HARDtime
www.MDickie.com
Mat@MDickie.com

* This document concerns itself with the prison concept. For more information about the functionality of the game, please refer to the main "Hard Time.txt" document...

In a bleak future where there are more criminals than citizens, one prison hopes to redress the balance with short doses of HARD time! Take your punishment like a man and try to endure the grueling regime of "Southtown Correctional Facility". Create your own inmate from scratch and rub shoulders with up to 100 fellow convicts throughout the sprawling prison complex. With each passing day, every action taken and every word spoken will sculpt your own unique identity - as you attempt to juggle the physical and mental demands of prison life. You'll soon find that "reputation" is the only currency that matters in this world! Having one keeps you alive, but avoiding one keeps you sane. Which side of the fence will you fall on?

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PRISON COMPLEX
The prison consists of 4 different blocks - North, East, South, and West (each indicated by their own colour of clothing). However, prisoners are only required to dwell in their home block during the night (lockdown). The rest of the time, they have access to many other locations: 
- The "Main Hall" is the hub of the entire complex, which all blocks are connected to. It's mainly a throughway to other places, but it does offer the opportunity to pass the time watching TV or answering phone calls!
- The "Exercise Yard" gives you a chance to step outside and engage in healthy pursuits that improve your fitness - such as lifting weights, running laps, or shooting hoops...
- The "Study" offers a similar workout for the mind - allowing you to improve your intelligence by studying books. There's also money to be earned by arranging files, and a computer that can be used to access the mental data of other inmates...
- The connecting "Workshop" is a warehouse of tools and allows inmates to earn money by constructing items at the various benches...
- The "Hospital" offers pain relief - whether it's in the form of chemicals or undisturbed sleep! There's also good money to be earned by making medicine, and a computer that can be used to access the health status of other inmates...
- The connecting "Bathroom" is the one place that wardens aren't allowed to go (a policy which is routinely abused for shady transactions!). Inmates can also enjoy using the running water to wash away scars and suspicious stains...
- Finally, the "Canteen" is where hungry inmates go to refuel their bodies with a meal. There's also money to be earned by preparing food behind the kitchen counter...

SCHEDULE
Time ticks by at a regular (albeit vastly exaggerated) pace, and can be observed by a 24 hour clock at the top right of your screen. When engaged in especially time-consuming activities such as working or sleeping, you should notice that it speeds up accordingly. It's important to keep an eye on the time because the prison operates by routine. At 10pm prisoners are ushered into their cells for lockdown, before being released again at 7am the following morning. Dinner is then served at 1pm. Anticipating these routine events can help you get the most out of them (and avoid the wrath of the wardens!). You may also be asked to perform certain tasks by a given time...

INMATES
Each of the characters that populate the prison are made up of a cocktail of physical and mental attributes:
- "Health" is the green bar at the top left of the screen, and indicates how close you are to dying. It inevitably deteriorates over time to indicate tiredness, but can be restored just as easily by sleeping. You may also suffer an illness or injury - at which point the meter flashes red and deteriorates at an even faster pace...
- "Strength" indicates a character's ability to inflict damage (and withstand it by blocking). It gradually deteriorates over time, but can be honed by fighting or lifting weights... 
- "Agility" governs the speed at which a character move (and the rate at which energy is exhausted). It gradually deteriorates over time, but can be honed by shooting hoops or running in the yard... 
- "Happiness" is the mental equivalent of "Health" and indicates how close a character is to a nervous breakdown. This self-destructive state can be kept at bay by taking part in entertaining activities, achieving things, or having pleasant conversations...
- "Intelligence" dictates which opportunities a character has access to (a certain level of intelligence is required to do each job and to use computers, etc). Being intelligent also increases your chances of success in court. It gradually deteriorates over time, but can be improved by reading books...  
- "Reputation" is an ongoing counter of how well respected the character is. Every act of compliance or cowardice knocks it down, while every act of violence or disobedience builds it up. Having a powerful reputation keeps potential enemies off your back and makes your company desirable to others...

RELATIONSHIPS
Your encounters with other inmates are the backbone of your prison experience. There are hundreds of different conversations to be had - ranging from blunt statements to negotiations and business deals. Each such encounter has its own unique effect on your mental state - but in general, complying to a demand makes you unhappy and vulnerable whereas standing your ground preserves your happiness and wins respect. The latter may have violent consequences though! Your relationship with every single character is carefully recorded and dictates whether they see you as a friend or enemy (if anything at all). Friends are more likely to make your life easier and run to your aid, whereas enemies are prone to lash out at you and make your life difficult. The more people you meet and get involved with, the trickier this juggling act becomes - because the other inmates have relationships of their own and may take exception to your latest choice of friends...

GANGS
Nowhere are relationships more prevalent than in gang culture! If the support of your friends doesn't bring you any comfort, you can inherit a readymade family by joining a gang. Although you may not be friends with every member, they're duty-bound to look after their own and automatically offer most of the benefits of friendship. The downside is that you're expected to do the same, so a gang member is regularly roped into doing things that they rather wouldn't. They tend to have a strict code of conduct as well, so deviating from the script can incur the very wrath you were relying on! The known prison gangs are as follows:
- "The Suns Of God" are a gang of white supremacists that seek to annihilate other races. Membership obviously requires that you be of the same race, but you also need a proven reputation of at least 70%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by their sunglasses and shaved heads...
- "The Avatars Of Allah" are a gang of Muslim extremists that seek to annihilate other gangs. Membership obviously requires that you be of the same race, but you also need a proven reputation of at least 70%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by their Arabic headwear...
- "The Dark Side" are the bastions of black power and seek to humble other races. Membership obviously requires that you be of the same race, but you also need a proven reputation of at least 70%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by their golden jewelry...
- "The Powers That Be" are a gang of intellectuals that conspire to outwit their enemies. Membership requires that you have an intelligence of at 70%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by a purple tie... 
- "The Gladiators" are a gang of athletes that seek to rule by brute strength. Membership requires that you have a combined strength and agility of at least 140%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by a red headband and their casual dress sense... 
- "The Peaks" are a group of reformed characters that seek to bring peace to the prison. Membership requires that you have a reputation of less 70%. In addition to their tattoos, they can be identified by a white armband and their refusal to engage in violence... 

