QUARTERSTAFF

 QUARTERSTAFF has a varied history. The first version was very buggy and
deserved the negative review you may have read here in THE ELECTRONIC GAMER
(tm). This review is based on the newer Infocom release for the Macintosh (1MB
of memory is required to play).

 QUARTERSTAFF is advertised as a role-playing game, but it plays much like a
text adventure with enhancements. There are some shortcuts (macros) that make
entering the many necessary commands easier, but basically, you play the game by
typing commands for the characters to follow, and reading the results. The
enhancements include: auto-mapping; some graphic illustrations of characters,
rooms, and weapons; multi-player abilities; online help and hints; sound
effects; and a few role-playing features.

 The characters' attributes increase as their experience levels go up. There's a
simple combat system, but I was generally disappointed in the role-playing
features. First of all, you can't create any of your own characters -- they've
been created and named for you. But more importantly, the role-playing features
seemed as if they'd been added as afterthoughts, rather than incorporated as
integral aspects of the game. For example, resting a character in order to
restore hit points may require knocking the character unconscious!

 If you are looking for a game which is mostly text adventure with well-written
puzzles to solve, QUARTERSTAFF won't disappoint you: The game works best on this
level. It demands a lot of time and involves a lot of typing, but the story is
interesting and non-linear.

 There is not just one way to play QUARTERSTAFF, however. The underground maze
you enter is large and complex, and you have many options regarding exploration.
Different choices bring about different results, of course -- not any one of
them necessarily wrong. And the game can be solved despite the death of
characters.

 If the puzzles are too difficult for you, you can access the online help files.
Not all of the puzzles have hints; there are plenty of places where you may be
stuck and not know where to go or what to do, but such are the hazards of
gaming! (You can always post a message in The Gamers' Forum for help.)

 The reactions to this game have been very mixed. The interface does take quite
a while to get used to. There are fans of the game who say they don't like text
adventures, but they love QUARTERSTAFF because of its enhancements. There are
those who think the game is long-winded but worth playing, if you can take it.
And there are others who never quite become accustomed to the interface and give
up on the game -- mostly role-playing gamers.

 The game isn't easy, but it is unique. It's not quite a role-playing game and
not quite a text adventure: It's QUARTERSTAFF! If you have the patience to brave
learning the interface, you may find it well worth your while.

 QUARTERSTAFF is published by Infocom and distributed by Mediagenic.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253