Worse things happen at sea

Gameplay Worse Things Happen At Sea . Water through three holes began to flow to the upper deck and the robot proceeded to pump it out

The Sinclare ship goes sailing and the purpose of the trip is to deliver cargo to a given port, and for this a certain amount of money will be received. However, the ship has some problems that begin with its hull leaking. As a result, the ship can sink, and in order to reach the destination, the player-controlled robot needs to use patches to close holes through which water flows. Also, the robot has the ability to pump water using water pumps . At the same time, as the cargo gets wet, its cost decreases, and therefore the task is not only to get to the port and not drown, but also to leave the cargo as safe as possible ^{[2] [5] [6]} .

The robot has a limited battery capacity that gradually discharges. If the robot works in water, then its discharge rate increases. To recharge, a special camera can be used, which is located in the cabin of the ship. However, if the battery is completely discharged, the robot will die and the player will lose one of three lives ^[2] .

After completing the first trip, the cargo is sold and then the ship is repaired from the proceeds, and the robots necessary for servicing are restored. A new cargo is being prepared for the next flight, but the task is becoming more complicated, as the ship begins to stray. Now, to maintain the speed of movement to the destination, the robot needs to correct the helm. From the third half-flight, the ship's engine begins to overheat, and in order to prevent it from exploding, additional oil must be supplied. For this, the robot needs to find a canister of oil in the compartments of the ship, carry it to the stern and use a specially designed funnel ^{[5] [7] [8]} .

In total, the ship has eleven compartments, five of which are on the lower deck, and six on the upper ^{[to. 2]} . One of the compartments is the cabin located on the bow of the ship, in which there are cameras with robots, a charger and a helm. All compartments of the upper deck communicate through doors that the robot can open (to move) and close (for example, for insulation). Initially, holes appear in the lower compartments, which begin to fill with water. Moreover, the more holes there are, the faster the water fills the compartment. For his part, the player can use the patches available in the compartments, transfer them and close holes with them. A water pump is present in each compartment, but a special handle is needed to use it. If water reaches the top of the lower compartment, then it begins to penetrate into the compartments of the upper deck. In this case, the game mechanics fulfills according to the law of communicating vessels - if the door is open between two compartments, then the space of both compartments is filled with water, which can also be pumped out simultaneously ^{[5] [9]} .

The robot can move horizontally in the compartments, as well as go down and up on the elevator. He can carry or use only one item at a time. The robot has a function of accelerating movement, through which it can instantly teleport to the upper deck on one compartment, but part of the energy is lost ^[3] . During the game on the schematic image of the vessel in the context of the player can see the level of filling with water in all compartments ^[ K. ^2] , deviation from the course, engine temperature, water level and other parameters that allow us to assess the situation ^{[8] [10]} .

The ship is sinking and the game ends if its landing falls below a critical value or if water fills any compartment of the upper deck. Also, the ship sinks when the engine overheats. And the last condition for ending the game is the discharge of all three robots ^[3] .

The game was developed by June 1984 for the ZX Spectrum platform, and this month the first review appeared in the Personal Computer News magazine . Other magazines such as Computer & Video Games , Computer Choice, and ZX Computing in the summer of that year announced the release of the game and its anticipation for sale and a little later released their reviews ^{[1] [6] [11]} .

During an advertising campaign, Silversoft published a number of announcements with the headline “ For added realism, play this standing in the bath ” ^[12] . This announcement provoked outrage among two public activists, as the game was intended for children, and the computer in the bathtub in water violated the safety requirements. This action did not bring any legal consequences for Silversoft, and the advertisements for the December magazine CRASH , the issue of which was already printed at the time of the complaint ^{[13] [14]} , were last printed.

Critics welcomed the game, noting its originality, playability and sophisticated game mechanics ^{[2] [3] [7] [9] [10] [11] [16]} .

Personal Computer News magazine twice published a review of the game and evaluated it. According to both reviews, Silversoft created an unusual and complex game in which you need to keep track of many things at the same time, and the more they become, the better the player plays. Critics also agreed that the interface is very well developed in the game. At the same time, observers drew attention to the fact that if earlier Silversoft products were similar to other arcades, then in the case of Worse Things Happen At Sea she successfully managed to make a game of a completely different class ^{[2] [8]} . The columnist for Big K magazine ^[15] agreed with the latest statement.

In a review of Computer and Video Games magazine, it was reported that the Worse Things Happen At Sea deserves to be called the best. At the same time, the journalist noted that the game is very pleasant and its mechanics are well-executed ^[7] . According to the reviewer of the magazine MicroHobby the game is very exciting, has good graphics and interface. However, its complexity did not go to the detriment of quality ^[16] . The observers of Your Spectrum magazine noted the game’s fast pace, good graphics, and the idea that makes Worse Things Happen At Sea unique ^[10] .

Criticism of the Sinclair User magazine was that the game does not support all types of joysticks, although it does have the ability to choose keyboard controls ^[9] .

CRASH magazine's Worse Things Happen At Sea articles rated the game highly and rated 91%. However, observers drew attention to the extreme originality of the gameplay, good graphics and playability ^[3] :

This is an extremely original game from Silversoft. The graphics and details are very well drawn, while the game is very addictive and has good playability. I am very pleased with her and I am sure that the game will be a huge success. This is probably one of the most original games in 1984. There are many things that are different enough to hold the player for a long time - that's great!

Original text

This is a super-original game from Silversoft. The graphics and detail are very good and the game is very playable and addictive. I really enjoyed it and I'm sure this game will be a huge success. It's probably one of the most original games of 84 so far. There are many features in the game to make it varied enough to give it lasting appeal - excellent!

- Review of CRASH magazine, No. 6

At the same time, the instructions built into the game were noted, as well as the positive quality of the game, that it becomes more complicated as it progresses ^[3] . After 9 months, in the April 1985 issue, CRASH repeated the review of the game, in which he noted that Worse Things Happen At Sea has remained popular all this for a long time and occupies high positions in the ratings of the magazine ^[17] .

Comments

Sources

• Documentation for the game (English) .
• Worse Things Happen At Sea is available for free play online in the Internet Archive .