To Catch A Dragonfly is a TADS 3 interactive fiction game and is © 2011 by Andrew Metzger. It was a participant in the Thanksgiving Speed-IF event in 2011.
In this small game, you play as an electrical engineer, maybe? Anyway, you were getting ready for a big date in a rented tux when your boss orders you to get the new high-powered experimental safety net working so his joyriding boss flying the malfunctioning Dragonfly doesn't crash and go splat.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Version 1 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
Junk room
> i. x slacks. x shoes. x tie. x hat. x tux.
> take all.
The labradorite and charm are too far. When you take the arm guard, you find a ladder.
> x ladder. take it. drop ladder. (which sets it up)
> climb ladder. take lump and charm. (+2)
> d. (to get off the ladder)
> x ball. x glass. x prism. x pistol.
> x bismuth. x jar. x silica. x guard.
> x lump. x charm.
Don't bother picking up the ladder again; it won't fit through the doorway.
> out.
Viewing room
> x light. (needs to be focused)
> x stand. (loop to hold something; light shines through the gap)
> x window. x door.
> out.
Safety net
If you put anything else on the stand, you just get a shadow.
> put magnifying glass on stand. (+2; a small shelf is revealed)
> x shelf.
Nothing fits on the shelf but a prism:
> put prism on shelf. (a randomized color of the rainbow shines into a crack)
> x crack. (an optical fiber is in the crack)
> turn prism. (repeat until the correct randomized color shines on the crack; +2; a panel opens!)
> x panel. (wires and note)
> read note. (+2; you should short out these wires)
> shoot wires with pistol. (+2)
You hear the generators starting, but the new puddle of water is a problem. CAUTION: Don't touch the puddle!
> x puddle. open jar.
> put silica on puddle. (The lights stop flickering.)
You are prompted to head to the viewing room.
> in.
Viewing room
You now see an energy device with a button here.
> close door.
> x device. ("0: Requirements Not Met")
> x hopper. x button.
> i. x lid. (shiny)
The last two points are earned by repeatedly pushing the button and annoying the parser:
> push button. g. g. g. g. (+2)
You can put almost anything into the hopper, and it will happily accept everything, but it's not satisfied until you put your hat in.
> put hat in hopper. ("READY")
> push button.
The Dragonfly lands safely, but your boss screams you just needed to turn on the switch in the junk room! What switch? There isn't any switch there.
*** You win! ***
Mentioned:
The response to FULL SCORE is:
In several moves, you have scored your-score of a possible 12 points. Your score consists of:
- 2 points for reaching high
- 2 points for lighting the shelf
- 2 points for opening the panel
- 2 points for reading your own note
- 2 points for lighting the lights
- 2 points for annoying the parser
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