GS WorldView
Fall, 2003


Documentation for ...

The Prisoner 2
Interactive Fantasies, 1982
Requires 48k or larger Apple II


Inspired by the highly acclaimed television series, The Prisoner 2
puts you in a nightmarish 1984 world whose rulers seek to break you
down by an extensive array of brainwashing techniques, while you are
armed only with your intelligence, your sense of individuality and
your wits. Will you escape to freedom, or forever remain THE PRISONER?




THE JOURNAL

My introduction to The Island came about in an extraordinary way while I was
cataloging my word processing diskettes in order to delete all the outdated files.
On one disk of no particular significance, a text file saved under the name of
"BOTTLE" caught my eye. Having no recollection of ever creating such a file, I
ran a listing of its contents on a printer.

This is what the printer produced:


DAY 0
No more! I quit! I've had it with this job. with The Company, with my line of
work, with the whole damn system! How did I put up for so long with this
snake pit? And to add insult to injury, they were so damned impersonal
about accepting my resignation. What satisfaction is there in venting your
rage at a stupid machine, and watching it mathematically reduce your
indignation into a classifiable three-digit resignation code? I should have left
years ago, before I made my awful discovery.

Well. it's all over now. I'll put my past behind me and get as far away from
The Company and its vile secrets as I can. But where to escape? Jamaica is
nice at this time of year. I can recall some pleasant assignments in Hawaii.
Manhattan is always...  Damn, I feel So sleepy. I can barely keep...


DAY 1
Awake! What a sleep. Wait a second. this isn't my bed! Where am I? C'mon,
pull yourself together. Shake off this drowsiness. Take a look around.
This building! It's like a maze. There must be mile after mile of these
corridors -twisting and turning. What's this? A trap door... and a chute!
I'm back where I woke up. l don't have any choice but to start over. What on
earth am I doing in this maze? Ah, here's an exit, down this hallway. Hmm,
there's a note on the door: "Meet Me At Your Earliest Convenience -The
Caretaker." Strange. Let's see just what this caretaker guy takes care of.

What the Hell? This place looks like a some kind of retirement community.
Down the street I can see some shops, a diner, even a library. It's sort of
charming, actually. I'd just like to know what I'm doing here. I want some
answers.

Well, the natives aren't much help. They just smile sweetly, all the time
speaking in riddles. "A still tongue makes for a happy life." That's their
motto. ButI don't think their silence is because they are afraid to speak, since
there's no caution in their voices. It's something else.

I did learn that this place is called "The Island," but I have no idea even in
which hemisphere it is. The few maps I found give information only about
the Island's interior. The building where I first woke up is called "the Castle"
and is intended to be my quarters during my stay here. (I plan, by the way, to
make that stay very brief.)

I tried to meet this Caretaker. I'm told he represents whoever is in charge.
His house was easy enough to find, but the door was locked. I'm not so 
interested in answers that I'm willing to cool my heels until I'm let in. It's
time for me to leave.

Let's see, if I can't confront the top, I'll sneak out through the bottom. My
"official" map says that there's just a white picket fence surrounding this
place. Yes, I see it there, down the street. Just climb over and... What the
Hell is that? I've run into watchdogs both animal and electronic before, but
nothing like this! It's after me! I can't outrun him...


DAY 2
My confrontation with Pax yesterday left me with quite a headache, but I
can still think clearly. I now know that this quaint little village is really a
prison in disguise. Nothing is as it seems. These buildings are facades, their
purposes hidden. Every situation I've run into is part of an intricate plot to
lead me towards a false escape route, catch me off my mental guard, or
convince me of the "virtues" of obeying the authorities will. Never before
have I faced such a determined experiment in dehumanization, not even in
my travels behind the Iron Curtain.

The purpose of these schemes is clear. They want to know why I resigned. In
my two days here they've tried every damned trick in the book to find out my
resignation code. Once or twice they almost duped me into revealing it, but I
know that it is the one thing that is keeping me alive. But why? Perhaps they
are afraid of what I found out. Do they think it will give them a clue about
why someone like me would question the ethics of my profession?

