No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/ST_INFO/ST_INFO1.MSA/ST_INFO.SI7_SOLUTNS2.TXT

Text File | 1995-02-08 | 10KB | 174 lines

Starcross


                            S T A R C R O S S
                                 (Infocom)

Ah,  outer  space!  No  dank and dusty dungeons here....but you can be sure
that  the  puzzles  are  no  easier than they were in the Great Underground
Empire! So, settle in and get ready for lift-off!

There  you  are, floating around space in your ship, alarm bells ringing in
your  ears.  Obviously,  something's about to happen. Get the tape library,
then  get  up  and go Starboard into the Bridge. Push the red button, which
will shut off the alarm bell, and read the screen. This will tell you which
object on your map is the one to head for.

Now,  there's  no  way  I  can  tell  you  the  exact  coordinates,  as the
destination changes from game to game. However, it isn't hard to figure out
what  they  are.  Once  you've done that, sit down in the control couch and
fasten  the belt. Now you have to enter the course into the computer, which
is done as follows:
             Computer, range is 'x', theta is 'y', phi is 'z'.
The  computer  will  ask  you  to  confirm  the new course, which you do by
saying: Computer, confirm new program. After that, you're off!

And  now  it's  time for the hallmark of all Infocom games: Waiting! You'll
sit  in  the couch, and wait until you arrive at the alien ship and you are
captured  by  it <however, you can enjoy the verbose descriptions while you
wait>.  Once  your ship is down on the dock, unfasten the belt, get up, and
go  Starboard  into the storage room. Get the suit, put it on, then get the
line. Head Portwards back to the bridge.

Fun  times  with airlocks begin now. Open the inner door, go out, close the
inner  door,  open  the  outer  door,  and  go out. Get used to doing that,
because  you'll  be  doing  it  again, and again! So, now you're on the Red
Dock, and there's a strange-looking sculpture here. Closer examination, and
a  little  thought,  shows  that it's a representation of the solar system.
Aha!  Could it be...? You press the fourth bump, and strange things happen.
Press  the small bump, and a black rod appears...get the rod, and the outer
airlock door opens!

Okay, go inside <close outer, open inner, etc.>, and you are in a Red Hall.
At  this  point,  you  might want to save the game, and just wander around,
doing some mapping.  Actually, I recommend that you do so, since there will
be  a  point  in  the  game  where  I  won't  be  able to give you specific
directional  instructions. Now that you've checked out the territory a bit,
restore  to  your  original  entry  point.  You're  ready for the great rod
hunt....because  the  object  of  the  game is to activtate and control the
artifact, which is done via different colored rods. Right now, you want the
red  one,  so,  go  North, then West into the Room on Ring Two. From there,
North into the Zoo, and East into the rat-ant cage.

The  red rod is part of the nest, and you just can't reach over and get it.
This  is  one  of  the  very  few  times  in  an  Infocom where violence is
necessary: Throw the tape library at the nest, which will be smashed. While
the rat- ants look at you in terror, grab the red rod and the tape library.
Now  it's  time  for the yellow rod, so head along West, South, West, which
will  bring  you  to  the  Blue Hall.  Go South once and you're at the Blue
Airlock. Open the door, go down, close inner door, etc.  When you reach the
Blue  Dock,  go  Aft  until  you  come to the Spider-like alien. It's quite
intelligent and even friendly.

Give  it  the tape library, and in return you will get the yellow rod. Take
that,  and  make your way back to the Blue Hall. You have two rods, and you
will  be  using  them  now.  From  the  Blue Hall, go up, and you're in the
Grasslands.  Go South to the Thin Forest, open the hatch there, and go down
into  the Repair Room. Put the yellow rod in the yellow slot. That turns on
the  lights  in the Yellow Hallway. Put the red rod in the SECOND red slot.
Make  sure  it's  the second; this will provide a breathable atmosphere for
you.

Now,  get  the  metal square, and go up, then North, then down again to the
Blue Hall. From there, West to the Yellow Hall and Yellow Airlock. You know
the  drill by now, but there's an extra feature this time: You will have to
try  to  open  the outer door twice <it's balky>. Also, while you're in the
Yellow Airlock, pick up the basket; it will come in very handy! Once on the
Yellow Dock, tie the line to the suit and then to the hook.

Head  Portwards,  get  the  pink  rod,  put  it in the basket, then go back
Starboard  to the dock, untie yourself, and return to the Yellow Hall. Now,
it's  time  for  the blue rod. Go South twice, then East once. You are in a
laboratory  with  a mysterious silver globe floating in mid-air. Inside the
globe,  although  you  can't  see  it now, is a blue rod. It's easy to get,
however.  Take  the  two  disks off the wall. Put one on the floor, and one
under  the globe. It doesn't matter which way you do it, the result will be
the  same.  Put  the  basket  on the globe, then turn the dial to 4. Ta-da!
.......The  basket suddenly appears on the disk on the floor, with the blue
rod! Turn the dial to 1, then get both disks, the basket, and the blue rod.
Put the rod in the basket. In fact, put all rods in the basket when you get
them.

