Controls[edit]
- Q , A , O and P : In the ZX, CPC and C64 versions, you must use these four keys to direct the hand-shaped cursor around Hacker's room, along with Space when it is positioned over an object on his desk to select it; it is also possible to use a Kempston, Interface II, or Cursor joystick to direct the cursor around the room and select objects in these versions, but for the BBC Micro, you must use the arrow keys and Enter instead.
The Rt. Hon. James George Hacker[edit]
The protagonist of the game; the player must help him make the most adroit political decisions about the events that will occur during the course of five days, and each day begins in his room at the House of Commons, which contains several objects that can be selected by moving the cursor over them and pressing Space (BBC Micro: Enter ): a telephone on which calls are received from political figures if Hacker's secretary deems them suitable, an intercom on which Hacker's two civil servants, Sir Humphrey Appleby KCB and Bernard Woolley, will contact him directly (but in the BBC Micro version, internal calls are received through the telephone), a teletype whose output should be noted as it may come in useful for a future occasion, an ideas box which can be checked for hints or comments about a looming event or something you have omitted to do, a concealed safe which contains the ODEAIC poll information giving an up-to-the-minute rating of Hacker's performance, a clock which must be watched if Hacker is to be at meetings on time and influence matters (by activating the cursor when it is positioned over the clock, time shall fastforward to the next important event), a diary which can be consulted for meeting times, and a door which will present you with various destinations when opened (as being in a specific place at a specific time will be vital to Hacker's success). Sometimes, a memo will appear on Hacker's desk - and, once you have read it, it will disappear again.
Events happen randomly in Hacker's office and they may vary each time you play a specific day; when Hacker is in conversation at a meeting, on the telephone or on the intercom, you shall have to press Space (BBC Micro: Enter ) after each person has spoken in order to cue the next speaker (indicated by an arrow in the bottom-right corner of the screen), and many decisions require you to make a choice from a number of options (you can either type the appropriate number, or position the cursor over the on-screen number and activate it). Sometimes, a graph known as a "Hackergram" shall appear - and in such a case, you'll have to position the cursor over the most suitable point on the graph to indicate your answer, and activate it. Once Hacker starts a meeting or a conversation, it is not considered politic to break off during it, so he must wait until it has finished before returning back to his room; it's also worth noting that leaving his room can take up time and you may also miss important events as a result of not being there.