hints.txt

######################################
Hints for Adventure 660 (Adventure 4+)
by Arthur DiBianca
amended, with author's permission
by Mike Arnautov

hint file version 1.0 (9/12/97)
          version 1.1 (22/2/04)
######################################


These hints are based on Mike Arnautov's 660-point ADVENTURE4+, version
10.09. They are organized like a UHS file or Infocom's InvisiClues.
The questions are all listed together first. I've included a few fakes.
Try to read the answers item by item to avoid getting more information
than you want.

I am assuming that readers do not have previous experience with 
Crowther and Woods's 350-point Adventure or its various descendants.
Many of the hints given here will also apply to those earlier games.

If you have any questions or suggestions, send an email to
<adibianca@logicfactory.com> or to <mla@britishlibrary.net>.

Enjoy!


Question List
=============

A. General Questions
 Can I restore my saved games without having to wait?
 I'm dying of thirst? What do I do?
 I'm running out of light! What can I do?
 What do I do about these little dwarves?
 A pirate stole my treasure. How can I get it back?
 What should I do with the dwarf's horn?

B. Above Ground
 What am I doing here?
 How do I get into the cave?
 How do I get past the wizard's gate?
 What's the meaning of the wooden notice?

C. Hall of Mists and Vicinity
 How do I get past the snake?
 How can I keep the bird from being frightened?
 How do I get past the dragon?
 How do I get the Persian rug?
 How do I get the gold nugget out of the cave?
 What does the hollow voice mean?
 How do I get across the fissure?
 How do I navigate the maze of passages, all different?
 How do I navigate the maze of passages, all alike?
 What does the message in the sandstone chamber mean?
 How do I get the flute from the shadowy figure?

D. Anteroom and Vicinity
 What are the magazines for?
 How do I get out of Witt's End?
 How do I get the tusk out of the very low room?
 How do I navigate the maze of passages with streams?
 How do I turn the spoon into a treasure?
 What is the rope in the chapel for?
 How can I get out of the giant's dungeon?
 What do I do in the giant's living quarters?
 How do I get past the spider?
 How do I get the mask in the thieves den?
 How do I get the orb from the cellar?
 What do the images in the orb mean?
 What is the crypt for?
 How do I get into the storage room in the tower?
 How do I get past the dwarves at the top of the stairs?
 What is special about the chalice?

E. Bedquilt and Vicinity
 Can I get around the Bedquilt area more easily?
 How do I keep the vase from shattering?
 How do I get a light source into the room past the emerald?
 What do I do with the clam?
 How do I get past the quicksand?
 How do I cross the reservoir?
 How do I get the sword in the stone?
 How can I keep from losing objects in the valuation room?

F. The Plant and Beyond
 What do I do with the little plant?
 How do I get past the rusted door?
 How do I get past the ogre?
 Is there anything to do in the Sorcerer's Lair?
 How do I get past the sheets of slime?
 How do I get out of the maze of ice tunnels?

G. The Troll and Beyond
 How do I get past the troll?
 How do I get back across the wooden bridge?
 Is there anything to do in the volcano room?
 What do I do at the minotaur statue?
 How do I get away from the gooseberry goblins?
 How do I get through the fog?
 What is the pentagram for?
 How can I get the starstone after I drop it?
 How can I get back past the basilisk?
 How do I get out of the catacombs?
 How do I get the skeleton's sceptre past the bridge?
 How do I learn all skeleton keys?
 What is the Djinn's word for?

H. The End Game
 The cave is closing! What should I do?
 The cave has closed. What's going on here?
 I'm surrounded by gray mist. What do I do?
 I'm back at end of road again. What do I do?

I. Super Spoilers
 What are all the magic words?
 What are all the treasures?
 How do I get all the points?


Questions and Answers
=====================

A. General Questions
--------------------

Can I restore my saved games without having to wait?

 - With the MS-DOS version, you can change your computer's time to
   be more than 30 minutes past the save time. Or you can change the time
   in the save file to be earlier. Changing the byte at position 0C (hex) 
   to a value of 0 always seems to work.


I'm dying of thirst? What do I do?

 - Drink some water.

 - There are various places in the game (including the building) that
   make good water sources. You can also carry one drink's worth in the
   bottle.

