Titanic: Adventure Out of Time
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| Titanic: Adventure Out of Time | |
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| Developer(s) | Cyberflix |
| Publisher(s) |  GTE Entertainment,  Europress |
| Release date(s) | 1996, 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Historical Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | T (ESRB), 12 (BBFC) |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Macintosh |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | PC: Windows 95, Windows 3.1, 486/66 or faster processor, 8 MB RAM; Mac: OS 7.1, 68040 or faster processor |
| Input | Mouse, Keyboard |
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is a video game for the personal computer. It was developed by Cyberflix and was published in Europe and the United States by Europress and GTE Entertainment respectively, released on October 31, 1996. The game is a point and click adventure game which sees the player traveling around a virtual representation of the RMS Titanic, the doomed ocean liner which struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank with great loss of life.
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time comes in three versions: a PC, Macintosh, or hybrid version that works on both the PC and Mac. Version 1.0 of the game is an upgrade of the game from GTE Entertainment to just Cyberflix and is a stability upgrade first released in 1997. It comes in either a threefold CD jacket or a jewel case version. The French version of the game comes in two paper sleeves. The Mac and Windows versions were released first, produced by Cyberflix and distributed by GTE Entertainment in 1996. Hybrid versions of the game, which are compatible with both the Mac and Windows operating systems, were distributed and produced by Cyberflix after GTE Entertainment went out of business in 1997. Later versions were distributed by Hammerhead Entertainment, who took over production after Cyberflix also went out of business in 1998. The game is available in four languages: English, French, German, and Polish.
Characters in Titanic: Adventure Out of Time were rendered by way of photographs of actors given limited animation in sync with dialogue. The producers of this game used this same style of rendering for a previous adventure entitled Dust: A Tale of the Wired West.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
The game begins with the player (named "Carlson," although this can be rather difficult to find out if the player does not look for it) being caught in a fatal explosion during the London Blitz of World War II and being sent back in time to 1912 with an opportunity to change history. In 1912, he is a British secret agent who has been sent to retrieve a priceless copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The open-ended gameplay allows the player to either follow the storyline by solving puzzles or simply explore the rooms of the ship.
The computer graphics of the ship have been used in several documentaries about the Titanic, due to their authenticity. However, on a ship with a complement of over 2000, the game portrays the Titanic as almost deserted (though the whole storyline takes place on a Sunday night when everyone is sleeping). With the exception of the main characters, there are only a few sparse "wallpaper" character figures in the hallways and major rooms of the ship.
The main plot of the adventure game revolves around recovering the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which is revealed to have been stolen earlier in the year and is now suspected of being in the possession of Zeitel, a German Oberst (Colonel) who is traveling on the Titanic under the guise of inspecting embassies in the United States. Along with the Colonel is a young protegé named Willie Von Haderlitz. Through a web of intrigue it is revealed that the Colonel has made a deal with an art dealer to exchange the Rubaiyat for a rare painting. The Colonel and the art dealer (named Sasha Barbicon) act through an intermediary go-between, a Serbian stowaway named Vlad Demonic.
In addition to the Rubaiyat and the painting (which is revealed to conceal secret military plans), the agent soon learns that Willie is in fact a Russian spy and has in his possession a notebook with names of top Bolsheviks. The notebook is to be handed over to the Okrana forces of the Czar so that the Communist rebels will be executed.
A final item that appears in the game, acquiring of which is critical, is a rare diamond necklace that Sasha has stolen to pay Vlad for his services and also to finance a Serbian terrorist group called the Black Hand. Vlad’s involvement with the Black Hand sets the stage for the events on the Titanic directly impacting whether or not the Black Hand will assassinate the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, thus sparking the start of World War I.
During his mission, the agent also becomes involved in several sub-plots unrelated to the central mission or, for that matter, the winning conditions of the game. These plots include a wealthy couple (the Lambeths) whose marriage has gone bad (and to whom the agent had previous relations with the Lady Georgia Lambeth) as well as the agent also meeting the ship’s “gossip hound”, in the form of a middle aged woman named Daisy Cashmore. The agent also encounters a psychic named Leyland Sachum Trask from Boston; Edgar Trout, a conservative religious preacher from Sunapee New Hampshire who is returning from an African mission in Nyasaland; and an American freelance businessman from Philadelphia, who provide backstory and insight of varying value. Assisting the player from time to time is fellow agent Penny Pringle. Also, in exploring the ship, the player may also encounter a French blackjack expert named Buick Riviera who may look familiar to players of the earlier game, Dust (see below).
[edit] Characters
Frank Carlson - At the beginning, Carlson is a redundant British secret agent living in a tiny London flat, surrounded by the painful memories of his failed mission onboard the Titanic. An exploding bomb suddenly propells him back in time. He has been placed upon the maiden voyage of the Titanic for enemy reconossence and to intercept a number of artifacts that have far more importance to the history of the modern world than they first appear. He only leaves his cabin once during the voyage, on the fatal night of April 14th 1912. In the original course of events, he does so in order to meet with Georgia Lambeth, failing to meet with his Bureau contact before the sinking.
Penny Pringle - A fellow agent of Carlson who is responsible for initiating his mission and providing helpful advice and directions. She has her eyes firmly set on the mission at hand and she can be rather sharp, although this might be because she was accidentally bumped down to second class. Although the player cannot do so, Penny offers to take the evidence during the sinking. She survives the sinking ship.
Lady Georgia Lambeth - An English lady and former lover of Carlson of five years previous. Although they are not together anymore, they seem to still care a great deal for one another. In five years, Georgia has married Lord Charles Lambeth and despite the privileges, she is not entirely happy with her life. Georgia also appears to fear for her diamond necklace a great deal, expressing, "I'll never give the diamonds to Charles. Never!" An obituary at the start of the game states that Lord and Lady Lambeth were not among the suvivors picked up by the RMS Carpathia. However, Carlson has another chance to change that.