MISSIONS
In addition to the security that gangs offer, most inmates find themselves joining for the financial benefits. Each gang has its own agenda, and there are countless tasks to be performed in the name of that particular cause. Not only do these accomplishments boost your happiness and reputation, but they're also exceptionally well paid! Hundreds of dollars are on offer for performing such missions, depending on how demanding or risky they are. With that kind of money at stake, it's important that the job gets done though - and failure to do so in the allotted time will make an enemy of the client (and possibly get you thrown out of the gang). Although these assignments are more common in a gang, there are plenty of other ways to come across them. Fellow inmates have jobs of their own that they'd like you to do, and you can even receive instructions from strangers over the phone! Not all missions are criminal in nature though. The wardens have their own ideas about how you should be spending your time, and will often set you self-improvement goals. Success here gets time shaved off your sentence rather than a financial reward, and taking orders from the wardens can also damage your reputation. Regardless of where a mission originates, you should find that the client stays in the location where you found him. This makes returning to them more convenient when you want to claim your reward or have the instructions repeated... 

WORK
Money remains valuable in prison as a means of bribing the wardens and currying favour with the other inmates. You also need a healthy credit rating to be considered for release, and until then money can also be invested in fighting your case. Outside of missions, you can earn money by working for the prison. Dedicated your time to one of these regularly credits your account by a small amount. The lowliest job is sweeping - which can be done anywhere so long as you have a broom in hand. It's low paid and exhausting work though, so you'll soon want to progress to one of the seated tasks. Preparing food behind the counter of the kitchen requires an intelligence of 60%. It's no better paid than sweeping, but is slightly more enjoyable. A pay increase can be obtained by raising your intelligence to 70% and taking a job arranging files in the study. The most high paid regular work of all is in the medical bay, but requires a healthy rating of at least 80%. If mental work isn't your strong suit, you can put your manual skills to work instead. Every morning, a new set of materials are laid out in the workshop and inmates can earn $25 by creating items from them. Doing so takes an unpredictable amount of time though, and requires a strength rating of at least 70%. You're not supposed to keep the fruits of your work either (although inmates have been known to sneak them out and sell them for a profit!)...

ITEMS
Not all items have to be forged in the workshop. Dozens of readymade items litter every area of the prison - ranging from dangerous weapons to tools and consumables. Regardless of how innocent they seem, most items end up being used as weapons of varying impact - but they do have secondary functions (which are invoked by standing still for a short time). For instance, cigarettes, beer bottles, and painkiller injections can be consumed for their chemical benefits. Meanwhile, mirrors and combs can be called upon to change your appearance. These practical benefits are just as desirable to your fellow inmates too. Every item has its own value, and you will often be asked to sell your item for a reasonable price. If you find yourself lacking, you can also acquire items the same way. The wardens don't take kindly to such profiteering though, so deals have to be done discreetly! In fact, they're not too thrilled about you in possession of items at any time. Most items have a natural habitat where they're permitted to be carried (such as cleavers and knives in the kitchen), but taking them elsewhere or using them as weapons will arouse the suspicions of the guards. That's only if you're spotted though! Depending on how large an item is, a character needs to be close to the warden and in their line of sight to be reprimanded...

FIGHTING
In a world populated by violent criminals, fighting is practically a way of life! When you incur the wrath of another character (or become a victim of their bullying), you can expect to have a few punches thrown your way. Fights basically consist of high punches, low kicks, and ground stomps - but even more damage can be inflicted with slower power attacks and throws. Plus the impact of any attack is magnified when a weapon is in hand! It's not all about offence though - successful fighting involves just as much blocking to keep damage to a minimum. And it's not only your body that risks being "damaged"! In addition to settling arguments, fighting can also be used to improve a character's status at the expense of their victim. Every blow landed builds up your reputation while every blow taken damages it - depending on the circumstances of the attack and how severe it was. Fighting with weapons, for instance, is considered to be more shocking than fist-fighting. Likewise, attacking wardens is considered to be bolder than attacking fellow inmates. The potential impact of a character's attacks is governed by their strength, so you should avoid locking horns with characters that are known to be stronger than you! Similarly, the intensity of their fighting is governed by reputation and their propensity to block is governed by intelligence - so all of these factors should be considered before pursuing a fight...

CRIMES
At the beginning of the game you are automatically accused of a predetermined crime and must then serve that sentence (the more severe the crime, the higher your starting reputation and the longer the sentence). However, it might not be long before you find yourself back in court on new charges! There are over a dozen additional crimes that the wardens might reprimand you for - ranging from simply disobeying orders to cold-blooded murder. Each is more serious than the last - resulting in more added days and larger fines if found guilty. Upon being seen committing a misdemeanour, a warden has the power to issue a warrant for your arrest - at which point all prison officers will be dedicated to chasing you down. And once caught in a headlock, you'll be dragged before a judge to learn of your fate. It may not be bad news though! Depending on how intelligent you are and how tenuous the charge, the judge may take your side and chastise the warden for being petty. A guilty verdict is vital to your status though, so returning home empty-handed will negate the reputation you earned when committing the crime in the first place... 

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please visit: http://www.MDickie.com 
or contact: Mat@MDickie.com   