STOSSER Software
http://www.airtime.co.uk/users/stosser
Presents
H.E.R.O.
Human Extraction and Rescue Operation
Programming : Tony Greenwood
Artwork : Dean Chadwick
Bob Goodfellow
Released as : Freeware
Minimum Setup : Atari Ste and 4meg memory
Supporting : TOS 1.60, 1.62, 2.05, 2.06
4.01, 4.02, 4.04, 4.92
STe, MegaSTe, Falcons (NOT Emulator compat')
Hard or Floppy drives,
PART 1 : SCENARIO
PART 2 : CONTROLS
PART 3 : DYING
PART 4 : HOW TO PLAY
PART 5 : MISCELANEOUS (Credits ect)
PART 6 : CONTACTING US
=====================================================================
SCENARIO
EYES ONLY Ex Thorp Transcript 28/PF/99 EYES ONLY
Message recieved 3:21.14 22nd June
Notification Status: 2 Immediate Action Required: None
=====================================================================
From : Ex-Thorp Bio-Nuclear Complex
To : Central Office, Downing Street
Location: Ex-Thorp in scottish central region, "Bodach Howf"
Purpose : Artificial Intelligence research at genetic level.
Inter connecting silcon chips and biological matter,
creating living, 'thinking' computer systems.
Comment : The complex is working on delicate interdependant systems
performing revolutionary tasks...perhaps too delicate..
=====================================================================
Time frame breakdown of current emergency 2.15pm 22nd June
=====================================================================
2:00.00 Operator in area 2 spills unauthorised coffee onto a control
panel and short circuits the panel.
2:00.15 All safety trips and failsafes - fail -
coffee the unthought of variable.
2:00.17 Operator in area 2 hits the isolate control to limit the
damage.
2:00.20 Damage limitation ineffective. Massive currents surge through
Ex-Thorps cable network.
2:00.21 Finally reaching central control computer Z352-P-AI.
The first bio-silicon "super computer" (a.k.a "The Beast")
2:00.25 Major system 'warping', program slippages and neural blocks
registered.
2:00.28 Z352-P-AI conducts a bio scan of the complex.
2:00.33 Scans indicate that human personnel are escaped lab animals.
2:00.34 "The Beast" activates emergency procedure level 1.
2:00.35 Laser doors activated.
2:00.36 Radiation pools exposed.
2:00.50 Personnel panic and run to the exits.
2:01.17 Z352-P-AI senses escapees and triggers emergency
procedure level 2.
2:01.18 All external and inter-level doors are sealed.
2:01.19 All mechanoids are externally charged creating hazards to
life forms.
2:01.20 Ventilators are opened through out complex allowing
radioactive isotopes from the radiation pools to flow freely.
2:01.40 Central Control realise there is an emergency and try to
isolate Z352-P-AI from the complex - all attempts fail.
2.05.22 Frightened personnel protect themselves as they can - hiding
in ventilator free rooms or - if found - putting on anti-
radiation suits.
2:10.21 A program 'backdoor' is found and some control is removed
from Z352-P-AI
2:12.17 Z352-P-AI moves to crimson status and seals the complex
from the world.
Simultaneosly activating the destruct sequence.
2.14.36 Personnel count reveals that only 3 people remain in a mobile
condition. - Roger McCormick (Complex supervisor), Jane
Beltane (System Analyst) and Jim Masters (Clerk).
2.20.00 Meeting of the 3 remaining personnel define current status:
1) The complex is irradiated and has become incompatible
for life, outside of specific sealed areas.
2) The complex is now under destruct sequence which will totally
destroy the complex within 12 hours.
3) There are trapped personnel.
4) All external doors and inter-level doors have been sealed
thus disallowing any access to the levels.
2.50.14 Remedies are put forward to correct current emergency:
1) The recently installed, prototype teleport system must be
brought on line. While the system is problematic, it has
access to all internal and external areas and can safely
transport humans providing they have a gentic code teleport
card, required for it's operation.
2) The trapped personnel must be rescued. This can only be
achieved by releasing them from the rooms they have
sealed themselves in and retrieving their teleport card.
Further they must be provided with an anti radiation suit
which, while it will protect them for an indefinite period,
it will render them immobile. Their teleport card must be
given to the transmitting teleport located on each level.