Colonel E.E. Zeitel - The German Colonel can be considered the main villain of the game. Pretending to be on an embassy inspection, Colonel Zeitel is, in fact, traveling on board the Titanic to exchange two valuable artifacts. Zeitel has set up an encrypted wireless message detailing the Ruybiat's hiding place, to be found by Vlad Demonic. Zeitel and his protege Willie von Haderlitz are said to frequent the Cafe Parisian, and. In the ending of the game, while the ship is sinking, it is possible to save the poisoned Georgia in exchange for the painting. Then, the boat pass can be traded for the painting. If the player decides to do this, he presumably survives the sinking. It is unknown what happens to him afterwards.
Leyland Sachum Trask - Trask hails from Boston and proclaims himself to be a clairvoyant and, in fact, is traveling on board the Titanic to attend a psychic conference in New York. Leyland has little relevance to the main story. He is, however, able to "read" the psychic waves off the objects in the player's inventory, providing some valuable clues. When asked what he thinks is in store for the Titanic, he cryptically says, "This is a ship of destiny [looks about him]...which I think you know." Trask makes no attempt to escape from the Titanic and goes down with the ship.
Willie von Haderlitz - Colonel Zeitel's Austrian protoge, Willie von Haderlitz is a junior professor at the University of Vienna in Austria-Hungary. Albeit he works alongside Zeitel, he will confide in Carlson that he favors the Allies over the Central Powers, and works for the Russians. He has kept a notebook with names of Bolshevik Russian radicals, which Zeitel intends to hold. However, Willie hides it in the fourth (false) smokestack of the ship, where Carlson must retrieve it. This is just one of many cases where Haderlitz double-crosses Zeitel, which inevitably leads to his death (most likely through foul play on the part of Zeitel, though it is never determined) in the electric bath of the Turkish Bath.
Vlad Demonic - A Serb stowaway onboard the Titanic, Vlad Demonic is a Serbian who has vowed revenge against the Austrians for the murder of his family. He is an associate of Sasha Barbicon, the art dealer. Vlad intends to take the Rubaiyat from the boiler room, give it to Sasha, who will sell it (along with the Lambeth Diamonds) to fund the Black Hand in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne. The assassination's success will result in the beginning of World War I. The player must later fight Vlad hand-to-hand, in order to gain access to the notebook. During the sinking, Vlad kills Sasha, saying "Sasha cared only for himself! Not Serbia, not the Black Hand! This is war! Traitors are shot--like dogs.". The player must trade him a shawl from Claris Limehouse for the Rubaiyat, the notebook or the Lambeth diamonds, depending on how the player performs prior to the sinking.
Third Officer Morrow - Morrow is a British veteran of the Second Boer War and an officer on duty during the night of the sinking. At first, he shows genuine hostility and annoyance towards the player, due to passengers' continued attempts to enter the Wireless Room, but after the player spends time chatting with him, he becomes more friendly and amiable. During the sinking, Morrow keeps the passengers under control, with the player's help, and will occasionally let Carlson onto the last boat. If the player talks to Andrew Conkling, the steel baron, during the sinking, Morrow will end up shooting and killing him, as the industrialist attempts to board a boat. He does survive the sinking.
Andrew Conkling - Andrew Conkling is the American owner of the fictional business "Conkling Steel", who provided the metal used in the Titanic. Conkling is in the middle of business trouble with his maid, in which he calls on the player for assistance. His maid, Shailagh Hacker, has left him, and stolen a business letter, detailing the bad, "high in sulfur" steel the mill was producing. Conkling requests that Carlson retrieve the letter from Shailagh, who was transferred onto the Titanic. However, she and her brother, Jack, aren't going to give it up easily. Conkling is killed in the end, either lost with the ship or shot by Officer Morrow while attempting to force his way onto a lifeboat.
Beatrix Conkling - Beatrix Conkling is an American and the very arrogant, direct wife of Andrew Conkling. She is an interior designer, on her way to Los Angeles, to design the Beverly Hills Hotel. She grew close to her maid, Shailagh Hacker, though what initially seemed as simple care, was actually a plot to steal Shailagh's baby, Edward Hacker, since Beatrix cannot have children. During the sinking, she manages to take Edward from Shailagh, and the player must trade the letter for the baby. Although Beatrix survives the sinking, she is ruined from the death of Andrew, and the possible loss of her stolen child.
Shailagh Hacker - Shailagh Hacker was the Irish maid of Andrew and Beatrix Conkling. She was very appreciative of the Conkling's hospitality, until she discovered that they planned to use her to get a baby for themselves. In anger, she leaves them, taking a business document from them, detailing the bad, "high in sulfur" steel Conkling's mill was producing, thinking it was nothing but "a pound or two". She and her brother Jack are transferred from the Philedelphia to the Titanic due to a coal strike, which allows the Conklings to negotiate with her. Shailagh and Jack are holding the letter for a ransom of $5,000, or they plan to publish the letter to the newspaper. Beatrix ends up kidnapping Edward, Shailagh's baby, during the sinking, and the player must trade the letter for his return to Shailagh.
Jack Hacker - Jack Hacker is a third class Irish passenger and belligerent brother of Shailagh Hacker. Very supportive and protective of his younger sister, he is the one to read the letter and plan the ransom. If the player fails to obtain the painting prior to the sinking, Jack Hacker will end up with it. He orders the player to return the stolen baby from Beatrix Conkling to Shailagh, threatening to throw the painting overboard if he does not. UJack is lost with the ship.
