You play as J. Random Hero, Fairhaven's newest hero if you answer the call to duty from Hero, Inc. by entering their contest and performing several feats of heroism. Don't wait! Enter the contest now and you may win their Grand Prize!
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 3 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.
After your home is destroyed, a new location called "Rubble" is east of Yard instead.
Map 2: Post Office Tower
Map 3: Underground
Walkthrough
Note that combat is randomized in this game.
Bedroom
You live in the most boring normal house in existence. You can ignore the desk and bed.
> i.(You have nothing.)
> read letter.(Same letter as in the prologue, but note the attached form.)
> x form.
> x cupboard. open it. take pen. x pen.
> tick box with pen.(+5. The form is now an envelope.)
> x envelope. take it.
> n. w.
Lounge
You pick up an overdue videotape.
> x tape.(Compelled to return it ASAP.)
> x TV. x recorder. x sofa.
> w. w.
Post Office Park
> x fountain. take marker.(Fear stops you.)
> n. n.
Post Office Tower, lobby
> x plaque. push button. n.
Lift Car
> x keypad.("Type number on the keypad")
> type 3. s.
Post Office Tower, Floor 3
> give envelope to clerk.(+5)
Return home:
> n. push 1. s. s. s. e. e.
Lounge
A parcel is here.
> x parcel.(Addressed to "J. Random Hero".)
> open parcel. x slip.(Explains the new items and your goal.)
> x watch. take it. wear it.("GOOD MOVE.")
> x cape. take it. wear it.(Hands feel light and free.)
Note: Your inventory limit is only three items until the cape is worn.
> x marker. take it.(This is your sword?)
> x glasses. take them. wear them.
The TV suddenly turns on and the sofa glows red. Wearing the glasses changes reality: some items become heroic or evil and you can now see and interact with monsters.
> x TV.(NYTV, The Nytemare Channel, starring Drac Thornwood)
> hit hydrophobia with sword.(+10; it leaves; laundry door opens.)
> n.
Laundry
> x clothes.(Find your cash card.)x card.
> x machine. open it.
> take bottle. x it.(Whito stain remover)
> w.
Kitchen
> open fridge. take steak.
> sw.
Lounge
> w.(The sofa's pulls you back using static.)
> spray sofa with Whito.(sofa smokes, releasing static)
> w.
Your house is demolished by a lightning bolt!
Yard
> e.
Rubble
If you failed to collect your cash card and the raw steak earlier, they're now here so you can still take them.
> w. w. nw.
Outside Nytemare Video
> x posters. nw.
Nytemare Video Plaza
Your watch identifies the monster as a "VIDEO NASTY", a cyborg creature with weapons and a video camera.
> spray nasty.(Its camera explodes.)
> hit nasty with sword.(It leaves.)
> put tape in box.(This won't work until the Nasty is gone.)
> x movies. x cutout.
> se. e. n. n. push 8. s.
Post Office Tower, Floor 8
Watch displays: "SERIOUS FRAUD".
> hit fraud with sword.(You need more experience.)
Ignore the Fraud for now:
> x machine. x screen.("Please insert card.")
> put card in slot. push withdraw button.
> take card. x dollars.
Now that you have some cash, head for the general store:
> n. push 1. s. s. s. sw. sw.
Fairhaven General Store
> ask shopkeeper about torch.(She seems unable to see you.)
Yes, it's strange, but while you wear the heroic glasses, you cannot interact with most mundane people.
> remove glasses.
> buy newspaper. buy torch.
> x newspaper.(Tells you about Serious Fraud in bank, Bedlam in school, Hydrophobia in the pumps, and ads for the video plaza.)
> ne. e. s.
Oak Street Garage, in workshop
Like the shopkeeper, the mechanic can't see you if you're wearing the glasses.
> x can. buy can.
> wear glasses. s.
Wrecking Yard
> x valve. x dog.
> give steak to dog. take valve.
> n. n. e.
Maple & Oak
> open manhole.(Too rusty.)
> oil manhole.(+10)
> open manhole. d.
Ladder, under the manhole
You're advised to switch on torch before going further down.
> turn on torch. d. nw. nw. w. n.
Wide junction
> open door. se.
Central Pump Room
> put valve in pipe.
> turn wheel.(Hydrophobia blocks you.)
> hit monster with sword. g.
