RetroInform
---------------------------

Recently, many projects have emerged focusing on retro computers. This is
one of them. Specifically, it aims to assist in developing text adventure
games for Atari 8-bit machines using the Inform 6 programming language.

Inform has a long history, dating back to 1993, but its roots are even older,
tracing back to Infocom and its Z-machine standard.

Several active Inform projects are focused on 8-bit micros. PunyInform is
redefining the standard Inform 6 library while leveraging a modern Inform
compiler. In contrast, the RetroInform project specifically uses the older
Inform 6.15 compiler from the late 1990s. The reason is straightforward:
it aims to ensure maximum compatibility with older Inform game sources. The
late 1990s marked a peak period for Inform 6 productivity. We appreciate
the simplicity of that era compared to the complexity and "bloat" of
modern tools.

This project provides a complete development environment for Unix. You
can write, debug, and play your interactive fiction games directly in the
terminal. It also supports Atari 8-bit machines, allowing you to play your
games on original hardware or through an emulator.

Currently only Z-machine version 3 (ZIP) is supported on standard Atari
8-bit machines with 64KB of RAM. Later versions require extended memory
and do not work well with the default text mode. We prefer the original
text mode over any software-based video emulation.

You can also create Z-machine version 5 (XZIP) games and play them in a Unix
terminal or MS-DOS.

Building
--------

Read Makefile. In most scenarios you just need to issue:

  $ make
  $ make install

Usage
-----

  $ inf game.inf

This will create game.z3 and game.atr.

Manual
------

  $ man inf

Resources
---------

https://www.inform-fiction.org
https://www.ifarchive.org
https://www.ifwiki.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction