A Change in the Weather was my first serious work of interactive fiction. I was trying to evoke mood and place in a way that IF had not really tried, in those early years.
I think I succeeded at the mood and place. However, I blatantly failed at puzzle balance. This is a very difficult game to finish. It is a cruel game, by the Zarfian Interactive Fiction Rating System. Any choice you make may be a wrong choice, and you may not discover it was wrong until later; and not choosing is always a choice. Timing may be critical. Save often and keep your old saved games.
A Change in the Weather is copyright 1995-6 by Andrew Plotkin. It may be copied, distributed, and played freely.
The original version of this game contained brief quotations from the songs of Eric Bogle, given with credit but without permission. A small sin, perhaps, but one I have decided to repair. This version contains nothing that is not my own. However, if you wish to enhance the mood, find Eric Bogle's album entitled Something Of Value (Rounder Records, Philo C-PH-1125). Listen to "A Change in the Weather" as you begin playing the game, and "Katie and the Dreamtime Land" when you finish.
This game was created using the Inform adventure development system, which was created by Graham Nelson. Beta-testing and other helpful comments: Chad Anderson, Richard Barnett, Laurel Halbany, Galen Hazelwood, Walker Andrew John, Michael Kinyon, Gareth Rees, Markku Yli-Pentila.
Now, if you want spoilers, here are my original notes from when I was conceiving and writing the game.
(zCiW was the MacOS creator code I used for the
classic Mac app release.)