EnigmA Amiga Run 1996 March/EnigmA AMIGA RUN 05 (1996)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1996-03][Skylink CD IV].iso/earcd/games1/kargon.lha/ReadMe.engl.DEMO.txt

Text File | 1996-01-23 | 16KB | 431 lines

               Hi, there!

Seems that you are interested in the game "Kargon" :-)
Well, take a look at your program-package first. Are the following
files/dirs included ?

Levels (DIR)
   lev00.dat
   lev100.dat - lev113.dat
S (DIR)
   startup-sequence

AllFonts.fpp
AllIntern.fpp
AllofTitle.fpp
EndMacs.sct
Lehrmeister.fpp
Kargon.DEMO
Marmor.dat
MenueItems.sct
Music.dat
MusicTitle.dat
Players.DEMO.sct
PlSkript13.sct
ReadMe.dtsch.DEMO.txt
ReadMe.engl.DEMO.txt
SamplesList.lst
Script3.sct
VorGfx.fpp


You can play this game on every PAL-AMIGA with at least 1 MB RAM. Take
care that you do not waste any CHIP-mem by using a second or even
third disk-drive (except that you have more than enough :))

By the way: you can easily install Kargon on your hard-diskdrive.
Just copy all files and dirs (except for the "S"-Dir) to any
directory. Before you start "Kargon.DEMO" take care that this directory
is activated (i.e. e.g. "CD Kargon-Dir").
Please send me a message if there are any problems concerning
installation.


Kargon is an amazing combination of a traditional dungeon-role-playing-game
and a multi-player-game.
Do you know "Bug-Bomber"/"Dynablasters" or "Dungeon-Master" ? This game
combines the best of both.
Up to four players can fight against each other, or just let the computer be
your opponent.
Every player gets a screen-quarter, in which he can see his position in the
dungeon. You play one out of ten mighty mages, and your aim is to steal all
your opponents' life-energy, which you can see under every screen-quarter as a
red bar. You can do this by casting several spells or by using magical
artifacts. Every spell costs an amount of casting-energy, which is represented
by the yellow bar. It regenerates after a certain time.
The game ends for the player who lost all its life-energy. The only player who
remains is the winner.

  The main-menu:

After starting the game you get into the main-menu where you can choose one of
the following menu-points:

 -Fight     : The game starts!
 -Practising: All beginners should choose this mode, where they learn all
              important spells, artifacts and obstacles which can appear in the
              dungeon. Moreover the learn to handle their character, which
              might not be too easy at the beginning.
 -Intro     : This is the nice, little story which reveals the background of
              the magical fights (not available in the demo-version !)
 -Options   : All the points in this menu should be clear. For example you can
              choose the level-dificulty or the keyboard-control.
              (You cannot activate the 4-player-adaptor in demo-version)
 -Credits   : We used this opportunity to greet everyone who helped to create
              this fabulous game.
 -Quit      : Leave the game

If you think you practised enough, take the challenge and click "Fight" in the
main-menu.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Game preparation:

First you will have to choose the number of players who take part in the game.
Then you can choose one of several game-modes which depend on the number of
participants. For example if there is only one player he can fight against one,
two or three computer opponents, if there are four players they can fight all
against each other or build two teams.

After this everyone has to fill in his name (five letters maximum) and choose
his Joystick- or keyboard-control.

Then follows the number of winning games. One game consists of several rounds
and finishes only if one player has reached the demanded winning-game-number.

  Character choice:

In the demoversion your characters are pre-assigned. Nevertheless, take a
look at what you will miss, if you do not play the complete version:

Now it is time for every player to choose his own character with which he takes
part in the game. By moving left or right you can see all the ten mages and by
pressing the fire-button you will get some information about the mage who is in
the window in the middle at the moment.
If you press the fire-button again you will choose this character for the game.
All characters show differences in their life-energy (shows how much damage he
can take), their casting-energy (shows how much spells they can cast before
they need to fill up their energy) and their spell-points (show how many and
how difficult spells they can choose). Moreover every character has a special-
spell that no other character can cast.

  Spell selection:

You do not have any choice concerning spells in the demoversion.
Maybe you want to know the way the complete version does ?
Here you are:

Finally you will have to choose the spells you want to use in the game.
Every player has a book with several spells. He can turn the pages of the book
by moving left or right. If he wants to select a spell he just has to press the
fire button and the spell will appear in his personal spell-menu below. (If you
keep the fire-button pressed you will be able to place the spell at every place
in your spell-menu by moving left or right). But pay attention to your spell-
points. Every spell you want to learn costs an amount of spell-points and you
don't have unlimited of them. Sometimes you just have to leave free one window
in your spell-menu.

