STAC

STAC
Authoring system
Link	Download
Developer	Sean Ellis
Format	Other
Interaction style	Parser
System	Atari ST
System details
Latest version
Status	Stable
Uses interpreter
Multimedia support	sound, graphics, loading screen
License	Former Commercial
Notes
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STAC is an authoring system for the Atari ST that was released in 1988 by Incentive Software. STAC is short for Atari ST Adventure Creator.

The STAC was a 16-bit evolution of Sean Ellis' original 8-bit GAC system, that was popular on machines like the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. A version of STAC for the Amiga was planned but never completed.

The system was sold on two discs which included the STAC tool, a demonstration adventure, a collection of fonts, sample adventure screens, a full adventure game made with STAC (The Case of the Mixed-Up Shymer) and an extensive 70-page manual.

The system was relatively expensive. It sold in the UK for £39.95. In the US it was released by Terrific Software for $69.95. It was distributed in Italy by Atari Italia.

Over 80 adventures were produced and released using the system. They were mostly distributed as shareware and public domain software with relatively few sold commercially.

Features

The packaging for the system lists the main features as follows:

• Graphic Editor/Designer - includes import feature
• Character Font Editor
• LINK feature enables adventures of unlimited size to be created
• Oops ability
• Test adventure within STAC
• Over 120 different conditional actions
• No licence fee to pay
• Loading screen option
• Music in messages
• Advanced Parser - that can also accept and handle String Inputs
• RAM/Save and load features
• Hundreds of flags and counters
• Synonym recognition
• 40 and 80 column text under player control. Change from with STAC and the adventure
• Print text anywhere even over graphics
• Printer options etc. etc. etc.
• East to use, powerful and flexible

Compatibility

The games will only run from drive A: unless the .PRG file is patched. However, the STAC engine wasn't geared up for games compiled with it to run from a hard-drive due to it's use of the file-selector when saving/loading a game.

Games

• The Adventures of Snatch and Crunch (Tony Stiles).
• A Highly Suspicious Aquarium (The Phenominal Shorts Company).
• Assassin (Thistle Design).
• Blackscar Mountain (Terry White).
• The Blag (Geoff Atkinson).
• Camelot (Matthew Pegg).
• Case of the Mixed up Shymer (Sandra Sharkey, pictures by Dicon Peake).
• Chiropodist in Hell (G. Lucas).
• Craghaven - Adventure In A Fantasy World.
• Dead End (Martyn Westwood).
• Dead or Alive...? (Chaos Software).
• Death Camp (Dave Blower).
• The Domes of Sha (Jack Lockerby).
• Don't Bank On It (Ruth Sunderland).
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (The Essential Myth).
• EE's Lost His Marbles.
• Escape! (Erogenous Zone).
• Firebird Adventure (Richard Hewison).
• The Grimoire (R. W. Lee, pictures by Roger Lewin).
• The Hammer of Grimmold (Jack Lockerby).
• Isthorn (Stuart Reeve).
• March of the Mods (Steven House).
• Murder on the Dairy Express (James L. Mathews).
• Mutant (Jack Lockerby).
• Nethack: The Adventure (Ted Webb).
• A Night On The Town (Dave Watts).
• The Obscure Naturalist (Peter Hague).
• The Pay Off.
• Phantom Zone (Prime Time).
• Public Investigations (Sludge Games).
• Robot Revolt (Stephen House and Michael Atkinson).
• Seventh Heaven (Dave Blower).
• Shards Of Time (Terry White).
• Three Realms of Suspicion (Roi Bestford).
• The Village (Dave Blower).
• Wizards Tower.

Links

• STAC download and scans of the manual.
• A review of STAC.
• Games produced with STAC as listed on CASA.
• STAC (US Release) includes US reviews of the software.