                       The Hitchhiker's Guide to

                D A M O C L E S : M e r c e n a r y   I I

                             (Version 1.0)

             by Mark Sachs -- E-mail: mbs110@psuvm.psu.edu
     [thanks to Adrian Hurt for info on Novagen and Mercenary III]

   DAMOCLES was written by Paul Woakes and a bunch of other people too.
               (C) 1990 Novagen Software and all that.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction: A Guide to the Guide
II. First Things First: The Five Ways to Win
III. A Mercenary's Guide to the Gamma System: An Exhaustive Almanac
IV. Getting In to Where You Shouldn't Be: Keys and Locked Doors Located
V. Getting Around in the Gamma System 1: Vehicles
VI. Getting Around in the Gamma System 2: Hantzen Teleport Cubes
VII. Rules Were Made to be Broken: For Your Amusement
VIII. Build Your Own Virtual Reality: How It Was Done
IX. As If One Solar System Wasn't Enough: Mission Disks and MIII



I. INTRODUCTION


    Basically, this file tells you everything I've found out about Damocles
in nearly a year of exhaustive playing: coordinates of every interesting
building, how to solve all the puzzles, where to find the keys -- everything.
So, tread lightly if you don't want to be massively spoiled. And with that,
we begin with the biggest spoiler of all...



II. THE FIVE WAYS TO WIN


    1. Find all eight explosives and the timed detonator. Go to Damocles. Drop seven explosives and set the eighth to detonate. Depart posthaste and collect reward: $10,000,000. Note that you can bargain the State President
up to $25,000,000 by turning down her first offers.
    2. Ditto, but blow up Icarus instead before Damocles passes it. Without Icarus's gravitational pull, Damocles's course is altered so it misses Eris by a good margin. Collect $10,000,000 from the State President and $25,000,000 from Lloyds' for solving the problem without destroying Damocles.
    3. Using the Nova Bomb instead of explosives, repeat #1 or #2 above.
    4. Use the Magic Wishing Crystal on Midas and wish that Eris (or both
Eris and Damocles) would be saved. (the "Wishes Solution")
    5. Using the Author's Computer, blow up Damocles (planet #29.)



III. A MERCENARY'S GUIDE TO THE GAMMA SYSTEM


ICARUS (first planet)
  ~152/417 = MINING COMPLEX
    02/01 = HQ: Red Herring (worth nothing special)

ACHERON (moon of Midas)
  ~836/324 = ACHERON RETREAT
    One of the four "hidden" pyramids contains a communications console.
    * The key to the Acheron/Midas puzzle is in either sphynx. Go in the
    hidden side door at the sphynx's knee. On the front wall is a pyramid
    number, but you can only read it if you're carrying the reading glasses
    from Lucan. Translate it into planetary coordinates:
    1. Divide by 4096 and drop the fraction. Call this PX.
    2. Get the remainder from step 1. Call this PY.
    The pyramids are arranged in a large square, 4096 pyramids on a side.
    PX and PY locate the pyramid in this grid.
    3. Divide PX by 4.096 and drop the fraction to get the planetary X coord.
    4. Divide PY by 4.096, drop the fraction and add 250. This is the
    planetary Y coordinate. Now go to Midas.

MIDAS (second planet): THE MIDAS PROJECT (16 million identical pyramids)
    * Pyramid 68-09-20-33 located at 577,341 contains the Magic Wishing
    Crystal. You can wish for anything in the Wishful Thinking of a Mercenary
    book: while holding the crystal, show the wish in the little message
    window, then hit * and it shall be granted. Note that a lot of stuff in
    here you can also do for free by fiddling with the Author's Computer.