 Here is a list of all spells:

1.)  Fireball I : Creates a straight-flying fireball, which damages every
     opponent who is hit by it.

2.)  Fireball II : Just as 1.), but causes more damage.

3.)  Detect Walls : There are some walls in every dungeon which are only an
     illusion. They blink yellow if you use this spell. But this effect only
     lasts for a certain time (watch the red timer at the bottom of your
     screen-quarter)

4.)  Destroy Walls : Every illusion-wall in front of you can be destroyed.

5.)  Create Wall : Builds an illusion-wall in front of you if there is a free
     place. You can destroy it with spell 4.).

6.)  Levitation : You are able to fly for a short time (watch the timer) and
     can get across holes on the floor.

7.)  Invisibility : For a certain time you can't be seen anymore by your
     opponents. But if you lose life-energy the effect dissapears before the
     timer has finished.

8.)  Teleport At Random : You are teleported to a place somewhere in the
     dungeon where you have already been once in the game.

9.)  Teleport : A map with your discovered parts of the dungeon appears and you
     can choose by moving the red "X" where you want to be teleported to. To
     activate the spell press the fire-button.

10.) Paralize : The opponent who is affected by this spell can't move. The
     effect dissapears if the player is damaged or the timer has finished.

11.) Control Opponent : If you hit an opponent with this spell you can control
     him for a certain time. You see in your screen-quarter, which gets a black
     border, through the eyes of your opponent and you can lead him anywhere
     you want just as long the spell lasts or until he loses life-energy.
     The affected opponent can't do anything during this period of time except
     watching how his character is led through the dungeon.

12.) Trap : A trap is set on the place before you. If anyone steps into this
     trap he will take damage and the trap will dissapear. But you have the
     chance to get across it with "Levitation".

13.) Walk Through Walls : If you stand in front of a wall and you use this
     spell you can get to the field behind the wall if it is a free one. Other-
     wise the spell can't be cast.

14.) Character Copy : This spell creates a copy of your character just in front
     of you if there is a free place. He can't move, he only turns around
     together with his controlers turnings and will irritate your opponents. He
     can be destroyed by a fireball.

15.) Magic Eye : With this spell a flying magic eye is created which can be di-
     rected through the dungeon. You see everything through the perspective of
     this eye (your screen-quarter gets a black border) and can't control your
     own character during this time.
     If you press fire, the eye turns into a fireball. Then you automatically
     watch the flight of this fireball until it hits a wall or an opponent or
     until you press fire.

16.) Slimer : You create a green, ugly, slimy monster in front of you. It moves
     always straight until he gets to an obstacle. Then he moves on into a free
     direction. If a player gets in his way he will be damaged. You can kill
     the slimer with a fireball.

Moreover there are the special-spells which every mage possesses.
The spells which you will need most and you can hardly miss are "Fireball" and
"Destroy Walls".

If you have chosen all your spells just move up or down once (One of the four
buttons in the middle will be pressed). You can change your decision by moving
up or down again.
If every player has pressed his button the game can begin.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The game:

The screen-quarters appear and your character is shown in your quarter. By
pressing fire the game starts.
Now it's up to you to find your way through the dungeon and fight against your
opponents.

  What's up in the dungeon? :

During the game there may be a lot of obstacles on your way (apart from your
opponents) such as:

 -Illusion-walls, who can be detected or destroyed with the certain spells

 -Stairs, which lead into another floor of the dungeon

 -Teleports (red pentagrams), which lead into other parts of the dungeon and
  back. There are also one-way-teleports

 -Ice-fields: You can't stop on such a field

 -Turning-fields (invisible), on which you turn 180 degrees

 -Whirl-fields (green circle-arrows), which let you turn round and round until
  you make a step out of this field

 -Darkness-fields: If you step into them you get totally blind, but you can't
  see them from outwards.

 -Holes: If you step on a hole on the ground you fall into the floor below and
  lose some life-energy. You can get across a hole with "Levitation"

 -Stings at the ceiling: On these fields you can't fly and if you fly you can't
  get onto this fields

 -Anti-magic-fields (blue-red circles): On this fields you can't cast any
  spells.

 -Buttons (blue crystals): If you push them (move up while pressing fire-
  button) they will change something in the dungeon, for example a wall will
  dissapear.

 -Pushing-walls (walls with handprints): You can push them forward (move up
  while pressing fire-button) as long as there is a free field behind them.

