"In Search of the Most Amazing" by Spinnaker Software, manual for C64 (hand typed) INTRODUCTION: As a boy your Uncle Smoke Bailey found The Most Amazing Thing, and then lost it. The Most Amazing Thing holds great powers and may be able to reveal the meaning of life. The Most Amazing Thing is now a golden metallic ball but it changes form throughout the ages. Smoke wants you to continue the search for this object and when you find it, bring it back to Metallica. Smoke has a B-Liner for you to use on your journey. The B-Liner is a combanation of hot air balloon and dune buggy. You will have to learn to fly through storms and fog. The B-Liner has special tires so you can drive on the sticky tar ground of Darksome Mire without sinking in. Also, you will be equipped with a jetpack that will allow you to fly short distances. When you enter the underground city of Metallica, you should go to Smoke's apartment. Smoke has very interesting things to tell you about the Mire People who live in odd huts and speak with their antennae. He will tell you about trading chips or songs with the Mire People in exchange for clues about The Most Amazing Thing. You will also learn about the feared Mire Crabs that you should avoid, Popberries that you can eat, Night Rocks that give you fuel for the B-Liner, and Bunchmarks that you see from time to time. Smoke will give you things that he collected on his travels. You can trade these things with the robots at the Metallican Auction for chips. These chips will let you buy gizmos at the Galactic Store to outfit the B-Liner. You can get software for the B-Liner computer and meters that will help you on your trip. So go quickly, because if you are clever, persistent, and lucky you might find The Most Amazing Thing and bring it back. Your Uncle Smoke Bailey is counting on you. Once The Most Amazing Thing is found, its location will change. This allows a player to search for The Most Amazing Thing again and again, each time looking for new clues that will lead to the new location. LETTER FROM UNCLE SMOKE: Please, Kiddo. Don't go runnin' out into the Darksome Mire until you come to me for plenty of advice. Remember, no one has ever flown the B-liner before, so even if you buy every balloon gizmo in the store, flying the B-Liner will be a risky business. It will take a lot of patience and practice to be a good pilot, but don't give up. You'll get the hang of it. And I may just be the only one who can help you find The Most Amazing Thing! Smoke Bailey LOADING THE PROGRAM: Commodore 64: 1. Turn on your disk drive. Wait for the red light to go out. 2. Turn on the monitor and the computer. 3. Put the IN SEARCH OF THE MOST AMAZING THING disk into the disk drive and close the door. 4. Type LOAD "SPIN",8 Press the RETURN key. 5. Once READY appears on the screen, type RUN Press the RETURN key. Your program will appear shortly on screen. SAVING THE GAME: Commodore 64: 1. Do not put a write-protect sticker on the disk. A write-protect stickwer will not allow you to save the game. 2. Go inside the B-Liner. 3. Go to the B-Liner computer and press the joystick button. 4. Press the S key to save the information collected so far. NOTE: It is a good idea to save the game frequently while playing. HINTS FOR GETTING STARTED: * Look through The Most Amazing Thing book. * Take the elevator in Metallica down to Smoke's apartment. * Ask Smoke for some advice. * Take some relics Smoke has given you to the Metallican Auction and sell them. * Buy equipment at the Galactic Store to outfit the B-Liner. * Fill your fuel tank by driving to a Night Rock and drilling. * Shake a Popberry loose from a Popberry tree and eat it. HINTS FOR GETTING ALONG WITH THE MIRE PEOPLE: * The DICTO in the B-Liner will supply you with the Mire People's language. * The CULTS program in the B-Liner will tell you what the Mire People like. * When the Mire People get upset or disappear you should think about offering them your MUSIX. * If the Mire People ask what quest you are on, you must say that you are looking for The Most Amazing Thing. * To give chips to the Mire People, press R for red chips, Y for yellow chips, and G for green chips. * Remember, be cautious when dealing with the Mire People! TAKING CARE OF THE DISK: 1. When you have finished playing with the program, open the disk drive door and remove the disk. 2. Be careful not to bend the program or touch the exposed part of the disk. 3. Turn off the computer. 4. Return the disk to its sleeve and place in the album cover. HANDY HINTS: Commodore 64: Getting Around: * Use the joystick to fly the jetpack and drive the B-Liner. * Use the joystick and joystick button to command the Flight Control Panel. Getting into the B-Liner or Entering Metallica: * Use the jetpack to go over to the ladder on the outside of the B-Liner or to move to the top of the hatchway into Metallica. * Press the joystick button to enter either of these two places. Getting Fuel for the B-Liner: * Drive the B-Liner onto the Night Rock and get out. * Use the jetpack to go to the B-Liner drill platform. * Press the joystick button to get fuel. Finding Food: * Drive the B-Liner onto a Popberry tree and get out. * Use the jetpack to climb into the tree branches. * Press the joystick button to shake the branches. * Use the jetpack to go to the fallen Popberry. * Press the joystick button to eat the Popberry. THE GALACTIC STORE: Here is a catalogue of gizmos you can buy at the