1348 lines
66 KiB
Plaintext
1348 lines
66 KiB
Plaintext
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ULTIMA
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Worlds of Adventure ][
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MARTIAN DREAMS
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Game Documentation
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HumbleDox
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6/5/91
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BEGINNING PLAY
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To begin play from your hard disk prompt (for example, C:>),
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type CD\MARTIAN to change to the Martian Dreams
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subdirectory. (If you selected a path name other than our default
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choice, change to the subdirectory to which you installed the
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game.)
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After selecting the game subdirectory, type
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MARTIAN< ENTER> to begin.
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THE MAIN MENU
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After loading, an introductory sequence begins. The
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introduction runs automatically, but you can press <ENTER> to
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skip quickly from one scene to the next. Press <ESCAPE> if you
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wish to leave this sequence entirely. Next, the main menu
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appears, listing four options: RUN INTRODUCTION, CREATE
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CHARALCTER, CONTINUE GAME and ABOUT MARTIAN DREAMS.
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To select one of these options, use the arrow keys or
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numeric keypad to higmight the option you want and then press
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<ENTER>.
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To exit the introduction, character creation or credits,
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press <ESCAPE>.
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These sequences will run automatically, but you can move
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from one screen to the next more quickly by pressing <SPACE>.
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[Run Introduction]
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RUN INTRODUCTION tells how you arrived on Mars. Information
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in this sequence is vital to your quest.
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[Create Character]
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CREATE CHARACTER must be selected the first time you play.
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When you are asked to name your character, a flashing cursor
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appears on screen. Type your character's name (up to 12 letters
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long) and then press <ENTER>. If you do not type a name, the game
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assumes you are using the default (Avatar). Go on to the next
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portion of the character creation system by pressing <SPACE>.
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During character creation, you are asked a series of
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questions. Answer A or B to each question by typing in the
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appropriate letter. The answers you provide determine the
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attributes and gender of the character you play. For example, to
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play a male character, tell Dr. Freud that you identify with your
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father (A); to play a female, identify with your mother (B).
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[Continue Game]
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CONTINUE GAME lets you begin playing Martian Dreams. In
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future sessions, this selection returns you to your last saved
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game. You can also continue a saved game directly from DOS by
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typing GAME at the \MARTIAN prompt.
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[About Martian Dreams]
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ABOUT MARTIAN DREAMS lists all of the people who worked on
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the game.
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USING THE MOUSE
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Martian Dreams allows you to use a mouse and/or keyboard
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during play. All movement and icon selections can be handled
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using either of these devices. (For the exact uses of each device
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during game play, refer to the appropriate section(s) below.) If
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you use a mouse, bear in mind the following general rules:
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o The left mouse button is the select or "do-it" button.
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o The right mouse button can be used to select a "shortcut"
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command, so that a command is activated. whenever the right
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button is clicked.
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o The mouse pointer changes shape depending on where it is
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on the screen. On the Map, the pointer is a hand indicating your
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direction of travel. In the Status Display and Command Levers
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sections of the screen, the pointer changes to a magnifying
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glass. If you select a command that requires a location, the
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mouse remains a magnifying glass, even on the Map. The mouse
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changes to a pocket watch in the Message Display.
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SCREEN LAYOUT
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The game screen is divided into four regions -- the Map, the
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Status Display, the Message Display, and the Command Levers.
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THE MESSAGE
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DISPLAY
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At the lower right of the screen is the Message Display.
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All text describing things you see and hear, as well as the
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results of your actions, are shown here.
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When a message is too long to fit on the scroll, a flashing,
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downward pointing arrow appears at the bottom of the Display. To
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View the rest of the message, press the spacebar or position the
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cursor in the Message Display and click the mouse.
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When the game is waiting for keyboard input from you (when
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you are asked a "yes" or "no" question, for example, or when you
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must press <ENTER> to continue), a tiny Mars, orbited by its two
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moons, appears at the end of the current line in the Message
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Display. Press Y or N, or press <AUER> to continue.
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THE STATUS DISPLAY
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In the upper right-hand corner of the screen is the Status
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Display. This normally displays a roster of all the members of
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your party, along with each character's figure and current health
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points. A character whose health points are printed in red is
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hurt badly; one whose health points are blue is suffering from
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oxygen deprivation; white means a character is freezing; and
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purple indicates radiation poisoning.
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If you click on a character's name, you are shown his
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portrait and statistics. The higher a statistic is, the better.
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STR (Strength)
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Strength determines how much a character can carry and how
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effectively the character strikes with bludgeoning weapons.
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DEX (Dexteilty)
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Dexterity determines how fast the character is and how well
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the character uses non-bludgeoning weapons such as swords, guns,
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and other ranged weapons. Faster characters get to move and/ or
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attack more often than slower ones.
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IMT (intelligence)
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For characters other than the Avatar, Intelligence
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determines the ability to anticipate the results of certain
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actions. (Don't give an area-effect weapon with a wide firing arc
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to a character with low intelligence.) Intelligence also affects
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the duration of any psychokinetic powers acquired during the
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game.
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HP (Health Points)
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Health Points indicate the character's current health. This
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score is reduced by damage from poison and from injuries suffered
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in combat. Unconsciousness results when a character's HP score
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reaches 0.
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HM (Health Maximum)
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Health Maximum is the maximum number of health points a
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character can have. If your character's HP and HM scores are the
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same, the character is perfectly healthy.
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Lev (Level)
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Level is an indication of your character's overall prowess.
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Level increases as the character gains experience points (see
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below). Each time a character goes up a level, STR, DEX or INT
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increases. Maximum Health usually goes up, too.
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The character must rest in a tent (see Use, below)--and dream
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while doing so--to increase a level. (You will dream
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automatically when a character is ready to go up a level.)
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XP (Experience Points)
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Experience Points increase as the character accomplishes
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things in the game. Experience Points are earned for defeating
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hostile creatures. Points are lost when a charater is knocked
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unconscious.
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THE INVENTORY DISPLAY
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To view a character's inventory select one of the figures to the
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left of the roster by clicking on it with your mouse or pressing
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F1-F5.
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[Keyboard]
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The use of the mouse in the Inventory Display is explained
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in detail below.
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To use the keyboard, press the <TAB> key once. Crosshairs
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appear in the Map window on top of the active character (the
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Avatar urdess you're in solo mode with another character). This
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selects that character.
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Press <TAB > again and the inventory of the selected
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character appears in the Status Display. The crosshairs appear
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on the character figure above the inventory.
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Use the arrow keys or the numeric keypad to move the
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crosshairs within the Inventory Display. When the crosshairs are
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on the item or button you want to select, press <ENTER>.
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To the crosshairs to the map window, press <TAB>.
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The < PLUS > (+) key moves to the next character's Status
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Display.
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The <MINUS > (-) key displays the previous character's
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Status Display.
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Pressing F10 returns to the party roster display.
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The <ASTERISK> (*) key toggles between a character's
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Portrait and Inventory Display in the Status Display.
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The <ESCAPE> key cancels selections and causes the
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crosshairs to disappear.
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[Readied Items]
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On the left side of the Inventory Display is a figure
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showing all equipment the selected characber has readied for
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immedlate use, either held in the hands or wom on the body. (Find
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clothes on board the space bullet as soon as possible-walking
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around Mars without any clothes is dangerous!)
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If you are holding something that requires both hands, the
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obbject will appear in one hand and an "X" will appear in the
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other-you will not be allowed to put anything in that hand.
