The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy manual
- The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
- manual
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
*** 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.
