Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/dcgames4.zip/DCPLAY.DOC

Text File | 1995-10-02 | 20KB | 764 lines

Getting started

Hardware and Software Requirements     1

Installation and Configuration     1

Game Files     1

Sound Blaster Support Files     2

Graphics Driver Files     3

Creating a new character

Character Types     4

Human     4

Elf     4

Dwarf     5

Wizard     5

Archer     5

Fighter     5

Character Attributes     6

Strength     6

Speed     7

Aim     7

Dexterity     7

I.Q.     7

Power     7

Hit Points     7

Armor Class     7

Playing the game

Gaining Experience     8

Interacting with other characters     8

Regular     8

Merchant     8

Civilian     9

Bartender     9

Healer     9

Teller     9

Trainer     9

Beggar     9

Questor     9

Guard     9

Moving Around     10

The party's spokesbeing     10

Talking to other characters     11

Saving, Restoring and Restarting a game     11

Quick Reference Card

Single Letter Commands     12

Function_Keys     12

























D  C     G  A  M  E  S







Version 4.0



PLAYER'S USER GUIDE





















(c) DC Software, 1989-1995

7908 Kettlewood Court

Plano TX 75025

214-491-1579Getting started

Hardware and Software Requirements

This system requires a 386SX or better processor, as well as a
VGA or SuperVGA graphics card.  It will use extended or expanded
memory if available, but it is not required at this time.

You should try to make as much conventional memory available as
possible.  Use the MS-DOS 'MEM' command to find out how much
conventional memory you have.  It should be close to 600KB at
least.

The game system will also support the a Sound Blaster and AdLib
compatible card for voice and music playback. It will recognize
the equipment and use it automatically.

If you have a Sound Blaster compatible card, you can help the
system determine how it is configured if you have a line like
the following in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:



SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T3



The actual values on the right side of BLASTER= depend on your
configuration and should have been set when you installed your
card.

Installation and Configuration

This game is probably packaged into one or more ZIP files.  You
will need to extract the contents of some or all of these ZIP
files into a single directory in order to play the game.  The
following files should be present:

FILES     Description

WORLD*.*     World Landscaping files

WORLDO*.*     World Object and Character files

*.PCX     Graphics images.

*.SCO     Compiled script objects.

*.SCR     Script sources (may not be present, it's up to the game
developer!)

*.DTA     Various binary data files

DCCTOKEN.DAT     Game's tokens and associated codes.

*.VOC, *.CMF     Miscellaneous Voice and Music files.

*.RSC     Archived voices for the game's characters.





Graphics Driver Files

In addition to the above, you should have the following files in
your game directory:

DCFONTS.7X5     Graphics font file.  Same file for all graphics
modes.

DCOBJECT.mde     Object graphics blocks for mode 'mde' from table
above.

DCPEOPLE.mde     Character graphics blocks for given mode.

DCBLOCKn.mde     (n = 0 to 9) Landscaping graphics blocks for given
mode.

DCSYSTEM.mde     System graphics blocks for given mode.



Where '.mde' is one of the following:

Mode     Resolution     Colors     Description

VHI     640x480     16     VGA high resolution (recommended for VGA)

VLO     320x200     256     VGA ow resolution (second best)

VH1     640x480     256     SVGA high resolution (best option!)

VH2     800x600     256     XVGA high resolution (memory hog, but wow!)

VH3     1024x768     256     UVGA high resolution (super wow!)



Note that the following modes are now obsolete: CLO, CHI, ELO,
EHI, MGA and TDY.

In addition to the above, you should have an executable file
(usually called DCPLAY.EXE, but it may have been renamed for
your game), as well as documentation files (*.TXT, *.DOC,
READ.ME, etc.).

Note that the following files are NOT part of the game itself.
They are saved game files and may be erased if they are present
in your original delivery:

PARTY.DTA - Holds the initial character creation right after
you've gone through the game's initialization sequence. If this
file is present, the game driver skips the initialization and
goes right into the game itself.

