Loadstar 128 10/q10.d81/t.zone 13

Text File | 2022-08-28 | 14KB | 253 lines

                                 Z O N E   1 3

                                by Jon Mattson


     It is the middle of the Twenty-First Century and traffic problems as
we know them no longer exist.  This is due in large part to the complete
overhaul of the transit system, replacing all inner-city transportation -
including personal hover-cars and cabs - with a "robot cab" service,
electronically monitored by a Master Computer in each "zone".  The service
has been in place for nearly a decade now, and most of the bugs have been
worked out of it: people are generally happy with the result.

     This is a good thing, because, as a Trouble-Shooter for the service,
it is up to you to deal with problems as they arise.  Since you began the
job, you have had it pretty easy: they train you on the Zone78 MC (single
lane to Hicksville), and nothing ever happens there.  Life was good.

     The time has come now, though, for your initiation - your rite of
passage.  The word came in yesterday of your transfer to Zone13, the one
eyesore in the whole wonderful electronic scheme of things.  Current theory
is that it is an extradimensional nexus point that invites vacationing
gremlins.  Either that or the architects were on vacation when it was built
and left it to monkeys.  Whatever the case, Zone13 has by far the highest
incidence of break-down - both in the system and the TS's operating it.
They say that every TS has to survive a month on Zone13 before proving that
he can cut it anywhere.  Even the veterans speak grimly of the experience -
when they speak of it at all -  and the failures...  Come to think of it,
you don't know any.  Every TS has either succeeded at Zone13 or never tried
it.  You don't know what they do with the others...

     Of course, everyone knows that TS veterans exaggerate everything.  It
can't be as bad as all that - can it?


     ZONE13 is alternately a game, a puzzle, an addiction or The Thing That
Should Never Have Seen The Light Of CRT - depending on your point of view.
It is a game, because you are working against the clock to complete transit
circuits and earn points, in the form of dollars.  It is a puzzle, because
the mental challenge involved in trying to complete that task requires
logic and a very Rubik-view of the universe.  As for the other two
labels...  Well, I'll let you decide that for yourself.

     When you run the program, you will be greeted by a menu with five
options, including "Quit" (read: "Surrender").  Two of these - the
construction options - we will leave alone for the moment.  The other two
allow you to play the game, either from the beginning or from a level of
your choice.  The latter option allows you to dive right into a challenge
without working your way through the levels you may have already perfected.
 For the moment, we will assume that you pick the "play from start" option.

     The first level ("00") will load and, after a moment, appear on the
screen.  At any given time, your current dollar total for completing the
level will appear in the top left corner, and, after a brief pause so that
you can study your challenge, it will count down to a minimum of $5.00.
Obviously, it is in your best interests to finish each level quickly.  The
rest of the top line is taken up by a line showing which keys are active at
the time, in addition to the CRSR/SPACE or JOYSTICK2 combination.  Make
note of this: the top line will ALWAYS have this convenience no matter what
mode the program is in at the moment.

     Most of the screen is taken up by the current "puzzle".  It will be
made up of a Start Gate (which looks like a bit like a hangar deck), a Stop
Gate (which looks similar but has a bulky, lined construction to the rear)
and various other "circuits".  Very simply, your goal is to make certain
that the computer understands the path it must move the cab ("current
element" to the computer) from the Start Gate to the Stop Gate, as defined
by the other circuits.  Obviously, the path at the start of the level will
not be complete, or you wouldn't have a job to do.

     On the far right, you will see your Tool Box, made up of ten tools and
a Go sign.  A number beside each tool indicates how many your current box
contains - sometimes none.  A small flashing arrow will appear on the top
tool.  The joystick/CRSR keys control this arrow, moving it around and
allowing you to manipulate pieces.  To choose a specific type of tool,
simply point to its icon in the box and press fire/space.  A picture will
appear of it in the empty area between the level and your tool box; note
that, at the beginning, the picture will show the first tool, whether or
not there are any of it in the box.

     To use a tool, move the arrow to where you wish to put it on the main
screen and press fire/space again.  Assuming that any of that tool remain
in the box, it will be "stamped" down onto the circuit board.  Similarly, a
piece can be removed and replaced in the tool box by pointing at it and
pressing DELete.  Note that you do not have to keep going back and forth to
the tool box as long as you are working with the same type of piece: it is
assumed that you picked up all of them the first time.  Also note that you
can neither alter nor DELete a piece from the original level pattern -
these are colored in darker shades for quick identification.

     You will quickly discover that not all pieces fit when first placed.
This is where the RETURN key comes in: it allows you to rotate a piece,
90-degrees per press, to get it into the correct attitude.  During the
game, the F1 key is also active: it simply allows you to Quit, although
ending a game prematurely in this manner does not allow you to get on the
"high score" board.

     For the moment, let's examine the tools at your disposal.  There are
actually only four distinct types, but they come in four different colors,
representing different voltage levels.  Add this to the fact that each can
be rotated, and you have an impressive collection, indeed.  The four types
are as follows:

REDIRECTORS:  These look like elbow pipes, and come in four colors: red,
blue, green and violet.  If a current element of the same color hits the
open mouth of a redirector, it will change direction by 90-degrees,
following the indicated path.  If an element of the wrong color hits it or
ANY element hits it from the wrong side, it will simply pass right through
without being redirected in this manner.

TRANSMUTERS:  These look like straight pipes formed with two different
colors.  There are four different color combinations.  If a current element
hits an open mouth of the same color, it will be transmuted to the other
indicated color.  If it is the wrong color to begin with, it will be
unaffected.  Obviously, these circuits are two-way: a Red-Green Transmuter
going left to right, would change red elements travelling right to green
and green elements travelling left to red. (Think about it for a moment,
and it will make sense.)

REBOUNDERS:  This icon looks like a cyan octagon with arrows pointing in
every direction.  A Rebounder acts like a rubber band: ANY element hitting
it from ANY direction will reverse direction but will be otherwise
unaffected.

HARMONIZERS:  This icon looks like a yellow rectangle or badge with
truncated corners and a key emblem.  Each Harmonizer "tunes" the element
and breaks down the resistance between it and the final Stop Gate.  In
effect, it removes any Circuit Breakers (aocks) placed on the Stop Gate.
Each Harmonizer will work whenever an element of ANY color hits it from ANY
direction but is one-shot, vanishing after one use.

     As you can guess, from the last entry, a Stop Gate will sometimes have
one or more Circuit Breakers or "locks" (up to four).  These are indicated
by a line across either the top and/or bottom of the Stop Gate icon.  For
example, a line going half-way across the top of the icon would indicate
one lock; a line going straight across would indicate two; a second line
extended across the bottom of the icon, would indicate three or four.
There will ALWAYS be at least enough Harmonizers to remove all the Circuit
Breakers, either on the