Pandora

Click here to download the game (Windows ZIP file)

Pandora is a ATL Win32 game that I wrote first as an ActiveX control but later put into its own executable. It is based on 'The Wreck of the B.S.M. Pandora', a 1980 board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc.

Objective:.

Your objective is to repair the ship before a cold shutdown and capture all specimens that are free. Pandora is populated by bots (robots) that can be helpful. The game will end when a maximum number of turns has elapsed (game time) or the ship has shutdown or the crew has been killed. Major systems that are not in green condition will slowly deteriorate as time passes..

Cold Shutdown.

Should any system drop to 0% the ship will begin a cold shutdown. Once a cold shutdown has started the ship must be restarted by repairing all major systems so that non of them are in red condition and activating the restart. The chance of the restart succeeding is proportional to the state of the major systems. A restart attempt the fails will cause all systems to be further damaged..

Specimens.

Specimens must be captured or killed to succeed. To capture a specimen it must be stunned and carried to a specimen cell before the stun wears off. Cells must be in yellow or green condition to hold a specimen. Specimens may escape from cells in yellow condition. Specimens may attack other things and pick up an relocate items depending on their aggression, intelligence and other factors..

Bots.

Bots are very useful. If the crew is in a pod with the ability to remote control a bot and that bot is not in red condition then it may be put under remote control. The crew must remain in the pod in order to remote control the bot(s). Some portable devices allow remote control of the pod that can remote control bots so that the crew may move around. Bots can be set to follow the crew around by enabling follow mode. A bot can be left to complete a specific task (repairing something) by turning on repeat action mode and then performing a (repair) action. The bot will continue to do the (repair) action until the target item is in perfect condition. Every time a bot enters yellow condition there is a chance it may go berzerk. Berzerk bots must be disabled before they can be repaired..

Repairing.

A thing can only be repaired by something that has the capability to repair that kind of thing. The types of things that an item can repair are indicated by a row of icons below the repair ability. Items in red condition are non functional. Items in yellow condition may work but are not as effective or reliable..

Extra Vehicular Activity.

To go outside the ship or into a pod that has been compromised a crew, bot or specimen must have EVA ability. Any living thing in a pod that suffers a hull breach will immediately die. Hull breaches may be created by shooting the pod with a Turbo lazer. The Turbo lazer may also be used to repair hull breaches..