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To ready or unready an item, click on it with the left mouse
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button.
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[Carried Items]
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On the right side of the Inventory Display are all
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non-readied items carried by the character.
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To look inside a container in your inventory, such as a bag,
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click on it. Click on it again to return to the main Inventory
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Display.
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To ready a carried item, click on it with the left mouse
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button.
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[Encumbrance]
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Below the readied item figure and the inventory are two
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measures of encumbrance:
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o E shows the weight of items you currently have equipped
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compared to the maximum weight your character is allowed to have
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equipped.
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o I shows the total weight of your entire inventory compared
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to the maximum weight you could possibly carry. When you view a
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container in your inventory, only the weight of the items in that
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container is shown.
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[Status Display Buttons]
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At the lower left of the Status Display are several buttons.
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As many as five buttons may be displayed at one time, depending
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upon the circumstances. (If you are viewing the last character,
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there is no Show Next Character button, just as there is no Show
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Previous Character option if you're viewing your Avatar.)
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From left to right, the functions of these buttons are:
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o Show Previous Character
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o Return to Party Display
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o Switch between Portrait and Inventory Displays
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o Show Next Character
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o Change Combat Mode (for that character)
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The functions of these buttons are self-explanatory, with
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one exception Change Combat Mode. You must determine how each
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character in your party will respond when battle is joined.
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There are four combat modes:
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o Attack. In this mode, a character closes with and attacks
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the nearest enemy.
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o Command. This allows you to control that characters
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actions each turn, just as you control what your own character
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does.
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o Range. This tells the character to stay at a safe
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distance and attack with ranged weapons.
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o Flee. A character in flee mode avoids combat as much as
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pcssible.
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A character's current combat mode is displayed in the bottom
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right-hand corner of the Status Display. To change modes, click
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the Change Combat Mode button to toggle through the various modes
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until the one you want is displayed. You can change a
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character's combat mode at any time, even in the middle of a
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battle.
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THE MAP
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The largest region, on the upper left side of the screen, is
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the Map. This show the world through which you are moving, with
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the view centered on you (or another member of your party if you
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are in his solo mode). Above the Map, the current position of
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the sun is shown.
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[Mouse]
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To move your characters with the mouse, position the pointer
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over the Map until it changes to a white pointing hand, point it
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in the direction you wish to move, and click the left button.
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Press and hold the left mouse button to move continuously,
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controlling your direction by steering the white hand.
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Some actions require you to select a location on the Map.
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(You may have to say where you want to drop an item, for
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example.) To select a location, click on it with the left mouse
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button.
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To pass your turn (doing nothing), position the mouse
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pointer over your character and click the left mouse button.
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[Keyboard]
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Move by pressing an arrow key, or one of the eight keys
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around the "5" on the numeric keypad.
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If asked to select where on the Map you want to perform an
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action, use these keys to move a set of crosshairs on the screen
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to the desired location and press <ENTER> to initiate the sction.
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To pass, press the spacebar.
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THE COMMAND
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LEVERS
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Below the map are eight command levers. With the mouse,
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move the pointer to the command lever you want to use and click
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the left mouse button. The lever will flip to the 'on," or down,
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position to show that the command has been activated. Then
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select the object or person you want to use the command on. To
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enter a command from the keyboard, simply press the first letter
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of its name.
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For frequently used commands, such as Get, Look, Attack or
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Use, you can click the right mouse button to lock a lever in the
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on position. Click the right button on a command and the lever
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will remain down until you click on a different command with the
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light button. Click the right button on anv person or object (on
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the map or in your inventory) and the locked command will be
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executed on that object. You can change the locked command at
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any time.
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Attack (A)
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Attack is used to fight monsters, animals or people, or to
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attempt to destroy objects. After choosing the Attack command,
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choose a target on the map that is within the range of the weapon
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you have ready.
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The active character can attack at any time, but the other
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party members only assist in combat when you press B to Begin
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Combat.
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Talk (T)
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Talk lets you converse with the people you encounter in the
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game. You can also speak with the members of your party,
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including Dr. Spector and Nellie Bly, who begin as party members,
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In fact, be sure to ask Nellie for regular updates from her
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notebook-she keeps track of your major accomplishments and goals
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during the game.
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After selecting Talk, select the character on the map you
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wish to speak with. The speaking character's portrait appears in
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the Status Display while he or she is speaking, and the
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conversation is displayed in the map window.
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You talk by typing single words on the keyboard and pressing
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<ENTER>. Only the first four letters of a word need to be typed.
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For example, the word "dreams" can be shortenecd to DREA.
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Most people will respond to the words NAME, JOB, and BYE
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(BYE ends a conversation, but you can accomplish the same thing
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by pressing <ENTER> without typing anything.) Some people also
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respond to the word JOIN, allowing you to add members to your
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party. (You can have no more than five people in your party.)
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If you or your party members are hurt during play, return to
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the space bullet and Talk with Dr. Blood. He will do his best to
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restore the injured character(s) to health.
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During the course of conversation, most people give you an
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idea of what they're interested in talking about when you begin
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the game, subjects they want to talk about are highlighted in
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red. This help function can be tumed off, by pressing
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<CONTROL>-H. However, with this help turned off, you'll have to
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figure out for yourself the key words in conversations. Be aware
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that even when help is on, some people also respond to
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unhighlighted subjects.
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Look (L)
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Look allows you to identify anyone or anything at the
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location you select on the map or in your inventory. When you
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use the Look command on an object you are adocent to, you will
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also search it. This reveals the contents of packs, bags, crates
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and so forth. It also allows you to find hidden items.
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Get (G)
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Get lets you pick up an object on the map. If the object
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isn't too heavy to carry, and you have room for it, it will be
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put into your inventory. Under ordinary circumstances, you must
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be standing next to an object to get it.
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Drop (D)
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Drop can be used to lighten your load by getting rid of
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items you no longer want to carry. First, select the item in
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your inventory, then choose a spot on the map to place it.
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Select the Drop command and then the object you wish to
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drop. Select a new location for the object and press enter.
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Like the Move command, Drop sometimes prompts you to enter
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the number of items you want to move. Enter the appropriate
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number and press <ENTER>. You can press <ENTER> alone to move
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all of them.
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Move (M)
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Move is used to push an item or to transfer it between
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characters in the party. Select the Move command and then the
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object you wish to move. Select a new location for the object
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and press <ENTER>.
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Some items (such as cans of oil, bullets and torches) are
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represented by a single picture in your inventory regardless of
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how many you are carrying. (A number below the picture shows how
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many you have.) When you move these items, you are prompted to
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type the number you want to move. Type the number and press
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<ENTER>. You can press <ENTER > alone to move all of them.
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If you select an item on the map, you can sometimes push it
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to a position adjacent to where it began. Living things might
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not let you move them.
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This command can be used to move things in and out of
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containers or from one character to another. For example, if you
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wish to give something in your inventory to somebody -else,
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select Move, then the object you want to give, and then the
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character receiving it.
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Certain heavy, wheeled ob@s can be moved simply by bumping
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into them. If they become wedged into a particular location, use
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the Move command to pull the object, then back out into the open.
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Use (U)
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In Martian Dreams, most objects have some function. Use
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lets you operate those objects. Among other things it lets you
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open and close doors, use a tent to rest, light or extinguish
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torches, and play musical instruments.
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To use an object that requires a target, select the target
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when the word "On" appears in the message window.
