********* Welcome to Project 64! The goal of Project 64 is to preserve Commodore 64 related documents in electronic text format that might otherwise cease to exist with the rapid advancement of computer technology and declining interest in 8- bit computers on the part of the general population. If you would like to help by converting C64 related hardcopy documents to electronic texts please contact the manager of Project 64, Cris Berneburg, at pcgeek@compuserve.com. Extensive efforts were made to preserve the contents of the original document. However, certain portions, such as diagrams, program listings, and indexes may have been either altered or sacrificed due to the limitations of plain vanilla text. Diagrams may have been eliminated where ASCII-art was not feasible. Program listings may be missing display codes where substitutions were not possible. Tables of contents and indexes may have been changed from page number references to section number references. Please accept our apologies for these limitations, alterations, and possible omissions. Document names are limited to the 8.3 file convention of DOS. The first characters of the file name are an abbreviation of the original document name. The version number of the etext follows next. After that a letter may appear to indicate the particular source of the document. Finally, the document is given a .TXT extension. The author(s) of the original document and members of Project 64 make no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this material for any purpose. This etext is provided "as-is". Please refer to the warantee of the original document, if any, that may included in this etext. No other warantees, express or implied, are made to you as to the etext or any medium it may be on. Neither the author(s) nor the members of Project 64 will assume liability for damages either from the direct or indirect use of this etext or from the distribution of or modification to this etext. Therefore if you read this document or use the information herein you do so at your own risk. ********* The Project 64 etext of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy manual by Infocom (C64/C128 version), converted to etext by Peter Karlsson . HITCH10.TXT, April 1997, etext #192. ********* *** BACK COVER "Don't panic: the interactive Hitchhiker's Guide is every bit as outrageous and funny as the novel." - Popular Computing. To create the hilarious The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, award-winning game designer Steve Meretzky teamed up with British humorist Douglas Adams, author of the best-selling book of the same title. The interactive Hitchhiker's Guide is a runaway success in its own right, selling over a quarter million copies! Now this interactive fiction classic has joined Infocom's specially-priced Solid Gold line. Solid Gold classics are "paperback" versions of our best-selling titles, offering the complete game disk and an instruction manual containing everything you need to play. Plus, all Solid Gold titles feature on-screen hints! The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy puts you in the role of the hapless Arthur Dent, whose house is being bulldozed to make way for a highway bypass. Not that it matters, really, since Earth is about to be destroyed for similar purposes. But chin up, you're headed for a hilarious series of intergalactic misadventures. So grab a pint of bitter and a couple for the road and join Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Marvin on a cosmic jaunt into the outer reaches where anything can - and does - happen. ENTER THE WORD OF THE MASTER STORYTELLERS. Interactive fiction software from Infocom is unlike anything you've ever experienced. It's a whole new dimension in storytelling. Think of your favorite story. Now think of the main character in that story. And imagine that YOU have become that character. You are standing in his shoes, in his world. You have people to meet, places to visit, and challenges to face. It's all just as vivid as anything you've ever experienced in real life. The decisions are yours... and so are the consequences. In interactive fiction, you communicate with the story through conversational English sentences typed into your computer. The plot unfolds as you decide what to do next, drawing you into a world so involving that it taps your adrenaline as much as your intellect. With hundreds of alternatives at each step, your adventure can last for weeks and even months. Journy to a place limited only by your imagination - the world of Infocom's interactive fiction. INFOCOM 125 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is available for the Apple II series, IBM PC and 100% compatibles, Macintosh, and Commodore 64/128. Call us at 617-576-3190 for futher information. Manufactured and printed in the U.S.A. (c) 1988 Infocom, Inc. Warranty information enclosed. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a registered trademark of Douglas Adams. ISBN 0-87321-457-9 *** INSIDE COVER It is not such a mind-boggingly improbable coincidence that Douglas Adams, the irrepressible author of the best-selling novel THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, would design an interactive story set in the same outrageous universe as the books. He fell in love (well, strong "like") with Infocom's other interactive stories some time ago. He immediately saw the interactive possibilities of HITCHHIKER'S and maniacally developed outrageously crazy ideas. So Douglas teamed up with Infocom's specialist in outrageously crazy ideas, Steve Meretzky. Together, they did extensive research throughout the Galaxy (in English pubs, anyway); Douglas wrote and designed puzzles revolving around Vogon poetry, the Bugblatter Beast of Traal, microscopic space fleets and, of course, tea (or lack thereof); and Steve transformed Douglas's ideas into the high-quality, sophisticated software that is synonymous with Infocom's interactive fiction. And now you're going to take a trip you never thought possible. You are on the verge of becoming Arthur Dent, a simple if unwordly chap whose house is, unluckily, being bulldozed to make way for a bypass. Not that it matters, really, since the Earth is about to be destroyed for somewhat similar purposes. If you survive these twin disasters, you'll travel with Ford Prefect, your peculiar friend and neighbour, to the most unusual corners of the Galaxy. (Some of the corners are so unusual, in fact, that it's best not to assume the obvious - who you are, for instance.) So prepare to have your mind boggled, your wits tested and your concept of reality thrown for a loop by THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. ANd