The idea behind the layout of the controls was that west is to the left (1) and east to the right (4) with North and South in the Middle (2 &3) this makes the most sense to me on a row style keypad but that's why we need feedback from others. I think I,j,k,m or w,a,s,z might be better possible layouts. The only complication being that in the code I used the number values to pull ongoto routines with the movements and menu controls. I'might just not sure if I like how the 2,4,6,8 method spreads the movement keys out across the numerchant row on the vic. This would sremain more cumbersome to me.1. movement input method : direction plus steps....okay....a little cumbersome. I understand it's similar to Temple of Apshai so perhaps I can forgive that. But maybe there should be default of 5 steps if one simply hits return and does not enter a number of steps. Also the choice of numbers for movement seems awkward. I remember back in the 80s when games like this used a computer's number pad as a directional compass (i.e. 4 for west, 6 for east, 8 for north, so on...). That actually made a lot of sense. Then when these games got ported to the VIC-20 / C64, they kept the number system for movement, even though Commodore users had to use the top row of the keyboard. Still, it followed a standard (the numbers remained the same from the keypad versions). However, in your game the choice of numbers you've used for movement doesn't even seem to follow this standard. i.e. I believe you have 4 for east, whereas it would seem to make more sense for that number to be west. It would also make the game nice to play in VICE, using a PC keyboard with a number pad. Even reserving a fake directional pad, like I,J,K,M, on the VIC-20s keyboard would be better.[
I will definitely put some thought into a default movement value.
The idea of the game is that your I am dark catacomb with nothing but a magic candle to light the path ahead of you. 45 range of vision was a little more difficult to do in basic without slowing the game down.2. The whole narrow line-of-sight thing. Am I missing something, or does the player's character have tunnel vision? Maybe I didn't play it long enough and there is a lamp spell or light spell to acquire which will light up the whole room. I didn't want to play it that long because it was so tedious to move and figure out what the room was like with this very narrow range of vision. The whole game isn't like this, is it? Back in the 1980s, even when games used direction line-of-sight like this, it was about a 45-degree range of vision in the direction the character was looking, rather than a single character line.
A magic scroll of illumination is something I'ever already put some thought into and I will will look into adding it in. All it will take is a background screen color change.
Thank you again your input has been very helpful.