S U S P E N D E D
(Infocom)
"Suspended" is an excellent game and possibly the most advanced game to
date for the adventurer. The story is quite simple: You are the failsafe
device to protect the surface world of Contra should any emergency develop
that would cause the planet control devices to fail (these are underground
in a complex where you live suspended in a cryogenic tube, awaiting a
disaster). Of course, a disaster develops as soon as you boot up the disk!
You are awakened to find that there has been an earthquake that has damaged
the cables in the Primary and Secondary Channels.
You have six different robots at your command. These robots all enjoy
different skills and abilities. Each one represents a different sense.Iris:
The sense of sight, Waldo: The sense of touch and dexterity, Sensa:
Perceives things magnetic and electronic, Poet: Perceives things electronic
and can diagnose electrical flows, Whiz: Commands the computer and can do
errands, Auda: The sense of hearing.
The trick to winning "Suspended" is assigning the right task to the right
robot. Also, the right robot has to be at the right place at the right
time. This is called critical path planning, and is the secret of
"Suspended."
In the standard game, there are a few real-time events to be aware of:
1)At the 15th cycle, there is another earthquake which causes an acid spill
that kills, in short order, any robot that thereafter passes through the
Cavernous Room (until the acid is shut off); 2) At the 75th cycle, there is
another quake which wrecks the hydroponics and transit equipment on the
surface above. These have to be fixed quickly or the game ends swiftly due
to the starving populous above; 3) At the 100th cycle, humans enter the
complex with the intent of turning you off because, by this time, you are
clearly screwing up the assignment. These humans can be the death of you or
they can help you by...well, I won't tell you yet!
The following commands get you through the game in less than 70 moves. As a
result, they give little aid in the event that you finish the game in more
than that time. The game changes considerably after the 75th move. There
are many problems that surface after that time, and these clues do nothing
to help you.
Let's get started!