~Captain Blood 

Collection of tips, uploaded to the Cheet Sheets BBS.

Author Unknown.


 1 Preliminaries, Izwal, Buggol,
    Croolis-Ulv
 2 Torka, Tube-Brains, No No
 3 Trauma, Good Mind, Kingpak
 4 Tricephal, Robheads, Torka Torka
    Torka, Two Endgames
 5 Afterwords



 PRELIMINARIES

 The most important tool you have to explore the complex 
geopolitical terrain of Hydra is UPCOM: the Universal Protocol of 
Communication. Translating UPCOM icons to English is a snap: All you 
have to do is drag your computer finger over them. But the icon 
dictionary in the CAPTAIN BLOOD manual lists the icons in the order 
they appear on the UPCOM module. So, when you're trying to form your 
own sentences, finding the correct word among those hundred and 
twenty little pictures can be frustrating. 

 My suggestion: Photocopy the manual pages with the icons. Then, 
starting with the first (the question mark) and moving down the 
columns, number each icon ("you" is 6, "howdy" 7, etc.) until you 
reach the end. Finally, cut the icons (with their translations and 
numbers) apart, tape them in alphabetical order on larger sheets of 
paper, and stick them on the wall next to your computer. 

 Now, when you need the icon for "different," for example, you can 
find it quickly on your alphabetized sheets and, checking the number 
next to it (60), know that that icon will appear on the UPCOM module 
about halfway down the line (60/120). Sounds a little kludgey, but 
after you've wrestled with UPCOM for a while, I think you'll see the 
utility of it. 

 I also advise studying the "Tips and Hints" section of the BLOOD 
reference booklet and making a flow chart showing who can lead you 
to whom. (The chart I did, BLOOD.PCX, is available in the CompuServe 
Gamers' Forum.) This will help you avoid useless chitchat with 
vapor-headed aliens. (Studying my chart, for example, you can infer 
that Tromps are only going to giggle and say the word "sex," no 
matter how silver-tongued you are with them.) 

 As you may know, all coordinates in CAPTAIN BLOOD are randomized 
every time you begin a game, so you won't find any here. I will try 
to show you how to get to the guys who can give you the coordinates. 
The first planet in any given game is always going to be inhabited, 
but the chances of finding another inhabited planet on your own are 
about one in five hundred. That being the case, the only logical 
thing to do is get down there on that first planet, and strike up a 
conversation! 

 The OORXX -- an acronym, presumably -- can withstand seven crashes. 
So, you don't have to be especially timid while learning to fly it. 
Remember, too, that if a missile is closing in on you, sometimes the 
best wisdom is to crash on purpose, hug the ground until the missile 
recedes, then take off again like the proverbial shot. 

 Write down all planet names, coordinates, and inhabitants, 
including the first (you may have to come back). This is _very_ 
important! 

 IZWAL, BUGGOL, CROOLIS-ULV

 The first alien you encounter will always be one of four: Yoko (an 
Izwal), a friendly little guy with yellow-brown skin and a long 
tongue; Dead Genetic (a Croolis-Ulv), a big purple humanoid with a 
bad attitude; Pop Unknown (a Buggol), a centipede type who looks 
like he's going to jump out and grab your nose; or Great Bounty (a 
Migrax), with a head like the creature in ALIEN except it's silver 
(he's also a lot friendlier once you get to know him). Where you go 
from here depends on which of these fellows you have to deal with 
first. So, I'll outline the four separate beginnings, then we'll 
meet up for the middle game. 

 YOKO START

 Identify yourself and tell Yoko you're his friend ("Me Blood me 
friend" -- the BLOOD manuals have several good syntactical hints for 
speaking with aliens). By following up on the allusions Yoko makes 
to various peoples and places, you'll discover that the planet 
you're on is called Bow-Bow; that the Izwal are a peace-loving folk; 
that Yoko is looking for a girl friend; that the Ondoyante are 
apparently the foxes of choice in this particular galaxy; that there 
is a connection between Yoko's father (Maxon) and the Croolis-Ulv 
(Dead Genetic), since Maxon (a renowned scientist) helped Dead 
Genetic achieve genetic reproduction. 

 The ability -- or lack of it -- to perpetuate one's species is a 
major concern of the inhabitants of Hydra, and it motivates many of 
their actions (unlike us). The plot thickens as you learn that Maxon 
is missing and Yoko wants you to find him; and it positively 
congeals as the little guy warns you that the duplicates themselves 
are seeking a means of reproduction. 

