[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 22 - Robot Commando (Take 2)

[Queen of Swords]

The City of Knowledge.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, the city of knowledge sounds good.

[SGamerz]

You are in the City of Knowledge. If you have already been here, turn to 40. Otherwise...

Having been here before, we trigger an event...

You have returned to the City of Knowledge. In the distance, you see the towers of the College of Medicine. But you also see a Karossean air-fighter, closing fast! If you know a password with which to challenge the enemy, turn to that number. If you do not know the password, turn to 305.

We have learnt the password!

"Eighty-eight!" you bark at the Karosseans. "Seven!" they reply to you. Aha! You have learned the countersign to their password! And because you gave the password, you are free to go about your business. Where were you when you challenged the enemy soldiers:

The City of Industry？
The City of Knowledge?
The Capital City?

And we now know the counter-password as well! And also, indirectly, the book also kind of revealed which cities the passwords will be checked.

Where would you like to go?

The Thalian Museum?
The College of Medicine?
The College of War?'
The Dinosaur Preserve?
Out of the City?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Jason Scott
SKILL: 10/10
STAMINA: 11/20
LUCK: 6/10

POSSESSIONS:
Sword
7 Medikits (Each can restore 1 lost point of STAMINA)
Blue Potion
Luck Amulet (+1 Initial and current LUCK)
Interface Transponder (+1 SKILL for robot combats)
Seeker Missile (may be fired at any time between attack rounds to automatically hit reduce target's ARMOUR score by 10, not installed on robot yet)
Spare armour-plate (restores 1 ARMOUR when installed to a robot)

Notes:
1) The ancient Karosseans would settle a tribal dispute by choosing champions - one from each tribe - instead of allowing a battle between the whole tribes. The reference number of the book that provides the above information is 111.
2) Map reference for location of the City of the Guardians, the secret base headquarters of the army of Thalos, is 22. Substitute it for 'XX' when given the option to visit it.
3) The prototype "Cloak of Invisibility" device, Model 3, is now being tested at the Dinosaur Preserve.
4) The first half of the passwords between Karosseans to verify each other is "Eighty-eight".
5) The counter-password to the above is "Seven".

CURRENT ROBOT: ROBOTANK ARMOUR 17/18 SPEED Slow COMBAT BONUS +2
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The Robotank contains a special Sonic Gun in one hand. It cannot be used by any other robot. It may be fired once per combat turn, in addition to the Robotank's regular attack. However, it may be used only three times in all; then it is useless. When fired the Sonic Gun is instandly deadly to unprotected humans. Against a robot, roll one die to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses. Against a dinosaur, roll 2 dice to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses.

SAVE-POINTS/UNUSED ROBOTS FOUND:
DRAGONFLY MODEL D - section 1
WALKER ROBOT - section 260
ROBOTANK x2 - section 247
TROOPER XI - section 167
WASP FIGHTER - section 41

[Queen of Swords]

Dinosaur Preserve, to get the Cloak of Invisibility.

[JourneymanN00b]

Also voting for Dinosaur preserve.

[SGamerz]

You are at the entrance to the Dinosaur Preserve, where some of the wildest and most vicious creatures of all Thalos are kept for study. If you have already been here, turn to 189. Otherwise, keep reading.

An electro-fence keeps the creature from rampaging out. On your side of the fence is cool green grass; on the other side is rank jungle. Also on your side of the fence are two buildings: the Administrative Building, and a huge, unmarked, barn-like structure. What will you do:

Leave your robot and go to the Administrative Building?
Leave your robot and go to the other building?
Stay in your robot and cross the electro-fence?
Leave the Dinosaur Preserve?

[JourneymanN00b]

I half vote for the Administrative building.

[Queen of Swords]

Go to the Administrative Building.

[SGamerz]

You are inside the Administrative Building. Everyone is asleep, of course. You see nothing of special interest. What will you do now:

Look for a specific object?
Search the whole office thoroughly?
Investigate the other building?
Get in your robot and cross the electro-fence?
Leave the Dinosaur Preserve?

