Gold Rush! manual
- Gold Rush!
- manual
Gold Rush
THE GOLD RUSH IS ON!
The first true gold rush began with the discovery of gold in California in
1848. Everywhere men abandoned their families, businesses, and some said,
common sense, in order to head out to a remote, little-known land where the
promise of riches beckoned even the humblest and most inexperienced of
pioneers.
At least a quarter of a million men reached this "land of plenty" during
the five years (1848-1853) that comprised the gold rush proper, producing
an extraordinary amount of gold, valued in excess of $200 million.
Although most were Americans, the gold seekers came from virtually every
corner of the civilized world, including China.
No "rush" of such proportions, wealth, or pandemonium, no hysteria so
unrestrained or so world-encompassing in its influence had ever been
witnessed before. Improved means of communications, especially through
widely circulated newspapers, and the beginnings of modern transportation,
such as clipper ships and ocean-going steamers, both contributed heavily to
the magnitude and speed of the movement.
Although many "forty-niners" organized themselves into formally constituted
"companies" before they left home, virtually all of these groups disbursed
immediately upon reaching California. These circumstances left the
individual to work out his own destiny among foreigners in a strange land
utterly unprepared to cope with the throngs of newcomers.
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Although merchants and shipowners throughout the world quickly adjusted
operations to serve this booming new market, food and supplies of most
kinds were scarce, expensive and subject to unsteady price fluctuations.
Housing was primitive and high-priced in the towns and did not exist at the
mines, so each individual was resigned to building his own home or pitching
a tent. Society was constantly in flux, with crowds of restless gold
seekers stampeding off when each new mining town was rumored to be "rich",
leaving many ghost towns in their wake.
The news of the "discovery" took some time to reach the East. It came at
first in rumors, via ship around Cape Horn and up the Atlantic. Busy with
their own aspirations, Easterners did not give much credibility to these
whisperings in the early months of 1848. They had no time for the
exaggerated tales that were constantly coming from the unknown parts to the
west. As a consequence, the first rush to the diggings were mostly
comprised of local folks.
The East was finally awakened to the rush when a letter from California
Governor Richard Barnes Mason to the War Department announced: "There is
more gold in the country drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers
than would pay the cost of the late war with Mexico a hundred times over."
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Thus the rumor became fact. Beyond any reasonable doubt, the gold was
there for the taking. In the mad rush of enthusiasm no one considered the
hazards of the undertaking; no one seemed to realize that to only a small
percentage of prospectors would come the big payoffs.
Fortunes were definitely made. Some men are said to have dug tens of
thousands of dollars in a single week. This was particularly true at
first, when gold was found practically on the surface of the ground. In
1840, $10 million in gold was mined; in 1852 the yield peaked at $81
million.
It was only natural that those hearing such fairy tale success stories
should believe them to be the rule rather than the exception. However, the
greatest "diggings" were rapidly cleaned out. Thereafter, many of the
prospectors received merely living wages from a day's work. Standing
waist-deep in icy river waters, their exposed skin baked by the scorching
summer sun, these dreamers would labor washing heavy buckets of pay dirt in
hope of someday striking the mother lode.
Indeed, the treks westward took a heavy toll on those with little
perseverance, and only the brawniest breed of men survived the hardships of
the wilderness and the cruel elements. Requiring superior physical
strength, these perilous journeys cruelly punished those of lesser
fortitude, and many paid for their dream with their lives.
It took a mighty tough character to survive the ravages of the west.
Unfortunately, Jerrod Wilson wasn't one of them. A typical East Coast
"city slicker", Jerrod could only dream of following in the footsteps of
the great American legends who paved the way for the country's rapid growth
and progress.
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Despite his aspirations, the only history Jerrod seemed to be making was
the news he wrote for the local paper. Not that Jerrod's job was so bad -
his hard work and determination had earned him quite a few promotions since
his days as a paperboy. However, it would probably take another 20 years
of even harder labor before he would reach the top of the company ladder.
Jerrod was patient, but he wasn't so sure he could hold out that long.
Maybe it was his long lost brother's disappearance some years ago, or maybe
just the call of the wild, but Jerrod had an itch for adventure, a desire
to follow in the rich tradition of his ancestors, Jerrod not only wanted to
discover the whereabouts of his brother, but he also longed to learn about
the mysteries that lie beyond the borders of Brooklyn Heights, the only
home he had ever known.