 As you know, you have to track down and disintegrate all five 
currently existing Blood duplicates before you're out of danger. But 
if they should start to multiply before you can get to them.... 

 TELEPORTING YOKO

 Ask Yoko about Pop Unknown (the Buggol), and get the coordinates 
for his planet. Get the info for Dead Genetic's planet, if you 
haven't already. "You say planet Dead Genetic." Keep repeating 
things if you don't get the right response; timing's really 
important with these critters. Then, and only then, teleport Yoko to 
another, uninhabited planet. 

 Make sure you understand the difference between teleportation and 
disintegration. You only want to disintegrate the duplicates by 
pressing the circle-arrow icon below the fridgitorium when you've 
got one of them trapped there. To teleport an alien from the 
fridgitorium to a new planet, you first have to successfully land an 
OORXX, and then press the teleport (T-arrow) icon to the left of the 
UPCOM module. What? You teleported Yoko and he died? You watched 
that cute little guy waste away right before your eyes and didn't 
lift a finger to help? Nice going, ace; you're off to a great start! 

 CROOLIS-VAR PLANETS

 Proceed to Dead Genetic's planet, Trap 4. The Croolis-Ulv and 
Croolis-Var are basically a bunch of lizard-brained geeks with chips 
on their shoulders, but you have to deal with them. Tell Mr. Genetic 
(who's a Croolis-Ulv, remember) that you want to destroy the 
Croolis-Var; tell him he's a great warrior; tell him you think he's 
cute. It doesn't really matter what you say, because he isn't going 
to give you the information you need until he's good and ready (when 
he says "Me kill time," he's not kidding). 

 Don't get discouraged; just keep pounding away with things you 
think he wants to hear (ask him to give you information; tell him 
you know Maxon; rant and rave about how much you want to kill his 
enemies). Eventually he'll get tired of horsing around and give you 
the coordinates to four Croolis-Var planets: Trap 2, home of Good 
Nonsense; Great Fear, home of Male Warrior; Kill You, home of Bad 
Crazy; and Trap 1, home of Poor Genetic (a distant relative, 
presumably). 

 Dead wants you to kill them. If you do, and come back looking for 
your big reward, he'll tell you he wants to "reproduce" with you: 
Trust me, you don't have to kill anybody. After he gives you the 
coordinates, he'll kick you off his planet; you'll be only too happy 
to leave. 

 POP UNKNOWN'S PLANET

 Now, use the other coordinates Yoko gave you and hit Pop Unknown's 
planet, Spirit 137. There's a chance Yoko may have given you another 
Buggol planet, Rosko 2, home of Good Unknown. If this is the case, 
this section is optional. 

 The Buggol like to whine about their sex lives; humor them. Then, 
ask Pop Unknown about Morlock and say you want to vote for him. 
He'll give you the coordinates to Rosko 1, Morlock's planet. Check 
the Buggol section of the BLOOD manual for some background on the 
political scene. Then go to Rosko 1 and let Morlock try out his 
campaign speech on you. He fancies himself the peace candidate, 
though he'll later ask you to kill the incumbent president, an 
upstart Yukas named Rosko (not to be confused with the Buggol 
planets Rosko 1 and Rosko 2). 

 Vote for Morlock ("Me vote Morlock") and he'll give you (after some 
additional jabber) the coordinates for Female 021, Rosko the Yukas's 
planet. Touch down on Female 021 for a look at Rosko (he's an 
eyeful), but don't expect any real information there: Rosko and 
Morlock aren't interested in much except wiping each other off the 
face of the galaxy. Finally, head back to Spirit 137. Pop Unknown 
should now be forthcoming with the coordinates for Good Unknown on 
Rosko 2. 

 GOOD UNKNOWN'S PLANET

 Good Unknown will prove to be one of your most valuable allies. 
After you listen to his woman troubles, he'll beg you to take him 
away from all this. Ask him for the Izwal code, then teleport him to 
any uninhabited planet (don't forget to jot down the coordinates). 
If he likes it there, he'll give you a new, unidentified set of 
coordinates, and send you back to your ship. Return to him 
immediately using the OORXX reactivator button (the question mark 
below the OORXX) and say "Me want know planet Migrax Great Bounty." 
After he gives you those coordinates, proceed to the "Great Bounty 
Start" section below. 

