Mission: Mainframe
Some time in the recent past, the main computer of a big corporation went mad
due to some electrical disturbance. It gained control over its operator and
began to influence other employees. Your mission is to find the main frame,
defeat the operator and return to the lobby alive.
Mission: Mainframe is a shareware variation of Wizard’s Castle, a mix of a
board game and role-playing, set in a bizarre contemporary / sci-fi
environment.
Before beginning the game, you first create your character. You may choose one
of four character types which differ in their D&D-like vital stats. As in
other RPGs, the stats may be increased by gathering experience. You then start
in the lobby of the corporation, where you can buy some basic equipment by
spending chips and bytes (instead of gold) on such useful items as Junk Food
(which is very important, otherwise you’ll starve quickly), Strategies
(corresponding to magic spells in fantasy RPGs) and Office Supplies (replace
weapons and armor, thus assisting you in dealing with reluctant corporate
employees).
Other things you can do in the lobby is go the Health Club, where you can
build up your stats, as well as restore your Power & Plans (the power level
represents hit points, and plans are needed to use strategies — e.g., spell
points). Finally, you can start the real game by taking the elevator to other
floors.
The company is located in a thirty floor building. Each floor is divided into
an 8×8 grid of squares. Each square may contain something, like employees you
have to deal with, or file cabinets which may contain helpful items. As the
contents of the squared is determined randomly at the beginning, each game is
different. Depending on the difficulty level you chose at the beginning of the
game, you can see the contents of the squares, or you have to move onto it to
know what it contains.
When you meet an employee, you can deal with him in several ways, for example
trying to bribe him, fight him, use a strategy, evade him, trick him, or try
to distract him by making a phone call. The success of all these actions
depends on different statistics, both of you and the employee. There are 24
different types of employees, and it’s your task to find out how best to deal
with each of them. When you successfully deal with an employee, you gain
experience and can raise your grade (level), which increases your survival
chances in the higher floors, where the employees get more and more powerful.
The file cabinets may contain chips and bytes as well as items like office
supplies or beverages. Some of those are helpful, some are harmful (poison) —
and some can make you drunk. Luckily, you can first take a sip from a drink,
getting a hint about what it may be. As some cabinets are trapped, you also
should be careful with them. The task is complicated by the lights which
sometimes go out. To restore light, you have to light a match (which can be
taken from some employees) and find a fuse box. Also, you have to get special
key cards to get beyond floor 10 and floor 20 by defeating bosses who guard
them.
At any time, you can get back to the elevator and lobby, where you can sell
your treasures, rest and buy new supplies. You can also quit the game here,
getting the opportunity to save your character first.
Mission: Mainframe