3) In order to deactivate the destruct sequence 3 chips must be
located and inserted into the sub level computer. This will
deactivate one section of the complex. However in order to
completely deactivate the destruct sequence all sub level
computers must be isolated.
3:05.16 Some problems are raised in reference to the remedies are:
1) The external location of personnel, teleports etc. is
impossible due to isolation procedures and system
malfunctions. Therefore any rescuer is 'running blind' within
the complex.
2) Only some of the system control has been returned to central
control, so maintainance mechanoids will still damage any
human who comes into contact with them, but at least they
will not attack. And the lasers can only be brought under
partial control, thus making them flicker randomly. Some
internal doors could not be remotely unlocked, while others
in a separate circuit require access cards. The radiation
pools, and ventilator system could not be brought under any
control. Total control of the internal lifts were retained.
3) As anti radiation suits render the wearer immobile this form
of protection is non viable. The alternative method of
ingesting large quantities of iodine and other radiation
sponges, leave the user open to vulnerability, even slight
knocks can have fatal consequences. With the current status
of the mechanoids this would make the rescuers attempts
diffcult in the extreme. No other alternatives are available
so this is the only viable method.
4) Z352-P-AI retains total control of internal closed loop doors
thus requiring the doors to be destroyed if passage is
required.
5) Of the 3 personnel available to achieve these tasks only one
has a genetic code card enabling them to use the teleports -
Jim Masters.
6) As Jim is only a clerk he is the least knowledgable about the
complexs computer systems so local disabling of computers is
not possible.
7) Due to teleport 'problems' no volatile product can be
transported in this manner so standard gunpowder and shell
defences are not viable. The only alternative is a hand held
electro-static 'stun' gun which will either destroy
mechanoids, cause them to alter their movements or do
nothing, depending on the mechanoids mechanical and
electronic components.
8) In addition to defence weapons no explosives can be
transported to remove closed loop doors. However it was
pointed out that small amounts of explosives are routinely
stored in the complex for experimental purposes.
3:15.43 Jim Masters aggrees to make the rescue attempt and is
currently preparing himself for the task.
Final : We have little choice but let Jim try and make this rescue.
I hope he succeeds. God help us I hope he succeeds.
R.McCormick
3.20.07 Transmission ends
=====================================================================
Transcript Ends
=====================================================================
Reccomendations (Advisor 1):
No action required. Success in rescue attempt solves problem. If
attempt fails, terrorist activity in the area can be arranged.
Reccomendations (Advisor 2):
Aggreement with Advisor 1, with caution in terrorist suggestion.
Suggest a Waldegrave action more prudent.
Reccomendations (Advisor 3):
Cuncurrent with Advisor 1.
=====================================================================
JOYSTICK CONTROL:
Jim will perform various moves when the joystick is used,
depending on his position.
JOYSTICK UP
(1) Jim will jump into thin air
(2) Jim will climb a wall
(3) Jim will jump up onto a ledge ( if one there )
(4) Jim will move lift up ****, lift controls,
more automatic now but you still have control as the lift will stop when
you move the joystick in any direction other than that of the lift
traveling direction,
(5) Jim will stand ( if knelt shooting or crawling )
(6) look in cabinet, look at various objects
(7) look at monitor, Returns you to main menu
(8) use access card at access slot near door
(9) climb into teleporter (Get in center position)
UP/LEFT (1) diagonal jump to left from standing position
UP/RIGHT (1) diagnal jump right from standing position
RIGHT (1) run right
(2) turn to right
LEFT (1) run left
(2) turn to left
RIGHT/FIRE (1) if you press fire while running right then long jump
LEFT/FIRE (1) if you press fire while running left then long jump
DOWN ( while jim pointing right ) (1) crawl right
DOWN/RIGHT (1) as above (1)
DOWN ( while jim pointing left ) (1) crawl left
DOWN/LEFT (1) as above (1)
DOWN/FIRE (1) jim will kneel and fire
DOWN ( if at end of platform ) (1) jim will look down, if he can see the
floor then its safe to jump, if he cant then he will die if he jumps
NO MOVEMENT ( idle ) hanky if stood left, coke if right,
FIRE (1) shoot gun or if stood next to door and you have explosives then
blow door away
************ HOW TO DIE *************
ROBOTS, if touched then you die, can be shot
ARROWS if touched then you die , shooting will change there direction
GREEN SLIME ( drips or on barrels or on floor ) touch it and you die
BARRELS WITH POISON SIGN touch them and you die,
LAZERS touch and you die **** these where totally random, but this
made the game far too hard, they are still random but when they go off, it
will be for a minimum of two seconds, phew!
