LONG WAY HOME VOLUME 2: THE LUDOIDS RZX by Jim Waterman, 28-29 July 2016 Recorded using Spectaculator 8.0 - total playing time 41:19 (original), 18:50 (Bug-Byte) Walkthrough of the Bug-Byte version (and hence parts 2, 3, 7 and 8 of the original) by Dorothy Millard - from The Tipshop; extra information on part 6 by Imran Yusuf The Ludoids, a bunch of good-for-nothing Space Vegans, are running amok trying to wreck the universe, and they need to be stopped. No, really, bear with me on this one, that's what the scenario is... This time from the annals of the Sinclair Research meets Argus Press 90-games compilation that was packaged with my +2 in 1987, comes this four-part "quadruplex" text adventure. Or is it eight parts? That depends on which version you're looking at. As I only found out barely a few days ago, as I write this (no, really!) - the game originally consisted of eight parts, serialised each month on the Argus Press-owned 16/48 Tape Magazine. Four of the chapters were then arranged in a different order with an improved password system, on the Bug-Byte label, also by this time owned by Argus Press. I was all ready to complete the Bug-Byte version, seeing as it has a text solution already prepared on The Tipshop, which I've previously followed and found that it worked. But, when I discovered the 16/48 Tape Magazine version, followed the first part which had been completely unknown to me at the time and found it played slightly differently, I then thought: I'll do both, so you can all compare and contrast the two. These are the eight parts of the adventure: PART 1: "Planet Ludite" (exclusive to the 16/48 version) PART 2: "Planet Glacia" (also part 2 of the Bug-Byte version, with the same name) PART 3: "Pitstop" (also part 1 of the Bug-Byte version, called "The Cap-Shift Space Bar") PART 4: "Cyclapes" (exclusive to the 16/48 version) PART 5: "Camp One" (exclusive to the 16/48 version) PART 6: "The Desert" (exclusive to the 16/48 version) PART 7: "Minisub" (also part 4 of the Bug-Byte version, called "Planet Aqua") PART 8: "Westlins" (also part 3 of the Bug-Byte version, called "Planet Vacatia") Note that there is a bug in part 6 which I had to fix manually - the array T$ that stores the inventory, location, details and access code for the next level is 25 characters long but the end sequence contains a PRINT T$(VAL "19" TO VAL "27") statement which causes the game to get stuck without printing the access code. (I thought those VAL statements were memory-saving tricks that died out with the 1K ZX81...?) Anyway, there's a way of breaking into BASIC - just type BAZZ at the prompt - and change the value in line 4020. Something tells me the programmers realised their error - neither parts 7 nor 8 require a codeword to start them. SOLUTION Part 1: read poster, examine straw, get cartridges, e, n, talk to woman, say where is the ley field, say can i have the shotgun, get shotgun, s, e, examine spaceship, enter spaceship, examine eggs, get egg, w, s, e, w, w, examine carrots, get paper, e, s, e, w, w, get mushroom, examine mushroom, r, press detector (You have destroyed a LUDOID jammer and got the coordinates of the planet where they have gone to) Part 2: mn!ew!!!!!30101!1!GaGGGG, w, enter igloo, get warm clothes, wear warm clothes, get crow bar, s, s, examine helijet, enter helijet, examine panel, start motor, n, d, n, w, n, n, examine crate, read label, open crate, get glycol, s, s, s, examine crate, read label, get label, n, e, s, u, n, n, examine ice, press detector, pour glycol, press detector (You have destroyed a LUDOID jammer and got the coordinates of the planet where they have gone to) Part 3: GaGGG0GGbGdG, e, s, examine c50, examine compartment, get battery, n, w, n, examine door, examine panel, connect battery, w, examine machine, press burger, press bun, press cheese, press cola, press serve, get food, n, look behind desk, get key, n, w, unlock cubicle, eat food, sleep, s, e, s, drop key, s, e, s, drop battery, s, open door, s (You can now continue your quest) Part 4: GaGGG0GGbGdGGFHM10, w, examine sand, dig, take chest, climb into chest, paddle north, climb tree, get bananas, d, s, e, s, examine cyclapes, give bananas, get binoculars, examine binoculars, s, help, stamp on scorpion, press detector (You can now continue your quest) Part 5: GdGGB10, w, w, get bamboo, n, climb fence, n, get bottle, climb fence, e, examine trap, hit trigger with stick, e, e, e, get lighter, get cigarette packet, examine cigarette packet, help, s, e, w, n, w, examine camp, r, r, n, n, get can, get tent material, pour petrol in bottle, put tent material in bottle, s, help, burn bottle, put bottle in machine, press detector (You can now continue your quest) Part 6 (contains random elements concerning the paper on the bottom of the well and the appearance and disappearance of the statue): GcxxGGGG1, get glass, get bottle, e, cut rope with glass, e, get rope, s, examine well, tie rope to winch, d, drink, e (if you can't see the PAPER here go w, w), get paper, (if you have gone w, w then go back e, e) w, fill bottle, u, n, e, e, drink, s, p (keep entering p until a beautiful statue moves through the sand; if you have to wait more than 4 times you'll have to drink), press detector (enter r for 'repeat' until the statue sinks into the sand), r (You can now continue your quest) Part 7: examine controls, aft, d, aft, get lifejacket, wear lifejacket, get harpoon, fore, u, examine periscope, look in periscope, turn periscope west, fore, push port control, aft, aft, open hatch, shoot octopus, press detector, r, r, r (Congratulations!) Part 8 (contains random elements concerning the wheel of fortune): read sign, get pen, sign, get credits, s, help, drop detector, s, w, get gun, e, e, examine machine, read instructions, put credits in slot, get burger, eat burger, s, (when you see the picture immediately press d and then f), n, w, s, i (you have 800 credits), examine wheel, y, 200 (bet 100 or 200 credits each time; when you have reached 1000 credits don't play further on; in the worst case you'll lose all your money and have to start a new game), i (you need 1000 credits), n, put credits in slot, n, get detector, press detector (Congratulations! You have destroyed the last LUDOID Jammer and "released" the LUDOIDS back to 19th Century England.) Typed in from the RZX files by boldir, October 2020