Saturday 26 November 2016

Nuclear Submarine Adventure


Commodore 64 Version
TRS-80 MC-10 Version















Nuclear Submarine Adventure was a text adventure published in 1980 by Aardvark Software. Its author was Robert J. Retelle, who also wrote the Star Trek Adventure that I ported recently. Versions exist for the C64/128, OSI/Compukit, TRS-80, TRS-80 and CoCo.  It seemed time to make a version for the MC-10. The source code was provided to me after an inquiry to the Coco e-mail list, by Guillaume Major, who oversees the Coco Archive. I found out about the game because Colin Appleby of the Grundy Newbrain Emulator site, asked me on solution archive forum whether I had the source. That sent me to Curtis Boyle's Coco game website. An inquiry to Curtis via the e-mail list (maintained by Dennis of maltedmedia.com) prompted him to respond that he couldn't place his finger on a copy of it, but the posting  prompted Guillaume  to hunt up a copy from some obscure disk and put it up on the archive.  That's a lot of work being done by a lot of different people sharing across the internet to facilitate the retrocomputing hobby!

Anyway, SPOILER ALERT!  Below I have included a walkthrough and a map thatI created as I game tested the ported source code. I had to simplify all the fancy music. This included a routine that ran a submarine "ping" noise while you are prompted to enter your command. No great loss... I found the ping a little annoying.

I think I found an error in the save routine. It didn't seem to preserve the variable that recorded that you had used the chair to smash open one of the hatches.  So every time you saved you had to get the chair again and re-smash the hatch.  I added that variable to the save routine.  I also added the synonym "GET" for the "TAKE" command, and the options to use U,D,F,A as shorthand for GO UP,GO DOWN,GO FORWARD and GO AFT.

                                     Conning
                                     Tower
                                       /
                                      /
   Engine<-->Reactor<-->Missile<-->Control<-->Galley<-->Crew<----->Torpedo
   Room      Room       Room       Room                 Quarters   Room
    /                               /                     /
   /                               /                     /
Tool                           Battery               Flooded
Room                           Room                  Compartment



About the Story
You are trapped in a crippled nuclear missile submarine and must make your escape.
GO UP,OPEN CABINET,TAKE BOARD,GO DOWN,PUT BOARD,COMPUTER,GO FORWARD,LOOK SINK,TAKE GLOVES,GO AFT
GO DOWN,TAKE BATTERIES,GO UP,GO FORWARD,OPEN HATCH,GO FORWARD,PUT ACID,DROP BATTERIES,DROP GLOVES
HOLD BREATH,GO DOWN,OPEN LOCKER,GO UP,HOLD BREATH,GO DOWN,OPEN CHEST,TAKE SCUBA,LOOK LOCKER
TAKE LANTERN,GO UP,TAKE CHAIR,GO AFT,GO AFT,FIRE TORPEDOES,OPEN HATCH,HIT HATCH,CHAIR,GO AFT
GO AFT,DROP CHAIR,LOOK UP,GO AFT,GO DOWN,TAKE SLEDGEHAMMER,GO UP,GOR FORWARD,HIT PIPES
SLEDGHAMMER,LIGHT LANTERN,DROP SLEDGEHAMMER,GO FORWARD,GO FORWARD,GO FORWARD,GO FORWARD
TAKE GLOVES,GO AFT,GO AFT,GO DOWN,TAKE ELECTRIC,GO UP,GO FORWARD,GO FORWARD,SHOO EEL
DROP ELECTRIC,GO FORWARD,OPEN TUBES,GO TUBES

You made it! Don't get the bends on the way up!


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