The Gold Mine and the Princess¢William A. Austin¢¢You'll find this text adventure on¢Side "B" of this month's disk, all¢ready to run as an AUTORUN file.¢Just turn the disk over so Side "B"¢is up, put the disk in drive 1, and¢turn your computer off, then on again¢WITH BASIC. (XL/XE users DO NOT hold¢down [OPTION].)¢¢The object of the game is to find¢enough gold to buy cattle at auction.¢Get enough cattle, and you can marry¢the king's daughter. Your only¢source of gold, however, is the¢ancient gold mine not far from the¢village, abandoned years ago when a¢monster appeared. No one is certain¢if the Beast of the Deep is still in¢the mine, but the mine is definitely¢dangerous, falling apart and now the¢home of rats, bats and the fearsome¢shaft wolves.¢¢Adding to your problems, the princess¢has demands, too. You must first¢toll the Bell of Wondrous Things, and¢give her the diamond ring reportedly¢hidden in the mine, before the king¢will even consider your proposal of¢marriage.¢¢HOW TO PLAY¢¢The game has two main parts, the¢village and the mine. In the¢village, an on-screen menu will guide¢you. In the mine, press [H] for a¢HELP screen listing possible¢commands.¢¢IN THE VILLAGE¢¢The village offers you the¢opportunity to rest and recover from¢injuries, rat-bite fever or poisoning¢(usually, one rest period alone will¢not cure you completely.)¢¢You may also inspect your herd, and¢see its current market value. Births¢may add to your herd, and rustlers¢may subtract a few cows.¢¢You will also have the chance to hide¢your money before returning to the¢mine -- a good way to foil thieves.¢¢TREASURES and PITFALLS¢¢At the beginning your character is¢quite weak, but every action taken¢adds to your strength. At first, you¢will not be able to carry much gold,¢or remain very long in the cave¢before you begin to experience¢breathing problems.¢¢The deeper you go in the mine, the¢more likely you are to find ore. If¢you look for gold at a given level,¢and do not find any, try again.¢Repeated searching may result in¢success.¢¢MAGIC ITEMS¢¢The GOLD BEETLE will "sniff out" gold¢for you.¢¢The GOLDEN PICKAXE will enable you to¢dig out ore in ten times the normal¢amount.¢¢The EMERALD COW, when carried,¢changes the size of your herd. As¢you go down into the maze you'll gain¢cows (One for level one, two for¢level two, etc.) The reverse is true¢as you ascend.¢¢The WIZARD will cast a spell on you.¢The unpredictable effects last until¢a puff of blue smoke indicates that¢the spell has expired.¢¢The RUBY AMULET protects you from¢spells.¢¢A lucky CAT'S EYE NECKLACE will help¢you avoid disasters such as traps and¢falling rocks.¢¢The BONE RING protects you from¢oxygen deprivation.¢¢RED FUNGUS cures rat-bite fever.¢¢GREEN FUNGUS neutralizes poisons.¢¢BLACK FUNGUS transports you to the¢25th level, the very bottom of the¢cave.¢¢WHITE FUNGUS transports you back to¢the Village.¢¢GREEN GAS is very poisonous.¢¢RED GAS will absorb oxygen from your¢system.¢¢PURPLE GAS will cause you to wander¢aimlessly.¢¢YELLOW GAS dissolves any gold you¢have on you.¢¢A magical CANARY protects you from¢the effects of any of the gases as¢long he perches on your shoulder.¢¢The SHAFT WOLF may bite or just¢wander by. Rarely, he will elect to¢accompany you, frightening away any¢other animals.¢¢VISIONS can have results ranging from¢added wealth to instant death.¢¢CAVE GOBLINS react in various ways,¢but encounters are rarely beneficial.¢¢The BELL will perform a number of¢unpredictable actions when rung. It¢cannot be instantly rerung.¢¢Various SACKS, CHESTS and BOXES may¢contain desireable objects. Some,¢however, are protected by explosive¢traps.¢¢When you offer your herd to the king¢he will consider the current market¢value of the collection, and not just¢how many head are there. If you¢bother the king with repeated pleas¢to accept your cows, or insult him¢with a small offering, he can became¢rather irritable.¢¢If you die without gaining the¢princess, you can find out how close¢you got by pressing the [SPACE BAR].¢
