So it’s definitely a solid start. In general, I think it’s a good idea to reduce the number of elements in play that don’t have anything to do with the player: having so many objects in the first room that don’t matter is kind of distracting. But this is a style thing, so take it for what it’s worth.
As you’ll see from my attempts to find the key, a generous parser is much appreciated - it was pretty frustrating because I knew where the key was, but not what command to enter to make the game respond. It’s worse when you don’t know what to do - I have no idea if I was on the right track in the second room, because nothing seemed to produce anything but the default response.
Then the game crashed, so I didn’t restart to see if I could avoid the place I got stuck.
Transcript:
[spoiler]> x mansion
The Roone mansion has been abandoned for decades. Richie Roone, the son of Baron Roone, moved away before you were born. When the Baron passed away, goblins moved into the old mansion. About a year ago, Richie returned and offered up a sizeable award for anyone who could exterminate them.
Many tried.* All failed.
Now it’s up to you to do what others couldn’t.
Why?
Because you need the money, dammit!
Because you owe people money. Bad people.
*Okay, like four tried.
- Some of the formatting here is attack little off
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
x me
Man, I’m pretty!
inside
There is no route to the in, only nowhere.
go inside
There is no route to the in, only nowhere.
look
Outside the Mansion
The mansion is made of stone, and was once whitewashed but has since worn back down to more natural grays and browns. A few trees stand to the west, but aside from that, the field is empty. The door is made of some kind of wood, but not being a tree aficionado, you don’t know what kind. On the front porch are a welcome mat and a bench.
x stone
The stones that make up the mansion vary in size. Some are almost perfectly rectangular. Others are square. And some look like they used to jut out in different directions before someone came along and broke them off.
push stones
You push the stones, but nothing happens.
take stones
You can’t take the stones!
pull stone
You pull the stones, but nothing happens.
x trees
Five or six trees are scattered to your west. They appear to all be the same kind of tree, but you couldn’t name that kind if your life depended on it. You slept through the plant identification chapter in rogue school.
climb tree
You can’t climb the trees.
take tree
You can’t take the trees!
up
There is no route to the up, only nowhere.
west
There is no route to the west, only nowhere.
x field
You’re standing in an empty field. I mean, there’s some grass here, but that’s pretty much it.
Oh, and a mansion inhabited by goblins.
take grass
You can’t take the grass!
x grass
It’s grass. Green crap that grows all over the ground. Like the earth has hair.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
look
Outside the Mansion
The mansion is made of stone, and was once whitewashed but has since worn back down to more natural grays and browns. A few trees stand to the west, but aside from that, the field is empty. The door is made of some kind of wood, but not being a tree aficionado, you don’t know what kind. On the front porch are a welcome mat and a bench.
x porch
Three steps lead up to the front porch of the mansion. There’s a faded old welcome mat here, and a small bench.
x steps
You examine the steps carefully. As far as your sharp rogueish eyes can tell, there are no traps here.
x mat
This old faded rug spells out quite clearly, “WE COME.” Presumably, there used to be an L in there.
Hopefully.
look under mat
This old faded rug spells out quite clearly, “WE COME.” Presumably, there used to be an L in there.
Hopefully.
take mat
You can’t take the welcome mat!
take all
There is nothing worth taking here.
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
look
Outside the Mansion
The mansion is made of stone, and was once whitewashed but has since worn back down to more natural grays and browns. A few trees stand to the west, but aside from that, the field is empty. The door is made of some kind of wood, but not being a tree aficionado, you don’t know what kind. On the front porch are a welcome mat and a bench.
sit
You sit down.
x me
Man, I’m pretty!
look
Outside the Mansion
The mansion is made of stone, and was once whitewashed but has since worn back down to more natural grays and browns. A few trees stand to the west, but aside from that, the field is empty. The door is made of some kind of wood, but not being a tree aficionado, you don’t know what kind. On the front porch are a welcome mat and a bench.
x bench
This wooden bench is too small for a human to comfortably use. You’ve seen small chairs and benches like this around before, and small chairs. Children could use them, or goblins, but as an adult human you would only sit in a chair like this if you wanted to get up close and personal with your knees.
- then what am i sitting on?
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
look
Outside the Mansion
The mansion is made of stone, and was once whitewashed but has since worn back down to more natural grays and browns. A few trees stand to the west, but aside from that, the field is empty. The door is made of some kind of wood, but not being a tree aficionado, you don’t know what kind. On the front porch are a welcome mat and a bench.
x door
This is the front door to the Roone mansion. It is locked. Several markings have been scratched into it. They aren’t sophisticated enough to be any kind of magical ward. Probably goblin for “the welcome mat lies” or something.
Heh. And there it lies.
Good pun, Zippo. You pat yourself on the back. The front door is currently locked.
x markings
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
open door
You can’t open the front door as it is locked!
unlock door
What do you want to unlock the front door with?
key
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
down
There is no route to the down, only nowhere.
e
There is no route to the east, only nowhere.
west
There is no route to the west, only nowhere.
n
There is no route to the north, only nowhere.
south
There is no route to the south, only nowhere.
ne
There is no route to the northeast, only nowhere.
nw
There is no route to the northwest, only nowhere.
sw
There is no route to the southwest, only nowhere.
se
There is no route to the southeast, only nowhere.
search
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
search mat
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
x mat
This old faded rug spells out quite clearly, “WE COME.” Presumably, there used to be an L in there.
Hopefully.
move mat
The rug slides aside. There’s a key here!
- GRRR.
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
take key
As you pick up the key, you realize there is a string tied to it. The other end of the string disappears through an almost invisible hole in the middle of the porch. You try to drop the key, but it’s too late.
Swish! A trap door opens beneath you, and you fall teen feet or so into a dark hole. Your one source of light disappears as the trapdoor resets itself above you.
look
It is too dark to make anything out clearly.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
smell
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
listen
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
jump
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
touch
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
touch walls
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
look
It is too dark to make anything out clearly.
down
There is no route to the down, only nowhere.
e
There is no route to the east, only nowhere.
z
Time passes…
z
Time passes…
z
Time passes…
feel
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
up
There is no route to the up, only nowhere.
climb pit
Sorry, I’m not sure which object you are trying to climb.
climb up
Sorry, I’m not sure which object you are trying to climb.
climb
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
take all
There is nothing worth taking here.
x all
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
x dark
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
x pit
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
look
It is too dark to make anything out clearly.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
dig
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
x floor
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
x walls
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
x darkness
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
x dark
Sorry, I’m not sure which object or character you are trying to examine.
hint
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
outside
There is no route to the out, only nowhere.
shout
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
yell
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
scream
Sorry, I didn’t understand that command.
inventory
You are wearing nothing, and are carrying nothing.
restart
- game crashed here[/spoiler]