Are you frustrated with playing simple, unimaginative, run-of-the-mill adventures? We challenge you to seek the WHITE SHIP of the ELVES and experience one of the longest, most dangerous journeys you are likely ever to undertake through the lands of the BLACK WARLOCK and beyond ... encountering characters capable of independent interaction who can help or thwart your progress. An Adventure conceived and designed by an Adventurer for ADVENTURERS. THE JOURNEY by Alan Davis ZX SPECTRUM 48K ZX SPECTRUM 48K THE JOURNEY Temptation Software Limited LOADING INSTRUCTIONS There is a copy of this program on both sides of the tape to assist in cassette recorder compatibility. Place the tape into your cassette recorder and type LOAD " " and RETURN (Key "J" followed by 2 symbol shifted "P's"). The cassette will now LOAD and AUTO RUN. Should the cassette fail to load then REWIND the tape and try again at a different volume. This program is not compatible with a Sinclair printer. GUARANTEE This product is protected by our full lifetime guarantee. Please return direct to Temptation Software Limited at 27 Cinque Ports Street, Rye, Sussex, if any problems occur after following the correct procedures. CARE OF TAPES Transformers, magnetics and circuitry can damage tapes. Keep away from anything that can produce magnetic fields. Tape recorder heads must be kept clean as the slightest deposit will interfere with loading. COPYRIGHT THE JOURNEY All rights reserved world wide. No part of this program may be transmitted, translated, stored, reproduced or distributed in any form, nor used in any lending or renting library without the express written permission of Temptation Software Limited, 58/59 Poland Street, London. Made in England "THE JOURNEY" is a real-time text adventure with graphics, in which your quest is to seek out the legendary WHITE SHIP of the ELVES and be carried to a distant land where your true destiny as an adventurer may be fulfilled ... But be warned - the world of "THE JOURNEY" is full of great danger and its inhabitants need to be handled with care! On your journey through the lands of the BLACK WARLOCK and beyond, you will meet many creatures. Some of these, like yourself, have their own lives to lead and are free to roam the adventure world. They are capable of performing all the actions that you can perform - more, or less, according to their own individual characteristics. They may be friendly to you, indifferent, or decidedly hostile - and this will often depend on how you conduct yourself. You should know that unless you make the right friends, you cannot hope to complete the adventure. Some of them for example, may have powers that you don't possess, but will be unwilling to help unless you have first won their respect. Similarly, they will talk to you only if they like you - and what they say may be of value! You will also encounter the WARLOCK's guardians. These creatures have but one aim - to guard the WARLOCK and his lands fiercely. They may guard routes, mysterious treasures, or magical objects - but you will discover this only after disposing of them in a suitable manner! It is up to you to make the correct deductions about the objects you find, the places you visit and the people you meet, in order to complete the quest. In each location you will be presented with a description of the place, objects, characters present, and the permitted exit routes. (Sometimes this will be preceded by a graphic illustration - this may be cleared by pressing any key.) At the bottom of the screen the question "WHAT NOW!" will be displayed, inviting you to participate. After about 20 seconds (unless you have begun to type an instruction), this will be withdrawn briefly while the other characters are each given the option of performing some action. Notice that most of the time you will be unaware of what they have done - unless they are in the same location as you - but you will of course have to deal with the consequences! As long as "WHAT NOW?" is displayed, you are free to type in your instructions, which appear in lower case letters at the bottom of the screen. Pressing "ENTER" will result in your instructions being carried out, after which the characters will take their turn. If then, a 20 second interval has passed, they get another go! To pause without any interaction or action taking place, type any letter when indicated by the prompt "WHAT NOW" and do not enter. ENTERING COMMANDS The solution to "THE JOURNEY" depends on your ability to learn how to survive in its world, and to make the correct deductions about the situations you encounter. Guessing the precise vocabulary used in the program plays no part in this, and a full list of recognised commands is given below. Nevertheless, there is some flexibility in the verbs: "attack", "kill", "hit", etc. will all be understood and interpreted as "fight" for example. If you find yourself persistently entering commands which are not in the list, you may be confident that you are on the wrong track! (back) TELL. GET (take, pick). EXAMINE (read). OPEN (unlock). EAT. DRINK. GIVE. DROP (put, throw). FIGHT (attack, kill, strike, hit). GO (move). CALL. STATUS. LIST. HELP. WAIT. SCORE. QUIT. SAVE. LOAD. Usually, your commands should consist of simple (verb-noun) phrases such as "eat the bread", "take the sword", and so on. There are special exceptions