A.C.E. 1/ACE CD 1.iso/files/docs/ishar2d.lha/Ishar2.doc

Text File | 1994-11-27 | 23.2 KB | 589 lines

ISHAR 2 MANUAL TYPED BY RYGAR!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Remember to see the 3 different SPELLS iff pictures that came with this file
 too! - They are needed for playing the game - although there is no 100%
 cracked version of this game out,,,

Greetings to: Scooter, Baser Evil, Loons (nice crack!), Lsd, Access...
              + any REAL doc typers...........



SUMMARY

Description of the world
Counting rhyme
Technical description
Technical problems
Ergonomics
The control panel
Loading and saving
Fights
The team panel
Actions
Places
The character sheet
Potions
Spells
Spell symbols


DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD


SUMMARY OF THE PRECEDING EPISODES

In "Crystals of Arborea", Jarel, Prince of the Elves, set out on a quest
for the magic crystals in order to oppose the evil power of Morgoth, the
black god banished by his peers. With the support of his faithful companions,
he regenerated the harmony of the world of Arborea and killed Morgoth in a
memorable fight. Then Jarel became the ruler of the whole land, re-named
Kendoria. Under his government, Kendoria knew an era of prosperity and peace.
On his death, his heirs fell upon one another and the country lost all its
splendour.
In "Ishar, Legend of the Fortress", a group of adventurers travelled through
Kendoria to conquer Ishar, a mysterious fortress. Ishar, which means
"unknown" in the Elven tongue, belonged to Krogh, the devilish offspring of
Morgoth and the witch Morgula, who was threatening to reduce the whole
population to slavery. After many adventures, the companions found Ishar
and destroyed Krogh.


THE WORLD OF ISHAR TODAY

Ishar became a cultural and intellectual centre, casting its radiance over
the whole archipelago of Arborea, which consists of seven islands: the Isle
of Kendoria and six others each bering the name of one of Jarel's companions.
Thanks to massive immigration by the peoples of the Northlands, submerged by
the sea, Zach, the best known of the islands, developed rapidly and remains
a very important city today. The other islands are inhabited by different
races at various levels of development.
One fine morning, Zurbaran, the new Rules of Ishar, received an unusual
visitor...


COUNTING RHYME
for use by the Clever but
Ambitious Adventurer

5   Dwilgelindildong
5   scattered over each Land
5   holy fragments, foundations of Humanity
5   reunited by their Daughter without Light
5   then, who will become only One

4   Dwilgelindildong
4   re-written by the hands of the Ancients
4   with 2 to roam the Seas
4   which will lead to the Devil's Lair

3   Dwilgelindildong
3   symbols, ornaments so as not to offend
3   gifts for the Servants of Goodness

2   Dwilgelindildong
2   druids, one of dust and one of stone

1   Dwilgelindildong... the Only One... Shandar


TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION


STARTING THE GAME

- ATARI/AMIGA/AMIGA 1200: Put the game diskette into the drive and then switch
on the computer.

- ATARI FALCON: Insert the game diskette, then click twice on the START.PRG
icon.

- PC: After loading MS.DOS, put the diskette into Drive A (or B), then type
START.
At the start of the game, a configuration or setup page appears on the screen.
It offers you an optimum configuration, but you can modify it. If you save
the configuration, this page will no longer appear when you re-start the game.
However, you can access it by pressing the DEL key when the program prompts
you.

- MACINTOSH: Click twice on the START icon, then select the option PLAY from
the COMMAND menu.


INSTALLATION ON HARD DISK

- ATARI/ATARI FALCON: copy all the files on the diskette into a directory on
your hard disk.
On FALCON, start the game with START.PRG
On ATARI, take the START.PRG program out of the AUTO folder and copy it at the
same level as the other files. Then remove the AUTO folder from your hard
disk. To start the game, leave the diskette in the drive (for the protection
test), then select the START.PRG program on your hard disk.

- AMIGA/AMIGA 1200: copy all the files into a sub-directory on your hard disk.
Start the game with T.X, having first put diskette A into drive DF0.

