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INTERACTING WITH OTHERS: 

One  of  the  fantastic  features  of  the  Hobbit Software Adventure is
ANIMACTION. With  ANIMACTION,  each  creature  in  the  program  has  an
independent  character  of  its  own. It is capable of performing a wide
range of actions and of making decisions  based  on  what  is  happening
around it. 

Each character will follow a general course of action that is in keeping
with  its particular personality. However, the specific actions it takes
are (naturally) unpredictable and will be different each  time  you  use
the  program.  They  will react in some way, not only to what you do but
also to what ecery other creature they come into contact with does! 

Just like in our world, the creatures here  are  doing  things  all  the
time,  even  when  you cannot see or hear them. They will go about their
business even when you are not around. This is  because  the  Hobbit  is
played  in  "real time," which means that things will happen even if you
are doing nothing. If you just sit and watch the screen, you  will  find
that after about 30 secounds, the following message will appear: 

- You wait -
Time passes. . . 

Only  when you are actually keying in an instruction will time "stop" in
Middle-earth. 

Because of these special features, you will  find  that  each  time  you
enter  the  Hobbit  Adventure,  the  game  will  proceed  in  a slightly
different manner. The further you  get  into  the  Adventure,  the  more
different  your  experiences will be. This means that there is no unique
solution to the Hobbit  Adventure;  you  will  face  slightly  different
problems each time you play. 

This  is  not  a program that you will use only once. Each time you play
you will be embarking on a new exciting adventure. 

CONVERSING: 

The Hobbit Adventure also features Animtalk, which allows you to talk to
the other creatures in Middle-earth. 

Of course, because all creatures are animated through  Animaction,  they
will make up their own minds about whether to talk to you or follow your
suggestions. 

The way one talks to others in the Hobbit Adventure is quite simple: 

You enter

SAY TO (name) "(sentence)"

For instance: 

SAY TO GANDALF "READ MAP"

But remember that although this form is certainly correct, you may still
receive the message: 

- Gandalf sayes "No!"

Try  not  to  say  too  much  to  one  creature  at  a  time. If you are
long-winded, a creature may think you are a bore and not agree  to  help
you.  For  the same reason, it is a good idea to try to limit the use of
ALL in your sentences to other creatures. 

You must be more careful than usual in typing in what you say  to  other
creatures. They, unlike the computer, will not tell you when they do not
understand  what  you  are trying to say. They will just think you are a
little odd and will probably not be too anxious to stay around you. 

COOPERATING

It is important for you to know that, for some of the  problems  in  the
Hobbit Adventure, a solution only exists if you are willing to cooperate
with the other creatures in the adventure. As you are only a hobbit, you
have  no  magical  powers,  and you will find that there are many things
that others are able to do better than you (see the Laws of  Physics  in
Middle-earth).  So  you  must  stay  on good terms with your friends. Of
course, sometimes you will have to be on your own  and  learn  to  fight
your own battles. 

FIGHTING

As  much  as  Bilbo  might  like  to  think otherwise, there would be no
adventure in the Hobbit without danger, and many of  the  creatures  you
will  meet in Wilderland are less than friendly. Many will attack you on
sight. Some will try to kill you, while others will want to capture you.
It is also safe to assume that any creature will fight  back  if  it  is
attacked. 

As  you  do  not  specify  a  weapon (even if you are carrying one), the
program will assume that  you  want  to  fight  with  your  bare  hands.
Because of the viciousness of some of the creatures in Wilderland, don't
be surprised if you a dead body in your travels. Take care that it isn't
your own! 



GENERAL CONCEPTS

As  stated  above,  in  the  Hobbit Adventure you play the part of Bilbo
Baggins, roaming around Middle-earth  and  interacting  with  the  other
characters. 

On  your  adventure,  you  will  encounter  many  strange  and wonderful
objects. Some may have magical properties. Some may  be  deceiving,  and
may  not  be  what  they  first seem to be. Some can be used as weapons,
others can be eaten, and so on. 

LAW OF PHYSICS IN MIDDLE-EARTH: 

There are certain general laws of  physics  that  apply  in  the  Hobbit
Adventure and they must be understood and obyed. 

You  cannot  lift  an object that is too heavy for a hobbit to carry. In
addition, if you are already carrying something, you cannot lift another
object if the combined load is too heavy. This applies  to  all  of  the
creatures  in  the adventure, also. However, since they are likely to be
stronger than you are, they will be able to lift objects tat you can't. 

You do not have to be carrying and object in order to be able to use it.
For example, if there is a sword lying on the ground, you can say

KILL THE GOBLIN WITH THE SWORD

combining the two actions (picking up and killing)  into  one  sentence.
The  exception  is when the object that you want to use is being carried
by someone else. Other creatures are not likely to let you  take  things
away from them. 

Some  objects  can  act  as containers, such as sacks, barrels, etc. You
cannot put an object into a container if it is too large to fit, nor can
you put something into or take something out  of  a  container  that  is
closed. 

Some  containers may be transparent; others are opaque. You will be able
to see the contents of any  transparent  containers  from  the  outside.
However,  you  can  only  see the contents of an opaque container if you
open it. 

Liquids behave as you would expect - they cannot be carried unless  they
are  in  a  container; if the container breaks or falls, the liquid will
spill, and so on. 

Some objects may be locked.  Doors  are  obvious  examples;  others  are
windows,  chests,  caches,  and so on. To unlock them, you will need the
right key. 

