adventure Ransomware included were created by Pete James and the packaging was designed by Pete Carter. The GAC used the unpopular Lenslok system as copy protection.
In 1988 Sean Ellis developed a program comparable to the GAC, the ST Adventure Creator ( STAC ), for the Atari ST home computer .
List of GAC games
The following games that were created with the GAC were sold commercially:
| Surname | Publisher | year |
|---|---|---|
| The Boyd File | Zenobi software | 1990 |
| Cricket Crazy | Alternative software | 1988 |
| Druids Moon | Alternative software | 1987 |
| Football Frenzy | Alternative software | 1987 |
| For gold or glory | Alternative software | 1988 |
| imagination | Firebird | 1987 |
| Life-Term | Alternative software | 1987 |
| Adventure C: Ship of Doom | Incentive software | 1986 |
| Necris Dome | Codemasters | 1986 |
| Play it again, Sam | Mastertronic | 1986 |
| SMASHED | Alternative software | 1987 |
| Spy Trek Adventure | Americana / US Gold | 1986 |
| Star Wreck | Alternative software | 1987 |
| The Kingdom of Speldome | Tynesoft | 1985 |
| Winter wonderland | Incentive software | 1986 |
Web links
- Graphic Adventure Creator on the CPC Wiki
- Graphic Adventure Creator at World of Spectrum
Individual evidence
- ↑ List of games in the CPC Wiki. Retrieved January 31, 2015 .
- ^ University of Calgary : Interview with Sean Ellis re: Graphic Adventure Creator. Retrieved April 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Sean Masterson: A New Way of Creating Adventures . In: Crash . No. 32, September 1986.
- ↑ START , VOL. 4 NO. 2 / SEPTEMBER 1989