Fanclub Das Freakmagazin 1/FANCLUB1.ISO/losung/capblood.txt

Text File | 1996-05-13 | 36KB | 648 lines

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 === THE ELECTRONIC GAMER ===
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 CAPTAIN BLOOD Walkthru

 PRELIMINARIES

 The most important tool you have to explore the complex geopolitical
terrain of Hydra is UPCOM: the Universal Protocol of Communication.
Translating UPCOM icons to English is a snap: All you have to do is drag
your computer finger over them. But the icon dictionary in the CAPTAIN
BLOOD manual lists the icons in the order they appear on the UPCOM module.
So, when you're trying to form your own sentences, finding the correct word
among those hundred and twenty little pictures can be frustrating.

 My suggestion: Photocopy the manual pages with the icons. Then, starting
with the first (the question mark) and moving down the columns, number each
icon ("you" is 6, "howdy" 7, etc.) until you reach the end. Finally, cut
the icons (with their translations and numbers) apart, tape them in
alphabetical order on larger sheets of paper, and stick them on the wall
next to your computer.

 Now, when you need the icon for "different," for example, you can find it
quickly on your alphabetized sheets and, checking the number next to it
(60), know that that icon will appear on the UPCOM module about halfway
down the line (60/120). Sounds a little kludgey, but after you've wrestled
with UPCOM for a while, I think you'll see the utility of it.

 I also advise studying the "Tips and Hints" section of the BLOOD reference
booklet and making a flow chart showing who can lead you to whom. (The
chart I did, BLOOD.PCX, is available in the CompuServe Gamers' Forum.) This
will help you avoid useless chitchat with vapor-headed aliens. (Studying my
chart, for example, you can infer that Tromps are only going to giggle and
say the word "sex," no matter how silver-tongued you are with them.)

 As you may know, all coordinates in CAPTAIN BLOOD are randomized every time
you begin a game, so you won't find any here. I will try to show you how to
get to the guys who can give you the coordinates. The first planet in any
given game is always going to be inhabited, but the chances of finding
another inhabited planet on your own are about one in five hundred. That
being the case, the only logical thing to do is get down there on that
first planet, and strike up a conversation!

 The OORXX -- an acronym, presumably -- can withstand seven crashes. So, you
don't have to be especially timid while learning to fly it. Remember, too,
that if a missile is closing in on you, sometimes the best wisdom is to
crash on purpose, hug the ground until the missile recedes, then take off
again like the proverbial shot.

 Write down all planet names, coordinates, and inhabitants, including the
first (you may have to come back). This is _very_ important!

 IZWAL, BUGGOL, CROOLIS-ULV

 The first alien you encounter will always be one of four: Yoko (an Izwal),
a friendly little guy with yellow-brown skin and a long tongue; Dead
Genetic (a Croolis-Ulv), a big purple humanoid with a bad attitude; Pop
Unknown (a Buggol), a centipede type who looks like he's going to jump out
and grab your nose; or Great Bounty (a Migrax), with a head like the
creature in ALIEN except it's silver (he's also a lot friendlier once you
get to know him). Where you go from here depends on which of these fellows
you have to deal with first. So, I'll outline the four separate beginnings,
then we'll meet up for the middle game.

 YOKO START

 Identify yourself and tell Yoko you're his friend ("Me Blood me friend" --
the BLOOD manuals have several good syntactical hints for speaking with
aliens). By following up on the allusions Yoko makes to various peoples and
places, you'll discover that the planet you're on is called Bow-Bow; that
the Izwal are a peace-loving folk; that Yoko is looking for a girl friend;
that the Ondoyante are apparently the foxes of choice in this particular
galaxy; that there is a connection between Yoko's father (Maxon) and the
Croolis-Ulv (Dead Genetic), since Maxon (a renowned scientist) helped Dead
Genetic achieve genetic reproduction.

 The ability -- or lack of it -- to perpetuate one's species is a major
concern of the inhabitants of Hydra, and it motivates many of their actions
(unlike us). The plot thickens as you learn that Maxon is missing and Yoko
wants you to find him; and it positively congeals as the little guy warns
you that the duplicates themselves are seeking a means of reproduction.

