Bradford Mansion

There is a reason why homebrew parsers are generally approached with wariness when it comes to IFcomp. It isn't just that the existing tools already set a pretty high standard for a parser's capabilities: it's also that the existing roster of verbs gives the author an idea of what to work towards. It establishes a certain consistency with regards to what is understood and what is not.

In this case, I found myself stymied at too many points by simple matters of phrasing. I was not, for instance, able to "CUT MEAT" -- the phrase required was "USE KNIFE WITH MEAT". And yet, later on, "USE CROWBAR WITH DOOR" isn't understood, but "FORCE DOOR WITH CROWBAR" is. The "USE" verb is a dangerous thing to implement, simply for its wide applicability. Either use it everywhere as your go-to verb, or nowhere at all if you want more specificity.

That said, the parser is more robust than some of the homebrews I remember from years back, so this game has that much going for it. I'd say the issue here is largely one of the design choices made.

The story, meanwhile, is fairly straightforward. We're a lawyer looking for the last will and testament of one Lord Bradford, and this basically means hunting around the mansion for a way to get into his lordship's safe. I'm assuming there's more to the story that I haven't found, since I finished the game with somewhat less than the final score, but I doubt if it's anything groundbreaking.

Toast and home-made marmalade, and tea with soy milk. It's mostly simple and familiar, but something's been reinvented and the flavour isn't quite the same.