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For example, early in the game you must use a prybar on a
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hatch. To do this, click on the Use lever and then on the prybar
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(which can be readied or carried). When the "On" prompt appears
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in the message window, click on the hatch. Do this and Nikola
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Tesla will ask you a question to determine whether you are ready
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to venture forth. Answer his question, use the prybar again, and
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the hatch will pop right off its hinges.
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To play a musical instrument, Use it and press the numbers 0
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through 9 to sound individual notes. Press <ENTER> when
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finished.
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One weapon, the Belgian combine, can be Used as a shotgun, a
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rifle, or a combination of the two. To set the combine to one of
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these, Use it and enter S for shotgun, R for rifle, or C for a
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combination.
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Two Martian weapons-the heat ray and the freeze rav-can also
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be used in a variety of ways. For a single, narrow ray, Use
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these weapons and select the rifle (R) setting; for a wide beam,
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select the shotgun (s) setting; for a simultaneous ray and beam
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attack, select the combination (C) setting.
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Be sure to aquire a sextant early in your adventure---Use it
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and it will provide you with the latitude and longitude of your
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current location. This will allow you to return to the spot at a
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later date. In some cases, characters will tell you to go
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someplace and give you coordinates--the sextant can help you find
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those places.
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Begin/Break Off Combat (B)
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This switches back and forth between party mode and combat
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mode. In party mode, the members of your party automatically
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follow you around. In combat mode, each character behaves
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according to the combat mode you have selected for them on thier
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Inventory Display.
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OTHER KEYBOARD COMMANDS
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In addition to the mouse/keyboard commands already
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described, several keyboard-only commands will come in handy
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during play.
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1.2.3.4.5
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Each of these number keys activates solo mode for its
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corresponding party member. In solo mode, the party member
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selected can move around and perform actions while the rest of
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the party waits inactively. You cannot engage in conversation
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while in solo mode. Characters in solo mode shouldwt stray too
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far from the other party members.
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0 (Zero)
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This key retums you to party mode from solo mode. The
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previously inactive characters rejoin the character that was in
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solo mode.
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<CTRL>-S
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<CTRL>-S saves your current game position. Save frequently
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during play and aluwys save before trying anything
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<CTRL>-R
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<CTRL>-R restores your last saved' game. Anything you've
|
|
done, good or bad, since the last time you -saved will be gone.
|
|
The game is returned to the exact position you last saved.
|
|
|
|
<CTRL>-Q
|
|
|
|
<CTRL>-Q ends your current play session and retums you to
|
|
DOS. The game is not saved when you select this option.
|
|
|
|
<CTRL>-A
|
|
|
|
<CTRL>-A toggles the music on and off.
|
|
|
|
<CML>-Z
|
|
|
|
<CTRL>-Z toggles the sound effects on and off.
|
|
|
|
F1-F5
|
|
|
|
Each of these function keys activates the Status/ Inventory
|
|
Display for its corresponding party member.
|
|
|
|
Escape
|
|
|
|
<ESCAPE> aborts most game functions. Press <ESCAPE> if you
|
|
select a command or press a key by mistake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
@ MYSTERIES OF THE RED PLANET @
|
|
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
- FOREWORD -
|
|
|
|
I write these words aboard a colossal bullet rocketing from the
|
|
Earth to Mars. Wondrous as this is (and it is, I assure you,
|
|
quite wondrous), I am even more amazed by the fact that it is the
|
|
year 1895! Tesla - yes, the noted scientist of years pasi, Nikola
|
|
Tesla! is unsure how long tEe voyage will take, so I have decided
|
|
to pass the time recordina what mankind (circa 1895) knows of our
|
|
destination Mars. How I came by this information is a story in
|
|
itself:
|
|
Scientists have lono suspected that Mars was capable of
|
|
supporting intellic,ent life. As early as 1877, Italian
|
|
astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli mapped nearly eighty "canali"
|
|
criss-crossing the Nlartian surface - canals that he said
|
|
couldn't
|
|
possibly be the work of chance.
|
|
Among the scientists who followed in Schiaparelli's
|
|
footsteps
|
|
was an American, Percival Lowell, who in the early 1890's began
|
|
sludving the canals and other features of Mars. Remarkably, no
|
|
late-20th century sources record the fact that Lowell did more
|
|
than study the red planet from a distance - in 1893 he
|
|
constructed
|
|
a giant space cannon to send an expedition there!
|
|
When the cannon accidentally discharged ahead of schedule
|
|
(with several notable figures of the day aboard) most observers
|
|
agreed that the explosion must have vapofized the huge
|
|
bullet-ship
|
|
within, killing the passengers instantly. Luckily, the
|
|
extraordinarily inventive Nikola Tesla, one of Lowell's
|
|
associates
|
|
ori the space cannon project, remained optimistic about the fate
|
|
of those aboard the craft.
|
|
As planned, Tesla went ahead with ihe construction of a
|
|
system of reflectors which would allow him to flash Morse code
|
|
messages to the expedition (which had, in fact, crash-landed on
|
|
the red planet), Lowell set up a matching system of mirrors and
|
|
was able to send messages about what he and the other explorers
|
|
discovered on Mars.
|
|
Having read through the transcripts of Lowell's
|
|
messages,
|
|
I find myself puzzled - the Mars he described in his
|
|
messages is sovery different than the one we of the late 20th
|
|
century know. What could have changed the planet so in just 100
|
|
years? How could the Mariner and Viking spacecraft have missed
|
|
such clear evidence of Martian life? I most know the answers to
|
|
these questions. Perhaps we will uncover them during our
|
|
explorations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It seems likely that Lowell himself knows the answers, but
|
|
he is either unwilling or unable to tell us. His Morse code
|
|
messages ended abruptly not long after the first expedition
|
|
landed on the red planet. Why they ceased we do not know, but
|
|
cease they did. The information in this joumal is, therefore,
|
|
incomplete. Still, I will endeavor to record all that mankind
|
|
knows of Mars. The facts - if facts they be - may prove
|
|
invaluable to my fellow space travellers in the days and weeks
|
|
following our landing on Mars.
|
|
|
|
PLANETARY DATA & GEOGRAPHY
|
|
|
|
THOUGH details have changed, much of what 20th century man knows
|
|
of the red planet still appears to be accurate in 1895: Mars is
|
|
the fouilh planet from the Sun. The Martian day lasts 24 hours,
|
|
37 minutes. Its year is 687 Earth days long. Iiselliptical
|
|
orbit takes Mars as close as 128 million miles lo the Sun and as
|
|
far away as 15@ million miles. Iis distance from Earth ranges
|
|
from 40 million miles lo 250 million miles. The diameter of Mars
|
|
is 422L' miles at the equator, but only 4195 miles through the
|
|
poles. Its mass is significantly lower than that of the Eanh.
|
|
The gravitational pull of Mars is, therefore, 60 percent lower
|
|
than that of Eanh. For this reason, Mars loses hydrogen and
|
|
oxygen, the components of water, at a rate equivalent to 60,000
|
|
gallons of water a day. Another interesfing effect of Mars' weak
|
|
gravity is that escape velocity is only 11,214 mph, far less than
|
|
the 25,000 mph required to escape the confines of Earth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basins, Craters & Planitia
|
|
|
|
OVERALL, Mars has suffered neither more nor less from meteor and
|
|
asteroid strikes than ihe other inner planets. Still, Mars'
|
|
proximity to the asteroid belt has resulted in periodic bombard-
|
|
ments that are especially heavy. Sixteen impact craters with a
|
|
diameter of 150 miles or greater have been clearly identified.
