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LAND OF THE REALM ADVENTURE GAMING SYSTEM Version 2.21, Release 1.0 : January 1, 1989 Scenario One: Search For The Staff Of MOTR Written Especially For WWIV BBS Systems By Michael James Silver Shadow (%) The Home of The Realm: The Krystal Palace BBS York, PA 717-767-4904 WWIVnet Node: 7752 9600/2400/1200 Baud Running WWIV 4.10 Technical Assistance By Rob Collins (Stone Hand) The Emerald Forest BBS 504-775-9636 2400/1200 Running WWIV 4.10 System Requirements: IBM PC/XT/AT or Compatible Minimum of 256K Memory WWIV BBS Software (Tested on Versions 4.07 & 4.10) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Land Of The Realm Adventure Series Version 2.21 Introduction ============ The Land Of The Realm is a multi-user role playing/adventure game written for WWIV BBS Systems. The source is comprised of over 6600 lines of Borland's Turbo Pascal 3.0 code. The program was designed on an Information Technologies 80386 system, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the operation, as long as the aformentioned system requirements are met. I've run this on a 1.2 meg floppy. It works, but I'd strongly advise against trying this. Game Description ================ The Land Of The Realm is based on several popular stand-alone computer based adventure games. The one game which had the most influence upon its design, however, is the popular Wizardry (c) series. Users start in the Palace Courtyard, where they are told the story of the evil wizard who has stolen the magical Staff Of MOTR. The users must begin building their characters, in order to explore and map the extensive 10 level labyrinth beneath the Palace. There are traps and treasures, charms and creatures throughout the dark labyrinth. There are an abundance of options, and the game play is NEVER the same, which will probably make The Realm one of the most popular games in the WWIV world. Archive Contents ================ The files which should come in the complete game package are as follows: REALMOBJ.EXE : Self extracting archive of REALM object code LABRINTH.EXE : Self extracting archive of Labyrinth data files REALMRLM.EXE : Self extracting archive of menus and support files RLMINIT .COM : Game Initialization Utility RLMAINT .COM : Daily Maintenance Utility MAZEGEN .COM : Labyrinth Generation Utility RLMUTIL .COM : Utility and Offline Player Editor RLMINST .BAT : Installation Batch File MAINTAIN.BAT : Sample batch file for daily maintenance DINSTALL.EXE : Game Deinstallation Utility SYSOPDOC.RLM : This File ADVENTUR.RLM : Player's Guide PLAYTIPS.RLM : Player's Tips and Hints FILEMANT.BAT : Sample file maintenance batch file Installation ============ ** Read this section completely before you start the installation. ** I made the installation process as painless as possible. Follow these steps and you should have no problem. 1. Make a backup copy of the archive REALM221.EXE and store it somewhere safe. Preferably NOT in your BBS directory. This is mainly because during, and after the game installation, several of the distribution files are deleted in order to conserve disk space. 2. If you did not unarc the REALM221.EXE file into your main BBS directory, move ALL of the files to this directory. The installation utility will handle moving them where they need to go. 3. Once the files are in your BBS directory, type "RLMINST" and <CR>. This runs the installation batch file which does the following: - Creates the subdirectory REALMDIR in your main BBS directory - Creates and initializes the data files for the game - Extracts the menus and support files into the game directory - Extracts the Labyrinth data files into the game directory - Extracts the game object code into the BBS's main directory - Copies the file RLMUTIL.COM to the game directory - Deletes the file RLMINIT.COM from the BBS's main directory - Deletes the file LABRINTH.COM from the BBS's main directory - Deletes the file REALMOBJ.EXE from the BBS's main directory (I put this in because I know how nervous I get whenever I install a game and see and hear a lot of disk I/O, and never know what's really going on...) The deletion of these last three files is mainly for housekeeping purposes. I hate running low on disk space, only to find a bunch of .ARC, .ZIP, or .PAK files just sitting in my BBS directory taking up space. This is the main reason I had you to save your archive in a safe place, so that you still had a copy of these files. 4. After this, go to your chain editor (if you're a WWIV sysop, I'll assume you know what this is and how to operate it), and add in "REALM %1". 5. Next, go into your INIT program, and add RLMAINT.COM as either your BeginDay Event or your External Event, whichever you like. If you have another BeginDay or External Event (sometimes called a timed event, you may include RLMAINT.COM by putting them all in batch file, and specifying that as your event). 