Continue to hit Hydrophobia with the sword until he leaves. If the battle goes against you, you'll flee to the wide junction, and you'll need to re-open the door and go back in here and start the battle anew. The odds are in your favor.
> turn wheel.
That should fix the fountain in the park, return there:
> nw. s. e. se. se. u. u. turn off torch. nw.
Post Office Park
> take green marker.
> ne. ne. e.
Fairhaven Public School, Room 13
The watch displays: "BEDLAM".
> x Sally. x class. read whiteboard.
> x Bedlam. hit Bedlam with sword.
Hitting the Bedlam with the sword stuns it, but doesn't get rid of it.
Note: The teacher can't see you while you wear the glasses.
> remove glasses.(Bedlam vanishes.)
> ask Sally about whiteboard.(She needs her Magic Marker.)
> give green marker to Sally.
Now sometimes that doesn't work, because the class goes manic, and you fail to give the green marker. But sometimes it does work: you give the green marker and Bedlam is defeated and Sally gives you a report card.
It seems to be a timing issue; the green marker must be given while Bedlam and the class are frozen. So the best strategy is to give the green marker as soon as possible after hitting Bedlam with the sword, for example:
> wear glasses. hit Bedlam with sword.(Bedlam is frozen.) > remove glasses. give green marker to Sally.
I assume that worked? Bedlam is gone? Yay, let's continue:
> x report.(You've slain three monsters.)
> wear glasses.
Return to the eighth floor of the post office:
> w. sw. w. n. n. push 8. s.
Post Office Tower, Floor 8
You now have enough experience to defeat Serious Fraud. If the battle goes against you, you'll retreat into the Lift Car. But just head back south and continue the battle. You'll win eventually.
> hit Fraud with sword. g.(Repeat until it's defeated.)
> n.
Lift Car
> push 1.
Instead of operating normally, the keypad shorts out and the lift takes you to floor 15.
> s.
Post Office Tower, Observation Deck
The lift doors close and you hear the lift explode. The storm is really bad now.
> jump.
Mid-air
Your cape slows you down like a parachute. After several turns, you land safely at Post Office Park.
> z. z. z. z.
Post Office Park
> x report card.(It now reports 4 monsters slain.)
> w.
Outside Fairhaven Library
> x billboard.(Enter Hero contest here. Must have costume and proof of skills. The poster shows all the stuff from the parcel plus a report card. There's also a demolition order for the library.)
> w.
Fairhaven Library
The librarian holds out his hand for your proof when you enter.
By the way, if you try enter the library while carrying the videotape, the librarian pushes you out of the library.
> x librarian.(In his 60's, reminds you of something.)
> x computer.(Catalogue is offline.)
> give report card to librarian.
*** The adventure is now over ***
Although the game ends with a TO BE CONTINUED message, there was no sequel.
Extras
Characters
People:
Miss Sally Knight is trying to teach her manic class in the school.
A clerk and some customers are on floor 3 of the post office tower.
Some managers are on floor 8 of the post office tower.
Drac Thornwood insists you watch NYTV, the Nytemare Channel on your TV.
A shopkeeper is in the general store.
A mechanic is in the Oak Street garage.
A librarian is in the library. Considering that he can see you in your hero guise, he may be a hero too.
Also, various random people pass by as you travel about town.
Monsters:
Hydrophobia is in your bathroom.
Bedlam is in the school.
Video Nasty is in the video plaza.
Serious Fraud is on floor 8 of the post office tower.
Others:
A hungry guard dog is in the wrecking yard.
Your watch gives you advice and encouragement.
Birds are heard singing in your yard.
Credits
The response to INFO is:
Hero, Inc Part One: "Calling All Heroes" is a short beginners-level adventure written by Nate Cull (Internet email: email redacted). It was originally designed as the first part of a trilogy, which may be released at a future date. Maybe.
Hero, Inc was written with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System by Michael J. Roberts, and was the author's first TADS adventure. (That's his excuse for the bugs). Release 3 was uploaded to the ftp.gmd.de Interactive Fiction archive site - which is a really neat place to find good contemporary adventure games on the Internet - and also distributed as part of an official CD compilation released by the rec.arts.int-fiction Usenet newsgroup.
This game is not Public Domain, but is Freeware. That means that though the author retains the copyright, he grants a limited licence to redistribute it without payment as long as you follow some basic guidelines. You must not modify this game file, and you must not charge more than the cost of media and copying time to distribute it to others, without the express written permission of the author. It's just basic common sense really.