Some objects are breakable, so you must be careful  in  how  you  handle
them.  In  some cases, you might want to break an object. Be careful how
you choose to break things. If, for instance, you try to  break  a  door
with a bottle, you will find that the bottle will break not the door. 

Fighting  will  make you weaker, as it takes a great deal of energy. You
will need to eat regularly to get your strength back. If you  don't  you
may  find that you are too weak to lift even the smallest object. But be
warned - don't be a glutton. While hobbits may be inclined to eat 7 or 8
meals a day in their quiet, ordinary lives, there isn't  time  for  such
things on adventures. 

In  order  to  reach  the  dragon  and his treasure, you will need to go
through caves, dungeons, and other underground  locations.  Some  places
will  have natural light (if it is daytime), but others will be dark and
forbidding. If you go into a dark  location  without  a  lamp  or  other
source of light, you will not be able to see anything. Be careful, since
you  may become disoriented and lose your sense of direction. It is very
dangerous to move around in total darkness. 

FINDING YOU WAY AROUND: 

If you want to go through an entrance or passageway, it is  quite  valid
to say something like

GO THROUGH THE GREEN DOOR

You  may  also  go  through  windows, trap doors, and other passageways.
Obviously, if a passageway is closed, you  must  open  it  before  going
through. 

You  are  also able to LOOK THROUGH openings. This can be very useful if
you want to see where you would get by going in that  direction,  or  to
see who is there waiting for you. 

ENTERING PLACES: 

If  you know where you are going (maybe you have been there before), you
can specify the location you want to enter rather than the direction  of
movement.  For  instance,  to the east of your home is the Lonelands, so
you could say

ENTER LONELANDS or GO INTO LONELANDS

if someone you want to talk to has entered  another  location,  you  can
follow him. 

FOLLOW GANDALF

SPECIAL CROSSINGS: 

Crossing  rivers,  ravines,  chasms,  and  so  on  can  be dangerous and
difficult. You can try to jump across a ravine or swim across  a  river.
In  some  cases  you  might be able to use materials you find to built a
temporary bridge, or use a rope to swing across. 

MAPPING: 

As you make your way around the wilderland, you will find that  movement
here  is much more complex than it is in the world of man. You will find
yourself on trails and paths, in caves passageways, some of  which  seem
to  go around in circles with no escape. For this reason , you will find
it very helpful to make a map as you go along, adding to  it  each  time
you play the game. 

However, one of the obstacles you will encounter in Middle-earth is that
the  direction  you  take  from  point A to piont B may not be quite the
reverse of the way from point B to point A. In  addition,  you  will  at
times be climbing up or down, requiring representation of several levels
in  your  map.  Therefore  you  may need to devise an even more creative
method of recording you movements. One way is to create a grid, such  as
the  mileage  charts  used  on  some road maps. Locations travelled from
could be listed on the rows and those travelled to in the  columns.  The
intersecting spaces would contain the directions travelled to get there.
Using  a  grid  will enable you to record how you made your way from one
location to another and even back again. You can keep track of where you
have been and know where you can go from where you are. This  method  is
particularly  effective  for  mapping  the  twisting,  turning  paths of
Winderland, entering and leaving the underground locations, and  keeping
track of secret or magical passageways. 

SCORING: 

Whle playing the Hobbit Software Adventure, you build a cumulative score
in  increments  of  2.5  percent  for  visiting  particular locations or
performing certain actions. If you should come to  an  untimely  demise,
the  program  will tell you what your score is. You can also receive the
score "in progress" by typing the special SCORE command. You do not have
to reach 100 percent in order to "complete" the adventure. In fact,  you
can  fulfill  your  goal  while  accumulating  a  score of only 50 to 60
percent. To build your score, try to be as active as possible,  visiting
many locations and seizing all opportunities for adventure. 



INGLISH DICTIONARY: 

Key:

A = adverb              GO             - V      LOCK           - V
M = movement            HELP           - S      LOOK (L)       - V
P = preposition         IN             - P      NOPRINT        - S
S = special verb        INTO           - P      NORTH (N)      - M
V = action verb         INVENTORY (I)  - S      NORTHEAST (NE) - M
ACROSS        - A       KILL           - V      NORTHWEST (NW) - M
AT            - P       LOAD           - S      OFF            - P
BREAK         - V       SHOOT          - V      ON             - P
CAREFULLY     - A       SOFTLY         - A      OPEN           - V
CLIMB         - V       SOUTH (S)      - M      OUT            - P
CLOSE         - V       SOUTHEAST (SE) - M      PAUSE          - S
CROSS         - V       SOUTHWEST (SW) - M      PICK           - V
DIG           - V       SWIM           - V      PRINT          - S
DOWN          - M       TAKE           - V      PUT            - V
DRINK         - V       THROUGH        - P      QUICKLY        - A
DROP          - V       THROW          - V      QUIT           - S
EAST (E)      - M       TIE            - V      RUN            - V
EAT           - V       TO             - P      SAVE           - S
EMPTY         - V       TURN           - V      SAY            - V
ENTER         - V       UNLOCK         - V      SCORE          - S
EXAMINE       - S       UNTIE          - V      WEST (W)       - M
FILL          - V       UP (U)         - M      WITH           - P
FOLLOW        - V       UP             - P
FROM          - P       VICIOUSLY      - A
GIVE          - V       WEAR           - V