- PC: put diskette A into Drive A (or B), then type
INSTALL <drive source> <drive destination> (INSTALL A: C: or INSTALL B: C: or
INSTALL A: D: or INSTALL B: D:). Then follow the instructions shown on the
screen. To start the game all you have to do is enter the sub-directory
concerned and type START.

- MACINTOSH: copy all the files into a directory on your hard disk. You start
the game from this directory by clicking twice on START.


TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

Specific PC problem: The program stops during loading (or indicates a memory
capacity overload error): check that your MS.DOS is not isntalling resident
programs for booting the machine which would use too much central memory.


CONTROLS

The game is designed to operate entirely by mouse. The left hand mouse button
is used to select and the right hand button to cancel the current operation
and close the menus selected. The keyboard can also be used. Thus the numeric
pad emulate the movements of the mouse. The <SHIFT> key (for typing capital
letters) replaces the left-hand mouse button and the <ALT> key the right-hand
mouse button. Keys F1 to F5 emulate the "Action" icons, and keys F6 to F10
emulate the fight icons.

The <CONTROL> key combined with the number keys enables you to do the
following:

   * Access the tactical panel with the 7
   * Access the save menu with the 9
   * Move about the 3-dimensional landscape using 1 to 6, according to the
     6 dirrections on the control panel.

There is a joystick emulation, but it is not recommended. The game lever is
used to move the arrow on the screen. The shoot button replaces the left-hand
mouse button and the <ALT> key the right-hand mouse button.


THE CONTROL PANEL


MOVEMENTS

Movements are made using the directional arrows. You can move forward,
sideways to the right and to the left, make a quarter turn to the right and to
the left or move backwards.

The compass indicates the direction in which you are facing. Some places are
impassable, such as water and high bushes.
The panel at the top of the screen shows the name of the place through which
you are travelling.


TACTICS

You can change the tactical positioning of the characters. To do so, click on
the small frame. A 5x5 chequerboard appears with small symbols (Roman numbers)
representing each character in the team - you will find these numbers at the
bottom left of each character box. Choose the desired symbol and place it in
one of the squares of the chequerboard.
The characters placed in the highest boxes will be at the front of the group.
They will be the first to receive blows. The characters placed behind will be
fairly well protected (except in the case of attack from behind); but they
will not be able to fight hand-to-hand unless they have a throwing weapon
(see "Fights" section). To move in single file, place the symbols on the same
vertical line; the character at the front of the group then receives all the
blows and is the only one who can fight hand-to-hand.
To move in a line abreast, place the symbols on the same horizontal line.
In this specific case, all the characters receive blows and can fight on the
same level.


LOADING AND SAVING

By clicking on the diskette icon you will access a menu with four choices:

- Save a game in progress: follow the instructions on the screen. The program
will ask you to insert a previously-formatted diskette. You can save as often
as you want to.

- Load a saved game: You must enter the name of the saved game and insert the
save diskette in the drive.

- Start a new game.

- Re-use an old team from the game "Ishar, Legend of the Fortress": insert
a save diskette used in that program into the drive. The game will then start
at the beginning with the characters of this new team. The characters will
retain their characteristics but will lose their possessions and magic spells.
Sometimes, the characters' experience levels will be slightly altered to suit
those of Ishar II.


WARNING:

On Amiga you will have to wait a few seconds after inserting a diskette to
give the drive time to read it.
On a hard disk, you save directly into the sub-directory of the game.


FIGHTS

Fights take place in real time. The fight panel groups together the fight
icons of each player with their active weapon. These icons are arranged in a
quincunx (4 at the corners of the square and 1 in its centre) and represent
from left to right the five characters in the team, identified by their
Roman numeral. To make a character strike, click on the corresponding fight
icon.
The icon will change colour during the attack. You can strike again when the
icon has returned to its initial colour.
Blows are struck with the weapon the character is holding. Their speed will
vary from weapon to weapon. A two-handed weapon is slower than a one-handed
weapon but causes more harm. If the player has a weapon in each hand he will
strike twice as fast as with a single weapon. The weapon used will then change
in the icon at each blow. Without a weapon, the character will strike with his
fists.
To strike an adversary you have to be in the front line (see the section
on "The Control Panel: Tactics"). The characters placed behind can however use
throwing weapons which can be rocognised by little lines symbolising speed.
To throw these weapons, click on the fight icon. The cursor will change. Then
select the adversary to be hit who can be some distance away.
Hits are represented on the picture by a small patch of blood showing the
damage points, that is, the life points the victim has lost. This damage
depends on several parameters: the power of the ewapon, strength, agility
(throwing weapons in particular), skill in weaponry, the adversary's
constitution, etc.