|
|
These large, flat basins are called "planitia."
|
|
The Argyre planilia, -approximately 350 miles across. is
|
|
surrounded by mountains. Passaoe throuah these mountains @s
|
|
thouoht to be all but impossible.
|
|
The basin-like areas of central Mars are somewhat
|
|
different than Hollas, Argyre, and the other larae impact basins
|
|
the central planitia are believed to be lava plains created long
|
|
ago by the eruption of the Tharsis voicanoes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Caverns & Canyons
|
|
|
|
The surface of Mars is marred bv countless crevasses,
|
|
chasms, and fossae (miles-long, trough-like ditches).
|
|
IT The system of canyons we of the laic 20th century call Valles
|
|
Marineris is 1550 miles long, 125 miles wide at its widest point,
|
|
and 2.2 miles deep at its deepest. It @warfs Earth's magnificent
|
|
Grand Canyon (280 miles long, I 8 miles wide at its widest point,
|
|
and a little more than a mile deep) - irl fact, the Valles
|
|
Marineris would extend all the way from Chicago to Califomia.
|
|
The careless explorer could easily find himself lost in the
|
|
twisisting passages of this magnificent valley.
|
|
Noctis Labyrinthus, at the westem edge of the Valles
|
|
Marineris system. is a complex maze cf interconnecting channels.
|
|
Three smaller (thouch no less maze-likt) chasms link Noctis
|
|
Labvrinthus with Coprates Chasma. We must be careful to map
|
|
these areas carefully should we be forced to explore them in the
|
|
course of completing our mission.
|
|
Amazingly, Valles Marinen's is itself part of a system of
|
|
canyons 2800 miles long, 435 miles wide at its broadest point,
|
|
and over four miles deep. This canyon system would stretch all
|
|
the way across the United States!
|
|
Unlike Earth canyons, which are carved by running water,
|
|
Martian canyons often appear closed at both ends (meaning water
|
|
could not have flowed into or out of them). On the other hand,
|
|
the equatorial regions of Mars are marked by what are gererally
|
|
agreed to be dry river beds. Many of the canyons of Valles
|
|
Mar-ine6s spill out into these dried dver beds. No one knows how
|
|
'he canyons of Mars were really tonned. Perhaps our expedition
|
|
can solve this fascinating Martian fiddle.
|
|
In addition to canyons, Mars is @ddled with underground
|
|
tunnels and passages, some natural, others carved out eons ago by
|
|
the sentient Martian race. Some of these tunnels are home to
|
|
Martian wildlife, while others lead to underground factories (see
|
|
below). Here again, the watchword for would-be Martian
|
|
spelunkers
|
|
will be caution. Accurate maps may be all that stand between
|
|
survival and certain death.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dust Storms
|
|
|
|
Dust is the most common feature of the Martian surface.
|
|
Small particles are often waited aloft, while larger particles,
|
|
picked up by the wind, roll and bounce along the ground.
|
|
Extreme temperature contrasts. particularly near the poles and
|
|
in the Hellas region, create violent winds - up to 280 miles per
|
|
heur and raging dust storms. Tomade-like condifions are common
|
|
and quite deadly, often whipping the sandy surface of Mars to a
|
|
stinging frenzy. Flyina dust often blots out the entire surface
|
|
and blinds the unwary explorer.
|
|
Lowell repens that the only thing to do if one spots a
|
|
Martian dust storm is to run away. Seek shelter as quickly as
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
Ice Caps
|
|
|
|
MARS is devoid of surface Water. Most of the water that does
|
|
exist is locked up in huae ice caps at the poles. The north pole
|
|
is largely composed of water ice, while the south pole is a
|
|
combination of water and frozen carbon dioxide.
|
|
Lowell theorized that the Martians melted small portions of
|
|
the polar ice masses to fill their canals and irrigate the
|
|
equatorial region. Gargantuan lowers located near the north pole
|
|
appear to have been part of an elaborate system for fillinc, the
|
|
canals, but the rivers of polar exploration stymied the 1893
|
|
expedition's efforts to investigate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mountains & Voicanoes
|
|
|
|
Mars features some of the tallest and most rugged mountains and
|
|
volcanoes in the known universe. The voicanoes of Mars are note
|
|
worthy for reasons other than their prodioious Height - they
|
|
appear to have been formed from iron-rich, basattic lava. The
|
|
possibility exists that Mars may one day provide much of
|
|
mankind's iron ore and steel.
|
|
Just north of the equator is the Tharsis bulge, a raised
|
|
plain some five miles high and as far across as the United
|
|
Staies.
|
|
Tharsis boasts some of the highest points in the solar system.
|
|
Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano known to exist (90,000 feet
|
|
h@gh and well over 350 miles across!). By contrast, Mount
|
|
Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, is only 29,000 feet high.
|
|
Three slightly smaller volcanoes - Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons,
|
|
and Arsia Mons (each "just" six miles high) sit atop the Tharsis
|
|
bulge in a diagonal line southeast of Olympus.
|
|
The Elysium buloe rises 2.5 miles above the surface and
|
|
features somewhat smaller volcanoes than Tharsis. Only ihree of
|
|
the Elysium mountains are as much as 93 miles across. The
|
|
tallest
|
|
of them, Elysium Mons, stands 5.5 miles high. Albor Tholus and
|
|
Hecates Tholus, nearby, are a bit sinallel. Fortunately for us,
|
|
none of the volcanoes of Mars appear to be active!
|
|
|
|
HUMAN SURVIVAL ON MARS
|
|
|
|
The hard facts on the preceding pages appear to have changed
|
|
little during the 20th century. The same cannot be said of other
|
|
'Taspects of Mars. Though not as wild and fantastic as Edoar Rice
|
|
Burroughs imagined in his John Carter books, Mars is far from the
|
|
dead planet known to modem science.
|
|
Percival Lowell theorized that Mars was in the process of
|
|
coolina and losing its atmosphere, but it was not yet completely
|
|
dead. His trip to the red planet appears to have proved his
|
|
theories. Mars circa 1895 is capable of supporting life. Native
|
|
I ifeforrns abound, and mankind can, with difficulty, survive the
|
|
planet's harsh conditions. Among the dancers we can expect will
|
|
be intense cold and an atmosphere far thinner and lower in oxygen
|
|
than Earth's.
|
|
|
|
Cold
|
|
|
|
THE Martian surface temperature varies with the location, the
|
|
season and the time of day. The astronomers of the late 20th
|
|
century report IT temperatures as low as -250 degrees Fahrenheit
|
|
and as high as 90, with a typical range of -22 to - 1 12 degrees.
|
|
Curiously, Lowell found Mars to be significantly warmer,
|
|
though still dangerously cold. The most hazardous @me is between
|
|
the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. We must be sure to set up camp
|
|
during these hours and consider remaining in an insulated tent
|
|
until daylight. We also have a supply of heavy clothing to help
|
|
keep us warm.
|
|
|
|
Oxygen
|
|
|
|
THE atmosphere of Mars is much thinner than that of Earth.
|
|
By the 1990s, it was well established that the atmospheric
|
|
pressure on Mars was just one percent that of Earlh.
|
|
Hoever, the Mars explored by Lowell seems far more
|
|
hospitable than modem science would have us believe. Still, we
|
|
will soon land on a planet just barely capable of sustaining
|
|
life, We most anticipate reduced endurance, at the very least,
|
|
when we disembark.
