The Pilgrim

Originally Published October 1989. Amstrad Action Issue 49

Oh 'tis glad to be back, fellow Pilgs! The Pilgrim returns, due to popular demand (thanks all), a rejuvenated and changed man with many new interesting ideas to keep your favourite adventure column bubbling away...

NEWS

Infocoms still available!

Castle Computers, now the only suppliers of Infocom games on the Amstrad, are selling their few remaining stocks at rock bottom prices - £6 a piece when normally Infocoms are over £20 each.

A word of warning though: these games are disc only and, although Infocom games have very large vocabularies and are great fun to play, they have no graphics and they are slow, due to the fact that the disc is accessed after every command. The games are compatible for CPC's, PCW's and Spectrum +3's running CP/M+. Stocks of the games are now very low so, if you want them, hurry! The games still available are -

BALLYHOO was reviewed in AA9 and is set in the circus, with some difficult puzzles. It's not one the best Infocom games but it is still very enjoyable and in terms of value for money it is very good.

Atmosphere 89% Interaction 90% Challenge 90% Overall 89%

STATIONFALL was reviewed in AA27 and is one of the Pilg's favourite games. It follows on from where Planetfall left off. It has one of the cutest non player characters in the form of a hopeless robot called Floyd who follows you everywhere. Floyd is joined by Plato, a very philosophical robot. Extremely funny in parts but also very atmospheric in others, as you struggle to discover the secrets of the deserted Space Station.

Atmosphere 90% Interaction 89% Challenge 89% Overall 90%

CUT-THROATS is a game set on the open seas, diving for treasure in ship wrecks. It is an interesting game with an ocean going atmosphere prevailing through out.

Atmosphere 87% Interaction 89% Challenge 90% Overall 88%

HOLLYWOOD HIJINX was reviewed in AA20. In this you have to locate ten treasures in one night at your deceased Aunt's mansion to inherit her millions - superb game, with a brilliant maze and excellent and original problems.

Atmosphere 89% Interaction 90% Challenge 92% Overall 90%

SUSPECT, as most dedicated Pilgs will know, is my favourite adventure (along with Lurking Horror). It is a murder mystery set at a fancy dress party where you are suspected as the murderer of the hostess. Tons of interaction with other characters, with nearly everybody acting as suspicious as each other!

Atmosphere 90% Interaction 95% Challenge 93% Overall 94%

SORCEROR - One of the best of the 'Enchanter' series, with weird spells to cast, and an errant magician, Belboz, to track down. Experience hideous psychic tortures, explore deserted realms, and have a great time as well!

Atmosphere 88% Interaction 90% Challenge 93% Overall 90%

The last two games are particularly difficult and will take you a very long time to complete.

Scapeghost launch imminent

Scapeghost, Level 9's next game, is soon to be unleashed on the adventure playing market. In it you play the part of a murdered detective who has become a ghost. You must hunt down the gang responsible for your death within three nights. The detective/ghost combination allows for some tricky puzzles - you have psychic powers from the ghostly world but you also still have your detective powers. Some of the puzzles require that you use your dual skills to the limit.I asked Pete if the game would be 'humorous' as Gnome Ranger & Ingrid's Back (the Pilg isn't too sure that he finds Level 9's style of humour funny). It will apparently be 'reasonably serious' but one of the main non player characters (the characters controlled by the computer) will wander around saying awful puns all the time. The game uses the same system as Ingrid's Back, ie three parts, powerful parser supporting OOPS, GO TO etc and graphics on disc versions. The graphics on the disc version will apparently be 'the best yet' - the Pilg wonders how companies like Magnetic Scrolls and Level 9 can have better pictures each new game but Pete explained 'the graphics will be hand drawn by the same artist that drew the ones in Ingrid's Back - we found this the best approach, the graphics will be of the highest quality but very moody and realistic' - nothing like the cute gnomic graphics in Ingrid's Back. Certainly worth waiting for... Scapeghost is due to be released in mid September and will cost £14.95 on tape and £19.95 on disc.

Coming soon to the Pilgrim

THE definitive review of Scapeghost. Adventures for kids. We review home brew adventures and find out if they can be as good as their 'professionally made' counterparts. Interviews with famous adventure personalities and companies and a round up of the various adventure writing systems available on the Amstrad for those who missed the original reviews.

Pilgrims Post

"Well done everyone, thanks to your many letters the Pilgrim is back, and what better way could there be to celebrate AA's Fourth Birthday!" writes Joan Pancott, the famous Witch of Wessex.

Joan then gets more serious and reminds, once again, that people must send a self stamped addressed envelope (or an international reply coupon) when asking help from a Lord or Lady of Adventure. The Lords and Ladies are performing their services free, so treat them with the worthy respect that they deserve. She also asks that if people phone her can they specify on what games they require help at the start to save time (and hence money) on the phone. The Pilgrim has decided to introduce a new honour to Amstrad adventurers who have really excelled themselves in their efforts. The Lord/Lady of Adventure is not a prestigious enough title any more as anyone can join. Joan Pancott will become the first 'Honorary Pilgrim' and as such can place the letters HPilg after her name. Congratulations Joan - you deserve it! Any more suggestions for Honorary Pilgrims would be most gratefully received - you decide who merits them...