to this. In any case your instructions should contain no more than four words and at most 32 characters. Movement Whenever you wish to move from one location to another, the direction must be specified. The quickest method is to type a single letter (n,s,e or w), although "north", "go north", or "go n" will all work. Whenever doors or other obstacles are encountered, movement in that direction willnot be possible until the door is opened or the obstacle removed. Suppose for example that there is a closed door to the south: the location description will not list sough as a permitted exit until the door has been opened. Once this is achieved, "go south" will take you through it. Look and examine These are both very important commands, which you should use often, "Look" will give you a fresh description of your surroundings - or the single letter "l" may be used instead. It is particularly important to use this when an action which you have just performed may have changed things significantly: killing other characters for example, or opening containers. The "examine" command is appropriate when you wish to know more about any particular object or character. If you are standing by a stream for example, then "examine stream" may give you further information about it - and the same is true for the various objects you pick up as you proceed through the adventure. Open There is no need for you to specify exactly how doors or containers are to be opened. Provided that you have created the appropriate conditions (carrying the correct key, for example), then "open door" is all that is necessary. Tell This is a very important command, for it enables you to communicate with the other characters. Typical examples might be: "tell elf go north" (or just "tell elf n"), "tell elf open door", "tell elf take sword". Notice that you must always specify the character to whom you are talking and remember to keep your instructions as simple as possible - no more than four words altogether. It is possible of course, that the character you are talking to will be uncooperative. This he will almost certainly be unless you have won his respect or friendship first. Call Using this command you may summon characters to your location but your calls will go unheeded unless you have befriended the character first - for example: "call elf". List This command used alone, will tell you all the objects you are carrying. You may also use it to discover the possessions of the other characters by typing for example, "list elf". Status Each character in "THE JOURNEY" - including yourself - possess three attributes: Intelligence, Strength and Experience. The command "status" will tell you your own current attributes. You can discover the status of other characters, guardians, etc. by typing "status elf" for example. Your attributes will change as the adventure proceeds. Solving certain problems may cause your intelligence to increase and there will be oppor- tunities to increase your strength. Your effectiveness in combat is governed primarily by the sum total of your attributes compared with that of your opponents, together with a small luck factor. Fight You may engage a character or guardian in combat by typing for example "fight the warlock" - in which case it will be assumed that you wish to fight with your bare hands. Possession of weapons however, may be used to advantage by typing "fight warlock with sword". All weapons give you an increased advantage, but they are not all equally powerful. When asked others to fight on your behalf, you should not specify a weapon. An instruction such as "tell elf fight giant" is all that is required. If elf is carrying a weapon, he will automatically use it -and if he is carrying more than one he will automatically choose the most powerful. Of course you are not the only character capable of entering into combat. Others may attack you first - or they may attack each other. When you are wounded your strength is reduced. If your strength fails below zero, you die - and similarly for other characters. Give You may give objects to others using commands in this form only "give sword to elf", (give object to character). Note that you must always specify the character to whom the object is being given, "give elf sword" will not be understood. Other single word commands "help" will occasionally yield a hint for the desperate. "wait" allows you to do nothing while the other characters take a turn (which can occasionally be advantageous). "score" can be used at any time to discover how well you are doing. "quit" starts a new game. A high speed "save" and "load" facility enables you to save a partially completed game to tape and continue later. Note that the main program must first be loaded in before a saved game is loaded - simply let the game begin, type "load", and start the saved game tape. Some tips to get you started Remember that other characters may be able to do things that you can't Use "examine" and "look" often. Make a map as you go - remember that paths in forests and tunnels in caverns often twist about. Helpline A personal helpline is operation in which all enquiries are dealt with personally by the author Alan Davis. So, if you are really stuck, drop us a distress signal at 27 Cinque Ports Street, Rye, complete with a S.A.E. plus proof of purchase, and help will be on its way!