|
|
The Lowell expedition discovered a substance called oxium
|
|
that makes life on Mars far more pleasant. The discovery of the
|
|
gooey, foul-tasting, life-giving substance was pure luck - an o@d
|
|
miner named Cooter McGee, gaspin- for breath and half mad from
|
|
lack of oxygen, happened to stumble into a cave littered with
|
|
geodes emitting air! When he broke open one of the aeodes he
|
|
found a blue gelatin within. Despite the horrid odor he popped a
|
|
wad in his mouth and began to chew. The taste was awful, but
|
|
each bile released a bit of oxygen. He knew in an instant that
|
|
he held the key to mankind's survival on Mars.
|
|
He dubbed the substance "oxium," and it quickly became both
|
|
a necessity of life and the stranded expedition's primary form of
|
|
currency. It was traded for all manner of foodstuffs, minerals,
|
|
objects, and Martian artifacts. He who has oxium is assured of
|
|
both health and wealth.
|
|
|
|
FLORA & FAUNA
|
|
As recently as the late ' 1800's, Mars teemed with life. As
|
|
dangerous as the cold and lack 'of oxygen may be, the most
|
|
serious threat 10 Ahuman life on Mars is the danger posed by
|
|
these decidebly alien and often hostile creatures.
|
|
According to Lowell's reports, there is l@ttle difference
|
|
between those Martian lifeforms described as "flora" and those we
|
|
would call "fauna." All Martian life appears to fall into one of
|
|
two categories: There are plant-like creatures (dubbed
|
|
"plantimals" by Iowell) and worin-like creatures.
|
|
All plantimals grow from seeds, spending at least a portion
|
|
of their "youths" rooted in the ground. When seedlings near
|
|
maturity, pods appear on the plant. Within each pod a new
|
|
plantimal grows. ne pods grow quite large and eventually burst,
|
|
releasing fully grown creatures.
|
|
While the pods are growing, plantimals derive nonfishment
|
|
from the ground, just like Earth plants, but they also acquire
|
|
something more plantimals are capable of extracting species
|
|
specific information from the soil in which they're planted! In
|
|
other words, the instincts of dembers of the seedling's species
|
|
that have died in the vicinity become part of the seedling's own
|
|
makeup. Each youngster acquires the "wisdom" of its
|
|
predecessors.
|
|
In the case of most wandering plantimals, little knowledge is
|
|
passed on. In the case of the sentient Martians, the benefits of
|
|
passing along multi-generational racial knowledge were dramatic.
|
|
Note that the red pods growing on some adult creatures are
|
|
edible seed pods - fruit. The seeds are scattered when a piece
|
|
of fruit falls from its host creature and bursts, allowing the
|
|
seeds to be blown about by the Martian winds. Seeds can also be
|
|
spread when herbivorous creatures pluck and eat the fruit of
|
|
other creatures (in a curious blurring of the distinction between
|
|
camivore and herbivore). The indigestible seeds pass through the
|
|
creature when it eliminates solid waste. Eventually the seeds
|
|
take root and the cycle begins again.
|
|
The worm-like creatures differ dramatically from plantimals
|
|
in appearance, habitat, and behavior. They are often shelled and
|
|
generally avoid the extreme conditions of the Martian surface,
|
|
living wellprotected beneath the surface. Worms are almost
|
|
always aggressive,
|
|
The unexplained disappearance of some members of the 1893
|
|
expedition led to rumors of the existence of mysterious,
|
|
horrible, and deadly Martian creatures. Whether Mars is home to
|
|
unidentified creatures and whether they are plant or worm is, as
|
|
yet, a mystery.
|
|
Here is a listing of all creatures known to exist on Mars.
|
|
The list may not be complete and further investigation is
|
|
definitely in order.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Airsquid
|
|
No Earthly equivalent exists for this, perhaps the strangest and
|
|
most surprising of Martian creatures. The camivorous airsquid is
|
|
a remarkable combination of hawk, squid, and jellyfish. It
|
|
floats. seemingly harmless, through the sky, its body suspended
|
|
below a distended bag filled with hydrogen gas. Blessed with
|
|
keen eyesight, it can spot prey at great distances. When it
|
|
finds a victim, the airsquid drops in vicious, gravity-aided
|
|
attack. Sharp teeth, a tearing beak, and grasping tentacles make
|
|
the airsquid a hideous and effective enemy. Not surprisingly,
|
|
the first expedition reports no siahtings underground. The
|
|
airsquid seems willing to float anywhere prey is to be found.
|
|
There is no place on the Martian surface free of these deadly
|
|
creatures.
|
|
|
|
Ammonoid
|
|
This primitive, snail-like creature dwells exclusively in the
|
|
dank, dark Martian underworld. Its spiky, thomed shell provides
|
|
ample protection against attack. Its tentacles allow it to grasp
|
|
prey, but the real danger posed by the ammonoids is the buming
|
|
acid secreted from suckers on the lower tentacle surface.
|
|
|
|
Bushato
|
|
The plains areas are home to this bison- or buffalo-like
|
|
herbivore. Herds of bushalo can ,T generally be found near the
|
|
wandering forests, feasting on the small plants found in and
|
|
around the woods. Though normally sedate, these massive,
|
|
hippopotamus-sized creatures are easily provoked. The charge of
|
|
a bushato. wood-like tusks clacking, is something to behold -
|
|
from a distance. The best advice that can be given is to leave
|
|
these creatures alone unless it is absolutely necessary to
|
|
disturb them.
|
|
|
|
Busbrat
|
|
Here is a curious anomaly - one of the few plantimals to be found
|
|
both above and below around. How these rat-like scaveniers
|
|
survive without the light of the sun so necessary to other plants
|
|
is a mystery. Perhaps it is akiri to Earth saprophytes
|
|
non-pholosynthesizing plants that survive on decaying organic
|
|
matter. Busbrats can be found everywhere, feeding on the remains
|
|
of dead worms and the kills of surface-dwelling carnivores.
|
|
Small, quick and blessed with razor sharp teeth and claws,
|
|
bushrats are surprisingly dangerous when provoked.
|
|
|
|
Canal Worm
|
|
No human has ever seen one of these creatures, but several
|
|
circular tapestries found in the Martian cities depict what
|
|
Lowell believes to have been huge, canal-dwelling worms. Several
|
|
features are immediately apparent. They had huge maws full of
|
|
row upon row of shark-like teeth. They must surely have been
|
|
quite ferocious, attacking anything that moved on or near the
|
|
canals. And they were large enough to swallow a man whole.
|
|
Perhaps it is a blessing that the canals are empty and mankind
|
|
need never fear these awesome beasts.
|
|
|
|
Cave Worm
|
|
Unlike its distant relafive, the extinct canal worm, cave worms
|
|
are quite real and quite deadly. These glowing, shelled cave
|
|
dwellers can grow to lengths up to ten feet, but a spitting
|
|
attack makes them a threat al far greater distances, Once prey
|
|
comes with in reach, a cave worm uses graspino tentacles to
|
|
squeeze the life from its victims Like many Martian creatures,
|
|
the cave worm secretes a bumino acid throueh its skin. Victims
|
|
are, in essence, rendered down to liquid which the mouthless worm
|
|
absorbs throgoh its skin.
|
|
|
|
Creeper
|
|
This rootless, leafy vine is the above-ground equivalent of the
|
|
cave worm. Its natural habitats are the mountainous reoions of
|
|
Mars, though ii will travel as far as necessary to find food. It
|
|
squirms about the surface and attacks by wrappine itself around
|
|
its victims and suffocating them. The creeper tends to be shy,
|
|
attacking only when requiring one of its infrequent feedings, but
|
|
it can respond viciously to provocation.