6. After this, the game is ready to run! Installation of the game is fairly simple, and you should be ready to run after completing the above steps. 7. Put the files ADVENTUR.RLM and PLAYTIPS.RLM in a directory for downloading and/or in the GFILES section for reading/capturing by your game players. These files are the player's guide and a gaming hints file, respectively. (These files will be located in the game sub-directory REALMDIR\DOCS. SYSOP NOTES =========== This next section of the documentation deals primarily with the enhanced features of The Realm. You may read them at your leisure, as they will not directly affect the execution of your game. However, to fully utilize the power and functionality of this system, acquaint yourself with the following documentation. You'll like what you find. A quick note: When going into the game, the sysop (or anyone else with an SL of 255) will see the regular player's menu, as well as the sysop's menu. The sysop's menu will display only the first time of each entrance into the game. After this, only the standard game menu will be displayed. All sysop options will still be available however. The Maintenance Program ----------------------- The maintenance program, as you probably suspected, must be run every night. Among other things, it resets the player's visits, allows monsters to attack players camping out in the labyrinth, and runs maintenance on the Daily Activity Log. If you have other games or programs which need to be run at BeginDay, you may use a batch file for this. This is how the batch file on my system looks: 1> MAINT.COM (Geopolitiks maintenance program) 2> RLMAINT.COM (THE REALM maintenance program) 3> COPY REALMDIR\DAILYLOG.RLM PRN: (This prints the daily activity log) 4> COPY REALMDIR\LOGHEADR.RLM REALMDIR\DAILYLOG.RLM (Resets the daily activity log) If you don't want the daily log printed out, or you don't have a printer connected and POWERED ON, don't use line 3. However, if you omit line 4, your activity log will just grow and grow and grow... With line 4 included, even though you'll lose the activity file after the first call after midnight (or whenever you have maintenance set to run), you won't have to worry about overrun. The file LOGHEADR.RLM should already be in the REALMDIR subdirectory. This file simply contains the file header. If you do choose to have the activity log printed out every day, remember you MUST have the printer connected and powered on, or the system will just hang until the current user times out. Unless you are sure you will have a printer connected and powered on, you may want to use some other method of printing or saving your logs. Sysop Alert ----------- Sometimes, you may wish to watch the users play the game. It can be very interesting, especially while watching their progress on the maps provided. And it can be especially interesting when watching their progress on levels which you have created. To this end, the game has a built-in alarm, which sounds for 4-8 seconds whenever a user enters the game. This is all only on the sysop's console, and has no visible effect to the user. The Sysop Alert can be toggled from either the sysop's main menu, or the Player Editor utility. The Sysop Alert is disabled each time maintenance is run. SPECIAL NOTES ============= The game should run just fine with no intervention from the sysop. However, there are a few features which will allow you to periodically change the scope and look of the game from time to time in order to keep the users on the go. This following section is only for those wishing to change game features later on down the road, preferably after two or three folks have won. It is NOT necessary reading for the game to work properly. The Utility System (Previously called the Player Editor) ------------------ You may run across an occasion that will require you to change a player's stats. Usually, I'll do this when I create a new level, and want to test it out before the players get into it. So, I'll load my character, pump my stats up to maximum, and make sure my new level is solid. I won't go into a long explanation of the player editor here, except to say that it is very good, and flexible. Among the features of the player editor are the capabilities to: - Load, view, or change any player's stats - Change a player's daily visits - Set the number of visits per player per visit - Set the number of visits per day - Move a player around in the dungeons - Enable the generation of player rankings in your G-Files - Toggle the auto-deletion of players inactive for seven days - Toggle the sysop alert You can just load up the utility system and play around with it. It's menu driven and pretty easy to use. You DO have to have at least one player in the game, however, so go in yourself as a new player, and you'll be set to go. If you wish, you may run the Sysop utility as a chain. I find it much easier to do this. Generating New Mazes -------------------- After a few runs of the game, it is quite possible that older players may be able to zip through the game by using their maps made from previous games. You have the capability of creating your own mazes by using the maze generation utility, MAZEGEN.COM which is included in the program archive. This also provides you with the capability of making your game completely different than anyone else's. Especially since you will able to place your own traps, treasures, weapons, etc. wherever you wish in the labyrinth. This is probably one of the most innovative features of the game, in that not only does it pit the users against the innovativeness of the sysop (Dungeon Master) in solving his/her labyrinths, but it also adds the capability of making the game totally configurable to the sysop's liking. ** NOTE: New labyrinths should be added at the start of a new game, and not in the middle. In other words, don't throw the gamers a curve ball by changing labyrinths on them in mid-stream. That makes for a lot of angry warriors! The first step to this process is to design your maze on a piece of graph paper. This will probably take the most time, since you will probably want to be pretty diabolical in your maze design. After each level is designed, you may start up the generator by typing in 'MAZEGEN' and <CR>. MAZEGEN.COM ----------- The maze generator utility is executed by entering 'MAZEGEN' and <CR>. You will be prompted to enter the labyrinth level you wish to create. Enter a number from 1 to 10. The utility will then start at room #1 and ask for the movement options. You simply look at the map you've drawn, and enter the proper options by entering an 'N' for north, 'S' for south, 'E' for east, 'W' for west, 'U' for up, and 'D' for down. These can be entered in any order. Remember, you are entering the clear or open directions. Not the walls. After you have entered the movement options for a room, you may wish to place a weapon, magical charm or trap in that room. Do this by entering an 'F', 'C', or 'T' respectively. The generator will then give you a list of valid options, and propmt you to place what you wish in each room. After completing each room, enter a '.' to finish that room and move on to the next. This may sound somewhat tedious, but it isn't. I can generate a new level in about 6 minutes. Release Note: At the Nth hour, I decided to upgrade the maze generator to allow using the arrow keys (on the keypad, w/Num Lock 'on') to generate your maze. The Up Arrow is North, Down Arrow is South, Right Arrow is East, Left Arrow is West, PgUp ie Up, and PgDn is Down. The alphabetic keys listed above will still work normally also. Note: To maintain the delicate balance of the game, it is usually best not to place high level weapons on the upper levels. Maybe a dagger or sling or two. Also, be concious of where you place traps, and the charms that help avoid them. For example, it wouldn't make much sense to put a charm that scares the Troll right in front of the room in which the troll is sitting. Hide it somewhere. You might want to study my maps before designing one of your own. 1. Aborting If for any reason, you have to stop before completing a level, just hit the '@' key. This will save your data where you stopped. When you are ready to continue, start the generator back up, specify the level number, and it will ask if you wish to continue the level or restart. 2. Editing a Level If you wish to edit a level thet you have already completed, start the generator, specify the level, and the generator will ask if you wish to edit this level. 3. Complete Levels All new levels will have the extension of .BAC. So, if you generate a new level 1 the output file will be LEVEL1.BAC. This gives you the opportunity to move or save your current LEVEL1.DAT before renaming the new level. You may run into a situation where someone gets stuck on a level you have created. In that case, simply review your labyrinth level to be sure that you have entered all your data correctly. Usually you may have one or two lines entered incorrectly. The best method of avoiding this, however, is to thoroughly check your maze before putting it online. The following is a list of what each of the traps and charms do. This is for your knowledge for when you start designing your own labyrinth. Trap Effect ---- ------ Teleporter Teleports the player randomly to another room on the same level. Really screws him up from following his map to get back out. Pit Stepping in a pit causes the player to fall and suffer damage. Players cannot be killed from falling into a pit. Energy Mist This weakens the player and reduces his/her hit points. Troll Trap This forces the player to answer the troll's riddle. Failing to answer it will teleport the player back to the stairs to the Palace. Fake Stairs Makes the player think he/she has actually found the stairs downward to the next level. This is