 DEAD GENETIC START

 Review the "Croolis-Var Planets" section above. The only real 
difference if Dead Genetic is your first encounter is that you have 
to work fast and learn Yoko's coordinates before he gets generous 
and starts dispensing the Croolis-Var info. Once he's done that, 
he'll boot you off Trap 4 and not let you back on again until you've 
vaporized the Croolis-Var planets (which you don't want to do). 

 As soon as the old Deadhead lets you get a word in, bombard him 
with sentences like "Me search Yoko" and "Me want know home small 
Yoko." Eventually he'll admit he knows him, acknowledge his debt to 
Maxon, and give you the coordinates to Bow-Bow, Yoko's planet. Then, 
go into the "Me want kill enemies" routine outlined above until he 
comes across with the Croolis-Var coordinates as well. But get 
Yoko's location first! Now, visit Yoko, following the instructions 
detailed in "Yoko Start" and "Teleporting Yoko." After you've lost 
the little guy, continue with the instructions in "Pop Unknown's 
Planet" and "Good Unknown's Planet." Then, proceed to the "Great 
Bounty Start" section below. 

 POP UNKNOWN START

 Begin with the "Pop Unknown's Planet" and "Good Unknown's Planet" 
sections above. But after you get Great Bounty's coordinates, return 
once more to Good Unknown and say, "Me want know planet Yoko." 
Proceed to Yoko's planet and follow "Yoko Start," "Teleporting 
Yoko," and "Croolis-Var Planets." Then, continue with the "Great 
Bounty Start" section below. 

 GREAT BOUNTY START

 Review the Migrax description in the BLOOD manual. The Migrax are 
really cool, though a bit irascible off the top. (The BLOOD game I 
finally succeeded in solving started with Great Bounty, so I'm kind 
of partial to these guys.) 

 After he's had his little joke -- "Me say information Migrax 
Missile Brave/Missile Brave kill you (laugh-curse)" -- ask him if he 
wants to be teleported. The Migrax love to travel, so sooner or 
later he'll agree. When you get him to another planet, prompt him 
with a question or two about the Ondoyante, then follow up on 
everything he says. Be persistent. Don't be too quick to take him 
back home, no matter how much he whines; you'll get more out of him 
here. 

 Some of what he'll say is a bit cryptic -- "Go planet equals free 
brain spirit"; "Kill vote dead (sob-sob)" -- but when he finally 
mentions Planet Spirit, reply with "You say information Planet 
Spirit," "Me want know coordinates Planet Spirit," etc., and you 
should get some solid information. 

 If you don't have them already, hit him with "You say planet 
Buggol," and you'll get Good Unknown's coordinates. Finally, try, 
"You say planet Missile Brave," and you should get the (very 
crucial) coordinates to Reproduction 128 (once these Migrax start 
talking, you can't shut them up). 

 At this point he may send you back to the ship, but if he does, go 
right back down again by pressing the OORXX reactivator button, and 
you'll get a second chance to take him home (he'll even give you the 
coordinates in case you've misplaced them). Then, and only then, 
return Great Bounty to Reproduction 14. He'll be so grateful he'll 
confide that the Antenna know where to find the Robheads (file that 
bit away for now). Then, he'll announce that he's got a hot date and 
kick you off his planet. If you set down there again, he'll be gone. 

 If you started the game with someone other than Great Bounty, 
proceed now to Part II. If Great Bounty was your first, use the 
coordinates he gave you to find the Buggol Good Unknown. Good 
Unknown is a veritable gold mine of information. After he tells you 
his problems, he'll beg you to take him on a vacation. Ask him for 
the Izwal code, then teleport him to any uninhabited planet (don't 
forget to jot down the coordinates). If he likes it there, he'll 
give you a new, unidentified set of coordinates, and send you back 
to your ship. 

 Return to him immediately using the OORXX reactivator and say "Me 
want know planet Yoko." Go to Yoko's planet and refer to "Yoko 
Start," "Teleporting Yoko," and "Croolis-Var Planets" to find out 
what to do next. The Pop Unknown-Morlock-Rosko subplot ("Pop 
Unknown's Planet") is basically a dead end, but do it for the fun of 
it if you have time. (If your arm is shaking without remission, then 
you probably don't have time; see the time note in the "Afterword" 
section of this walkthru.) Now, proceed to Part 2. 