SAV*.* - Holds saved  instances of the game files. These files
should NOT be part of the distribution.  Note that the game
system can handle up to 1000 saved games.  The current game is
stored as SAV*.000 (or slot zero), while your saved games are
stored as SAV*.nnn where nnn is a number between 001 and 999.STARTING A GAME

To start playing from the very beginning, type the following:

C:\> cd \mygame

C:\mygame> dir SAV*.*

C:\mygame> dir party.dta

If you find any files above, the game has already started, so
you should consider if you need to delete them or keep going.
To start the game playing type:

C:\mygame> dcplay



Creating a new character

When you start an adventure, the game designer may have chosen
to create the player character for you, but most likely you will
be allowed to create your own.  If the game driver detects that
the player character has not been fully created, you will be
presented with a screen in which you may select your character's
type, name and attributes.

Character Classes

When choosing a character class, you should consider the special
attributes and restrictions (if any) that the character class
has. In the default configuration for DCGAMES, a Fighter cannot
use any magical items, but can use any weapon, armor or shield.
A Wizard on the other hand, cannot use weapons very effectively,
but instead must use it's Power and intelligence to overcome
obstacles. In the end, it becomes a matter of preference. Do you
prefer the powerful fighter, able to wield mighty weapons into
battle, conquering all by a combination of skill and strength,
or do you prefer to be a magic user, using your mind instead of
your muscle.

The standard DCGAMES environment includes the following
character classes, which differ mostly in their abilities and
attributes.

Human

Human beings have no special abilities, but neither are they
restricted in the kind of weapons, armor or shields that they
can use. While they can't cast magic spells (no power), they can
use any magical item.

Elf

These creatures are not very strong. They can not wear or wield
heavy equipment, but they can cast magic spells, recovering
their power faster than wizards. However they gain power very
slowly as they gain experience.

Dwarf

These cave dwellers tend to be small in stature, but very strong
and agile. They cannot use missile weapons or shields, nor cast
spells.

Wizard

A wizard is a being born with natural magical abilities. Their
high I.Q. let's them gain Power points very fast as they gain
experience and advance to higher levels. Unfortunately, they are
not very good with weapons, and can only use one-handed, blunt
or edged weapons (no missile weapons). This means that in hand
to hand combat they are likely to be killed. They can't use any
kind of shields, as it would hinder their ability to cast
spells, and can only use very light armor.

Archer

An archer is a highly trained fighter, whose training has
focused on missile weapons, concentrating on Aim and Speed
rather than Strength and Dexterity. Armed with a good missile
weapon, they can be very effective in a fight. They can only use
light armor and cannot use shields.

Fighter

A fighter is a human being that has trained extensively in the
use of heavy weaponry. They are very strong and agile, and have
learned to rely on their skills. A good fighter knows he/she can
count on their weapons and their own skills at all times. They
have a deep contempt of magical items (other than magical
weapons), and will never use any magical item (like rings,
amulets, gems, scrolls or staffs).

If you are given the opportunity to create your character, you
will be able to allocate some points to your different
attributes. What attributes you assign these points to depends
on the character class you choose.

Character Attributes

All characters have attributes such as strength, speed, I.Q.,
etc. Some attributes are more important than others, and
different character types have different attribute requirements.
For example, a Fighter has no need for a high I.Q., strength is
their primary need. On the other side, a Wizard has no need for
strength and needs all the I.Q. it can get.

When a character's attributes exceed a certain value, the
character will get additional effect when using the attribute.
For example, a very strong person will do extra damage points
when using contact weapons, and will be able to carry heavier
things than normal for that character class.

The following table describes the "additional effect" of a high
attribute:

Attribute Value     Effect

Less than 9     May reduce effectiveness

9 to 15     No special effect

16 to 18     +1 effect

19 to 20     +2 effect

21 to 30     +3 effect

31 to 40     +4 effect

41 to 50     +5 effect... (and so on)



There are ten (10)  character attributes:

Strength

In hand-to-hand combat, you will do more damage when using
contact weapons. You will also be able to carry 10 additional
pounds for each "additional effect" point.

Speed

Speed is important in a battle, as it may allow you to strike
more than once per round. If your speed exceeds that of your
current foe by more than 10 points, you will be able to strike
twice. If it exceeds it by more than 20 points you will be able
to strike 3 times.

Aim

Aim betters your chance of hitting a target with a missile
weapon. It doesn't affect hand-to-hand combat. In general, you
can expect to hit a target about 1 out of 2 times. An additional
point from aim will better the chances to 2 out of 3 another
point will make it 5 out of 6, and any more points will always
hit.