DION (third planet)
  ~793/574 = BIRMINGHAM ISLAND
    03/14 = Dion Verdant Party HQ. Parked outside: Targ Tourer (car)
            1: Teleport Cube 2
            9: Door Key "E"
    00/07 = Lawson-8 Bank
    02/12 = GUM Department Store. 1: Rug
    01/11 = Bank of Gaea branch
    00/10 = Office Building. G: Bed, Table, Notepad (stating that Prof.             Hantzen's new address is Ur City 07/01)
    02/11 = Novagen Offices (requires Door Key "D" for entry)
            G: Rubbish Bin (filled with Damocles release dates)
            1: Novagen Files (with random remarks), Table, Ansafone (noting
            that everyone's on holiday, and you can buy a Blue Beacon
            Detector at 02/01 Mentor), Novagen Safe (blast open with             explosive set to 0, and then read various clues)
    02/02 = GUM Department Store: Washing Machine
    09/00 = GUM Department Store: Bath, Towel Rail
    09/14 = Trading Post: ACME Universal Suit ($25,000)
            * The ACME Universal protects against heat, cold, and vacuum.
    01/05 = "E" Building
    14/13 = Author's House (requires Door Key "A")
            Author's Chair, Desk, Computer
            * The Chair is a spaceship in disguise, and to operate the
    computer you must be sitting in it. Computer settings: 0 - changes the
    colors of the Universe. 1 - changes the colors of your control panel.
    2 - changes the amount of perspective. 3 - changes the speed at which
    time passes. 4 - allows you to delete any planet from the system.
    Destroy the computer and the entire solar system comes apart.
  ~807/586 = DION NORTH
    00/03 = Windmill: 1 Box Explosives
    01/04 = Trading Post: Hammer
    04/01 = Empty Trading Post
    06/00 = Annie's Bar: Chair/Table
  ~810/566 = DION EAST
    06/00 = Annie's Bar: Chair/Table, Door Key "D"
    04/01, 01/04 = Empty Trading Posts
    00/03 = Greenhouse: Greenhouse Effect (worth $24,000)

CLOTHO (moon of Dion)
  ~596/322 = CLOTHO NEW TOWN
    01/00 = Lloyds Group 4 Investments. 2: Table, Chair, Lottery Ticket
            * The "4" points to:
    04/00 = Secret Storage. B: Bathroom Scale
    01/01 = Nuclear Power Plant: Fireplace, Chair, Table
    02/01 = Active Marketing
            G: Bench, Table
            2: Fridge
            3: Bed
            4: Settee, Coffee Table, Table Lamp, Sunglasses
    
ATROPOS (moon of Dion)
  ~009/304 = CITY
    02/02 = Spaceport
    01/02 = Bank of Gaea Branch
    01/01 = GUM Department Store. 1: Shopping Bag
    02/01 = Radar Station

LACHESIS (moon of Dion)
  ~612/506 = Abandoned Pulvin Mines, tractors

GAEA (fourth planet)
  ~125/687 = UR CITY
    07/01 = Prof. Hantzen's House (req. Door Key B) Parked outside: '99 Chevy
            Inside: Teleport Cube 0, Sideboard (really NOVA TRIGGER 1),
            Table, Fax (mentioning storage location of expensive piano, and             that the power of the Nova Bomb equals 8 maxset explosives)
    09/02 = Storage Center. B: Piano (worth $18,000), NOVA BOMB
    09/03 = Trading Post: Stove
    05/02 = Industrial Co-Op HSE2
            B: 1 Box Explosive
            G: Table/Chair
    00/01 = Spaceport "E"
    03/00 = Empty Storage Center
    01/03 = GUM Department Store: Shower
    01/02 = Industrial Co-Op HSE1
            B: 1 Box Explosive
            G: Chair/Desk
  ~065/440 = CHALDEA METROPOLIS
    07/14 = Spaceport
    06/06 = Bank of Gaea Building
            G: Desk, Settee, Chair, Receipt (describing how the package from             Prof. Hantzen was sold locally)
            B: Gold (worth $45,000)
    04/01 = Marillion Apartments
            G: Sink, Wall Clock (hinting towards Icarus solution), Wardrobe
            1: Cooker
    03/00 = Empty Storage
    06/08 = Real Estate Offices (lose money to buy house 02/05 Eris Capital)
    05/06 = Trading Post: Stereo (really NOVA TRIGGER 3)
    08/08 = Trade Center: Teleport cube 6, key to '22 CV (parked outside)
  ~751/314 = VULCAN ISLAND
    Volcano, Blue Beacon, 1 Box Explosives

CRONUS (moon of Gaea)  ~626/463 = Mercenary I Museum. 05/05: Museum Guide

CYCLOPES (moon of Gaea)
  ~851/602 = IDI CAMP COMPLEX
    02/02 = IDI Palace of Fun: Amplifier (lottery being held)
    * The ticket is in the Lloyds Group 4 building on Clotho.