 TORKA, TUBE-BRAINS, NO NO

 By this time you should have accomplished the following tasks (not 
necessarily in this order): visited Dead Genetic and Pop Unknown 
(and, optionally, Morlock and Rosko the Yukas); taken Good Unknown 
to a planet he likes and left him there; after questioning Yoko, 
taken him to a new planet and inadvertently killed him; taken Great 
Bounty to a new planet, interrogated him, returned him to 
Reproduction 14, and witnessed his departure for planets unknown. 

 As a result of the above hijinx, you should now be armed with the 
following information: the coordinates to four Croolis-Var planets 
(Trap 1, Trap 2, Great Fear, and Kill You); the coordinates for Good 
Unknown's new planet (the one you took him to); the Izwal code 
"friend friend" (which is almost the key to the city in this galaxy 
-- all sorts of people respond to it); the unidentified set of 
coordinates Good Unknown gave you; the coordinates for Planet 
Spirit; and the coordinates for the Migrax Missile Brave. 

 If you're missing any of this stuff, or if you haven't done all of 
these things, you're going to be in deep trouble later on. Go back 
and pick up what you need; or, if your arm's gotten too palsied, 
make a game plan and start the game over (see "Afterword"). If your 
checklist is complete and you're in reasonably good health, pat 
yourself on the back, save the game, and read on. 

 Let's use that mysterious set of coordinates Good Unknown gave us 
(the unidentified ones). When you touch down, you'll be face to face 
with your first duplicate (Duplicate 2, actually). Disintegrate him 
now if your arm's getting uncontrollable, but if it isn't, leave him 
in the fridgitorium until you need him (why take aspirin before 
you've got a headache?). Whatever you do, do _not_ teleport him out 
of the fridge once you've put him in there; you'll never get him 
back. 

 Now, jet over to Planet Spirit and meet Torka. No matter how you 
randomize them, her coordinates are definitely 36-24-36. At present, 
however, she's scared to death, and she's got enough sense to know 
this isn't the best time for socializing. She'll give you the 
coordinates to Brain 4, home of her friend Tubular-Brain, and then 
she'll split. 

 Proceed to Brain 4 and try to strike up a conversation with the 
Tubester. (If you get anything intelligible out of him, I'd sure 
like to know!) Remember poor Yoko pleading with you to find his pop? 
Feeling a little guilty about terminating the small dude? Let's see 
if we can write that subplot a happier ending. Unfortunately, that 
means going back to the land of the macho geeks. 

 Pick any one of the Croolis-Var, just so long as it's Good 
Nonsense. Say things like "You want information Croolis-Ulv?", "Me 
want give information," and the ever-popular "Me want kill enemy." 
After the usual posturing and so forth, he'll fork over the 
coordinates to Bad Trap, home of the Croolis-Ulv, Howdy Prison. 

 Head over to Bad Trap and let Mr. Prison jerk you around until he 
comes up with the coordinates for Great Destroy, a Croolis-Var 
stoolie and info salesman. Then, start drilling him (Howdy Prison) 
about Maxon. Try, "You say identity planet Maxon." As usual, you may 
have to repeat it about ten times. Make sure you get both the 
coordinates and the planet name. Finally, go see the Croolis-Var 
Poor Genetic and feed him the usual line of guff. Eventually, he'll 
admit he knows an Izwal named No No who lives on Idea 347. Get the 
coordinates, touch down on Idea 347, and you'll discover.... 

 Yoko! The little guy faked his own death! Hard to decide whether to 
hug him or kick him, isn't it? Anyway, he's glad to see you, and 
he's very anxious about his dad. When he asks, tell him "Identity 
planet Maxon equals Rendezvous 67." He'll reward you with the 
coordinates for Duplicate 1. 

 Duplicate 1 is a whole other can of worms. Whereas Duplicate 2 just 
kind of whined impotently until you fridged him, Duplicate 1 wants 
to make deals, promising to rat on Duplicate buddies 2, 3, and 4 if 
you let him go. If that makes you suspicious, good going: You and I 
both know that Duplicate 2's already strumming harps. But play 
along. Write down the coordinates in the order he gives them to you. 
If that fourth set he throws in makes you even more suspicious, 
better going still: It's the planet you're standing on. Micro the 
little weasel. 



