In this sci-fi adventure, you play as Morgan Tyler, a 25-year-old citizen of the planet Thalos. Fhenor Darkscepter, once Thalos's charismatic governor, is now its tyrant. In an desperate attempt to get help from Earth, you use an eclipse to mask your ship's escape. But tragically, you crashland on an unknown hostile planet, and your ship is in pieces. Are you and Thalos now doomed?
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
To use the pod as a raft, ENTER POD, then just go the desired direction. However, you must have the pole to push the pod with, or you're not going anywhere. EXIT POD or LEAVE POD at your destination.
Walkthrough
Living Room in Your House
> about.
> x me.(You are Morgan Tyler, citizen 7768, class NDN.)
> x picture.
> x father. talk to him.
> s.
Back of Home
> talk to father. s.
Shipyard
> x junk. x ship. enter it.
You get away, but not before seeing Fhenor's agents shoot your father. Near an unknown planet, its gravity tears your ship apart, and you make planetfall in an escape pod.
Surface of Planet
> i. push button. exit pod.
> n. n. u. s. s. s.
Near Remains of Security Section
> x locker. x keypad.
> type 7768 on keypad.("This code has expired. Please insert the new code.")
> type NDN on keypad.(It opens, but the keypad short circuts.)
> take all.(pressure suit, pressure helmet, and RIM)
> wear suit. wear helmet.(You can now breathe safely on this planet.)
> x RIM.(no radition here)
> x suit. x helmet. x section.
> n. n. w.
Vast Rocky Terrain
> x cockpit. search it.
> take rifle. x it.(not loaded)
> s.
Surface of Planet
> x sand. x ship. search it. take all.
> x rod. x pole.
> load rifle.(with rod)
> w.
Long Expanse of Sand
CAUTION: The water very acidic. If you try to swim in it, you die.
> x basin. x water.
> e. n. n. n.
Edge of Crater
> x RIM.(faint radiation)
> d.
Steep Slope into Crater
> x soil. d.
Bottom of Crater (east side)
> x RIM.(distinctive radiation)
> w.
Bottom of Crater (west side)
Note: You won't be willing to enter this hole unarmed. You must have the rifle and it must be loaded.
> x hole. d.
Large Underground Room
> x RIM.(source of radiation)
> x crystals.("xelon", used in warp engines)
> w.
Long Tunnel
> x aliens. shoot aliens.(with loaded rifle)
> x aliens. x weapons. x equipment.
> x exo. take it.(You're now wearing it.)
The exo enhances your lifting strength.
> x mushrooms. take them.
> w.(no, too dark)
> e.
Large Underground Room
Note that after you take the crystals, you won't be willing to drop them.
> take blue.(using exo, because they're heavy)
> u. e. u. u. s. s. e. n. d. s. s.
Surface of Planet (pod site)
> x RIM.(The xelon radiation is not lethal.)
> take pod.(using exo, because it's heavy)
> n. n. u. s. w. s. w.
Long Expanse of Sand
The idea here is you're using the pod as a raft, and you automatically use the pole to push the pod the way you want to go.
> drop pod. enter pod. w.
Basin of Still Water North
> s.
Basin of Still Water South
> x monster. shoot monster(with rifle).
It does not go down without a fight. You wake up in...
Inside Strange Construction
> i.(You still have everything.)
> x man. talk to him.(It's Markus.)
> ask him about himself.
> ask him about alchemists.
> ask him about Earth.
> ask him about Thalos.
> ask him about Fhenor.
> ask him about father.
> ask him about aliens.
> ask him about machinery.
> ask him about monster.
> ask him about ship.(He asks you to follow him south.)
> s.
Clearing
> ask him about planet.
> ask him about experiments.
> ask him about fuel.
> ask him about xelon.
> ask him about bridge.
> ask him about island.
> ask him about predators.
Of course, if you didn't bring the crystals with you, you should go back and get them. The pod is waiting for you on the other side of Markus's home.
> show xelon to him.
> give xelon to him.
You're both heading for Earth.
*** You have won ***
Extras
Characters
You are Morgan Tyler, the hero of this story. You are a citizen of Thalos of Earth descent.
Your father is in your home. He's here to see you for the last time before you leave Thalos. He reminds you that there's a rifle in your ship's cockpit, and that its escape pod floats on water.
A group of aliens are working on some machinery in the long tunnel. They are hostile, but that might not be obvious unless you you fail to kill them first.
A monster, like a cross between a dinosaur and a shark, attacks you at the south end of the river basin.