store for your journey. Some of them are useful for your trip and some are not very helpful. Think carefully before you buy. Flight Control Panel Meters: There terrific meters will help you operate the B-Liner. DIR-?: Shows what direction the B-Liner is moving - 10 green chips HIGH?: Tells how high the B-Liner is above ground - 7 green chips HOME 1: Directs you back to Metallica - 9 green chips STORM: Warns about approaching storms - 8 green chips FUELO: Measures how much fuel is in the B-Liner - 6 green chips AUTOP: Automatically flies the B-Liner back to Metallica - 10 green chips RADAR: Help locate huts - 8 green chips HUT 1: Points to the nearest hut - 9 green chips Metallican Household Items: These items could be fun to own but are not necessary for flying the B-Liner. POSIX: Electronic trash destroyer - 25 green chips HOVAK: Radio-controlled pencil sharpener - 18 green chips ESSEX: Digital lawnmower - 19 green chips LIFT 5: Spare elevator button - 29 green chips WINDG: Ultrasonic robot dog groomer - 23 green chips XXX-2: Macrowave oven for cooking robot food - 22 green chips GASEX: Fuel gauge for a robotcycle - 21 green chips NAMEX: Electronic letter opener - 24 green chips TURBO: Robot toothbrush - 23 green chips ABCDE: Learning game for robot children - 28 green chips TAKOM: Microwave burglar alarm - 26 green chips ZENER: Radio-controlled back scratcher - 22 green chips FAZER: Electronic food defroster - 21 green chips YUKAL: Robot Halloween costume - 20 green chips PLAXI: High-speed infared window washer - 19 green chips Computer Software: These are practical programs you can buy for the computer on the B-Liner. MAP-H: Locate every hut in Darksome Mire, one culture at a time - 8 green chips CULTS: Contains facts about the people of each Mire Culture - 8 green chips DICTO: Translates important words and phrases used by all 25 cultures of Darksome Mire - 8 green chips MUSIX: Enables you to create original songs to trade with the Darksome Mire cultures - 9 green chips TRAC 4: Mystery software - 9 green chips THE B-LINE FLIGHT CONTROL PANEL: The flight control panel comes supplied with the Burner, Drop, and Where Switches. The B-Liner pilot decides which meters to buy at the Galactic Store to outfit the panel. This panel shows all the meters a pilot could have on board. Burner: This switch makes the B-Liner go up. Drop: This switch lets out hot air so the B-Liner can go down. Where: This switch shows the location of the B-Liner on the Darksome Mire map. DIR-?: Shows what direction the B-Liner is moving. High?: Tells how high above the ground the B-Liner is. Home1: Directs you back to Metallica. Storm - Wanrs about approaching storms. Center of control panel: Your location on Darksome Mire. Fuelo: Measures how much fuel the B-Liner has. AutoP: Automatically flies the B-Liner back to Metallica. Radar: Helps find hut locations. Hut1: Points to the nearest hut. A TIP ON FLYING THE B-LINER: In Darksome Mire, you have to pay attention to how the winds blow. As you travel along you will find that the winds come from different directions at different heights. So you will have to keep going up and down until you find a wind that will take you in the direction you want to go. DARKSOME MIRE TRIBES: FASTAK THOMIZEK MUHILL MAXAZE SOLVAQUE NUTRILE HOGAAN FORTHEL LASKA TRELISS MUFFIJI UNDEFLAS ODASK TORBION SLOPING FONDEF KARTOFF ZYZY GIRFLEEZ JAVE CAMAWHY LOGRETCH WATERSI BERIBEY PAELAZI A NOTE TO PARENTS AND EDUCATORS: Anyone from the age of 10 years old and up will enjoy this game. In Search of the Most Amazing Thing challenges players at all levels of sophistication with a rich variety of experiences that are educational, creative, and entertaining. The player in the role of the B-Liner pilot goes in search of The Most Amazing Thing in the land of Darksome Mire. From the beginning, decision-making, organization, and note-taking are essential parts of the program, A B-Liner pilot travelling in Darksome Mire must constantly use his or her own judgement to decide the best plan of action under each new set of circumstances. For example, in order for a pilot to deal effectively with the many different cultures he or she will come in contact with, the pilot must keep track of vital information about each culture. Careful note-taking can bring a pilot that much closer to finding The Most Amazing Thing. Mapmaking and an understanding of trading are other key points in this program. A good pilot will have to use the coordinate system on the map of Darksome Mire to help plot a course of travel. There will also be a lot of trading and bargaining, so a traveler must become adept at dealing with different exchange rates so as to make the most advantageous deals. Fun and education are constant companions in In Search of The Most Amazing Thing. This program offers many ways to stimulate a child's natutal interests and curiosity. And you, as a parent or educator, can help a child toward further growth and leaning simply by becoming involved. In fact, In Search of The Most Amazing Thing can be a terrific opportunity for family members or an entire class to work together as a team. This kind of cooperative effort can be a rewarding experience for everyone. This game can be played many times. Once The Most Amazing Thing is found, its location will change. This allows a player to search for The Most Amazing Thing again and again, each time looking for new clues that will lead to the new location.