The Original Shareware 1.1

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Text File | 1990-06-27 | 43KB | 1,123 lines

1 █░ █░ ██░ ████░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ ███░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ █░ ███░ █░ █░ ███ █░ A Work of Pseudo-Medieval Fantasy Copyright (c) 1987, 1989 Castle Technologies All rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------ written by Brian Sanders Revision 5.82, Advanced ENHANCED, "DOOR INTERFACE COMPATIBLE", EVALUATION RELEASE ============================================================ In this manual: - What this game does, in a nutshell - How to play the game - Instructions for setting up XORU with TBBS, PCBoard (TM), Auntie, QuickBBS, or virtually any bulletin board system DISTRIBUTION POLICY: ============ ====== All amateur or hobbyist computer users: please feel free to duplicate and scatter this archive to the ends of the earth. It makes wonderful upload credit. Professional distributors: please refer to "Special notes and Distribution" below for more information. 2 ------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction ============================================================ The Advanced XORU "DOOR" is a highly developed piece of entertainment software for use with bulletin board systems (BBS's) which run on the IBM Personal Computer (and compatible) platform. All of the features available to the player who uses the game locally are likewise experienced by the remote player connected to the BBS. These features include sound effects, ANSI graphics, an on-screen auto- mapper, interactive menus, to list a few. Beneath this functionality sits a very challenging and fascinating magical world. ------------------------------------------------------------ Background ============================================================ Welcome to the splendors of Advanced Xoru.... A distant land where your inventiveness and skill are the "tools of the trade" for unravelling devious, mysterious puzzles, guarded by ugly and ferocious beasts. Only by the grace of Fortune and your own ingenuity, by exposing secrets that hold the land hostage, would your life be spared; even in a style befitting none but the greatest of kings! Play of the game usually requires a bit of exploration in the beginning, to gain familiarity with the new, bizarre surroundings. On discovery of a number of items, the clever player will understand similarities between unrelated areas, or things which ought to be made "right." Of course, here and there a clue may be carelessly dropped, so there is a reward for vigilance. If you outsmart the horrible Enslaver Titan of Xoru, the puzzle-crafter and dweamor-weaver of this huge subterranean safe, you will be highly rewarded! You will fight the Titan himself, to the very death, in an ultimate puzzle of his choosing. 3 Advanced XORU is a role-playing adventure game which allows the computer to "come alive" for a moment, interacting with you in a fantastical pseudo-medieval world. With its natural-language interface, Advanced Xoru allows the player to communicate with the game and its environment using common, everyday English sentences. The story unfolds in a variety of vivid scenarios, depicting lavishly arrayed dungeon chambers, evil drooling monsters and mysterious treasures. All such joys are within the grasp of the courageous, worthy adventurer. ------------------------------------------------------------ Registration and Ordering Information ============================================================ Advanced XORU comes to your doorstep via modem, courtesy of Castle Technologies and the User-Supported Concept. The User-Supported Concept delivers quality software to you at a very reasonable cost, allowing you to use the software on a free trial basis. Under this marketing concept, you can make an unlimited number of copies of the game without restriction; since XORU isn't at all copy protected, it is quite easy to back up and install on other floppies, or to a hard disk if you choose. Note: This Evaluation copy is from the same code that constitutes the Registered version. The capabilities of the evaluation program are a subset, not of what you can do in the registered version, but of how far you can go. This copy includes the entire first level of the dungeon for the purpose of your evaluation. Xoru is a cleanly written, professional software product which will provide the avid adventurer with endless hours of challenging entertainment. Your own registration of this product has the following benefits: * You will receive a disk with a copy of the game, which includes many additional features. A few highlights of added capabilities: The second and third levels of the dungeon, which complete the game set with many additional rooms, characters, monsters, tunnels, and puzzles, making the game complete and winnable. 4 A text-graphics finale: one last interactive challenge before the game concludes when you win it. This finale is supported by Xoru's advanced terminal capabilities. SYSOP user-file maintenance support, including special SYSOP menus within Xoru. 350 moves per level of unrestricted access to all of the game's features. * You will receive a full copy of a typeset, spiral-bound instruction manual that reveals many otherwise undocumented features of the game. * You will be entitled to customer support, giving you notification of future products and high priority in any questions you might have about using the game. * Paying for your copy of the game also encourages us to develop products using the Shareware system, including other computer fiction games. SYSOP's of the ever-growing base of computer Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's) may use Advanced Xoru to enliven their systems by providing on-line entertainment. Any BBS that supports serial ports 1-8 and that has DOS shelling capability is supported by Xoru with the game's built-in serial communications drivers. 