Spectrofon #10 02 февраля 1995

Игры

Expertise - parsing the game HIJACK.

          EXPERTISE



   So, ladies and gentlemen, today we turn our eyes to the next
masterpiece. We consider the game, which by law can enter into 
the golden collection of the best programs for "ZX-SPECTRUM". 
This game is called "HIJACK". Write it in 1986 Firm Elecrtic 
Dreams Software, known to many of

games such as "ALIENS", "BACK
TO THE FUTURE "," THE EXPLORER "and
etc.


   "HIJACK" ("Hostage Taking") for many players still
remains a mystery.



   Descriptions of the game in the book "500 games" and "Best 
Game" never lift the veil

secrets of the game. The most detailed published
in the book "THE BEST GAME N1" despite its verbosity,
so really nothing has made it clear to the same individual, 
"observing" the author's description, let a new player on the 
wrong trail.



    In this article we will try
deal with the game, if not in
full, then at least
case, sufficient to understand the objectives and tactics and
strategy, leading to the traditional heppiendu.



(C) Yuri Matveev


             HIJACK


  Electric Dreams Software 1986


   So, you as Secretary of State United States.
However, about your post anywhere
not reported. Or maybe you
acted as a vice president? But it's not the point. It is 
important only one thing: you - the second person in

White House after the President himself. And your new day 
begins with trouble: gang captured by the school bus. Your

the problem lies in the fact that,
using all available methods
(Financial, political, and military) to prevent the deaths of 
the hostages. Otherwise, you waiting for the post of ambassador 
in Tibet (To be understood in China).


   Generally, they have there in the West,
very bad things with the geography of the east. But back to the
game.


   The objective is clear. How do I start
act? More on this later.
Now let's look at
management and game interface.


   After loading the game you can
enjoy the beautiful 48th
"Spikernoy" music. For those wishing to delay the bad news
and re-listen to music, we recommend that you press "T". Any 
other key you are asked to choose a control and, separately, 
assign keys to commands "PICK UP" and "QUIT". After This clever 
program will clarify how satisfied are you with your

choice (y / n). And then, finally,
the game starts.



           INTERFACE

           --------

   The screen is divided into three parts. In
top of the screen
(From left to right): count the time allotted for terrorists
meet their conditions as well as
icons with the portraits of all the
officials with whom you
have to work. Their ten people:

1. PRESIDENT - PRESIDENT.

2. MILITARY ADVISER - MILITARY
ADVISOR.

3. POLITICAL ADVISER - political advisers.

4. FBI AGENT - FBI agent.

5. CIA AGENT - CIA agent.

6. MILITARY ASSISTANT - MILITARY
ASSISTANT.

7. POLITICAL ASSISTANT - POLITICAL AIDE.

8. PUBLICITY OFFICER -
PRESS SECRETARY

9. FINANCIAL OFFICER - ADVISOR
Finance.

10. SECRETARY - SECRETARY.



   In the same side of the screen to the left
under the counter of time is
indicator of the elevator, which was made in the form of 
arrows. Flashing arrow means that the floor

where you are, the elevator arrived.


   At the bottom of the screen is an indicator (From left to 
right): the presence of any object or subject, three indicators 
of resources (about them later) and an indicator of whether you 
have a any subject.



   In the central part of the screen
the main action takes place.



   You control your character by pressing "left" - "right". Keys
"Up" - "down" controlled cursor to select one or another icon. 
Inspect the object can be in the lower left window with the 
help of cursor.



   You select the key for
command "PICK UP" allows
take some items with him. Given a key, "QUIT"
you get in an additional
menu where you can customize the color palette for the 
prehistoric displays on or off soundtrack (if the neighbor next 
door can not sleep), to leave or remove the window with the 
name of the office (better than this do not to get lost

in the corridors of power).

Here are two options - to continue
play or stop the game. On command "QUIT" play is stopped, ie, 
this command can be used to pause to catch a quick bite to eat 
and again to continue the game.



   If in the same room with you
there are other characters, then
their icons at the top are painted in white. This means
that you can choose the cursor
this character is to communicate.


     COMMUNICATING WITH CHARACTER

     --------------------

   Talking to the characters in the game
You, as the second person in the White House, orders all but
President. The president can not tell you, you are allowed only 
to ask about anything. 

PRESIDENT. When referring to the president you get to the menu 
of communication: 

REQUEST FINACIAL SUPPORT - Request for financial support.

REQUEST POLITICAL SUPPORT - request political support.

