********* Welcome to Project 64! The goal of Project 64 is to preserve Commodore 64 related documents in electronic text format that might otherwise cease to exist with the rapid advancement of computer technology and declining interest in 8- bit computers on the part of the general population. If you would like to help by converting C64 related hardcopy documents to electronic texts please contact the manager of Project 64, Cris Berneburg, at 74171.2136@compuserve.com. Extensive efforts were made to preserve the contents of the original document. However, certain portions, such as diagrams, program listings, and indexes may have been either altered or sacrificed due to the limitations of plain vanilla text. Diagrams may have been eliminated where ASCII-art was not feasible. Program listings may be missing display codes where substitutions were not possible. Tables of contents and indexes may have been changed from page number references to section number references. Please accept our apologies for these limitations, alterations, and possible omissions. Document names are limited to the 8.3 file convention of DOS. The first characters of the file name are an abbreviation of the original document name. The version number of the etext follows next. After that a letter may appear to indicate the particular source of the document. Finally, the document is given a .TXT extension. The author(s) of the original document and members of Project 64 make no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this material for any purpose. This etext is provided "as-is". Please refer to the warantee of the original document, if any, that may included in this etext. No other warantees, express or implied, are made to you as to the etext or any medium it may be on. Neither the author(s) nor the members of Project 64 will assume liability for damages either from the direct or indirect use of this etext or from the distribution of or modification to this etext. ********* The Project 64 etext of the Swiss Family Robinson manual. Original document released 10/84 by Spinnaker under the "Windham Classics" label. Converted by Paul David Doherty , retrieved from the Spinnaker section of the Preserving Classic Adventures (PreCAP) Project . SWIFAM10.TXT, November 1996, etext #112. ********* Swiss Family Robinson Manual ---------------------------- ===================================================================== SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (tm) A Classic Software Adventure based on the book by Johann Wyss WINDHAM CLASSICS (tm) ===================================================================== ...The raging storm is over at last. Daylight breaks over a calm, blue sea. Your ship, perched precariously on a rocky coral reef, creaks and groans with every crashing wave. In the distance, a lovely island covered with swaying palm trees beckons to you and your family... Mother says urgently, "How will we get ashore? It seems so far away." "That's just our first problem -- the island may be full of all sorts of danger," Father answers worriedly. "Yes, we'll need to find a safe place to live -- _if_ we ever get there," adds your brother Ernest. "I just want to get rescued," moans your brother Jack. "I'm hungry and thirsty," whines your little brother Franz. "We'll survive," you say optimistically, "if we use our wits and work hard. Just think of this as an adventure. Now let's find a way to get off this shipwreck." Everyone springs into action, dashing around the deck in search of anything that may help. Suddenly, you see some large barrels. "Eureka!" you shout, as you remember the saw and other tools below deck. "I have a great idea..." ===================================================================== Table of Contents ===================================================================== Preparing for the Adventure Loading Your Disk 3 Saving Your Game Meet the Swiss Family Robinson 4 Guide to Survival Computer Commands 5 Other Points to Remember Supplies Help Key 6 Inventory Map World Traveler's Guide to Nature 7 Survival Hints 8 After the Rescue About the Classic Book 9 About the Adaptation Some Adventure Reading 10 ===================================================================== Preparing for the Adventure ===================================================================== Loading Your Disk On the Commodore 64 (tm) 1. Turn on the computer, disk drive, and TV or monitor. 2. Place SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON in the disk drive and close the drive door. 3. Type: LOAD "WIND", 8 4. Press RETURN. 5. When computer prints READY, type RUN and press RETURN. 6. The program will load. After the Windham Classics screen appears, type D if you want a demonstration. Type G if you want to play the game. On the Apple (R) 1. Before loading, be sure the computer is turned off. 2. Place SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON in the disk drive and close the drive door. 3. Turn on the TV or monitor and the computer. 4. The program will load. After the Windham Classics screen appears, type D if you want a demonstration. Type G if you want to play the game. Saving Your Game SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, like many adventures, may take more than a day to complete. You and your friends can save the games you are playing and then continue them at another time. Games may be saved directly onto the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON game disk. To Save a Game 1. To save a game you are playing, you can, at any time, type SAVE and then press the spaeebar. 