This is really good! I had a lot of fun completing it (120 out of 125 points), both on VICE and TheC64.
The combination of automap + fast keybindings (for a limited set of actions) makes a complex game incredibly smooth, user-friendly, fast and immediate. Bravo. The only gripe I have is that the gameplay system is so effective that I stopped reading the room descriptions: I just moved through the maze using the automap and solving puzzles. I began to live the game as a limited graphic adventure / puzzle game. :-P So a bit of the IF charm was lost there, but it's a wonderful experience to introduce players to the magic of this milestone.
I wonder if playing this could be propaedeutic to face the 3D remake: as far as I know, Roberta Williams kept the remake as difficult as the original game. Completing your Advent 101 could serve as a general compass to face the nightmare! I took some notes and I'll try to apply some of this puzzle knowledge to the full experience. Who knows? Maybe you've just created a training dojo for oldschool adventure gaming!
:-D
Well, thank you so much for all the time you've dedicated to my little game and for your comment!
Yeah, not reading the "room" descriptions anymore and focussing on the "roguelike" map is something I do myself when I play this.
One has to admit, though: the original Colossal Cave hasn't got much of a story either, so I think you could end up doing basically the same there as well.
I'm sorry you missed the last 5 points, there's a little colourful & "soundful" effect if you go full score. I'm curious now about what you could have missed... A puzzle? A treasure?
Yes, it's an extremely simple game, hence the name "Advent 101", it's really the "basic basics" of a text adventure game :D
If you're interested in the 3D remake, go for it! You'll find a few puzzles you've seen here, while you definitely won't see others (certainly no Harry Potter references :D ).
Yeah, Roberta Williams kept as much as she could of the original text adventure, and if you ask me, that's a downer. The game definitely needed some adaptation, it's just so silly in so many places...