There was previous vote by player to look for the Cloak of Invisibility, so I guess we're looking for something specific:

If you know what you might find in this building, add 50 to its model number and turn to that paragraph. If this means nothing to you, return to 85.

The cloak we're looking for is Model 3, so we turn to 53：

In a closet, you find what appears to be an unused coat-hanger - but when you pick it up, it is heavy! You have found the Cloak of Invisibility. Inside it are the instructions. When it is activated, it will cause light waves to pass around you, making you invisible for about an hour. But it will only work once without being recharged, and the instructions do not say how to recharge it. Return to 85.

Bingo!

We are redirected to where we were 2 sections ago. What do we do now?

You are inside the Administrative Building. Everyone is asleep, of course. You see nothing of special interest. What will you do now:

Look for a specific object?
Search the whole office thoroughly?
Investigate the other building?
Get in your robot and cross the electro-fence?
Leave the Dinosaur Preserve?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Jason Scott
SKILL: 10/10
STAMINA: 11/20
LUCK: 6/10

POSSESSIONS:
Sword
7 Medikits (Each can restore 1 lost point of STAMINA)
Blue Potion
Luck Amulet (+1 Initial and current LUCK)
Interface Transponder (+1 SKILL for robot combats)
Seeker Missile (may be fired at any time between attack rounds to automatically hit reduce target's ARMOUR score by 10, not installed on robot yet)
Spare armour-plate (restores 1 ARMOUR when installed to a robot)
Cloak of Invisibility

Notes:
1) The ancient Karosseans would settle a tribal dispute by choosing champions - one from each tribe - instead of allowing a battle between the whole tribes. The reference number of the book that provides the above information is 111.
2) Map reference for location of the City of the Guardians, the secret base headquarters of the army of Thalos, is 22. Substitute it for 'XX' when given the option to visit it.
3) The prototype "Cloak of Invisibility" device, Model 3, is now being tested at the Dinosaur Preserve.
4) The first half of the passwords between Karosseans to verify each other is "Eighty-eight".
5) The counter-password to the above is "Seven".

CURRENT ROBOT: ROBOTANK ARMOUR 17/18 SPEED Slow COMBAT BONUS +2
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The Robotank contains a special Sonic Gun in one hand. It cannot be used by any other robot. It may be fired once per combat turn, in addition to the Robotank's regular attack. However, it may be used only three times in all; then it is useless. When fired the Sonic Gun is instandly deadly to unprotected humans. Against a robot, roll one die to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses. Against a dinosaur, roll 2 dice to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses.

SAVE-POINTS/UNUSED ROBOTS FOUND:
DRAGONFLY MODEL D - section 1
WALKER ROBOT - section 260
ROBOTANK x2 - section 247
TROOPER XI - section 167
WASP FIGHTER - section 41

[Queen of Swords]

Investigate the other building; we've already found the most useful item here.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I also vote to investigate the other building.

[SGamerz]

If you have already opened this building, turn immediately to 231. Otherwise, keep reading. You walk around the barn-like building and examine it. The walls are built of heavy metal, and the only door you can find is huge. A sign on the door reads, 'DANGER! KEEP OUT!' What will you do:

Open the door?
Go to the Administrative Building (if you have not already done so)?
Get in your robot and cross the electro-fence?
Leave the Dinosaur Preserve?

[Queen of Swords]

I wish there was an option for opening the door a tiny fraction and peeking in, ready to slam it shut and run.

Still, open the door.

[Thaluikhain]

Always need to open and investigate things.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to open the door.

[SGamerz]

You have a hunch that the barn-like building may contain something of importance. But the door is far too heavy for you to budge. Getting back into your robot, you use its strength to slide open the huge door. Inside you see more robots!

Active, hostile ones or safe and unused ones??

There are several robots here, all identical. They are similar to the Cowboy Robot that you used on your ranch, but more heavily armed and armoured, for use against the largest dinosaurs. These Super-Cowboy Robots move by walking. Each has weapons almost as powerful as those of a war robot.