|
|
|
|
Creeping Cactus
|
|
Among the odder Martian creatures, this hybrid of cactus and sea
|
|
urchin rnoyes by ?,inflating its rear pods and de tating the ones
|
|
ahead, pushing it slowly across the surface. This is probably a
|
|
variation on the night mechanism used by the air squid, but the
|
|
creeping cactus is too heavy to get off the ground. Despite
|
|
their weight, the strong Martian winds often send creeping cacti
|
|
tumbling across the plains, like tumbleweed. Unlike tumbleweed,
|
|
however, the creeping cactus has pointy spines that can inflict
|
|
surprisingly serious damage.
|
|
|
|
Glow Worm
|
|
Though similar in appearance to their cousins, the rockworms,
|
|
glow worms are quite harrniess. Found only in the maze-like IT
|
|
underground passages of Mars, thes e shy creatures shrink into
|
|
their shells at the approach of any creature larger than a
|
|
bushrat. For reasons we can hardly guess, glow worms usually
|
|
cluster at points where passageways curve or reach a dead end.
|
|
Underground explorers quickly came to consider the creatures
|
|
their friends for, as their name indicates, they glow quite
|
|
fiercely. Whether this display is designed to scare away
|
|
would-be attackers, to blind underground predators used to the
|
|
dark, or to accomplish some other, unknown goal is a subje@t
|
|
worthy of further study.
|
|
|
|
Hedgehog
|
|
This belligerent, mid-sized camivore fills the ecological niche
|
|
of Earth wolves. Woody tusks, sharp fangs, and thoms that can be
|
|
sent flying through the air make the lone hedgehog quite
|
|
formidable. Unfortunately, they often travel in packs, making
|
|
them even more of a threat. A group of hedgehogs can take down a
|
|
bushalo with ease, and can even give a sextelleger a hard time.
|
|
Be ever alert for hedgehogs - they range far and wide and can be
|
|
found anywhere on the planet.
|
|
|
|
Jumping Bean
|
|
The rabbit-like jumping bean looks almost comical as it traverses
|
|
the Martian landscape with a peculiar hopping gait. Don't be
|
|
,deceived by its looks, however, or its herbivorous nature -
|
|
beans are quite aggressive. In fact, they're just plain nasty,
|
|
seemingly for the fun of it. (How else do you explain an
|
|
herbivore that attacks without provocation?) A pack of jumping
|
|
beans is quite dangerous, giving pause even to the camivores of
|
|
Mars.
|
|
|
|
Oxy-leech
|
|
This slug-like under-round life form feeds on oxium.
|
|
Unfonunately, these primitive creatures make no distinction
|
|
between veins of oxium ore and travelling adventurers with oxium
|
|
in their packs. The oxy-leech has a hideous. toothy mouth
|
|
opening, but does very little physical damaue, preferrin(y to
|
|
steal oxiuni and flee before victims can react. Generally found
|
|
near cave entrances and in ravines, the oxy-leech is a disoustina
|
|
creature, but more a nuisance than a genuine threat.
|
|
|
|
Plantelope
|
|
The gazelle-like plantelope may remind explorers of its
|
|
smaller cousin, the jumpino IT bean. Normally docile, it
|
|
tends to be shy, choosing to flee rather than ficht in almost
|
|
every case. The plains are its customary feeding grounds, though
|
|
herds of plantelope have been seen leaping goat-like in the
|
|
mountainous areas of Mars.
|
|
|
|
Planther
|
|
Fast, agile, and deadly, the planther is at the top of the
|
|
plantimal food chain. Though it rarely attacks the larger
|
|
herbivores, a hungry specimen of the breed can chase down
|
|
sextelleger (with some difficulty ... ).
|
|
Planthers tend to be loners, slicking to the mountainous regions
|
|
they love, but they move into the plains areas and travel in
|
|
small prides during pollination season.
|
|
|
|
Pod Devil
|
|
Here is a creature with no Earthly equivalent. Three times
|
|
during the Martian year, the mysterious pod devil blooms.
|
|
Anywhere from five to 30 pods appear on each mature adult.
|
|
Within each pod, a young devil begins to grow. If left alone,
|
|
the pods drop to the ground and a fully grown pod devil emerges.
|
|
If the "mother" plant is disturbed before the "babies" reach full
|
|
[Aatufity, a variable number of pods burst, releasing immature
|
|
(and quite vicious) devils. The young are bipedal, frog-like
|
|
whirlwinds of teeth and claws. They have been reported to attack
|
|
from a distance by hurling small stones, an indication of
|
|
relatively high intelligence. If one of the prematurely-released
|
|
young dies, a new pod devil plant grows on the spot. thus
|
|
assuring the continuation of the species.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proto-Martian
|
|
Though the sentient Martian race became extinct long before
|
|
man set foot on the red planet, a primitive relative manaoed
|
|
to survive. Though nowhere near as intelligent as their
|
|
ancient cousins, the omnivorous proto-martians are clearly the
|
|
top of the heap among the remaining plant creatures. (For the
|
|
sake of comparison, think of protomartians as somewhere between
|
|
gorillas and human cavemen in intellect.) Alone among plantimals,
|
|
the proto-martians travel in bands and use crude weapons (sticks,
|
|
hurled rocks, and so on). They generally live near the bases of
|
|
mountains, seeking the shelter of caves. They have also been
|
|
spotted roaming the plains, living in crudely constructed
|
|
shelters. Be wamed that proto-martians are not intellioent
|
|
enough to reason with. Consider them clever, dangerous animals.
|
|
|
|
Rockworm
|
|
HESE gigantic tube worms live coiled up under the earih IT with
|
|
only a hard, slime-covered tube visible at the surface. The
|
|
tubes are made of a caustic material regurgitated by the worm.
|
|
This same acidic ooze coals and lubricates the rockworm's body,
|
|
allowina it to emeroe with stariling speed from its subterranean
|
|
resting place. The slightest vibration on the surface draws the
|
|
rockworm out. The speed of its attack, the caustic ooze, and a
|
|
horrible thomy maw make each rockworm a threat. Making matters
|
|
worse, rockwon-ns tend to clump together in colonies and can be
|
|
vicious when provoked. They are best left undisturbed whenever
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
Sand Trapper
|
|
These large, pod-like creatures would appear to be easily avoided
|
|
they are completely immobile. Appearances can be deceiving,
|
|
however. Like the Earth insect known as the ant lion (or, more
|
|
popularly, the "doodlebug"), the sand trapper uses the lower
|
|
portion of its abdomen as a shovel and dias itself a deep,
|
|
conical pit in the loose sand of the plains. Any plantimal,
|
|
worm, or human who gets too close loses its fooling in the loo@se
|
|
sand and falls to the bottom, where the creature waits to devour
|
|
it. Even potential victims who don't fall within reach of the
|
|
waiting creature have little chance of climbing out as the sand
|
|
shifts beneath their feet. Escape is made even more difficult by
|
|
the trapper's grasping. ropy tentacles.
|
|
All in all, the sand trapper is a devouring machine - little more
|
|
than a huge mouth lined with Tazor sharp teeth. A spitting
|
|
attack can send a man tumbling down the slopes of its trap and
|
|
into its waiting jaws. Don't be lulled into a sense of false
|
|
security by its immobility. The sand Trapper is quite deadly.
|
|
|
|
Sextelleger
|
|
Here is another Martian plantimal with nc) Earthly equivalent.
