LOST ISLAND JRS Software, 1982 =================== Hints by Exemptus - December 2019 Overview and general hints: --------------------------- This is a small adventure for ZX81 which is a bit awkward to play due to several factors: (1) It is programmed entirely in BASIC on a ZX81 and works on SLOW mode all the time, so the speed of the parser and the game responses can test the player's patience. (2) Objects are not automatically listed. The player has to type LOOK at a location to see what objects are there. (3) It has a couple of possible bugs (or weird game design decisions otherwise), though they actually make the game easier, not more difficult. The descriptions have some spelling errors as well, but nothing that might be game-breaking. (4) The game requires the use of GO <direction>, LEAVE instead of DROP, it recognises INVENTORY (fully spelt) and EXAMINE as verbs, but also SEARCH, which has to actually be used differently from EXAMINE at a key point. Also, some nouns that are inferred from the description but not explicitly mentioned in it have to be used. Despite all these quirks, the game is fair, more so than many others; it has a HELP facility which is actually useful; the problems are logical, and the player can solve it based on thinking alone (and a fair amount of trial and error to work around the items listed above). Actually, the solution is oddly realistic for the situation. Specific hints: --------------- Q: Are all objects useful? A: No. The ones that look useful usually are, though. Q: Are all the useful objects needed only once? A: No. You will have to use two of them more than once to solve different problems, so you shouldn't just discard them when you think you are done. At least make a note of where you leave them just in case you need them again later. Q: How do I find the wreckage mentioned by the game? A: It is near the start. It is easy to miss since the player has no compelling reason to go back there, but it contains an object which is necessary to complete the game. Q: Can I interact with the idol? A: Yes. Try SEARCH IDOL and consider what the game says. Q: How do I leave the island? A: You need to light up the signal fire and find a way to locate a passing ship. Q: Can I climb down the cliffs? A: Not unless you have climbed them up before. Q: Is there any way to enter the village without dying? A: Even if there were, you do not need to go there at all. Q: I think I have to dig at some point, and I think I have the right equipment, but the game gives me a weird response to the command DIG. A: DIG is not intransitive in this game; you need to provide a noun. This is misleading, because the command DIG alone gives a logical response if you don't have the right equipment or are not in the right place. Q: The game mentions a tinderbox, but I can't find it. A: Look for a place which you could ENTER. Q: How do I get past the snake? A: If you are stuck here, and your inventory does not suggest anything, you probably missed something and need to go back where you started. Q: Can I interact with the nettles? A: You need to, as they are in the way. Please note that once you do this, the map changes slightly near this point. Q: I have lit the fire, but how do I find a ship? A: You need to use SEARCH SEA or SEARCH HORIZON. This is probably unfair as it is possible to reach this point without having used the verb SEARCH before. Q: The game tells me I cannot see far enough. What do I need? A: Something you have not yet found. Look for a place which is not out of reach, as you might have thought.