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[SPACE II - manual, and text from the back-cover of the software
packaging.]
Interactive Fantasies
SPACE II
(c) 1979 David G. Mullich, Steven W. Pederson, and Sherwin A. Steffin
This companion to the original package of multi-scenario games
provides more unique adventures into the distant future. The games are
fully compatible with character text files from the original SPACE, yet all
you need for play is contained in this package.
CHARACTERS builds your files as you enlist in space services, SHAMAN
launches your career as a religious practitioner on an untamed planet while
the risks and joys of mind-expanding drugs await the character in the
Zintarian colony of the game PSYCHODELIA.
For Apple II and II-plus computers.
Requires 48k, Disk II.
Developed exclusively by:
Edu-Ware Services, Inc.
28035 Dorothy Drive
P.O. Box 22222
Agoura, CA 91301
(213) 706-0661
(c) Copyright 1979. All Rights Reserved.
Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
<SPACE II contains new scenarios which are completely compatible with the
character files generated in the original SPACE. See page 4 for
descriptions of these new scenarios.>
Introduction
============
SPACE, the authors believe, is something rather unique to the field of
Micro-Computers. What makes it unique? Here are some of the differences
between SPACE, and many of the other fine games you have had an opportunity
to play:
1. SPACE is a multi scenario game.
Predicated on a projection of real life situations in a time in the
far distant future, it develops, the authors believe, some plausible
situations in which the user might conceivably find him/herself. To the
degree allowed by the capabilities of the computer, and the skills of the
authors, we have endeavored to make each of the scenarios contingent upon
potentially real variations in human skills, and the impact of situations
over which we have little knowledge, and even less control.
2. The results of later games are contingent on earlier games.
Put another way, our past comes back to haunt us in unexpected ways.
While not every variable impacts on every game, all variables come into
play in one or more of the games. Variable development is cumulative
throughout play of the games.
3. Risk/Benefit is part of every game.
Just as in real life, we assess the decisions we make based upon our
judgement of the risks and the benefits, so too, is this the case with each
of the SPACE games. Players have a number of options which may be judged
for both their positive values, and the risks they entail.
4. Randomness is a part of every move.
While most of us believe that we have control over our own destinies,
there are a few among us who assert that they have total control over their
lives. Illness, accident, loss of income, are all a part of our lives over
which we have little, if any, control. And, as this is the case in real
life, so too, is randomness a determinant in each of the games of SPACE.
5. Information is deliberately imprecise.
While it would certainly be possible to describe all of the games'
possible permutations, we have chosen to leave much of this discovery to
the player. After all, none of us have perfect information on which to base
real life decisions, and yet we nonetheless are required to make them each
day of our lives. The authors sought to replicate this condition within
each of the games.
6. Winning is in the eyes of the player.
In most games with which we are familiar, the goals of the game are
explicit. Other than the goal of simply staying alive, other goals are set
individually by the player; for some the gathering of wealth is central to
the way the game is played; to others, showing their skills as warriors
will be the reason for playing to a conclusion. Thoughtful construction of
various characters, and their control throughout the games, as well as the
sequence of games selected, will serve to enhance the achievement of
individual goals.
7. Exit points exist for some of the games.
Typically, a game has to be finished before the computer is powered
down for the night. This is not the case with the SPACE series. Since some
game outcomes are committed to text file, some of the games allow players
to resume where they left off.
Characters and Scenarios
========================
The SPACE series relies on the creation of a number of characters by
the player, which are then played through each of the scenarios, or games.
Thus, the human player creates one or more characters which represent him
throughout play. Each character created has a set of attributes. These
attributes, over which the human player has some control, can be divided
into several broad categories:
1. Basic Attributes
All of us are born with, or grow into certain attributes which can
serve to quantitatively describe our characteristics. Strength, endurance,
dexterity, IQ, social status, and education all may be explicitly
described. Yet in most cases are essentially beyond our direct control.
2. Physical and Psychological Attributes
Having been endowed with some hereditary traits, our development
throughout our lives depends upon both genetic makeup, and environmental
setting. As is the case in real life, players have the opportunity to make
some modifications in the physical, and psychological characteristics of
their characters, attempting to maximize the characters' attributes for
most effective coping with the requirements of the games in which they are
participants.
3. Skill Development
During their stay in the service, characters are given the opportunity
to develop specific skills. Some of these are applicable only in context of
military life while others are applied in civilian occupations. Players
should give close attention to the skills developed for their characters,
since these will impact on the character's performance within the games.
4. Economic Factors
While one measure of the human condition is change, it also seems
apparent that a constant of human society is out reliance on an economic
framework to oil the societal machine. To the best of the authors' beliefs
this condition will prevail into the distant future of man's spread
throughout the galaxy. The acquisition of money, and its use is thus seen
in each of the games, and is central in some.