Dexterity

This attribute is important in combat, as it helps in avoiding
getting hit! It also helps to avoid traps when you try to break
the lock in a chest or door.

A character with dexterity under 9 might have trouble using
weapons, and might harm him/her-self during combat.

I.Q.

A wizard's I.Q. will help him/her gain extra power when promoted
to a new level. A wizard with a low I.Q. might actually loose
Power when promoted to a new level!

Power

A magic user (Wizard or Elf) consumes POWER points when casting
a spell. Power is replenished with time and rest.

Hit Points

This is the amount of damage that a player can take before
dying. Note that a player with only 1 h.p. is unconscious. Extra
hit points are earned when you are promoted to a new level.

Armor Class

This attribute depends on the armor you are wearing, as well as
the magical items and/or spells that may protect you at any
given time. The higher your a.c. the less damage you suffer
after being hit.

Luck

Increases your chances of opening locked doors, avoiding traps,
etc.

Charisma

May get you better deals when trading, etc.

Playing the game

Gaining Experience

When you play the game, you will get experience points for every
point of damage done to a monster during battle. You will also
get experience and a monetary reward for performing services for
other characters (quests).  The game designer may have added
other ways of obtaining experience, such as completing certain
tasks, or entering a certain place, etc.

As your experience accumulates, you will be automatically
advanced to a new level.  Every time you advance you will
receive additional hit points as well as some additional points
in one or more attributes, depending on your character's type:

Type     Gains attribute points for

Human     Strength

Elf     Power (very slowly)

Dwarf     Strength and Dexterity

Archer     Aim and Speed

Wizard     Power

Fighter     Strength



Interacting with other characters

You will encounter many different characters during the course
of your adventures.  The character class will direct a
character's actions to a great extent.  The following are the
standard classes of characters, but remember each character is
an individual, and the following is just the expected behavior
for a character of any given class.

Regular

This is someone that might be interested in joining your party.
Talk to them before you ask them to join your group. Once they
join, if you ask them to leave you have to share your gold with
them and they take any item they are carrying with them.  There
is a maximum of 6 characters in a single party, so choose your
companions well. Use the Vacate command to ask a character to
leave your group.

Merchant

Merchants buy and sell items. Their merchandise varies a lot,
but they usually concentrate on certain 'types' of items like
weapons, armor, food, magic potions, magical items, etc.

Merchants will usually buy only items of a type similar to the
merchandize they carry. For example, an armorer (sells armor,
shields, etc.) would not be interested in buying a Magic Book.

Civilian

This character will not usually join in your adventure.  You can
talk to it, but that's about it.

Bartender

The bartender at the local pub is a good source of information,
but drinking in excess will get you no where.

Healer

Can heal your wounds, cure your poisoning, resurrect your dead
and remove cursed items (for a price, of course).

Teller

These person can usually give you a good lead, but their words
may be cryptic and usually expensive.

Trainer

Your character's can train to gain Strength, Dexterity, Aim or
I.Q. This is an expensive but quick way of building your
character's attributes.

Beggar

While most beggars are worthless scum, and will try to steal
your money, beggars have been known to give good tips when
treated right.

Questor

This person will give you a quest. If you accept, you will have
to go and get a specific object, for which the questor will pay
well. Finishing a quest will also give you additional experience.

A questor may also ask you to find and bring a person. This
normally implies a rescue mission.

Guard

A guard will not let you approach the door or passage it is
guarding. Talking to them can lead to a fight, unless you are
prepared to give it the password required. Some guards have been
known to take bribes.

Moving Around

You move around by using the arrow keys (up, down, left, right)
or the key pad (make sure NUMLOCK is NOT set). When you see a
town or an entrance or exit, press the 'E' key to Enter or Exit
through the door.

Time passes every time you move. Your characters consume energy
and eat when they need to automatically out of the group's food
supply. If you run out of food they will go hungry and will
starve to dead eventually, so load up on food if you are going
away from civilized areas for an extended period of time.

Poison will also take it's toll on a character, so be careful
and carry some potions if you can find them.  They can usually
be bought in the towns.