REQUEST MILITARY SUPPORT - request military support.

REQUEST DEADLINE EXTENSION -
request to delay the deadline.

REQUEST TRANSPORT - Request
transport.

QUIT - exit.



   At the very beginning of the game President
not disposed to communicate with you,
yes and its relation to you is poor. You understand - is at 
stake it prestige. And he can not risk

his political image. So useless to ask him directly about the 
financial, political or military support. Most

great that he can do
for you at the beginning of the game - it is at least
somehow postpone the deadline.
There is a view that the president
personally ask the terrorists though
little reprieve
its threats.

THEREFORE, the Council: As soon as you
start the game, wait for the president in his office and ask
him to postpone the deadline.


And the only thing he can do for you at this moment. As soon as 
he could negotiate with the terrorists you will add time to the 
decision the main problem.


Military adviser.

RETURN TO YOUR OFFICE - back to his office. (This phrase
can be used in communicating with other characters, so more of 
it does not mention will)


HELP MILITARY ASSISTANT - help your assistant.

GO TO HIJACK - Head towards
place of capture bus. (And this
phrase occurs when dealing with
other characters, will not
hereinafter referred to and her).
FIRE YOU - I'll fire you! (The ability to utter these words you 
have will not be soon).


Political advisers.

HELP POLITICAL ASSISTANT - help his political assistant. (Here 
and below will be considered typical phrases that are used by 
you in communicating with the characters). 

FBI agent.

QUESTION EMPLOYEE - to interrogate
employee. When selecting this option
agent will ask you to choose the person for questioning. You 
have to understand that after talking with FBI agent

taciturn servants have become more accommodating.


CIA agents.

RESEARCH HIJACKERS - study
kidnappers. That is, find out what
they were seeking to understand their requirements, etc. When 
you select this option, you are requested to identify volume of 
the report: 3,8 or 12 minutes. 

Military assistant.

DEPLOY MILITARY FORCES - to deploy military forces. While 
acknowledging this order you must specify

number placed military
units.

POLITICAL ASSISTANT.

SEND DIPLOMATS TO HIJACK - to send diplomats to terrorists
for negotiations. It must also specify the number of
send diplomats.
Spokesman.

ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE - prepare a message to the public. Here, 
you will need to specify the type of message: an article in the 
newspaper, a press conference or television appearances. 
Remember only that in a bad financial situation on an expensive 
TV you may not have enough money. In this case, the type of 
messages that are not available due to financial difficulties, 
shade and not selected.


Financial Adviser.

RAISE FUNDS QUICLY - quickly collect the money.

RAISE FUNDS SLOWLY - slowly
collect the money. Ie, do not
particular hurry.
SECRETARY.

FUND AN EMPLOYEE - find an employee. Here you specify the 
character that you need to moment. For this team

Secretary-General invites you to pass
into his office and wait for the title character.


      FEATURES OF COMMUNICATION

      ------------------

   Of course, interacting with characters more difficult because
sometimes the right moment, it is difficult
found in this huge building
a particular person: it does not lift
to the floor goes, then anything else. But if you study well
map and be on time use the services of the Secretary, the
find the right person you do not
in the cellar.

   Now the principles of communication:
try as little as possible
reach people with his gifted leadership. All nerves
inflated at least yours. So try to talk briefly
and possibly less. Otherwise, instead of clear answers like 
"Yes, sir, you will answer "Yes I am doing this for

you! "until" enough wag
my nerves "and" Leave me alone. "Generally
"Leave me alone!" (GET LOST!) More often said the President. 
But the fact He and the President to so respond. But if you do 
these words tell the secretary - your business

bad. Do not know how, then, with
people communicate. Too boring. A general tendency of character 
to quickly and accurately fulfill your orders determined its 
parameters. Consider them. 


      Character

      ------------------

   The room can be a liaison officer
found in one of the cabinets dossier
each employee. Until
President. There's even possible to estimate the parameters of 
all the characters game. Only two parameters:


EXP (EXPAND) - the magnitude of the character. The higher it is,
so sociable character, the
more than its capacity for
implementation of your plans.

LOYAL - the value of loyalty to the character in relation to all
what happens to you, in
particular. The higher this value, the more readily and faster 
than the character does your bidding. Accordingly, the lower 
the worse. Up to a failure of execution.




   Of course, it is desirable that
both parameters were maximal.
But as a rule, they depend on
how well you
act. To address short-term tasks you can try
improve the parameters of the character,
"Incited" to him an FBI agent.