 TRAUMA, GOOD MIND, KINGPAK

 Review what the manual says about the Ondoyante. Then, take a deep 
breath and set your galaxy map for the first set of coordinates 
Duplicate 1 gave you. This is Trauma, and she's nobody's sweetheart. 
After she finishes dressing you down, she says something about a 
rendezvous with a great male, reels off some coordinates, and sends 
you back to your ship. Go back down to her and offer her a lift. 
Take her to the coordinates she mentioned, and all of a sudden she 
doesn't look so bad. Looks aren't everything though, are they? Lose 
her. (To give her some credit she may volunteer the coordinates for 
No No; but, then, you already have them, don't you?) 

 Go far back in your records, now, and find the coordinates Great 
Bounty gave you for his fellow Migrax Missile Brave. He'll welcome 
you with open arms because of your civilized treatment of his 
friend, and give (without much coaxing) both the Sinox code and the 
coordinates for Good Mind. When he asks you to leave, be a gracious 
guest and beat it; don't pester him any further right now. 

 Proceed to 128, Good Mind's planet, and give him the Sinox code 
"impossible not Sinox" to loosen him up. The Sinox can be a bit 
stuffy, but they're basically all right (at least we're dealing with 
the higher intelligences now). Good Mind, however, has a problem, 
and he's not above asking you for help. It seems he needs four 
members of the Antenna race moved so he can annex their planets 
("Planet help me know radioactivity spirit": These guys are into 
some weird stuff). 

 You may be tempted to say, "Look pal, I've got my own problems," 
but hold on a microsec. Didn't Great Bounty say something about the 
Antenna knowing how to get to the Robheads? The BLOOD manual would 
have you believe that the Robheads are harmless, but if you check 
the hints in the reference booklet, it'll tell you they're "the real 
masters of Hydra." I guess you'll be wanting to take that assignment 
after all. 

 So, get the coordinates to the four Kristo planets from Good Mind, 
then head on out. Antenna 1 on Kristo 15 will waffle when it comes 
to teleporting, so wait until he's in the mood, then grab him fast. 
Other than that, it's pretty routine stuff. (Yes, you do have to 
move all four of the Antenna to uninhabited planets, and be nice 
about it.) The real reason you're here is to ask them the following: 
"You know planet Robhead?" Each Antenna will give you a different 
set of coordinates. Write them down and guard them with your life. 

 And remember, they're important, these coordinates; you're glad you 
got them. It's imperative you remember that they're important, 
because the return to Good Mind is going to be pretty much of a 
letdown. Even though he promised you a Duplicate, all he's got now 
(besides a mouthful of "Much obliged") is No No's address, which 
everybody and his brother seems willing to give out. (By the way, 
don't be tempted to get into any kind of teleportation scene with 
Good Mind; he'll run you ragged, and you won't get a thing for your 
trouble.) But then again, with all those folks pointing us back 
toward No No, maybe we should pay our little friend another visit. 

 No No's happy to see you (No No's always happy to see you!), so ask 
him about the Duplicates again. He'll give you the coordinates to 
the planet where Duplicate 1 was found. (Thanks a lot, No No; maybe 
a little B-12 for that short-term memory loss, eh, buddy?) There's 
also a chance No No may be freaking out by this point, telling you 
the Duplicates want to kill him. If he sends you away and you drop 
back down and he's gone, that's what's happened. Not to worry. 

 Time now for a little Tromp run. Contact either Good Unknown or 
Tubular Brain for Kingpak's coordinates (yes, Tubular Brain). After 
he finishes reeling off those stolen credit card numbers or whatever 
they are, give him the Izwal code, and ask him about Kingpak. As it 
turns out, they're buddies. 

 Basically, Kingpak's a joy cruiser who spends most of his time 
getting high on Tromp tails. But he's also into racing, and he can't 
help but notice you've got a pretty cool ship. Race him to the first 
set of coordinates he hits you with. You'll lose, but he's a good 
sport, and offers you a two-out-of-three deal. When you hit that 
second planet you'll encounter.... 

 Torka, overdressed as usual. She teleported Kingpak elsewhere, she 
says, to get him out of the way (get those coordinates)..."so the 
two of us can be alone," you might be thinking. But nobody in Hydra 
takes time anymore to stop and smell the roses, so she'll be gone 
before you can say "pneumatically pulchritudinous." Better luck next 
time. Use the coordinates she gave you to catch up with Kingpak. 