 - And the flask also takes a small amount of water.


I'm running out of light! What can I do?

 - You could make sure you finish the game before your lantern dies.

 - You could buy some batteries in the 'all different' maze.

 - You could use the appropriate magic words. They will give your lamp
   a one-time boost good for several hundred moves.

 - Harnessing electricity is a kind of sorcery.

 - There are a couple of words you may have seen that suggest a famous
   person often associated with electricity.

 - They're found in the Sorcerer's Lair. Type them as separate commands.

 - Don't do it until your lamp is out of power.

 - Drop your lamp first. 


What do I do about these little dwarves?

 - If you could just get them on your side, you could have one heck
   of a party.

 - But they're set in their ways. 

 - The first dwarf that attacks you drops an axe. Get it, then throw it
   whenever there are dwarves attacking you.

 - Throwing the sword works too, as does just waving it about.

 - Eventually, you'll also learn a magic word that you can use to defeat
   them.


A pirate stole my treasure. How can I get it back?

 - Actually, you need this to happen, or you won't be able to get his
   treasure chest.
 
 - After he steals from you, go find his chest in the 'all alike' maze.
   He won't steal from you after you get it.


What should I do with the dwarf's horn?

 - A bunch of dwarves attack you when you blow it.

 - The right magic word might get rid of them.

 - It's handy for getting back any treasure stolen by the dwarves.

 - It's easier if you wear some protection.

 - And a magic way to get rid of the dwarves helps too, just be
   careful you follow the instructions.

 - Then again, you could call the owl instead.


B. Above Ground
---------------

What am I doing here?
 
 - As an adventurer of some ambition, you are trying to collect a bunch 
   of treasures in the small brick building without getting killed.

 - If you do, you might get a nice reward.

 - You may be looking for something in which to carry water.

 - Follow the path that leads away from the house.

 _ I said "the path", not "the road"!


How do I get into the cave?
	
 - There are two ways.

 - The obvious way is to unlock the grate with the keys from the building.

 - You will also learn a couple of magic words that will let you teleport
   in and out from the building.


How do I get past the wizard's gate?

 - The gate is hinged on both sides.

 - First, you have to undo the hinges with some sort of screwdriver.

 - A certain treasure would make a good screwdriver.

 - I'm lying -- there's no way past.


What's the meaning of the wooden notice?

 - I would read it as 'To those who come after me: this is the place to
   ---- the s--'.

 - It's not important until much later in the game. I'd better not reveal
   the answer just yet.


C. Hall of Mists and Vicinity
-----------------------------

How do I get past the snake?

 - You can't subdue it yourself.

 - You need the help of another being.

 - Catch the bird in the cage, then 'drop bird' or 'free bird' in the 
   Hall of Mt King.


How can I keep the bird from being frightened?

 - Read carefully what the game tells you when you first ask for help.

 - The bird is afraid of something about you.

 - Did you read the instructions offered to you when you entered the game?
   It is written: "Some objects have side-effects; for instance, rods
   scare birds."

 - It's afraid of your black rod. Drop it before trying to catch the bird.


How do I get past the dragon?

 - Just attack it.

 - Yes, with your bare hands.

 - Don't you wish all the monsters were this wimpy?


How do I get the Persian rug?

 - Roll it up first.


How do I get the gold nugget out of the cave?

 - You could try throwing it to that passage above the dome.

 - But the result is not very convenient.

 - Rather than carrying it up the steps, use a magic-word exit.


What does the hollow voice mean?

 - It's saying a magic word.

 - The word will teleport you between the Y2 room and the building.
   This is usually the quickest way to get from the cave to the building
   and back.


How do I get across the fissure?

 - Wave the rod. (Nothing really suggests this specifically, but it
   stands to reason that magic wands are made for waving.)


How do I navigate the maze of passages, all different?

 - The names of the locations are subtly different.

 - By making a grid and noting where each direction leads from
   each location, you can build a map. It's a hassle, though.

 - Actually, you don't need to go into this maze to finish the game with
   all the points.

 - I haven't mapped it all out myself. From the west end of long hall,
   you can go 'south, up, up, south' to get to the vending machine.

 - 'north, down, down, down' should get you back out.


