Factory Demo This is a Strategy Game Mactivity's CD-ROM nr 10 advice: This application did run on a b/w 68030 processor under System 7.1. It was also tested on a big ColorScreen of a PowerMacintosh running System 7.1.2. The game did NOT run on a Quadra with 68040 processor and a 13 inch Color Screen and System 7.1. The year is 2039. Throughout the industrialized world, all manufacturing processes have become completely automated. Computerized factories produce millions of consumer products every hour without any human intervention, as if by magic. Inundated by cheap commercial goods and free from virtually all manual labor, most people live lives of mindless comfort. Unfortunately, the ultimate conclusion of the Industrial Revolution precluded a revolution in software design. Design of factory machinery far outstripped the design of the computer software which ran it. As a result, the programs which automate manufacturing processes are prone to fail. This has had dire consequences in the past. In 2028, an epidemic of vandalism and truancy swept over New York's youth following the breakdown of automation systems at a factory producing popular breakfast cereals there. Similarly, in 2033, widespread rioting broke out in Seattle when the local coffee grinding factory and video game factory simultaneously went offline for two days. These are only a few of the worst examples. Most of the population has come to base its existence on consumption, and such violent reactions almost always accompany any interruption in the supply of desired items. For this reason, it is critical that failing factories remain in operation with the help of special technicians known as EFASTs (Emergency Factory Automation Support Technicians). EFASTs are gifted individuals who can manually control a factory's operations. If they are able keep a factory running at full capacity for a normal 9 to 5 workday, corporate programmers usually have enough time to dig through decaying stacks of aging code to figure out what is wrong with the automation routines. EFASTs at first were hired and trained privately, but in 2037 they formed a collective under the banner FACCOM (Factory Automation Control Compensation). All EFASTs now receive their assignments and paychecks through FACCOM. The potential rewards for EFASTs are great. Corporations which contract for an EFASTs services are prepared to pay dearly for the maintenance of their production centers. Depending on the complexity of the assembly process and the levels of production demanded, an EFAST stands to make thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for a single day's work. With these rewards, however, come great stresses. Some EFASTs have been driven to the brink of insanity because manually running a modern factory entails placing one's mind in many places at once. The EFAST must simultaneously direct many components along conveyor belts and through networks of pipes to be sure that they are assembled together correctly. In a population softened by material luxury, minds sharp enough for the task are rare. Even so, job security is a term unknown to the EFAST; in the interest of maintaining the integrity and reputation of the team, failure to meet the production quota on any assignment results in immediate dismissal from FACCOM. -=- RUNNING THE DEMO -=- To begin the demo, double-click on the 'Factory Demo' icon. The Factory Demo contains a tutorial which will help you learn how to manipulate elements in the factory and assemble product components. This is probably the best place to start. To begin the tutorial simply select 'Tutorial' from the 'Game' menu. Once you have learned how to play the game, select 'Begin' from the 'Game' menu and you will be able to play through a few sample workdays. Note: While you are playing the game, the menu bar will be blacked out. To bring it back, simply click on the status bar at the top of the screen which will have replaced the menu bar. Back to the Computer Games Index