 By this time, Kingpak's totally stoned, and totally in awe of your 
prowess as an aviator. As you'd expect from someone who enjoys Tromp 
tails so much, he's got a headful of Tromp coordinates, which he'll 
give you freely. Next, he says he's got an important meeting (again, 
get those co-ords), and splits. Follow him to the next planet and 
offer him a ride in your cool ship (he may even ask you before you 
open your mouth). Put him down on an uninhabited planet; he won't 
like it and will suggest an alternative. Make a note of it, tell him 
you'll catch him later, and hit the darkening skies. 

 Now, visit one Tromp and one Robhead of your choice (when you've 
seen one, you've seen them all). They have very different ways of 
communicating, but you'll get the same amount of useful information 
out of each of them. The Tromps only have one thing on their minds, 
and the Robheads are so spaced they make Timothy Leary look like 
George Bush. 

 Next, wracked with disappointment, check your notes for Maxon's 
coordinates, and go there. Incidentally, if you now compare your 
Kingpak and Antenna notes with your old Duplicate 1 notes, you'll 
discover that those other coordinates Duplicate 1 gave you -- in 
addition to the sets for Trauma and the Duplicate's own planet -- 
were for Tromp 1 and Robhead 1. Just thought you'd like to know. 

 When you find him, Maxon will be very skittish because of his fear 
of the Duplicates; he won't let you stay long. After he shoos you 
away, go back down and, when he asks you for the Izwal code again, 
say (all at one time) "Code friend friend me know planet Yoko." He 
should give you some coordinates. Unfortunately, they'll be the same 
coordinates No No gave you last time, for Duplicate 1's planet. 
Evidently, this memory-loss thing runs in the family. 

 As you pause, suffering from extreme disappointment, a still, small 
voice in the back of your head starts whispering "Kingpak, Kingpak." 
Either you're dying for a Tromp tail, or you just got an idea. Find 
the coordinates for the planet Kingpak wanted to go to and shoot 
yourself there. It's.... 

 Duplicate 4, with a line of jive as long as an Izwal's tongue. 
"Small nonsense brave not. Rendezvous not not small brave idea 
warrior. Planet warrior destroy destroy. Destroy fear brave warrior. 
Warrior fear idea." Sounds like Tarzan reading the "Bhagavad Gita." 
Store Duplicate 4 in a cool, dry place; take only as directed. 



 TRICEPHAL, ROBHEADS, TORKA TORKA TORKA

 Okay, we've exhausted most of our information sources except for 
the Robheads, and no one can make heads or tails out of what they're 
saying. So, when you need wisdom, when you need compassion, when you 
need some deeper understanding in full harmony with nature and 
completely unimpeded by the baser instincts, who are you going call? 
That's right, those Croolis-Var and Croolis-Ulv (who were you 
thinking of?). We haven't talked to, let's see here, Bad Crazy, Male 
Warrior, Insult 4, and Great Destroy. I don't know, call me crazy, 
but I've just got a feeling about that Great Destroy. Sounds like 
class with a capital "K." Punch that hyperspace activator. 

 Well "capital" is right. Great Destroy is kind of the Rockefeller 
of Hydra and makes no bones about it: "Me love money." As I 
mentioned earlier, he's an information broker. Give him the usual 
Ulv-Var song and dance until he asks you to search for the 
Croolis-Ulv. Then, he'll send you up to your ship. Go back down to 
him immediately and give him the names of the three Ulv planets you 
found (Trap 4, Bad Trap, and Insult 80). In return he'll supply you 
with directions to Idea 762. 

 On Idea 762 you'll find Small Friend, another Izwal. Now, if you 
check the directory of aliens in the back of your manual, you'll 
discover there's only one race you haven't dealt with yet: the 
Tricephal. And "Tricephal" is an UPCOM word that Small Friend knows. 
Give him the Izwal code if he drags his feet, then coax the 
necessary coordinates out of him. 

 The Tricephal in question is called Good Friend, and he lives on 
Small Home. The "Hints" section of the reference booklet would have 
you believe that Good Friend is one of only two sources for the 
whereabouts of Brain Radioactivity, the Sinox who holds the key to 
communicating with the Robheads. The other is supposed to be our old 
pal Dead Genetic, but I could never get anything out of him, except 
Yoko and those four Croolis-Var he's so obsessed with. 