don't forget your towel! TAKE THEIR WORDS FOR IT! "A riotous jaunt through time and space on the computer screen." OMNI "If you don't laugh, see a doctor!" ENTER Critics' Choice for Text-Only Adventrue. FAMILY COMPUTING "Adam's unique brand of hilarity is obvious in every response and every twist of this original adventure game." CHANGING TIMES "This game is the nearest a piece of software has got to a pint of Guiness. Fills you up, has unbeatable flavour and is, of course, pure genius. The funniest game ever penned." ZZAP! Certified Platinum, 1987 SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION *** LOADING INFO Interactive Fiction PLUS Reference Card for the COMMODORE 128 This booklet tells you how to run your Infocom story on your computer, and provides a few other handy bits of information. I. What You Need Required * Commodore 128 * One 1541 or 1571 Disk Drive (or equivalent) * An 80 column monitor Optional * One or more blank formatted disks (for SAVEs) * An 80-column serial line printer (for SCRIPTing) * A second 1541/1571-compatible disk drive (for convenience with SAVEs) II. Loading the Disk Depress the 40/80 column switch on your computer, turn on the drive(s), the monitor and the printer. Then insert side 1 of the story disk into drive #8 and turn on the computer. The story will automatically load. After about 4 minutes you will see a message asking you to insert side 2 into the drive. Remove the story disk, flip it over and reinsert it into the same drive. Press RETURN to complete the loading process. You will not need to flip the disk again unless you reboot or use the RESTART command. If nothing appears after flipping the disk consult the Troubleshooting Section. III. Talking to the Story Whenever you see a prompt (>), the story is waiting for your command. You may type up to one line of text at a time. If you make a mistake, use the INST/DEL key to erase it. Press the RETURN key when you are finished typing. The story will respond and the > prompt will reappear. If a description will not fit on the screen all at once, the word [MORE] will appear in the bottom left corner. Press the space bar after reading the screen to view the rest of the description. IV. Saving a Story Position WARNING: Disks used for SAVE and RESTORE are maintained in a special format and should not be used for any other purpose. Files of any kind stored on the disk will be erased by the SAVE command. You need a blank, formatted disk to save your position in the story. Refer to the documentation provided with your disk drive for information on how to format disks. The number of SAVEs possible on a disk varies from story to story, averaging around 4 or 5. Each SAVE position is assigned a number from 1 to the maximum number of SAVEs for that story (i.e. 1-4). You must specify a position number each time you use the SAVE command, and you overwrite any position previously saved with that number. You must use a different number for each position that you want to SAVE. 1. To SAVE your current position, type SAVE at the > prompt. The message Save Position Position 1-4 (Default is 1): will appear. Type a number from 1 to 4 to tell the story which SAVE position to use or simply press RETURN to use the default position. 2. Next, you'll see Drive 8 or 9 (Default is 8): Select the drive that will contain the SAVE disk, or press RETURN to use the default drive. 3. You will now see Position 1; Drive #8. Are you sure? (Y/N): If the position and drive shown are correct, press the "Y" key. Otherwise, press "N" and repeat steps 1-3 above. 4. The story will prompt you to Insert SAVE disk into Drive #8. Press [RETURN] to continue. Insert your formatted SAVE disk into the indicated drive and press the RETURN key. The disk will spin for a minute or two as your story position is being saved. 5. Now you will see the prompt Insert Side 2 of the STORY disk into Drive #8. Press [RETURN] to continue. Make sure that side 2 of the Story disk is inserted into drive #8 and press the RETURN key. If you save to drive #9 this step will be skipped. If all is well, you'll see the message Okay. If you receive an error message, or the game responds with Failed. consult the Troubleshooting Section of this booklet. You may now continue the story. You can use the SAVE disk and the RESTORE command to return to this position at any time. V. Restoring a Saved Position To restore a previously saved story position, type RESTORE at the > prompt. Then follow the steps in Section IV, above. VI. SCRIPTing SCRIPTing is an optional feature which is not needed to complete a story and may not be available with certain hardware. If you have an 80-column line printer that connects to the serial extension port on the back of your disk drive, you may make a transcript of your story as you go along. 1. Connect the printer to the serial extension port on the back of your disk drive. 2. Turn on the printer and set it on-line. Then turn on your disk drive(s) and computer. 3. Load the story disk as described in Section II. 4. To begin the transcript at any time type SCRIPT at the > prompt. To stop the transcript, type UNSCRIPT. SCRIPT and UNSCRIPT may be used as often as desired for as long as the printer is left on-line. VII. Troubleshooting A. If the story fails to load properly, if SAVE, RESTORE or SCRIPT fails, or if you receive an error message, check each of the following items. If none of these offers a solution, consult your dealer for assistance. 1. Make sure all connections are secured and all power switches are turned on. 2. Inspect all disks for any visible damage. 3. Make sure each disk is in the proper drive. The story disk can only be run from drive #8. For SAVE/RESTORE make sure that you have specified the correct drive numer for the SAVE disk and that you have replaced the story disk in drive #8 before proceeding with the story. 4. Make sure all disks are inserted correctly and all drive doors are closed. 5. When saving a story position, make sure the write-protect notch on the edge of the SAVE disk is not covered. Also make certain the SAVE disk has been formatted properly. As a last resort, try a different SAVE disk. 6. If you have problems loading the game and you have 1571 drives, it may be necessary to enter a one-line BASIC command found on page 5 of your 1571 owner's manual to put you in 1541 mode: OPEN 1,8,15,"U0>M0" NOTE: 0 is the numeral. 7. Try again, the problem may only be momentary. If all else fails, call the Infocom TECHNICAL HOTLINE at (617) 576-3190. Please note that this is for technical problems only, not hints. B. If you receive an error message, follow this procedure: Boot the story disk and start the story. When the > prompt appears, type $VERIFY. Follow the instructions on the screen. The disk will spin for several minutes and a message similar to one of the following will appear. 