Sasha Barbicon - Sasha Barbicon is an English/Serb London art dealer who "isn't above selling stolen merchandice". He has possession of the painting, which he intends to trade to Zeitel for the Rubaiyat, which will fund the Black Hand. Sasha had a love affair with Lady Georgia in the past, and Charles Lambeth never fully forgived either of them for it. In the end, Sasha is shot and killed by Vlad.
Lord Charles Lambeth - The English Lord Charles Lambeth is the arrogant, elitist, aristocratic husband of Lady Georgia. He is in debt with Andrew Conkling after borrowing money which he has yet to pay back. He plans to steal Georgia's diamond necklace, sell it to Sasha, put Georgia away, use the money to pay back his debts to Conkling, and sail back to England "free and clear". He goes down with the ship.
Max Seidelman - Max Seidelman is an American gambler, smoker, and friend to Carlson. Outgoing and friendly, the player meets him on the night of the sinking, and Max introduces Carlson to Colonel Zeitel, Willie von Haderlitz, and Buick Riviera, the French blackjack player. He occasionally gives Carlson hints on where to go next, and is a somewhat crucial player in the story. Max is lost with the ship.
Reverend Edgar Troutt - Edgar Troutt is an American minister returning from a mission in Nyasaland to Sunapee, New Hampshire, where he and his late wife, Emily, live. He despises Leyland Trask, constantly accusing him of blasphemies. Troutt is still reeling from his wife's death at Port Said,Egypt after she suffered a viral infection from parasites caught on their religious retreat in Nyasaland. He can provide assistance and clues throughout the game. If the player fails to find a boat during the sinking, Troutt repents, confiding in all of his sins. He tells the player that he stole his mission funds to get onboard the Titanic. He is lost in the sinking.
Daisy Cashmore - Daisy Cashmore is an American and an old friend of Carlson's. Pompous, sensationalistic, and somewhat elitist, she directs the player to Andrew Conkling at the beginning of the game. Throughout the pre-sinking stage, she occasionally appears to give the player new gossip. During the sinking, she goes into a state of panic and pure elitism. She refuses to go in a lifeboat without her luggage, and will not get on a boat with people she doesn't know, or the steerage passengers, saying continually "I can't get on a boat with just anyone!". Due to this stubbornness, she is lost with the ship.
Eric Burns - Eric Burns is an American photographer on his honeymoon onboard the Titanic with his newlywed, Stephanie. Only shortly into his marriage, he is already facing problems. He can't seem to stop taking pictures, even on his honeymoon. In an optional mission, the player must find Eric's distressed wife, and give him some advice to please her. In doing so, Eric leaves his door open. The player may enter his room and develop three photos in Eric's makeshift darkroom.
Whether due to a glitch, error, or overloaded AI, Eric Burns was not included in the sinking. The anomaly caused curiosity and speculation as to where Eric had gone. Stephanie was present in the sinking (though she says nothing), but Eric was absent.
- See Deleted Dialog at the bottom of the page*
Stephanie Burns - Though the player cannot engage in conversation with Stephanie Burns, she is a recurring character in the game. She is visible twice during the game: The first time when Eric Burns asks the player to find her, and the second during the sinking. Several times when talking to Eric while outside his cabin, Stephanie can be heard yelling for Eric to come back inside. She survives the sinking.
Henry & Ribeena Gorse-Jones - Henry and Ribeena Gorse-Jones are the talkative, bickering couple onboard the Titanic from Haltwhistle. They often confront the player and have conversations with him, yet it is the Gorse-Joneses who do the majority of the talking. They occasionally provide the player with tips and directions and will allow the player to escape the ship for a limited amount of time during the sinking. They survive the sinking.
Claris Limehouse - Claris Limehouse is the girlfriend of Willie von Haderlitz. She cares very deeply for him, despite the fact that her family doesn't care for Germans. She is devastated when she learns of Willie's death, and refuses to leave the ship to stay with him. She goes down with the ship.
Buick Riviera - A French card afficinado. Although Buick Riviera is a minor character, he can end up crucial to the plot during the sinking. Prior to the sinking, the player can play blackjack with him for simple enjoyment, but during the sinking, the player must bet the Rubaiyat or the Lambeth Diamonds for a boat pass to get off the ship. Riviera is not saved from the Titanic. In fact, he does not even make an effort to go up to the boat deck, despite being in possession of the boatpass, and being able to board a boat.
John Smethells - The straight-laced John Smethells, or just "Smethells", is Carlson's steward. He can provide general assistance throughout the game and can direct the player to his next objective on occasion. Like Eric Burns, Smethells is not present during the sinking.
The Purser - The Purser can be found in his office just adjacent to the C-Deck Grand Staircase. He can provide the player with assistance and can keep valuable items safe. Like Eric Burns and Smethells, he does not appear in the sinking. The real-life Chief Purser of the Titanic, Hugh McElroy, died in the sinking when the first funnel crushed him, and many others like Jacob John Astor, to death when it fell. It is also assumed to have killed Captain Smith, as he was said to have been in the bridge at the time, as he wished to go down with the ship.
Crewmen - There are three crewmen present through the game. One watches over the engine room prior to the sinking, and the Second Class Stairs afterward; another guards the cargo hold prior to the sinking, and helps passengers during the sinking; and the last one guards the Bridge prior to the sinking, and helps passengers during the sinking. All three guards are lost with the ship. The third crewman, depending on how the player progresses through the game, can also be seen in the A-Deck cabins, trying to fix the lights.
[edit] Opening Monologue
The past, forever locked in regret. But what if the past could be changed?
The monologue helps to tell the backstory of the protagonist, and what went wrong on his fateful voyage. As he recites, the camera flies over an ice field. The opening credits also start to play.
Thirty years have come and gone since the night that saw the end of the world. My world. The service needed someone on the Titanic. They chose me. I was to wait for a signal from my contact, so I remained in my cabin. I left only once, Georgia was on board. And that's when it came. There'd be no second chance. It was Sunday, April 14th. Too late, you see, for the Titanic, for me. What if I'd met with my contact and prevented disaster? What if the past could be changed? What then?