 The situation is complicated by the fact that Good Friend, once 
you've made his acquaintance, seems never to have heard of Brain 
Radioactivity (also, he's a friend of the Duplicates, so watch your 
step). But he will, if encouraged, start talking about someone named 
Entrax. In fact, if you've been paying attention, you'll notice he's 
the only cat in the galaxy who has the Entrax icon in his 
vocabulary. Entrax lives on a planet called, simply, 256. Shoot over 
there ASAP! 

 It turns out Entrax and Brain Radioactivity are one and the same 
(why the pseudonym, I wonder?). He's all too willing to help, but he 
doesn't know where the Robheads are hiding. Give him the stats on 
all four Robhead planets and he'll agree to intercede with them on 
your behalf. Actually, he plans to give them some sort of genetic 
implant: "Me give great genetic Robhead." Then, wend your way back 
to Robhead 1 on Planet 145, and save the game! 

 Well, you'll find that the Robheads are making sense now...grim 
sense. Robhead 1, for starters, wants you to kill Maxon. The hints 
say that once the Robheads start talking, you'd better do what they 
say. But wait a minute. Ever heard about those psychology 
experiments where subjects can be talked into giving seemingly 
painful shocks to pseudo-subjects, simply because there's an 
authority figure (the psychologist) telling them it's okay? And 
remember all those war criminals who were "just doing their jobs"? 
Sit back, friend, friend friend, and take a deep breath. 

 We had four beginnings, right? So, what's wrong with a couple of 
endings? 

 NEANDERTHAL ENDGAME

 After listening to Robhead 1, destroy Maxon's planet. Go back to 
Robhead 1 for instructions to see Robhead 2. 

 After listening to Robhead 2, destroy the planets of the three 
Croolis-Ulv and five Croolis-Var. (Robhead 2 says four Croolis-Ulv 
and four Croolis-Var, but everybody gets them confused.) Go back to 
Robhead 2 for instructions to see Robhead 3. 

 After listening to Robhead 3, destroy the planets of Good Mind and 
Brain Radioactivity. Go back to Robhead 3 for instructions to see 
Robhead 4. 

 After listening to Robhead 4, destroy the planets of Great Bounty 
and Missile Brave. Go back to Robhead 4 for the coordinates to 
Duplicate 3. 

 Duplicate 3 says he has a great rendezvous at hour 320, and pleads 
with you not to disintegrate him until then. But what's that to a 
tough guy like you? Go ahead, fry him. 

 Now, all you need are the whereabouts of Duplicate 5 and Torka, 
right? Hit the road, pal. Figure it out for yourself, you butcher. 

 COOL GUY ENDGAME

 Leave Robhead 1 and go straight to Robhead 4. He wants you to kill 
the Migrax. Go to Reproduction 14 and confirm that Great Bounty 
hasn't come back yet. Disintegrate the planet. Then, go to 
Reproduction 128 and meet with Missile Brave. Don't tell him what 
the Robheads are up to: the Migrax are an emotionally delicate race, 
and you don't want to upset him. 

 Instead, start quizzing him about everyone you can think of. Say 
"Me want information Antenna," "Me want information Tricephal," "Me 
want information Tubular-Brain," etc. If he sends you away, go back 
to him, and start right up again. Eventually, probably thinking, 
"Geez, what a bore this guy's turned out to be," he'll beg off with 
a "Time is money" and a "Bye great friend," and leave the planet. 
After you're sure he's gone, vaporize Repro 128, and return to 
Robhead 4. 

 The Robheads are smart, but they're not omniscient (the fact that 
one of them thought there were four Croolis-Ulv has clued us into 
that). When you get back to Planet 403, Robhead 4 will think you've 
wasted the Migrax and react accordingly, giving you the coordinates 
to Duplicate 3. 

 Duplicate 3, as noted above, will say he has an important 
rendezvous at hour 320 and beg you not to fridge him until then. 
Give him a break, give yourself a break: Go get a sandwich and come 
back when the ship's clock says 320. He'll still be there. And he'll 
capitulate like an honorable man. 

 Maybe these Duplicates aren't as shifty as we thought they were. 
Maybe they're just trying to get by, like the next guy. In defense 
of non-violence, Albert Schweitzer said, "I am life that wills to 
live, in the midst of life that wills to live." I guess that could 
be said for all those Duplicates, too -- even old Duplicate 1, the 
bozo with the erroneous coordinates. 