1. DISK CORRECT. The disk has not been damaged, the story data is intact. This may indicate a problem with your hardware (usually the disk drive). It is also possible that the story program contains a bug. If you suspect a bug, call the Infocom Technical Hotline at the number above. 2. FAILED or INTERNAL ERROR. This reply indicates either a hardware trouble or disk damage. Repeat the $VERIFY process several times. Also try to $VERIFY the disk on another computer system (such as your dealer's). If the story ever replies DISK CORRECT, the problem is in your hardware. If you repeatedly receive an error message with more than one computer, the disk is probably damage. Please return the disk only to Infocom for testing. SPECIAL NOTE FOR COMMODORE 64 USERS The information contained in the Interactive Fiction Plus Reference Card for the Commodore 128, that came with your story package, is completely compatible with Commodore 64 operation in all but the following two places. 1) In the section entitled What you Need: Disregard the line "An 80 column monitor." You will use a 40 column monitor. 2) In the section entitled Loading the Disk: Disregard this entire section and use the following procedure: To load the story on a Commodore 64: 1. Turn on your monitor, disk drive, and printer. Then turn on your computer. The "READY" prompt should appear. 2. Insert side 1 of the story disk into drive #8 and close the drive door. 3. Type: LOAD "STORY",8 [RETURN] 4. When the "READY" prompt reappears, Type: RUN [RETURN] 5. After a few moments, you will see Loading from a Commodore 1541 or 1571 Disk Drive? (Press Y or N) Press the "Y" key only if you are using a Commodore 1541 or 1571 as your main disk drive (device #8). Otherwise, press the "N" key. At this point the message The story is loading... will appear on the screen. Then, after a few minutes, you will see a message asking you to insert side 2 into the drive. Remove the story disk, flip it over and reinsert it into the same drive, close the drive door and then press RETURN. The story will now finish loading. You will nod need to flip the disk again unless you reboot or use the RESTART command. If nothing appears on your screen or you get an error message, something is wrong. Refer the the Troubleshooting section for help. *** INSTRUCTION MANUAL If you've never played Infocom's interactive fiction before, you should read this entire instruction manual. If you're an experienced Infocom game player, you may only want to read Section I: About The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I: About the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Preface to the Story Hints Sample Transcript and Map About the Authors Section II: About Infocom's Interactive Fiction An Overview: What Is Interactive Ficion Starting and Stopping "Booting up" Saving and restoring Quitting and restarting Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction Basic sentences Complex sentences Talking to characters in the story Special Commands Tips for Novices Eleven useful pointers about interactive fiction Common Complaints We're Never Satisfied If You Have Technical Problems Copyright and Warranty Information Quick Refeence Guide The most important things to know about interactive fiction SECTION I: ABOUT THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Preface to the Story Don't Panic! Relax, because everything you need to know about playing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is contained in the pages of this manual. In this story, you will be Arthur Dent, a rather ordinary earth creature who gets swept up in a whirlwind of interstellar adventures almost beyond comprehension. As the story begins, bulldozers are waiting to reduce your house to rubble to make way for a motorway bypass. While you attempt to deal with this problem, your rather strange friend Ford Prefect drops by to tell you that the Earth is about to be demolished to make way for an interstellar bypass! If you survive this double threat, you'll embark on a series of intergalactic misadventures even funnier than your worst nightmares! And, because anything is possible in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you may soon not even be sure of your own identity! A special note for people who have read the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Although the opening of the game is fairly similar to the book, the store quickly diverges, with lots of new material and different twists. Although familiarity with the story make a few of the early puzzles easier, if you rely too heavily on this previous knowledge you will certainly end up getting misled Hints This version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy includes hints! If you ever get stuck, you can type HINT and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions on your screen. Most of the hints are nudges in the right direction; the last hint in the sequence is usually a complete answer. Sample Transcript and Map This transcript is not from Hitchhiker's but it does show most of the things you can do in the story. It contains several simple puzzles and their solutions, and it will give you a good idea on how interactive fiction works. The player's sentances appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the sample transcript. Table Workbench Hypodemic Needle Book +---------+ +---------+ +----------+ | OUTSIDE | | WAITING | | | | BLOOD |-----| ROOM |-----|LABORATORY| | BANK | | | | | +---------+ +---------+ +----------+ | Sign | Bench || | Doorbell | Smelling salts\/To taxi | | +---------+ N | STREET | /^\ | CORNER |--- | | | --+-- +---------+ | /\ ||From taxi >GET OUT OF THE TAXI The door is locked. "Hey, that's four pounds thirty, old chap." >GIVE THE FIND POUND NOTE TO THE DRIVER "Thanks, chum." >UNLOCK THE DOOR The taxi door is now unlocked. >GET OUT OF THE TAXI Street Corner. You are on a street corner on the outskirts of London. A signpost reveals that you are on the corner of Foominster and Frobbington. The sidewalk continues north and east. Because of the heavy traffic here, crossing the street is out of the question. >WHO AM I You are Chster Smith, an unemployed granola salesman. >WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF THE GAME? Well, the superficial object of the game is to get to the end of the story and achieve the maximum score. The real object of the game is to show a bunch of novices how interactive fiction works. >WALK NORTH Outside Blood Bank. You are in the middle of the block on a street that runs north-south. Immediately