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- OMEGA OVERVIEW
- ==============
- omega is a complex rogue-style game of dungeon exploration. Unlike
- other such games, there are a number of ways to "win", depending on
- various actions taken during play. The ways you can get your name on
- the hiscore board include becoming the highest ranked head of a guild,
- sect, college, etc., as well as gaining the most points figured from
- possessions and experience. The game (via the oracle) may impose some
- structure on your exploration, but you need not follow all of the
- oracle's advice. There *is* a "total winner" status, by the way.
-
- omega offers a richness of playing detail that goes beyond a simple
- game like rogue. However, the majority of gameplay is very similar to
- rogue, hack, ultrarogue, larn, and other such games. The player is
- represented by the highlighted "@" symbol, objects and terrain
- features are represented by non-alphabetic symbols, monsters are
- represented by the various upper and lower case letters, and other
- humans are represented by a non-highlighted "@". It is recommended
- that the novice read the man pages for rogue or some other such game
- and perhaps play a few games before playing omega.
-
- omega currently consists of a countryside in which are sited a city,
- various villages, several dungeons, and some "special" sites, such as
- the temple HQ's of the various priesthoods. The game starts in the
- city of Rampart, where all the guilds have headquarters. As a dungeon
- is explored, all generated levels are saved in memory. However, only
- one dungeon is "remembered" at a time, so if you enter two dungeons,
- the first will be forgotten (it will be regenerated should you wish to
- enter it again). However, if a dungeon is "completed", this fact will
- be remembered, basically meaning that the unique monster at the bottom
- will not be regenerated if you've killed him already.
-
- You will first want to explore the city of Rampart. Although the
- architecture and important sites remain the same from game to game,
- details such as the precise position of certain shops, etc. will
- change. Rampart is relatively safe if you don't wander into places
- that are obviously dangerous or do things like breaking and entering.
- If you are reckless, it is quite possible to get killed before ever
- finding the dungeons. The 'M' command now allows you to return
- immediately to any establishment you have already visited that game,
- and is preset to "know" the permanent locations of Rampart.
-
- Many Rampart establishments are only open in the daytime, but some are
- only active at night. Due to the stringent anti-crime measures taken
- by the Duke, it is usually safe to sleep in the streets. You will find
- it far more rewarding, however, to rent or purchase your own lodgings,
- if you can afford them.
-
- The point of omega, though, is dungeon exploration. There are a number
- of dungeons hidden about the countryside. These dungeons are at
- different levels of difficulty and have various idiosyncratic
- differences. The easiest are the Caves of the Goblin King, which is
- due south of Rampart, in the nearby mountains. The caves must be
- searched for with 's' command unless you are lucky enough to move
- directly onto them.
-