Was it just the sunset, or perhaps the glisten of gold on the horizon that
beckoned Jerrod westward?
What does Jerrod's future hold? Will he continue with the nine to five
routine (yawn) of a secure yet somehow unsatisfying career? Or will he
break free of his chains and head out west to where the action is?
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His fate lies in your hands. Become Jerrod Wilson, and face the challenge
of the California Gold Rush as you race against time and the perils of
travel on a realistic simulation of life on the wild west frontier.
Immeasurable riches lie just 2500 miles away! Good luck!
AN OVERVIEW
A Sierra 3-D Animated Adventure Game, simply stated, is an interactive
movie where you become the main character. In this game, the main
character is Jerrod Wilson, a young gentleman preparing to seek his fortune
in the California gold country.
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Each 3-D Animated Game has a main goal, and yours in Gold Rush! is to find
passage to California, discover gold and become filthy rich. Move
stealthfully and wisely, for prices will skyrocket when news of the
California Gold Rush hits town.
TIPS ON PLAYING GOLD RUSH!
1. PACK IT UP AND HEAD 'EM OUT!
Basic instructions on how to interact with this game are included
in this manual and the reference card enclosed. For those who are
not sure of what to do, there is a WALK THRU included at the end of
this manual.
2. COVER YOUR TRACKS
Due to the dangerous nature of this adventure game, you will want
to save your game often. Follow the instructions on your 3-D
Animated Adventure Game reference card to SAVE GAME after you have
made important progress in the game. SAVE GAME whenever you
encounter a potentially dangerous situation.
If you do encounter perils, or fail to complete all the required
tasks to get past a given obstacle, you can follow the instructions
on your reference card to RESTORE GAME to the place you were at
when you last saved your game. Intelligent use of this function
has spared many a traveler from being lost forever at sea.
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3. KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT.
Look at and examine everything you can. Speak to those around you.
Pay close attention to detail. There are many clues, both visual
and verbal, that will help you succeed in your quest.
ON YOUR VOYAGE
In the course of your trek, various messages will appear describing the
life and times of early American travelers. After you have read the
messages, you may choose to bypass them upon playing the game again. To
display or suppress messages, press the F8 key when the message is
displayed at the bottom of the screen. Also, you can automatically advance
to the next portion of your voyage without waiting when a CTRL-N message
appears at the bottom of the screen.
4. BRING ALONG 'YER FRIENDS.
The wild, wild west was not an easy place to survive alone. You
may find it helpful to play Gold Rush! with a friend. Each
adventurer has unique ways to interpret clues, and besides, working
in teams makes the journey a lot more productive and fun.
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5. CAN'T GET ANYWHERE?
If you've explored every inch of the soil and still find progress
impossible, don't give up. Even to notch forty-niners were known
to have their hopes dashed by hard luck and hard times. Life is
tough in these parts.
For this reason, hint books are available for all of Sierra's 3-D
Animated Adventure Games. You can order the hint book for this
game by using the order form in the package. Hints can also be
received by calling the Sierra Support Line at (209)683-6858 or
by having your computer call the Sierra Bulletin Board Service at
(209) 683-4463.
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WARNING
The following documentation is for beginning adventure game players only.
The contents include answers to some game puzzles and hints that
experienced adventurers may not wish to see. Continue reading only if you
are having difficulty getting started with your adventure game.
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BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD...AN INTRODUCTORY WALK-THRU TO GOLD RUSH
Gold Rush! begins with an introductory sequence, giving you a quick
overview of the story. If you choose to bypass this initial sequence,
press the SPACEBAR or the ENTER key.
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Your journey begins in Brooklyn Heights, New York in the year of 1848.
There are many places and things you will want to examine in this game.
Press the ENTER key after you have typed in a command. Press the ENTER key
after you have finished reading a text message. Type:
>LOOK AROUND
>LOOK AT THE BRIDGE
>LOOK AT THE RIVER
>LOOK AT THE LAMP
>LOOK AT THE TREES
Walk down the bridge to the street on your right.
>LOOK AT THE STREET
>LOOK AT THE HOUSE
Walk to the south. The screen will change to a new location.
