FROTZ(6)
FROTZ(6)



NNAAMMEE
       dfrotz - interpreter for Infocom and other Z-Machine
       games (dumb inter‐ face)


SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       ddffrroottzz [_o_p_t_i_o_n_s] _f_i_l_e


DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       FFrroottzz is a Z-Machine interpreter.
       The Z-machine is a  virtual  machine designed  by
       Infocom  to  run  all  of their text adventures.
       It went through multiple revisions during the lifetime
       of the company, and  two further  revisions  (V7 and
       V8) were created by Graham Nelson after the company's
       demise.  The specification is now quite well documented;
       this version of Frotz supports version 1.0.

       This  version  of  Frotz  fully  supports  all these
       versions of the Z- Machine except for version 6.
       Version 6 is semi-supported by  display‐ ing  the
       outlines of V6 graphics with the picture number in
       the bottom- right corner.


       This manpage is for Frotz with the dumb interface.
       No sound-effect  or colors are supported.



OOPPTTIIOONNSS
       --aa     Watch  attribute setting.  Setting and
       clearing of attributes on
              objects will be noted in debugging messages.


       --AA     Watch attribute testing.  Every  time  the
       z-machine  tests  an
              attribute value, the test and the result will
              be reported.


       --hh NN   Manually  sets  the screen height.
       Though most curses libraries
              are intelligent enough to determine the current
              width  from  the terminal,  it  may  sometimes
              be necessary to use this option to override
              the default.


       --ii     Ignore fatal errors.  If a Z-Machine
       interpreter  encounters  a
              zcode  error  such  as division-by-zero
              or addressing an illegal object, the proper
              response is to abort execution.  This is done
              because  the  zcode program doesn't have a
              clear idea of what is going on.  There are
              some  games  out  there  that  cause  fatal
              errors because the authors were careless and
              used an interpreter that didn't properly check
              for errors.  This option is  intended to  get
              around such bugs, but be warned that Strange
              Things may happen if fatal errors are not caught.


       --oo     Watch object movement.  This option enables
       debugging  messages
              from the interpreter which describe the moving
              of objects in the object tree.


       --OO     Watch object location.   These  debugging
       messages  detail  the
              locations of objects in the object tree.


       --pp     Plain  ASCII  output only.  This inhibits
       the output of accented
              letters and other characters from  the  Latin-1
              character  set, replacing them with reasonable
              alternatives.  This may be neces‐ sary on
              devices lacking these characters.


       --PP     Alter the piracy opcode.  The piracy opcode
       was  never  used  by
              Infocom.   This  switch is really only useful
              for those who like to toy around with Z-code.


       --QQ     No Quetzal.  By default, Frotz uses the
       new Quetzal save  format
              when  you  save  your game.  If for some reason
              you want to save and restore using the old
              Frotz format, use this flag.


       --RR \\xxxxxx
              Set runtime options.  This option may be used
              repeatedly.


       --ss NN   Set the random number seed value.
       The given seed value is  used
              as  the initial seed value on every
              restart. This is helpful for testing games like
              CCuurrsseess which make random decisions
              before the first input (such that the hot key
              Alt-S does not really help).


       --SS NN   Set the transcript width.  By default
       your transscript files are
              formatted to a width of 80 columns per line,
              regardless  of  the current  screen  width.
              This  switch allows you to change this
              setting. In particular, use -S 0 to  deactivate
              automatic  line splitting in transscript files.


       --tt     Sets the z-machine's _T_a_n_d_y
       _b_i_t_, which may affect the behavior of
              certain Infocom games.  For example, Zork I
              pretends not to have sequels, and Witness has
              its language toned down.


       --uu NN   Sets  the  number  of  slots available
       for Frotz's multiple undo
              hotkey (see below).  This defaults to twenty,
              which  should  be sufficient  for  most
              purposes.  Setting too high a number here may
              be dangerous on machines with limited memory.


       --ww NN   Manually sets the screen width.
       This should  not  be  necessary
              except in special circumstances.


       --xx     Expand  the  abbreviations  "g", "x", and
       "z" to "again", "exam‐
              ine", and "wait".  This switch is for use iwth
              old Infocom games that  lack  these  common
              abbreviations which were introduced in later
              games.  Use it with caution: A few games  might
              use  "g", "x" or "z" for different purposes.


       --ZZ NN   Error checking mode.
              0 = don't report errors.  1 = report first
              instance of an error.  2 = report all errors.
              3 = exit after any error.  Default is 1 (report
              first instance of an error).



CCOONNFFIIGGUURRAATTIIOONN
       Unline  it's  curses-using  sibling,  ddffrroottzz
       does not use configuration files.  All configuration is
       done on the command line or  while  ddffrroottzz
       is running.

   GGeenneerraall CCoommmmaannddss
       \\hheellpp  Show help message.

       \\sseett   Show the current values of runtime
       settings.