5 If you would like a copy of the Registered, licensed version of Advanced Xoru on diskette, including the manual and sample map, send a check or money order for $44.95, also including any applicable sales tax (CA residents 7-1/4%) and shipping/handling costs, payable to: Castle Technologies Post Office Box 3297 Livermore, CA 94551-0897 A ready-made order form has been included for your convenience. Simply type PRINTME at the DOS prompt and follow the instructions given to obtain a printed copy of the form. Be sure to specify which size and format diskette you would like to receive. Also available is a "local-only" version of Advanced Xoru, which is the core of the game without BBS support. This version costs $19.95. It also includes the manual and the sample map. ------------------------------------------------------------ Special notes and Distribution: ============================================================ This revision of Advanced Xoru and accompanying documentation, designated by "5.82", supercedes all previous revisions and the terms outlined in their documentation. Additionally, only the most recent revision is available for registration. If you re-archive Xoru, such as into another compression format, please be sure to preserve the archive name. It is extremely difficult to keep track of different versions of the game when the archive naming convention is destroyed. Distributors: Please send us your address so that we can make the latest revision of Xoru available to you. We restrict the lawful reproduction of this evaluation software in that, if a fee is charged for such reproduction, it may not exceed $ 5.00 per copy. This limit applies regardless of media type or size used, but it does not include charges which may result from shipping expense or sales tax. Thank you for your greatly appreciated service. 6 ------------------------------------------------------------ Limited Warranty ============================================================ With respect to the physical diskette and documentation, Castle Technologies warrants the same to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of purchase. In the event Castle Technologies receives written notification from you of defects in such materials or workmanship within such 60 day period, Castle Technologies will replace the defective diskette or documentation. IF YOU NEED TO RETURN A PRODUCT, PLEASE CONTACT CASTLE TECHNOLOGIES TO OBTAIN A RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER. The remedy for breach of this limited warranty shall be limited solely to replacement diskettes and documentation, AND SHALL NOT ENCOMPASS ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFIT, AND SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER SIMILAR CLAIMS. ------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer ============================================================ Castle Technologies specifically disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to defects in the diskette and documentation. In no event shall Castle Technologies be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages. This statement shall be construed, interpreted, and governed by the laws of the state of California. 7 ------------------------------------------------------------ Game Installation ============================================================ Here is how you get the game started with your computer hardware. You need, at the very minimum, the following equipment: an IBM PS/2, AT, XT, PC or 100% compatible with 192K of RAM memory a color or monochrome monitor with any IBM compatible video card adaptor ( e.g. VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA, etc.) 1 floppy disk drive of either 3-1/2" or 5- 1/4" variety, or a hard disk Advanced Xoru will most likely come in a packed file format containing the following files. Make sure you have them all: AXORU.DOC Game Documentation (this file) AXORU.EXE Executable AXORUA.SCE Special internal data files AXORUC.SCE . AXORUE.SCE . AXORUF.SCE . AXORUG.SCE AXORUH.SCE TERM.XRU Xoru terminal database ORDER Order form PRINTME.BAT Batch file to print out Order form PCBOARD.BAT Example batch file for PCBoard (TM) AUNTIE.BAT Example batch file for Auntie BBS To begin the game, simply place yourself in the same directory as the above files, and type "AXORU" at the DOS prompt, pressing <Enter> afterward. The game will load in a minute, then instantly pop onto the display. In the succeeding screens, fill in the query boxes until you get to the Character Class input box, where you can use the up and down arrow keys, or the first letter of an option, to select your character. Then, an introductory story will flow down the screen. When you see the single idling word "MORE", XORU is giving you the opportunity to read the previous text before continuing. Pressing any key at this time instructs the computer that you want to go ahead. 