How do I navigate the maze of passages, all alike?

 - This is probably the most famous maze in all of computer gaming. You
   should feel honored just to be lost in it. 

 - To distinguish the rooms from each other, drop various objects in them.

 - To distinguish the rooms from each other, drop various objects in them.
   Then you can make a grid and chart out which directions go from where
   to where.

 - Or you can ask the game to cheat and show you the list of exits from
   every location, which makes them very much less alike.

 - The main thing is to get the pirate's treasure chest and any treasures
   he's stolen from you.

 - From the west end of the Hall of Mists, you can go south, east, south,
   south, south, north, east, east, northwest to get to the chest. Then go
   southeast, north, down to get out of the maze.


What does the message in the sandstone chamber mean?

 - It's a favourite quote from technical manuals.

 - It's in Dwarvish. Surely you can read Dwarvish!

 - Translate it by moving each letter back one in the alphabet.

 - This method works for translating the dwarves' speech, too.


How do I get the flute from the shadowy figure?

 - Is the figure trying to attract your attention?

 - Have you seen it in more than one place?

 - It seems familiar.

 - It looks a lot like you.

 - It is you. Go to the mirror canyon for an explanation.

 - There is no flute, of course. I made that up.

 - But you could try 'reflect' and see what happens.

 - Reflecting gets you to the other side of the mirror, though it is
   not at all obvious.


D. Anteroom and Vicinity
------------------------

What are the magazines for?

 - They are traditionally associated with a last lousy point.
  
 - Leaving them at Witt's End gives you that point. 

 - Why at Witt's End? I haven't the faintest idea.


How do I get out of Witt's End?

 - If you go west sixty-five times, you'll get to the anteroom. It 
   always feels longer on the way back.

 - Wait -- maybe it's 165 times.

 - Actually, just wander around, going any direction except west.
   After a few moves, you should get out.


How do I get the tusk out of the very low room?

 - There's no way to get it through the slit.

 - The only way out is down into the sewer, although you seem to die
   when you go there.

 - Perhaps you should wait till the sewage level drops.

 - Actually, if you go back up from the shaft and then down again, you'll
   be able to get into the sewers.

 - You'll find anything you lost down the shaft (or in the cellar), plus a
   spoon.

 - Make sure to find your way out before you drown, and before
   the rats get you.


How do I navigate the maze of passages with streams?

 - I must say, I roll my eyes at the solution to this one.

 - The game's hint suggests that you're somehow offending the dwarves,
   I guess.

 - You've just left the sewers. Maybe it's that nasty smell.

 - 'wash', then wander up until you get out.


How do I turn the spoon into a treasure?

 - 'epns' seems like it ought to be a magic word.

 - But it's not. 

 - Did you try polishing it?

 - I guess the spoon is just worthless.


What is the rope in the chapel for?

 - Climb it.


How can I get out of the giant's dungeon?

 - 'lift flagstone', then go south, then climb up.

 - Of course, you probably lost some stuff when you got thrown in, and
   the trick is getting it back.


What do I do in the giant's living quarters?

 - You could bring the food with you. Then he'll eat it and kick you
   back out. But that doesn't get you anywhere.

 - What else might the giant enjoy?

 - Bring the nest with you. While he's eating the eggs, you can do what you
   like. Of course, the nest is a treasure, so you'll need to get it back
   somehow. See the troll question for more help.

 - The room description doesn't actually say so, but you can go south, too.


How do I get past the spider?

 - Kill it with the sword.

 - But surely you don't have the sword yet.

 - You'll have to engage the help of a nearby friend.

 - The owl will eat the spider for you. Summon him with 'hoot'.

 - Your light scares him away. Turn it off first.

 - To get the documents, just cut the web with your axe.


How do I get the mask in the thieves den?

 - The game says you can't. And it tells the truth.


How do I get the orb from the cellar?

 - If you could only get past the portcullis.

 - Or the slab.

 - Or the drain. Which is it?

 - It's none of these. The actual solution seems obscure, frankly.

 - Get the orb, then drop something else. If it goes down the drain,
   get it later in the sewer.

 - If you drop anything large, e.g. the sword, the wizard kicks it out
   with you. 

 - Of course, you may be able to get the orb without going into the
   cellar.