THE TEAM PANEL

The team consists of a maximum of 5 characters. At the start of the game, you
will have only one character. The name of each player is written at the
bottom. His face appears in the medallion. If the box in unoccupied, the
medallion contains a stone face. Note the Roman number at the bottom left
which represents the character in the tactical table (see "Control Panel"
section). The bar represents the level of life points. Watch it carefully,
because the character will die when it reaches zero. A skull will then
appear in the frame. You can recover the possessions shown in the character
sheet of a character who has died if you do not move elsewhere. The slightest
movement will cause the deceased play to disappear. When all the players are
dead the game is over. The four icons give access to the management and
information panels which will appear in place of the character's face. By
re-clicking a second time on these icons, the face will reappear in the
medallion.
- The first icon opens a menu which suggests differnt actions (see "Actions"
section below).
- The second icon reiterates the main parameters: physical and psychic levels,
experience, money. Physical fitness affects fighting performance. This level
drops as the character travels. When it reaches zero, the life points
gradually decrease. To raise it, the character must sleep, eat or drink
reviving potions. Psychic powers influence the effects and duration of magic
spells. You can recover psychic points by sleeping or drinking certain
potions.
- The third icon shows the hands and the different physiological states of
the player. These states are caused by magic spells which have been cast over
the character by which he is still affected (see "Spells" section). Any
objects which may be held appear in the hands. You can exchange or place
objects directly from these windows (see section on "The Character Sheet").
- The fourth and last icon (red dot, if operational) is used to cast magic
spells. Only certain classes (scholars, magicians, druids) can cast spells.
Select a spell from the table. Some can be cast directly but most will wait
for you to point to the character on the screen (attack spells) or among your
companions (defence spells) - the cursor will then change into a target.
By using the two arrows on the sides you can change the spells table (a choice
of 3 tables: defence spells, attack spells or various spells). The two
numbes under the arrows respectively indicate the character's psychic energy
and the level of the spell selected. There are about thirty spells of
different levels. They are aquired when the character changes levels (see
"Spells" section).


ACTIONS

To carry out a specific action, click on the "Act" icon of the character
concerned. Five actions are offered:

- Enrol: The cursor becomes a hand. Point it at the character to be enrolled.
The best place for enrolling is the inn, but you can also meet characters
worth enrolling in the three dimensional landscape. The players then give
their votes, resulting from how sympathetic they feel towards the candidate
(see section on "The Character Sheet: ALIGNMENT"). Warning: Traitors can
sometimes infiltrate a team. They disappear without trace, sometimes
stealing things.

- Dismiss: As with enrolling, the other members of the team give their vote.
A dismissed player disappears from the game and cannot be enrolled again.
Dismissal is less dangerous than assassination, but is not always practical
and the character's possessions cannot be recovered. In the course of the
game you will often need to get rid of a character.

- Assassinate: Select the team member to be assassinated. Be careful, because
the psychology of the characters comes into play: if one of the companions
has a lot of sympathy for the victime (see section on "The Character Sheet:
ALIGNMENT"), he may in turn kill the murderer. As this reasoning continues,
you could thus bring about a whole series of killings.

- First aid: Select the person to be helped. An individual who has been given
first aid cannot receive it a second time unless he has been struck again
in the interim. The effectiveness of first aid depends on the player's level
of skill in this subject.

- Map: A map of the whole archipelage appears on the screen. By selecting one
of the islands, you will obtain a detailed map of it. At the start of the game
the map is incomplete. It is up to you to find the missing pieces. Harbours
are indicated. The team is represented on the map by a flashing dot.


PLACES


SHOPS

There are three kinds of trader: animal traders, arms dealers and general
merchants where you can find food, potions and various utensils. Click on the
"Buy" icon and various goods with their respective prices will appear. Select
the object you want and confirm by clicking on the face of the character
who is buying or in the character sheet by clicking on his name. If the buyer
does not have enough money, the operation will be cancelled.


