You play as a male tourist on a 3-day Carribean cruise on The Rhinoceros. It seems like a normal vacation until a self-proclaimed good and powerful wizard asks you to find and use three power crystals to destroy an evil wizard who is also on board.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Version 1.0 of the game. A post-comp version of the game, Version 1.1, is also available.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
> give pass to collector.(+5; you get a room key.)
Boarding Area
> x key. x wallet.(You have $51.42)
> x clothes. x shirt. x shorts. x suitcase.
Let's find your room. You can drop your suitcase there.
> e.
Grand Hall
> x trees. x painting. x carpet.
> d. s.
South Residential Hallway
> unlock door with key. s.
Your Room
Don't worry about closing or locking your room door. Leave it open and unlocked, but hold onto your key, just in case.
> x note.(It welcomes you to the ship.)
> x bed. x nightstand. open drawer.(empty)
> drop suitcase. open it.
> x pajamas. x goggles. x swimsuit. x laundry.
> s.
Your Bathroom
> x toilet. x shower. x sink. x roll.
Head for the bar on deck 2:
> n. n. n. u. e.
The Bar
An old man beckons you and asks you to sit.
> sit.(+5)
In a large speech, the old man tells you he's a good wizard trying to prevent an imprisoned evil wizard from conquering the world. You must find three crystals, each on a different deck of the ship. The portal to the prison glows pink when you have all the crystals held directly. At the portal, go up several times; the crystals will destroy him.
He also gives you an evil detector and magic eyedrops. The eyedrops let you see the crystals which are normally invisible. The detector mustn't read 275 or higher or the evil wizard will escape.
He also warns you to never visit the island where the evil power is coming from, or you'll die. You can't leave the ship.
And, of course, he can't do all this himself because of reasons. He's too magical to do it, I think he's trying to say.
> x man. x detector.(at 0)
> ask man about crystals.(Orange, green, and purple.)
> ask man about beer. ask man about bartender.
> ask man about magic. ask man about robe.
Well, start looking for those crystals. I suggest a quick tour of deck 2 to begin with.
> stand. n.
Casino
> x machine. read notice.
> w.
Video Arcade
> x games. x Pacman. w.
Lobby
> x clerk. read sign.("ASK ME")
> x ship pamphlet. x itinerary.
When I first read the itinerary, I thought it meant I needed to destroy the evil wizard before docking on Saturday morning! But you have more time than that. You have 274 turns after the ship docks on Saturday morning before the evil wizard escapes. So the real deadline is in the middle of Saturday afternoon.
> n.
Restroom
The restroom has a toilet, a sink, a roll of toilet paper, and toilet water. How dull.
> s. s. se.
Gift Shop
> x price list.
> x box. buy box.(The cashier takes $1.29, puts the box on the counter, and gives you a wooden key.)
> take box. unlock box with wooden key. open it.
> x orange crystal. take it.(+15)
At turn 82 or so, the game tells you to head for the dining room for lunch.
> n. u. s.
Dining Room
The maître d' asks if you want lunch?
> yes.(You eat and return to...)
Stairway Area (deck 3)
With lunch out of the way, I want you to search the pool next, but you first need to change into your swimsuit back in your room.
> d. d. s. s.
Your Room
> drop all but room key.
> wear swimsuit and goggles.
> n. n. u. u. u.
Pool Deck
> sw. u.
Top of the Diving Board
> dive.
Halfway Down the Diving Well
Don't waste any turns when underwater. You don't have the air to spare.
> d.
Bottom of the Dining Well
BUG: The game starts to print an 'x' at the end of every turn. Try to ignore it.
> take green crystal.(+15)
> u. u. u.
Diving Well
Head back to your room with your prize.
> e. d. d. d. s. s.
Your Room
> drop swimsuit and goggles.
> wear clothes.
> take wallet and orange crystal.
> s.
Your Bathroom
Forgive me, but I'm going to use knowledge from a previous playthrough now.
> put paper in toilet. flush toilet.(+9. The toilet is now clogged.)
> n. n. e. n. n. w.
North Residential Hallway
Ah, you can see the purple crystal in the closet.
> x janitor. s.(The janitor stops you.)
> ask janitor about plunger.
> tell janitor about toilet. yes. yes. yes.
He leaves, and you can now enter the closet.
> s.
Maintenance Closet
CAUTION: Don't touch the broom or mop, and don't get caught in here. Just grab the purple crystal and skedaddle.
> take purple crystal.(+15)
Now to find the pink aura that marks the portal. The crystals were on decks 1, 2, and 4, so go to deck 3.
> n. e. s. s. s. w. n. u. u.
Stairway Area (deck 3)
> nw.
The Suites
The pink aura is here!