2. Decide which letter, A-Z, you wish to name your game. Up to 26 games can be saved on the disk at one time. Type the letter you want and press the RETURN key. *Note*: Do not save a game under a letter that already holds a game. Also, when you save a game, be sure to make a note of the letter you select and the conditions of your adventure. 3. The game will be saved on the disk. You may then continue playing the game or turn off the computer and return to continue play later. To Continue Playing a Saved Game 1. Insert and load the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON disk. 2. Type CONTINUE and press the spacebar. 3. Decide which game, A-Z, you want to continue playing. Type the letter of the game you want and press the RETURN key. 4. The game will be recalled from the disk. You can then continue playing the game from where you left off. To Start a New Game If, for any reason, you wish to start your adventure over, simply: 1. Type START NEW GAME and press the RETURN key. 2. The computer will ask you to confirm that you want to end the current game. If you do, type Y and press the RETURN key. If you do not want to end your game, type N and press the RETURN key. 3. The game will then start over from the beginning. Meet the Swiss Family Robinson We are the Swiss Family Robinson and you are Fritz, our eldest son. We are counting on your skills and ingenuity to help us survive and to find a way to get us rescued. You also have another important responsibility -- you must take care of your little brother Franz. He will go with you wherever you go. Everything that happens to him will also happen to you. So, when he gets hungry or thirsty, you'll get hungry and thirsty too. He may be troublesome at times, but remember that he's your brother and he depends on you. We are here to help you... Be sure to take advantage of all that we have to offer. Our family is a team -- help us and we'll help you. Here are some ways that we can help you: 1. We will sometimes ask you to do specific things that are essential to our survival. 2. We will organize and run the camp while you are off exploring and collecting things. 3. We will offer you valuable advice when you tell us about your adventures and the objects you find. 4. We will sometimes make things out of items you gather and DROP at our location. ===================================================================== Guide to Survival ===================================================================== Computer Commands You can move around and explore the island by typing in commands using the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON vocabulary. To enter a command: Type in a verb, followed by a noun or object, when necessary. Then press RETURN key to start the action. If you want to travel, type GO and the direction you want to move, for example: GO SOUTH GO TOPSIDE After pressing the RETURN key, you will move in that direction. If you want to use an object, type the verb and noun of your choice, for example: TAKE BOOK SAW BARRELS OPEN FLASK After pressing the RETURN key, the action will be completed. If you want to tell your family about something, type TELL FAMILY ABOUT and the name of the object, for example: TELL FAMILY ABOUT BARRELS TELL FAMILY ABOUT ALOE After pressing the RETURN key, your family may provide you with useful information about that object. Other Points to Remember When Entering Commands Vocabulary If you enter a word that is outside of the vocabulary, or misspell a word that is in the vocabulary, the program will not understand the word and will respond with "TRY SOMETHING ELSE". When you enter an appropriate word from the vocabulary, it will automatically highlight. If the computer doesn't display a highlighted word after you press the spacebar, then you will know that word won't work in that situation. Long Commands In some cases, where commands are several words long, the computer will supply a word or words for you after you hit the spacebar. For example, if you decide to launch your boat, you would enter LAUNCH and press the spacebar. The computer would automatically add: BOAT TO THE ________ Before pressing the RETURN key, you would enter the direction you choose to launch toward: NORTH, SOUTH, EAST or WEST. Erase a Letter or Word To eliminate letters or entire words that you've typed, press the appropriate DELETE key on your computer. Freeze and Unfreeze the Action To stop the game at any time press the RUN/STOP key on the Commodore 64 or the ESC key on the Apple. Return to a Location To return to a game screen from a message screen, a HELP screen, the BOOK, or the MAP, press the RETURN key. ===================================================================== Supplies ===================================================================== The Help Key On the Commodore 64, press the key for help. On the Apple, press for help. If you find yourself at a point in the game where you don't know what command to enter, press the "help" key. The help key is tailored to provide you with options specific to each situation. For example, if you are at a point in the game where you need a verb, and you press the help key, a list of possible verbs will appear. If you choose a verb, but are still uncertain as to what should follow, press the help key again to review your options. Try the help key in any situation to see what information it contains. Inventory Items in Your Possession Your inventory, the items you have with you at a given time, is illustrated at the bottom of the screen. You may also see a list of the items you are carrying by typing INVENTORY. The objects directly below the large picture and above the text lines show what is on the ground where you are located. You can usually add these items to your inventory by using the TAKE command. The Map As you explore the island, you