Questprobe 2: Spiderman by Adventure International Instructions So - there is more to come. In fact, the complete storyline spreads across the entire series of 12 comic-strip adventures, all involving different Marvel characters, and each story launches you into a separate and complete QUESTPROBE computer game. So, without further ado, let's get straight to this story's adventure. WHAT IS AN ADVENTURE? If you have never played an adventure game before then you are in for a real treat. Adventuring permits the player to move at will within the game environment, and to examine objects for clues that will help reach the objective of the game. For example, an adventure might start thus: I'M IN A ROOM. VISIBLE OBJECTS ARE A RUBY-ENCRUSTED BOX AND A CLOSED DOOR. TELL ME WHAT TO DO. You may want to start by entering a direction (North, South, up, down etc.) to see if you can leave the room. Chances are, though, that you will have to find a way to get through the door. So, let's try something simple. You type: OPEN THE DOOR But the computer answers in no uncertain terms: SORRY, IT'S LOCKED. WHAT SHALL I DO? Since the ruby encrusted box appears to be the only other object in the room, let's take a closer look. You type: TAKE THE RUBY-ENCRUSTED BOX However, the computer responds with: SORRY, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND Don't despair, Pilgrim. The nature of adventuring is such that the computer will generally not understand adjectives, so we must simplify our command. Try again, and type: TAKE THE BOX This time the computer says: O.K. By saying O.K. the computer is telling you that it has understood your command and the box has now been taken. To check this you can type: INVENTORY The computer now responds with: I AM CARRYING: A RUBY-ENCRUSTED BOX Now let's take a look inside: OPEN THE BOX O.K. EXAMINE THE BOX O.K. THERE IS A KEY AND A RARE POSTAGE STAMP. TAKE THE KEY Then: UNLOCK THE DOOR Computer responds: O.K. THE DOOR OPENS At last we are out and the first obstacle has been successfully overcome. You are on your way. SOME USEFUL NEW FEATURES There are several new features which have been introduced in Spider- Man to help you interact more easily with your computer. 1) Stringing together of more than one command using 'Then' or a comma (,), eg. GET THE BOX, OPEN THE BOX THEN TAKE THE KEY 2) The use of full full sentences, eg. GO ALL THE WAY UP. TAKE THE GEM FROM THE AQUARIUM. TALK TO MADAME WEB. 3) The ability to take or drop more than one object at a time, eg. TAKE EVERYTHING DROP THE GEMS DROP ALL SOME HELPFUL WORDS Although, the vocabulary accepted by your computer is extensive, you may find the words listed below to be of some use as you set about your adventure. Remember these are just a few of the many words available. CLIMB MOVE TALK TAKE PUSH DROP EXAMINE GO ENTER READ LEAVE QUIT SAVE LOOK OPEN TURN PULL RAISE DIG LISTEN JUMP Finally, the computer can understand much more than you may think, so experiment. ONE LETTER COMMANDS You may use the following single keys to perform a variety of tasks and to expedite playing time. Type the letter for the function you want then hit return. C -turn on/off lower case (Apple only) V -turn on/off optional Vortrax speech unit (or printer output on Apple or Atari only) Z -turn on/off graphics mode (Graphic disk versions only) ENTER -review text window (Graphic disk versions only) N,S,E,W,U,D-go north, south, east, west, up or down O -output to printer (Atari only) A -Atari character set (Atari only) B -script-style character set (Atari only) L -look I -take inventory of items carried DESCRIPTIONS OF MARVEL CHARACTERS YOU MAY MEET Spider-Man - Friend. Real name: Peter Parker. Occupation: Freelance photographer, adventurer. Identity: Secret. Base of operations: New York City. Origin: Parker was bitten by a massively irradiated spider and as a result, soon found that he had gained the abilities of a spider and hugely increased strength. Using his new-found powers, Parker started a short-lived show-business career that was soon given up in favour of crime-fighting. Peter Parker now works for the Daily Bugle as a freelance photographer, mainly selling photographs of Spider-Man in action. Height: 5'10" Weight: 165 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Powers: Spider-Man possesses superhuman strength, reflexes and equilibrium, the ability to cling to almost any kind of surface, and a subconscious danger sense (Spider-sense). He can lift up to 10 tons, and his reflexes are on average 15 times faster than a normal man. Weapons: Spider-Man has developed a spider-like web-spinning device and a silk-like compound that mimics a spider's natural abilities. Madame Web - Friend. Real name: Cassandra Webb. Occupation: Professional medium. Identity: Publicly known. Base of operations: New York City. Origin: Cassandra Webb has been blind since birth but discovered at an early age that she possessed clairvoyant abilities. She became a professional medium later in life but was stricken by a disease of the nervous system which left her totally dependent upon a large spider-web like life support system equipped with robot arms that take the place of her useless limbs. Height: 5'6" Weight: 110 lbs Eyes: Pale grey Hair: Black and silver Powers: Madame Web possesses a number of psychic sensory powers. With great concentration she is able to scan peoples' thoughts or project her own thoughts into the minds of others. She also has the ability, to a limited extent, to predict future events. Electro - Foe. Real name: Maxwell Dillon. Occupation: Professional criminal. Identity: Publicly known. Base of operations: Mobile. Origin: While working for an electrical power company, Dillon was struck by lightning which caused a mutagenic change in his nervous system. This resulted in him becoming a human electrical capacitor. Height: 5'11" Weight: 165 lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Red-brown Powers: Electro has the ability to generate electrostatic energy (up to 1,000 volts per minute) and is able to store up to 100,000 volts at any time. This can be discharged at a controlled rate, with anything from one volt, to the full 100,000 being released at a time (capable of killing a man at a range of ten feet). He can release a bolt of lightning which can travel up to 100 feet at a speed of 1,100 feet per second. Electro is also capable of travelling at great speed along electrical power lines simply by creating imbalances in his magnetic field, and he can manipulate certain electronic devices to a limited extent. Sandman - Foe. Real name: William Baker. Occupation: Former professional criminal. Identity: Publicly known. Base of operations: Mobile. Origin: Baker was on the run from the police after escaping from prison in New York. He sheltered in a nuclear testing site where he was exposed to a massive dose of radiation. This caused his body to take on the properties of animated sand. Height: 6'1" Eyes: Brown Weight: 450 lbs Hair: Brown Powers: Sandman can convert all or part of his body to sand, compact his body to make it as hard as sandstone or loosen it to make him invulnerable to physical attack. Mysterio - Foe. Real name: Quentin Beck. Occupation: Former Hollywood special effects designer, now professional criminal. Identity: Known to the police, secret to the public. Base of operations: Mobile. Origin: Beck was an extremely accomplished stunt man and special effects designer before he set himself the task of killing Spider-Man and taking his place, but as Mysterio, he was defeated and ended up in prison. Height: 5'11" Eyes: Blue Weight: 175 lbs Hair: Black Powers: Mysterio is a skilled fighter and athlete, a master hypnotist and illusionist. He wears a 'fishbowl' type helmet with an oxygen supply; carries portable projectors for the creation of large-scale illusions, and has canisters attached to his back which emit a thick gas which not only obscures vision but also acts against Spider-Man's spider-sense. Ringmaster - Foe. Real name: Maynard Tiboldt. Occupation: Circus ringmaster and professional criminal. Identity: Publicly known. Base of operations: Mobile. Origin: Born into a circus family in Austria, Tiboldt became the master of his own circus after the second world war and came to America. However he soon discovered that his small circus could not make profits while in competition with huge American circus troupes, so he turned to crime. He now runs an outfit called the 'Circus of Crime' which travels across America hypnotising and robbing its audiences. Height: 6'1" Eyes: Green Weight: 190 lbs Hair: Grey-black Powers: Ringmaster has some skill in acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat but his main skills lie in hypnosis through the 'nullatron' device, concealed in his top hat. The hat is also equipped with projectors which transmit bright lights through a spinning disc mounted on the front. These lights can daze and disorient potential victims, making them less able to resist his mind-control. Doctor Octopus - Foe. Real name: Otto Octavius. Occupation: Ex-atomic research consultant, criminal mastermind. Identity: Publicly known. Base of operations: New York City. Origin: Octavius constructed a chest harness with four tentacle-like arms to enable him to manipulate radioactive substances at a safe distance. In a freak accident the harness became bonded to his skin and nervous system due to exposure to radiation. Height: 5'9" Eyes: Brown Weight: 245 lbs Hair: Brown Powers: Dr.Octopus can mentally control his four electronically powered telescopic limbs to great effect. Each tentacle is five inches in diameter, can be extended from a length of six feet up to a maximum of twenty-four feet. The arms each end in three pincers capable of gripping with a force of up to 175 pounds per square inch, and rotating a full 360 degrees in a screwdriver-like fashion. Each tentacle can lift 3 tons and travel at speeds of up to 90 feet per second. By spinning his arms like a giant fan Dr Octopus can create a wind of up to 50 miles per hour. The limbs can be separated from their harness and controlled by Octopus at distances up to 900 miles. Lizard - Foe. Real name: Dr.Curtis Conners. Occupation: Research biologist. Identity: Secret. Base of operations: New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. Origin: Conners was an army surgeon until his arm was amputated following a wound in the Korean war. He turned to the study of reptiles and became a leading authority. He discovered the chemical that allows reptiles to regenerate, and when he applied it to himself he found that not only was his arm regenerated but his whole body took the form of a reptilian-humanoid. Height: 5'11" Eyes: Blue Weight: 175 lbs Hair: Brown Powers: The Lizard can lift up to 12 tons, jump over 18 feet, and run at 45 miles per hour. His reactions are about twice the speed of a normal man, and his 6'6" tail can be moved at a speed of 100 feet per second. Hydro-Man - Foe. Real name: Morrie Bench. A man who can transform all or part of his body into water. Chief Examiner -? The mysterious overseer of the QUESTPROBE Series, as yet very little is known about him. SAVING YOUR ADVENTURE FOR LATER PLAY An adventure will often last longer than the time available in a single sitting. You may save the game you are playing and return later to take up where you left off. To save a game in progress, type SAVE GAME at any time; you can save to tape or to disk. To load a saved game simply answer YES to the question WANT TO LOAD A PREVIOUSLY SAVED GAME? at the start of the adventure. To end a game in progress, type QUIT. If you intend to continue the game at a later date be sure to save the game before using this command. -- Another Fine Product transcribed by: Jim Grimwood, Weardale, England --