ERIS (5th Planet)
  ~016/283 = CAPITAL CITY
    07/08 = Spaceport: VIP Limo, VIP Limo Key [ YOU START HERE ]
    09/09 = Moorby School of Flying: Electric Fire, Eagle-9SE Spaceship
    09/08 = State President's Office
            B: Eagle-9SE Key
            G: Damocles File (describing Damocles), Coffee Table
            1: Air Conditioner
            2: Bench, Settee
    11/08 = "E" Building. B: Teleport Cube 5
    01/01 = Exchequer District A (lose all cash to pay back taxes)
    04/04 = Statue
    04/10, 14/03, 13/03, 12/03 = Empty Trading Posts
    04/11 = GUM Department Store: King-Size Spanner
    09/02 = Playtester Stores (Red Beacon) B: Antigrav
    * Antigrav allows you to pick up vehicles and teleport cubes.
    15/03 = Trading Post: Pressure Suit (permitting excursions in vacuum)
    08/14 = Trading Post: Key to Bestcupand (parked outside)
    12/04 = Open Area: Sunshade
    14/05 = Eris Power Generation: Heat Resist Suit
    ??/?? = Trading Post: _The Wishful Thinking of a Mercenary_ book
    * This is somewhere near the nuclear power plant and the 08/14 T.P.
    The book is part of the "wishes" solution.
    02/01 = Post Office: Table
    01/04 = Another "E"
    15/12 = Lawson Bank HQ. B: Vault (open with Key C) - 25 million ECUs
    * note that you can't seem to actually GET $25 mil for this...
    12/14 = Eris Post Office HQ -- A to Z computer
    * Carry the computer and activate it. It shows your location, and
    names the building if you're near someplace special. Note that the
    phone message in the NIC on Mentor does NOT have the correct
    location! Argh!
    02/01 = Airport: Table
  ~375/438 = VELOS
    03/07 = Trading Post: TV Controller
    04/06 = Empty Trading Post
    04/05 = EKMPV S Ad Agency. 1: Coffee Table, Settee, Standard Lamp
    04/01 = Eris TV Studios
            1: Settee, Desk, Chair
            2: Table, Video Player
            9: TV (use TV Controller to watch), Chair, Table
  ~750/375 = BARE ISLAND
    05/05 = "E" Building
    06/06 = GUM Department Store. 1: Thermal Undies
    06/05 = Professor Hantzen's Labs
            B: Door Key B
            3: 3 Boxes of Explosives
            4: Top Secret File (describing the Nova Bomb), Table,
        Memo Pad (describing how the four triggers have been lost by the
        Post Office Sorting Branch, Snow Island), Processor's Desk and Chair
    02/04 = Hantzen Airport
    07/04 = Hantzen Admin. 9: Table, Chair, Geiger Counter
    * The Geiger Counter clicks when you get near the Novabomb, and clicks
    faster and faster as you get closer to it.
    06/02 = Low Office Building
            B: Timed Detonator (sets off explosives)
            G: Teleport Cube 1
            1: '99 Chevy Key
  ~007/507 = SNOW ISLAND
    07/04 = Landing Strip
    06/04 = Wine Bar: Table, Chair, Bottle
    03/00 = Post Office Sorting Branch: Table, Clipboard (describing where
        the four triggers may have gotten to), Storage Boxes, Cupboard
        (in reality NOVA TRIGGER 2)
  ~626/126 = KEY WEST
    02/01 = Spaceport
    01/04 = "E" building
    07/10, 08/08, 04/00 = Empty Trading Posts
    09/08 = Lawson-8 Bank: Antique Clock (worth $799.90)
    07/07 = Newton Ltd. Research. B: Anti-Grav (worth $100,000)
    00/07 = Spaceport