will find the map very helpful. The island is large and it's easy to get lost. You will find a blank map on the wrecked ship. Be sure to take it with you everywhere. Use the map to keep track of where you are, where you have been, and to plot your path from place to place. Each time you go to a new screen, that location on the map will be automatically charted for you. If you want to return to a place you visited earlier in the game, the map will help you to get there. To use the map you need to first type TAKE MAP, if you do not have it in your inventory. To read the map, you must type OPEN MAP, then type LOOK MAP. When you look at the map you will notice a flashing cursor that indicates your current position on the island. Remember, you can use the map at any time. The World Traveler's Guide to Nature On the ship you'll find a valuable book. It's called THE WORLD TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO NATURE. The book contains interesting facts about the plants, animals, and other natural things you may encounter on your journey. This information contains clues about how the natural resources of the island can help you survive. If you encounter something unfamiliar on the island, you may be able to identify it by referring first to the NATURE KEY POSTER that is enclosed in the package. It may be helpful to hang up the NATURE KEY near your computer while you play. Once you know the name of something, you can find it in the book. To find something in the book, you must first TAKE BOOK, if you do not have it in your inventory. To read an entry, you must first type OPEN BOOK, then type FIND _______ (whatever object you want to read about). Survival Hints If this is one of your first adventure games, you may need a little help getting started. The term "adventure game" describes a computer game that puts you in a situation where you take actions by typing commands into the computer. The fun comes in figuring out how to solve the problems your situation presents. In SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, you must figure out how to survive and how to get rescued. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you play: 1. If you run aground, launch your boat again. 2. Be systematic about exploring the island. One strategy might be to continue moving in one direction until you meet an obstacle. 3. If you want to travel quickly, there's a shortcut you can take when entering your command. To travel East quickly, for example, just type E and press the RETURN key. Repeat this process as many times as you would like to travel East. 4. If you are uncertain about the direction you are traveling in, refer to your map for direction. 5. Type LOOK to review the text description of a particular scene. This is helpful after you've entered a lot of commands, and the original text description is no longer on the screen. 6. Keep track of the place where items are located or were left behind. You can then go back and get anything you need. 7. If you leave food out in the open, it may be eaten by wild animals and won't be there when you return. Be sure to store your food in a safe place. 8. Save the game often. When you save a game, the computer records everything you have done up to that point. Saving the game in dangerous situations can be a good idea. Then, even if something happens that would end the game, you can pick up where you left off. 9. You often learn things after they happen, so don't be discouraged too quickly. Use this knowledge the next time you encounter a similar situation. ===================================================================== After the Rescue ===================================================================== About the Classic Book Johann David Von Wyss, author of _The Swiss Family Robinson_, was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1743. He served as a chaplain in the Swiss Army and then became pastor of a village church. Wyss was married and had four sons. The members of the Wyss family often went on long hikes and hunting trips together. Wyss tried to inspire his sons with his own love of nature. The family also enjoyed discussing adventure and travel stories, including a very popular novel of the day -- _Robinson Crusoe_ by Daniel DeFoe. Wyss, with the help of his sons, began to create a story about the adventures of a family, similar to their own and shipwrecked on an island. They filled their fantasy island with a colorful variety of animals and plants, not taking into account whether these plants and animals actually could be found on a tropical island. In 1813, one of Johann Wyss's sons had his father's manuscript published. The book quickly became popular. Since publication, the story has appeared in many languages and has been made into several film versions. Certainly, Johann Wyss never could have imagined that his family's story would have such lasting appeal in so many forms. Now, with the debut of SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, the WINDHAM CLASSICS adventure game, the player becomes a member of the shipwrecked family, actively taking part in the adventures of survival and rescue. About the Adaptation _Swiss Family Robinson_ is one of the greatest family adventures of all time. The story of a family's struggle to survive on a remote and deserted island has captured the imagination of countless readers for over a century. In adapting the book to a computer software game, we sought to recreate the rich, lush tropical setting and offer an adventure in which the player would need to be as creative as the family was in their struggle for survival. The adaptation involved reading and rereading the book, noting every description of the island