 - A portcullis is not the same thing as a solid door, and the drain
   has its uses.

 - No, you'll have to work out the rest for yourself. Or go into
   the cellar, like everybody else does.



What do the images in the orb mean?

 - They're visions of things that will happen as you play the game.

 - They can be used as a guide in a particular chain of problems.

 - You'll have to work out for yourself how to know whether the
   vision you see indicates your next task, or some random future
   one.

 - You don't need to use the visions, so you don't need to be told
   how to do that.


What is the crypt for?

 - That's where the vampire shows up. I hope you found the crucifix and the
   holy water.

 - To summon the vampire, you need the wizard's help.

 - There are several ways to invoke the wizard's help. One of them involves
   the little bird. Read the description carefully.

 - Sorry, I'm lying again. The vampire doesn't move into the crypt until
   Adventure 770. In this game the crypt is just scenery.


How do I get into the storage room in the tower?

 - No way to do that in this version.



How do I get past the dwarves at the top of the stairs?

 - You could attack them from above.

 - First you'd need to get on top of the tower from the outside.

 - But you can't. There is no way to get past them. At least not in
   this version of the game.


What is special about the chalice?

 - If you fill the chalice and then drink, some strange things happen.
  
 - But whatever you do, you end up losing the chalice, which is a treasure.

 - It's fun to try, but I don't think you can help the princess 
   successfully. Just treat the chalice like any other treasure.


E. Bedquilt and Vicinity
------------------------

Can I get around the Bedquilt area more easily?

 - In some places, you can type the name of an adjacent room
   to get to it. That can help avoid the problem of crawling around and
   winding up back where you started from.


How do I keep the vase from shattering?

 - You need to cushion its fall.

 - Before you drop it, drop the pillow from the soft room.


How do I get a light source into the room past the emerald?

 - If you could carry a light source into the plover room, that would do
   it. But nothing will fit in from the west. 

 - Are there any other ways to get to the plover room?

 - Yes, actually. Pay attention to the bad pun in the plover room hint.

 - "Why to plover" means "Y2, plover". Typing 'plover' in the Y2 room
   will get you there. 'Plover' will get you back too, but you can't get
   the emerald out that way. This is not something you could figure out,
   but you can stumble across the solution by trying to refer to the 
   plover-egg-sized emerald as "plover".

 - There is actually a way to get a light source into the plover room
   from the alcove, as the hint suggests.

 - It's something that can be in two places at once.

 - But you need to ignite it first.



What do I do with the clam?

 - You can pick it up.

 - You can open it.

 - What would be a good tool for clam prying? Think of sea-related things.

 - 'open clam' while you're carrying the trident.

 - A pearl rolled out. Go down to the cul-de-sac and get it.


How do I get past the quicksand?

 - Create a bridge.

 - Read the game's responses carefully.

 - When you wave the rod here, although nothing obvious happens, you
   temporarily solidify the quicksand. You have to wave the rod again
   to get back.


How do I cross the reservoir?

 - A full-sized yacht would help.

 - Could you magick the "Ruby Yacht" (my, what an awful pun!) to grow
   in size? Or maybe shrink yourself enough to use the yacht?

 - No dice. You can't get across it from the south.

 - Read the game's hint.

 - You can get to the north side by going down the whirlpool in the 
   waterfall cavern. Make sure not to take anything but your lamp.

 - Hit the gong to summon Darwin, whom you can ride south.


How do I get the sword in the stone?

 - Like the game's hint says, you're just not strong enough.

 - Someone with bulging muscles could probably pull it out.

 - Eat the mushroom from the dank cave.


How can I keep from losing objects in the valuation room?

 - Don't drop them there.


F. The Plant and Beyond
-----------------------

What do I do with the little plant?

 - It seems to want water.

 - Bring water in your bottle, then 'water plant'.

 - Do it once more for good measure. Now you can climb up to the hole.

 - Maybe you should try watering it a third time?


How do I get past the rusted door?

 - It just needs a little oil.

 - Fill your bottle with oil from the east pit in the Twopit room,
   then 'oil door'.


How do I get past the ogre?

 - The game's hint warns against hand-to-hand combat. 

 - Throw something.