METIS (moon of Eris)
  ~616/511 = JUDICIARY COMPLEX
    00/06 = Office Building (lose all cash to lawsuit)
            9: Processor's Desk & Chair, Filofax (describing various trivial             stuff), Teleport Cube #?
    02/00 = Spaceport with Beacon
    01/03 = Lawson-8 bank: Door Key "C"
    02/06 = Jail (do not enter -- you get locked up 'till Mercenary III
            is released...)
    05/06 = Nixon Interstellar Court of Justice (NIC)
            Inside: Table, Wall Phone (mentioning that the A-Z Computer at
            Eris Post Office at 14/11 could be most useful)
            Through secret door at back: something which is actually NOVA
            TRIGGER #?

VESTA (moon of Eris)
  ~264/326 = POLITBURO CITY
    04/06 = Government Hall (requires Door Key E for entry/exit)
            B: Teleport Cube 4
            G: Bench
            1: Key to Targ Tourer, Processor's Desk and Chair
            2: Scroll (describing trivial proposed new legislation), Table
            3: Briefcase (increasing number of things you can carry)
    05/03, 06/03 = Empty Trading Posts
    06/04 = Lawson-8 Bank
    05/04 = Lloyd's Group 4 Building. From 4th floor the four becomes an
            arrow, pointing to:
    04/04 = Traffic Circle with Red Beacon Locator
    03/07 = GUM Department Store. (be 2nd customer, win $10,000)
            2: Table, Cash Register (worth $1,555)
    03/01 = Bank of Gaea Branch (?)

LUCAN (moon of Eris)
  ~???/??? = ONE OF A RING OF 12 ISLANDS
    00/07 = Red Beacon, Reading Glasses
    * The huge glyphs on the islands are actually the 12 signs of the
    zodiac. The beacon is located in the "eye" of Leo. The glasses are
    required to solve the Midas puzzle.

SOLON (moon of Eris)
  ~969/596 = PENN SCHOOL OF LITERATURE
    ??/?? = Blue Beacon, Mazelike Underground Complex
            Nesbitt Library: Table, Stool, Bookcase; Gold (worth $75,000)

THEON (moon of Eris)
  ~???/??? = INTERSTELLAR COMMUNICATIONS LINK
    02/03 = Radar: 1 Box Explosives
    01/02 = Landing Strip, Blue Beacon
    03/01 = Radar: Communications Console, Chair
    Assorted communications towers outside the central complex

LOGOS (sixth planet)
  ~316/896 = CITY
    04/02 = Bridge Office Building
            3: Photocopier (mentions teleport cubes can be flown through)
            4: Teleport Cube 6
    06/03 = Charlene's Disco: Ghetto Blaster (providing loud, irritating
            music)
    06/00 = Spaceport
    07/00, 08/00, 06/02, 08/03, 07/03 = Empty Trading Posts
    * You get the best prices for found equipment at "Frank's Bargain TP."

PAN (moon of Triton)
  ~102/688 = HADES LABOR CAMP
    04/00 = Spaceport, Red Beacon
    04/01 = Offices. 1: Key to Bullet spaceship
    Numerous jails and (immobile) tractors

THALIA (moon of Triton)
  ~487/042 = MILITARY BASE
    06/03 = Spaceport: Red Beacon, Bullet spaceship

PERSEUS (moon of Juno)
  ~940/456 = ALKANE BASE
    04/06 = Emergency Facility. B: Bed, Life-Support
    05/02 = Research Lab: Battery, Davey Jones' Locker

TOLOSA (moon of Juno)
  ~667/633 = ERISIAN CURRENCY REPOSITORY (defended)
    * It's not real difficult to destroy the drone ship: go to a low
    altitude and keep moving at low speed so you won't be hit. Keep turning
    around and fire whenever you see something moving. A direct hit is NOT
    required...
    ??/?? = Currency Repository (requiring Door Key "H" to enter): Gold

BACCHUS (moon of Juno)
  ~405/638 = CITY
    02/08 = Spaceport: Concorde III plane, Transporter Cube 8
    01/03 = Casino: Table, Phone Message (asking why you're in the fleshpots             of Bacchus when there's work to be done)
            Bet all your money, double or nothing
    01/02 = GUM Department Store: Fishtank
    00/03 = Dance Hall

