Introduction

You have just become the President of Ritimba, a small "banana republic" somewhere vaguely equatorial. Like all previous presidents, of which there have been very very many, your position is unenviable. The instability of the country guarantees that your rule will be brief and you will end up either very dead or in exile.

Your main purpose, therefore, is to rule for as long as possible, during which time you need to siphon off into a Swiss bank account as much of your country's meagre treasury balance as possible, ready for your inevitable early retirement. You must, of course, manage to flee Ritimba at the appropriate time in order to enjoy your ill-gotten gains.

These notes will take you into your first attempt at being the Dictator. If any any time, you press the wrong key or get 'lost' in the program, keying ESCAPE will jump you back to the start.

Beginning A Game

When the game is loaded, please stand for the Ritimban National Accident! (Do you recognise it?)

Press any key when you can't stand it any longer.

The flashing "KEY" at the bottom of the screen features throughout and means:

1. Press Y if a YES answer is required.
2. Press a number for a required position.
3. Press N for No or "No Selection Wanted" (if this is allowed!) or Move to the next Section. In fact, you can use practically any key for this command.
4. Press N (or any key) for a Treasury Report in Ritimban dollars.
5. Press N (or any key) for a Secret Police Report.

The Populations

Within Ritimba, there are three main populations. The Army, the Peasants and the Landowners. As their interests often conflict and each is jealous of the other's relative strengths, they are known as "Factions".

The Army is small, houses in one barracks, and is poorly executed. They have nobody to fight but bands of Guerillas, and are not noted for their loyalty to the President.

The Peasants work and live at serf level on the banana plantations. (Bananas are the only export through a run-down port on the short Ritimban coastline.) Both the Army and the Guerillas recruit from their numbers, which are considerable.

The Landowners, though few in number, have the financial clout to buy trouble for you if they do wish.

The Guerillas

The Guerillas inhabit the mountainous border regions, and are solely dedicated to overthrowing any President/Despot/Dictator (That's you!) and substituting their own brand of socialism. They will readily join any disgruntled Faction.

The Secret Police

The Secret Police, your eyes and ears, who prepared this report, are formidable allies or enemies. Without their co-operation, you will have little idea of what's going on, and as they can either protect you from assassination or join a revolution they need to be treated with due respect.

Leftoto

Leftoto is your neighbour sharing all your land border. The Leftotans also grow and export bananas. They will not make war, but can give support to either side in a revolution. Rather left-wing - more sympathy with Russian or Peasant interests. Should you be ousted and flee to Leftoto you will be received sympathetically, even if the Leftotians helped in your downfall.

The Superpowers are no direct threat, but the amount of 'foreign aid' they dish out to prop up the shaky Ritimban economy is directly related to their opinion of your rule.

Screen Indicators

The numbered bars on the left, indicating your popularity with Factions or Groups will vary in length. At present, you are equally popular with all except the Guerillas. You will never gain their support.

The numbered bars indicate the relative strengths of Groups or Factions. Superpower superstrength is a foregone conclusion.

Your strength is 4. It represents the strength of the only loyal support you have, a small private army of thugs. Your bodyguard, Although not bright enough to protect you from assassination, they will fight for you in any revolution but such is their devotion they will gun you down should you attempt to leave them, i.e. flee the country. The only time you will be able to do this is when they are fully occupied fighting for you.

Starting Off

Press 'N' Notice that your rule is measured in months!

Every month you are obliged to take part in an old, but tiresome, Ritimban tradition. A member of one of the Factions will, at this Presidential Audience, make a request which you may grant or refuse. Such a request is now on your screen.

Press 'N' for "advice". Press 'Y'.

This tells you the consequences of granting the request, how it affects your popularity with and the strength of the Factions and Groups. Sometimes there is little effect. At other times, the consequences, depending on your position at the time, may be disastrous. You will never be able to please all of the people all of the time.

If you decide to refuse the request, the status of each will not be affected except that your popularity with the Faction concerned will go down (minus) by the amount indicated by the arrow.

Press 'N' to show the financial consequences of granting the request. Now you have to decide.

Press 'Y' (whatever the request is) to get an updated Treasury Report. The first monthly reduction will have been made as will any adjustments caused by granting the request.

Press 'N' Police Reports cost 1,000 dollars. It's always worth it.

Press 'Y' for the Police Report. The strength and popularity indicators will have altered. They can never exceed 9 or drop below 0, so if your rating with a Faction or Group is 0 you can't make things worse.

