What's new in 2.0

• Updated chapters 3 & 4 to include information on how to order Fantsoft products using your Visa or Mastercard.  (About time!)

• Added the ability to view dungeons/crypts/castles etc.... in 3D.  This is the first release of the 3D code so it is limited in scope and variety.  To get maximum benefit from the 3D view you will need to update to version 2.0 of each scenario.  Otherwise you may only see plain walls, doors and stair cases.

• Added the ability to scroll around the combat map using keys.  You can move around the map by holding down the option key and hitting an arrow or a number on the keypad in the direction you want to view.

• Added keyboard shortcuts for most functions from the shop/trade, items and main game screen.  In general, you can go to another screen by typing the first letter that appears as the title of a button.  If that is not the case then the letter to type will be displayed in the upper left hand corner of the button.  There is also a new chapter 'Keyboard Commands' that outlines all the keyboard commands throughout the game.

• Added a chapter that gives a complete rundown on all keyboard commands.  I suggest you glance over this.  You might be suprised to find a handy dandy function you did not know about.

• Back by popular demand, you can now display the characters class on thier portraits again.  To do so just select the option in the preferences.

• You are no longer held to a maximum level limit if you modify your party once you have started an adventure.  In the past, you could not swap characters if you would end up with more experience levels than what you started with.  That is no longer the case.

• You can now alter the difficulty level of the game at anytime.  In the past you had to set the difficulty at the beginning of the adventure.  Now you can modify it anytime by selecting "Modify Party" under the adventure menu.

• I now vary the actual frequency of random battles in relation to the difficulty level.  In the past it would only affect how hard the battles were.   Now it affects both how hard and how often they are.  This does not reduce the frequency of special encounters in any way, just the random battles.

• When you load a saved game you will see a cool little scene to show which scenario you are loading.  Just a little spit and polish.

• Some spells can only be used within encounters.  (Teleport for example)  For this reason it was confusing for some people as to when and how to use some spells.  Now, when you try to cast a spell that can ONLY be used in an encounter, it will ask you to click the ENCOUNTER button first.

• Fixed a bug that would cause spells cast from scrolls to not be detected while in an encounter.  i.e.  If an encounter required you to cast a fly spell to succeed, and you cast fly from a scroll, the game would not see this and would not take the appropriate action.

• Updated the weapons table to allow some weapons to be equiped at the same time as others.  A flaw caused some weapons like throwing daggers to be seen as both a melee AND missile weapon.  This would prevent the PC from equiping one of each.  (My heart goes out to all your rangers and thieves that have suffered from this.)

What's new in 1.6.3

• Fixed a memory bug that would cause all kinds of havoc.

What's new in 1.6.2

• Fixed a bug that would keep the saved game descriptions from working.

• Altered the way the game keeps track of which scenario is saved in which saved game slot.  A little less flaky.

What's new in 1.6

• Added the info about our next RPG game release.  Exile 1.0.  See the end of chapter 1 for the shameless plug.

• As always, a heap of bug fixes.  A couple critical ones but most were small and would only apply in special or remote situations.

• Enemy spell casters are now much better at targeting.  A lot less self destruction.

• You can now have up to 10 saved games instead of only 5.

• Changed the way you select PCs for action in both the items and shop/trade screens.

When in a shop, to get the shopkeeper to show on the right if not already, simply click on a catagory of items to trade/buy/sell and the shopkeeper will appear again.

• If an item is unique you can now see this in the items info screen.  (Option - Click in the items/trade/shop window)

• Spells that have a duration and affect an area such as stinking cloud or blade barrier now end their duration at the same point in a round at which they were cast.  Example:  If a stinking cloud spell was cast with a 3 round duration by an enchanter who moved 3rd.  The spell would last until it was that PCs turn 3 rounds later before it would dissapear.

• Added the ability to add custom icons/sounds.  For instructions on how to do this see the chapter, "Custom Icons/Sounds"   You will need to know how to use ResEdit.

• Added to the spell descriptions as they appear in the spell description window.  (If you have that option turned on in the preferences)

• New interface for selecting/changing character icons/portraits.

• Improved import feature.  To import characters from previous copies you do so by moving their files into the "Character Files" folder.  Then when you click the "Import" button you will be able to select them using the standard apple file dialog.

• New character portraits.  All the new portraits are larger and of the same artistic style.  If you liked the old portraits you can still use them.  Get your hands on the file, "Realmz Goodies" available on AOL, Compuserve and many major ftp sites.