 As you know, you have to track down and disintegrate all five currently
existing Blood duplicates before you're out of danger. But if they should
start to multiply before you can get to them....

 TELEPORTING YOKO

 Ask Yoko about Pop Unknown (the Buggol), and get the coordinates for his
planet. Get the info for Dead Genetic's planet, if you haven't already.
"You say planet Dead Genetic." Keep repeating things if you don't get the
right response; timing's really important with these critters. Then, and
only then, teleport Yoko to another, uninhabited planet.

 Make sure you understand the difference between teleportation and
disintegration. You only want to disintegrate the duplicates by pressing
the circle-arrow icon below the fridgitorium when you've got one of them
trapped there. To teleport an alien from the fridgitorium to a new planet,
you first have to successfully land an OORXX, and then press the teleport
(T-arrow) icon to the left of the UPCOM module. What? You teleported Yoko
and he died? You watched that cute little guy waste away right before your
eyes and didn't lift a finger to help? Nice going, ace; you're off to a
great start!

 CROOLIS-VAR PLANETS

 Proceed to Dead Genetic's planet, Trap 4. The Croolis-Ulv and Croolis-Var
are basically a bunch of lizard-brained geeks with chips on their shoulders,
but you have to deal with them. Tell Mr. Genetic (who's a Croolis-Ulv,
remember) that you want to destroy the Croolis-Var; tell him he's a great
warrior; tell him you think he's cute. It doesn't really matter what you
say, because he isn't going to give you the information you need until he's
good and ready (when he says "Me kill time," he's not kidding).

 Don't get discouraged; just keep pounding away with things you think he
wants to hear (ask him to give you information; tell him you know Maxon;
rant and rave about how much you want to kill his enemies). Eventually
he'll get tired of horsing around and give you the coordinates to four
Croolis-Var planets: Trap 2, home of Good Nonsense; Great Fear, home of
Male Warrior; Kill You, home of Bad Crazy; and Trap 1, home of Poor Genetic
(a distant relative, presumably).

 Dead wants you to kill them. If you do, and come back looking for your big
reward, he'll tell you he wants to "reproduce" with you: Trust me, you
don't have to kill anybody. After he gives you the coordinates, he'll kick
you off his planet; you'll be only too happy to leave.

 POP UNKNOWN'S PLANET

 Now, use the other coordinates Yoko gave you and hit Pop Unknown's planet,
Spirit 137. There's a chance Yoko may have given you another Buggol planet,
Rosko 2, home of Good Unknown. If this is the case, this section is
optional.

 The Buggol like to whine about their sex lives; humor them. Then, ask Pop
Unknown about Morlock and say you want to vote for him. He'll give you the
coordinates to Rosko 1, Morlock's planet. Check the Buggol section of the
BLOOD manual for some background on the political scene. Then go to Rosko 1
and let Morlock try out his campaign speech on you. He fancies himself the
peace candidate, though he'll later ask you to kill the incumbent president,
an upstart Yukas named Rosko (not to be confused with the Buggol planets
Rosko 1 and Rosko 2).

 Vote for Morlock ("Me vote Morlock") and he'll give you (after some
additional jabber) the coordinates for Female 021, Rosko the Yukas's planet.
Touch down on Female 021 for a look at Rosko (he's an eyeful), but don't
expect any real information there: Rosko and Morlock aren't interested in
much except wiping each other off the face of the galaxy. Finally, head
back to Spirit 137. Pop Unknown should now be forthcoming with the
coordinates for Good Unknown on Rosko 2.

 GOOD UNKNOWN'S PLANET

 Good Unknown will prove to be one of your most valuable allies. After you
listen to his woman troubles, he'll beg you to take him away from all this.
Ask him for the Izwal code, then teleport him to any uninhabited planet
(don't forget to jot down the coordinates). If he likes it there, he'll
give you a new, unidentified set of coordinates, and send you back to your
ship. Return to him immediately using the OORXX reactivator button (the
question mark below the OORXX) and say "Me want know planet Migrax Great
Bounty." After he gives you those coordinates, proceed to the "Great Bounty
Start" section below.