   Determine the value of the parameters can be the indicator 
for the data on the employee. Incidentally, in the Data are 
given character's name, and position.



   Options vary from the minimum values, denoted
as (-) to maximum (+).



   Now you should be clear that while the parameters are not 
nearer to the maximum, you do not be able to use additional 
cues to communicate with subordinates. This also applies to the 
President: to get from him and other political support is 
impossible as long as he is, simply, not be pleased with the 
progress of cases. 



       DISPLAY RESOURCES

       -----------------

   At the beginning of the article mentioned
three types of resources: military
financial and political.
Let us examine them in detail. The main ones are financial 
resources. Indicator of these resources is located at the 
bottom center. 



It is clear that without the finance you do not
be able to order messages for
public (and those brave message is so fond of President!
Take note). Yes, and other orders in the absence of money
can not be executed. To
to finance you did not sing the songs refer to the financial
Adviser (again not too
often).


   Military and political resources are growing constantly, and 
if you not too often refer to

political aide or
military assistant, asking
send to terrorists diplomats or military, there is a chance not
to bring these kinds of resources to
complete exhaustion.



However, on this account, as in
If the finances got some kind of
"Doctor" who helps you
improve the situation. In the case of
political resources as political adviser to the military
- A military adviser. But not
forget about their personal settings
and your boring.



       About SECRET CODES

       ----------------

   Often look at the classifieds, there may be written codes of 
access to information networks. Without them, you will not 
receive full information. 



        KEY PICK UP

        --------------

   About this opportunity I should say a few words. Sometimes 
you need fresh information at hand. So you can grab from the 
same room Liaison Officer files on all employees and all the 
while wearing it dossier with him. When choosing the right 
window using the command cursor, you can always get you access 
to required information (this, of course, only

in that case, if you have
subject to an option with
PICK UP, in the left window). That
Specifically you will carry with them depends on what 
information you currently most interested. Bear

you can only one subject.


This may be a dossier on the staff, information from the CIA
about terrorists' demands, and
also just on the number of
diplomats and military were sent to
crime scene and the remaining
in reserve. And the information changes over time and you do not
will need to run around the room
communication for data refinement. Ie
all the latest information, will you
at hand.


   To clear
of unnecessary items, use the box. (Optional PICK UP on the urn
- And everything is OK, you take
another object).



         Terrorists

         ------------

   Terrorists typically have
one of the two requirements
(DEMANDS): Either pay large
sums of money, or release
political prisoners. On the requirements of bandits can be 
found, as mentioned earlier, the report

CIA agent. Subsequent reports
Agent contain usually
characteristics of criminals, namely, to what group they belong 
to. In the office, the FBI can (if will extract the code) see 
details into three groups:


EX-GREEN BERETS - Former Green Berets.

DESPARATE ESCAPED PRISONERS -
Desperate escaped convict.

FAIRLY HARMLESS POLITICAL
LOONIES - Very innocuous political fuckers.


   Before each group name
the code of three letters. It
these letters and uses in the
report of a CIA agent.



        HELPFUL HINTS:

1. Do not count on help
President, while not rest
strong public statements on television.

2. Do not forget to ask
the President of the extreme delay
period.

3. Do not bother his subordinates.

4. Remember that if the positive parameters of the political
adviser and assistant, sent
Diplomats are working more effectively: the demands of 
terrorists melting before our eyes.


5. Evenly distribute the diplomats and the military.

6. Closely monitor the parameters of the characters.


PS: Despite all the above - it only surfaced
part of the iceberg of this interesting
game. Curious players will notice
in the office of President is
secret door open that
only by entering a code of three digits. When the door
You can open - is unknown.

Clearly only one thing: the need to use all the means and 
resolve conflict, reduce requirements gangsters to a minimum. 
And what Next? Assault? We do not have

answer this question.


   And yet another mystery, but it
only to note (as has happened so only once):
After about half an hour
Game unexpectedly lost a military adviser Sanders.
Desperate search to nothing
led. I had to call for help the secretary and an FBI agent.
Both went in search for a long time
disappeared. Wait in his office did not
had more power and had to again
catch secretary and order
her to find a military adviser to the
she answers that are already looking
it .. kad


   As many as half an hour! For all
that usually it's her
takes no more than three minutes.
An FBI agent also failed to find
interrogate Sanders. Relying on the
glitch in the program, we get down
down to the office of the FBI and one of the
walls read: WERES PETE? (WHERE
Pete?)



       WAITING FOR YOUR LETTERS!