Much like Myst, the opening scene ends with a fly-by of the Titanic. The camera flies through a porthole and into the agent's stateroom. And the game begins...
[edit] Objectives
After learning of the major characters and items in the game, the agent is faced with the following five objectives to win the game
- Obtain the Rubaiyat
- Obtain the rare painting
- Obtain the secret notebook
- Obtain the Lambeth diamonds
- Escape the Titanic on a lifeboat before it sinks
[edit] The Rubaiyat
Most walkthroughs and hint sites suggest that the player let Vlad steal the Rubaiyat early in the game, which happens if the agent does a favor for Vlad (getting a package for him) before going to the Rubaiyat’s location to acquire it. The location of the Rubaiyat is revealed in one of two ways: Either decoding a secret telegram, or going to the Turkish bath and using steam to see the location written on a mirror.
Once the Rubaiyat is discovered in one of the Titanic's coal chutes, the player can move it to an alternate location so that the Serbian national Vlad will fruitlessly search for it and eventually abandon his pursuit. The player can then acquire the Rubaiyat much earlier in the game than is normally suggested. It should be noted that, if the Rubaiyat is taken before Vlad searches for it, Vlad will kill the player to acquire it.
Taking the Rubaiyat early in the game alters the course of events and dialogue of the characters as well as eliminating the need to solve at least two later puzzles. For this reason, players are urged to let Vlad take the Rubaiyat (he is bribed at the end of the game to give it back) thus experiencing the “full” version of the storyline.
[edit] The Painting
The painting that the player seeks is hidden in a crate in the Titanic’s cargo hold. The player is led to believe that it can be taken from the hold and, after stealing the keys to a motorcar (whose headlights shine to reveal the art box in question) the painting is revealed to have been either taken already, or still there. More often than not, the painting has already been stolen. Some versions of the game allow the player, with foreknowledge of the painting's location, to enter the cargo hold much earlier than normal. This significantly alters the game's progression and causes a large amount of dialogue and puzzles to be omitted in later scenes.
Towards the end of the game, it is learned that a pair of Irish immigrants acquired the painting (if it was already taken when the player arrived at the cargo hold earlier) from Willie, Colonel Zeitel's protegé who is later murdered. The immigrants give the painting back in exchange for a kidnapped baby, stolen by the wife of Andrew Conkling. Conkling is the head of a major steel company that helped build the Titanic. Conkling’s wife returns the baby due to a scandalous letter which reveals the steel on the Titanic was substandard, making the risk of a sinking in a serious collision more likely.
The painting, whose canvas conceals secret military plans, is a landscape portrait of Vienna, Austria. It is shown at the end of the game to be a work of Adolf Hitler. Depending on whether or not the player gets the painting off the Titanic, Hitler becomes a world famous artist instead of a Nazi dictator.
[edit] The Notebook
The notebook, containing the identities of Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, is revealed through character dialogue (or, depending the course of play, a photograph) and is eventually found to be hidden at the top of one of Titanic’s smokestacks. Willie apparently hid it when Titanic made its last stop in Ireland (revealed by a photographer on board, who took a picture of the incident, or the American businessman saying he saw him there). It is still somewhat unclear why Willie put the notebook on the smokestack.
Once the notebook is acquired, it is either surrendered to the German Colonel Zeitel (who then shoots the player, although not fatally), or the player gives a knockout-gas pen to Zeitel that then allows him to escape with the notebook. However, on descending the smokestack, once more the player will encounter Vlad, who viciously knocks the player unconscious with a large wrench. He will then take the notebook from you. If Vlad already has the Rubaiyat and he steals the notebook, then it becomes impossible to win the game. Most walkthroughs and hint sites suggest letting the Colonel shoot the player and steal the notebook, which may then be retrieved after disarming a bomb in the Colonel's Titanic state room.
[edit] The Diamonds
The diamonds which the player seeks are found to be locked away in a Russian doll by the art dealer Sasha Barbicon. The player must first acquire a fake diamond necklace by way of an old love affair now turned nobility, break into Sasha’s stateroom (by way of disabling the cabin’s power), and finally solve a puzzle to open the doll and take the actual necklace. It should be noted that if the player fails to steal the real necklace and allows Vlad to steal the Rubaiyat in the earlier sequence, it becomes impossible to win the game. If the player does not replace the diamonds with the fake version, Sasha will kill the player once the theft is discovered. Interestingly, in earlier versions of the game, the player may use his map (which contains "hotspots", or shortcuts that will transfer the player immediately to a location on the ship when clicked on) to "teleport" out of Sasha's suite and to some other location on the ship. This will result in a rather interesting (though pointless) arrangement whereby the player retains both the fake and real diamonds with no penalty.
[edit] Escaping the Titanic
The final portion of the game takes place while the Titanic is sinking. Unlike the first section of the game, you no longer have the luxury of exploring and getting sidetracked: you are under a strict time limit. The main character must complete his mission before the last lifeboat leaves (50 minutes in game time, and a few minutes in real time). The player must acquire all of the needed items as well as succeed in getting a place on a lifeboat, although the player can board a lifeboat before all the items are acquired, thus finishing the game but not winning it.
There are several ways to accomplish escaping the Titanic, with the most secure being to acquire a lifeboat pass in a hand of blackjack from the Frenchman Riviera. The player may also get on to a lifeboat by helping certain passengers or conversing with the crew. In the last minutes of the game, the German Colonel reappears to offer a "deal" to the player, seemingly adding another objective to the game which is to save the agent's former lover who the Colonel has poisoned. It should be noted that you do not have to save the agent's former lover to win the game. But if the player agrees to any of the Colonel's deals, then the Colonel will obtain the painting, and it will appear impossible for the player to win the game. However, the Colonel will then make a second deal, offering to trade you back the painting for the lifeboat pass, enabling you to win the game (provided that you find another way off the ship).