 DEAD GENETIC START

 Review the "Croolis-Var Planets" section above. The only real difference if
Dead Genetic is your first encounter is that you have to work fast and
learn Yoko's coordinates before he gets generous and starts dispensing the
Croolis-Var info. Once he's done that, he'll boot you off Trap 4 and not
let you back on again until you've vaporized the Croolis-Var planets (which
you don't want to do).

 As soon as the old Deadhead lets you get a word in, bombard him with
sentences like "Me search Yoko" and "Me want know home small Yoko."
Eventually he'll admit he knows him, acknowledge his debt to Maxon, and
give you the coordinates to Bow-Bow, Yoko's planet. Then, go into the "Me
want kill enemies" routine outlined above until he comes across with the
Croolis-Var coordinates as well. But get Yoko's location first! Now, visit
Yoko, following the instructions detailed in "Yoko Start" and "Teleporting
Yoko." After you've lost the little guy, continue with the instructions in
"Pop Unknown's Planet" and "Good Unknown's Planet." Then, proceed to the
"Great Bounty Start" section below.

 POP UNKNOWN START

 Begin with the "Pop Unknown's Planet" and "Good Unknown's Planet" sections
above. But after you get Great Bounty's coordinates, return once more to
Good Unknown and say, "Me want know planet Yoko." Proceed to Yoko's planet
and follow "Yoko Start," "Teleporting Yoko," and "Croolis-Var Planets."
Then, continue with the "Great Bounty Start" section below.

 GREAT BOUNTY START

 Review the Migrax description in the BLOOD manual. The Migrax are really
cool, though a bit irascible off the top. (The BLOOD game I finally
succeeded in solving started with Great Bounty, so I'm kind of partial to
these guys.)

 After he's had his little joke -- "Me say information Migrax Missile
Brave/Missile Brave kill you (laugh-curse)" -- ask him if he wants to be
teleported. The Migrax love to travel, so sooner or later he'll agree. When
you get him to another planet, prompt him with a question or two about the
Ondoyante, then follow up on everything he says. Be persistent. Don't be
too quick to take him back home, no matter how much he whines; you'll get
more out of him here.

 Some of what he'll say is a bit cryptic -- "Go planet equals free brain
spirit"; "Kill vote dead (sob-sob)" -- but when he finally mentions Planet
Spirit, reply with "You say information Planet Spirit," "Me want know
coordinates Planet Spirit," etc., and you should get some solid information.

 If you don't have them already, hit him with "You say planet Buggol," and
you'll get Good Unknown's coordinates. Finally, try, "You say planet
Missile Brave," and you should get the (very crucial) coordinates to
Reproduction 128 (once these Migrax start talking, you can't shut them up).

 At this point he may send you back to the ship, but if he does, go right
back down again by pressing the OORXX reactivator button, and you'll get a
second chance to take him home (he'll even give you the coordinates in case
you've misplaced them). Then, and only then, return Great Bounty to
Reproduction 14. He'll be so grateful he'll confide that the Antenna know
where to find the Robheads (file that bit away for now). Then, he'll
announce that he's got a hot date and kick you off his planet. If you set
down there again, he'll be gone.

 If you started the game with someone other than Great Bounty, proceed now
to Part II. If Great Bounty was your first, use the coordinates he gave you
to find the Buggol Good Unknown. Good Unknown is a veritable gold mine of
information. After he tells you his problems, he'll beg you to take him on
a vacation. Ask him for the Izwal code, then teleport him to any
uninhabited planet (don't forget to jot down the coordinates). If he likes
it there, he'll give you a new, unidentified set of coordinates, and send
you back to your ship.

 Return to him immediately using the OORXX reactivator and say "Me want know
planet Yoko." Go to Yoko's planet and refer to "Yoko Start," "Teleporting
Yoko," and "Croolis-Var Planets" to find out what to do next. The Pop
Unknown-Morlock-Rosko subplot ("Pop Unknown's Planet") is basically a dead
end, but do it for the fun of it if you have time. (If your arm is shaking
without remission, then you probably don't have time; see the time note in
the "Afterword" section of this walkthru.) Now, proceed to Part 2.