8 ------------------------------------------------------------ Game Play ============================================================ When you are at the little square prompt (or chevron on some remote terminals), you are ready to play the game. At this point, you can interact with the computer, commanding it to lead you throughout the adventure before you. Additionally, you can influence the environment of the game by telling the computer what you want to do. These commands follow previous adventure games' conventions and let you explain things in common English phrases. You can get help from the computer by typing, simply, HELP (pressing the <Enter> key afterward.) Most of the game involves getting around, so typing such sentences as "WALK NORTH", "CLIMB THE STAIRS" or whatever lead you into new areas, describing them in a detailed fashion for you to explore. You can do other interesting things by typing your request, verb action-word first, nouns and modifiers following. Some examples of valid statements: CLIMB DOWN THE LADDER TAKE THE RING EAT THE BERRIES BREAK DOWN THE DOOR CLIMB THE WALLS SCREAM AND RUN IN CIRCLES KILL THE BUGBEAR CAST GULVOYEUR INVENTORY WALK NORTHWEST NW EXITS VERBOSE SAVE GAME EXAMINE THE STATUE TAKE THE RING AND THE CLOAK DROP ALL BUT THE KEY INSERT THE KEY IN THE LOCK TAKE TWO RINGS To leave the game, type QUIT When checking your status, type STATUS To change your terminal settings, you can usually type "EMULATE" 9 ------------------------------------------------------------ BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS ============================================================ To obtain a full listing of all the options that Xoru has to offer from the DOS command line, type AXORU ? Setting up XORU for your bulletin board system is very easy. Installation begins by copying the game and all relevant files into the same directory. Then, simply type: AXORU Or, if you wish to re-install the game at a later date, type: AXORU INSTALL A series of installation screens will follow, the first of which asks what bulletin board system software you will be using. Use the arrow keys to move between options; press <Enter> to select the currently highlighted option. You can also type the first letter of a menu item to select it. Then, in accordance with which bulletin board system you just chose, more input boxes will appear. Here is a quick summary of their meaning: * Activate slower screen "snow" checking? (yes/no) If you have the color graphics adapter (CGA), you will want to select this option "yes." Otherwise, just press <enter> to leave it off. * Select Asynchronous Communications Card Adapter (1 thru 8, PS/2) Refer to your hardware reference for information regarding different adaptor designations for your serial modem port. XORU supports serial ports COM1: through COM8:. The game inherits all the line settings from the BBS, including the baud rate. * Terminal Emulation Options Restrictions ( Player Selectable, Imposed by Environment Variable XRUTERM, ANSI Selectable from BBS Userfile): 10 XORU bursts into an electronic plumage of color over the telephone lines, thanks to the American National Standards Institute's screen code specification. Many terminal programs directly support this standard, as does DOS with the system file ANSI.SYS (q.v. DOS Reference Manual.) Also, Advanced Xoru will accept codes from many other sorts of terminals. This menu entry allows the SYSOP to customize how the software supports terminals. The registered documentation describes the usage and layout of the environment variable XRUTERM. BBS's which are primarily ANSI- oriented should select the last option. Terminal codes transmitted to the remote player affect his terminal alone; the local SYSOP console retains its characteristics independently. * Time Limit Per Game Session (integer) XORU will allow the SYSOP to determine the length of time any given user will stay on- line by setting a global time limit (individual users can be allotted more time using the enhanced utilities included with the Registered version of the game.) A three- minute time limit warning will be given, after which the user will be automatically logged off and sent back to the BBS. * Specify path and name of where "high scores" bulletin should be written. Xoru generates a high scores bulletin every time a user logs off the game. This bulletin is written to a file, to which you can specify the location and name. An example of this would be "\BBS\BULLETNS\XSCORES.007" for bulletin #7, but you may, of course, name the file anything you like. * In which directory path does the XORU program and data files reside? (DOS-compatible path name string) 11 The game files should be kept separate from the actual BBS or other directory (e.g. \XORU.) Any DOS compatible directory path specification is an acceptable entry here. XORU automatically enters the current directory name for you; use the backspace key to remove it if you want to change it to something else. Otherwise, just press the <Enter> key. * Which directory path will contain FILENAME.EXT user file? (DOS-compatible path name string) Depending on the bulletin board system you selected, XORU will search for a file containing the name of the user who currently has a session on the system. Refer to your BBS manual for more information to this effect; use the same method of entry as for the XORU program path above. Xoru will then quickly update a file called DEFAULTS.XRU, which it will always expect to be in the current directory. For example, suppose you decide to run XORU from the