Introduction

So you thought you could play? Just because you can waste a few galaxies full of aliens and get the frogs across the freeways pretty quick does *not* mean you're any good!

Monsters, extra-terrestrials and crocodiles are easy meat next to the world's highest mountain. Instead of a laser you've got 34 Sherpas, 15 Porters and 18 Climbers ... and an awful lot of equipment!

You can't kill a mountain, but can you climb it? Bad weather, avalanches and the sheer brain power needed to win say you can't. The task sounds easy enough - just get somebody (anybody!) to the top of Everest. Trouble is, your food is being used up at an alarming rate, Porters can't work too high on the slope and oxygen is heavy! (It's in cylinders, steel cylinders!)

If you're ready for the ultimate challenge then this is it. You can save the attempt on tape at any stage so that you can come back to the problem later. Everest is a compulsive creation you won't be able to leave alone.

Be warned - this game will probably damage your social life! Dinner parties are dull after lunch at Camp Four with a gale howling around the tent, no equipment and a failing supply line...

The Game

Conquering Everest is a computer simulation of an expedition's attempt to climb Mount Everest. You are provided with a quantity of supplies at your Base Camp (Camp 0) together with a party of Climbers, Sherpas and Porters. It is your task to plan the climb and ensure that the required supplies are in the right places on the mountain at the right time.

Having loaded the program, you will first be asked whether you wish to "Load data". On your initial attempt, this will not be possible, so key N.

After you have played several times, you may wish to record information about your ascent so you can resume the climb at a later date. This facility is provided during the summary of each day's progress.

At the beginning of each day you will receive a weather report. As the weather becomes worst there is less change of your Sherpas or Porters being able to get through to their destination... but you will only learn how far they got at the end of the day! Climbers, on the other hand, will always manage to get through. Providing a route has been established, supplies may be moved up (or down) a maximum of two camps at a time.

Before you can move supplies up the mountain to a new camp, a route has to be forced by the Climbers - but before they can do this there must always be sufficient Equipment, Tents, Food, etc at the camp they are starting from.

Once a camp is established you must supply it with enough material to maintain the people present, otherwise they will begin to retreat down the mountain. If this happens high up the mountain then you may suffer the 'snowball effect' and find all your party retreating down to Base Camp!

Moving On The Mountain

Moving supplies and people about while on the mountain is achieved by defining four types of movement:

1. CARRY - This is where people can carry supplies up to another camp, leave their load there and return to their original camp. This provides a way of moving supplies without moving people.
2. 2. MOVE - This is a similar type of movement to CARRY - but here the carrier remains at the camp he carries to. This is used when establishing a new camp or for moving people around lower down on the mountain.
3. 3. ROUTE - This is the movement used when you are trying to force a route up the mountain. Between each camp are a number of sections, each one rope-length long, which require one unit of equipment to complete. The number of rope-lengths completed in a single turn is fairly random but the more people on the route (up to a maximum of four), the more rope-lengths will be laid. Occasionally, part of the route may be destroyed by an avalanche and have to be repaired, so it is wise to leave some equipment at Camp 0!
4. 4. SUMMIT - This is a self-explanatory movement, used when you have reached Camp 6, although you must remember that there are two rope-lengths above Camp 6 which must be laid before the summit attempt is made. All the Climbers in Camp 6 are assumed to take part; there must be at least two. The success of the attempt is dependent on the weather (as are MOVE and CARRY), so you should be prepared to wait at Camp 6 for good weather.

At the end of each day's movements, you will be shown a status report which comprises the following information:

1. The day's movements are displayed, those that were not successful due to weather conditions have *NC* against them (Not Completed).
2. An indication of whether any camp is running out of supplies.
3. A comprehensive, tabular display of the distribution of men and supplies on the mountain.
4. During the summing up of the day's moves you will be offered the option of saving your current status on tape. Insert a blank cassette and follow the instructions on the screen.

Some Rules

The main rules of the game are as follows:

1. At the start, all people and supplies are at Camp 0.
2. A maximum of 10 movements are allowed per day.
3. Tents hold two people under normal circumstances - but can hold three.
4. One unit of food lasts four man-days.
5. One unit of oxygen lasts one man-day at Camp 6 and two man-days at Camps 4 and 5.
6. Only Climbers can FORCE a route up the mountain.
7. A maximum of four Climbers are allowed to force the route at any one time.
8. Only one attempt per day is allowed on the route above any one camp.
9. All occupied camps must have sufficient supplies for the people in them at all times.
10. Nobody can move more than two camps up or down in any one day.
11. Climbers need oxygen at Camp 4 and above.
12. Sherpas need oxygen at Camp 5 and above.
13. Porters are not able to move above Camp 2.

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