 - The axe isn't good enough.

 - Throw the sword. Its name is 'Thrower', after all.


Is there anything to do in the Sorcerer's Lair?

 - Remember the magic words on the wall.

 - You might have seen or will see something that emits blue light.
   Maybe it is at home here?

 - Try dropping the starstone here.

 - Yes, the effect can be handy in some special circumstances, but you 
   don't really need to do this.


How do I get past the sheets of slime?

 - Fight the green slime with something green.

 - Throw the vial from the spherical room.


How do I get out of the maze of ice tunnels?

 - Map the maze. The passages are all either straight, or bend only
   a little.

 - Don't miss the sculpture.

 - Look at your map upside down. It spells a five-letter word.

 - Go to the 'This way out' room and use that word.


G. The Troll and Beyond
-----------------------

How do I get past the troll?

 - Throw him a treasure.

 - You'll need one you can reclaim.

 - Throw him the nest.

 - Remember the words in the Giant room?

 - Type them, one after another. You should get the response 'Done!' at the
   end.

 - The eggs then return to the Giant room.

 - Make sure you don't reclaim them until you've finished with the area
   past the bridge. Otherwise the troll will take revenge on you.


How do I get back across the wooden bridge?

 - You need help. Something scary.

 - The bear can help.

 - Free him, then 'get bear'.

 - Use the keys to unlock the chain.

 - Feed the bear first.

 - Try to cross the bridge, then 'free bear'.


Is there anything to do in the volcano room?

 - Not in the original 350-point version of Adventure.

 - Here, yes.

 - Make a bridge. You know the routine.

 - You need something to protect you from the fumes. How about a
   mithril ring?

 - You can turn the sword into a ring. Use a magic word.

 - It's the word written on the stone you found the sword in.


What do I do at the minotaur statue?

 - There's a hint at a dead end elsewhere in the cave.

 - You need to use the proper tool.

 - The proper tool can be found in the tool room.

 - Not the rags. The proper tool is a magic word.


How do I get away from the gooseberry goblins?

 - Are you familiar with the myth of Cadmus?

 - I think he sowed something and grew an army of soldiers, although his
   soldiers ended up fighting each other.

 - He sowed dragon's teeth, as I recall. You can just throw them.


How do I get through the fog?

 - The game's hint suggests a question that is answered differently in
   different places.

 - 'Do I need to have my lamp on?' is a good question.

 - The answer to the question is 'Not here'.


What is the pentagram for?

 - Use it to imprison summoned beings.

 - You can imprison the London Dry Djinn in it.

 - Drop the flask here, then open it, then free the Djinn.


How can I get the starstone after I drop it?

 - It has strange spatial properties.

 - It's sort of in two places at once. One location (the one not where you
   drop it) is where it's real.

 - So when you drop it in the building, it's not really there. Note that
   you don't get points when you drop it there.

 - You need to drop it somewhere else outside.

 - Remember the wooden notice? The last word was 'starstone'.

 - Luckily, the Djinn will take care of the giant for you.


How can I get back past the basilisk?

 - Use the old mirror trick.

 - That metal plate ought to do fine.

 - But it needs polishing.

 - 'rub plate' while you're carrying the rags. Then carry the
   mirror past the basilisk.


How do I get out of the catacombs?

 - They're hard to map, since they change from game to game.

 - It works like this. The first time you go through the catacombs, any
   sequence of eighteen moves will get you back to 'Y2?'. That sequence
   determines the layout of the catacombs. When you reenter, you have to
   move the same way, or you end up kind of going backward. If you like,
   you can play around with dropping objects and see what I mean. I usually
   just go straight west the first time. Then I reenter, go west eleven or 
   twelve times, then wander around a little until I get to the portal.

 - After I leave the area past the portal, I just go straight west until
   I'm back at 'Y2?'.


How do I get the skeleton's sceptre past the bridge?

 - You need to leave it behind and get it later.

 - Leave it in the safe. You can also enter the safe from the room with 
   vaulted ceiling.

 - How do you open the safe? The game's hint suggests a skeleton key.

 - Use the magic word the skeleton gave you.

 - The word changes from game to game.  Make sure you use the right one.
   (There are four of them, and you'll need to know all four to finish
   the game.)


