Conference 7.286::atarist

    
    The March 1991 edition of ST User has a couple of pages on Captive.
    This includes door entry codes, passwords, a description of the
    equipment and some tactics.
    
    If you really want to know what each does then:
    
    
    The greaser secretes grease on to the soles of your feet giving you "go
    faster" boots.
    
    The power sapper is a red herring. All it does is sap your power.
    Within a couple of seconds you'll be immobile.
    
    I can't remember about the magnascan but I think it's used to remove
    static obscuring your vision after your robot encounters fire.
    
    Arthur.

    I am playing Captive and it is driving me mad! I have reach Planet 10
    and the opposition is getting really tough to destroy, I am beginning 
    to regret not taking more care on previous planets. The flying aliens
    are the real problem, there so fast.
    
    Has anyone seen any tips on how to deal with them?
    
    

    Use a deflector (dev-scape super- $7900.)but be warned,they don't last
    long.
    
    Use the anti-grav so you walk on the ceiling,and then you can hit it
    with all weapons.
    
    Although the laser is more expensive,and you need more experience to
    use one,I feel the automatic (rapedo and booster)do more damage.
    
    The cannons take too long to reload and I don't have missile launchers
    yet.I'm also on planet 10.
    
    On mission 2 there is more armour,and weapons,ie flame throwers and
    poison gas.
    
    This in my view is currently by far the best game on the ST.
    
    Brian

    Thanks, that worked well.
    
    On the spacestation now, and need to find a shop fairly quickly, as
    I am using up ammunition fast on large droids, the only good thing is 
    that they move fairly slowly.

    The more I hear about this game the better it sounds. Trouble is I've 
    got the demo from ST FORMAT and it didn't play very well at all.
    
    But I'm not convinced that the demo was a fair representation of the
    final game... has anyone got both the game and the demo got any
    comments ??? If it's really good I might just treat myself!
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    
    				Jamie.

    I've got to agree with the previous notes, this is an excellent
    game (the demo isn't a fair representation).
    
    But of course, now I'm stuck !
    
    How do you get past fire ?
    
    I've bought the fire-shield device, but I can't figure out how 
    to make it work. I've also tried walking on the roof over the fire
    but this doesn't seem to work either.
    
    Help !
    
    
    Dave          

    Dave,
    
    You will need to find a switch or a raiser wall. As far as I know
    you cannot pass fire, either through or over and you cannot put it
    out with water!  
    
    Good luck
    
    Richard

    I've got Captive now and it IS good! I've only had a chance to fiddle
    around so far though. Also got Prince of Persia; THIS has to have the
    best character animations on the machine; it's really stunning.

>    On mission 2 there is more armour,and weapons,ie flame throwers and
>    poison gas.
>    

    I'm fairly new to CAPTIVE, and have reached planet 5. Can someone tell
    me what constitutes a mission? I thought the entire object of the game
    was to use the robots to effect your escape from prison? What then is
    Mission 2?

    I've been using a Vision Corrector, but it's not obvious when it's
    working (unlike Dungeon Master's see-through-walls spell). Or have I
    just not found any secret doors.

    Hints and tips appreciated.

    Regards,

    �Carl

    	You will have completed mission 1 when you complete the space
    station.This is where you are imprisoned.but just because you find
    yourself it doesn't mean that you are rescued.Hence mission 2.
    
    	Have you noticed the mission number is 0001,does this imply there
    are at least 10000 missions?
    
    	I have heard that the vision corrector is usful on mission 2 to
    detect false walls.
    
    	I got to mission 2 level 1,but havn't played it anymore for a
    while,
    
    		Brian

    Next question:

    People seem to be referring to planets by number. I've completed five
    planets, but on the last and its predecessor I found two (not one)
    planetary probes. At this point I now have 3 planets to choose from.
    Is there a numbering convention?

    Also, does anyone know what benefit is derived from the robotics skill?
    I've name the robots after famous behaviorists, so felt that they would
    all need a good dose of self-knowledge. Should I have invested the not
    inconsidereable amount of skill points in something less esoteric such
    as automatic weapons?

    Regards,

    �Carl

    	On some of the bases there are two planet probes but you only
    actually need one.If you release the spares they will find the bases
    for consecutive levels so you can skip a base and maybe go back later.
    	If you release a probe after the the space station has been
    discovered then the probe just disappears.
    
    	Later you will find better robot parts than tindroid or human but
    you will need higher robotic skills to use them.It is better in the
    beginning to use the experience points for weapon skill and boost the
    robotic skills when you need to.
    
    A few tips.
    	Gold is very important.When you take any item to a shop that
    doesn't stock it,it costs twice as much to repair and you only get half
    price if you sell.Repair robot parts before selling.
    	Sell maps and clipboards when you finish with them.
    	Use the power points as a weapon,charge up your hand and fire
    lightning balls.
    	Use anti grav dev-scape to get flying monsters.
    	Don't trap the scienists under raiser walls,you lose the clipboard
    they are carrying.
    