Every prison has it's limits. If I'm to escape, I must gather as much
information as I can. Already I've begun to map The Island for myself. No
easy task. The layout of some sections seems to change, and the interiors of
buildings are occasionally different from the last time I entered. I can't let
these bizarre happenings shake me; that's just what the authorities here
want.

I'm fighting a psychological war now. Therefore. I must learn the nature of
my captors' minds and attempt to second-guess them. They'll continue to
bombard me with very demanding problem situations, and if I'm going to
tough it out, I have to use all the problem solving approaches I learned in the
field. But to endure the frustrations. I must fight to keep my cool. my sense of
humor. From what I can tell wits and individuality will make for an
excellent sword and shield here.

I'll find a way off of The Island in no time at all.


DAY 5
Is there no escape from this place? Every turn I take, every move I make and
door I open only lead me back to square one. At least I found the switch for
turning off all of the tormenting melodies that echo throughout The Island.
I was allowed finally to see the Caretaker. All I learned from him is that I am
under constant surveillance. Every move I make is monitored and used
against me. I was shown a log of my daily activities from the time I get up in
the morning until I go to sleep at night. Can they read my thoughts. too? It
makes me so painfully aware of the invasions of privacy inherent in my own
profession.

This feeling of futility is overcoming me. They are doing everything they can
to condition me to become one of the masses that surround me- complacent.
nonthinking, unresisting. Why are they all so cheerful? Can't they see the
environment that they are living in? Strange. I've been here only a few days
and already I think I know everything better than the people who have spent
their lives here.

Or are they all part of the plot? Some of the other Islanders have offered me
help, only to betray and humiliate me. I have heard that there is an
underground organization called The Brotherhood, but I don't know if I can
trust them. If clues for escape are hard to come by, allies are even scarcer.

How can one survive in a perversion of society infested with brain washing
techniques, delusions, paradoxes, and oppression. I must hang on to my
sanity.


DAY 9
I think that I am going mad. No one and no thing can be trusted. Prisoners
and keepers are intermixed, rules are vague and inconsistent, truth and
falsehood are indeterminable. I am even starting to question my own
identity, the one thing I have to rely on. I begin to wonder if truth is a
constant, objective reality or if there are many versions.

Perhaps it is true that disobedience and lack of cooperation are
disharmonious, working against the security, stability, and preservation of
the whole. I am beginning to feel that slavery may indeed be freedom. What
freedom can there be for those who know too much in this nightmarish land
where every day is just a trip to the general store, a conversation with a
number, and a chance to escape?

Should I give in and seek freedom as a member of the flock? After all, no man
is an island.

...


The printout of the file ended abruptly without revealing a clue to the author's
identity. Intrigued by the mysterious journal, I set out to find the perpetrator of
this hoax, for his creative writing did raise some important philosophical
questions. However, after checking the security measures of our office computer
system and questioning various members of our staff, there seemed to be little
possibility that the message was an office prank.

As I sought the originator of this file, curiosity soon turned into obsession, Other
computerized "bottles in the ocean" turned up on several different computer
systems. As I pieced together the various parts of the puzzle, I became more and
more convinced of the journal's authenticity.

When the information that for some unknown reason was left for me began to dry
up, I took my investigation of The Island to the local library. In what I've always
regarded as a hall of free thought, I uncovered obscure volumes of information on
the theory of mind control and psychological torture. Under the Freedom of
Information Act, I obtained declassified materials on the government's practice
of such theory. Finally, I was able to get my hands on some classified files about
The Island from my contacts who work on the Inside.

I now bring this information to you.



THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA

The Island is an isolated, self-contained community whose exact location
remains unknown despite the best investigative efforts of myself and my
colleagues. The entire community is surrounded by a fence and a stretch of
wilderness in all directions. Hidden surveillance devices keep an eye on the
residents at all times. and the peace is kept by an entity referred to as "Pax.'.
Our best accounts tell us that there are some twenty buildings on The Island.
Most of these buildings house such public services as shops, churches, schools,
diners. libraries, and theaters. The Island is the ultimate prison, for such
amenities serve only to weaken the residents' desire to escape.

However, The Island does have its vicious side. The institutions of the hospital
and courthouse are in reality fronts for torture and intimidation. The Inquisition
is alive and well. but armed with space-age technology.

The one visible authority on The Island is "The Caretaker," who can be seen only
via a video screen. Those wishing an audience with him first must undertake a
scavenger hunt to gain certain items necessary to pass through locked doors. The
reward for collecting these keys is a chance to be baited and questioned by the
Island's maestro of deception. Yet even he is a subordinate to The Master,
whoever that might be.

Together they maintain tight control over The Island and know how to handle
their guests quite effectively.

While every resource of The Island is geared toward breaking down the
individual. there are various things that an Islander can do to put up a fight.
Success in surviving The Island requires reading between lines, logical
deduction, developing new and creative patterns of thinking, making intuitive
moves, and detecting trickery. A resident will constantly find himself
rru8trated, confused. discouraged, puzzled. and angry. Whatever else, he must
not give in!

As uncertain pawns of covert forces, Islanders must attempt to psych-out their
keepers.



THE PLAY's THE THING

Since this account of The Island is in the form of a computer simulation. it was
necessary to make some concessions for thesakeofplayability. The only means of
communicating with your computer is through the keyboard. An inverse cursor
always indicates that the computer is waiting for you to type something. It may
desire only a single keystroke response or several keystrokes followed by a
[RETURN].

However. not every i nput has a prompt. If the computer appears to stop or
"hang," it is probably just waiting for you to type something. If you become
impatient, take the initiative and try nudging your keyboard.

You will quickl' find that certain keys which have a special function at one point
in the program may not behave in thesame way at another. Consistency is not one
of the attri butes of The Island. Be open to change and do not allow yourself to be
locked into a mindset. When in doubt, type something, anything.

The information that The Island is trying to obtain from you has been distilled
down into the form of a three-digit resignation code. This number is given to you
at the start of each new session. Memorize it or write it down for safe keeping:
reveal it in any way and you will have lost.

As a player. you have the ability to suspend the game. a luxury real Islanders do
not enjoy. To save your prngress, either press CONTROL-C or type in STASIS,
whichever seems more appropriate at the time. All of your possessions, scores.
money, and other statistics will be saved away to disk until your next visit to The
Island.

When saving your progress. you have the option of obtaining a clue to escape at a
cost of twenty-five points. The quality of the clue depends upon your score.
Players with low scores will receive the same clues over and over.

Since information is saved away for future use, it is important that you do NOT
place a write-protect tab on your diskette. Doing so will only result in an error
message being displayed.

For your convenience, a special error reporting section is implemented in the
game. Please keep this in mind. for what you at first may interpret as an error
may not be. A trick might have been played on you; certain possessions must be
gained or tasks performed before some things work properly, or the computer
might be waiting for you to press certain keys or make certain responses. Don't
be too quick to assume an error. (If one is indeed apparent, consult your
warranty).

In transcending the medium of paper and using the Island's latest tool to bring
this expose to life, we are somewhat confined by the limitations of the computer.
However, wherever possible. the machine's restrictions have been manipulated
to illustrate symbolically various features of the Island... including the way out.



THE KEY TO ESCAPE

There are many possible forms of escape from a psychological prison of this
nature. Escape might be physical, mental. figurative. or literal. For example.
residents have taken such paths as giving in and revealing what they know;
holding fast and remaining silent year after year; joining the other side; or
committing suicide. Each might be convinced that they have found an acceptable
way out of their imprisonment.

But those who have chosen such paths have deceived themselves. To my
knowledge. no one ever truly has escaped from The Island. Perhaps it takes an
objective eye to see what one is facing, for I believe that I have discovered, from
the bits of information I have gathered, the way out of The Island, It's all so
deceptively simple. All one needs to do is 
CANCEL THIS LINE...
CANCEL THIS LINE...
CANCEL THIS LINE...
INTERRUPT ...
INCOMING MESSAGE...BEGIN

Allow me to Introduce myself. 1 am the Caretoker for the Master. Please
excuse my Intrusion. but I could no longer allow the author to deceive
you.

You see. this joumalist was one of our residents. We took very good
care of him. but somehow he came under the delusion that we were
his enemies. In hls paranoid state. he believed that our civic leaders
were attempting to rob our good citizens of their individuality.

The sad truth of the matter Is that he Is yourenemy. He Is attempting to
Influence your views. Rather than allowing you to form your own
opinions about our Island. he preaches his own preconceived notions
as though they were the ultimate truth about subjects ranging from
the Individual's place in society to the merit of arcade games. Who is
he to make editorial comments to the world and belittle others for
having dIfferent tastes In entertainment?

Such hypocrisy! Look at how he has succumbed to market pressure by
taking a successful game (and don't believe it is any more than this)
and injecting the obligatory sound and high resolution graphics,
effects, just to make it competitive with everyone else's product.
Where Is the originality? And he speaks of indivlduallty! Now there is
doublethink for you.

Do not allow hls mad ravings to put you too III at ease on your first day
here on The Island. You needn't worry. there Is no escape from this
tranquil place. We would not allow It. After all, winning Is losing.

But should you condemn him too severely, be informed that he has done
some good. Without his efforts we would not be welcoming you to our Island.
He Is fulfilling a role as recruitment director, sending more and more
people into our open arms.

In closing, permit me to welcome you to The Island. I don't doubt that
you'll have a pleasant stay. We have given all the buildings a fresh
coat of paint and put new locks on the doors. I dare say, you may
never want to leave.

Should you attempt to try, I wish you (in advance) many happy returns.


_____________



A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE

For the purposes of your own investigative work, what follows is some of the
unclassified material about The Island:

Every decision is scored. The Island keeps you under constant surveillance an
monitors youk' every movement. The score is set to zero at the start of the game
and is incremented or decremented based upon whether or not your actions are
those of an individual. The more individualistic you are, the greater your score
will be. This score is revealed only upon winning, losing, or suspending the game
and is closely linked with your chances of escaping. Many doors will be closed to
you until your score reaches a high enough value. Since this score is mostly
invisible to you, you must weigh and verify your own decisions to determine
they are in your own best interests. The authorities (i.e., computer) will give
your no help.



References

Disch, Thomas M., The Prisoner. London: New English Library, 1980.

Defense and Space Systems Group, Volume 3, Number 1 (Spring 1979), pp. 5
77.

Morgan, William J., The 0.8.8. and I. New York: Modern Literary Editions
Publishing Company, 1957.

Orwell, George, 1984. New York: New American Library, 1961

Zimmerman, Howard, "The Prisoner." Starlog. Number 11 (January 1978)
24-30. 44-45.



Credits

PRISONER 2 was developed exclusively by Edu-Ware Services, Inc., a 
California software development house committed to producing 
instructionally sound C.A.I. and intellectually challenging gaming
systems.

PRISONER 2 was brought to you thanks to the efforts of the following
individuals:

David Mullich designed and supervised the coding of the entire set 
of programs, developed Interactive Fantasies's high-resolution 
graphics system, authored this Player's Manual, and was the original
author of The Prisoner.

Mike St. Jean coded all the BASIC portions of the programs and 
contributed to the game's design.

Wendy Peterson directed the creation and production of the packaging
materials and wrote the information displayed on the box.

Jim Wootton served as primary play tester.

Sherwin A. Steffin, Executive Producer

_____________



Game Review


The Prisoner 2

review by Jeff Hurlburt
Softside #44, September 1983


The time is the present, and in this flowering of what is referred to
euphemistically as "The Computer Revolution," you have at last come to
your senses. Oh yes, you've shelled Sneakers, bombed Brick-Out, aced-out
Mini-Golf, demolished Donkey Kong, and stabbed your best friends in 
Santa Paravia. The Pyramid of Doom holds no terrors for you, and 
Castle Wolfenstein is just another place to get a glass of Liebfraumilch.

But now you've ripped free of the electronic cerebrum. You've rolled up
your Ultima maps, slain your last dragon, pored over your final game
review. Never again will you key in a Softside listing. You've dropped out!

In a final gesture of defiance, your personal computer (or perhaps the 
computer at your place of employment) analyzes your recent, aberrant 
behavior and spits out a three digit number. This, it coldly informs you,
is a coded summary of the mental processes which led to your "resignation."

You have dropped out, and SOMEBODY wants to know why. SOMEBODY is very
concerned about this dangerous deviation, this challenge to its pervasive,
numbing, and (to SOMEBODY's way of thinking) beneficent manipulations.
How is it that suddenly you (and a very few like you) have ceased to nibble
greedily every byte from the pernicious purveyors of computer pleasure?

So it is that, hardly a day after publicly refusing to challenge the high
score at Midnight Magic, you awake to find yourself on The Island.


The Subtle Cell

Among your first encounters with the new realities of your situation is
the maze. Small insets depict both a top and 3D representation of your
position. Though an easy (undocumented) way out exists, do not expect to
win the game without a few legitimate maze traversals.

The Island, as you quickly discover, is not the sort of place one simply
departs on a whim. Indeed, you are a prisoner in a subtle cybernetic 
wonderland that might drive the Mad Hatter sane. Rather than dank cells
with steel bars you find manic cleanliness, a deceptive freedom of 
movement, unfailingly agreeable fellow inhabitants -and the omnipresent,
mysterious Caretaker, who is intensely interested in what he calls your
"progress."

So you undertake to explore this strange environment. First, perhaps,
you enter the general store where you may purchase all manner of useful
(albeit non-functioning) items. Indulging your well-conditioned attitude
towards great literature, you visit the library .To be sure, at first 
you may find it a bit frustrating when your selections disappear into a
chute labelled "451."

Suspecting that certain key gaps remain in your educational experience
(blocks, as it were, to self-actualization), you may seek enlightenment 
at the little red schoolhouse. Here, with the rigorous application of 
individualized instruction, the successful candidate may obtain a diploma
(emblazoned with the motto: "Ignorance is Strength").


Island Life: Sweet Amnesia

Naturally, as a conscientious citizen, you will wish to put in an 
appearance at the courthouse where the Jumping Judge administers justice
via an ongoing game of Hangman -and guess who's being hanged today! The
vocabulary is pure civics and you can enhance your standing in the 
community considerably by winning a few "not guilty" verdicts. Alas, as
the stakes mount (e.g. hundreds of credits if you win vs. "initialize
diskette" if you lose) the probability of drawing a nonsense word 
increases.

With improved status you will have an opportunity to engage in financial
transactions at the bank, visit the medical center and direct the 
interrogation of a recalcitrant member of the community, or even try 
your hand at managing The Island itself from city hall.

But then "all work and no play ...."  As it happens The Island boasts
a wealth of relaxing as well as recreational settings. Aside from a 
plush bar, it has a cozy diner, a theatre, a circus, a casino, and a
health spa. In time you may even forget that The Island is a place from
which you were trying to escape. When a bank clerk or store attendant 
casually requests your three digit "resignation code," you may give it
without a second though. Then the mysterious "Master" of The Island will
have what he(?) wants! SOMEONE will be very pleased to welcome you back
into the flock of computer slaves.

Being tough-minded, wily and resourceful, you will not (it goes without
saying) be broken. You will resist! Surely, you reason, others like 
yourself are on The Island: principled men and women who have, by dint of
superior intellect and will power, held fast to their individuality. Yes,
you will have this thought and, with luck (1?), you will make contact with
the ubiquitous underground society known only as "The Brotherhood."

Scheme vs. scheme, subversion vs. sabotage, brain against brain: is this
all there is to life on The Island? Alas, nowhere can you find a bit of 
solace, a sympathetic ear. So you seek that serene sanctuary, the chapel. 
Here at last is balm for the troubled soul and, if you could but ascend a 
staircase of platitudes, an easy escape from the island. Ah, but The Island
has no easy escapel Computers are not, after all, irrational- and what is 
The Island if not a computer? You may be sure the exit is simplicity itself.
Finding the exit is another matter.


Imaginative Special Effects

With twenty major buildings, most of which represent sub-games of varying
complexity, the total number of different displays (all hi-res) is quite
large. Prisoner 2 includes adventure, maze, word game and arcade scenarios, 
so it employs a variety of graphics techniques and formats. Such a load, no
doubt explains the relative simplicity, even blandness of many frames. This
limitation is especially apparent in the few arcade sequences.

Still, the stock in trade of Prisoner 2 is the presentation of verbal 
information. It arouses fantasy, cleverly involving you more deeply in the 
situation. Thus, at the medical center during interrogation of a prisoner,
you have access to an EKG monitor, stimulus control panel, computer and 
subject comments, and even a small picture of the prisoner.

In the chapel, the inputs and responses appear in comic book "balloons" 
above the appropriate figures. A simple, yet very effective, sequence 
involves whispering among conspirators in a darkened theatre. 

Also worth noting is the frequent appearance of small graphics 
embellishments which, though unnecessary, add to the enjoyment. For
instance, you do not simply appear on The Island. Instead, a plane leaves
an airport and moves off the screen. When you make an incorrect choice in
Hangman, the Jumping Judge laughs. On the whole, the graphics of Prisoner 2
are quite excellent.

Sound effects, generally simple tones, highlight computer activity
(e.g. thinking, punching a card, scrolling a response across the screen).
The effect is 1984-ish and, like good perfume, a bit ir ritating.
Happily, you can throw a switch to turn off the sound. Besides preserving
your sanity, this also speeds up the information displays.


Pros and Cons

In roughly thirty hours of play on both an Apple II + and Ile involving
several players, we could detect no significant bugs. Considering the com-
plexity of Prisoner 2, this is amazing evidence of fine craftsmanship. 

One by-product of this care is an attribute found all too rarely among
adventure games: it's fair! When you've lost, you know it; otherwise you
can still win. The single apparent bug involves a way to garner free 
points (i.e. cheat) and may even be intended as a game ploy. In a game
which threatens to reinitialize its own diskette, nothing is certain.

A frequently heard complaint: "I'm always getting thrown back into the
maze," turns out to be invalid, since a single keypress will effect an
exit (from the maze, not The Island). The documentation contains a vague
hint concerning this; possibly it should be more explicit.

Of more immediate concern is that the commands for movement on The Island
are "N,S,E,W" but the display indicates "LEFT, RIGHT", etc.. This seems an
unwarranted bit of obfuscation which the author may wish to address in 
future releases.

The only significant problem experienced with Prisoner 2 does not in-
volve the game at all, but rather the manner in which a game in progress is
saved. Another player cannot start play until the current game is resolved.


Something Special

Anyone, it seems, who "gets into" the game is likely to see Prisoner 2 as
something special. One experienced adventurer proclaimed simply: " ... the
best computer game I've ever played!" 

Beginning with the "Confidential" documentation (one of the best scene
setters you will encounter in game literature), and continuing through to
resolution of play, Prisoner 2 is a superbly crafted adventuring 
experience.

Surely among the more complex computer games, it will repay the involved
player with hours of enjoyment in a variety of imaginative, challenging,
often humorous scenarios. Do not be too surprised when, in the near 
future, Prisoner 2 comes to be ranked among the classics of computer 
adventure gaming.


Interactive Fantasies release
by Edu.Ware Services, Inc.,
P.0. Box 22222, Agoura, CA 91301.
System requirements: Apple II with
Applesoft, 48K RAM, and DOS 3.3.
Suggested retail price $32.95.



Scans and editing by Rubywand