When the characters get tired, they must sleep to recover. An
exhausted character will start loosing hit points as they move
around, so find a safe place and rest there.

Hit points are regained every two steps (if you're healthy and
well fed).

A character's attributes may be modified by artificial means.
The modification may be temporary or permanent depending on how
it was obtained.  Temporary modifications will go away when you
rest and must be re-invoked when you wake up.

Some magical items may have a limited number of uses, so you
should remove them before you sleep. Otherwise, their effect
will be re-invoked when you wake up, using a charge
unnecessarily.

If monsters appear while camping out, you may not have regained
all of your hit points, and the monsters will have the
initiative (first strike) because they caught you unprepared for
battle.

The party's spokesbeing

To set or change the party's "primary" character, type the
number of the character (1 through 6).

If you want to see the statistics on the entire group, press 0.
The primary character remains selected and is highlighted on the
screen.

Commands like Get, Drop, Wield, Remove, Talk, etc., are always
performed by the primary character. Thus, if you talk to a
merchant, and buy something, it will be placed in the primary
character's back pack.

Food and Gold are the general exception. They are always shared
by the entire party. If a food item is put in the backpack, it
probably means that it's not regular food! Some food has been
known to have strange effects (one of which is poisoning!).

Talking to other characters

When talking to other characters, you can use "keywords" to
conduct a conversation. Most characters will respond to keywords
like Hello, Name, Job, Join, Bye, etc. The conversation may
reveal other keywords, which in turn may lead to more.

Some characters will show you a menu from which you may interact
with it.  If the character is interested in idle chat, you will
see a 'Talk' option in the menu, otherwise, the character is
interested only in doing business.

If there is a price associated with an option (such as buying an
item), it will be shown to the right of the menu entry in either
gold pieces (GP) or silver pieces (SP). Remember that there are
10 silver pieces in every gold piece.

Saving, Restoring and Restarting a game

Saving the game often is highly recommended. You can save up to
999 copies of the game (in slots 1 to 999).

If you need to stop playing, press F10 to suspend the game. The
current game is always saved in slot 0. When you come back, the
game will continue where you left off.

To go back to a saved game (restore) press F4 and indicate the
slot number that you want to load.

Should you want to restart the game from the very beginning,
press F6.

If you choose any of the above option by mistake, press <ESC> to
return to the game.

Quick Reference Card

Mouse Interface

Button    Window        Items                        Action

   R        World        vehicle, door, chest, sign            Use

   R        World        NPC                        Talk to

   R        World        Anything else                    Get

   L        World        Any object or npc                Look

   R        Menu        menu option                    Select Option

   R        ICON BAR    Variable. Look at the icon's picture for a clue.

   R        Group Stats    Individual Player                Display Stats

   R        Player Stats  Worn/Wielded Item                Remove

   R        Player Stats    Backpack Item                    Wear/Wield

   R        Player Stats    Anywhere Else                    Display Group

   L        Player Stats    Any item Worn/Wielded/Backpack        Look at it.

Single Letter Commands

    0    - Show party summary stats.

    1-6    - Select's primary character.

    A    - Attack a group of monsters.

    C    - Camp Out. Rest for a little while.

    D    - Drop an object from your back pack.

    E    - Enter or Exit another world.

    G    - Get object you are standing on or next to you.

    I    - Inventory. Look's in your backpack.

    L    - Look. To examine something closely.

    N    - iNvoke a magic scroll or a gem.

    Q    - Quaff (eat or drink something in your backpack).

    R    - Remove weapon, armor, shield, ring, amulet or staff.

    S    - Spell. Cast a magic spell (Wizards and Elves only).

    T    - Talk to other characters.

    U    - Use object.

    V    - Vacate. Let someone out of your party.

    W    - Wield or Wear weapon, shield, armor, ring, etc.

    X    - eXit a vehicle or dismount.

    Z    - Zap a monster with a magical staff.

Function Keys

    F1    - HELP

    F2    - To SAVE the current game.

    F3    - Toggle Sound/Music On/Off

    F4    - To RESTORE a saved game.

    F6    - To RESTART a game from scratch.

    F10    - Save game to slot 0 and return to DOS.

    ESC    - Cancel last operation. During a battle, stop fighting
mode and

          try to escape.