BBS directory path (\BBS) by typing: \AXORU\AXORU XORU would now expect to find DEFAULTS.XRU in \BBS. Should it fail to find this file, it will assume you had not configured the game for a bulletin board system interface, and it will run in local console mode only. When XORU is called from the bulletin board, the game attempts to retrieve the name of the user who is currently online from the BBS user file. That player's previous position in the game is then loaded, or a new place for the player is created, if it doesn't exist already. ************************************************************ FOR TBBS 2.0S ************************************************************ Using MEDIT, create a menu item such as "XORU Adventure Game" using the Type 44 Command code. For Optional Parameters, enter the full filename of the game, including the path (e.g. \AXORU\AXORU). Be sure to create the \AXORU directory and uncompress the program and data files into it. NOTE: TBBS (C) Copyright 1985, 1986 Philip S. Becker 12 ************************************************************ FOR PCBOARD v11-12, 14.0 /D ************************************************************ For PCBoard, you need to compose a Batch File, a feature of DOS, which will do the actual running of the game. This file is included with this package, and is named PCBOARD.BAT. Assuming that all directories and files exist on the same drive, here is a synopsis of the steps necessary to configure XORU for your PCBOARD BBS program. STEP EXAMPLE TO TYPE 1. Make Xoru directory. MD \AXORU 2. Extract Xoru program and data files UZIP \ZIPFILES into this directory. \AXORU 3. Run Xoru's installation utility AXORU INSTALL Be sure to identify correctly to the utility where PCBOARD.SYS and your high scores bulletin file are located. If you do not keep high scores bulletin files, use the default name. 3. Change to PCBoard directory. CD \PCBOARD 4. Run the PCBSetup utility. PCBSETUP 5. Go under General Configuration. 6. Add XORU to the DOORS.LST file, with appropriate security and details. 7. Modify the following batch file, XORU.BAT for your system: CD \AXORU AXORU CD \PCBOARD BOARD 8. Add "Advanced Xoru" as a menu item to the DOORS and DOORSG files. 9. Update NEWS and NEWSG files to proclaim this new toy. 10. You may want to run the game locally for testing purposes at this time. This is simply accomplished by running the game as SYSOP from your console. Refer to the PCBoard General Documentation, Ch. 19 for details in setting up an external DOOR to DOS using this batch filename. NOTE: PCBoard (TM) is a trademark of Clark Development Company, Inc. Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987. All Rights Reserved. 13 ************************************************************ Auntie 50_x ************************************************************ Auntie's door interface is quite similar to that which is used by PCBoard. Refer to the "Auntie Sysop's Maintenance and Operations Manual", version 50_8, Chapter 16, for details and guidelines for running "DOORS" under Auntie. Following is a batch file for calling Advanced Xoru from Auntie, which includes the additional space-saving feature of compressing the program and data files when they are not in use, and requires the use of PKZIP (TM), a data compression utility by PKWARE, Inc. This compression method is optional, where lines preceded by line numbers enclosed in brackets would be omitted. You may also wish to omit lines 8 and 9 if you cannot determine which communications port will be in use when the game is called from the BBS program (Com port 1 is assumed in this example.) Note: Be careful not to confuse the reference line numbers with the actual line of the batch file which follows it. 1 REM ********************************************** 2 REM * Run XORU (c) 5.0 under Auntie BBS [ 3 ] REM * Assumes existence of Auntie files in C:\AUNTIE and an archived [ 4 ] REM * copy of XORU in \ZIPDOORS, compressed using PKWARE, Inc's PKZIP (TM) 5 REM ********************************************** 6 REM 7 ECHO OFF [ 8 ] ECHO Retrieving game files.... >COM1 [ 9 ] ECHO Xoru will appear momentarily. >COM1 [ 10 ] MD \AXORU [ 11 ] PKUNZIP \ZIPDOORS\AXORUDR5 \AXORU 12 \AXORU\AXORU [ 13 ] PKZIP -U \ZIPDOORS\AXORUDR5 \AXORU\*.XRU 14 ECHO Y | DEL \AXORU\*.* [ 15 ] RD \AXORU 16 RUNAUNT.BAT 14 Line 12 may alternatively be replaced and expanded as follows with certain versions of DOS: 12 CD \AXORU 13 AXORU 14 CD \AUNTIE . . . Line 16 may alternatively read as follows, per user's choice in the installation of Auntie: 16 1.BAT ************************************************************ For QuickBBS 2.0x ************************************************************ DOOR installation for QuickBBS is very similar to the method used by TBBS. Please refer to page 14 of your QuickBBS 2.04 Documentation, under "Setting Up Menus", for DOOR installation instructions. You will want to run "MENUEDIT" and [A]dd a menu Command Type 7, "Shell Under Board and Run Program." A sample entry for "Optional Data" is: \AXORU\AXORU Advanced Xoru will read the EXITINFO.BBS file for any supplementary information it may require. ************************************************************ Other BBS's ************************************************************ Other bulletin board systems that use alternative user file structures aren't directly supported, but Xoru does check for the file CUSTOM.XRU if you specified "Other BBS Format (User Customizable)" in the installation. Anyone