> u. u. u. u. u.(+15)
You find the magical prison. The crystals kill the evil wizard. The crystals shatter. You return back here. You get a telepathic message to go to the lounge.
> se. ne.
Lounge
The author of the game is here! He informs you that you have 11 points to go, one of which is the Last Lousy Point, which is earned by eating something. Also, there's a hint book here.
It's getting close to dinner time, so let's get that out of the way before doing anything else.
> sw. s.
Dining Room
The maître d' asks if you want dinner?
> yes.
Stairway Area (deck 3)
Now, I must tell you that you can't do anything about the Last Lousy Point until you've eaten dinner on Saturday. I suggest you do whatever you want to do on Friday evening. For example:
Go into the Theatre (north end of deck 3) and wait there several turns, listening to the comedian's bad jokes.
Return to the Lounge and ask Norman about: Anne, casino, comedian, cottage cheese, hint book, janitor, maitre, old man, red herring, slot machine, winning, and wizard. He probably has more topics.
Return to the Bar and ask the old man about: author and winning. He probably has more topics.
Return to the Lobby and ask Anne about: Anne, author, bartender, cashier, casino, comedian, food, itinerary, janitor, maitre, Miami, old man, Pacman, ship, and theater. She probably has more topics.
Return to the Video Arcade and play Pacman.
Return to the Casino and play the slot machine. If you run out of money, examine the coin return in both the Casino and Video Arcade for spare change.
Return to the Gift Shop and buy the other stuff if you can afford it: eg: the fishing net, the cottage cheese, and the bracelet. You can eat the cottage cheese and buy more if you have the cash to spare.
For this walkthrough, we'll skip all that optional stuff. I'll assume you didn't buy the net yet and that you have at least $1 left in your wallet. Go back to your room and sleep:
> d. d. s. s.
Your Room
> drop all but room key and wallet.
> wear pajamas. get in bed. sleep.
It's now Saturday Early Morning, and you're already dressed. Go to the dining room and have breakfast, lunch, and dinner right after the other to zip through the day.
> n. n. u. u. s.
Dining Room
The maître d' asks if you want breakfast?
> yes.
Stairway Area (deck 3)
> s.
Dining Room
The maître d' asks if you want lunch?
> yes.
Stairway Area (deck 3)
> s.
Dining Room
The maître d' asks if you want dinner?
> yes.(Fortune says, "Your lucky number has changed from 101 to 87.")
Stairway Area (deck 3)
Head for the casino:
> d. ne.
Casino
Now that you have the fortune, this trick will work:
> turn dial to 87.
> play slot.(+10. You win $87.00!)
> g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g.
> g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g.
> g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g.
> x money.(You should have at least $2505.)
> sw. s.
Gift Shop
Oddly, "scuba gear" isn't understood. Just say "gear".
> buy gear.(for $2500)
> take gear.
> buy net.(for $5, unless you bought it earlier.)
> take net.
Back to your room:
> n. d. s. s.
Your Room
> drop all.
> wear swimsuit and goggles.
> take net, gear.
> n. n. u. u. u.
Pool Deck
> wear gear. w. d. d. d.
Bottom of the Diving Well
> catch fish(with net).
> u. u. u. e.
Pool Deck
> eat fish.(+1)
*** You have won. ***
Extras
Characters
Individuals:
The ticket collector takes your boarding pass at Ship Entry. You won't see her again.
The old man, who says he's a good wizard, is sitting on a barstool in the Bar, drinking a self-refilling mug of beer. He gives you your mission, some eyedrops, and an evil detector when you first sit down in the bar.
The clerk, Anne, is in the Lobby (deck 2). She's very unhelpful.
The cashier is in the Gift Shop (deck 2), ready to sell you stuff.
The janitor is in the North Residential Hallway (deck 1), blocking the way into his Maintenance Closet. He's great at unclogging toilets.
The author, Norman Perlmutter, is in the Lounge (deck 3). You can ask him about many topics.
The maître d' awaits you in the Dining Room (deck 3) to serve you your meals.
The comedian, Heinrich von Quigley, is inside the Theater (deck 3) telling jokes.
The evil wizard is locked in a secret magical prison above the Suites (deck 3). This is revealed as a pink aura if you're holding all three crystals.
A red fish is swimming at the bottom of the diving well (deck 4). It's probably a red herring.
Groups in the background:
Gamblers are in the Casino (deck 2).
Waiters and diners are in the Dining Room (deck 3).
An audience is in the Theatre (deck 3).
Swimmers are in several locations on deck 4.
Sunbathers are on the Pool Deck (deck 4).
Sharks eat you if the evil wizard escapes his prison.
Mentioned:
The captain announces over the loudspeaker when the ship arrives at or leaves Paradise Island.
