The Quill (software)

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Not to be confused with Quill (software).

Developer(s)Gilsoft
Publisher(s)Gilsoft
Designer(s)Graeme Yeandle
Platform(s)ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Atari 8-bit family, Apple II, Oric
Release1983
Genre(s)Construction kit, game creation, utility
The main menu of The Quill (ZX Spectrum version).

The Quill is a program to write home computer adventure games.[1] Written by Graeme Yeandle, it was published on the ZX Spectrum by Gilsoft in December 1983.[2] Although available to the general public, it was used by several games companies to create best-selling titles; over 450 commercially published titles for the ZX Spectrum were written using The Quill.[3]

Development[edit]

Yeandle has stated that the inspiration for The Quill was an article in the August 1980 issue of Practical Computing by Ken Reed in which Reed described the use of a database to produce an adventure game.[4] After Yeandle wrote one database-driven adventure game, Timeline, for Gilsoft, he realised that a database editor was needed, and it was this software which became The Quill.[5]

After the original ZX Spectrum version was ported to the Amstrad CPC,[5][6] Commodore 64,[5][7][8] Atari 8-bit family,[7][9] and Apple II[7] and Oric computers.[10] Versions were also published by CodeWriter, Inc. in North America (under the name of AdventureWriter) and a version by Norace in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.[5] A French version was also made by Codewriter.[11] In 1985 Neil Fleming-Smith ported The Quill to the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers for Gilsoft. Although not credited in the article, Chris Hobson submitted a patch to Crash magazine which allowed the Spectrum version to save to a Microdrive. This was published in the September 1986 edition

The Quill only allowed for the creation of text-only adventures, using a text interpretation process known as a verb–noun parser. Later an add-on called The Illustrator was made to let the user include graphics in the adventures.[12] Further add-ons included The Press,[13] The Patch,[14] and The Expander, which enhanced the engine by adding text compression, split-screen text and graphics, and more efficient use of available RAM.

Critical reception[edit]

The Quill was generally very well received by the computer press at the time of its release. Micro Adventurer described it as "a product [...] to revolutionise the whole microcomputer scene" and rated it "10 out of 10",[15][16] while Computer and Video Games described it as "worth every penny of the £14.95 price tag",[17] while CRASH said it was "almost ludicrously underpriced for what it does and, more importantly, what it allows others to do".[18] Sinclair User praised the documentation and the complexity that was comparable to existing adventure game parsers, and in a later 1984 review said that "The Quill produces programs on a par with handwritten commercial programs".[19][20]

The Quill was awarded "Best Utility" in the CRASH Readers Awards 1984.[21]

Sequel[edit]

Following the success of the original, a second generation Quill was produced with more capabilities and sold under the name Professional Adventure Writer for the ZX Spectrum and CP/M range.[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sinclair User 37
  2. ^ "Handy quill opens-up adventure games". Sinclair User (21): 48. December 1983. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  3. ^ "The Quill Adventure System". SpectrumComputing.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Graeme Yeandle interview". SolutionArchive. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d Yeandle, Graeme. "History of The Quill and PAW". Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  6. ^ "The Quill by Gilsoft for the Amstrad CPC". CPCZone. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
  7. ^ a b c "Adventure Writer — US Quill". Micro Adventurer (15): 13. January 1985.
  8. ^ "Quill, The - Adventure Writing System". Gamebase 64. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  9. ^ "AdventureWriter". Atarimania. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
  10. ^ "OricOrg". Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  11. ^ "AdventureWriter". Atarimania. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
  12. ^ "The Illustrator". Your Spectrum (14): 33. May 1985. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  13. ^ Spectrum Computing: The Press
  14. ^ Spectrum Computing: The Patch
  15. ^ Bridge, Tony (November 1983). "Revolution on The Quill". Micro Adventurer (1): 19.
  16. ^ Bridge, Tony (January 1984). "Imagination's the only limit". Micro Adventurer (3): 9–10.
  17. ^ Schifreen, Robert (December 1983). "Games without tears". Computer and Video Games (26): 90–91.
  18. ^ Mangram, Lloyd (May 1984). "The Quill". CRASH (4): 49–50. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  19. ^ Gilbert, John (February 1984). "Sprites put life into the games of your choice" (PDF). Sinclair User (23): 44. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  20. ^ Heath, Quentin (July 1984). "Imagination Unlimited". Sinclair User (28): 127. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  21. ^ "CRASH Readers Awards 1984". CRASH (12): 104. January 1985. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  22. ^ Gunness, Jacob. "A Feather In His Cap - Graeme Yeandle and The Quill". Retrieved 14 April 2014.

External links[edit]

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