MENTOR (ninth planet)
  ~689/316 = SETTLEMENT
    09/07 = Spaceport: Teleport Cube #9, Concorde III Key
    02/01 = Trading Post: Blue Beacon Detector (costs $100,000)
    06/05 = Trading Post: Antique Sextant
    04/03 = Trading Post: CB Rig
        Numerous other trading posts

Planets not mentioned in this travelogue are almost certainly void. But
if they aren't, be nice and let me know...



IV. DOOR KEYS


A: found ??? unlocks Author's House, 14/13 Birmingham Island, Dion
B: found Hantzen Labs, 06/05 Bare Island, Eris; unlocks Hantzen's House,
    07/01 Ur City, Gaea
C: found in Lawson Bank, 01/03 Metis; unlocks vault in basement, Lawson Bank
    HQ, 15/12 Capital City, Eris
D: found in bar, 06/00 Dion East, Dion; unlocks Novagen Offices, 02/11
    Birmingham Island, Dion
E: found in Dion Verdant Party HQ, 03/14 Birmingham Island, Dion; unlocks
    Government Hall, 04/06 Vesta
F: found in a Lawson Bank, second floor -- unlocks ?
G: ???
H: found ??? unlocks Eris Currency Repository ??/?? Tolosa

Note that you can get through locked doors another way: set an explosive
to 0, drop it next to the door, and back off. The explosive will blast
the lock off the door.



V. VEHICLES AND KEYS


VIP Limo (car): Capital City Spaceport, 07/08 Capital City, Eris;
    key inside building
Eagle-9SE (spaceship): Moorby School of Flying, 09/09 Capital City, Eris;
    key in basement of State President's Office at 09/08
Bestcupand (spaceship): Trading post, 08/14 Capital City, Eris;
    key inside trading post
'99 Chevy (car): Hantzen's House, 07/01 Ur City, Gaea; 
    key inside 06/02 office, Bare Island, Eris
Targ Tourer (car): Dion Verdant Party HQ, 03/14 Birmingham Island, Dion;
    key on 1st floor, Government Hall, 04/06 Vesta 
Free Ship: Spaceport, 00/07 Key West, Eris
Concorde III (plane): Spaceport 02/08 Bacchus;
    key inside spaceport, 09/07 Mentor
'22 CV (car): Office, 08/08 Chaldea Metropolis, Gaea
    key inside building
Bullet (military spaceship): Spaceport 06/03 Thalia;
    key in offices, 04/01 Pan



VI. TRANSPORTER CUBES


0: Hantzen's House, 07/01 Ur City, Gaea
1: G, 06/02 Bare Island, Eris
2: 1, Dion Verdant Party HQ, 03/14 Birmingham Island, Dion
4: B, Government Hall, 04/06 Vesta
5: B, 11/08 Capital City, Eris
6: 4, 04/02 Logos
?: Offices 08/08 Chaldea Metropolis, Dion
8: Outside 02/08 Bacchus
9: Outside 09/07 Mentor
?: 9, 00/06 Metis



VI. FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT


- Once you've figured out how to destroy a planet, try the technique on
  various planets. Especially Gaea, Dion, and Eris.
- Blast the lock off the door of the Author's House and steal his computer
  and his chair.  They both have actual uses, and do quite interesting
  things.
- Blow up the Author's Computer with an explosive. Then get well clear...
  that is, well clear of EVERYTHING.
- Each planet and/or moon has some information and history associated with
  it. Benson (your computer) doesn't always present it upon your visit to
  said world. Keep trying until you do get it.
- Try to land on the sun (Dialis).
- Crash your spaceship in the ocean.
- Land on the roof of a building, get out, then stroll over the edge...
- Get yourself locked into the jail on Metis.
- There are lots of nice vantage points to watch Eris's destruction from.
  Vesta is quite decent. The best place, of course, is on Eris itself. If
  you're on the right part of the planet, you'll get to see the comet
  plunging through the atmosphere directly towards you.
- Watch the control towers at spaceports; they change color to warn you
  when your ship gets near.
- Lots of the stuff in Damocles is quite closely related to British politics,
  although the passage of time since its release has obsoleted some of the
  jokes. For example, the Lawson Banks are named after Nigel Lawson, the
  chancellor of the Exchequer at the time Damocles was being written   (although by the time it actually came out, he wasn't any more...) You can
  find the Prime Minister's proposal for the poll tax in the basement of the
  Hall of Government on Vesta; she predicts it will be well-received...
- The Novagen offices are full of inside jokes and hints on the game. You
  will find the keys in a pub on Dion East.
- Noticed the road signs near the Novagen building on Dion? Novagen's
  real offices are on Alcester Road, Birmingham, England, and the one in
  the game bears an intentional physical resemblance to the real one.
  The same goes for the Author's House.