There is yet another method of escaping the ship, however it may mean not winning. Throughout the game, the player encounters a couple by the surname of Gorse-Jones. They will, on three separate occasions, engage the player in a lengthy conversation (although the player seldom gets a chance to talk). While the ship is sinking, the player will encounter them for a fourth time on the boat deck; they give the option of entering a boat. Often, however, not all objectives have been completed, so leaving at this moment would allow you to complete the game but not reach a desirable ending. But, if you avoid them on deck and get the object you need and come back to them when you have gotten it, you can get on a lifeboat.
Throughout the last part of the game, you will be frequently interrupted by various cutscenes showing the Titanic gradually sinking in various stages. After the character completes his mission, several ending scenes are available depending on whether or not the agent acquired all of the necessary items before leaving the ship. In addition, if the player stays on the Titanic for too long, the ship will sink and the agent will die.
In the final section of the game, many areas which were accessible in the first part are closed off. The Grand Staircase is inaccessible below C-Deck, as are the Turkish Baths and forward Third Class cabins, the Cargo Hold, Squash Court, and all of the Boiler Rooms and Engine Control Rooms. The Turbine Room on G-Deck is an exception and is accessible via the Second Class Stairs. Vlad can be found here over the dead body of Sasha. One new area which is open which was not available in the first part of the game is the First Class Lounge on A-Deck - Trask and Zeitel can be found in here before 2:00 AM.
The Rubaiyat or the real Lambeth diamonds can be acquired from Vlad in the Turbine Room on G-Deck, after giving him Claris Limehouse's shawl (this can be acquired by visiting the First Class Lounge beforehand). However, you can only exchange for one item; therefore, if the player has failed to obtain both the Rubaiyat and the necklace before the sinking, then you will only be able to exchange for one of them, thus being unable to win the game.
Where you obtain the notebook depends on whether Zeitel or Vlad got it at the smokestack. If you surrendered it to Zeitel, it can be acquired from Colonel Zeitel's cabin, C-59. Upon travelling there, it is discovered that the Colonel has planted a bomb in his room along with the notebook and locked you inside. The bomb does not actually have to be defused correctly; you can simply blow yourself up, click "Give Up" and you will appear back in Zeitel's cabin with the key and the notebook. Alternatively, if you gassed Zeitel and Vlad took it, the notebook can be obtained from Vlad himself in the Turbine Room in exchange for the shawl. But remember, the player can only exchange the shawl for one item. Thus it is possible, in unique circumstances, for Vlad to have the Rubaiyat, the notebook, and the real diamonds at the end of the game. This would leave the player with a critical decision of which item is most important. Though, technically, it is already impossible to win the game
[edit] Game Endings
The game offers a variety of cutscenes at the end of the game, once the player has succeeding in leaving the Titanic. The course of history may also be changed, depending on how many items the player got off the ship. In the endgame sequence, the time shifts forward back to April 14, 1942. The main character narrarates what has happened in the thirty years that followed the sinking with the "Memories" book.
Somewhat ironically, leaving the ship with none of the key items would actually prove to be better than leaving with just some of them, since the resulting endings are actually worse than history's actual course and result in England being invaded.
Failed to obtain Painting, Notebook, Rubaiyat and/or Real Necklace
History unfolds exactly as normal. World War I occurs, the Communists take power in Russia, and Hitler becomes dictator of Germany and starts World War II. The player is killed in the original bomb explosion seen at the start of the game.
Obtained Rubaiyat and Real Necklace only
World War I is averted but the Communists take power in Russia and Hitler topples Kaiser Wilhelm II and comes to power in Germany in 1927. Germany uses the additional years under Nazi rule to develop the atomic bomb and eventually starts the Great War (Our World War II) in 1939, but with a fully operational nuclear arsenal. The player dies in a nuclear bomb attack on London, England.
Obtained Notebook and Rubaiyat or Real Necklace or neither
World War I occurs as normal, but the Czar stays in power in Russia, meaning that the strong army the USSR would have otherwise built up never amounted to anything. World War II starts on schedule and a weak, faceless Russia falls easily to Nazi Germany in 1939. This gives Germany the freedom to concentrate on Western Europe, and the Nazis invade England and the British Empire is forced to surrender. Winston Churchill is executed, and the player dies when Nazi stormtroopers raid his apartment.
Obtained Notebook, Rubaiyat and Real Necklace
World War I does not occur and the Czar stays in power in Russia, meaning that the strong army the USSR would have otherwise built up never amounted to anything. Adolf Hitler topples the Kaiser in 1927 and the Great War (Our World War II) starts in 1939. A weak, faceless Russia falls easily to Nazi Germany. This gives Germany the freedom to concentrate on Western Europe, and the Nazis invade England and the British Empire is forced to surrender. Winston Churchill is executed, and the player dies when Nazi stormtroopers raid his apartment.
Obtained Painting and Rubaiyat or Real Necklace or neither
World War I occurs on schedule, but Hitler does not rise to power in Germany (having instead become a famous artist). The Communists take power in Russia and all of Western Europe and the British Empire falls to the wave of European Communism and becomes part of a Bolshevik Empire. The player is killed in his apartment by a Russian shock trooper.
Obtained Painting, Rubaiyat and Real Necklace
World War I does not occur, the Kaiser stays in power and Hitler does not rise to power in Germany (having instead become a famous artist). The Communists take power in Russia and all of Western Europe and the British Empire falls to the wave of European Communism and becomes part of a Bolshevik Empire which is later known as the USSR. The player is killed in his apartment by a Russian shock trooper.
