instead(6)

instead6

Simple text adventure engine, the interpreter

Usage

sdl-instead [options] [game.zip or game.idf or path to game]

Overview

The interpreter of STEAD (Simple Text Adventures) allows one to play games that combine visual novels, text adventures and classic quests of 1990-s. The STEAD games features are:

* very simple source code of the stories. (based on LUA);
* graphical game interface;
* supports music and images;
* theme support - a game may change the interface look;
* portability (originally written for Linux, depends on SDL and lua).

Options

-debug

Debug mode (for game developers).

-nosound

Run the game without sound.

-vsync

Vsync output. (SDL2 only)

-gamespath <path>

Add path with games.

-themespath <path>

Add path with themes.

-nostdgames

Do not use default games.

-nostdthemes

Do not use default themes.

-game <basename>

Select game in gamespath.

-theme <basename>

Select theme in themespath.

-owntheme

Force game to use own theme.

-notheme

Do not use own game theme.

-fullscreen

Run the game in fullscreen mode.

-nocursor

Do not use game mouse cursors (use system one)

-hires / -nohires

Set/unset the high resolution when run in fullscreen mode.

-window

Run the game in windowed mode.

-resizable

Resizable window (SDL2 only)

-scale <scale>

Scale window (SDL2 only)

-noautosave

Disable autosave load.

-encode <lua file> [encoded file]

Encode lua file. Encoded file can be executed with doencfile("encoded file").

-idf <path to resources directory or game>

Build idf file [INSTEAD data file] from directory.

-mode [WxH]

Use WxH resolution.

-modes <WxH>[,<WxH>[,<WxH>]] ...

Define available resolutions.

-software

Force software rendering

-renderer <opengl|direct3d|software|...>

Select default renderer (SDL2 only)

-fontscale <percents>

Font scaling.

-nopause

Do not pause the game on window minimize.

-lang <lang code>

Select language.

-hinting 0|1|2|3

Set the font hinting mode (helpful with infinality).

-install [game in zip]

Install game from zip archive

-quit

Quit :)

-appdata [fullpath]

Store saves and settings in appdata path. Path must exist!

-chunksize [size in bytes]

Size for audio buffer. Try this if sound lags.

-version

Show version and exit.

-lua <script.lua> [arguments]

Exec lua script (for game developers).

-luac <script.lua>

Check lua script (for game developers).

-standalone

Run game in standalone mode (no sandbox, no games selection ...).

-noconfig

Do not load saved config (run with defaults).

-profile <profile>

Using configuration profile. Profile file is the ini-styled file with parameter = value pairs. Where is parameters are arguments without -.

Configuration file name is 'insteadrc' and it's located in ~/.instead/.

Games can be downloaded from http://instead-games.sf.net. Unzip them in ~/.instead/games.

Controls

Please, see tutorial.

Licence

This software is covered by the terms of the MIT license.

Warranty

None.

Releases

7 releases since Debian 7 (Wheezy); the text changed 4 times.

  1. 7
  2. 8–9
  3. 10
  4. 11–12
  5. 13

-fontscale since Debian 10 (Buster); -hinting since Debian 8 (Jessie); -hires since Debian 10 (Buster); -luac since Debian 10 (Buster); -noconfig since Debian 10 (Buster); -nocursor since Debian 10 (Buster); -nohires since Debian 10 (Buster); -notheme since Debian 11 (Bullseye); -owntheme since Debian 8 (Jessie); -profile since Debian 10 (Buster); -renderer since Debian 10 (Buster); -resizable since Debian 10 (Buster); -scale since Debian 10 (Buster); -software since Debian 8 (Jessie); -standalone since Debian 10 (Buster); -vsync since Debian 10 (Buster).

-alsa until Debian 9 (Stretch).

From instead 3.5.2+dfsg-0.2 in Debian 13 (Trixie). Parsed by carta from the page's man source.