VIII. HOW WAS IT DONE?


This bit is basically my guesses on the broad outlines of Damocles's
programming. It doesn't contain any spoilers, but read it if you think you
might find it amusing (or you know better and want to chuckle at how far off
I am...)

The really clever thing about Damocles is the way it does more with less. The
basic idea is to keep as much stuff off-stage as possible, so that only the
smallest amount of actual 3-d drawing is done -- but, on the other hand,
through clever tricks the player is convinced that exactly the opposite is
true. For example, you get the impression of large, crowded metropolises and
populated suburbs, but in fact, the cities are carefully designed so that you
never see more than one building or house at once! Of course, you can see the
entire street grid from high altitude, but lines are cheap to draw, and this
gives the impression of a large city for very little expense. Between
buildings in the cities, the roads are lined with easy-to-draw streetlights,
trees, and road signs to make them look less sparse.

As well, the area of land in Damocles that is populated, or even detailed, is
extremely small compared to the empty areas, but you are carefully led from
one city to the next to belie this impression. Other goodies such as the tiny
islands and huge oceans on major worlds and the descriptions of settlements
as "small bases" on the moons help "misdirect" the player as well. And, of
course, once you've actually landed in a settlement, the scale turns out to
be quite big -- try walking from one building to its neighbor to see what I
mean -- and the settlements "feel" satisfactorily large.

Once a way of keeping time-consuming drawing to a minimum is found, the rest
of the game is (relatively) easy to work out: settlements are located on a
world's major (1000x1000) grid, and one building and/or road tile is tied to
each minor grid point in each settlement. Thus, large maps can be stored with
relatively little expense, especially if object definitions of buildings are
re-used as extensively as they are.

The hidden-surface routine I am almost certain was used is the (in)famous Painter's Algorithm. This relies on the fact that when you draw a filled polygon (or an entire object), it covers up whatever was behind. Thus, all
you have to do is order the polygons or objects to be drawn according to how
far they are from the observer, and then put them on the screen in that
order. Glitches are possible with the Painter's Algorithm (try parking a
spaceship between the wings of an L-shaped building, then seeing it "through"
the building) but on the whole this is a speedy and generally accurate
algorithm.



IX. THE MISSION DISKS, AND A LOOK FORWARD AT MERCENARY III


Two "Mission Disks" for Damocles have apparently been released, each
with five "missions" (saved games set up such that you have an additional
task to perform as well as stopping the comet.) Disk 2 includes, as one
of its saves, a guide to executing the "wishes solution," and also a series
of "silly saves" which the producers found amusing.

And, despite the sincere lack of optimism about Mercenary III that abounded
all through Damocles, MIII is in fact in the final stages of production. It
is a straight sequel, still set in the Gamma System, called _Mercenary III:
The Dion Crisis_.

The major difference: you are no longer alone -- there are
other people in the game! They "talk" to you using the one-line display
previously used only by Benson. The control panel and general graphic style
seem no different, but rumor has it that the A-to-Z Computer might be
permanently installed in it. (yay!) The plot concerns the tranquil planet of
Dion in the Gamma system, formerly a verdant green paradise, now being
destroyed by polluting heavy industries. Presumably you have to do something
about this.

When is it coming out? "Mid-1992"...