If your popularity with a Faction drops to 4 or less then it may plot against you. No Faction is ever strong or confident enough to start a Revolution alone and needs an ally; another Faction or Group with whom you are unpopular. Also, such an alliance can only be made if the combined strengths of the two parties equal or exceeds Strength for Revolution (which itself will vary!). If an alliance is made, the Faction name will flash and the number of its ally will be displayed in the blank column to its right. Thus forewarned of a plot you will have time to take appropriate action.

If a Faction cannot find a suitable ally then it will plot your Assassination. This will show as a flashing 'A' next to its name. No strength is needed and only the Secret Police can protect you.

Press 'N' for Presidential Decisions.

These are a selection of decisions you can choose from to alter the course of events. They can be examined and advice sought concerning their consequences.

On screen at the moment are Decision Headings. (Menu)

Press "1" (Please a Group).

Press "5" (Sell Arms).

Press "Y" for Advice. Note that in this case Strengths are unaltered.

Press "N" for Financial Consequences. This is the time to press 'Y' to make the decision but instead -

Press "N" to take you back to Decision Headings.

Press "3" (Improve Chances)

Once taken, a decision is irrevocable. Neither can be repeated. It won't even be listed. There are two exceptions to this and they are marked with an asterisk.

'Increasing your Bodyguard' will increase your strength by 2.

'See to your Swiss Bank account' will immediately dump half the Treasury into it. The move 'secret' so there are no changes to Strength or Popularity.

Press "N" for Decision Headings. If you press 'N' again you will skip the Presidential Decisions altogether, but

Press "4" (Raise some Cash)

The Russians and the Americans do not interfere in any way with your rule, but they will each give you a lump sum once only. The amount given will depend on how popular you are with them at the time of asking. If you are very unpopular they will refuse (but you can ask again). They will also need time to assess your rule, perhaps as long as five months, but you can try earlier. Cultivate support - then ask!

You can now look through the other Presidential Decisions. After making one, you will get another Treasury Report, another Police Report, and then move on to the next month's Audience.

However, during your rule various other events may occur.

Other Events

Newsflash is a random event having minor or disastrous consequences. The advice following a Newsflash is to let you know what's happened in consequence.

Bankruptcy. If the Treasury goes broke you will steadily lose any support from your unpaid Army, your unpaid Bodyguard and you will get no Police Reports. You will be unable to grant requests or make decisions which need funding.

Assassination Attempt. The strength of the Secret Police and your popularity with them will reflect in your chances of surviving an attack, which can come at any time. If you are getting regular Police Reports you will probably survive but, if all three Factions plot assassinations simultaneously, the attack will succeed.

Revolution occurs only after a Presidential Decision, so if a Police Report gives warning, you will have the opportunity to defuse the situation if you wish. When a Revolution starts, you are given an opportunity to flee the country. If you have bought a helicopter then you will be safe (assuming that it starts. Ritimban helicopter maintenance is mainly spit and polish!). Otherwise you will attempt to escape through the mountains to Leftoto. The strength of the Guerillas will determine your likelihood of survival. Part of your rule should be devoted to making escape possible.

Or you can stay and fight. The Revolutionary strength is given and you have the chance to pick a suitable ally. If strengths are matched you will win. If the Revolutionaries are a little stronger you may still win (God is on your side!). After winning, your ally goes to strength 9 and you are given a chance to 'punish' both revolutionary parties by reducing their strengths to zero (Not always a good idea).

Score

Your rule is ended when you have escaped or you're dead. You are given a Presidential Rating based on:

1. Your current overall popularity
2. Your length of rule
3. Being alive - a small score but it allows a score for...
4. The amount in the Swiss Bank Account

The score is saved for comparison with any subsequent attempts.

Other Points

No Revolutions or Assassination Attempts are made in the first two months of rule or for two months following a Revolution.

You can't take money from your Swiss Bank Account during a rule.

The level of popularity at which plots can be hatched can be as low as 2 or as high as 4. This level varies from month to month.

Apart from very few hints, you have been given no clear guidelines as to the best way to success. Neither have you been given all the information.

How many requests are there? Do Factions take it in turns to make them? What's the best way to rule? Subjugate the population? Placate them? A mixture of the two? How to stop a Revolution? How to start one? Can I manage without the Secret Police?

Don't except success at your first attempt. Later you will gain enough knowledge to manipulate events so that you can rule longer, get richer and escape. you can have both good and bad luck. How much luck plays a part is a matter of judgement!

Reminder - ESCAPE will stop the program and restart at the beginning.

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CHAIN"" (RETURN)