The bartender isn't in the bar. If you ask Anne about him, she tells you he's sick.
The designer of the ship insisted that the ship be named The Rhinoceros. This is mentioned on the ship information pamphlet.
The CEO of the cruise line insisted on installing magnets at the bow and stern of all their ships.
Credits
The game's banner credits its testers:
The Cruise Version 1.0
Copyright 2001 by Norman Perlmutter
Testers: Leah Perlmutter, Allen Saunders, David Perlmutter, Debbie Perlmutter
Developed with TADS, the Text Adventure Development System.
Endings
You have lost.
if you never make it onto the ship because you didn't give the boarding pass to the ticket collector within the first fifteen turns.
if you miss a mealtime in the Dining Room. You are given several suggestions and warnings to go eat when you need to.
if the ship returns to Miami and you didn't earn the Last Lousy Point. (BUG: In Version 1.0, the ship never returns to Miami, and the day-of-the-week is no longer printed when Sunday is over.)
You have died.
if you try to take the janitor's broom or mop. They electrocute you.
if the janitor finds you inside his maintenance closet. He beats you into pulp.
if you lie to the janitor, telling him that a toilet is clogged when it isn't clogged. He beats you into pulp.
if you drown in the pool or diving well on deck 4. The other swimmers don't notice you in time. And I guess there's no lifeguards on duty?
if you step off the ship onto Paraside Island. The evil magic power source there kills you. The old man did warn you not to go onto the island.
if the evil wizard escapes. He destroys the ship then summons sharks to eat you.
You have won.
if you earn the Last Lousy Point by eating the red fish.
When you have all three crystals and are holding them directly, go to the Suites on deck 3. The pink aura indicates that the entrance to the evil wizard's prison is there. Try to go up five times. On the fifth attempt, the crystals will kill the evil wizard, then shatter. You'll return to the ship automagically.
an orange crystal. It's in the wooden box in the gift shop (deck 2).
Buy the wooden box for $1.29. Unlock the box with the wooden key. Open the box. Take the crystal.
a green crystal. It's at the Bottom of the Diving Well (deck 4).
Wear only your swimsuit and goggles and DIVE (not jump) from the Top of the Diving Board. Without wasting any turns, go down, take the crystal, then go up repeatedly until you're no longer underwater.
CAUTION: You'll drown if you waste any time underwater.
a purple crystal. It's in the Maintenance Closet (deck 1).
Flush a roll of toilet paper in a toilet (either your bathroom's toilet or the restroom's toilet on deck 2), then go to the North Residential Hallway and tell the janitor about the toilet. Take the purple crystal while he's gone.
CAUTION: Don't lie to the janitor, take his broom or mop, or get caught in his closet or you'll be dead.
Edibles
Note that all the meals you eat in the Dining Room are eaten immediately and that you may not eat the other diners' food.
some cottage cheese. It's for sale in the gift shop (deck 2).
You don't need any cottage cheese, but you may buy some for $2.98 and eat it, if you want to. The gift shop has an endless supply of cottage cheese, so you can buy it and eat it again and again while you have the cash.
a red fish. This red herring is swimming at the bottom of the diving well (deck 4).
To catch the fish, you need to be wearing the swimsuit, the goggles, and the scuba gear, and you must be carrying the fishing net. You cannot catch the fish without the net, and you cannot get the net to the fish without the scuba tank.
When you're out of the pool, eat the fish raw to win both the Last Lousy Point and the game.
Keys
a room key. At Ship Entry, the ticket collector gives you this key in exchange for your boarding pass.
The room key unlocks the door to your room, of course. Your room is on deck 1, on the south side of the South Residential Hallway.
Once your room door is unlocked, you can leave it unlocked for the rest of the game. The only character who might ever enter your room is the janitor, and he won't steal anything or care if you're undressed at the time.
a small wooden key. In the gift shop, you get this key for free when you buy the wooden box.
At Ship Entry, give the pass to the ticket collector. She gives you your room key, and you board the ship.
CAUTION: If you don't give the pass within the first fifteen turns, the ship leaves without you!
a note. It's on the nightstand in your room.
It's just a note welcoming you onboard. Read it and leave it.
a ship information pamphlet and an itinerary pamphlet. These are both on the desk in the lobby (deck 2).
Read them but you don't need to take them. The itinerary pamphlet is slightly useful since it tells you when the ship arrives at or leaves places.
a fortune. On Saturday evening, you get this fortune when you eat dinner in the dining room (deck 3).
Your new lucky number, 87, is on the fortune. In the casino, turn the dial to the lucky number. Now when you play the slot machine, you'll always win jackpots; see money.
