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Text File | 1992-04-08 | 12.5 KB | 278 lines

ANCIENTS I: THE DEATHWATCH V1.2 Copyright (c) 1991 FARR-WARE software ......graphics..... Mathew McEwan Jason Struck ....programming.... Mark Lewis Welcome to Quest of the Ancients I: The Deathwatch. This game was brought to you through the efforts of FARR-WARE software. FARR-WARE is dedicated to bringing the highest quality of software to the shareware market. The Deathwatch is a 3-dimensional fantasy role-playing game. It takes place in the city of Locklaven. Characters explore the city, visiting many of the shops, and finally entering the dungeon. A number of quests must be solved in order for the characters to complete the game. What is shareware? Well, shareware can be defined as a try before you buy market. Over the past years, shareware has grown from an 'out of the basement' market to a large, and very reliable software distribution network. It provides users with high quality software at an affordable price. However, to continue this tradition, software authors must be supported. Therefore, if you like the software, we encourage you to register your shareware products. What do you get when you register this version of The DeathWatch? You will receive the exciting sequel entitled Ancients II.This sequel is much larger than the original and contains many new and exciting details. Not only do you get a completely new game, you will also receive a printed manual. Some new features of Ancients II include: -printed manual -all new graphics -complete graphical wilderness with several cities -more casino games -larger maps -more intricate story line -new classes and races -exciting new spells -optional transfer of characters -several unique game-interface features To register, send a check or money order, payable to FARR-WARE, for the amount of $19.95 plus a $4 shipping and handling fee (Canadian residents please add $1.70 for GST) to this address: P.O. Box 24135 300 Eagleson Road Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2M 2C3 FARR-WARE thanks you in advance for your support. (for complete registration information, and a printable order form, see the file register.doc) WARNING: This program is protected under the copywrite laws. The program or any of the files belonging to this piece of software may not be modified or retailed without the written permission of FARR-WARE software. QUICK START UP: To begin Ancients I, simply type 'begin'. This will bring you up to the initial menu. For quick start up convenience, 4 characters have already been provided. If you do not choose to create your own, and simply wish to sample the game, use the 'journey onward' from the main menu. THE BEGINNING ------------- The beginning screen contains a menu of 5 options: JOURNEY ONWARD: Selecting this option will allow an assembled party to begin play. It will load the game from the last saved position. Note: You must have a party of 4 characters assembled. CHARACTER OPTIONS: This allows several character related options. These include character creation and party maintenance. To use these options, your party must be previously saved within the city. This character option menu contains 5 options as well: CREATE CHARACTER: This option allows for the creation of characters. Use the mouse to make your selections. Refer to character creation. ERASE CHARACTER: Use this option to delete characters from your disk. Simply click on the name of the character that you wish to delete. ADD CHARACTER: This option allows you to add a character to your party. A list of you party appears at the bottom of window. A list of characters is displayed using the rest of the window. To add a character to your party, simply click on his/her name. To return to the character options menu, click on the bottom of the window where the party is displayed. DROP CHARACTER: This option works exactly the same as ADD CHARACTER, except it will remove a character from your party without deleting it from disk. PREVIOUS MENU: This option returns you to the main menu. VIEW BEGINNING: This options simply relates the game story. A LITTLE NOTE: A small note from the authors. EXIT TO DOS: This will exit to dos. CHARACTER CREATION: ------------------- To survive the quests in this game, a strong, well-balanced party is necessary. We suggest 1 Mage, 1 Priest, and either two Fighters or 1 Fighter and 1 Rogue. There are 4 major statistics in this game. These are: Strength: This affects a characters added damage. Added damage is the damage that a character can inflict on top of his/her weapon damage. Intelligence: This affects the amount of spell points a character can gain through each level of advancement. Dexterity: This allows a character an extra chance to hit. The higher the dexterity, the more agile and able the character will be. Constitution: This affects the amount of life points a character will have and will gain through advancement. THE GAME INTERFACE: ------------------- There are 8 main icons in this game. Here they are with a brief explanation about each one: 3 MOVEMENT ICONS: These icons allow the party to move left, forward, and right respectively. This can be accomplished either through the use of the mouse or the arrow keys. CAMP: This allow a party to camp. Camping will help heal injured characters as well as restore lost magic points. Bewarned, however, that many a party has been ambushed while they slept. You may not camp within the city. CAST: This allows a magically inclined individual to bring forth the mysterious power of magic. Click on this icon and then select the character who wishes to cast the spell. A menu of spells will then appear. Select the level by clicking on the