INNS

You are offered four options.

- Listen: You can pick up information.

- Enrol: The inn is the best place for enrolling. Select the torso of the
person you want to enrol. Your choice will be confirmed or rejected by the
vote of other team members.

- Eat: You have to pay for a full meal for the whole team. If all the players
together do not have enough money, none of them can eat.
Otherwise, the sum will be deducted from the companions in equal shares. If
one of them does not have enough the balance will be made up by his companions
according to the order in which they are arranged on the team panel.

- Sleep: The same principle as for eating. A room is taken for the whole team.


HOUSES

Here, the team's control panels do not work. Only the character sheets can be
selected. You will find various types of people here. Usually, they will give
you valuable information or suggest "missions" to you. Sometimes you can pick
up objects. Click on them and place them with one of the characters.


HARBOURS

To board a boat, look for a landing stage. Here you will find a boatman in a
boat. Board the boat. The boatman will take you to a ship. A map will then
appear on the screen. Select the harbour you wish to sail to.


THE CHARACTER SHEET

Each character in the team has his own sheet. Access it by clicking on his
name.


CHARACTER STATISTICS

This covers three pages which you can turn using the "Book" icons, and
contains:-

- Identity: Name, race, class (profession)

- The character's level and experience

- Degree of fitness: physical, psychic, vitality

- Team cohesion or ALIGNMENT: We have shown that relationships play an
important part: votes on enrolment or dismissal, serialkillings, refusal to
give first aid. These are based on the "alignment" tables. These alignments
depend on the tendency to good or evil and the sympathies and antipathies
between races (e.g. dwarfs dislike elves). Team cohesion summarises the
different alignments between the characters in the team.

- Characteristics and skills, which influence the player's actions (e.g. a
strong person will cause the enemy more damage, a robust person will withstand
blows better).
These parameters develop in the course of the game in relation to fights,
successes and set-backs. There are seven skills: lock-picking, perception,
first aid, shooting (bows and arrows and crossbows), weaponry skills (one-
handed weapons, two-handed weapons, throwing weapons).


MONEY

The "Money" icon shows the sum of money held. By clicking on it you will
access a money management menu. Be selecting the icon with 3 arrows, all the
sums of money are evenly distributed among the different members of the team.
You can also give a certain sum to another character: use the "+" and "-"
marks to define the sum, then click on the "coin" icon which will take
the place of the cursor. Then validate it on the character concerned. The
"All" icon selects the total sum which the player owns. The "0" icon returns
the sum back to zero.


OBJECTS

A character often possesses a few objects at the outset. When you find an
object, you can place it in one of the nine boxes. Certain objects can be
grouped together in the same box: food (maximum = 5), potions (maximum = 10),
arrows (maximum = 20). The number of objects is then shown at the bottom
right of the box. Select an object by clicking on it - or in the case of
objects grouped together, take them all by clicking on the number.
Then you can:-

- Destroy it by draging it on the "DUSTBIN" icon and clicking.

- Identify it by draging it to the "See" icon and clicking.

- Eat and drink by validating the food or potions on the "Absorb" icon.
Not that this icon can be used for blowing. Eating and drinking increases a
player's physical and vitality points.

- Dress you character by placing clothes, armour and helmets on the torso.
There are clothes for both men and women.

- Handle objects by clicking on them in the character inventory boxes or
on-screen and draging them to the "Hands" icon.
If the object is large (two-handed weapons), the second hand will be dimmed
and cannot be used.

- Place it in another character sheet by clicking on the name of the recipient
and placing the object in one of his boxes.

- Place it directly into the hand of a team member by validating on the
"Hands" icon of the character concerned.

- If you select one object after another, exchanges will be made
automatically.


POTIONS

To create a potion you must have a magic cauldron (there is only one in the
game!), which will serve as a mixing bowl. Make your mixtures by placing the
different potions on the cauldron. The cauldron can be reused after its
contents have been absorbed. Consult the magic recipes shown below, because
certain mixtures can have rather strange consequences...