This advertisement paid for by Interleaf Productions, a division of Hero, Inc.
Inventory
You initially have an inventory limit of three items, not counting things you're wearing. Once you're wearing the cape, you can carry as much as you want.
a letter. It's on the desk in your bedroom.
Read it. Also read the form attached to it.
Tick the box of the form with the pen; the letter transforms itself into an envelope.
Go to the third floor of the Post Office Tower, and give the envelope to the mail clerk. There will now be a parcel waiting for you in your lounge.
a ballpoint pen. It's in the bedroom's cupboard.
Tick the box of the form with the pen; the letter transforms itself into an envelope.
a raw steak. It's in your kitchen refrigerator.
In the wrecking yard, give the steak to the guard dog. He'll now ignore you and let you take the water valve.
a video cassette. You automatically take it when you first enter your lounge.
In the Nytemare Video Plaza, after defeating the Video Nasty (see spray bottle and sword), put the cassette into the drop box.
a parcel. It's in your lounge after giving the envelope to the mail clerk.
The packing slip identifies the Marker as a Sword of Virtue. While you wear the 3D glasses, it is a shining yellow sword.
In your laundry room, hit the Hydrophobia with your sword to temporarily defeat it. You'll meet it again in the Central Pump Room.
In the Nytemare Video Plaza, hit the Video Nasty with the sword to defeat it, but only after spraying it with the bottle.
In the Central Pump Room, put the valve in the pipe and hit the larger Hydrophobia several times until it's defeated.
In the school's Room 13, hit Bedlam with the sword to temporarily freeze it. Quickly remove the glasses and give the green Magic Marker to the teacher to truly defeat Bedlam.
After defeating Video Nasty, Hydrophobia, and Bedlam, you finally have enough experience to battle Serious Fraud on the 8th floor of the Post Office Tower. Repeatedly hit Fraud with the sword until it is defeated too.
a cash card. Acquire it by examining the unwashed clothes in your laundry room.
(If you never found the cash card before your house explodes, the cash card will be in the rubble that is left.)
On the 8th floor of the Post Office Tower, put the card in the slot in the machine, then push the withdraw button. You now have 10 dollars. Take the card back.
a spray bottle or glowing spray bottle. It's inside your laundry room's washing machine.
In your lounge, spray your sofa with the glowing bottle to cancel its static force keeping you from leaving the house.
In the Nytemare Video Plaza, spray the Video Nasty with the glowing bottle to negate its static force field.
a green Magic Marker. It's in the fountain in the Post Office Park.
The disgusting dirty water prevents you from taking the green Marker.
In the Central Pump Room, after putting the valve in the pipe and defeating the larger Hydrophobia with your sword, turn the wheel to get good clean water running to the fountain (and to the rest of the town).
Back in Post Office Park, with a clean fountain, you have no trouble taking the green Magic Marker.
In the school's Room 13, after hitting Bedlam with the sword to freeze it, quickly remove your glasses and give the green marker to the teacher. Bedlam is now defeated, and the teacher gives you a report card in exchange.
10 dollars. Acquire it by going to the 8th floor of the Post Office Tower, putting your cash card in the slot, and pushing the withdraw button.
In the Fairhaven General Store, remove your glasses, then buy the newspaper (for $1) and buy the electric torch (for $5).
In the Oak Street Garage workshop, remove your glasses, then buy the oil can (for $4).
a newspaper. Buy it in the Fairhaven General Store for $1 when not wearing the glasses.
Read it. It has news items on three of the monsters.
an electric torch. Buy it in the Fairhaven General Store for $5 when not wearing the glasses.
Turn it on for light when underground.
an oil can. Buy it in the Oak Street Garage workshop for $4 when not wearing the glasses.
At Maple & Oak, oil the rusty manhole with the oil. Now you can open it and go underground.
a water valve. It's on the car body in the wrecking yard, guarded by a dog.
Give the raw steak to the guard dog; now you can take the valve.
In the Central Pump Room, put the valve in the pipe.
a report card. The teacher in Room 13 gives it to you when you successfully give the green marker to her.
Examine the report card to see how many monsters you've slain.
When you've defeated all four monsters, go to the Fairhaven Library in full costume and give the report card to the librarian to win the game.
Score
The response to SCORE is:
In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of your-score points out of a possible 200, giving you the rank of Ranking.
