Loadstar 128 36/q36.d81/t.zone 13

Text File | 2022-08-28 | 15KB | 289 lines

                               Z O N E   1 3

                      Program and Text by Jon Mattson


 FENDER'S PREMUMBLE: This has always been one of my favorite games. Loosely
inspired by a Random House game called FIX IT, it shows what a master
programmer can do with the relatively large 80-column screen. I updated the
version that was published on LS 128 #10 by making it work on any drive --
not just 8. I wanted to add mouse support but alas, it would have required
a major overhaul since Jon Mattson uses some special ML for the cab
movement. But the joystick moves quickly enough, and it's only fair that
everyone moves at the same speed when playing the game. Besides, the game
requires BOTH joystick and keyboard.

 I also wanted to add 40 new levels but late 1997 was not the right time
for me to spend the time such a project deserved. The program has an
excellent level-maker built in. Anyone want to give it a shot?

 Now here's Jon Mattson to tell you all about his masterpiece.


 THE TROUBLE-SHOOTERS STORY
 --------------------------

    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 trained you on the Zone78 MC (single lane
to Hicksville), and nothing ever happened 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 Zone 13, 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, Zone 13 has by far the highest
incidence of break-down -- both in the system and the TSs operating it.
They say that every TS has to survive a month on Zone 13 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 Zone 13
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?


 PLAYING THE GAME
 ----------------

    ZONE 13 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.

 NOTE: When jumping to a level between 1 and 9, remember that you MUST
enter two digits. Use 01 for 1 or 07 for 7.

    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 green 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 or 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 or SPACE again. Assuming that at least one of that
tool remains 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 the DELete key. 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 c