================
The Great Escape
================
Document created by rstuart@ukonline.co.uk on 29th Dec 99 for
World of Spectrum: http://www.void.demon.nl/spectrum.html

Taken from the Ocean compilation 'Live Ammo'.

The Great Escape
================
Its program code and graphic representation are the copyright of Ocean
Software Limited. All rights reserved worldwide. The Great Escape runs
on the Spectrum 48K/128K computers.

Loading
-------
1. Place the cassette in your recorder ensuring that it is fully rewound.
2. Ensure that the MIC socket is disconnected and that the volume and tone
controls are set to the appropriate levels.
3. If the computer is a Spectrum 48K or Spectrum + then load as follows.
Type LOAD "" (ENTER). (Note there is no space between the two quotes). The "
is obtained by pressing the SYMBOL SHIFT and P keys simultaneously.
4. Press PLAY on your recorder and the game will load automatically. If you
have any problems try adjusting the volume and tone controls and consulting
Chapter 6 of the Spectrum manual.
5. If the computer is a Spectrum 128K then follow the loading instructions
on-screen or in the accompanying manual.

The Game
--------
The year is 1942, the place Germany. War has broken out and you have been
captured and placed in a high security P.O.W. camp. Victory may be far away,
so it is your duty to escape, but this will not be easy. It will take careful
planning and much patience, culminating in a skilful and resourceful
implementation. In the camp you are closely guarded but while you follow the
daily routine you will need to slip away unnoticed to reconnoitre the
situation and collect tools and materials necessary for your chosen escape
route. There are many avenues of escape, some difficult, all certainly
dangerous and each one requiring different skills or equipment.

Camp Geography And Possible Escape Routes
-----------------------------------------
The camp is a small Castle on a promontory surrounded on three sides by
cliffs and the cold North Sea. Official entry to the camp is by a narrow
road through the gatehouse and all traffic must carry papers authorising
their passage. Elsewhere the camp has been closed by either fences or walls
and dogs are deployed to patrol the perimeter. These gates are watched by men
from the observation towers and there are very few blind spots, at night
powerful search lights comb the walls looking for any sign of movement.
The prisoners are housed in pre-fabricated huts with the castle ground just
to the side of the quadrangle that is used for roll calls and recreational
purposes. In line with the Geneva Convention the prisoners must have exercise
and so an area has been provided and this is conveniently situated on the
island side allowing close up inspection of the southern fences.
Beneath the camp is a labyrnth of old drains and tunnels dug out by past
internees it could prove an ideal route to escape but entering without a
torch is very dangerous as it is far too easy to get lost in the dark.

Within The Camp There Are Four Main Character Types
---------------------------------------------------
1. The Commandant      3. Fellow prisoners
2. The German Guards   4. The escaping prisoner

1. The Commandant
-----------------
This daunting figure controls the camp, it is he who chooses the number of
soldiers to place on particular patrols and the observation positions.
At the beginning of the game security is fairly lax but the more times the
player is caught out of bounds the more secure the camp will become.
The Commandant is the least predictable of the security forces, he often
inspects his guards to see if they are in the correct place and are following
instructions and it is possible to bump into him almost anuwhere in the camp.
It is a good idea therefore to know his whereabouts at all times to avoid
unfortunate encounters!

2. The German Guards
--------------------
These characters are the work horses of the camp staff. They must either
trudge along on patrol, shiver on observation towers or stand alert on
sentry duty and ensure the prisoners keep to their daily routine. Once
alloted to a patrol, they will dutifully pace up and down taking
approximately the same time on each circuit. This will allow you to time the
position of the guards and modify your escape plan accordingly. The hero will
be detected within the lines of sight of any of the security forces so it is
possible to sneak past a guard who is looking the other way, but they are
very alert and you will have to be quick.
The soldiers who look after the POW's escort the prisoners before they move
about the camp, so two or three guards will follow them to the parade ground,
the exercise area or the prisoners mess.

3. Fellow Prisoners
-------------------
These unfortunate fellows have been in the camp for a long time, at first
they were enthusiastic about escaping but a long series of failures have
crushed their morale.
They now seem happy to bide their time until the end of the war. However
some of the men return a bit of spirit and can be bribed or persuaded to
create a diversion allowing you to disappear unnoticed.
Their life is ordered by alarm bells, these tell them when to get up and
when to go to roll-call, when to eat and when to exercise. An analysis of
this routine will enable you to estimate at what time your escape will be
noticed and the alarm bells start ringing!

