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1991-09-19
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A Work of Pseudo-Medieval Fantasy
Copyright (c) 1987, 1989, 1991 Castle Technologies
All rights reserved.
------------------------------------------------------------
written by Brian Sanders
Revision 5.91, 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, Wildcat!, 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.
TO CONTACT US:
== ======= ==
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 94551-0897
Or, for FASTER response, call:
THE CONNECTION MACHINE BBS (A Wildcat! system)
(510) 449-4790
2400/1200 baud MNP5, No parity, 8 bits data, 1 stop bit
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Registered version on-line, latest evaluation versions for
downloading, support forum.
------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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. This
program is not "crippled" (not going to self-destruct,
cease functioning, etc.), it is merely incomplete.
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.
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.
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 8.25%) 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 "5.91", 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.
------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
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.ME Order form
PRINTME.BAT Batch file to print out Order form
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
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"
------------------------------------------------------------
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
Your installation settings will be saved into a file called
DEFAULTS.XRU located in your current directory. These settings
will be read from this file each time the game is run. To write
the settings into a different file, specify the name of the file
right after AXORU:
AXORU C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE1\NODE1.CFG /INSTALL
Typing this will create settings in a file called NODE1.CFG in
(this example) Wildcat's work directory. The next time you run
the game, just type
AXORU C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE1\NODE1.CFG
or, since Wildcat leaves you in that directory when a DOOR is
run, the following will suffice.
AXORU NODE1.CFG
This will run the game with the settings specified in NODE1.CFG.
When the game is installed (via /INSTALL or the first time in
running the game), 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.
* Set DTE transfer rate to: ( Match caller's, 2400,
9600, 14,400, 19,200, etc. )
Usually a SYSOP will want to have the DTE
transfer rate, the speed of data flowing between
the computer and the modem, match the connect
speed (or DCE speed) of the caller's modem.
Some modems feature a split between the DTE and
the DCE speeds, "locking" the DTE rate at a
higher speed to improve throughput. Select
2400, 9600, etc. if you want Xoru to ignore
the caller's connect rate.
* Terminal Emulation Options Restrictions ( Player
Selectable, Imposed by Environment Variable
XRUTERM, ANSI Selectable from BBS Userfile):
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)
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.
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
************************************************************
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.
************************************************************
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
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
Wildcat! 3.0
============================================================
If you run Spitfire or a number of other systems, you may want
to select Wildcat 3.0. This version of Wildcat supports the
generic DOOR.SYS BBS<=>DOOR communication file.
Unzip all Xoru files into C:\AXORU.
Create DOORx.BAT in your \WC30 directory. Simply put the
following in it:
C:\AXORU\AXORU C:\AXORU\NODE1.CFG
Enable DOOR x with MAKEWILD, put the new entry in your DOORS.BBS
file, and you're done!
------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES MADE TO REVISION 5.91
============================================================
A bug in the Xoru userfile handling was fixed. Sometimes
players' positions would get zotted without cause.
Locked DTE speed support for modems with DCE/DTE speed split
feature is supported (up to 115,200 baud and 8 ports).
Different user-specifiable configuration files are now
possible.
Comm routines now have better <grin> addresses for COM3:
and COM4:, and have nominal support for BIOS routines via
/SLOWCOMM
------------------------------------------------------------
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: Sept 5, 1991
(eod)