The Beetmonger's Journal

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	beet.zip Contains Beet.gam solution For all systems. To play, you'll need a TADS 2 Interpreter - visit tads.org for interpreter downloads. (Compressed with ZIP. Free Unzip tools are available for most systems at www.info-zip.org.)
	Beet.gam as entered in 2001 competition For all systems. To play, you'll need a TADS 2 Interpreter - visit tads.org for interpreter downloads.
	Readme.txt documentation
	BeetHint.txt hints
	BeetWalk.txt solution

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The Beetmonger's Journal
by Scott Starkey profile

2001

(based on 14 ratings)
1 member review

About the Story

"Victor Lapot and I were miles from base camp on the south continent, once again hacking through previously unsurveyed lands and searching for forgotten cultures. The expedition reminded me of our grand adventures of old, that is, if I ignored Lapot's 100-man paparazzi tirelessly trailing us." [--blurb from Competition Aught-One]

Game Details

Language: English (en)
Current Version: 1.1
License: Freeware
Development System: TADS 2
Forgiveness Rating: Polite
Baf's Guide ID: 1683

IFIDs:	TADS2-F8B46DFEC6AFC22588114B04DD44872E
	TADS2-F725DC2F7D2BB178C864101CA4AC90F5

TUID: afh45yknmlx26x54

Awards

Nominee, Best Individual PC - 2001 XYZZY Awards

5th Place overall; 2nd Place, Miss Congeniality Awards - 7th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (2001)

Editorial Reviews

Baf's Guide

Nicely layered plot--you're a professor's assistant on an archeological dig, and you discover a journal that flashes you back into another point of view--and the premise, which involves persecution of beet-sellers, is amusing. There are two paths through the game, both reasonably plausible (given the game's assumptions) and well implemented. A few minor glitches, and not very long, but on the whole a good effort.

-- Duncan Stevens

SPAG
There's definitely a lot going for this game. It's well written, and its dead-serious treatment of a conflict between the general populace and the secret order of beetmongers made for an amusing atmosphere. The treatment of perspective in the game is interesting as well. You start the game as Aubrey, but all your commands influence what Lapot does, and the game responds with Aubrey's interpretation of what happens. Avielle's section is in the past tense, so it seems that what you do is simply what is recorded in the journal Lapot is translating. Those are very nice touches.
-- Cameron Wilkin
See the full review

>VERBOSE -- Paul O'Brian's Interactive Fiction Page

I have to say, I was quite impressed with all [the] POV manipulation -- I think it was the best part of the whole game. I got excited just thinking about the possibilities for parallel action and dramatic irony that this technique opens up. This particular game doesn't take much advantage of these possibilities, but it does a fine job of breaking new ground on the trail blazed by games like Being Andrew Plotkin.
See the full review

Member Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

Average Rating:

Number of Reviews: 1
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

A game in third person and first person; rally the order of beet mongers, February 3, 2016

by MathBrush

In this game, you play as an archaeologist through the eyes of their assistant, Aubrey. In the course of the game, you discover a journal, sending you to a first-person flashback, where you play the leader of the secret order of beet mongers.

The game is wacky and fun. The beginning somehow reminded me of Michael Robert's Ditch Day Drifter opening, which is one of my favorites.

The beet monger part has two paths: war and peace. The war part was relatively easy, and I played to both of its endings. The peace ending seemed more difficult.

Overall, recommended for fans of dry, quirky humor.

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Polls

The following polls include votes for The Beetmonger's Journal:

Split-up PC functionality by baf
In a normal game, there is a single fictional entity that is considered to be: - The protagonist: the character that the player is meant to identify with, and whose goals you are trying to achieve - The viewpoint character: the character...

This is version 6 of this page, edited by Edward Lacey on 10 April 2013 at 4:02pm. - View Update History - Edit This Page - Add a News Item