5. Interpreting Attribute, Skill, and Economic Variables
A. Attributes are valued from 2 to 12. A "2" is indicative of an almost
total absence of the quality being rated. A "12" implies the maximum
possible for the attribute. An intelligence of "6" translates to an IQ of
100. Each increment of intelligence by 1 equals 10 IQ points with the
Standard Deviation of 1.5.
B. There are 6 physical health variables which are calculated from other
factors within the program. Narrative statements accompany each of these
numeric quantities, which range from 1 (pathology of that system) to 4
(system in good health).
C. Personality attributes are calculated by the program, and are displayed
as narrative statements within the program. These attributes have both
direct and hidden effects within all of the programs. They are only
indirectly modifiable by the player.
D. Skill Ratings. On initial entry, characters are seen as not possessing
any skills. All skills at entry are rated as a "0". A rating of "1" implies
initial training having been completed. A "2" puts the character at
readiness to instruct others in the skill. A "3" is a consultant to
instructors, while a "4" and above is a Master at that skill.
E. Financial Acquisitions. With the shift from an Earth-bound, to a
galaxy-wide culture, money is now standardized to the Galactic Credit (GCR)
being the normal unit of exchange. Players are cautioned not to attempt to
equate the values of this form of exchange with the current U.S. Dollar,
which totally collapsed in the Great Depression of 1996.
F. Age. Characters initiate play at age 18. During various games, age
increments a year at a time. Players should be aware that the average life
span has been extended to well over 100 years, calculated Earth Standard.
Rejuvenation after extensive aging and cloning after death are well
established, if expensive, life extension methods.
Scenario Notes
==============
CHARACTERS
Every Earth citizen, having reached age 18, faces a term of service in
one of the Galactic Federation's Military Services. Citizens may attempt to
enlist in the service of their choice, or failing that, will be drafted to
that service having a need for their abilities.
As the player develops the character throughout this game, there are
many options for having a whole group of characters with different
characteristics which best suit them for their roles in later games.
Many players of epoch games report that they become attached to
characters they have created, even when those characters are somewhat
inadequate for the tasks that face them. The authors have made provision
for a wide range of attributes being carried forward by characters into the
other games, but truly inadequate characters will be killed by the computer
before much time is spent on developing them.
Since the rigors of combat training do pose real risks, players should
be aware that continual exposure of the character to these risks may result
in death or disabling injury to the character that the Player has labored
long to build.
At the end of this game, each character is committed to a permanent,
locked, essentially unmodifiable (by the Player), text file. This file is
the basis for the action of the character throughout the rest of the games.
File access is by imputting the name of the character when prompted.
PSYCHODELIA
After playing through some of the SPACE scenarios, the player may wish
to ascertain a character's growth and development and consequently modify
his attributes. A unique approach to this lies in PSYCHODELIA. The scenario
places the character in the Zintarian colony, homeworld of the Galaxy's
supply of recreational drugs. Here, mind-expanding substances are sold in
"shooting galleries," much in the same manner as alcholic beverages are
sold in bars today. While the character is free to purchase an drug that is
on the menu, he does so at his own risk; each has the potential for great
risks and great benefits to the character. Due to constantly shifting
political factors in the High Galactic Government, the legality of the
Zintarian lifestyle changes with the wind. The one standing law in the
colony is that all patrons must have free access to a Medical Scanner upon
request so that they will be forewarned of a decline in their own health.
The Drugs
---------
The six drugs on the menu vary in experience requirements, potentcy,
price, and properties. Each drug increments or decrements certain mental
and physical attributes of the characters: the total effect involves such
factors as age, tolerance, previous drug useage, and physical and mental
dependence. It is up to the player to determine the exact nature of a drug
through experimentation, knowledge of the character, and clues provided by
the program.
One major clue is in the form of a two word hallucination. The first
word describes the character's emotional state, while the last describes
either his/her mental state or a skill acquired by the character in a
previous game. Such clues are instrumental in determining whether the
situation being experienced is real or merely a side effect of a drug.
Correct evaluation of the true nature of the situation may be critical at
times when the consequences are perilous.
When a drug wears off, the character will lapse into a mental state
ranging anywhere from a coma to cosmic consciousness (it has been rumored
that some drug users have come into contact with supernatural beings while
in "cosmic consciousness").
Medical Scanner
---------------
The Medical Scanner, selection 7 on the menu, evaluates the
character's physical and mental status. Note that the Medical Scanner
measures only the character's temporary, not permanent, state. For example,
if a character started with 100% endurance and later is measured to have
30% endurance, his permanent endurance may not really be so low, but
certainly will be lower that what he started out with.
Ending the Game
---------------
The game is ended by selection item 8 on the menu, "Come Down and Go
Home." The character's tab is paid off and his attributes updated at this
point. Drug experience is not accumulated from game to game.
SHAMAN
Unlike many other games in the SPACE series, SHAMAN is not played for
material benefits. The character assumes the role of a shaman, a primitive
religious practitioner, who is set down upon an untamed planet. Travelling
from town to town in his ATV, he seeks to convert the natives to the one
true faith by using his wits and abilities.
