Captive game design, programming and graphics by Antony Crowther.

Introduction:

The futuristic Dungeon Master in space, with robots and lasers.

When Mindscape released Captive on the Amiga in 1990 I spent a good deal of my leisure time ploughing through it’s alleged 65,536 levels. As far as I could tell the levels were split up into missions, with 11 levels per mission. The final level of a mission being extremely large and introducing some real bad ass monsters.

I managed to reach the last level of mission 2 (22 planets) - some people played as far as mission 91 (WOW! That’s 1001 planets). I made a note of all the pass codes, and collected screen grabs of all the weapons and robot parts.

I recently came across all my notes on my old Amiga and wondered how much interest a web page would receive. If you played Captive or managed to get further than I, send me an email.


Download the music from Captive (Amiga) (MOD format)


FAQ

Was Captive ever released on the PC?

Yes, it even has an animated introduction and music. Thanks to Jehan de Béthune-Sully who made me aware of it’s release. His site is no longer available, but was “Belgian Dungeon Keeper” (homeusers.brutele.be/jehan/). You should be able to download the PC DOS version here:

Captive PC

Also you can get an Amiga emulator for your PC.

Where can I get this emulator?

Try:

Where can I download the game and kickstart ROMs?

There are a few ways to obtain Amiga Kickstart ROMs, hunt them down yourself online, or the easy (and official/legal) way, by purchasing them as part of the Amiga Forever package.

For more information, see:

Can I use my old Captive save disk?

From Sean Donohue:

It is possible. You need an original captive game and an amiga 1200 with hard drive. You need to install whdload on the Amiga’s hard drive. Using your PC, download the whdload package specially designed for Captive. Install that on the Amiga. It will ask you to insert the Captive game disk and it will install that on the hard drive, then it will ask for the Captive game save disk. Once you have installed the game and save disk to the hard drive, all you have to do is find were it is installed on the Amiga and transfer it to the PC. On the PC emulater side, you have to install whdload. Then pass the Captive installation from the Amiga hard drive to the WinUAE folder.

Sean Donohue

I’m stuck on Mission 2, Level 2 (Phoopel). I can’t find code 15099.

A - A possible bug.

15099

Q - I’m stuck on Level 7 (Phelphio), Mission 11. I can’t find code 3673. A - Yet another bug.

3673

Here is Michaël Châteauneuf’s description of the missing clipboard problems:

Mission 2, Level 2: Phoopel The clipboard is on the floor, but invisible. Be in front of the cupboard 15099 then turn left, go forward one step, turn left again and go forward one step again. Now, click on the floor at the left side to pick up the clipboard.

Mission 11 - Level 7: Phelphio The clipboard is at the same place where the wall that is supposed to open using that code on the clipboard. Because there’s an object on the floor at the same place of a wall, the clipboard seems to be invisible.

Under PC, the clipboard appears normally in the wall using the Vision Corrector. Also, when activating the code to open/close the wall, it doesn’t matter because we close a fake wall. If you put an object at the same place, the object may disappear, but it is still there.


Clipboard solution generator

Now, how about this for an amazing discovery.

Penny Ford emailed me in June 2004 with a fantastic C program that can generate the bar style clipboard solution when given the mission, level and code number.

Unfortunately, I somehow let this slip through the net and forgot about it until over a year later. I then took upon the task of tracking down the author of this neat program and decided to convert it into a web enabled JavaScript App (and a Perl script too).

It turns out the original C program was written by Laurent de Soras and can be found here. Luckily he released it under the GNU GPL, so I have been able to provide a JavaScript version below.

You can download the source code for the original C program along with my Perl and JavaScript versions here.

Note: You must have JavaScript enabled

Enter Mission (1 = first one, max = 6000)

Enter Level (0 = first one, max = 10)

Enter Code


Robotics and Weapon Skills

The images below were ripped from the Amiga game using an Action Replay cartridge and edited using DPaint III. Then transferred to PC disk using CrossDos.

Robotics 1 Robotics 2 Skills 1 Skills 2 Skills 3


Optics and Dev-Scapes

Optics

Optics
GradeOpticDescription
BasicAG ScanDisplays how much damage you are inflicting on your opponent during combat.
IIRoot FinderGuides you the quickest route out of the base when the generators have blown. Can also give you the direction of the base when you are outside, or the direction of your lander module if there’s no base (or if it has been destroyed)
IIIMapperMaps the areas you have covered. Shops are shown in red, ladders in white, holes in green and doors in yellow. You can also mark important areas on the map.
IVRadarScan your immediate vicinity for an enemy presence.
VMagna ScanJust a compass (look at the dots: they always go towards the north).
VIBody ScanUseful for quick damage updates. When a portion of your robot becomes damaged it will highlight the specific area. Repairs up to 10%.
VIIVision CorrectionResets your eyes to 20/20 vision. It also shows you hidden rooms (removes false walls). Clears the static interference if you bump into fire.
SuperVisorGives you infra-red vision so you can see in the dark. Clears the static interference if you bump into fire.