The Pilgrim received a very strange letter from Bob Adams 'Oh dear, so now I am forced to finally come out of the closet. After years of secret adventuring it has come to this. Either reveal myself to one and all or face the wrath of the Pilgrim! I certainly have no wish to antagonize you further and taste your staff, but after all, Skrimball?'

I think I translated this as 'Can you put my name in the Lords & Ladies column' but I could be wrong. The Pilg is not too happy about the Skrimball bit either. Watch out for the large hungry Balrog with razor sharp teeth coming your way soon Bob!

I also received a letter from Stuart Whyte, the Adventurer of the Year, complaining about the lack of adventure support on the Amstrad 'With Infocom having dropped the CPC, Magnetic Scrolls with no distributers and Level 9 changing to 16 bit machines, there doesn't seem much hope for the Amstrad' I have to disagree with Stuart on these points. True Infocom has dropped the CPC (it is in serious financial difficulty at the moment), but Level 9 and Magnetic Scrolls will still definitely continue support. Level 9's new arcade adventure system is only available on the Amiga and ST but they will still be producing adventures on the 8 bit machines (such as Scapeghost) and many other smaller companies and authors are still supporting the Amstrad.

Finally, Ian Reynolds wrote saying 'I live in Coventry and my local software supplier closed down so please could you tell me some mail order firms that stock adventures like The Hobbit, Bards Tale and Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy and other titles'. The Pilg has received many letters such as this recently so watch out for the round up of adventure clubs and magazines soon...

Clue Sniffing with the Pilgrim

This marvellous collection is brought to you thanks to Joan Pancott, Jerome Young, Wendy Watters, Stuart Whyte, Howard Swaines & of course the Pilgrim!

Heroes of Karn

To kill the lizard: Light the gas (need tinder box), get frog, kiss frog.Kill the barrowight with the bible (to get money). To cross the chasm: "Istar Wave Wand", play flute, "Istar Wave Wand".Water ashes to kill phoenix.

Venom

After leaving the cove, venture to the inn and talk to the customer. Before leaving the taproom, open the barrel, put berries in it, and fill the wineskin. Don't drink it yourself unless you feel like a sheep. Wear mask.

Big Sleaze

To blow the safe stuff the dynamite into the lock, light it and retreat. In the hotel push the Obelisk to find the way into the air vent.

Leather Goddesses of Phobos

To avoid the ion beam shooting machine, don't travel down the river. To avoid the alligator in the maze - NW, N, NE, E, clap, NE, NE, SE, hop, clap, say kweepa, go down, NW, NE, clap again, N, S, hop, say kweepa, clap, NE, up, NW into storeroom. Get the directory, clap, NW, hop, S, say kweepa, clap, SE, SE, down, E, clap, hop, N, W, say kweepa, clap, E, W, S, hop, clap, SW into burial chamber. Get the raft, N, say kweepa, clap, NE, hop, E, clap, NW, NE, SE, say kweepa, clap, hop, up, NW, to the well bottom. Go circle.

Return to Eden

To get past the fence play stalk and twigs to the ants and they will follow you to the fence where they will then break it down.The Cherry is a grenade which is needed in the minefield.

Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

To open the screening door you must first have moved your common sense particle in your brain. Then go to the door, drop tea, get tea (no tea dropped), get no tea. The door will be so impressed it will open for you.

Programming with the Pilgrim

Remember the good old Programming with the Pilgrim feature? I stopped it originally due to lack of space and also because certain people didn't like writing adventures in BASIC. Would you like the feature to return and if so how would you like it - written in BASIC, PAW, Quill or GAC.

HELP!

H Higgs is stuck in Top Secret - 'I have passed the dogs and climbed the fence, knocked out the guard in the jeep, what do I do next?'

Unrecognizable signature is having problems in Kobyashi Naru, the problem being that when he/she enters one of the Portholes he/she dies and has to quit. If you can help these lost souls write to me and I will print the answer in the next Pilgrim.

Bards Tale Club

You may have seen the Elite Club elsewhere in AA, but the Pilg reckons a Bards Tale club is a much better idea as the game is over eight times as large (Elite uses 42K, Bards Tale 330K) and better. So, if you want to become a Bardist, write to me and we'll show them who is Elite!

Wanted!

The Pilg is planning to write some extra special articles soon on adventure clubs (such as Official Secrets and Adventure Probe), adventure writers, 'home brew' adventures and general tips for solving most adventures for the beginners out there (not all of you are dedicated adventurers and I understand being confronted by '>' in a game is a bit daunting!) So if you have any information on any of the above, or have any cheat modes for adventures (such as pokes) get writing!

Contacting the Pilg

The Pilgrim welcomes correspondence on all aspects of adventuring and will always do his best to fit your missives onto these pages. You can get in touch with the Pilgy by writing to him c/o Amstrad Action. Well that's all folks for this month's fabulous Pilgrim. As always I would have loved to have included more material but lack of space due to the special birthday issue prevented me. Happy adventuring...