>LOOK AROUND
Walk up to the front gate of the house.
>LOOK AT THE HOUSE
Press the TAB key to display your inventory (TAB serves as a short cut for
typing the word INVENTORY.) You are carrying a house key and $15
>USE THE KEY
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The gate will open and your character will walk into the yard. Walk up to
the front door. Press the F3 key then press ENTER. (The F3 key repeats
your most recent command). In this case, the font door opens. Walk into
the house until the font door closes.
You are now inside your house. There are many things you may look at in
this house.
>LOOK AROUND
>LOOK IN THE CLOSET Walk over to the table
>READ THE FAMILY ALBUM Walk over to the desk.
>LOOK AT THE DESK
>OPEN THE DRAWERS Walk through the door by the desk.
>LOOK AT THE ROOM Walk into the kitchen
>LOOK AT THE KITCHEN
>LOOK AT THE CABINET
There are other things you may examine inside the house, but for now
proceed to go outside. Walk off the screen to the west. You are now at
the edge of a park.
>LOOK AROUND
Walk up to a sign on the grass
>READ THE SIGN
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The sign says, "KEEP OFF THE GRASS." (You may have noticed that a point was
subtracted from your score when you stepped upon the grass. If you
continue to disregard the signs you may have a confrontation with the law.)
Walk into the gazebo.
>LOOK AT THE GAZEBO
>LOOK AT THE FLOWERS
>TAKE FLOWERS
>LOOK AT THE FLOWERS
When you look at an item in your inventory, you get a message and a picture
of the desired item.
There are other important things to examine in the park, but for now walk
off the screen to the west. You are now on a new screen.
>LOOK AROUND
>LOOK AT THE LAMPS
Walk into the Post Office. The screen will change.
>LOOK AROUND
>LOOK AT THE COUNTER Walk up to the counter
>RING THE BELL
A gentleman will approach you and speak.
>GET MY MAIL
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Depending on the time of day, you may or may not receive some mail. If you
do not receive any mail on the first try, you may want to check back at the
post office periodically.
Well, now you are on your own. There are still many things to do before
your journey begins. Remember to talk to the people you meet, examine all
objects thoroughly, and take everything you will need for a safe,
successful trip out west.
P.S. Take special precaution to save your game after making significant
progress. You never know when disaster may strike.
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY...
MAY YOU STRIKE IT RICH!
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DESCRIPTION OF ROUTES for Persons Emigrating to CALIFORNIA
ROUTE VIA CHAGRES AND PANAMA
For the information of those going to California, either as adventurers or
settlers, it is important that they have access to all information
obtainable, for want of which, the necessary precautions are neglected,
which may result in much suffering and disappointment.
On the account of the great saving of time and distance, this route is
shown by many and to such it is important to know something of the
difficulties connected with it. No isolated individual ought to think of
engaging in the enterprise for there will be many circumstances where a
friend will be found of essential benefit. It would be well if parties of
10 or more should unite who would be devoted to, and who could place in
each other that confidence which the love of gold could not destroy.
Probably, those who pay their passage and are found in Chagres will not
find all the accommodations on shipboard to meet their expectations, both
from the crowded state of the ship and the fare, and it would be well for
all to take an extra supply of stores. The town called Chagres is only a
small village of one-story houses or rather huts situated at the mouth of
the river of that nation which empties into the Atlantic Ocean, and has a
small but secure harbor. The place has a very unsightly appearance, being
situated in the midst of a swamp, and the continual rains prevailing there
would render the streets almost impassable, if it were not for logs of wood
laid along the centre, for the accommodation of pedestrians.
The journey to Panama is made by taking small canoes (or a steamboat which
now goes there) to the town of Cruces or Gorgona, a distance of about 33
miles, and from there to Panama, about 24 miles per land.
One who knows, "Avoid the sun, keep within doors during the day, refrain
from eating fruits even when ripe, with the exception of oranges, which may
be eaten moderately. Do not touch the oysters, wear flannel next to the
skin by day and night, avoid spiritous liquors, and it is needless to say
be off the first opportunity. The distance from Panama to San Francisco is
about 3400 miles long.