geography, every mention of the wild animals and the strange and exotic plants found on the island. The adaptation also required that an index be constructed of each major adventure with information on when and where it occured on the island. With this complete, an accurate map of the island composed of 223 distinct locations was created. To recreate the lush tropical setting, the graphics had to be colorful and detailed. And to capture the vastness of the island environment, there had to be lots of them. The dominant theme of the book -- survival in the wilderness -- is maintained in the game adaptation. Most of the adventures in the book easily lent themselves to interesting and exciting game play; those that did not were excluded. Finally, in the book, the family made little attempt at getting rescued. In fact, the parents even chose to remain on the island after a rescue ship arrived. To create stronger game play, we placed a higher priority on getting rescued. In the game, part of the challenge is to discover the quickest way to get rescued. Turning The Swiss Family Robinson into an adventure game has involved the work of many people at Tom Snyder Productions, Inc. -- game designers, writers, artists, musicians and programmers. And it has involved making many decisions -- as many as you'll need to make when you assume the role of Fritz. We hope that you'll find your adventure exciting, challenging and lots of fun. Good luck. Some Adventure Reading If you have enjoyed playing SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, you may want to read the novel. Several editions are available, two are listed below. Wyss, Johann Von. _The Swiss Family Robinson_. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1949. (A 1983 printing is available.) This Junior Library Edition is clothbound and illustrated. An inexpensive paperback edition is available from Dell Press. In addition, there are many other adventure novels available that deal with the theme of survival. Below we have listed a few titles that may be of interest to you. DeFoe, Daniel. _Robinson Crusoe_. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1983 After being shipwrecked, Crusoe spends 28 years on the coast of South America. Over time, Crusoe discovers ingenious ways to survive and learns much about the world during his stay in a foreign land. O'Dell, Scott. _Island of the Blue Dolphins_. New York: Dell Publishing, 1960. Left alone for years on a Pacific island, Karana, a young Indian girl, fights for survival by building shelter, making weapons, and finding food. Not only an unusual adventure of survival, this book is also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery. Winner of the Newbery Award. Roth, Arnold. _Two for Survival_. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976. Six people, including four high school seniors, manage to survive a plane crash in the Maine wilderness. Two teenage boys are chosen to make the dangerous hike out in search of help while the others must survive as they wait for rescue. Guidebooks Angier, Bradford. _How to Stay Alive in the Woods_. New York: Collier Books, 1962. Hildreth, Brian. _How to Survive_. New York: Penguin Books, 1982. Wood, Robert S. _The 2 oz. Backpacker_: A Problem Solving Manual for Use in the Wilds. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1982. ===================================================================== WINDHAM CLASSICS adventure games are specially designed to entertain and offer players ten to adult an exciting way to enjoy some of the best classic literature of all time. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON(tm) is based on the book THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON by Johann Wyss, originally published in the 18th century. The program was developed by Tom Snyder Productions, Inc., a leading developer of home educational software. Program Author: Gabrielle Savage Scriptwriter: David A. Dockterman Program Graphics: Gabrielle Savage, Laya Steinberg, and Sharon Cohen Music: Thomas F.F. Snyder Editorial Development: Karen Whittredge and David A. Dockterman Art Direction and Illustrations: Peter H. Reynolds Playtesting: David A. Dockterman and David Lorsch Commodore 64 and Apple versions: Leonard Bertoni Project Management: Richard D. Abrams Handbook Design: Graphic Ink This software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Windham Classics Corporation. The distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory of a computer for the purpose of executing this program. Copying, duplication, selling or otherwise distributing this product is hereby expressly forbidden. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. Commodore 64 is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Ltd. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON computer program is a trademark of Windham Classics Corporation. ===================================================================== Windham Classics Corporation Warranty Policy It this product should fail to work for any reason whatsoever during the first 30 days following purchase, return it to the dealer from whom it was purchased for a free replacement. If it should fail to work after the first 30 days, mail it to Windham Classics at the address below. If it has been physically damaged, you will be charged five dollars for a replacement. Should you have any questions concerning this warranty, please contact the dealer from whom you purchased this program, or write or call Windham Classics. Windham Classics One Kendall Square Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 494-1225 SFR ********* End of the Project 64 etext of the Swiss Family Robinson manual. *********