|
|
No other creature encountered by Lowell and the others was
|
|
considered more dangerous or more malevolent. Even the planther
|
|
thinks twice before attacking o fully-grown sextelleger. The
|
|
six-legoed beast can only be described as a camivorcus
|
|
rhinoceros. A lone sextelleger is a menace, but one seldom
|
|
encounters a lone sextelleger - the creatures travel in herd,,,,
|
|
killing and devouring anything and everything in their paths.
|
|
|
|
Trees
|
|
The pod-trees are not true plantimals like the other lifeforms of
|
|
Mars, but they are, nonetheles, worthy of inclusion in a
|
|
compendium of Martian creatures. Unlike Earth trees, Martian
|
|
trees are capable of limited movement. For reasons not fully
|
|
understood by human explorers, the trees clump together in
|
|
forests and then wander together across the plains of Mars,
|
|
usually in the vicinity of the canals.
|
|
Explorers quickly detemined that it was not worth their time
|
|
and energy to map either the location of the forests or the paths
|
|
throuoh them. The next time they reached an area through which
|
|
they had passed earlier, the paths had changed and, in some
|
|
cases, the entire forest had moved!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE MYSTERY OF THE BERRIES
|
|
The 1893 explorers sent many coded messaoes back to Earth. All
|
|
of them were fantastic, but none were more remarkable than those
|
|
pertaining to tvlartian berries. Before the messa@es stopped,
|
|
Geor@e Washington Carver, noted agricuttufist and one of the
|
|
members of the 1893 expedition, catalogued many species of
|
|
immobile, non-sentient plants. At leas( three of these bore
|
|
fruit, specifically beefies. When eaten, these berries
|
|
reportedly conferred upon the user strange and inexplicable
|
|
psychic abilities.
|
|
Some who used the berries claimed to be able to read minds
|
|
(clairvoyance) or carry on conversations with inanimate objects
|
|
(psychometry). Others reportedly gained the ability to move and
|
|
use objects at a distance (telekinesis). Modem science generally
|
|
deilies the possibility of such powers, but then modem science
|
|
also denies the existence of life on Mars. Perhaps it would be
|
|
best to approach the subject of the Martian berries with an open,
|
|
inquisitive mind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MARTIAN CIVILIZATION
|
|
The irrefutable evidence of sentient life on Mars leads
|
|
inevitably to questions about who and what the Martians were.
|
|
What was their lifestyle? How advanced was their civilization and
|
|
how was it structured? After the members of the 1893 expedition
|
|
determined that they could, in fact, surviv@ on Mars, George
|
|
Washington Carver began seeking answers to these questions.
|
|
All available evidence ted Carver to conclude that the
|
|
one-time masters of Mars were sentient plant-creatures - highly
|
|
evolved plantimals, if you will. The remains of cities and towns
|
|
called "groves"-and the remarkable artifacts found in these
|
|
settlements indicate a high level of civilization.
|
|
|
|
Life Cycle
|
|
Like all Martian plantimals and, for that matter, all Earthly
|
|
plants, the sentient Martians (to be called simply "Martians"
|
|
from here on) were born when seeds were planted in the ground,
|
|
watered, nourished by sunlight and minerals, and protected from
|
|
worms and camivorous plantimals. However, Carver's study of
|
|
records left by the Martians indicate that they grew to maturity
|
|
somewhat different ]y than their non-sentient cousins.
|
|
First, each Martian plant grew just a sinale pod, and these
|
|
pods didn't split open naturally when the creature within reached
|
|
maturity. in fact, if left on the plant, Martian pods would
|
|
become overripe, killing the young one within.
|
|
For that reason, the Martians tended their pods carefully
|
|
and, using a knife-like implement specifically designed for the
|
|
job, split the pod open at just the right time, releasing the
|
|
"young" male or female Martian. The new organism was fully
|
|
aware, but not fully mature. Were it not for the protection and
|
|
guidance provided within the walls of the Martian groves, the
|
|
young could not have survived.
|
|
The Martian life cycle began with an elaborate sexual rituat
|
|
involving a male, a female, and a species of now extinct flying
|
|
worm Carver called a "pollinator." The parties involved would
|
|
gather in a sunny greenhouse in the couple's home grove. The two
|
|
Martians would kneel across from each other as pollinators
|
|
fluttered about them. The worms would land on the male, picking
|
|
up a dusting of pollen, and then land on a rut of flower-like
|
|
structures about the female's neck and shoulders.
|
|
The pollinated flowers eventually grew into seeds which
|
|
ringed the female, like strings of pearls. When the seeds had
|
|
grown, they were gathered and given to the Cultivator, who
|
|
planted and tended them in a communal plot. Eventually, the
|
|
seeds grew into seedlings and then into
|
|
fully grown plants. The plants crew pods and the cycle was
|
|
complete. The existence of communal plots was probably the
|
|
most telling difference between the Martians and their
|
|
non-sentient cousins - they tended to settle in a few places and
|
|
buried generation after generation of their dead in a few
|
|
preciselv defined locations. Seeds planted in these locations
|
|
acquired knowledge and characteristics not only from the previous
|
|
generation, but from all generations stretching back many
|
|
thousands of years.
|
|
The germ of true intellioence was clearly present in the
|
|
Martians from the very beginnina - they, alone among plantimals,
|
|
realized the potential benefits of settling in a sin(,Ie
|
|
location. Still, given what we know of life on Mars, the
|
|
resulting concentration of racial memory in a single location
|
|
surely contributed to their dominance of the planet.
|
|
|
|
Martian Life & Social Structure
|
|
While Carver studied the Martian life cycle, anthropologist David
|
|
Yellin began a systematic study of the Martian lifestyle was
|
|
recorded in scrolls and reflected in surviving Martian groves and
|
|
artifacts.
|
|
According to Yellin, the secret of Martian success was
|
|
rootedness. Once a Martian family (or group of families) settled
|
|
in an area, it remained there, to the benefit of each succeeding
|
|
generation. Thus, each grove is found toda on the same spot it
|
|
occupied at the dawn of Martian civilization.
|
|
Martian groves consisted of several homes arrayed around a
|
|
central grave/nursery plot, the whole protected against nomadic
|
|
plantimals by a stout wall. The homes were, not surprisingly,
|
|
made entirely of glass or crystal. In other words, the Martians
|
|
lived in greenhouses, not unlike the marvelous crystal palaces
|
|
beloved by the Victorians.
|
|
The rule among Martians seems to have been "one-home, one-
|
|
Martian." Since all seeds were planted in a communal birthing
|
|
plot,there were no families - in a sense, all Martians living in
|
|
a grove were one family- When a Martian died, its body was carned
|
|
to the birthina, plot and buried there. As the body decomposed,
|
|
all of its accumulated memories and experiences were, through
|
|
some unknown mechanism, transferred into the soil, to be soaked
|
|
up by seedlings planted there. Thus the seedlings acquired the
|
|
knowledge of all previous generations in that location.
|
|
Each Martian birthing plot was tended by the community's
|
|
Cultivator. This Martian held the fate of his community in his
|
|
threefingered hands. If the plot were damaged, the development
|
|
of subsequent generations could be set back severely. If the
|
|
damage were so great that the community had to move and find a
|
|
new plot, a small amount of dirt would be collected from the plot
|
|
and carried to a new location. Martian records indicate that
|
|
this only rarely resulted in success. Needless to say, the
|
|
Cultivator was held in the highest respect.