ROUTE BY CAPE HORN
This route is the most acceptable as far as cost and facilities is
concerned, but loss of time balances the difference to the price of passage
which varies from $700 to $900, according to accommodations.
The distance from New York to San Francisco via Cape Horn is about 18,000
miles, and will occupy nearly five months in making the passage. Not
withstanding this appears to be a very long voyage, yet it is (in the
present amount of travel across the Isthmus, and the probably want of
vessels from Panama to San Francisco) the surest route.
ANOTHER ROUTE
This route which is said to be "the cheapest, quickest and safest" is to
take passage in a vessel for Vera Cruz; thence overland to Manzatlan via
Guadalajara. Tipie and San Blas; thence either by vessel or by mule or
horse travel, by land up the coast. To prevent danger of being attacked by
robbers through Mexico, persons should go in parties of 40 to 50 or more.
The cost of this route varies from $150 to $300, and may be accomplished in
60 days.
3-D Animated Adventure Game
Reference Card
For Amiga
Sierra's 3-D animated adventures represent a totally new approach to
computer gaming - a third generation in computer adventure. They feature
detailed three dimensional background scenes with life-like animated
characters. The improved parser lets you talk to the computer in whole
sentences.
Sierra's new series of adventures are interactive, changing as you explore
and solve the puzzle. New facets are revealed as you delve into the game.
In fact, because of random events, you can play the game many times over
and never play the same game twice.
BEFORE GETTING STARTED
Before starting to play you should make back-up copies of your original
disks.
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Power up the system and load the Amiga Kickstart disk and the Amiga
Workbench disk.
2. Use the preference tool from the Workbench disk to set date and
time information. This procedure is recommended but not required.
3. Insert the original program disk or a backup copy you have made,
into the drive and double click the left mouse button on the
disk's icon to open the disk.
4. Double click the left mouse button on the "Sierra" icon. If you
are loading from a back-up copy you will be prompted to briefly
insert the original disk when loading.
5. To bypass the opening sequence, press any key.
BACKING UP YOUR PROGRAM MASTERS
From the Workbench, follow the procedure below to copy the original master
disk to a back-up disk.
One Drive Systems:
1. Insert the original disk in the drive.
2. Place the mouse cursor (arrow) on the master program icon.
3. Highlight the icon by clicking the left mouse button.
4. Place the mouse cursor on the menu bar. Hold down the right mouse
button and pull down the Workbench menu.
5. Place the mouse cursor on Duplicate and release the right mouse button.
6. Follow the disk swap prompts to copy the program disk.
7. Do not rename your back-up copy.
Two Drive Systems:
1. Insert the original disk and back-up in the drives.
2. Place the mouse cursor on the original program disk icon and hold down
the left mouse button..
3. Drag the mouse cursor to the icon of the drive you're copying to and
release the button.
4. Follow the disk prompts to complete the copy procedure.
5. Do not rename your back-up copy.
FORMATTING A DISK (to be used as a saved game disk)
1. From the Workbench, insert a blank disk into any drive.
2. Place the mouse cursor on the black disk icon and click the left mouse
button, highlighting the icon.
3. Place the mouse cursor on the menu bar at the top of the screen. Hold
down the right mouse button and pull down the Disk menu.
4. Place the mouse cursor on "Initialize" and release the right mouse
button. The blank disk is now being formatted. When formatting is
complete, you will be returned to the Workbench.
5. Place the mouse cursor on the "Empty" icon and click the left mouse
button. Place the mouse cursor on the Workbench menu, hold down the
right mouse button, and select "Rename." Follow the prompts to rename
the "saved game" disk. If you don't rename the "saved game" disk, its
default name will be "Empty".
6. When a formatted disk is used for saving games, the 3-D Animated
Adventure automatically creates a saved game directory for saving 12
games. Creating additional directories on the disk (for saved games),
will allow you to save more games on the formatted disk (12 per
directory). Consult your system's DOS manual for creating directories
on a formatted disk.
COMMANDS FOR THE HERO
A joystick, mouse or keyboard moves the main character north, south, east,
west or diagonally. To halt your character's steps with the keyboard, press
the last direction key again, or the 5 on the number pad. If you are using
a mouse, start movement by single clicking the left mouse button. The
character will move to the point where the left mouse button was last
clicked and stop there, unless there is an obstruction in his path.