appropriate level box. To select the spell, simply click on the desired words in the box. To abort the casting of a spell, click on the quit icon. EXAMINE: This options allow the party to examine something on the screen or an item that is in their possession. To examine something on the screen, click this icon and then click a point on the screen. An example of this would be: clicking on a dungeon wall in order to find a secret door. Click on the examine icon and then select the character and the item that you wish to examine and you will then get some information about that item. USE: This options allows you to use an item that is in the characters possession. It can also be used, in the town level, to open a door. Select the use icon. You will then be prompted with a message: 'use what'. You may now select and character and item by clicking on the character picture and then the item in his/her inventory, or select a door within the town level. DISK OPTIONS: There are five disk options that can be used. To use them, click on the words that is in the text window. Save Game: This option will save the game that is currently in progress. Load Game: This option will load a game from the last saved position. Main Menu: This option returns the player to the main menu. ie the beginning of the game. Exit To Dos: This will exit from the game into dos. Be warned, it will not save the current game. Abort: This simply aborts the disk options menu. COMPASS: Although you cannot click on this icon, it will provide you the direction that your party is currently heading. This will enable you to easily map the world of Ancients I. Combat: A somewhat different interface is used during combat. The viewing of a character is almost identical to that of the main screen, however, you cannot move items between characters. There are five icons on this screen. These are: ATTACK: This icon allows a character to attack a foe. This icon must only be selected once during the entire combat. After it has been selected, a player will only need to click on a monster in order to attack. ("Important", characters in the rear ranks of the party may only attack with missile weapons. eg. slings or bows.) DEFEND: When a character's turn comes about, he/she may opt to defend. This is achieved by selecting the defend icon. A defending character will be much harder to hit. CAST: This invokes the spell menu. It can be interfaced the same way as the cast icon from the main menu. You must follow the instructions given for the type of spell. For instance, an offensive spell will require you, the player, clicking on a monster picture in order to select a monster. FLEE: Sometimes, when faced with a superior foe, a party will opt to flee from battle. When a character's turn arrives, the player can select this icon and the character in question will attempt to flee. Characters that are farther away from the battle will have a better chance of fleeing. After fleeing your party will become disorganized. USE: If you click this icon, the current acting character's (ie the highlighted character), screen will appear. Simply click on the desired item follow any additional instructions. If you opt not to use an item, click on the character's picture in the top left- hand corner of the screen. PLAYING THE GAME: ----------------- Characters start in the city of Locklaven. During their dungeon adventures, they will find it most important to often return to this city. Locklaven is a small town with several shops. Your first task should be to explore the city and find all of the shops. There are five shops in the city. It would be wise to use all of the doors in the city just in case there is something behind them. During your travels, you will need to enter all of the shops to perform various tasks. The shops share the same basic interface. You simply click on the text in the text window to perform that specific task. The equipment shop is an important place to visit. Here you can buy and sell many items. When buying an item, use the arrow icons that appear on the screen just beside the text window. To abort, click on the top line of the text window. When selling items, you must click on a character picture (to select a character) and then select an item. A yes-no verifying window will verify your request. Within the temple of healing, the priests of Locklaven are housed. You can visit the temple to heal a character, or even resurrect the dead. The wheel of despair has claimed many a man's money, but it has also fostered many a man's dreams. Yes, the casino is where fortunes may be made, or lost. Select the 'play roulette' option upon entering this establishment. You will then be prompted to use your mouse to select a character. Once a character has been selected, your dracos will be displayed and you will be given the opportunity to place your bet. After placing a bet, you must select a colour on the wheel by clicking on the wheel itself. The Guild must be visited regularly. Here your characters are looked over by the review board. If your characters have gained enough experience they will be able to advance to the next level. Within the confines of the Dragon Inn, Your party may take a room and rest for the night. However, some characters, may not wish to sleep. For these characters, there is an alternative-a night at the Dragon Tale Tavern that is located on the first floor of the inn. Within the tavern, a character can take an ale and listen to the tales of the patrons, or he/she may wish to chat with the barkeep. MAPPING THE DUNGEONS: --------------------- The party mapper should have graph paper. Each step that the party takes should represent 1 square. Every door should also represent 1 square.