Since this game may be quite involved and extended for many hours of
play, provisions are made to stop at almost any point in the game to resume
at a later time from where you exited.
Starting the Game
-----------------
At the start of each game, the program asks if this is a new or old
game. If new, a planet of forests, mountains, shrines and towns is randomly
constructed, and the character is placed outside of the spaceport, and
assigned the rank of Witch Doctor. The character starts with GCR 2500 and
5000 units of fuel. If this is the continuation of an old game, the program
begins at the point where it last ended with that character.
The ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle)
-----------------------------
The ATV is used for quickly getting from place to place on the planet.
Steering is controlled with paddle 0, direction being displayed by the
compass in the lower right hand corner of the ATV control console. Paddle 1
controls the throttle, which ranges in value from 1 to 5. The throttle
regulates speed and fuel consumption. The ATV control console also displays
the date, fuel remaining, the terrain being crossed, and location (the
planet is divided into 9 x 9 grids, each grid being subdivided into 9 x 9
sectors). To stop the vehicle, simply strike any key on the keyboard.
Once out of the vehicle, you may then walk north, east, west, or south
to the nearest town, shrine, holy mountain, spaceport, or back to the ATV.
By striking the "Q" key when asked for the direction to travel, the status
of the game is saved onto the disk, and you may later start the game at
that point.
Towns
-----
There are four horticultural, three warrior, and three industrial
societies on the planet. In each town you may attend the seminary, go to
the market, build temples, and administer the necessary skills for being a
shaman at the cost of time. At the market, the character may purchase
supplies and religious accessories. Constructing temples will increase the
character's status in the town but decrease the weight of his coin purse.
Administering the faith through the use of black and white magic,
sacrifices, drugs, calendric rituals, preaching, and consulting oracles
will affect his popularity, political influence, and believability
depending upon the wisdom and timing of his selections. The last three
variables determine the size of his contributions and the number of
disciples gathered. Rank increases with every additional twenty-five
disciples.
Shrines
-------
To enter a shrine, you must have the rank of priest. There, keys for
entering the holy mountain may be obtained by combatting the guardian of
the shrine.
The Holy Mountain
-----------------
You must be a high priest possessing three keys to seek an audience
with the Lord of Many Worlds and receive any gifts that he might bestow
upon you.
The Spaceport
-------------
To properly end the game and update the character's file, you must
enter the spaceport. Starship passage costs GCR 500. As a reward for your
devotion, you will receive one-tenth of whatever funds remain.
Getting Into SPACE II
=====================
For all of its complexity, SPACE II is an extraordinarily easy game to
initiate. To play, simply boot the game disk and follow the screen prompts
which appear in inverse.
There are a couple of logistical facts which you should know:
1. In order to accomodate players without Applesoft ROM cards or II-plus
computers, disk Applesoft is included with the SPACE II game. This leaves
limited room remaining for character files. Those who do not need the
diskette Applesoft should delete it from their disk.
2. Because of the limited space for character storage players will find it
advantageous to store their many characters on a seperate diskette.
3. Using a seperate disk for character files is fairly straight forward if
these procedures are used. In Characters, leave the game disk in the drive
until the character is "ready to enter civilian life." Then insert the
character file disk. (Characters is actually four games chained together.)
In each of the other scenarios, run the game from the game disk until you
are asked to input the character's name. At this point, insert the
character disk.
[Back-cover]
SPACE II
Venture into the distant future...A strangely altered society
populates this galactic expanse, and penetrates to the dim edges of the
Universe. SPACE II, and Interactive Fantasy, takes you there.
This unique system, the sequel to the epic SPACE, provides
multi-faceted simulations of human life in an interstellar environment,
both perilous and baffling.
The player first constructs several characters (or imputs them from
the original SPACE files), giving each a distinct physical and
psychological makeup. The computer will display personality traits as
narrative, while skills and physiology are scaled numerically. The player
calculates each character's ability to meet impending challenges. The
system generates a permanent, locked text file which forms the locus of a
character's actions throughout the scenarios. Careful selection of game
sequence and characters will prove rewarding. But remember, randomness is a
prime determinant. A player may see myrid options before you, but can you
assess the benefits and risks wisely?
Two intricate scenarios comprise SPACE II:
PSYCHODELIA - A character enters a world where mind expanding substances
are sold in the "shooting galleries" of Psychodelia. Potentcy? Tolerance?
Physical/mental dependence? Limitations? Hazards? The player must determine
a drug's exact nature through experimentation, knowledge of the character,
and the clues which the computer provides.
SHAMAN - A professional religious practitioner is set down in the midst of
an untamed planet. Traveling from one town to the next, the Shaman lures
native converts by administrating magic, sacrifices, calendric rituals,
oracular prophesy, and fire-and-brimestone sermons.
Enjoy. This system's complexity allows play to extend over several
sessions.