Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Could we start with a mini-review by someone who has it?  How does it compare
to other similar games, etc...
						Thanks,

						...richard

    YOU REVIEW RICHARD...
    
    The guild of thieves (Magnetic scrolls producer) is set up as a
    text/still graphics adventure game very similar to "The Pawn" -
    no music or sound effects but excellent graphics and reasonable
    dialog. Sort of falls into the same categories as ZORK (for puzzles
    and narrative) with the added advantage of optional scroll-down
    scroll-up graphics. A voice synth is also optional but unbearably
    slow and metallic.
    	As with other Magnetic Scrolls games the purchaser is provided
    with all necessary documentation in the form (for this game at least)
    as a "MOCK NEWSPAPER" this contains the story of TGOT to date as
    an interview with the Guilds Librarian - quite amusing. The paper
    also contains full instructions on how the game works and what to
    "do" and "say" to get response (usual GET,DROP,EXIT,UP,DOWN,N,S,E,W
    etc). The paper also contains a series of coded "hints" for those
    of us who get terribly frustrated when "stuck" in a particular
    situation. The paper is also used by the game producers to check
    on "pirated copies" - every now and again the game pauses and asks
    the user to type in a particular word from a particular page,column
    and line of the paper. The user gets three attempts to enter the
    word - is correct the game resumes - if not, the game aborts (with
    no damage to disk or machine).
    	The option to SAVE and RESTORE to/from a particular point in
    the game is available - I created a duplicate copy of my master
    disk to use as a "working copy".
    
    AND NOW...
    
    THE THEME AND OBJECT OF THE GAME ITSELF...(pause for dramatic effect)

    
    The situation - you are an apprentice working for the Kervonian
    Guild of thieves - as part of your training you are dropped, alone
    and unarmed onto the lakeshore of Kervonia with instructions to
    ransack everything you can find and return with a total of about
    525 point and all items of value to the boat from which you started.
    	The master thief then tallys your scores etc (i presume - never
    made it all the way to the end) and game ends.
    surrounding country contains

    castles,windmils,fields,hills,valleys,caves,graves,banks,undertakers,zoos,
    chasms,in fact all the things you might find in your own neighbourhood
    (provided that you live in Kervonia)
    
    anyone else like to add to this???
    
    Phil
    

    c'mon people hasn't ANYONE played this game???

    

    Sure.  My wife and I spent a few days of concentrated effort on
    this one.  I consider it to be an execellent text adventure.
    Unfortunately I don't remember it very well, as we haven't played
    it in several months.  We got stuck and never went back to it.
    (Tracey gets in the mood to play adventures once every 2 or 3 months.
    We'll beat on one for a few days and then it'll sit idle for a long
    time.)
    
    Gary

    BEEN THERE - DONE THAT.... YEP MY WIFE IS THE SAME
    
    I'd be interested to know exactly how far you got...
    
    Phil

    re: .5--``...MY WIFE IS THE SAME''
    
    Gary's wife is Tracy Heffelfinger, who was well-known in Spitbrook
    as tlh before her marriage.  I suggest to you that your wife is
    not "the same" as tlh.  There's only room for one of her.
        John Sauter

    re: .6  "There's only room for one of her."
    
    True enough.  And she's still tlh.  (Sometimes I think she married
    me so she could keep it. :^)
    
    re: How far we got.
    
    Ummm.  How do I let you know without giving too much away.  Don't
    recall how many points we ended up with.  We got the lute.  We got
    past the hot coals.  (Memory is a bit fuzzy.)  We did some exploring
    in the Castle.  We won the rat race.  Sigh!  Just can't remember.
    I'm afraid I won't be much for hints.  (*Giving* them, that is.)
    
    Husband of tlh, and couldn't be more delighted about it,
    Gary
    

    I meant MY WIFE IS THE SAME in regards to playing adventure games
    - If it wasnt for her fresh viewpoints on various adventure games
    through the years, I wouldnt have even finished zork??
    
    by the way (excuse my ignorance) what does TLH mean???
    
    phil (extremely confused - as usual??)
    

    just had a look at my map
    
    <spoiler>
    
    I got as far as gary did and also I got through the room with the
    multi - coloured floor and also got to the opaque case - cant open
    it tho - 
    
    anyone worked out the graveyard bit?
    anyone opened the opaque case ?
    anyone got into the janitors room in the zoo ?
    
    I can probably answer a few questions (emphasis on the FEW) on various
    parts of this game...
    
    phil

    Re: .8
    
    Er.. That's tlh.  (Lower case, that.)   No need to feel ignorant,
    it's just her initials.
    
    Back to the thievery....

    Gary

    I don't know about a janitor's room but I can tell you how to get
    into the Zoo Office, located 2 moves east of the Insect House:
    
    <spoiler>
    
    Unlock the door using the ivory key, which is found in the Organ
    Room (on the organ) located SE, D, and E from the Temple.   
    
    I haven't figured out the graveyard bit or how to open the opaque
    case either.
    
    I have figured out 
    
    - how to get the lute
    - how to get into the secret laboratory
    
    Have you figured out 
    
    - how to get the honey
    - how to get by the rats
    - how to get back from the waterfall area
    - open the sarcophagus (if that's possible)
    
    I could use some hints (if I get really desperate, I'll take spoilers)
    
    Rich

    re .11

    
    dont know too much - but I can help with the rats....
    
    you kill the rats using the same device-of-death that the pied piper
    used to kill all the rats of hamlet (and I DON'T mean his flute)
    
    PHIL

    <spoiler>
    
    you drown them...more help required - please send EM

    
    Phil    

    Damn! - Havent played this for months - when I went back to play
    again last night I found my data disk was unreadable...I have to
    start all over again. 

        *** BIG Spoiler Warning ***
    
    For the life of me I cant remember how to catch the fish in the
    moat. 
    
        *** BIG Spoiler Warning ***
    
    I have the cue,needle,cotton and maggot. I have tied the needle
    to the cue with the cotton and put the maggot on the needle. 

        *** BIG Spoiler Warning ***
        
    How do I fish?
    
    I have tried:
    
    Catch fish
    Catch fish in moat
    lower needle into water
    lower needle into moat
    put line in moat
    .
    .
    .
    
    Can anyone remember how to catch the fish fish?    
    
    Cheers
    
    
    Phil
    (Gonna beat this sucker yet)
                     

    *sigh* - oh well - I guess it goes back in the drawer again...

Phil,

Sorry I didn't respond more promptly to your request for help, but I 
couldn't remember the answer and had to dig out my old notes
to find out. Your request prompted me to resume playing over the holidays.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make much progress beyond where I
previously gave up.  Anyway, the answer to your question follows ...

**** SPOILER WARNING ****


'lower needle into moat' worked for me!  Could there be a timing element
involved?  I noticed that the weather changes, although I don't yet know
its significance.

Good luck,
Rich

    Rich,
    
    thank you! thank you! oh master thief!
    
    I put the game away over the holidays cos I had some programing
    to do for a friend...now the thievery may continue
    
    thanks again!
    
    Phil

    Hey there Rich...
    
    I tried the spoiler you gave me -0 I tried it 100 times - no work
    
    SPOILER
    
    
    TIE NEDLE TO CUE WITH COTTON
    the needle is now fixed to the cue
    PUT MAGGOT ON NEEDLE
    the maggot is on the needle
    LOWER NEEDLE INTO MOAT
    you need a rod to do any fishing!
    
    I give up - this sux!