Obtained Painting, Notebook and Rubaiyat or Real Necklace or neither
World War I occurs on schedule, but Hitler does not rise to power in Germany (having instead become a famous artist). Also, the Czar stays in power in Russia, meaning that the USSR would never amount to anything. This indirectly allows communism to take hold in Germany instead of in Russia. All of Europe, Russia and the British Empire falls to the wave of European Communism and becomes part of a German Communist Empire. The player is killed in his apartment by a German shock trooper.
However, this ending does not make sense because nothing would suggest a German Communist Empire. The only difference between this ending and the optimal ending (see below) is the unsuccessful obtainment of the Rubaiyat and/or the real necklace. The difference between gain and loss of Rubaiyat/real necklace directly affects WWI and has nothing to do with a German Communist Empire. Though technically one could claim that the Germans failure in WWI (which exists in this ending but not in the optimal one) caused instability and evenually led to a German Communist Empire.
Obtained Painting, Notebook, Rubaiyat and Real Necklace
The optimal ending. World War I is averted, the Communists in Russia are stamped out and never seize power, Adolf Hitler becomes a famous artist, and World War II never comes to pass. The player awakens in London in 1942 to a world of peace and retirement from a successful career.
Deaths you can encounter
- Attempting to leave the Boiler Room with the Rubaiyat before Vlad leaves; he will confront you as you attempt to climb the stairs and shoot you.
- Attempting to leave Sasha's cabin with the real diamonds, without replacing them with the fake Georgia gave you. Sasha will catch you in his cabin, take the necklace back and shoot you.
- Failure to properly disable the bomb in Zeitel's cabin during the sinking; bomb will explode, blowing a hole in the side of the ship. The player presumably dies in the explosion.
- Repeatedly refuse to help Zeitel when he asks for the painting in return for the antidote for Georgia during the sinking; Zeitel will grow too impatient, draw his gun and shoot you.
- Repeatedly hassle Third Officer Morrow demanding to get on a lifeboat; he will panic and shoot you (presumably).
- Fail to escape the sinking Titanic; after staying around long enough, you will see the cutscene of the ship sinking, after which the game over screen appears.
[edit] Ship's Tour
Besides the game, the CD-ROM also included a separate exploration feature that featured characters in the game discussing various aspects of the ship, its crew, and the sinking. Several character narrations were included with the game, while others could be downloaded from the game's website (a later reissue of the game included a bonus CD-ROM with these downloadable narrations). These characters would be placed at locations around the ship. The following is the tour guides, where they are and what they talk about.
- Smethells, Your Cabin (C-73)-discusses background information on the Titanic and her construction.
- Eric Burns, the Smoking Room-shows photographs of the rich and famous aboard.
- Leyland Trask, the Turkish Bath-discusses lingered premonitions of doom for the Titanic.
- Officer Morrow, the bridge-discusses the Officers and their duties.
- Officer Morrow, the Wireless room-discucess telegraphy.
- Daisy Cashmore, the Grand Staircase-discusses the famous people onboard and glamour of the ship.
- Willie Haderlitz, the Gymnasium-discusses the gym and lifeboats.
- Shailagh Hacker, the Scotland Road-discusses third class and her dreams in America.
- Boiler Stoker, the Boiler Rooms-discusses the engines and construction of the ship.
- Penny Pringle, the Aft Well Deck-discusses the aftermath of the sinking in a grim light.
[edit] Music
The music of Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is one of the game's central features. Throughout the story, Chopin's Preludes Op. 28 No. 7 provides a haunting ambiance to the game. Some other tracks used throughout the game (as well as the intro) were written by Scott Scheinbaum and Erik Holt.
[edit] Connection with Dust: A Tale of the Wired West
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is linked in some ways to another Cyberflix game, Dust.
- "Buick Riviera." In Dust, Riviera is a con artist in a remote town in the Old West who keeps borrowing money from the player; in Titanic, Riviera is now a middle-aged man who spends his time playing blackjack on the doomed ship. If the player indicates having been to Diamondback, New Mexico (the setting of Dust), Riviera thereafter uses a special deck of cards marked with the logo of the saloon from Diamondback for the blackjack game.
- The actor who plays the photographer Eric Burns (Erik S. Quist) also appears in Dust as a farmer.
- When talking with Haderlitz in the squash court while fencing, he mentions he is headed to study the Yunni Indian tribe in New Mexico, the setting of Dust. The Yunni tribe is of great importance to the game Dust.
[edit] General Trivia
- The graphics are considered to be so accurate that several Titanic documentaries have incorporated them.
- At the start of the game the newspaper says it is 1942, and the radio states that fighting is going on in places like Leningrad and Burma. However, by 1942 bombing of the United Kingdom took place only at night. It is clearly daytime in the game. V1 and V2 rocket bombs were used against London later in the war to great loss of life, and the Luftwaffe continued raiding the coastline.
- The painting is called "The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich", painted by Adolf Hitler. However, this work was done in 1914- two years after the Titanic sank.
- A copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was actually on board the Titanic. The book had 1,051 semi-precious stones set in 18-carat gold, 5,000 separate pieces of colored leathers, and 100 square feet of 22-carat gold leaf in the tooling. It went down with the ship.
- The character Third Officer Morrow, who appears in the game several times, is fictitious. The actual Third Officer on Titanic was Herbert Pitman.
- In Titanic: The Lost Mission, a photo in Eric Burns's cabin, when developed, reveals that Colonel Zeitel's first name is Alfred.
- The original title of the game was Titanic: A Journey Out of Time and a second title for the game was "R.M.S. Titanic" as shown in the earliest movie trailer.
- The earliest trailer for the game uses an original score not used in the final version.
- The main character's name, Frank Carlson, is reused in Titanic: The Musical as a character who misses the ship when it sails off.