who considers himself a programmer can use this facility to transfer BBS-generated information to the game. CUSTOM.XRU should be a tiny file containing six lines of information. Each line should be terminated by a CR-LF sequence, and should not include spaces. The file format is as follows: 15 Line Format Contents # 1 filename.ext file which contains BBS information 2 x,y starting and ending locations for name of user currently online BBS 3 text-word signifies ANSI color mode is ON 4 x,y starting and ending locations of the ANSI color mode word 5 text-word signifies sysop is in LOCAL mode 6 x,y starting and ending locations of the LOCAL mode word 7 x starting location of player's session time limit (in minutes) Omitted lines following line 2 will be ignored, as they are optional parameters. The values "x" and "y" are counting numbers within the range of 1.."x". The "text-word" entries in this table should be strings containing no blanks. Your BBS documentation should provide more information about the format of your user file and about how to run external programs from the BBS while the user is online. The printed manual which accompanies the registered copy of the game goes into greater details with regard to the capabilities outlined above, as well as describing additional options available in the game. If you create a CUSTOM.XRU file for your bulletin board system because it was not included in the game itself, please send a copy of your CUSTOM.XRU to us. We will include your settings in the next release of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------ How to Contact the Author, i.e. Feedback! ============================================================ In the interest of developing future products, as well as perfecting existing ones, your feedback as a software user is VERY important. If you find a bug in the game or have any sort of comment at all, such as whether hint lists for the game will be available, etc., please write in. We will reply to questions and comments if you include a self- addressed stamped envelope with your letter. Write to: Castle Technologies Post Office Box 3297 Livermore, CA 94550-0897 16 The author also provides customer support on the following fine bulletin board systems, where the latest copy of the game can be obtained: The Sysops of these Bulletin Board Systems are not affiliated with Castle Technologies, nor specifically concerned with Advanced Xoru in a way different from other publically available software. Please address all electronic communication (mail, etc.) to the _author_, Brian Sanders. GamesMaster; Dublin, CA; (415) 828-8012 2400/1200/300 baud, PCBoard, 116 megs online Windraker; Livermore, CA; (415) 373-9689 9600/2400/1200 baud, Auntie, 50 megs online The Records Department; Pleasanton, CA; (415) 426-0470 9600/2400/1200/300 baud, TBBS multiline 120+ megs online FIDO Net node 161/42 ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright Notification and Legalities ============================================================ This game Software, manual and all other documentation contained within this product are copyrighted and all rights registered and reserved by the author. Persons using the evaluation software marked "EVALUATION" or "EVAL" are encouraged to try the game before purchasing it, and may distribute the evaluation versions freely. It is, however, illegal to sell any version of Xoru, or duplicate registered copies of the game for purposes of distributing them. Willful violations of the United States Copyright Law can result in civil damages of up to $50,000 in addition to actual damages, plus criminal penalties of up to one year of imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine. 17 ------------------------------------------------------------ CHANGES MADE TO XORU, REVISION RELEASE 5.0 ============================================================ Outlined below are the major additions and changes which have been made since the previous release, 4.41. * The fabric of the dungeon was neatly pulled open, and a third level was dropped inside. This level is both magic and monster-compatible with the other two levels. * You may find some more interesting characters showing up on the scene. Some of these are related to the fact that the third level is providing housing. * An interactive text-graphics segment provides a finale to the game, which can be experienced by only those few who reach the end of the game and face the Ebon Titan himself. This segment is functional over the BBS DOOR interface, using both ANSI colors and keypad input. * Xoru now includes support for a vast number of terminals. The demonstration version includes a few, but a SYSOP with a registered copy can easily create a menu of specific terminal emulations merely by setting an environment variable. * Some of the puzzles and dungeon features of previous versions of Xoru have been modified to fit the new theme of this version. Monsters and combat have been greatly enhanced, and there is no longer an option to leave monsters out of the game for this reason. * Sound has been added! This is an option to the player, and can also work remotely. * An overwhelming number of other refinements and additions have been included in this release, such as an animated title screen for color ANSI players, EGA/VGA expanded screen size support, or the addition of another character class with its own unique capabilities. * On-screen mapping capability. release date: 06-27-1990 (eod)