|
|
Assisting the Cultivator was the Gatherer. The Martian who
|
|
held this position gathered all of the leaf droppings and other
|
|
plant matter and kept up the community's compost heap. Ile
|
|
Gatherer was also responsible for bringing the deod to the
|
|
birthing plot, where their knowledge could be imparted to
|
|
succeeding generations.
|
|
Another Martian, the Arbofist, healed the sick and wounded.
|
|
This involved taking cuttings, healing diseases, grafting limbs,
|
|
and so on.
|
|
Coordinating the activities of these key Martians and seeing
|
|
to the everyday needs of the citizens of each grove was the
|
|
Agrarian. 'Mink of the Agrarian as akin to a human Mayor and you
|
|
won't be too far off the mark. In addition to intemal affairs,
|
|
this Martian negotiated water fights with other groves and took
|
|
responsibility for inter-grove soil trading. Such trading
|
|
ensured the widespread dissemination of knowledge and
|
|
enriched the overall Martian stock. The Agrarian also made sure
|
|
the underground power plants and facto6es were well-maintained,
|
|
ensuring the continued idyllic existence of Martians on the
|
|
surface.
|
|
Martian records indicate that there were once scores of
|
|
groves. Today, only four are intact enough to reveal anything of
|
|
Martian life (to say nothing of sheltering the members of the
|
|
1893 expedition). Olympus, Argyre, Hellas, and Elysium are in
|
|
surprisingly good repair. Other scattered buildings only hint at
|
|
the tonner greatness of Martian civilization.
|
|
|
|
Factories, Mines & Mechanical Men
|
|
All of Martian civilization was built on the idea thal the groves
|
|
were inviolate, edenic, never to be sullied by machinery. The
|
|
idyllic existence above ground was made possible by moving
|
|
underground all of the machinery and mining operations that made
|
|
such a life feasible.
|
|
Power was generated by scores of hulking steam engines, each
|
|
as large as the monstrous Corliss engine displayed at the 1876
|
|
Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Canvas belts conveyed
|
|
power to a vast array of machines. The material to build and
|
|
power these machines iron ore, coal, and other substances - came
|
|
from colossal mines as grand as any in human history.
|
|
The steam-powered underground machines must have roared
|
|
deafeningly in their day, but now they sit idle, waiting for
|
|
someone to figure out how to restore the power that once drove
|
|
them. Today, countless years after the death of the last
|
|
Martian, dirt and grit cover every unprotected surface. And the
|
|
stench in the factories, powerplants, and mines is nearly
|
|
overpowering.
|
|
The underground factories and mines are, along with the
|
|
canals, the most remarkable displays of Martian industrial
|
|
prowess. The achievement seems all the more amazing when one
|
|
considers that, like Earth plants, the Martians required sunlight
|
|
in order to survive. Ilis made underground work taxing and
|
|
potentially deadly. The Martians solved this problem in a most
|
|
straichtforward, yet astonishing, manner.
|
|
in order to tend the machines, the Martians created metal
|
|
surrogates, specialized devices that we of the late 20th century
|
|
would call robots. Lowell dubbed them "mechanical men."
|
|
The mechanical men vary widely in appearance and, we can only
|
|
assume, in function. Unfortunately, the underground areas are
|
|
sufficiently dangerous that Lowell and the others did little
|
|
investigating. The nature and functioning of the mechanical men
|
|
remains, therefore, a mystery.
|
|
|
|
Canals
|
|
Inredible as it seems. Schiaparelli and Lowell were right - the
|
|
canals on Mars are real. Great causeways once carried water from
|
|
the poles to irrigate the more arid areas. This alone made it
|
|
possible for the Martians to settle in on@ place and build their
|
|
mighty groves. That the canals could also be used to transport
|
|
Martians and materials from place to place was an added benefit.
|
|
Their chief purpose was to ensure the survival and continued
|
|
dominance of the Martian race.
|
|
Though the canals now stand empty, and many mysteries still
|
|
remain, Lowell was able to determine quite a bit about them.
|
|
They are all perfectly straight, with perfect, right-angle
|
|
intersections. Their depth and width make them impassible when
|
|
empty. Extensible bridges allow travellers to cross.
|
|
Unfortunately, nearly all of the bridges are retracted
|
|
and wilt-remain so until and unless we can restore power tO the
|
|
Martian cities. Larce switches at the edoes of the canals can be
|
|
used to extend and retract bridoes.
|
|
Curiously, there would appear to be a bit of water below the
|
|
surface near the canals - plants can almost always be found
|
|
growing in the vicinity of the empty waterwavs.
|
|
Lowell was able to tell much about the canals by
|
|
observation,
|
|
but one question remained unanswered: How A,ere they filled?
|
|
Robert Peary, noted polar explorer, may have provided the answer.
|
|
During his trek to the edges of the Martian icecaps, he came
|
|
across gigantic towers positioned at strate-ic locations alona
|
|
the edge of the north pole. Atop each tower was a ruby-red lens.
|
|
It may be that the sun's light, focused by the lens, melted the
|
|
ice and channeled water into the canals. This is. however,
|
|
nothing more than conjecture.
|
|
Needless to say, the empty canals limit movement on the
|
|
planet's surface and hinder exploration. The non-functioning
|
|
switches and extensible bridges do little but frustrate would-be
|
|
explorers. If ihere were only some way to restore power to the
|
|
Martian machinery! Then. perhaps, mankind could explore Mars more
|
|
fully.
|
|
|
|
Dream Machines
|
|
As astoundino as the Martian groves, factories, and canals are,
|
|
nothing excited the'members of 1893 expedition more than the
|
|
mysterious dream machines. No one is really sure what purpose
|
|
these devices served, but users reportedly experienced strange,
|
|
dreamlike visions (hence the name "dream machine"). Nothin(Y
|
|
more is known about these devices - among the few machines still
|
|
functionina when the Lowell expedition arrived on Mars.
|
|
Shortly after the first reports were beamed to Earth
|
|
concerning the dream machines. Lowell described a breakdown in
|
|
communication
|
|
among various groups of humans. The once united expedition
|
|
degenerated into several bickering factions. Little more is
|
|
known about events on Mars. No one knows if there is any
|
|
connection between the dream machines and the disintegration of
|
|
the 1893 expedition - shortly after these reports reached Earth,
|
|
communication ended-The dream machines appear to be at the heart
|
|
of several mysteries. We must investigate, but cautiously...
|
|
|
|
MYSTERIOUS RED PLANET
|
|
Having reflected on the messages Lowell sent from Mars, I find
|
|
myself drawn once again to the remarkable differences between the
|
|
Mars of Mariner and Viking and the Mars of Percival Lowell. What
|
|
cataclysm could have wiped all trace of Martian civilization from
|
|
the face of the red planet? What catastrophe could have caused
|
|
ihe
|
|
extinction of so many lifeforrns? We will - we must - find out!
|
|
|
|
GLOSSARY
|
|
Chasma: Canyon
|
|
Fossae: Ditches
|
|
Labyrinthus: Network of valleys
|
|
Mensa: Mesa
|
|
Mons: Mountain
|
|
Montes: Range of mountains
|
|
Planitia: Plain
|
|
Planum: Plateau
|
|
Tliolus: Hill
|
|
Vallis: Valley (pl., "valles")
|
|
|
|
|
|
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|
|
Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven
|
|
|
|
& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845
|
|
Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766
|
|
realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662
|
|
Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699
|
|
The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK
|
|
The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674
|
|
Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560
|
|
|
|
"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
|
|
X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
|