4. The Escape - "Our Hero"
--------------------------
You control him by joystick or keyboard putting in several patterns of
behaviour. If you are in bonus i.e. the morale flag is green you will follow
the routine like any other prisoner and this allows you to become familiar
with the camp and camp life without having to follow the other characters
around manually. You will only diverge from this path by taking over the
controls, but if you wander too far out of bounds the morale flag will be
red; now you are liable to arrest and have total control. You can drop/pick
up objects (press fire and joystick up/down) that you find in the camp but
you can only carry two objects at any one time. When you have discovered
places that are infrequently searched or unlikely to be discovered by the
security forces you may leave a cache of useful objects there. Any objects
that are found however by the Guards or Commandant, or that you are carrying
when captured when confiscated immediately.
If you are spotted while on an escape you will have two choices, eiter to
make a run for it or to surrender. Once caught you will lose all the objects
that you were carrying and the camp security stepped up; you will also be
sent to the cells but so that the camp security stepped up; you will be sent
to the cells but so that the action of the game can continue this is only for
a moment and you will then be escorted back to your comrades.

Morale
------
The flag on the left of the screen is the morale indicator, its height on the
flagpole denoting the current morale. Each time you find something useful or
explore a different part of the camp your morale and score will increase
accordingly, however each time one of your possessions is discovered and
removed your morale will decrease. Red Cross parcels and other goodies will
arrive randomly throughout the game and increse your morale level. Capture
and consequent punishment will reduce your morale enormously and if it ever
reaches zero you will lose control and our hero will become just another
member of the camp prisoners. The only remedy for this situation is a new
game.

The Alarm Bells
---------------
The alarm bell has two functions, when it sounds in a short burst it denotes
the commencement of meals, roll-calls etc and a message will appear at the
bottom of the screen with the relevant information. When a potential escapee
is discovered out of bounds the alarm bell will ring continuously and this is
the signal to the guards that an escape is in progress.

News Bulletin
-------------
Messages will appear on screen, keeping you fully informed of all news events
within the camp, i.e. the discovery by the guards of hidden items etc.

Scoring
-------
You score points and increse your morale by discovering objects, using them
and escaping - each of these activities will increase your score.

Controls
--------
KEYBOARD
Redefinable Keys - Follow Screen Instructions.

JOYSTICK

  DIAGONAL LEFT UP    DIAGONAL     DIAGONAL RIGHT UP
                   \   LEFT UP   /
                     \    |    /
                       \  |  /
                         \|/
DIAGONAL LEFT DOWN -------+------- DIAGONAL RIGHT UP
                         /|\
                       /  |  \
                     /    |    \
                   /   DIAGONAL  \
DIAGONAL LEFT DOWN    RIGHT DOWN   DIAGONAL RIGHT DOWN

FIRE and UP is pick up. FIRE and DOWN is drop. FIRE LEFT/RIGHT is use object.

Credits
-------
Produced by D. C. Ward.
(c) 1986 Ocean Software Limited.
Game Design Copyright Denton Designs 1986.

THE GREAT ESCAPE - SOLUTION - TYPED BY VAXALON - 1994
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY ONE
~~~~~~~
 Collect the key from under the watchtower and open the door where the tool
kit it found. Drop the key on the floor and pick up the tool kit. Open the
door where the spade is found. Collect the torch and the papers and take them
to the room where the spade is and drop them down the tunnel. Return to 
normal duties.

DAY TWO
~~~~~~~
 Open the red cross parcel and drop the contents onto the floor. Return to 
normal duties.

DAY THREE
~~~~~~~~~
 Do the same as day two.

DAY FOUR
~~~~~~~~
 The wire cutters should be in the red cross parcel. Take them to the room
where the spade is and drop them down the tunnel. Return to normal duties.

DAY FIVE
~~~~~~~~
 Open the red cross parcel and drop the chocolate on the floor. Return to 
normal duties.

DAY SIX
~~~~~~~
 The compass should be in the red cross parcel. Take it to the room where the
spade is and go down the tunnel. Pick up the torch and take the compass to 
the other end of the tunnel. Drop the compass and return for the wirecutters
Go back to where you dropped the compass and drop the torch. Pick up the 
compass and wait a few seconds. Now run up to the wire and cut it. Drop the 
compass outside, then return to the tunnel. Drop the wirecutters and pick up
the torch. Now go and get the papers and take them to where you dropped the 
wirecutters. Drop the torch and pick up the cutters. Wait down the tunnel 
until next morning.

DAY SEVEN
~~~~~~~~~
 Wait until you hear the alarm for role call. Now run up to the wire and cut
it. Drop the cutters and pick up the compass - then run off-screen and 
you've escaped!