During the game you can use any form of control at any time. Just click the
mouse, press a direction key, or move the joystick. If the joystick was not
plugged in before loading the game, press CTRL-J and insert the joystick
into port #2. The joystick will now be active.
_|_ \ | /
_____/===\_____ ____ ___ ____
|\_____________/| \ North / ||_7_||_8_||_9_||
| | __ __ | | ____________ |/___\/___\/___\|
| | | | | | | | ( ) -- ||_4_||_5_||_6_|| --
| | |__| |__| | | button --|-O | |/___\/___\/___\|
| | | | | __ | ||_1_||_2_||_3_||
| | | | West | (__) | East |/___\/___\/___\|
| | | | | |
| | | | (____________) / | \
| |___________| |
|/_____________\| / South \ DIRECTION KEYS
MOUSE JOYSTICK
Talk to your computer in commands of one or two words, or even simple
sentences. Unless otherwise instructed, follow all commands with the RETURN
key.
You may meet others who have
messages for you. Command them
to speak. Type: TALK TO THE GNOME
You may later need objects you see
along the way. Type: GET THE KEY
Pay attention to details. To see an
object closely, type: LOOK AT THE PANEL
Use the objects you find along the
way. Type: GIVE THE BASKET TO THE GIRL
To fully savor a scene you enjoy watching or negotiate a narrow path, you
can slow down the animation. Speed up the animation to make the main
character walk faster. To change the speed type "slow" or "fast" and press
RETURN. To return to the original speed, type "normal" and press RETURN.
Function and control keys shortcut these common commands:
F1 or HELP Shows list of control keys (including some specific to
your game which may not be mentioned here).
F2 Toggle sound on/off
F3 Echo (repeat) previous command
F5 Save game
F7 Restore game
F9 Restart game
CTRL-C or
CTRL-X Cancel line
CTRL-J Select joystick mode
ALT-Z Quit game
TAB Inventory
ESC Pause/resume game
SAVING AND RESTORING THE GAME
To allow for errors in judgment, and also for some pretty creative
exploration, we make it possible for you to save and restore the game.
Before you try something that looks dangerous, or just because you've been
playing awhile and you don't want to lose what progress you've made through
some chance encounter, save your game.
At any time during the game, type "save game" and press return or press F-5
to save your game. Follow the directions below to complete saving your
game.
SINGLE DISK DRIVE USERS
You have a choice of saving your game on your game disk (original or
back-up), or to a formatted "saved game" disk. When you receive the prompt
asking on which directory to save your game, press RETURN and follow the
prompts if you are saving on your game disk. If you use a "saved game"
disk, remove the game disk from the drive, insert the "saved game" disk,
and type the name of the "saved game" disk followed by ":" and the name of
the directory and press RETURN. Follow the prompts, using the up/down arrow
keys to select a saved game space. Re-insert the game disk to resume
playing.
TWO DISK DRIVE USERS
When you receive the prompt asking on which directory to save your game,
backspace through the suggested default name and type the name of your
"saved game" disk with it in one of the drives, and press return. This will
allow your game to be saved onto your second disk drive. If you are using
more than one directory for saved games, when prompted, type the name of
the directory where you want the game to be saved. Follow the prompts using
the up/down arrow keys to select a saved game space, to complete saving the
game.
IN GENERAL
Although your game position is stored on disk as a normal Amiga DOS file,
you are not required to follow Amiga DOS naming conventions in identifying
your saved games. If the character is standing before a tree when you save
a game, call your saved game "STANDING BEFORE A TREE" or whatever has
meaning to you. You may save up to 12 different games per saved games
directory.
If you "run out" of saved game spaces in your saved game directory, (and
you don't want to create more saved game directories), you may reuse one of
the 12 spaces. To change the name of a saved game, just enter CTRL-C or
CTRL-X to clear the line, and type a new name.
RESTORING A GAME
Type "restore game" and press RETURN or press F-7 to restore a previously
saved game. You will be asked where you saved the game. To accept the
default directory, press RETURN. Otherwise, clear the line, type the name
of the "saved game" disk followed by ":" and the directory on which you
saved the game, and press RETURN. Now choose the game you wish to restore
by moving the pointer and selecting it by pressing RETURN.