MAGIC RECIPES

A = Dandelion puree
B = Oil of salamander
C = Trapdoor spider's web
D = Dried mistletoe
E = Rat's brain
F = Gargoyle's claws
G = Black mushrooms (*)
H = Edelweiss

(*): White mushrooms are poisonous.

"Bulkal":  1 dose of B + 1 dose of F
"Schloumz":1 dose of B + 1 dose of D + 2 doses of F
"Dzarna":  2 doses of B + 1 dose of C + 1 dose of E + 1 dose of F
"Kloug":   1 dose of B + 1 dose of C + 1 dose of E + 1 dose of E + 1 dose of F
"Clopatos":1 dose of B + 1 dose of D + 1 dose of E + 1 dose of F
"Gato":    3 doses of B + 1 dose of G
"Ghoslam": 1 dose of B + 1 dose of D + 1 dose of E
"Arbool":  1 dose of A + 1 dose of B + 1 dose of D + 1 dose of H
"Mildong": 1 dose of F + 1 dose of H
"Potaic":  1 dose of C + 1 dose of E
"Rhumxy":  2 doses of B + 1 dose of D + 1 dose of E
"Jablou":  1 dose of A + 1 dose of D + 2 doses of E
"Humbolg": 1 dose of B + 1 dose of C + 1 dose of G
"Oklum":   1 1 dose of D + 1 dose of H
"Flukjl":  3 doses of E


SPELLS

There are about thirty spells corresponding to different levels of experience.
Only three classes can cast spells: scholars, magicians and druids. Spells are
specific to each of these classes. By increasing experience level, the
character acquires higher level spells. The effectiveness of a spell (impact,
duration) depends on the experience level of the spell-caster. The higher the
level, the more powerful the spell will be. Casting spells requries a degree
of psychic energy. If the character does not have enough, the spell will have
no effect. The more powerful the spell, the more energy it will consume.


DESCRIPTION OF SPELLS

   * Defence spells (in order of level, from lowest to highest):

- Healing (scholar/druid): increases the life points of injured players.

- Protection: physical (scholar/magician) limits injury caused in fights, and
psychic (magician) protects against spells cast by enemies. There are overall
spells which protect the whole team. They are higher level spells.

- Specific care (scholar/druid): against poisoning and blindness.

- Protection against fire (druid).

- Resurrection of a player (scholar).

- Metamophosys to change form (magician).

   * Attack spells:

- Strikes in order of levels: the fireball (magician), powerless against
characters impervious to fire (dragons), the spiritual hammer (scholar), the
flaming hand (magician), the icecloud (magician) recommended agains fire
creatures, and the spirit of flame (magician) which is the most powerfull
spell.

- Strikes against all enemies present: lightning (magician), blinding
(scholar), paralysis (scholar/magician).

- Inversions: traditional inversion (scholar/magician) which changes a
character's natural inclinations (friend/enemy), and the "turn undead" special
(Magician) which drives only the living dead mad.

   * Specific spells:

- The paranormal: "Paranormal" detection (magician) indicates that you are in
an accursed place. Exorcism (scholar) enables the curse to be lifted from the
place.

- Telepathic reconnaissance (scholar) indicates the characteristics of the
character encountered.

- The magic key (magician) opens all doors.

- The change of timescale (magician) allows you to change your temporal plan
in the middle of a fight for a certain time. You can thus raise your life
points and prepare your strategy.

- Teleportation (magician) is used with "memo-telep" (magician) which records
in advance the teleportation arrival point.


CREDITS

Docs typed by Rygar
Programming by Michel Pernot, Andre Rocques, Fabrice Hautecloque
Graphics by Pascal Einsweiler, Jean-Christophe Charter, Eric Galand
Scenario by Andre Rocques, Michel Pernot, Louis-Marie Rocques
Music & Sounds by Fabrice Hautecloque
Quality Assurance by Stephane Mathiot
Manual by Andre Rocques, Eric Galand, Rygar
Package Illustration by Tim Hildebrandt
"Autoren" by Pascal Einsweiler, Michel Pernot
"Kunstlerische Leitung" by Pascal Einsweiler



THE END! TYPED BY RYGAR! REMEMBER TO LOOK AT THE SPELLS PICTURES (3 OF THEM)
THAT CAME WITH THIS FILE!

(c) RYGAR '93