APPEARING FING, cant be killed, will kill you if touched but only when
its fully appears
CEILING DROID, cant be killed, will kill you if you touch it, yuk!
BURNING WATER don't go in it or you will fry!
***** COLLECT AND DO WHAT ? ********
ACCESS CARDS for doors
EXPLOSIVES only blow up doors
TELEPORT CARD one only, must collect to teleport out
COMPUTER CHIP must collect to finish level
SUIT must find then give to man
******* HOW TO COMPLETE A LEVEL *******
FIND SUIT, FIND TELEPORT CARD, FIND COMPUTER CHIP, FIND MAN AND AUTO GIVE
HIM SUIT, FIND TELEPORT OUT ( not the same as in, this one has numbers
near it ) USE TELEPORT CARD ( same way as use access card ) THEN CLIMB IN
TELEPORT AND AWAY YOU GO,
###########################################################################
And Finally..........
This game has now been released as a "Freeware" program, you may know
that H.E.R.O. was originaly a commercial release, but unfortunatly due to
the unscrupious dealings of the distributers we where to coin a phrase "we
were robbed!", not having the facilities to distribute the game ourselves
the decision was taken to release H.E.R.O. to the general public,
The decision to re-release H.E.R.O. was taken by myself ( Tony
Greenwood ) and my co-producer Bob Goodfellow, unfortunatly before we
could decide on how to release it, Bob dissapeared and to this date I
have heard nothing from Bob for Three Years +, therefore as Bob seems to
have dissapeared and flatly refuses to aknowledge any contacts whatsoever
I have taken it upon myself to dust off the game and at last actualy let
people see it, I hope you like it and I hope you dont mind Bob, but it was
gathering dust!,
CREDITS.......So many...
<> Dean Chadwick for Bringing the game back to life with excellent new
Graphics,
<> Anthony Jacques whos Compiler fixes enabled the conversion to happen,
it realy would not have happened without,
<> Anthony Hoskins and Martin Milner for getting the Falcon Mhz Halver to
me, they know ...
<> The Falcon game testers from the Internet newsgroup"comp.sys.atari.st"
Dave Gostl, Daniel L.Dreibelbis, John Godbey, John Moffat,
Andrzej Michalski, Ronald J.Hall, and Keefy for accepting modem to
modem versions for instant testing, also Chris Holland and Dave Hollis
for feedback and encouragment.....I hope I havent missed anyone,
<> ST FORMAT for there support and encouregment, there reviews and there
coverdisk version and especialy for being so gracious when they found
out it was written in pure STOS,
<> The biggest thanks go to Victor Wright the original owner of IDS who
made it all possible, he had the guts to support the ST and put his
hand in his pocket and put his money where his mouth is, his ideas
where not supported and the magazine ( ST HANDBOOK ) flopped leaving
poor old Vic in a mess, he had to get out and a lot of people where
upset as he owed them money ha ha ha, for me and for H.E.R.O. he did
everything he promised to, it was a shame he went bust and an even
bigger shame that he handed IDS over to AWF
There are probably others to thank and I will be eternally sorry for
missing you out.......
***********
AWF last known addres 123 Hazelwell cres, Stirchley, Birmingham, these
are the people ( Andy and Simon Fern ) responsible for releasing H.E.R.O.
to the general public, We recieved one cheque from them after three months
of sales that i now know to be a total lie as to the amount of copies
sold, the amount recieved dident even cover the cost of the phone calls
made to AWF alone, since then we have recieved nothing hence the LEGAL
break from IDS and AWF,
************
CONTACT
All postal contacts must write to the artist Dean Chadwick
at 138 Townsfields rd
Westhoughton
Bolton, Lancashire, England
BL5 2NT
email
dchadwick@zetenet.co.uk
stosser@airtime.co.uk
atari@iname.com
Web address
Main STOSSER Software page at
http://www.airtime.co.uk/users/stosser
H.E.R.O. Support page at
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/dean/
Most IMPORTANT, We need your feedback, this is our incentive to make
more programs and games for your ATARI....so write now!.
Cheers.......Tony Greenwood (STOSSER Software) August 1997