to the east is the entrance to amassive granite (Footnote 9) building. Next to the entrance is a sign and a doorbell. >FOOTNOTE 9 Well, concrete actually. We wanted a granite building for the story, but we couldn't afford it. But the concrete IS covered with a plastic veneer that does LOOK a lot like granite. >READ THE SIGN "OUTSKIRTS OF LONDON BLOOD BANK: We pay 30 pounds for a pint of blood. Painless, takes only an hour. Ring doorbell for admittance." >EAST The Blood Bank door is closed. >OPEN IT It's locked >RING THE DOORBLEL You already did that, didn't you? >NO I think you're wrong. I'm a computer, so I have a really terrific memory, and I'm almost positive you already rang the doorbell. Couldn't you be mistaken? >NO Hmmm... well, I just looked back, and I guess you didn't ring the doorbell after all. Do you still want to ring the doorbell? >YES The bell rings. A minute later, a stooped man opens the door and beckons you to enter. >ENTER THE BLOOD BANK Waiting Room. This is a dim room with exists to the east and wst. A narrow, winding stair leads downwards. The room is sparsely furnished with several uncomfortable-looking benches. There is no one waiting ahead of you. There is a bottle of smelling salts here. The stooped man slams the front door and blts it. "Please..ave a seat. It will only be several...minutes." He exits to the east. >SIT DOWN What do you want to sit down on? >THE BENCH You are now sitting on the bench. >ENJOY THE BENCH Easier said than done, considering how hard an uncomfortable the bench is. >TAKE THE BOTTLE OF SMELLING SALTS You can't reach it from the bech. >STAND UP You are on your own feet again. >TAKE THE BOTTLE OF SMELLING SALTS Your load is too heavy. >INVENTORY You have: a briefcase a suit It looks like the suit contains: a ten-pound note a grapefruit >OPEN THE BRIEFCASE Opening the briefcase receals an array of granola samples >DROP THE GRAPEFRUIT THEN TAKE THE BOTTLE OF SMELLING SALTS Dropped. Taken. >WAIT After all, what's a waiting room for? Time passes... The stooped man enters, pushing a wheelbarrow full of bones. You're no expert on the subject, but they sure don't look like chicken bones. He spills the boned down the winding stairway. >WEST The front door is closed. >OPEN THE DOOR WHich door do you mean, the front door or the laboratory door? >FRONT It's bolted. >LOOK Waiting Room. This is a dim room with exists to the east and wst. A narrow, winding stair leads downwards. The room is sparsely furnished with several uncomfortable-looking benches. There is no one waiting ahead of you. There is a grapefruit here. The stooped man is here, pushing a wheelbarrow. >STOOPED MAN, OPEN THE FRONT DOOR "Who are you calling stooped? I've got a name you know-- Igor." >IGOR, OPEN THE FRONT DOOR Igor chuckles. "Don't be nervous. It's completely..ainless. There's nothing to worry about." >IGOR, WHAT ABOUT THE BONES? "Oh! Um, they're just...fake bones...we use them for the...anatomy class on Wednesdays!" A gaunt man emerges from the doorway to the east. "Igor, bring in the next subject." He exits. >BREAK DOWN THE STREET DOOR This results in a very sore shoulder "If you'll just..step this way," says Igor, producing a cattle prod. >DON'T WALK EAST You bravely hold your ground. Igor pokes you with the prod. You feel less brave. >WALK EAST Laboratory This is an even dimmer room filled with strange apparatus. A person-sized table fills the center of the room. The mad scientist is here, rubbing his hands. Igor enters behinds you and locks the door. >DON'T PANIC You try your best. You fail. "The table..lease lie down...on the table," says Igor, fondling the prod. >LIE DOWN ON THE TABLE You are now lying on the table. The mad scientist quickly shackles your wrists and ankles. >MAD SCIENTIST, LET ME GO "Who are you calling mad? THey called me mad at Oxford also, but I'll show them!" The mad scientist produces a hypodermic needle filled with a bubbling green fluid. He slowly inserts the needle into your arm. Everything becomes dark and fuzzy... >LOOK Everything is dark and fuzzy. >NORTH If you recall, you passed out a few moves ago. >DIAGNOSE If you recall, you passed out a few moves ago. >LOOK AT ME Everything is dark and fuzzy. >WAIT Time passes... The fuzzines clears, and you find yourself in a strange new location. >LOOK West of House You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here. >OPEN THE MAILBOX Openting the small mailbox reveals a leaflet. >INVENTORY You have: a briefcase It looks like the briefcase contains: an array of granola samples a suit It looks like the suit contains: a ten-pound note a bottle of smelling salts >SMELL THE SMELLING SALTS It smells just like the lid of a bottle of smelling salts. >OPEN THE BOTTLE Opened. >SMELL THE SMELLING SALTS The smell is overpowering. Your sorroundings blur and grow indistinct... Laboratory Sitting on the table are: some bones Sitting on your workbench is: a hypodemic needle a book >IGOR, REMOVE THE BONES "Yes, master." Igor clears the table. "There's another subject waiting outside." >IGOR, BRING IN THE NEXT SUBJECT "Yes, master." >WHO AM I You are Baron von Edelstein, the "Mad Professor of Oxford." >EXAMINE THE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE It is filled with a bubbling green fluid, your indentity transfer serum. >READ THE BOOK (taking the book first) The book is entitled "Who's Who in Interactive Fiction Transcripts." It would take hours and hours to read the whole thing; perhaps you'd like to consult the book about a specific individual? >CONSULT THE BOOK ABOUT ME The entry about Baron von Edelstein reads, "A minor and poorly developed character in the Hitchhiker's sample transcript." Igor prods the subject into the room and onto the table. >INJECT THE SUBJECT WITH THE SERUM You're not holding the hypodermic needle. >TAKE THE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE Taken. >INJECT THE SUBJECT WITH THE SERUM The subject, who you forgot to shackle to the table, pushes you away. In the ensuing struggle, you accidentally inject yourself with the serum. Lights whirl around your head. Especially red, yellow and green lights. The lights slow down and finally stop whirling, and you realize that.... Your taxi is stopped at a traffic light. It's been an hour since your last fare. Suddenly, someone pulls open the door and slides into the back seat. "Corner of Frobbington and Foominster, please." About the Authors Douglas Adams graduated from Cambridge in 1974, where he was an active member of the Footlights Club, which launched the careers of many of Britain's great comics. He has collaborated on sever projects with Monty Python's Graham Chapman, and has worked as a writer and script editor for the TV series Dr. Who. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began as a radio serial, and its popularity soon propelled into four books, a television series, two records and a stage show. Given Adam's fondness for Infocom's computerized fiction, and Infocom's soft spot for the Hitchhiker's saga, it was only a matter of time before the two teamed up to produce an interactive version. Adams second work of interactive fiction was Bureaucrazy. He is listed first (thanks to alphabetical order) in Britain's Who's Who Among Zany Comedy Science Fiction Authors, where his entry reads "Mostly harmless." Steve Meretzky was born in mid-1957, frightening the Soviet Union into the early launching of its Sputnik satellite. Meretzky's gestalt was shaped by a number of painful childhood experiences, including growing up in Yonkers and rooting for the New York Mets. His first contact with interactive fiction came while he was a student at MIT. (We use "student" in the most general sense.) Meretzky now lives near Boston. He and his wife Betty are expecting to increase the size of their family by approximately 50% sometime in early 1988. Meretzky is irresponsibly responsible for the following other Infocom titles: Planetfall, Sorcerer, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Leather Goddesses of Phobos and Stationfall. SECTION II: ABOUT INFOCOM'S INTERACTIVE FICTION An Overview. What Is Interactive Fiction? Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main character. Your own thinking and imagination determine the actions of that character and guide the story from start to finish. Each work of interactive fiction, such as Hitchhiker's, presents you with a series of locations, items, characters and events. You can interact with these in a variety of ways. To move from place to place, type the direction you want to go. When you find yourself in a new location, it's a good idea to become more familiar with your surroundings by exploring nearby rooms and reading each descsription carefully. (You may notice that Hitchhiker's occasionally refers to a location as a "room," even if you are outdoors.) As you explore the galaxy, it is helpful to make a map of the geography. An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. You should think of a locked foor or a ferocious beast not as a permament obstacle, but merely as a puzzle to be tackled. Solving puzzles will frequently involve bringing a certain item with you, and then using it in the prober way. In Hitcchiker's, time passes only in response to your input. You might imagine a clock that ticks only once for each sentence you type, and the story progresses only at each tick. Nothing happens until you type a sentence and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, so you can play your turn as slowly and carefully as you want. To measure your progress, Hitchhiker's keeps track of your score. You may get points for solving puzzles, performing certain actions, or visiting certain locations. Keeping track of what action result in an increase in your score will help you learn what the goal of the story is. Starting and Stopping Starting the story: To load Hitchhiker's, follow the instructions on the Reference Card in your package. Following the copyright notice and the release number of the story, you will see a message which begins the story. Then the prompt (>) will appear, indicating that Hitchhiker's is waiting for your first input. Here are a few inputs for you to try at the first several prompts. After typing each input, don't forget to press the RETURN (or ENTER) key: >TURN ON THE LIGHT >LOOK UNDER THE BED >INVENTORY >LOOK AT THE GOWN You should now have a feel for interacting with the story. You decide what to do next. Saving and restoring: It will proably take you many days to complete Hitcchiker's. Using the SAVE feature, you can continue at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading. SAVE puts a "snapshot" of your place in the story onto another disk. You may want to save your place before (or after) trying something dangerous or tricky. That way, you can go back to that position later, even if you have gotten lost or "killed" since then. To save your place in the story, type SAVE at the prompt (>), and then press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the instructions for saving and restoring on your Reference Card. Some systems require a blank disk, initialized and formatted, for saves. Using a disk with data on it (not counting other Hitchhiker's saves) may result in the loss of that data, depending on your system. You can restore a saved position any time you want. To do so, type RESTORE at the prompt (>), press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Then follow the insttructions on your Reference Card. You can then continue the story from the point where you used the SAVE command. You can type LOOK for a description of where you are. Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over from the beginning, type RESTART and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. (This is usually faster than re-booting.) Just to make sure, Hitchhiker's will ask you if you really want to start over. If you do, type Y or YES and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. If you want to stor entirely, type QUIT and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Once again, Hitchhiker's will ask if this is really what you want to do. Remember when you RESTART or QUIT: if you want to be able to return to your current position, you must first do a SAVE. Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction In Hitchhiker's, you type your sentence in plain English each time you see the prompt (>). Hitchhiker's usually acts as if your sentence begin with "I want to..." although you shouldn't actually type those words. You can use words like THE if you want, and you can use capital letters if you want; Hitchhiker's doesn't care either way. When you have finished typing a sentence press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Hitchhiker's will respond, telling you whether your request is possible at this point in the story, and what happened as a result. Hitchhiker's recognizes your words by their first six letters, and all subsequent letters are ignored. Therefore, BULLDOg, BULLDOgs, BULLDOzer and BULLDOckpockingham (a small town in Dockpockinghamshire) would all be treated the same by Hitchhiker's. To move around, just type the desired direction: NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST and SOUTHWEST. You can abbreviate these to N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE and SW, respectively. You can use UP (or U) and DOWN (or D), IN and OUT will