actually a teleporter. Dark Room This is a room which is totally dark. The player cannot see anything. Dead Room Magic spells have no effect in a dead room. Energizers Not really a trap, entering an energizer increases the player's strength and hit points. Time Warp Deducts 5 minutes from the user's time whenever it is hit. Jhared-Simn You'll only have this option available when creating a new level 10. This is the game objective, to find him, so make it difficult! Charm Effect ----- ------ Firestone Protects from damage of falling into a pit Jeweled Protects from damage of energy mists. Amulet Diadem Keeps the dwarf from stealing player's gold Ebony Pearl Increases the effect of energizers Crystal Prevents death from creature attack. Chalice Emerald Ring Scares the troll away Orb of Zorbah Locates fake stairs Invisi-Cloak Minimizes damage in a monster attack The Troll --------- On the first level of the labyrinth, very near the stairway to the second level is a mean little troll. He is magical and will make the adventurer answer a riddle before allowing him/her to pass, which will eventually lead the adventurer to the stairs to level 2. If the riddle is answered incorrectly, the troll will transport the adventurer back to the stairway leading up to the Palace Courtyard. You may change this riddle at anytime to suit yourself. The riddle is stored in a file called TROLL.DAT, which should be located in the REALMDIR subdirectory. The format of the file is as follows: First Line: The number of lines in the riddle Line 2 - X: The riddle Last Line : The answer to the riddle Just use a text editor to change this file using this format. Look at the current TROLL.DAT to get a better idea of how it is structured. You may put a troll anywhere you wish in the labyrinth, on any level, just don't forget to change the riddle. Also, it's best to only put one troll in the entire labyrinth, since it uses only one data file. A couple of special notes for the truly diabolical Dungeon Master. Designing the different levels of the Labyrinth is very entertaining, and challenging as well. Especially if you have a few gamers on your board who seem to take to the game quickly, and seemingly Zip through the labyrinth with ease. So, take your time with your design, and be diabolical, but not TOO diabolical. Don't make your mazes impossible. A couple of notes for you: One of the most confusing and effective design techniques is the use of the one way door. That's a door which allows entrance one way, but not the other. Explaining this is tricky, but here goes... Design your map normally, making note of where you want a one way door to be. On your map, make this look like any other wall. However, when you generate the level with the maze generator, enter the data this way: Lets say that you want the wall seperating rooms 4 and 5 below to be a one way easterly passage. In other words, you can walk east from 4 to 5, but not west from 5 to 4. What you would do is give room 4 the parameters, W:est and S:outh, meaning you can go west and south from that room, and give room 5 the parameters, E:ast and W:est. ______________________ _______________________________ | | | | 1 2 3 4 | 5 6 7 8 9 10 | |______________ |_________________________ | | | | | | | 11 | 12 13 | 14 15 16 | | | | | | | |____|_________ I KNOW that is confusing. And that is because of the way I programmed it: BACKWARDS. My mistake, and I'll know better next time. But when movement occurs, the system checks to see if the room you are moving TO has an exit in that direction. This means that when you move from room 4 to room 14, the system checks to see if there is a northern exit from room 14. This also means that when checking your mazes for accuracy, if a player is in say room 8 for example, and cannot move to room 9, you probably don't have a western exit specified in room 9. Complicated, I realize. The good thing to remember is that with all the other 'built-in' traps and tricks, specifically those which are provided in the maze generator, you can design some incredibly wicked mazes. My friend and companion in arms, Rob Collins, Sysop of The Emerald Forest BBS in Baton Rouge (504)775-9636, is incredibly sadistic with his labyrinth designs, and I have yet to make it past his second level. Finally, if you think you might not be innovative enough to design your own labyrinth, or just don't have the time, and you want to change you game up, you can call either the Emerald Forest, or The Krystal Palace, where some complete 10-Level labyrinths are available for downloading. All that's necessary is unarcing them into your game directory. ======================[ THE HISTORY OF THE REALM ]=================== This section of the document is not necessary reading, but it might be interesting... LAND OF THE REALM(c) ADVENTURE SYSTEM The History Of The Realm May 16, 1989 The Land of the Realm started as a bold attempt at an online chain for