 TORKA, TUBE-BRAINS, NO NO

 By this time you should have accomplished the following tasks (not
necessarily in this order): visited Dead Genetic and Pop Unknown (and,
optionally, Morlock and Rosko the Yukas); taken Good Unknown to a planet he
likes and left him there; after questioning Yoko, taken him to a new planet
and inadvertently killed him; taken Great Bounty to a new planet,
interrogated him, returned him to Reproduction 14, and witnessed his
departure for planets unknown.

 As a result of the above hijinx, you should now be armed with the following
information: the coordinates to four Croolis-Var planets (Trap 1, Trap 2,
Great Fear, and Kill You); the coordinates for Good Unknown's new planet
(the one you took him to); the Izwal code "friend friend" (which is almost
the key to the city in this galaxy -- all sorts of people respond to it);
the unidentified set of coordinates Good Unknown gave you; the coordinates
for Planet Spirit; and the coordinates for the Migrax Missile Brave.

 If you're missing any of this stuff, or if you haven't done all of these
things, you're going to be in deep trouble later on. Go back and pick up
what you need; or, if your arm's gotten too palsied, make a game plan and
start the game over (see "Afterword"). If your checklist is complete and
you're in reasonably good health, pat yourself on the back, save the game,
and read on.

 Let's use that mysterious set of coordinates Good Unknown gave us (the
unidentified ones). When you touch down, you'll be face to face with your
first duplicate (Duplicate 2, actually). Disintegrate him now if your arm's
getting uncontrollable, but if it isn't, leave him in the fridgitorium
until you need him (why take aspirin before you've got a headache?).
Whatever you do, do _not_ teleport him out of the fridge once you've put
him in there; you'll never get him back.

 Now, jet over to Planet Spirit and meet Torka. No matter how you randomize
them, her coordinates are definitely 36-24-36. At present, however, she's
scared to death, and she's got enough sense to know this isn't the best
time for socializing. She'll give you the coordinates to Brain 4, home of
her friend Tubular-Brain, and then she'll split.

 Proceed to Brain 4 and try to strike up a conversation with the Tubester.
(If you get anything intelligible out of him, I'd sure like to know!)
Remember poor Yoko pleading with you to find his pop? Feeling a little
guilty about terminating the small dude? Let's see if we can write that
subplot a happier ending. Unfortunately, that means going back to the land
of the macho geeks.

 Pick any one of the Croolis-Var, just so long as it's Good Nonsense. Say
things like "You want information Croolis-Ulv?", "Me want give
information," and the ever-popular "Me want kill enemy." After the usual
posturing and so forth, he'll fork over the coordinates to Bad Trap, home
of the Croolis-Ulv, Howdy Prison.

 Head over to Bad Trap and let Mr. Prison jerk you around until he comes up
with the coordinates for Great Destroy, a Croolis-Var stoolie and info
salesman. Then, start drilling him (Howdy Prison) about Maxon. Try, "You
say identity planet Maxon." As usual, you may have to repeat it about ten
times. Make sure you get both the coordinates and the planet name. Finally,
go see the Croolis-Var Poor Genetic and feed him the usual line of guff.
Eventually, he'll admit he knows an Izwal named No No who lives on Idea 347.
Get the coordinates, touch down on Idea 347, and you'll discover....

 Yoko! The little guy faked his own death! Hard to decide whether to hug him
or kick him, isn't it? Anyway, he's glad to see you, and he's very anxious
about his dad. When he asks, tell him "Identity planet Maxon equals
Rendezvous 67." He'll reward you with the coordinates for Duplicate 1.

 Duplicate 1 is a whole other can of worms. Whereas Duplicate 2 just kind of
whined impotently until you fridged him, Duplicate 1 wants to make deals,
promising to rat on Duplicate buddies 2, 3, and 4 if you let him go. If
that makes you suspicious, good going: You and I both know that Duplicate
2's already strumming harps. But play along. Write down the coordinates in
the order he gives them to you. If that fourth set he throws in makes you
even more suspicious, better going still: It's the planet you're standing
on. Micro the little weasel.