How do I learn all skeleton magic words?

 - You don't need them yet.

 - But you will.

 - Try wearing the crown.

 - Can't hear anything intelligible? Maybe you should try listening.

 - Just make sure you don't wind up dead.


What is the Djinn's word for?

 - It defeats dwarves. Of course, it also sometimes destroys your
   weapons and even gets you killed. Make sure you follow the Djinn's
   advice.


H. The End Game
---------------

The cave is closing! What should I do?

 - You should feel happy, since it means you've found all the treasures and
   are preparing to head to the end game.

 - Just wander around until the cave closes.


The cave has closed. What's going on here?

 - You need to get out of the repository.

 - Breaking the mirror doesn't work.

 - There's one kind of object here you haven't seen before.

 - The rods with red marks (not stars) are actually dynamite.

 - Blow up the northeast area.

 - Drop one of the red-mark rods in the northeast area, then go southwest,
   then 'blast'.

 - If you could get one of those lamps lit, you could go through the hole.

 - There's no way to light them.

 - Just ride the unicorn. 


I'm surrounded by gray mist. What do I do?

 - That's it! You've won!

 - Not really. You need to magic-word your way out of here.

 - There are sixteen magic words in the game. Note that 'plover' is a
   'travel option' -- it is not considered a magic word.

 - Just say them in the right order. The game will respond 'Ok.' after
   each one.

 - Remember the Djinn's story about Ralph Witt?

 - Ralph Witt liked the idea of reverse alphabetical order.

 - Say the words in reverse alphabetical order.

 - Still no luck? That's because the magic word given to you by the
   skeleton changes from game to game, and you need to know all its
   possible versions.

 - Perhaps you should have worn the crown, which you found in the safe.


I'm back at end of road again. What do I do?

 - First, you'll notice that the locations are connected backward.

 - There are other small changes.

 - The notice at the view has changed.

 - But it doesn't say anything useful.

 - The five-inch slit is now a five-foot slit.

 - Go ahead. Go on in.


I. Super Spoilers
-----------------

What are all the magic words?

 - I just can't bring myself to reveal them here. I think the hints in
   this file tell you all you need to find them, though. Remember, there
   are sixteen individual words, and 'plover' is not one of them.


What are all the treasures?

 - There are thirty-two treasures in all:

   bag of pieces of eight (beach)
   crown (safe)
   nugget (nugget of gold room)
   diamonds (west side of fissure)
   silver (N/S passage)
   jewelry (south side chamber)
   coins (west side chamber)
   treasure chest (dead end in maze of passages, all alike)
   nest of golden eggs (Giant room)
   trident (cavern with waterfall)
   helmet (Morion room)
   vase (Oriental room)
   emerald (plover room)
   sceptre (east end of Audience Hall)
   yacht (southern edge of reservoir)
   pyramid (Dark room)
   pearl (cul-de-sac)
   rug (secret canyon)
   spices (chamber of boulders)
   beads (balcony above treasure chamber)
   chain (barren room)
   spyglass (south end of Jonah room)
   sculpture (ice tunnels)
   bracelet (room with translucent walls)
   casket of opals (very small chamber)
   orb (cellar)
   tusk (bones room)
   chalice (recess in the beams)
   sapphire (living quarters)
   crucifix (thieves den)
   starstone (narrow basalt shelf)
   ring (created by player)
 

How do I get all the points?

 - Points are gained as follows:

    20 for getting into a dark area of the cave for the first time
    10 for getting to beach
    10 for getting to Sorcerer's Lair
    10 for getting to Valley of the Stone Faces
     8 for freeing Djinn
    15 for getting to Audience Hall
     7 for discovering each treasure (224 total -- Note that the tusk is
       not considered discovered until you drop it in the building.)
     8 for leaving each treasure in the building (256 total)
    16 shortly before 'cave closing' notice
    16 for getting 'cave closing' notice
    19 for getting to repository
    16 for getting to gray mist
    23 for getting to end of road in the end game
    16 for winning

   659 total? Oh, yes, the last lousy point...

     1 for getting magazines at Witt's End

   660 total. 

 - Points can be lost as follows:

    10 lost for reincarnation
    20 lost for taking a hint

###################################