Alter Ego Vignette Script format

Each line in the file is normally displayed as a block of text. The maximum length for a line is 240 characters. For a longer block of text, the line is split in two and put the caret character on the end of the first line:

This text is ^ split over two lines.

There are various symbols that have special meaning when they are the first/only character on a line.

Clear the screen of text: , Show warning about sexy content (with option to wuss out): * Check the age (in years) of the Alter Ego is within a range, and if not show a message that you are too young/old and exit (in this case, the Ego must be no younger than 14 years old and no older than 15): )14,15 End of vignette: / You are dead, game over: . Set a temporary screen title: >TEMPORARY TITLE Clear temporary screen title: >> Modify variables (in this case: increase INtelligence by 5 points, decrease SoCial skills by 3 points, and set MoNey to zero dollars): ;IN+5,SC-3,MN=0 Create a position label here with the given name: :LABEL Jump to a position label: &LABEL Conditional jump (in this case: if INtelligence is less than fifty points, jump to position label "COND.T", otherwise jump to "COND.F"): =COND,IN<50 :COND.T Your intelligence is less than fifty points. / :COND.F Your intelligence is at least fifty points. / You can also include the first part of a piece of text before the condition, like this: Your intelligence is =COND,IN<50 :COND.T less than fifty points. / :COND.F at least fifty points. / Jump to a random position label: ?A3 :A1 You flip a coin and get heads. / :A2 You flip a coin and get tails. / :A3 You flip a coin but the dog swallows it. / There are several kinds of menus. in each case the options that the player can choose from are terminated with an empty line

Choose how to feel (choosing feeling #1 jumps to position label "X1", feeling #2 to "X2", etc.): #X vague sense of dread curious optimism :X1 You stare with intense melancholy into the middle distance. / :X2 Yes! Everything's going to be great. /

Choose how to act (choosing action #1 jumps to position label "Y1", action #2 to "Y2", etc.): !Y make a sandwich eat nothing :Y1 The sandwich is delicious. / :Y2 Your stomach rumbles. /

Choose both how to feel & act (choosing feeling #1 & action #1 jumps to position label "Z11", feeling #1 & action #2 "Z12" etc. If a particular combination does not have a corresponding position label, tell the player this combination is inappropriate and ask again): %Z happy sad frown smile :Z12 You smile happily. / :Z21 You frown sadly. /