the World War IV Bulletin Board System (WWIV BBS) by Wayne Bell. The first version of the Realm was fairly complex, as it was designed for use with version 3.21d of WWIV. This required (or allowed, depending on your point of view) the use of chained Pascal units. This wasn't very difficult since Wayne had the foresight to provide a skeleton Pascal module for those ambitious enough to attempt to design an online chain. The primary scope of the system was to provide a role-playing gaming system which would quench the RPG thirsts of those electronic D&D lovers, while at the same time allow the "typical" hack and slash addict enough flexibility and options, without overwhelming him/her with the complexities of a true RPG game, while at the same time avoiding another Arena/Food Fite/Max Headroom clone-type game. To accomplish this, I researched the world of RPGs (I never was a real good D&D player) as well as several "BBS online door" type as well as stand-alone adventure games. The best looking and playing game I reviewed which seemed to be perfect for the BBS environment was, at the time, WIZARDRY(c). So, the goal was set: Design and implement a game which would provide lots of the features which could be found in WIZARDRY, and incorporate many of the features which were found in some of the most popular BBS doors. The biggest problem would be my own lack of experience in designing a game which incorporated so many different scenarios and features, within the limitations of a 640K machine which probably would have some of its top memory loaded with TSRs or BBS data. And secondly, I would have to amass a crew of Beta testers who were familiar with the BBS environment, adventure games, and the frustrations associated with the role of the Beta tester. By the time version 1.0 of THE REALM was released for beta, I had 2 excellent beta testers. My Co-SysOp, Rob Collins (Logon1), and Len Wooden (Nutso). These guys really banged the code around on a daily basis, seemingly taking great pleasure in reporting the many bugs they found. After a few days however, I noticed that the bug reports were declining. Was the code becoming more solid? Were we actually getting this thing debugged? Well, not actually. Seems that my beta testers were enjoying the game so much, that they stopped testing the "fringes" of the game, and were really concentrating on the mainline, basically trying the kick each other's butts. So, my only resource was to release the source to my general users. Yes. I'd let THEM beta test the sucker! (They wouldn't know this, of course.) And the first beta test was a huge success. Yes, there were many errors and buggies found, but the code could be patched on the fly, and many of the bugs killed without missing a beat. THE REALM was catching on. Version 1.4 was released (unofficially) on April 15, 1988. Right about the time Wayne upgraded from WWIV 3.xx to version 4.xx. Damn! So here is the next generation. This version of THE REALM, version 2.14, is the first official release for WWIV 4.xx. Hopefully, WWIV 4.10 won't contain any drastic external support changes. I don't know that I could go through another conversion of this code. The actual source code for the game is over 6,500 lines of Turbo Pascel 3.0. Include all the support files and data, and the entire package exceeds 8000 lines. Quite a bit of keyboard time. Now, I won't give you any stats on how many man hours of coding and/or debugging went into this, because I really have no earthly idea. But I will say that I started grad school when I started this little project, and I'll have my masters in 6 months. I hope you enjoy this first release. There will be other scenarios released in the future. So, keep your eyes open. Michael A. James (Silver Shadow) ------------------------ December 30, 1989 ---------------------------- I released version 2.20 today. This version corrected several major bugs which appeared in versions 2.14 - 2.17. Version 2.19 was never released. --------------------------- May 19, 1990 ------------------------------ Version 2.21 released today. This is it. This will be the final release the first scenario. I'm too busy with the second scenario. Have fun! ======================================================================== I want to extend my personal thanks and gratitude to my friend, and the best damned game crasher around, Rob Collins (Stone Hand <Logon1>). He kept pushing me to add more and more features to the game, polish things up, upgrade the support utilities, and basically make the thing as fantastic as it is. I also wanna' thank the users of the Krystal Palace for putting up with the bugs and crashes while the game was being developed and tested. ======================================================================= WWIV is Copyright(c) Wayne Bell 1988,1989 Wizardry is Copyright(c) Sir-Tech Software Inc. 1981 IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines