Whoever unsuccessfully adapted Mr Gunness' solution to Savage Island Part 1 last issue - and stated the game was bugged when they couldn't find the beach - got it wrong! There is no bug in any version of Savage Island for the BBC and Electron; getting to the beach is only possible if a random event generator (when you are SAILing about) happens on one particular number. Something like IF RND(200)=1 THEN GOTO beach.
This does make the game infuriating as you do die many times and have to keep reloading a saved position. It was this that Electron User kept pointing out, it never said the game was impossible! The writer's memory is playing tricks on him if he remembers anything else. The best way around the problem is to define say *KEY 0 with "Y|MY|MGO RAFT|MSAIL|MGO BEACH|MSAIL|MGO BEACH|MSAIL..." etc. SAVE the position just before you attempt to find the beach and then tap the defined key. If you hit the right location, GO BEACH will put you on it. If not, GO BEACH will have no effect and you will SAIL again and try again. If you die, wait until you get the "Play again (Y/N)" prompt and just tap the same key again.
Alternatively, you could just load in the saved position I've submitted.
Josef Williams
Oops! After replaying the adventure I've found your assertations are completely correct. After only one hour of "playing" and loading, I came across the location I thought wasn't there! It's a very strange adventure that tries this hard to stop you completing it.
The solution published last issue is correct in all but its claims that progression is impossible from the place where it 'ends'. However, on constructing the full solution taking your saved position into account, I have discovered that you actually have to LEAVE the beach and find it all over again then re-SAVE this second position.
As we're coming to the end - Hoorah! - of this series, I've decided to wait a while before publishing both this 'amended' solution and the two saved positions. As Savage Island Part 1 is in the Public Domain now (Well not technically, but its author says anyone may enjoy the adventures free of charge!) I will probably publish the game itself accompanied by a detailed walkthrough in a future EUG magazine...
1st February 2001