[edit] Gameplay Trivia
- There are a few rooms that are mentioned on the map and listed on doors on the ship, but unable to see because the doors are locked. Like the Second Class Dining Saloon, and the Second Class Library.
- During gameplay, it's possible to steer Titanic off-course. However, when you stop steering, Third Officer Morrow throws you off the bridge and orders a seaman to re-correct the position.
- As mentioned, there are several ways to accomplish the objectives. Finding the location of the Rubaiyat, for example, can be done by gaining access to the wireless room and intercepting a message containing its location. Or, the player can meet with the Colonel and having a psychic use the pipe he leaves behind to 'sense' it was at the Turkish Bath. This will allow the players to access the mirror there, which contains a hidden message accessible by turning on the hot water.
- Again, during gameplay, you can listen to incoming wireless transmissions, which are historically accurate. Simply enter the wireless room, turn the set on, select "REC" on the send and receive switch, turn the tuner until the light flashes, and then click on the morse key.
- Neither Smethells the steward nor Eric Burns appear in the second half of the game. It is probable the programmers forgot them. Eric's wife Stephanie, however, can be seen on the boat deck.
- If you go down into the Turkish Bath and look in the drawers of the mirror table, you can view some of Cyberflix's other game's boxes.
- During the game it is possible to enter Eric Burn's cabin (C-78) and develop three photographs in his darkroom. The photos are: a picture of Sasha holding the Lemke and Buchanan box the painting is contanined in; a picture of Zeitel and Sasha together; and a picture of Willie and Claris Limehouse. Developing them is optional and not required for the main storyline, but showing them to Penny Pringle will prompt her to make a few comments about them.
- In the game, it is possible to save Georgia Lambeth and still make it off the Titanic with the painting, though if you do save her, it is not mentioned in the 'Memories' part of the game.
[edit] Deleted Scenes
There is a screensaver of the game "Titanic: Adventure Out of Time" that shows scenes of deleted footage of people who do not exist in the final game and people (Beatrix Conkling, Max Seidelmann, etc.) that are in situations that the creators did not want in the game. This Screensaver is found on the game "Titanic: The Lost Mission," which is a demo of the actual Titanic game. You can see these pictures in four places. One of the deleted scenes include telegraphing other ships about the Titanic sinking.
- On DISC 1 of the Titanic: Adventure Out of Time game, in the SHOTS folder are some scenes that are deleted from the final game.
- On the barracudanet.com website.
- On the screensaver of the demo of the Titanic game.
- In the Titanic: Adventure Out of Time "Hints and Solutions" book, which provides answers on the most challenging puzzles in the game. The Deleted Scenes are located at the beginning of each chapter.
- On the game boxes of the games are some pictures of scenes that were deleted.
In the trailer provided by "Titanic: The Lost Mission," some scenes are never shown in the game. In addition, the earilest demo that was released by Cyberflix in 1996 may have had more deleted scenes than the re-packaged 1998 "Titanic: The Lost Mission" version.
[edit] Deleted Dialogue
Eric Burns, who is an American photographer traveling with his wife Stephanie on the Titanic, has interactions with the player on the Titanic. When the Titanic is sinking, however, Eric Burns disappears; his wife is still onboard the ship. This may be due to an error on the part of the creators. You can find some dialogue about Eric Burns trying to find his wife Stephanie a boat and getting a boat pass to get off the ship on the DISC 1, PUPPETS2 folder. This is where all the other characters' dialogues are located.
After the player gives the boatpass to Zeitel and he leaves,he goes onto the boat deck(the players comes with him) to speak to Officer Morrow and tells him that he will help him with maintaining order "Thank you, officer. I shall be delighted to assist the ladies..."and that he is an excellent sailor from the city of Trieste.Officier Morrow then wants to talk to the player saying "You're the one. and quickly says to Zeitel "Not you, Colonel. Your friend, here. Are you getting in the boat?",and he asks the player and/or Zeitel to board a liftboat and then Zeitel and/or the players says the appropriate response "Yes, I'll get in the lifeboat." or "No, I have business to attend." If Zeitel or the player refuse to board the lifeboat,Officer Morrow will shug his shoulders and say "Alright. Suit yourself...."
When Colonel Zeitel wants the painting he says "Such an honor you have! I repeat my offer.What do you say?"(Zeitel is wanting me to trade pass for the painting) and when the player gives him the boatpass,he says to him "Then I say my adieus. You clearly value living over this painting.I must try my luck at some other place. Good luck to you." (These seem like good will gestures).
When the player goes to Zeitel's cabin and just before he locks me inside he says before leaving with the suitcase with the bomb "I leave you now. Try not to...get your feet wet!" and then he giggles.
The seaman that was fixing the lights on A-deck tells the player that there is a fire and that the player is not allowed entry to the A-deck cabins and that I should keep out.(disc 2, before sinking)
The seaman that guards the cargo hold tells the player to return to his cabin because it is late.(disc 2, before sinking)
when the player approaches Zeitel with shay's baby,he says "have a baby? There are other things..."
Most of Max's dialogue was deleted during the sinking-
When the player visits Max during the sinking,he tells me that he will "see you up top!"and "See you on deck, bub." when he's notices that I seem worried about the sinking he says "You worried? Relax. They can't sink this tub. Not while Max's got anything to do with it. It's unsinkable, right? and "Take your cue from Max. Relax!Life's for livin', long as you got one. as you got one." and tells the player that he is going to look on the other side "Iam going to see what's happening on the other side of the ship."
when he is discussing the sinking "Jig's up, isn't it?" and during the sinking "Well, whaddaya know. Looks like they messed up but good." and when he is at the smoking room wanting me to play a game of blackjack with Riviera "Talk to Riviera. They say he's cuttin' deals. C'mere! Riviera needs a partner.You don't got much to lose at this point. Go on! Play!Play a hand with Riviera, why dontcha?"