    	I found the mapper,route-finder,fixer and dice the most useful
    objects.The deflector is expensive but it comes in useful on later
    levels.Use it sparingly,it doesnt last long.
    
    		Brian
    

>    A few tips.
>        Gold is very important.When you take any item to a shop that
>    doesn't stock it,it costs twice as much to repair and you only get half
>    price if you sell.Repair robot parts before selling.

    Thank you for this. It explains why I got such a bad deal for a fully
    repaired piece of Super tindron armour. 

>        Sell maps and clipboards when you finish with them.
>        Use the power points as a weapon,charge up your hand and fire
>    lightning balls.
>        Use anti grav dev-scape to get flying monsters.

    Or shotgun/hunters which additionally pack a huge punch. 1500+
    points rather than then 200 you get for a basic pistol.

>    Don't trap the scienists under raiser walls,you lose the clipboard 
>    they are carrying. 
>     
>    I found the mapper,route-finder,fixer and dice the most useful 
>    objects.The deflector is expensive but it comes in useful on later 
>    levels.Use it sparingly,it doesnt last long. 
>     

    I've not used either the deflector or the fixer for reasons of expense.
    The device that views enemy pain is useful to determine weapon
    effectiveness; and also the radar, since it gives away the location of
    hiding aliens. I've noticed that the cost of explosives goes up per
    level. So on that basis the planet I'm on is 7.

    Regards,

    �Carl

    I read somewhere that Antony Crowther [sic?] is writing a sequel to the
    game. Also, the company that released Captive is apparently going to
    use the system in more of its releases. Does anyone know whether this
    is true?

    Likwise, has anyone played both this and Ultima VI (or Savage Empire)?
    Do they compare?

Carl,


You say the dice is useful, how do you use it? I have 
found many and because I could not find a use have 
discarded them.

    Put it in the hand of one of the droids,then when you stand next to one
    of the round doors with the four buttons,it tells you which button to
    press next.
    
    	Brian
    

    This maybe spurious, but I heard that it was possible to use dice to
    blow up the generators. Not that I've succeeded. The description of
    their use on doors is completely accurate, though they don't work when
    you're standing outside the base's main entrance.

    I've just finished a Level 7 world, and can see the Space Station. I
    cannot land on it so imagine that I need more data. However, rather
    than proceed to the Level 8 world, I've sent the robots to a Level 4
    world. Yes, it's payback time.

    Regards,

    �Carl

    	You can only land on the space station when you have blown up all
    the other (9 or 10) bases.Then the force field around the base is down.
    
    	Before you go to the space station,stock up with ammo and power,and
    repair body parts.It's a long way to the shop and the monsters are big
    and nasty.
    	When the droids found me in the space station.I wasn't what I
    expected me to be.
    
    	I've heard that the programmer is writing another game,different to
    captive but the same style.
    
    		Brian

    I am completely stuck on Planet 3 in Mission 2 (Phooper), I have
    explored as far as I can and now cannot get through any of the four 
    32 way switches that I have come across. I have not collected the 
    clipboards for these switches and am sure that I have not lost them.
    
    Does anyone have any ideas? One of the switch numbers was 200.
    
    

	I'm glad someone else has the same problem. I am good and stuck.
	Its gotta be the same place as, 200 is one of the cards i need too,
	and I'm on mission 2 a couple of based in.
	Ive re-traced my steps etc and all i can think of is some nasty
	raiser wall has eaten the vital card.

	Can anyone help?


	please...

	Gareth.

    	I saw an article in st user,It reports on a bug in the game where a
    clipboard is missing on level 2.
    	It gives a picture of the clipboard.If I can find the article I'll
    post it here.
    
    	Brian

    If that is the case then it explains a lot, the clipboard must open up
    a passage that allows eventual access to the other clipboards that I am
    also looking for (33651,15099 and 37049).
    
    I wonder if Mindscape are aware of the bug and if they also can supply
    the answer? I will give them a call and see what they say. 

    
    OK, Mindscape say that the Clipboard this is "missing" or as they 
    said difficult to find is clipboard 15099. The solution to this
    clipboard is:
    
    Imagine four boxes:
    
    - the top left box has the vertical line on the left hand side highlighted.
    
    - the top right has a horizontal line across the middle highlighted.
    
    - the bottom right has the horizontal line across the middle and vertical 
      line on the right hand side highlighted.
    
    - the bottom left has no highlighted lines at all.
    
    I hope that this works and I understood the instructions correctly over
    the telephone. anyway best of luck.
    
    

Thanks for the info. I can get on again now. I had to fiddle around a bit
as one of the horizontals shoul have been a vertical but it made sense.

Thanks again.

Gareth