Balances

Balances
Game

Main links	Play onlineDownloadSource code IFDB IF Archive
Published	25 September 1994
Credits
Author	Graham Nelson
Reception
IFDB rating	3.5 out of 5 (38 ratings)
Gameplay
Interaction style	Parser
Literary genres	Adventure Fantasy
Location	Wilderness
Language	English
IFDB play time	1 hour 25 minutes
Accessibility	Colour: none. Graphics: only in Glulx version. Sound: none.
Technical details
Authoring systems	Inform 5, Inform 6
Formats	Z-code 5, Glulx
License	Freeware
IFID	ZCODE-3-951220-C702, ZCODE-4-960508-14D4, ZCODE-5-961216-A7BC, GLULX-5-961216-D9CE7EE9
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How it begins

You are an Enchanter, that is, a magic user, carrying your spell book, a silver coin, and a magic burin. You don't quite remember how you arrived outside this ramshackle hut, but you think it has something to do with your colleague Helistar, another Enchanter who was investigating some dark magic and hasn't been seen lately. You're rather vague on the details. Perhaps you should explore and see what you can discover.

Notable features

Set in Zork, this game reincorporates the basic magic system from Infocom's Enchanter trilogy including some of the more common spells and the featureless white cubes first seen in Spellbreaker.
This game works as a small practical example of the Inform language's versatility. For example:
- Similar sets of items, such as the coins, scrolls, spells, and cubes are implemented using classes. Similar items are also reported together in a group when part of the PC's inventory or located in the same location.
- Identical objects are possible and can be refered to with numeric qualifiers, such as "three gold coins".
- It is possible for the PC to write a small arbitrary word on a cube, making it distinctive. The player can then refer to that cube by the word written on that cube.
- The lottery tickets are an example of how to create a large number of nearly-identical objects without actually coding each one separately.
- The barker provides a simple example of ask-tell conversation.
- The cave provides an example of a darkness puzzle.
The game understands commands of the form WHO IS topic or WHAT IS topic for a handful of possible topics.

Screenshot of the beginning of the game using Windows Glulxe

Versions

Release 1 (Original release)

Date: 25 September 1994

Balances (Graham Nelson; 25-Sep-1994; Z-code 5).

Note: Releases 1 to 3 were written in Inform 5. Release 4 was the first version in Inform 6.

Release 2 (Updated release)

Date: 6 October 1994

Balances (Graham Nelson; 06-Oct-1994; Z-code 5).

Release 3 (Modernised release)

Date: 11 December 1995

Balances (Graham Nelson; 11-Dec-1995; Z-code 5).

Release 3 with Adaptive Hints

Date: 17 April 1996

Balances (author: Graham Nelson, hints by: Mike Phillips; 17-Apr-1996; Z-code 5).
- Release 3 / Serial number 951220 / Inform v1502 Library 5/12
- IFID: ZCODE-3-951220-C702
  IFID links: IFDB
- Download ah_balances.z5 from the IF Archive. The story file.

This version uses the Adaptive Hints library by Mike Phillips as an example of its use. It requires Inform 5.5, library 5/12 or later to compile.

Additional files specific to this version:

Download ah_bal.h from the IF Archive - The actual hints.
Download ah_balances.dif from the IF Archive - A difference file showing the changes made to Balances.inf
Download ah_balances.inf from the IF Archive - The source code for this version (not counting the actual hints).
Download bal_parser_fix.pat from the IF Archive - "a fix for the parser in Balances, applied to both ah_balances.inf and ah_balances.z5"

Release 4 (Inform 6 port)

Date: 8 May 1996

Balances (Graham Nelson; 08-May-1996; Z-code 5).
- (These details pertain to the version supplied on the cover CD of Acorn User issue 170, July 1996.)
- Release 4 / Serial number 960508 / Inform v6.03 Library 6/1
- IFID: ZCODE-4-960508-14D4
  IFID links: IFDB.
- Download Balances-r4.z5 from the IF Archive.

Release 5 (Minor bug fixes version)

Date: 16 December 1996

Balances (Graham Nelson; 16-Dec-1996; Z-code 5).
- IFID: ZCODE-5-961216-A7BC
  IFID links: IFDB, IFDB cover
- Download Balances.z5 from the IF Archive. The story file.
- The "Source code" link on this page relates to this version.

Release 5 (Glulx port)

Date: 2001

Balances (author: Graham Nelson, Glulx additions: L. Ross Raszewski; 2001; Glulx).
- IFID: GLULX-5-961216-D9CE7EE9
  IFID links: IFDB, IFDB cover
- Download balances.blb from the IF Archive. The story file.

This version has "GUI enhancements". Inventory items are displayed on the left (initially, these are the spell book, silver coin, and magic burin). Along the bottom are the spells that you currently have memorised (the writing hand icon is the GNUSTO spell). Clicking any of these icons will insert the name of that item into the current command.

Related games

Translated in Balances (Spanish translation) (Graham Nelson; translators: Sirrus and Zak; c. 2000; Spanish).

Links

N.B. Many IF Archive games are temporarily unavailable in the UK.

Note: To refer to this game from another page, you can type {{game citation|Balances}}. This will display as Balances (Graham Nelson; 1994; Inform 5, Inform 6; Z-code, Glulx).