Wearables
Note that you can only remove your clothes, pajamas, or swimsuit in private locations, such as your room and your bathroom, but it's okay if doors are open. You may not walk around the ship naked.
your clothes. You're wearing them.
You must wear your clothes when dining in the dining room.
You must remove your clothes if you want to wear your pajamas or swimsuit instead.
You'll automatically change into your clothes when you wake up in the mornings, discarding the pajamas.
Ignore the laundry. It represents both your clean laundry for the days ahead and your dirty laundry for days past.
an evil detector. In the bar (deck 2), the old man gives it to you when you sit on a barstool. You automatically wear it like a wristwatch.
The detector shows a value from 0 to 275 and begins at 0. When the ship arrives at Paradise Island while the evil wizard is alive, this number will go up by 1 for every turn. If it gets to 275, the evil wizard breaks free of his prison, destroys the ship, and kills you.
You can't wear the detector into the pool.
Personally, I ignored the detector. Simply defeat the evil wizard as soon as you can manage it.
Wear it with the swimsuit and googles. You can now easily get to the bottom of the diving well because the gear provides you with air. If you also have the fishing net, you can catch the red fish that swims there.
a sharktooth bracelet. It's for sale in the gift shop.
Buy it for $10 and wear it, if you like. You don't need a bracelet, but you are on vacation.
Leave the money inside the wallet. Whenever you buy anything or earn money, the money's value will the updated accordingly.
In the gift shop, buy the wooden box for $1.29 as soon as you can. Buy the fishing net for $5. Buy the scuba gear for $2500 much later when you can afford it, see below.
In the video arcade, playing Pacman costs 25¢, but you never need to play Pacman.
In the casino, you can set your bet from 1¢ to $1 by turning the dial from 1 to 100. When you play the slot machine, your bet is the dial's setting in cents. Sometimes you'll win, but the odds are against you.
If you have the fortune, turn the dial of the slot machine to your new lucky number, 87. Now when you play slots, you'll always win a jackpot of $87. Win the jackpot over and over again until you can afford to buy the scuba gear for $2500.
If you are broke or have less than $2, try examining the coin return in both the video arcade and the casino to regain some money.
Your meals in the dining room are free.
a roll of toilet paper. One roll is in your bathroom (deck 1), and another is in the restroom (deck 2).
Put a roll into a toilet, then flush the toilet to clog it. Go to the North Residential Hallway and tell the janitor about the toilet. Answer his yes-or-no questions honestly. While the janitor is gone, quickly enter his maintenance closet and take the purple crystal. Leave his broom and mop alone. Don't get caught inside his closet.
The janitor does not replace a flushed roll with a new roll.
a fishing net. It's for sale in the gift shop.
Buy the net for $5. Catch the red fish at the bottom of the diving well with the net.
Unfortunately, you cannot climb up to the top of the diving board with the net in your hand. You must buy the scuba gear and wear it to reach the fish with the net.
Score
The response to SCORE is:
In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of your-score out of 90, earning you the rank of your-rank.
Points are awarded as follows:
5 points for obtaining your room key.
5 points for sitting on the barstool and listening to the old man's long speech.
15 points for taking the orange crystal.
15 points for taking the green crystal.
9 points for clogging a toilet.
15 points for taking the purple crystal.
15 points for destroying the evil wizard.
10 points for winning the jackpot with your lucky number.
1 point for eating the red fish.
The known ranks are:
Lummox.(0 points)
Carefree Vacationer.(5 points)
Novice.(10 to 19 points)
Intermediate.(25 to 40 points)
Hero.(49 to 64 points)
Earth-saver.(79 to 89 points)
Champion.(90 points)
Time
At the start of the game, you only have 15 turns to give the boarding pass to the ticket collector, or the ship leaves without you.
Time in this game advances in response to eating meals and sleeping:
Eating breakfast in the dining room advances the clock from Early Morning to Morning.
Eating lunch in the dining room advances the clock from Morning to Afternoon.
Eating dinner in the dining room advances the clock from Afternoon to Evening.
Sleeping in your bed in your room advances the clock from Evening to Early Morning of the next day.
No afternoon lasts forever. Each time-slice of the day has an unknown maximum number of turns assigned to it. You will be prompted to eat in the dining room or sleep in your room as appropriate when you're getting close to the limit. If you fail to eat or sleep before the limit, you lose the game.
You must destroy the evil wizard before the number on the evil detector gets to 275. The number starts increasing by 1 for every turn after the ship arrives at Paradise Island on Saturday Morning. If he's still alive, the evil wizard will escape sometime in the middle of Saturday Afternoon.
You obtain the fortune when you eat dinner on Saturday Afternoon.
BUG: In Version 1.0, the ship never gets back to Miami, and the day-of-the-week is no longer printed when Sunday is over.