also work in certain places. On board a ship, you'll want to use the direction PORT (or P), STARBOARD (or SB), FORE (or F), and AFT. Hitchhiker's understand many different kinds of sentences. Here are several examples. (Note that some of these objects do not actually appear in Hitchhiker's.) >WALK NORTH >DOWN >NE >GO AFT >U >TAKE BOX >PICK UP THE CARDBOARD BOX >DROP IT >PUSH THE BUTTON >OPEN THE AIRLOCK DOOR >EXAMINE THE PRESSURE SUIT >LOOK BEHIND THE RHODODENDRON BUSH >LOOK UNDER THE TABLE >LOOK INSIDE THE REACTOR CAVITY >SHOOT THE BEAST WITH PEA SHOOTER >ATTACK THE BUREAUCRAT WITH THE COURT ORDER You can use multiple objects with certain verbs if you separate them by the word AND or by a comma. Some examples: >TAKE PENCIL, PAPER, STAMP >DROP THE MAP, THE FORK, AND THE THERMO-NUCLEAR WEAPON >PUT THE FRYING PAN AND THE EGGS IN THE CUPBOARD The word ALL refers to every visible object except those inside something else. If there were an apple on the ground and an orange inside a cabinet, TAKE ALL would take the apple, but not the orange. >TAKE ALL >TAKE ALL STAMPS >TAKE ALL THE STAMPS EXCEPT THE RED STAMP >TAKE ALL FROM THE DESK >GIVE ALL BUT THE PENCIL TO THE ROBOT >DROP ALL EXCEPT PEA SHOOTER You can include several sentences on one input line if you separate them by the word THEN or by a period. (Note that each sentence will still count as a turn.) You don't need a period at the end of the input line. For example, you could type all of the following at once, before pressing the RETURN (or ENTER) key: >EAST. TAKE THE GUN THEN PUT THE BULLET IN IT. SHOOT GERTRUDE If Hitchhiker's doesn't understand one of the sentences in your input line, or if something unusual happens, it will ignore the rest of your input line (see "Common Complaints" on page 13): There are only three kinds of questions that Hitchhiker's understands: WHAT, WHERE, and WHO. Here are the examples that you can try in the story: >WHAT IS ADVANCED TEA SUBSTITUTE? >WHERE IS THE TOWEL? >WHO IS ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX? You will meet other people and creatures in Hitchhiker's. You can "talk" to some of these beings by typing their name, then a comma, then whatever you want to say to them. Here are some examples: >BARTENDER, GIVE ME A DRINK >FORD, OPEN THE SATCHEL >CAPTAIN, WHAT ABOUT THE METEOR HOLE? >FRED, TAKE THE TOWEL THEN FOLLOW ME >MARVIN, KILL THE ALIEN.ENTER THE CLOSET Notice that in the last two examples, you are giving a person more than one command on the same input line. You can use quotes to answer a question, say something "out loud," or type something on a keyboard. For example: >SAY "HELLO" >ANSWER "MY NAME IS ZEKE" >TYPE "LOGOUT" Hitchhiker's tries to guess what you really mean when you don't give enough information. For example, if you say that you want to do something, but not what you want to do it to or with, Hitchhiker's will sometimes decide that there is only one possile object that you could mean. When it does so, it will tell you. For example: >SHOOT THE DOGGIE (with the ray gun) The cute little doggie is incinerated. or >GIVE THE TOWEL (to the hitchhiker) The hitchhiker naturally already has a towel, but thanks you politely for your offer. If your sentence is ambigous, Hitchhiker's will ask what you really mean. You can answer most of these questions briefly by supplying the missing information, rather than typing the entire input again. You can do this only at the very next prompt. Some examples: >CUT THE BREAD What do you want to cut the bread with? >THE KNIFE The bread is stale to the point of being petrified. or >KILL THE FLY WITH THE AXE Which axe do you mean, the teensy axe or the atomic-powered supersonic planet-smashing axe? >TEENSY The fly expires. Hitchhiker's uses many words in its descriptions that it will not recognize in your sentences. For example, you might read, "Disgusting gobs of yellow goo ooze out of the monsters elbows." However, if Hitchhiker's doesn't recognize the words GOO or ELBOWS in your input. you can assume that they are not important to your completion of the story, except to provide you with a more vivid description of where you are or what is going on. Hitchhiker's recognizes over 800 words, nearly all that you are likely to use in your sentences. If Hitchhiker's doesn't know a word you used, or any of its synonyms, you are almost certainly trying something that is not important in continuing your adventure. Special Commands There are a number of one-word commands that you can type instead of a sentence. You can use them over and over as needed. Some count as a turn, others do not. Type the command after the prompt (>) and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. AGAIN--Hitchhiker's will usually respond as if you had repeated your previous sentence. Among the cases where AGAIN will not work is if you were just talking to another character. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G. BRIEF--This tells Hitchhiker's to give you the full description of a location only the first time you enter it. On subsequent visits, Hitchhiker's will tell you only the name of the location and the objects present. This is how Hitchhiker's will normally act, unless you tell it otherwise using the VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF commands. DIAGNOSE--Hitchhiker's will give you a medical report of your physical condition. This is particularly useful if you have just survived a dangerous part of the story. FOOTNOTE--Occasionally the text in Hitchhiker's will mention the existence of a footnote. To read the footnote, simply type FOOTNOTE followed by the appropriate footnote number (for example, FOOTNOTE 2). This will not count as a turn. HINT--If you have difficulty while playing the story, and you can't figure out what to do, just type HINT. Then follows the directions at the top of your screen to read the hint of your choice. INVENTORY--Hitchhiker's will list what you are carrying. You can abbreviate INVENTORY to I. LOOK--This tells Hitchhiker's to describe your location in full detail. You can abbreviate LOOK to L. QUIT--This lets you stop. If you want to save your position before quitting, follow the instruction in the "Starting and Stopping" section on page 8. You can abbreviate QUIT to Q. RESTART--This stops the story and starts over from the beginning. RESTORE--This restores a position made using the SAVE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 8 for more details. SAVE--This makes a "snapshot" of your current position onto your storage disk. You can return to a saved position in the future using the RESTORE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 8 for more details. SCORE--Hitchhiker's will show your current