In a nutshell, this file is a resource file containing the old portraits.  To use it you simply put the file in the same folder as Realmz and it will override the default portraits of Realmz.

• Because of the new portraits being larger I had to remove the option of displaying the characters class below the portrait.  I liked this feature but I felt it was more important to have the larger portraits.

• New experience table.  See the table near the end of the chapter titled  "Appendix of Tables" earlier in this manual.  It is followed by a couple of examples to give you a better idea of how experience is calculated.

• You can now increase or decrease the power level of a spell after you have selected a spell but before you hit the <Space Bar> to cast it.  To do this you can either click on the buttons with yellow arrows on them  (#7 below) or hit the left or right arrow key on the keyboard or keypad.  (Very Nice!)

• You can now remove the charm from a charmed character by either charming them back OR by casting dispel magic on the charmed PC.

• The bestiary has been modified a bit to show a little more info.  I also hope to have fixed a bug that would cause it to get stuck on one monster.  (Giant Frog)

What's new in 1.5.5

• We can now except checks drawn from a foreign bank.  The chapter following the registration / order form has a list of exchange rates.  We are still working on the ability to accept credit card orders.

Bug Fixes

• Lots of minor bugs.

• Fixed some spells that were not working correctly.

• Fixed some monsters that would lock up the game if they attempted to use a missile weapon.  (Driders in particular)

New Preferences

• You may now set a preference that will eliminate PCs from automatically bandaging a bleeding PC when you click the AUTO button.  With option turned on, you will have to click the Bandage button or type 'B' on the keyboard.

• You may now set a preference that will eliminate the warning message at the end of each combat round that reminds you that you have PC's that are bleeding.

• You may now set a preference that will eliminate the message at the end of each combat round that reminds you that the next combat round is beginning.

New Things

• Updated the chapter Experience & Gaining Levels.  It now includes information about how some actions like turning undead, picking locks and forcing doors can award your PC experience immediately.

• You may now be surprised in ANY battle.  In the past, this option was only possible on random battles.  Now the game can specify SPECIAL battles where you will be surprised.

• A chapter has been added just previous to this one that explains some handy dandy shortcuts.  These shortcuts are all in the manual, but they may not stick out.  I have compiled a quick list of shortcuts and put them in one place.  This list of shortcuts will hopefully grow in the future.

• You may now heal a character that has become unconscious during battle.  That character must be between -9 and 0 stamina to be healed in combat.  (Dead PCs cannot be raised to reenter battle.)  To heal unconscious PCs, cast any healing spell during combat.  Select the character to be healed by  clicking on the shaded portrait of that character.  If the healing spell heals the PC to the point of raising them above 0 stamina, that PC will once again be in the battle.  This is not all peaches and cream.  Your returning comrade will be helpless for the remainder of that round, so protect them from being slaughtered right away.  The following round they will be slow (1/2 movement and attacks) and stupid (no spell casting).  The round after that, they will be able to cast spells but will still be slow.   All rounds thereafter, they will be at full speed and capable of anything.

New Stamina Table (Previous values in red)
 
Class           Initial
  
Per Level    *Max Bonus
Fighter      1 - 10      1 - 10      Unlimited
Paladin      1 - 10      1 - 10      Unlimited
Ranger       2 - 16      1 - 8       Unlimited
Monk         2 - 12(2-8) 1 - 6(4)    Unlimited(3)
Thief        1 - 6       1 - 6           3
Magic User   1 - 4       1 - 4           2
Cleric       1 - 8       1 - 8           3
Enchanter    1 - 4(6)    1 - 4(6)        2

Monks now have an unlimited constitution bonus and will gain stamina at a much better rate.  Enchanters however will now gain stamina at a reduced rate.

New Damage for Monks

Hand-to-Hand Damage:  Ranges between 1 and 2X ability level plus 2 points. 
 
Examples:

1st level monk does 2 x 1 + 2.  
Capable Range of Damage = 3 to 4 pts.
10th level monk does 2 x 10 + 2.  Capable Range of Damage = 3 to 22 pts.
15th level monk does 2 x 15 + 2.  Capable Range of Damage = 3 to 32 pts. 

Interface Modifications

• Modified the note keeper.  The note keeper now displays not only the text of the note but also its location.  You may also view other notes and their locations by clicking on the arrow buttons.  To edit a note, you must be standing on that particular note.  It is possible that saved games created with previous versions may not deal with notes correctly.  The new format of notes contain more information than in the past, so they may not work with saved games.