Escape From Dipozon
Antic's biggest text adventure ever.
Escape from Dispozon, by Kevin Sherratt, is a text adventure so good that we just had to bring it to you--even though it's much too long to even fit on one side of a disk! For the first time, Antic is publishing a two part Super Disk Bonus. Part I takes up the entire Side B of this month's disk. The conclusion, Part II, will take up the entire Side B of the April 1988 Antic Disk next month. (No April fooling, folks!)
Here's a sample of what the dangerous but quirky planet of Dispozon is like:
IF ONLY...
If only your name wasn't Havilfad. No one takes a star pilot named Havilfad seriously. All right...so you had one little mishap and destroyed your ship, the Andromeda Doria. Mistakes happen! There was a planet nearby anyway, and you managed to get into the lifepod.
If only the lifepod hadn't ejected you and melted in entry. Well, even so, it's not as though you're the first space pilot to be marooned on an unknown planet.
If only the planet hadn't turned out to be Dispozon. Now really! A planet-fill site? A world covered in ten trillion cubic miles of trash? Where's the justice? But you're a surviver.
If only Iggy weren't a survivor, too. Oh, you've got nothing against companion droids. In situations like this, companion droids are a pilot's eyes and hands. They're helpful and friendly, unassuming, selfless and obedient, following every command to the letter.
If only Iggy was like that...
You've heard of landfill sites? Well, Dispozon is a planetfill, a world-sized garbage dump---and you've had the bad taste to crash there. You and Iggy, your companion droid, are stranded on an island of rubbish in a sea of sewage. This isn't a healthy environment for man or robot. The dangers of Dispozon are many and varied, from kittens and crabs to a crazed old coot.
You, Havilfad, must find a way to escape the slimy, greasy, junk-filled shores of Dispozon before you are fatally poisoned by the toxic smog. Winning the game involves finding and refitting an old abandoned spaceship. Unfortunately, the only way to accomplish this is through the commands you give to Iggy, your not-so-obedient robot companion.
Iggy will insult you, question your orders and tell you things you really don't want to know. When you get into trouble, you can always count on Iggy. He'll always say the helpful thing in a sticky situation, such as, "The crabs have cut us off! We'II die here. Oh, it's all right for you. You're totally lacking in oral hygiene and you have hideously poor posture. All in all, I'd say you,were fortunate to end your life as an entree for these mobile seafood buffets. But what about ME?"
Longtime text adventure players will undoubtedly find something familiar about Iggy, the self-centered companion droid. One of the most popular Infocom adventure classics was "Planetfall" featuring the well-meaning but klutzy robot, Floyd. Many players shed real tears when Floyd apparently sacrificed his life to save the day. And many reviewers hailed Floyd as the first,truly well-rounded character in interactive fiction. Escape From Dispozon: recalls much of the memorable atmosphere of "Planetfall" -- except that you're marooned on a "planetfill" now and your companion isn't Floyd, but irascible Iggy the Droid.
IMPORTANT: Due to some tinkering by the Antic technical staff (actually duplicating a few key data files From Part II onto the March 1989 disk) you not only will be able to experience the randomized introduction to the adventure--yo can also solve the first few challenges of Escape From Dispozon using this month's disk alone. Admirtedly this just gives you a taste of the complete game, but it's worth waiting for Part II.
You need BOTH April 1989 Antic Disks in order to attain final victory over the perils of Dispozon. If you try to go beyond the FOURTH ROOM without the Part II disk, the program will crash!
Unfortunately, Escape From Dispozon was NOT designed by the author to play as a two-parter, so Antic just had to do the best we could. To repeat, Escape from Dispozon is a HUGE program in BASIC. Just the extensive text files containing Iggy's responses take up some 686 disk sectors. (Wordy fellow, isn't he?).
This month's Antic Disk has a. HELP file for Escape from Dispozon, with suggestions and a list of acceptable commands. To read the Help file or make a printout, select choice 5, HELP.BAS from the Side A menu.
Your March 1989 Antic Disk- featuring Part 1 of the Escape From Dispozon Super Disk Bonus as well as every type-in program from this issue--will be shipped to you within 24 hours after receiving your order. Just phone Toll-Free to the Antic Disk Desk at (800) 234-7001. The monthly disk is only $5.95 plus $2 for shipping and handling) on your Visa or MasterCard. Or mail a $5.95 check (plus $2 shipping and handling) to Antic Disk Desk, 544 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.