score and the number of turns you have taken. SCRIPT--This command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of the story as you venture onwards. A transcript may aid your memory but is not necessary. It will work only on certain computers; read your Reference Card for details. SUPERBRIEF--This commands Hitchhiker's to display only the name of a place you have entered, even if you have never been there before. In this mode, Hitchhiker's will not even mention which objects are present. Of cource, you can always get a description of your location, and the items there, by typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the blank line between turns will be eliminated. This mode is meant for players who are already very familiar with the geography. See also VERBOSE and BRIEF. UNSCRIPT--This commands your printer to stop making a transcript. VERBOSE--This tells Hitchhiker's that you want a complete description of each location, and the objects in it, every time you enter a location, even if you've been there before. Also see BRIEF and SUPERBRIEF. VERSION--Hitchhiker's responds by showing you the release number and the serial number of your copy of the story. Please indicate this information if you ever report a "bug" in the story. WAIT--This will cause time in the story to pass. Normally, between turns, nothing happens in the story. You could leave your computer, take a nap, and return to the story to find that nothing has changed. You can use WAIT to make time pass in the story without doing anything. For example, if you encounter an alien being, you could WAIT to see what it will do. Or, if you are in a moving vehicle, you could WAIT to see where it will go. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z. Tips for Novices 1. You may want to draw a map showing each location and the directions connecting it to adjoining locations. When you find yourself in a new location, make a note of any interesting objects there. (See the small sample map that goes along with the sample transcript on page 3.) There are 10 possible directions (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, UP and DOWN) plus IN and OUT. Drawing a map isn't essential in Hitchhiker's, but you might find it useful. 2. EXAMINE all objects you come across in the story. 3. If you find an object that you think you can use, TAKE IT. Some objects will help you solve some of the puzzles. 4. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or get "killed," you won't have to start over from the beginning. See page 8 for instructions. 5. Read the story carefully! There are often clues in the descriptions of locations and objects. 6. Try everything you can think of - even strange or dangerous actions may provide clues, and might prove to be fun! You can always save your position first if you want. Here's a silly example: >GIVE THE TARNISHED COIN TO THE USHER The usher looks unimpressed, and begins leading you toward the last row of the theatre. You've just learned there is something (such as the crisp bill) which might convince the usher to give you a front row seat ... perhaps even a front row seat next to Queen Isameera and her dreadfully expensive and easy-to-steal diamond-studded tiara. 7. Unlike other "adventure games" you may have played, there are many possible routes to the end of Hitchiker's. If you get stuck on one puzzle, move on to another. Some puzzles have more than one solution; other puzzles don't need to be solved at all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or information you need to solve another puzzle. 8. You may find it helpful to go through hitchhiker's with another person. Different people may find different puzzles easy and can often complement each other. 9. If you really have difficulty, you can type HINT. The screen will then show you a list of question to which you can get answers. (Simply follow the directions at the top of the screen to see the hint of your choice.) You don't need to use the hints to enjoy the story, but it will make solving the puzzles easier. 10. Read the sample transcript on page 3 to get a feel for how Infocom's interactive fiction works. 11. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, if you wanted to take a blue jacket, you could type in any of the following: >GET JACKET >TAKE THE JACKET >PICK UP THE BLUE JACKET If you type in a command that Hitchhiker's doesn't understand, try rephrasing the command or using synonyms. If Hitchhiker's still doesn't understand your command, you are almost certainly trying something that is not important in continuing your adventure. Common Complaints Hitchhiker's will complain if you type a sentence that confuses it completely. Hitchhiker's will then ignore the rest of the input line. (Unusual events, such as being attacked, may also cause Hitchhiker's to ignore the rest of the sentences you typed, since the event may have changed your situation drastically.) Some of Hitchhiker's complaints: I don't know the word "______". The word you typed is not in the story's vocabulary. Sometimes using a synonym or rephrasing will help. If not, Hitchhiker's probably doesn't know the idea you were trying to get across and it isn't necessary to complete the story. You used the word "______" in a way that I don't understaind. Hitchhiker's knows the word, but couldn't use it in that sense. Usually this is because Hitchhiker's knows the word as a different part of speech. For example, if you typed PRESS THE LOWER BUTTON, you are using LOWER as an adjective, but Hitchhiker's might know LOWER only as a verb, as in LOWER THE BOOM. There was no verb in that sentence! Unless you are answering a question, each sentence must have a verb (or a command) in it somewhere. There seems to be a noun missing in that sentence! This usually means that your sentence was incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE. There were too many nouns in that sentence. An example is PUT THE SOUP IN THE BOWL WITH THE LADLE, which has three noun "phrases," one more then Hitchhiker's can digest in a single action. I beg your pardon? You pressed the RETURN (or ENTER) key without typing anything. It's too dark to see! In the story, there was not enough light to perform your action. Be specific: what object do you want to "______"? You used HIM, HER or IT, but Hitchhiker's isn't sure what person or object you meant. You can't see any "______" here! The item you referred to was not visible. It may be somewhere else, inside a closed container, and so on. The other object(s) that you mentioned isn't (aren't) here. You referred to two or more items in the same sentence, and at least one of them wasn't visible to you in your present location. You can't go that