Okay,  there's  still plenty of rods to collect, so let's keep moving! Head
West,  then  North  four  times to the end of the hallway, then West to the
Room  on  Ring  One,  and South from there into the Computer Room. Open the
panel  on the computer, then insert the metal square into the slot. Turn on
the  computer,  and  you  will  get  a  gold rod. Don't worry about all the
displays; they aren't important to you.

Now comes more waiting. What you're waiting for this time is the mechanical
"mouse"  that collects trash. So, move around until it makes an appearance.
As soon as it does, drop one of the disks <either one>. The mouse will pick
it  up.  After  that,  you must follow the mouse around until it disappears
into  a  secret door in one of the rooms. There are several different rooms
where the mouse can do this, so you MUST follow it.

Wait there until it reappears and leaves, wait a little longer to make sure
it  won't  come back, then drop the other disk on the floor and step on it.
Zap!!  You're  in  the Garage! <Hurray for transporter disks!>. Pick up the
disk,  then  empty  the  trash bin <yuck!> until you find the green rod. Go
North and you will be in the Room on Ring Four.

You  are  now in the Room on Ring Four. Now, this is why you had to do some
mapping  on  your own: You must get the other disk you dropped, and there's
no telling exactly in which room that was. So, you must explore on your own
until  you  find the disk. Once you've done that, make your way to the Blue
Hall  where  the airlock is. From there, go North twice, then West into the
Observatory.  Drop off one of the disks, then hike along East, South, East,
East,  South,  East into the Weasel Village, and then East once more to the
Village Center.

Wait  around  a  short  while,  and  the  Weasel chief will appear. He will
indicate  that  he  wants your space suit. That's no problem, since the air
will remain breathable, and you don't need the suit anymore. So, give it to
him.  Then,  when  he  wants  to give you something in return, point to the
brown  rod  he  wears around his neck. He will give it to you, and start to
leave. Follow him! <Think of all this following around as good practice for
"Deadline.">

Continue  to follow him, until you arrive at the Center of the Warren. Then
climb  down the ladder to the Green Airlock <yep, another one!>, and do the
usual  job  with  the  doors. From the dock, go West to the Umbilical, then
West  again  to the Cargo Hold. Pick up the visor fragment, then go Forward
into  the Control Room of the wrecked ship. Move the skeleton, and you will
find  a violet rod. Now, drop the disk on the floor, and step on it. If you
attempt to leave the way you came, the Weasels will kill you for disturbing
their shrine.

So,  now  you've  materialized in the Observatory, and it's time to pick up
another  rod:  Look  at  projector through visor. Aha! A clear rod. Sneaky,
huh?  Get  the  rod, drop the visor, then move along East, then South three
times  to the Melted Spot, then West into the Weapons Deck. Get the genuine
Ray-gun,  and  look inside it. Sonuvagun! A silver rod! Get that, then East
and  North,  and up to the Grasslands, 'cause it's time to get this show on
the  road.  Now,  trek on South twice to the Dense Forest, then East to the
base  of  the tree. Climb the tree, all the way up to the top, then jump to
the Drive Bubble.

Insert the silver rod into the slot, then enter the bubble. There's a white
rod  here;  get that and put it into the white slot. Under no circumstances
should  you  insert  the  black  rod  into  the black slot!! That will shut
everything down! Okay, the drive mechanism has been activated; now you have
to  make  the  thing  move.  So,  out,  and  up  to  the top of the Bubble,
and....jump! Isn't floating in air fun? However, you still have some things
to  do  yet,  so  shoot the gun at the Drive Bubble three times, which will
bring  you  to  the  Control  Bubble. Go Down, then put the gold rod in the
slot,  and  enter  the  Bubble.  Inside,  you  will  find the slots for the
remaining rods. Put each rod in the slot of its own color.

Now,  at  last, you're ready to bring the artifact to life! Touch the large
pink  square,  and the scene in the small one will change to show the inner
solar  system.  Now  touch the brown spot until a picture of Earth appears.
Press  the  violet one until a ellipse shows <it MUST be an ellipse!>, then
press  the  green spot, and flashing lights appear. And last, but certainly
not least, the final move: Touch the blue spot, which activates everything,
and brings the alien ship safely to Earth!

Of  course,  it  isn't  over  yet! That final remark by the alien sounded a
little  ominous....I  have a feeling you'll be heading out again into space
sooner than you might think!


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