 TRAUMA, GOOD MIND, KINGPAK

 Review what the manual says about the Ondoyante. Then, take a deep breath
and set your galaxy map for the first set of coordinates Duplicate 1 gave
you. This is Trauma, and she's nobody's sweetheart. After she finishes
dressing you down, she says something about a rendezvous with a great male,
reels off some coordinates, and sends you back to your ship. Go back down
to her and offer her a lift. Take her to the coordinates she mentioned, and
all of a sudden she doesn't look so bad. Looks aren't everything though,
are they? Lose her. (To give her some credit she may volunteer the
coordinates for No No; but, then, you already have them, don't you?)

 Go far back in your records, now, and find the coordinates Great Bounty
gave you for his fellow Migrax Missile Brave. He'll welcome you with open
arms because of your civilized treatment of his friend, and give (without
much coaxing) both the Sinox code and the coordinates for Good Mind. When
he asks you to leave, be a gracious guest and beat it; don't pester him any
further right now.

 Proceed to 128, Good Mind's planet, and give him the Sinox code "impossible
not Sinox" to loosen him up. The Sinox can be a bit stuffy, but they're
basically all right (at least we're dealing with the higher intelligences
now). Good Mind, however, has a problem, and he's not above asking you for
help. It seems he needs four members of the Antenna race moved so he can
annex their planets ("Planet help me know radioactivity spirit": These guys
are into some weird stuff).

 You may be tempted to say, "Look pal, I've got my own problems," but hold
on a microsec. Didn't Great Bounty say something about the Antenna knowing
how to get to the Robheads? The BLOOD manual would have you believe that
the Robheads are harmless, but if you check the hints in the reference
booklet, it'll tell you they're "the real masters of Hydra." I guess you'll
be wanting to take that assignment after all.

 So, get the coordinates to the four Kristo planets from Good Mind, then
head on out. Antenna 1 on Kristo 15 will waffle when it comes to
teleporting, so wait until he's in the mood, then grab him fast. Other than
that, it's pretty routine stuff. (Yes, you do have to move all four of the
Antenna to uninhabited planets, and be nice about it.) The real reason
you're here is to ask them the following: "You know planet Robhead?" Each
Antenna will give you a different set of coordinates. Write them down and
guard them with your life.

 And remember, they're important, these coordinates; you're glad you got
them. It's imperative you remember that they're important, because the
return to Good Mind is going to be pretty much of a letdown. Even though he
promised you a Duplicate, all he's got now (besides a mouthful of "Much
obliged") is No No's address, which everybody and his brother seems willing
to give out. (By the way, don't be tempted to get into any kind of
teleportation scene with Good Mind; he'll run you ragged, and you won't get
a thing for your trouble.) But then again, with all those folks pointing us
back toward No No, maybe we should pay our little friend another visit.

 No No's happy to see you (No No's always happy to see you!), so ask him
about the Duplicates again. He'll give you the coordinates to the planet
where Duplicate 1 was found. (Thanks a lot, No No; maybe a little B-12 for
that short-term memory loss, eh, buddy?) There's also a chance No No may be
freaking out by this point, telling you the Duplicates want to kill him. If
he sends you away and you drop back down and he's gone, that's what's
happened. Not to worry.

 Time now for a little Tromp run. Contact either Good Unknown or Tubular
Brain for Kingpak's coordinates (yes, Tubular Brain). After he finishes
reeling off those stolen credit card numbers or whatever they are, give him
the Izwal code, and ask him about Kingpak. As it turns out, they're buddies.

 Basically, Kingpak's a joy cruiser who spends most of his time getting high
on Tromp tails. But he's also into racing, and he can't help but notice
you've got a pretty cool ship. Race him to the first set of coordinates he
hits you with. You'll lose, but he's a good sport, and offers you a two-
out-of-three deal. When you hit that second planet you'll encounter....

 Torka, overdressed as usual. She teleported Kingpak elsewhere, she says, to
get him out of the way (get those coordinates)..."so the two of us can be
alone," you might be thinking. But nobody in Hydra takes time anymore to
stop and smell the roses, so she'll be gone before you can say
"pneumatically pulchritudinous." Better luck next time. Use the coordinates
she gave you to catch up with Kingpak.