way. There was no passage or exit in the direction you tried to move. You can't use multiple (in)direct object with "______". You can refer to several items at the same time only with certain verbs. Among the more useful of these are TAKE, DROP, and PUT. This restriction applies to the use of ALL, as in DROP ALL. For example, ATTACK will not work with multiple objects; you couldn't say ATTACK ALL or ATTACK THE BEAST AND THE ROBOT. The sentence isn't one I recognize. The sentence you typed may have been gibberish, such as GIVE COMPUTER WITH SWORD. Or, you may have typed a reasonable sentence but used a syntax that Hitchhiker's does not recognize, such as SMELL UNDER THE ROCK. Try rephrasing the sentence. We're Never Satisfied Here at Infocom, we take great pride in the quality of our stories. Even after they're "out the door," we're constantly improving, honing and perfecting. Your input is important. No matter how much testing we do, it seems that some bugs never crawl into view until thousands of you begin doing all those wild and crazy things to the story. If you find a bug, or if you think a certain puzzle was too hard or too easy, or if you'd just like to tell us your opinion of the story, drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter from you is just such an excuse! Write to: Infocom, Inc. 125 CambridgePark Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 Attn: Marvin If You Have Technical Problems You can call the Infocom Technical Support Team to report bugs and technical problems, but not for hints to solve puzzles, at (617) 576-3190. If your disk develops a problem within ninety (90) days after purchase, we will replace it at no charge. Otherwise, there is a replacement fee of $5.00 (U.S. funds). If you call to report a bug, please provide your release number, which you can find by typing VERSION. Please return your warranty/registration card if you'd like to be on our mailing list and receive our newsletter. Copyright and Warranty Information Limited Warranty This software product and the attached instructional materials are sold "AS IS," without warranty as to their performance. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the computer software program is asumed by the user. However, the original purchaser of a disk prepared by Infocom and carrying the Infocom label on the disk jacket, Infocom, Inc. warrants the medium on which the program is recorded to be free from defects in materials and faulty workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If during this period a defect on the medium should occur, the medium may be returned to Infocom, Inc. or to an authorized Infocom, Inc. dealer, and Infocom, Inc. will replace the medium without charge to you. Your sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a defect is expressly limited to replacement of the medium as provided above. THE ABOVE WARRANTIES FOR GOODS ARE IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF INFOCOM, INC. IN NO EVENT SHALL INFOCOM, INC. OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR BENEFITS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM, OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, DO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. N.B. After the warranty period, a defective Infocom disk may be returned to Infocom, Inc. with a check or money order for $5.00 U.S. currency for replacement. Copyright The enclosed software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Infocom, Inc. It is published exclusively by Infocom, Inc. The distribution and sale of ths product are intended for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system specified. lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory of a computer solely for the purpose of executing the program. Copying (except for one backup copy on those systems that provide for it--see Reference Card), duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing this product is a violation of the law. This manual and all other documentation contained herein are copyrighted and all rights reserved by Infocom, Inc. These documents may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior written consent, in writing, from Infocom, Inc. Willful violations of the Copyright Law of the United States can result in civil damages of up to $50,000 in addition to actual damages, plus criminal penalties of up to one year imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a trademark of Douglas Adams. Planetfall, Sorcerer, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Bureaucracy and Stationfall are trademarks of Infocom, Inc. (c) 1987 Infocom, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Quick Reference Guide 1. To start the story ("boot up"), see the separate Reference Car din your Hichhiker's package. 2. When you see the prompt (>) on your screen, Hitchhiker's is waiting for your input. There are four kind of sentences or commands that Hitchhikers's understands: A. Direction commands. To move from place to place, just type the direction you want to go: N (or NORTH), E, S, W, NE, SE, NW, SW, U (or UP), D, IN, OUT, P (or PORT), SB, F, or AFT. B. Actions. Just type whatever you want to do. Some examples: READ THE BOOK or OPEN THE DOOR or LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW. Once you are familiar with simple commands, you'll want to use more complex ones as decsribed in "Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction" on page 8. C. Commands given to people: To talk to other characters in the story, type their name, then a comma, then what you want to say to them. For example: MARVIN, GIVE ME THE AXE or OLD MAN, GO NORTH. D. Special one-word commands: Some one-word commands, such as INVENTORY or DIAGNOSE, gives you specific information or affect your output. A list of these appears in the "Special Commands" section on page 10. 3. Improtant! After typing your sentence or command, you must press the RETURN (or ENTER) key before Hitchhiker's will respond. 4. On mst computers, your screen will have a special line called the "status line." It tells you the of your current location, your score, and the number of turns you have taken. 5. You can pick up and carry many of the items you'll find in the story. For example, if you type "TAKE THE NECKLACE", you will be carrying it. Type INVENTORY to see a list of the items you are carrying. 6. WHen you want to stop, save your place for later, or start over, read the "Starting and Stopping" section on page 8. 7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of this manual for more detailed instructions. ********* The end of the Project 64 etext of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy manual. *********