 -Tentacles who move on a certain way through the dungeon and who damage every
  player who stands in their way. In contrast to the Slimers they can't be
  destroyed.

But you can also find some useful items in the dungeon such as:

 -Healing potions (red bottles) which regenerate your life-energy

 -Magic potions (yellow bottles) which regenerate your casting-energy

 -Coins which you can collect in order to buy magic artifacts

  Map and compass:

To make you the orientation in the dungeon more easy you can use a map (move
down while pressing fire-button) which shows you all parts of the dungeon you
have already been to. You can scroll the map by moving left,right,up and down
and leave it by pressing fire.
Moreover there is a compass (yellow arrow) which shows you in which direction
you look at the moment.

  How to use your spells and artifacts:

To cast a spell you have to get into your spell-menu first by holding the fire-
button pressed and moving left or right once. The spell-menu will appear at the
top of your screen-quarter.
If you move left or right again you can target the spell you want to prepare
and by releasing the fire-button you choose this spell. It appears in the left
bottom corner of your screen-quarter. You can prepare up to two spells.
If you want to activate the prepared spell just push the fire-botton.

If you bought magical artifacts in the shop they will appear in the spell-menu
at the left edge of your screen-quarter. You can select them by moving up or
down in the spell-menu and activate them just like a normal spell.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a short version of how to control your character:

a) movements:

         Step forward

              /|\
   Turn        |        Turn
   left <----     ----> right
               |
              \|/

         Step backward


b) actions:

             Push a button/
           Move a pushing-wall

                   /|\
                    |

  Spell-          pressed        Spell-
  menu (c) <--- fire-button ---> menu (c)

                    |
                   \|/

                   Map
    (move map with left,right,up,down,
      leave map with fire-button)


c) Spell-menu:

              Select an artifact

                     /|\
                      |

   Select a       still keep       Select a
     spell  <--- fire-button --->   spell
                   pressed

                      |
                     \|/

              Select an artifact

 If you release the fire-button the selected spell or artifact is prepared.


d) Activating prepared spell or artifact: Press fire-button

   ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Key-controls:

There are four key-control-combinations which you can choose in the
options-menu.

 1./3.: up   : r
        down : f
        left : d
        right: g
        fire : tab / right shift (for left-handed)

 2./4.: up   : ü
        down : ä
        left : ö
        right: #
        fire : space / del (for left-handed)

   -----------------------------------------------------------------------

After one player has won a round the playing stats appear to show every player
how many rounds he has won so far and how many points he has got.
If one player has reached the number of winning-games the game ends with a
final picture. Otherwise every player can buy items in the shop and the naxt
round follows.

  The shop:  (not available in the demoversion !)

Every player who collected some coins in the dungeon has the opportunity to buy
magical artifacts which help him to survive in the next round. He can choose
out of eleven items:

 -Healing Potion I (regenerates life-energy)
 -Healing Potion II (better than I)
 -Healing Potion III (better than II)
 -Ice-staff: creates a straight row of ice-fields in front of the player up to
  the next obstacle
 -Time-stop: Stops all activities in the hole dungeon for a short time. The own
  character is the only one who is able to move.
 -Tools: If there is a trap in front of you you can deactivate it by using the
  tools
 -Crystal Ball: Shows you a map of the complete dungeon
 -Magic Map: All unknown fields of one part of the dungeon map will be revealed
 -Shield: Protects you for one time you are damaged
 -Voodoo: Eleminates an opponent at once if he is hit by this artifact
 -Emergency-Nail: The game ends at once without a winner.

If you have selected one artifact you want to buy, press fire and the item will
appear in your artifact-menu at the bottom.
You can also select one item in your artifact menu in order to sell it.


If every player has bought his artifacts the next round can begin.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kargon is shareware. The demoversion may only be copied if all files and
dirs are included in original form. The demoversion is copyrighted by
Frank Wippermüller and Florian König.

Maybe you discovered that the screentexts are in German. The translation
is a quite long-lasting procedure -
So please understand that we will not translate until a certain number
of English (or other nations) players have shown their interest.

So, if you are interested in the complete version of the game or you
discovered a heavy mistake, please write to

                                         Frank Wippermüller
                                         Niobeweg 8
                                         24159 Kiel
                                         GERMANY

or send an e-mail to:
                        [e-mail]

and tell us how much you would pay ($15 or so ?) !

The final price will be set afterwards.


    Have fun with the game !


PS: please excuse that terrible English :)