       \\ss     Show the current contents of the whole
       screen.

       \\dd     Discard the part of the input before
       the cursor.

       \\wwNN    Advance  clock  N/10  seconds,  possibly
       causing the current and
              subsequent inputs to timeout.

       \\ww     Advance clock by the  amount  of  real
       time  since  this  input
              started (times the current speed factor).

       \\tt     Advance clock just enough to timeout the
       current input


   RReevveerrssee--VViiddeeoo
   DDiissppllaayy MMeetthhoodd
   SSeettttiinnggss
       \\rrnn    none

       \\rrcc    CAPS

       \\rrdd    doublestrike

       \\rruu    underline


   OOuuttppuutt CCoommpprreessssiioonn
   SSeettttiinnggss
       \\ccnn    none: show whole screen before every input.

       \\ccmm    max: show only lines that have new
       nonblank characters.

       \\ccss    spans:  like  max,  but  emit  a blank
       line between each span of
              screen lines shown.

       \\cchhNN   Hide top N lines (orthogonal to above
       modes).


   MMiisscc SSeettttiinnggss
       \\ssffXX   Set speed factor to X.  (0 = never
       timeout automatically).

       \\mmpp    Toggle use of MORE prompts

       \\llnn    Toggle display of line numbers.

       \\lltt    Toggle display of the line type
       identification chars.

       \\vvbb    Toggle visual bell.

       \\ppbb    Toggle display of picture outline boxes.

       (Toggle commands can be followed by a 1 or 0 to set
       value ON or OFF.)


   CChhaarraacctteerr EEssccaappeess
       \\\\     backslash

       \\##     backspace

       \\[[     escape

       \\__     return

       \\<<     cursor-left

       \\>>     cursor-right

       \\^^     cursor-up

       \\..     cursor-down

       \\11....\\00 f1..f10

       \\DD....\\XX Standard Frotz hotkeys.

       use \H (help) to see the list of hotkeys.


   LLiinnee TTyyppee
   IIddeennttiiffiiccaattiioonn
   CChhaarraacctteerrss IInnppuutt
   lliinneess ((uunnttiimmeedd))
       >>      A regular line-oriented input

       ))      A single-character input

       }}      A line input with some input before the cursor.
       Use \d to  dis‐
              card it.

   IInnppuutt lliinneess ((ttiimmeedd))
       TT      A regular line-oriented input

       tt      A single-character input

       DD      A  line input with some input before the
       cursor.  Use \d to dis‐
              card it.

   OOuuttppuutt lliinneess
       ]]      Output line that contains the cursor.

       ..      A blank line emitted as part of span
       compression.

              (blank) Any other output line.




EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT
       Unline it's curses-using sibling, ddffrroottzz
       does not search any  path  for game files.



       Latest information on Unix Frotz is here:
       http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~dgriffi/proj/frotz/


       The latest release of Unix Frotz is here:
       ftp://ftp.ifarchive.org/if-archive/infocom/interpreters/frotz/


       See this website for a list of mirrors:
       http://www.ifarchive.org


       See  this  website  for  more information on Infocom
       past, present, and future; and where to get new
       Z-Machine games and the old ones by  Info‐ com:
       http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/


       Frotz for other platforms (very old and out of date):
       http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3222/frotz.html



CCAAVVEEAATTSS
       The  Z Machine itself has trouble with the concept
       of resizing a termi‐ nal.  It assumes that once
       the screen height and width  are  set,  they will
       never change; even across saves.  This made sense
       when 24x80 ter‐ minals were the norm and graphical
       user interfaces were mostly unknown.  I'm  fairly
       sure there's a way around this problem, but for now,
       don't resize an xterm in which frotz is running.  Also,
       you  should  try  to make  sure  the terminal on which
       you restore a saved game has the same dimensions as
       the one on which you saved the game.


       This manpage is not intended to tell users HOW
       to play interactive fic‐ tion.   Refer  to
       the file HOW_TO_PLAY included in the Unix Frotz
       docu‐ mentation or visit one of the following
       sites: http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/faq.html
       http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~dgriffi/proj/frotz/HOW_TO_PLAY
       http://www.ifarchive.org


BBUUGGSS
       This program has no bugs.  no bugs.  no bugs.
       no *WHAP* thank you.  Well,      if      you
       insist,      you      can      look      at
       http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~dgriffi/proj/frotz/BUGS  or
       see the BUGS file in the Unix Frotz tarball


AAUUTTHHOORRSS
       FFrroottzz was written by Stefan Jokisch in
       1995-7.  The Unix port was done by Galen Hazelwood.
       Currently the Unix port is maintained by David Griffith.



SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       ffrroottzz(6) nniittffooll(6)
       rreezzrroovv(6) jjzziipp(6) xxzziipp(6)
       iinnffoorrmm(1)





                                     2.43
                                     FROTZ(6)