 By this time, Kingpak's totally stoned, and totally in awe of your prowess
as an aviator. As you'd expect from someone who enjoys Tromp tails so much,
he's got a headful of Tromp coordinates, which he'll give you freely. Next,
he says he's got an important meeting (again, get those co-ords), and
splits. Follow him to the next planet and offer him a ride in your cool
ship (he may even ask you before you open your mouth). Put him down on an
uninhabited planet; he won't like it and will suggest an alternative. Make
a note of it, tell him you'll catch him later, and hit the darkening skies.

 Now, visit one Tromp and one Robhead of your choice (when you've seen one,
you've seen them all). They have very different ways of communicating, but
you'll get the same amount of useful information out of each of them. The
Tromps only have one thing on their minds, and the Robheads are so spaced
they make Timothy Leary look like George Bush.

 Next, wracked with disappointment, check your notes for Maxon's coordinates,
and go there. Incidentally, if you now compare your Kingpak and Antenna
notes with your old Duplicate 1 notes, you'll discover that those other
coordinates Duplicate 1 gave you -- in addition to the sets for Trauma and
the Duplicate's own planet -- were for Tromp 1 and Robhead 1. Just thought
you'd like to know.

 When you find him, Maxon will be very skittish because of his fear of the
Duplicates; he won't let you stay long. After he shoos you away, go back
down and, when he asks you for the Izwal code again, say (all at one time)
"Code friend friend me know planet Yoko." He should give you some
coordinates. Unfortunately, they'll be the same coordinates No No gave you
last time, for Duplicate 1's planet. Evidently, this memory-loss thing runs
in the family.

 As you pause, suffering from extreme disappointment, a still, small voice
in the back of your head starts whispering "Kingpak, Kingpak." Either
you're dying for a Tromp tail, or you just got an idea. Find the
coordinates for the planet Kingpak wanted to go to and shoot yourself there.
It's....

 Duplicate 4, with a line of jive as long as an Izwal's tongue. "Small
nonsense brave not. Rendezvous not not small brave idea warrior. Planet
warrior destroy destroy. Destroy fear brave warrior. Warrior fear idea."
Sounds like Tarzan reading the "Bhagavad Gita." Store Duplicate 4 in a cool,
dry place; take only as directed.

 TRICEPHAL, ROBHEADS, TORKA TORKA TORKA

 Okay, we've exhausted most of our information sources except for the
Robheads, and no one can make heads or tails out of what they're saying. So,
when you need wisdom, when you need compassion, when you need some deeper
understanding in full harmony with nature and completely unimpeded by the
baser instincts, who are you going call? That's right, those Croolis-Var
and Croolis-Ulv (who were you thinking of?). We haven't talked to, let's
see here, Bad Crazy, Male Warrior, Insult 4, and Great Destroy. I don't
know, call me crazy, but I've just got a feeling about that Great Destroy.
Sounds like class with a capital "K." Punch that hyperspace activator.

 Well "capital" is right. Great Destroy is kind of the Rockefeller of Hydra
and makes no bones about it: "Me love money." As I mentioned earlier, he's
an information broker. Give him the usual Ulv-Var song and dance until he
asks you to search for the Croolis-Ulv. Then, he'll send you up to your
ship. Go back down to him immediately and give him the names of the three
Ulv planets you found (Trap 4, Bad Trap, and Insult 80). In return he'll
supply you with directions to Idea 762.

 On Idea 762 you'll find Small Friend, another Izwal. Now, if you check the
directory of aliens in the back of your manual, you'll discover there's
only one race you haven't dealt with yet: the Tricephal. And "Tricephal" is
an UPCOM word that Small Friend knows. Give him the Izwal code if he drags
his feet, then coax the necessary coordinates out of him.

 The Tricephal in question is called Good Friend, and he lives on Small Home.
The "Hints" section of the reference booklet would have you believe that
Good Friend is one of only two sources for the whereabouts of Brain
Radioactivity, the Sinox who holds the key to communicating with the
Robheads. The other is supposed to be our old pal Dead Genetic, but I could
never get anything out of him, except Yoko and those four Croolis-Var he's
so obsessed with.