SUPER-COWBOY ROBOT ARMOUR 14 SPEED MEDIUM COMBAT BONUS +1
SPECIAL ABILITIES: This robot carries a 'Sonic Screamer' weapon designed to distract dinosaurs. Reduce the SKILL of any enemy dinosaur by 1 when you fight it in the Super-Cowboy. Unfortunately, the special weapon is no use against other robots.

You may take one of these robots if you like. If you had a robot already, make a note that this is where you left it. What will you do now:

Get in your robot and cross the electro-fence?
Go to the Administrative Building?
Leave the Dinosaur Preserve?

Another source of unlimited robots (again, this will only count as a single save point, of course)! While this is not as good as what we're already using, it's a great find nonetheless, since it means we add a new and late save point, which in turn means less places to rewind back if we fail somehow and have to reload. We can always rewind back to this later save point, then use the (pretty strong) Super-Cowboy robot to travel back to the City of Guardians to switch to a stronger robot again. This uses up 2 save points, but it's worth saving us the trouble of having to redo everything between when we first found the Robotank and this point again.

Do we want to cross the electro-fence now, or leave the Preserve?

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Jason Scott
SKILL: 10/10
STAMINA: 11/20
LUCK: 6/10

POSSESSIONS:
Sword
7 Medikits (Each can restore 1 lost point of STAMINA)
Blue Potion
Luck Amulet (+1 Initial and current LUCK)
Interface Transponder (+1 SKILL for robot combats)
Seeker Missile (may be fired at any time between attack rounds to automatically hit reduce target's ARMOUR score by 10, not installed on robot yet)
Spare armour-plate (restores 1 ARMOUR when installed to a robot)
Cloak of Invisibility

Notes:
1) The ancient Karosseans would settle a tribal dispute by choosing champions - one from each tribe - instead of allowing a battle between the whole tribes. The reference number of the book that provides the above information is 111.
2) Map reference for location of the City of the Guardians, the secret base headquarters of the army of Thalos, is 22. Substitute it for 'XX' when given the option to visit it.
3) The prototype "Cloak of Invisibility" device, Model 3, is now being tested at the Dinosaur Preserve.
4) The first half of the passwords between Karosseans to verify each other is "Eighty-eight".
5) The counter-password to the above is "Seven".

CURRENT ROBOT: ROBOTANK ARMOUR 17/18 SPEED Slow COMBAT BONUS +2
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The Robotank contains a special Sonic Gun in one hand. It cannot be used by any other robot. It may be fired once per combat turn, in addition to the Robotank's regular attack. However, it may be used only three times in all; then it is useless. When fired the Sonic Gun is instandly deadly to unprotected humans. Against a robot, roll one die to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses. Against a dinosaur, roll 2 dice to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses.

SAVE-POINTS/UNUSED ROBOTS FOUND:
DRAGONFLY MODEL D - section 1
WALKER ROBOT - section 260
ROBOTANK x2 - section 247
TROOPER XI - section 167
WASP FIGHTER - section 41
SUPER-COWBOT ROBOT - section 9

[Queen of Swords]

Leave the preserve.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I also vote to leave the preserve.

[SGamerz]

Leaving the preserve leads to a section where we're given the options to visit the rest of the city:

What would you like to do now:

Visit the College of Medicine?
Visit the College of War?
Visit the Thalian Museum
Leave the City of Knowledge?

We'd visited all of these before, but they can be revisited, and at least some of them lead to different sections if you visit more than once (whether for better or worse).

To save time, choosing to leave the city means that we can choose to go to:

City of Industry
City of the Jungle
City of Storms
City of Worship

Again, all places we'd visited before, and you need to decide whether any of them is worth revisiting, whether because there are places you haven't yet explored, or because you need to go there to gain access to a new place.

[JourneymanN00b]

I guess we go to the city of worship.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, try the City of Worship.

[SGamerz]

You are in the City of Worship. If you have been to this city before, turn 67 immediately. If this is your first visit to this city (regardless of how many parts of the city you have been to on this visit), then keep reading.

The whole of this metropolis is devoted to shrines, temples, churches, cemeteries and the like. It is always a quiet place, but you have never before seen it this quiet. Only the call of a sea-bird breaks the stillness. An uneasy thought occurs to you. If you are the only Thalian awake, then the attention of all the Powers must be focused on you personally. Your visit to the City of Worship might be rather...interesting. What would you like to do:

Visit one of the temples?
Fly over the city (if you have a flying robot)?
Go to another city?

This is our second visit...

Storm clouds are gathering as you approach. But even through the static on your radio, you can hear chatter in Karossean voices. Then you are challenged by several Karosseans in small robots. If you fight them, turn to 217. If you fly away from them, turn to 12.

For some reason, we can't get past this group with the passwords we'd learnt.

We also can't actually "fly away", since our robot is not made for flying, so there's no real choice here.

Fight them as a single enemy:

MINI-ROBOTS ARMOUR 9 SPEED Fast SKILL 10 SPECIAL ABILITIES: None

If you Escape, turn to 278. If you defeat the Mini-robots, return to 166 and choose from the options given there. If your ARMOUR is reduced to 0, the Karosseans swarm over you, and your adventure ends here.

Again, escape is not really an option, since they're much faster than us. The text also makes it clear that losing this combat is lethal, although our robot is much stronger so the risk of that happening isn't high.

Do we want to use Sonic Gun to speed up the fight/minimize potential damage taken?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote not to do this, as our skill level should be good enough to take it out.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[SGamerz]

COMBAT LOG:
Mini-Robots 19, Robotank 20. MR is at 7.
MR 12, Robotank 20. MR is at 5.
MR 12, Robotank 23. MR is at 3.
MR 17, Robotank 15. Robotank is at 15.
MR 16, Robotank 17. MR is at 1.
MR 14, Robotank 24. MR are destroyed.

Our Robotank took one hit but still manages to make short work of the assorted minis.

We are redirected back to the city hub section we came from. Again, the option to fly over the cities is not available to us, so the only thing to do here is to visit another temple.

Our choices are:

The Temple of Peace
The Temple of Fear
The Temple of Nothingness
Go to another city

Adventure Sheet:
Name: Jason Scott
SKILL: 10/10
STAMINA: 11/20
LUCK: 6/10

POSSESSIONS:
Sword
7 Medikits (Each can restore 1 lost point of STAMINA)
Blue Potion
Luck Amulet (+1 Initial and current LUCK)
Interface Transponder (+1 SKILL for robot combats)
Seeker Missile (may be fired at any time between attack rounds to automatically hit reduce target's ARMOUR score by 10, not installed on robot yet)
Spare armour-plate (restores 1 ARMOUR when installed to a robot)
Cloak of Invisibility

Notes:
1) The ancient Karosseans would settle a tribal dispute by choosing champions - one from each tribe - instead of allowing a battle between the whole tribes. The reference number of the book that provides the above information is 111.
2) Map reference for location of the City of the Guardians, the secret base headquarters of the army of Thalos, is 22. Substitute it for 'XX' when given the option to visit it.
3) The prototype "Cloak of Invisibility" device, Model 3, is now being tested at the Dinosaur Preserve.
4) The first half of the passwords between Karosseans to verify each other is "Eighty-eight".
5) The counter-password to the above is "Seven".

CURRENT ROBOT: ROBOTANK ARMOUR 15/18 SPEED Slow COMBAT BONUS +2
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The Robotank contains a special Sonic Gun in one hand. It cannot be used by any other robot. It may be fired once per combat turn, in addition to the Robotank's regular attack. However, it may be used only three times in all; then it is useless. When fired the Sonic Gun is instandly deadly to unprotected humans. Against a robot, roll one die to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses. Against a dinosaur, roll 2 dice to see how many ARMOUR points the target loses.

SAVE-POINTS/UNUSED ROBOTS FOUND:
DRAGONFLY MODEL D - section 1
WALKER ROBOT - section 260
ROBOTANK x2 - section 247
TROOPER XI - section 167
WASP FIGHTER - section 41
SUPER-COWBOT ROBOT - section 9