 Or were they? He said Duplicate 5 would be at coordinates ____/____ 
(fill in the blanks). But he didn't say when, did he? Check it out 
now. 

 "You've searched for me, Blood. I will give you some great 
information. You must destroy me, yes Blood. You go search for 
Torka. Torka loves you. You teleport Torka. Yes Blood. You are a 
great warrior. Bye Blood. Torka loves you. Torka's planet is Corpo. 
Coordinates ____/____. You are I. I am you. You and I both love 
Torka. You-equal-I equals great genetics." 

 Head for Corpo and receive the hero's welcome you're entitled to. 
Then, move Torka to your ship. As the reference booklet promises, 
she doesn't stay in the fridgitorium. 

 I hope you and the Ondoyante have a hundred little Bloods, just 
like she says, and live happily ever after. (Just don't let her 
start eating too much.) 



 AFTERWORD: ASSORTED MUSINGS

 THE TIME THING

 Since you're playing against the clock, the great unknown quantity 
in this game is the time factor. The manual says you have 2.5 
real-time hours between Duplicates before your arm starts shaking so 
badly you can no longer function. I have no idea how a different 
computer speed might affect your info-gathering efficiency in this 
regard. 

 Where there's been a choice, I've tried to order the steps of the 
walkthru in a dramatic way, but it may be that some of you simply 
can't complete all the steps to the first Duplicate in time because 
of hardware limitations. So keep in mind: Some things have to be 
done in a certain order, others can be switched around. Use your 
common sense. 

 It becomes obvious after a certain point that you would never have 
found No No unless you moved Yoko first. On the other hand, you can 
take advantage of those "unidentified" coordinates from Good Unknown 
as soon as he gives them to you if your arm is going berserk. The 
bottom line is: If your arm keeps going bad on you too soon, study 
the whole walkthru to get the big picture, and make a game plan, 
spacing out the disintegration of the Duplicates so that you're 
always in good health. 

 AND SPEAKING OF THAT SHAKY ARM

 You can actually -- and this is one of those things you find out on 
your own when the chips are really down -- maneuver around Hydra 
fairly well with a palsied arm. In the first stages of V.F.D. (vital 
fluid drain), you simply wait for those intervals when the shaking 
stops, then take care of business quickly. But even after the arm's 
completely whacked, you can still do a number of things. You can set 
coordinates on the galaxy map: Watch how the line alternates between 
two numbers once you've fingered it, adjust it so the desired 
coordinate is one of those numbers, then be quick with the old 
trigger finger. You can travel, pilot an OORXX (totally unaffected 
by arm rot), and -- to some extent at least -- communicate (icons 
with blackened-out neighbors are easiest, because you're not as 
likely to select the wrong one). I mention this only because it 
illustrates what my old yoga teacher meant when he said, "Despair is 
almost always premature." 

 SAVING GAMES

 CAPTAIN BLOOD only allows for one saved game. But it is possible to 
explore alternative plot lines and not have to start from scratch 
every time. When you get to a point where you want to save, hit the 
save icon, and quit (which, at least in the IBM version, means 
rebooting your computer). Then, transfer the BLOOD.GAM file (the 
only saved game the program recognizes) to a new subdirectory or 
floppy, and give it a name that's unique to that game. This way, you 
can build a catalogue of different games-in-progress. When you want 
to pick up with one of them, copy its file back to the subdirectory 
or floppy with the BLOOD program files, and change its name back to 
BLOOD.GAM. 

 MY THEORY

 I think there's an evil genius behind all this: the Sinox Brain 
Radioactivity (aka "Entrax"). After all, the Robheads are just a 
bunch of helpless hippie kids -- until Brain Radioactivity finds out 
their locations (which you, of course, unwittingly give him), and 
then proceeds to tinker with their genes. I think he programs the 
Robheads to order you to kill everybody else so that he can be the 
master of Hydra. Then, of course, in classic B-movie style, the 
creature turns on its creator: Robhead 3 tells you to kill both 
Sinoxes, not just Good Mind, as Brain Radioactivity wanted. 

 Anyway, it helps explain the alias. Time equals money. Me go. Bye 
great friend. 

 CAPTAIN BLOOD is published by Infogrames and distributed by The 
Software Toolworks. 

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