 The situation is complicated by the fact that Good Friend, once you've made
his acquaintance, seems never to have heard of Brain Radioactivity (also,
he's a friend of the Duplicates, so watch your step). But he will, if
encouraged, start talking about someone named Entrax. In fact, if you've
been paying attention, you'll notice he's the only cat in the galaxy who
has the Entrax icon in his vocabulary. Entrax lives on a planet called,
simply, 256. Shoot over there ASAP!

 It turns out Entrax and Brain Radioactivity are one and the same (why the
pseudonym, I wonder?). He's all too willing to help, but he doesn't know
where the Robheads are hiding. Give him the stats on all four Robhead
planets and he'll agree to intercede with them on your behalf. Actually, he
plans to give them some sort of genetic implant: "Me give great genetic
Robhead." Then, wend your way back to Robhead 1 on Planet 145, and save the
game!

 Well, you'll find that the Robheads are making sense now...grim sense.
Robhead 1, for starters, wants you to kill Maxon. The hints say that once
the Robheads start talking, you'd better do what they say. But wait a
minute. Ever heard about those psychology experiments where subjects can be
talked into giving seemingly painful shocks to pseudo-subjects, simply
because there's an authority figure (the psychologist) telling them it's
okay? And remember all those war criminals who were "just doing their
jobs"? Sit back, friend, friend friend, and take a deep breath.

 We had four beginnings, right? So, what's wrong with a couple of endings?

 NEANDERTHAL ENDGAME

 After listening to Robhead 1, destroy Maxon's planet. Go back to Robhead 1
for instructions to see Robhead 2.

 After listening to Robhead 2, destroy the planets of the three Croolis-Ulv
and five Croolis-Var. (Robhead 2 says four Croolis-Ulv and four Croolis-Var,
but everybody gets them confused.) Go back to Robhead 2 for instructions to
see Robhead 3.

 After listening to Robhead 3, destroy the planets of Good Mind and Brain
Radioactivity. Go back to Robhead 3 for instructions to see Robhead 4.

 After listening to Robhead 4, destroy the planets of Great Bounty and
Missile Brave. Go back to Robhead 4 for the coordinates to Duplicate 3.

 Duplicate 3 says he has a great rendezvous at hour 320, and pleads with you
not to disintegrate him until then. But what's that to a tough guy like
you? Go ahead, fry him.

 Now, all you need are the whereabouts of Duplicate 5 and Torka, right? Hit
the road, pal. Figure it out for yourself, you butcher.

 COOL GUY ENDGAME

 Leave Robhead 1 and go straight to Robhead 4. He wants you to kill the
Migrax. Go to Reproduction 14 and confirm that Great Bounty hasn't come
back yet. Disintegrate the planet. Then, go to Reproduction 128 and meet
with Missile Brave. Don't tell him what the Robheads are up to: the Migrax
are an emotionally delicate race, and you don't want to upset him.

 Instead, start quizzing him about everyone you can think of. Say "Me want
information Antenna," "Me want information Tricephal," "Me want information
Tubular-Brain," etc. If he sends you away, go back to him, and start right
up again. Eventually, probably thinking, "Geez, what a bore this guy's
turned out to be," he'll beg off with a "Time is money" and a "Bye great
friend," and leave the planet. After you're sure he's gone, vaporize Repro
128, and return to Robhead 4.

 The Robheads are smart, but they're not omniscient (the fact that one of
them thought there were four Croolis-Ulv has clued us into that). When you
get back to Planet 403, Robhead 4 will think you've wasted the Migrax and
react accordingly, giving you the coordinates to Duplicate 3.

 Duplicate 3, as noted above, will say he has an important rendezvous at
hour 320 and beg you not to fridge him until then. Give him a break, give
yourself a break: Go get a sandwich and come back when the ship's clock
says 320. He'll still be there. And he'll capitulate like an honorable man.

 Maybe these Duplicates aren't as shifty as we thought they were. Maybe
they're just trying to get by, like the next guy. In defense of non-
violence, Albert Schweitzer said, "I am life that wills to live, in the
midst of life that wills to live." I guess that could be said for all those
Duplicates, too -- even old Duplicate 1, the bozo with the erroneous
coordinates.

