{{Short description|Text adventure creation kit}} {{Distinguish|Quill (software)}} {{Use British English|date=February 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox video game |title = |image = QuillAdventureSystem.jpg |developer = Gilsoft |publisher = Gilsoft |designer = Graeme Yeandle |engine = |released = 1983 |genre = Game creation system |platforms = ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Oric }}

'''''The Quill''''' is a game creation system for text adventures.<ref name=su37>[http://www.sinclairuser.com/037/advent.htm Sinclair User 37]</ref> Written by Graeme Yeandle, it was published on the ZX Spectrum by Gilsoft in December 1983.<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 1983 |title=Handy quill opens-up adventure games |journal=Sinclair User |issue=21 |pages=48 |url=http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/021/softwre.htm |accessdate= 2007-09-19}}</ref> Although available to the general public, it was used by several games companies to create best-selling titles; over 450 commercially published titles for the ZX Spectrum were written using ''The Quill''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6857/ZX-Spectrum/The_Quill_Adventure_System |title=The Quill Adventure System |accessdate=2022-10-29|website=SpectrumComputing.co.uk}}</ref>

== Development == thumb|left|Main menu (ZX Spectrum)

Yeandle has stated that the inspiration for ''The Quill'' was an article in the August 1980 issue of ''Practical Computing'' by Ken Reed in which Reed described the use of a database to produce an adventure game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://solutionarchive.com/interview_graeme/ |title=Graeme Yeandle interview |accessdate=2008-03-08 |work=SolutionArchive |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080116090738/http://solutionarchive.com/Various/Interview_Graeme.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-01-16}}</ref> After Yeandle wrote one database-driven adventure game, ''Timeline'', for Gilsoft, he realised that a database editor was needed, and it was this software which became ''The Quill''.<ref name="yeandle">{{cite web |url=http://graemeyeandle.atwebpages.com/advent |title=History of The Quill and PAW |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Yeandle |first=Graeme}}</ref>

After the original ZX Spectrum version was ported to the Amstrad CPC,<ref name="yeandle"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=3242 |title=The Quill by Gilsoft for the Amstrad CPC |accessdate=2007-09-20 |work=CPCZone}}</ref> Commodore 64,<ref name="yeandle"/><ref name="microadventurer">{{cite journal |date=January 1985 |title=Adventure Writer — US Quill |journal=Micro Adventurer |issue=15 |pages=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gb64.com/game.php?id=6128 |title=Quill, The - Adventure Writing System |accessdate=2007-09-19 |work=Gamebase 64}}</ref> Atari 8-bit computers,<ref name="microadventurer"/> Apple II,<ref name="microadventurer"/> and Oric computers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oric.org/software/quill__the-1378.html |title=OricOrg |accessdate=2020-12-22}}</ref> Versions were also published by CodeWriter, Inc. in North America (under the name of ''AdventureWriter'') and a version by Norace in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.<ref name="yeandle"/> A French version was also made by Codewriter. In 1985 Neil Fleming-Smith ported ''The Quill'' to the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers for Gilsoft. Although not credited in the article, Chris Hobson submitted a patch to ''Crash'' magazine which allowed the Spectrum version to save to a Microdrive. This was published in the [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue27/Supplement/Crash27Supplement24.jpg September 1986 edition]

''The Quill'' only allowed for the creation of text-only adventures, using a text interpretation process known as a ''verb&ndash;noun'' parser. Later an add-on called ''The Illustrator'' was made to let the user include graphics in the adventures.<ref>{{cite journal |date=May 1985 |title=The Illustrator |journal=Your Spectrum |issue=14 |pages=33 |url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr14/yr14_33.htm |accessdate= 2007-09-19}}</ref> Further add-ons included ''The Press'',<ref>[https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/11114/ZX-Spectrum/The_Press Spectrum Computing: The Press]</ref> ''The Patch'',<ref>[https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/10891/ZX-Spectrum/The_Patch Spectrum Computing: The Patch]</ref> and ''The Expander'', which enhanced the engine by adding text compression, split-screen text and graphics, and more efficient use of available RAM.

== Reception == ''The Quill'' was generally very well received by the computer press at the time of its release. ''Micro Adventurer'' described it as "a product [...] to revolutionise the whole microcomputer scene" and rated it "10 out of 10",<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bridge |first=Tony |date=November 1983 |title=Revolution on The Quill |journal=Micro Adventurer |issue=1 |pages=19}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Bridge |first=Tony |date=January 1984 |title=Imagination's the only limit |journal=Micro Adventurer |issue=3 |pages=9–10}}</ref> while ''Computer and Video Games'' described it as "worth every penny of the £14.95 price tag",<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schifreen |first=Robert |date=December 1983 |title=Games without tears |journal=Computer and Video Games |issue=26 |pages=90–91}}</ref> while ''CRASH'' said it was "almost ludicrously underpriced for what it does and, more importantly, what it allows others to do".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Mangram |first=Lloyd |date=May 1984 |title=The Quill |journal=CRASH |issue=4 |pages=49–50 |url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/04/quill.htm |accessdate= 2007-09-21}}</ref> ''Sinclair User'' praised the documentation and the complexity that was comparable to existing adventure game parsers, and in a later 1984 review said that "''The Quill'' produces programs on a par with handwritten commercial programs".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=John |date=February 1984 |title=Sprites put life into the games of your choice |journal=Sinclair User |issue=23 |pages=44 |url=https://ia903207.us.archive.org/32/items/Sinclair_User_023/Sinclair_User_023.pdf |accessdate=21 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Heath |first=Quentin |date=July 1984 |title=Imagination Unlimited |journal=Sinclair User |issue=28 |pages=127 |url=http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/028/mindgms.htm |accessdate= 2007-09-21}}</ref> ''Commodore User'' described it as "one of the most amazing programs" and lauds how it reduces tedious work while allowing focus on making games, while itself being very cheap.<ref>Commodore User #15, December 1984, p.22-23</ref>

''The Quill'' was awarded "Best Utility" in the ''CRASH'' Readers Awards 1984.<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 1985 |title=''CRASH'' Readers Awards 1984 |journal=CRASH |issue=12 |pages=104 |url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/12/awards.htm |accessdate=2007-09-26}}</ref>

== Sequel == Following the success of the original, a second generation ''Quill'' was produced with more capabilities and sold under the name ''Professional Adventure Writer'' for the ZX Spectrum and CP/M range.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gunness|first=Jacob|title=A Feather In His Cap - Graeme Yeandle and The Quill|url=http://solutionarchive.com/interview_graeme/|accessdate=14 April 2014}}</ref>

== See also == * Graphic Adventure Creator

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://solutionarchive.com/interview_graeme/ CASA: A Feather In His Cap - Graeme Yeandle and The Quill] * [https://www.filfre.net/2013/07/the-quill/ The Digital Antiquarian: The history of The Quill]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quill, The}} Category:1983 software Category:Commodore 64 software Category:Interactive fiction engines Category:Video game development software Category:ZX Spectrum software Category:BBC Micro and Acorn Electron software