When Max is done talking to you and pauses to let you speak,if the player don't speak for awhile he says "Speak up! I gotta skiddo! There's damsels distressing all over this rustbucket!" and "Come on, pallie, talk t'me. It ain't that bad--not yet".....
When he's wanting to know about Claris Limehouse and that he's wanting to "Chat up the gals. Like Claris. She's in the lounge.I'll protect her from the ice. Nobody loves a woman like Max Seidleman!"
Max jokes about me not wanting to swim "And I hope you can swim!" and he laughs at his own joke.
When the player wants to give max something he says "Nope. Ain't somethin' I want..."
Perhaps Max goes to the lounge and saves Claris in the end because he knows where she is.
while playing backjack with Riviera he says that "Buick Riviera is a man of honor.He does not traffick in stolen goods!" and when the player gets a draw in blackjack "Merde...a draw." "Take the book. I shall take back the pass" and after losing the items "she is not yours tonight." at some point he gives an evil chuckle and when he wants a another drink "Waiter! Another drink. But please, I have enough ice..." (This is during the sinking.)
Mister Trask eats some cookies that he has in his pocket. "New fangled and delicious." He munches on a cookie and swallows them telling me that they are "called oreos." (This is before the sinking.)
Mister Trask tells the player that he does not want " No interruptions, please!" and during the sinking "Pay attention! There's no more time for daydreaming!" and "Are you in a trance? Wake up!"
Mister Trask talks about Willies death that the Turkish bath "I'm sure the bath's electromagnetic force magnifies the thought waves. And of course, it balances the body's humors as well." (A picture of the electric bath appears after the picture of the newsboy holding a newspaper prompting Trask to say the above sentence.)
Mister Trask says of his institute in Boston that "In fact, I'm taking a session right now."
Minister Trout tells the player "No time for anything but prayer now!" and that he is going to "I must assist with the boats..."
When the player trys to give Smethells something he says "Company regulations forbid it. I cannot accept gifts" (You cannot give him anything in the game. There is never any "Would you like something?" from your list of choices when talking to Smethells.)
Smetthells tells the player that "your fascination with steerage passengers is most baffling."
After the player gets hurt(it is unknown how) he tells the player "Oh, dear. That won't do at all. Perhaps you should be more careful." and "You've shut up. How unusual. Shall I summon the doctor?" and "Are we experiencing a rare moment of reflection?"
Smethells tells the player "have you made preparations? I fear this incline is only growing more precipitous..."
After Smetthells is tired of being bothered he says "May I say, I have never served a more challenging passenger. Good-bye."
Smetthells is upset and tells the player "Will that be all? I have my other charges to attend to..."
Penny also says something to the player in my cabin when the Titanic is sinking "Show some backbone, Carlson. Get cracking!"
Claris tells the player to take care of the baby (take care of Willie.)
Claris says just before the titanic sinks that "The boats? They're all gone!Help Me! I beg you, save me!I don't want to die! Willie wouldn't want me to die!"
The purser says after talking and waitting for the player to talk "Will you please indicate what you want! I don't have all day!"
The purser says "My, we are a chatter-box, aren't we?"
Sasha confirms that the player's name is Frank Carlson.(In the subtitles,Penny says "Frank," just before she says "if worst comes to worse give me the evidence" meaning my name is Frank Carlson.)
Andrew Conkling tells the player during the sinking to "Talk to Andrews! This ship is doomed!"
Andrew Conkling is talking to the player about his wife "She is? Tell her to forget the girl! Forget the baby! Tell her to get on deck. There's no longer any time!"
The stroker said that when he is angry and being bothered by the player "They are a prettier sight than your ugly puss!"
Zeitel giggles when Iam in the boat and its lowering.
These scenes and dialogue are found in the puppet2 and puppet1 folders on disc 1 and 2 and are in each character file .(use wordpad to open the files and when you see text that look like speech,you are at the right place.)
Eric Burns tells me during the tour that "Like music? In the Parisian Cafe, on B Deck, the band should be tuning up just about now."
Penny tells me that the Russian revolutionaries are living in Austria.
[edit] Foreign Language version errors
The French language version of the game has some errors not found in the original English version. The errors are:
- The shawl, when examined, shows the original English version "OBJECT: Shawl."
- When the player encounters Vlad in the turbine room at the end of the game, he wants to get on a lifeboat and he knows it's women and children first and when he's speaking French a sentence is in English (when it is subtitled). It is spoken and subtitled in the German version.
Some of the scenes that show a character speaking, smiling or laughing are cut, shortened or do not exist in the French or German versions.
For example, when Officer Morrow is laughing, his laugh is shortened in the French version but it is deleted in the German version.
When Layland Trask meets the player in the lounge, when the ship is sinking, and says "Need a psychic reading? (Chuckles quickly and smiles) I'll hurry." His chuckle and smiling is deleted from the French and German versions and it is more serious.
When Charles Lambeth is seen on the boat deck and says "Sorry", there is a scene of him drinking that is in the French version but deleted from the German and English versions.
The tour guides that originally came with the game, all speak French and German all the way through. The tour guides that you download from the website do speak French and German, but, when the movies start playing info about the history and the ship, they speak English
[edit] External links
- Game Walkthrough
- CEO Hints Includes instructions for the entire game and info on the alternate endings.
- Barracudanet.com[1] Which shows some deleted pictures from the titanic game. (domain name expired as of April 2007)
- Additional Tour Guide Downloads
- Review at MacGamer
- Review at GameSpot
- Mr. Bill's Titanic Review
- Titanic: Adventure Out of Time at MobyGames
- Titanic: Adventure Out of Time at the Internet Movie Database