 Or were they? He said Duplicate 5 would be at coordinates ____/____ (fill
in the blanks). But he didn't say when, did he? Check it out now.

 "You've searched for me, Blood. I will give you some great information. You
must destroy me, yes Blood. You go search for Torka. Torka loves you. You
teleport Torka. Yes Blood. You are a great warrior. Bye Blood. Torka loves
you. Torka's planet is Corpo. Coordinates ____/____. You are I. I am you.
You and I both love Torka. You-equal-I equals great genetics."

 Head for Corpo and receive the hero's welcome you're entitled to. Then,
move Torka to your ship. As the reference booklet promises, she doesn't
stay in the fridgitorium.

 I hope you and the Ondoyante have a hundred little Bloods, just like she
says, and live happily ever after. (Just don't let her start eating too
much.)

 AFTERWORD: ASSORTED MUSINGS

 THE TIME THING

 Since you're playing against the clock, the great unknown quantity in this
game is the time factor. The manual says you have 2.5 real-time hours
between Duplicates before your arm starts shaking so badly you can no
longer function. I have no idea how a different computer speed might affect
your info-gathering efficiency in this regard.

 Where there's been a choice, I've tried to order the steps of the walkthru
in a dramatic way, but it may be that some of you simply can't complete all
the steps to the first Duplicate in time because of hardware limitations.
So keep in mind: Some things have to be done in a certain order, others can
be switched around. Use your common sense.

 It becomes obvious after a certain point that you would never have found No
No unless you moved Yoko first. On the other hand, you can take advantage
of those "unidentified" coordinates from Good Unknown as soon as he gives
them to you if your arm is going berserk. The bottom line is: If your arm
keeps going bad on you too soon, study the whole walkthru to get the big
picture, and make a game plan, spacing out the disintegration of the
Duplicates so that you're always in good health.

 AND SPEAKING OF THAT SHAKY ARM

 You can actually -- and this is one of those things you find out on your
own when the chips are really down -- maneuver around Hydra fairly well
with a palsied arm. In the first stages of V.F.D. (vital fluid drain), you
simply wait for those intervals when the shaking stops, then take care of
business quickly. But even after the arm's completely whacked, you can
still do a number of things. You can set coordinates on the galaxy map:
Watch how the line alternates between two numbers once you've fingered it,
adjust it so the desired coordinate is one of those numbers, then be quick
with the old trigger finger. You can travel, pilot an OORXX (totally
unaffected by arm rot), and -- to some extent at least -- communicate
(icons with blackened-out neighbors are easiest, because you're not as
likely to select the wrong one). I mention this only because it illustrates
what my old yoga teacher meant when he said, "Despair is almost always
premature."

 SAVING GAMES

 CAPTAIN BLOOD only allows for one saved game. But it is possible to explore
alternative plot lines and not have to start from scratch every time. When
you get to a point where you want to save, hit the save icon, and quit
(which, at least in the IBM version, means rebooting your computer). Then,
transfer the BLOOD.GAM file (the only saved game the program recognizes) to
a new subdirectory or floppy, and give it a name that's unique to that game.
This way, you can build a catalogue of different games-in-progress. When
you want to pick up with one of them, copy its file back to the
subdirectory or floppy with the BLOOD program files, and change its name
back to BLOOD.GAM.

 MY THEORY

 I think there's an evil genius behind all this: the Sinox Brain
Radioactivity (aka "Entrax"). After all, the Robheads are just a bunch of
helpless hippie kids -- until Brain Radioactivity finds out their locations
(which you, of course, unwittingly give him), and then proceeds to tinker
with their genes. I think he programs the Robheads to order you to kill
everybody else so that he can be the master of Hydra. Then, of course, in
classic B-movie style, the creature turns on its creator: Robhead 3 tells
you to kill both Sinoxes, not just Good Mind, as Brain Radioactivity wanted.

 Anyway, it helps explain the alias. Time equals money. Me go. Bye great
friend.

 CAPTAIN BLOOD is published by Infogrames and distributed by The Software
Toolworks.

 This walkthru is copyright (c) 1990 by David Muir. All rights reserved.