The Multichoice Creation System (MuCeS) allows you to create any type of multiple choice text adventure, like those created by the Fighting Fantasy books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. (www.advancedfightingfantasy.com). The beauty of MuCeS is that it's all text driven, plain, simple text files tell MuCeS how to configure itself, which font should be used, the background, graphics, music, sound effects, buttons, these can easily be reconfigured by editing simple text files.

MuCeS consists of a suite of Windows compliant programs consisting of an Editor (with which you create your adventures) and a Runner (in which to play them) and are designed to be simple and easy to use. There is no programming involved and almost everything can be done using simple point-and-click. It comes with a full instruction manual and an example adventure to get your teeth into!

Multichoice Adventure?

Mulitchoice adventures were made popular in the 1980's by the Fighting Fantasy Gamesbooks, in which you chose one option out of a number of given options depending on what you though was best for a given situation, here's an example:

The sun sets. As twilight turns to darkness you start your climb up the hill towards that forbidding shape silhouetted against the night sky. The Citadel is less than an hour's climb.

Some distance from its walls you stop to rest - a mistake, as it seems a fearful specter from which there is no escape. The hairs on your neck prickle as you look towards it.

But you are ashamed of your fears. With grim resolve you march onwards towards the main gate, where you know guards will be waiting. You consider your options. You have already thought about claiming to be a herbalist, come to treat a guard with a fever. You could pose as a trader or an artisan - perhaps a carpenter. You could even be a nomad seeking shelter for the night.

As you ponder the possibilities, and the yarns you will have to spin to the guards, you reach the main trail leading up to the gates. Two lanterns burn on ether side of the portcullis.

You hear muffled gruntings as you approach, and two mis-shapen creatures step forward. On the left stands an ugly creature with the head of a dog and the body of a great ape, flexing its powerful arms. Its opposite number is indeed opposite, with the head of an ape and the body of a large dog. This latter guard approaches you on all fours. It stops some metres in front of you, raises itself on its hind legs and addresses you.

Which story will you opt for?

Will you pose as a herbalist? Turn to 261
Will you claim to be a tradesman? Turn to 230
Will you ask for shelter for the night? Turn to 20


"Taken from 'Citadel of Chaos'"

It's up to you to decide how you will react and which choice you will make. You'll realise by now that you cannot 'wander' around an adventure area and you cannot do things as you wish, you can only select one of a pregiven choice.

ALPHA 0.03

Here are the changes to this version:

• You can now use the keyboard to select options, numbers 1 - 4 correspond to the relevant options.
• You can now specify the y position of the options text relative to the options buttons.
• You can view the readme file by pressing F1 in the game.

You can view the previous versions here