Markus, your father's friend, left Thalos fifteen years ago during the last eclipse. He became stranded on this planet and somehow survived despite the poor air, the higher gravity, and the acidic water, and the numerous predators. His only food was his ship's rations and some meager fruits he found.
Mentioned:
Fhenor Darkscepter was the charismatic governor of Thalos before he became its tyrant and dictator. His troopers, on patrol, kill your father.
The natives of Thalos are alchemists with psychic powers. They knew about the eclipse.
The settlers from Earth weren't told about the eclipse and were likewise ignorant of Fhenor's true nature.
Credits
This is the response to ABOUT:
This game is an adaptation of the Italian adventure 'Morgan Tyler: Eclypse' by Bonaventura Di Bello. It was originally written using The Quill and Illustrator and published by Edizioni Hobby S.r.l. on the cover tape of 'Epic 3000', no. 7, December 1986 for the ZX Spectrum. It was later published on the cover tape of 'Explorer', no. 7, May 1987 for the Commodore 64 and MSX.
The data was extracted from the C64 version using UnQuill, translated to English and rewritten for a modern audience with the original author's permission. The new version includes many enhancements that weren't in the original. The coding was done using Inform 6 and the PunyInform library.
Original concept, game design and coding by Bonaventura Di Bello.
Technical assistance by Max Di Bello.
English translation and game skeleton by Garry Francis.
Game redesign and coding by Gianluca Girelli.
Play testing by Andrew Schultz, Charles Moore, Garry Francis, Pablo Martinez and Robert Eggleston.
The response to CREDITS is just that last paragraph again.
Endings
You have died
if you spend too much time unprotected from the unknown planet's poor atmosphere. You fall, unable to breathe.
if you spend too much idle time near the aliens. They kill you if you don't kill them first.
if you persist in trying to eat the mushrooms.
if you persist in trying to go west into the dark end of the long tunnel. You fall into a chasm.
if you try to swim in the river. The water is acidic and very corrosive, and even your pressure suit cannot protect you long enough.
if you leave the pod when the pod is in the acidic water.
if you spend too much idle time near the monster in the water. It kills you if you don't shoot it first.
You have won
when you give the blue xelon crystals to Markus.
Inventory
Items are listed in the order you acquire them in this walkthrough.
a single-button remote control. You're carrying when the escape pod lands on the surface of the planet.
Push the button to open the pod's canopy. Now you can exit the pod.
a pressure suit and a pressure helmet. They're both in the locker near the remains of a security section.
To unlock the locker, type NDN (your citizen class) on the keypad. You know this if you examine yourself. The code is not randomized.
Wear the suit and then the helmet as soon as you can. Together, when worn, they provide you with breathable air, protective against the higher gravity, and protection against radiation.
You may remove the helmet underground where there's breathable air, but you must put it back on before ascending the crater.
a RIM (Radiation Intensity Meter). It's in the locker near the remains of a security section.
a very light metal pole. Find it by searching your ship at "Surface of Planet" south of the cockpit.
When using the pod as a raft, you automatically use the pole as a paddle. Without the pole, you cannot navigate in the basin.
an exoskeleton. It's in the long tunnel where you first see aliens.
After shooting the aliens with the loaded rifle, you take the exo to wear it. Now your ability to climb and lift heavy items is increased. In particular, you can now carry the blue crystals and the escape pod, ignoring their weight.
some mushrooms. They're in the long tunnel where you first see aliens.
Take them if you like, but otherwise, ignore them. If you persist in eating them, you die, hopefully of poison.
By the way, the monster is not interested in the mushrooms, if you try to deal with it that way.
some blue crystals. They're in the large underground room.
Examine the crystals. You recognize them as xelon crystals, used in warp drives.
Examine the RIM near the crystals and again after you take them. They're very radioactive, but their radiation level is not lethal.
While wearing the exo, you can take the heavy crystals.
In the clearing, give the crystals to Markus to win the game.
your escape pod. It's on the "surface of planet" where it landed.
Push the button (of the control you're carrying) to open the pod. EXIT the pod. ("OUT" doesn't work.)
While wearing the exo, you can take the pod. Take it to the "Long Expanse of Sand" and drop it there.
While carrying the pole, you can enter the pod and travel on the river, using the pole as a paddle (more or less).
the support of Robin Johnson, Ville Lavonius, Andrew Schultz, Kenneth Hon, Carl Muckenhoupt, Mark Musante, Phil Tatro, Allyson Gray, Daniel Stelzer, and Tabitha;
the generous support of Janice M Eisen, Matthew Foxley, Thomas Insel, Brian Long, and Andy Volk;