Dev-Scapes

Dev-Scapes
GradeDev-ScapeDescription
BasicAnti-GravAllows you to walk on the ceiling, fight with floating monsters, go over water and enter holes in the ceiling.
IIShieldProvides minimal protection from alien attacks by reducing the amount of damage you receive.
IIIFire ShieldYou receive far fewer damage points from alien flame throwers.
IVGreaserEnables you to run faster.
VPower ZapperIt zaps your power … USELESS… However, according Norma Wrangham, the Power Zapper was not as useless as everyone thinks. It had one very useful, if not vital, use. If you lost all power and bought a battery to power up and get out of trouble, the battery sometimes loaded in so fast that it overshot and emptied again, leaving you still powerless and out of money. By running the Power Zapper Devscape 5 simultaneously with the battery charging, power loaded in slowly and you received the full battery power that you had paid for.
VIFixerFixes body parts at 0%, but does not give a full repair.
VIIRe-chargerGive this to your team leader, so his power will stop dropping. No need for power sockets anymore.
SuperDeflectorDeflects any enemy fire. They drain very quickly and are very expensive.

Thanks to Katz for help with the Optics and Dev-Scapes information.


Ideal droid names

Norma Wrangham worked out the ideal droid names to achieve the highest stats at character generation time:

[Do not] start with poorly named droids as their initial power is a result of the letters in their names. Never use a name resulting in any of the three numbers for dexterity, vitality and wisdom being in single figures and get as near to the maximum 15 value as possible for each if you want them to gain power fast. They never really catch up with bad names. After much experimenting, in increasing order of power, the best names I found were:

  • 10, 15, 15 - Sally Plod, Alison
  • 11, 15, 15 - Woopsie Bear, West
  • 14, 15, 15 - Zak, Alphonsus.

Unfortunately the only 15, 15, 15 I was able to find was Lambkin, no name for a tough leader, but my leaders seemed able to live it down and keep the respect of their team!

Norma Wrangham

Thanks for the info Norma


Mission 1 notes

PlanetLevelNameMain Door CombinationComputer Codes Computer CodesNew MonstersSuper Buys Super BuysSecurity Codes Security Codes
10ButreTL, BL, TR, BRChaeselumeTrifids, Elves & Mad ProfessorBattle-Gloves
21PelphiBR, BL, TL, TRRuppesicberyMummies & Track RobotsTindron & Fire-Axe
32MeestreTL, TR, BL, BRPhyderlaps & ExsomidedWhirlmen, Critters, Mini Robots, Two Headed Dogs, GuardsScooofar, Ruppekal & Eginham
43TriekosTR, BR, BL, TLRatsicpocy & ElsisydonSentry Droids, Ceiling Robots, Light Sabre Monsters & Fire DemonsMagnums, Hunters & CoppatorPocinsbee, Elders, Yulthaape, Viginink & Chaltedon
54SalsteeTR, BR, BL, TLSythalebee & MidinsneingTanks & Red Soldiers-ALL PREVIOUS-Lapcepy, Phydered & Exsosy
65SeavyBR, TL, BL, TRYulesdeape & PocceplaplsTrolls, Acid T.V’s & Speedo ShipsEpeton, Sylekal & Rupsoham
76SodpiaTR, BL, TL, BRScosinsinkGun Emplacements, Fire Dragons & Gravity DroidsChasbee, Elsidon, Vipeape, Pocginkal, Yulooham, Exthafar & Ratsics
87QuoonelTR, BR, TL, BLLaplelebee & QuesosifarSuper Tanks & Floating Orbs-ALL PREVIOUS- Boosters & IronideSyinsink, Lapdering, Yulenebery, Midesdon, Physiy, Queltes & Exneed

More pass codes coming soon.


Captive Leader Board

PlayerMissionPlanetVersion
Jim Adcox’s roommate911001Amiga
Jim Adcox67737Amiga
Jim Adcox67737Amiga
Jeffrey Lane28306Atari ST
Michael C3135PC
Doug Yanega11117Atari ST
James Crawford11117Amiga
Chris Pile222Amiga

Think you deserve to be on the Captive Leader Board? Email me and let me know how far you have reached.


Games-X magazine interview with Tony Crowther

A special thanks to Ross Sillifant who sent me scans from the May 1991 publication of Games-X magazine containing an interview with Tony Crowther.

Games-X Magazine - May 1991


Active

No longer active

  • Captive Base by xEnOpHiRe. If anyone is in contact with xEnOpHiRe, please let me know.
  • Captive: Resource Guide. This site rocked. It had all the codes to the end of Mission 4, great stuff.

Thanks to those who have shown an interest in this page.