*Escape* Copyright (c) 1988 by Eric B. Lindros.
This program is shareware. If you enjoy this program, I ask that you send
$5.00 to:
Eric Lindros
1717 Lillingston Canyon Rd.
Carpinteria, CA 93013
You may distribute this program freely provided that you keep all of the
following files together:
ESCAPE.DOC these instructions
ESCAPE.TOS game program (works in both medium and high res)
C_IMAGES.DAT color images
IMAGES.DAT monochrome images
MATRIX.DAT maze data
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the weird world of the *Escape* maze. Your
mission, should you choose to except it, is to find the exit of the maze.
Sound simple? Well, to make things a little more interesting a few
obstacles have been placed in your path. Among these are bombs, magic
traps, teleporters, locked doors, and, of course, an infinite supply of
nasty monsters. On the other hand, there are also items to help you
attain your goal. Some of these are bandages, first aid kits, potions,
scrolls, money, weapons, rings, belts, wands, and armor. These items will
be explained in greater detail later in the instructions. But for now,
here are the basics:
MOVEMENT: To move through the maze, use a joystick in the non-mouse port.
Movement is allowed in only the directions up, down, left, and right. In
addition, the fire-button is used to launch projectiles (assuming you are
wielding a weapon capable of launching missiles.) Moving onto items such
as bombs, traps, and teleporters causes them to become immediately
activated.
INVENTORY: You may carry up to 8 items in a pack. In addition, you may
have a weapon in your weapon hand, a ring or a shield in your other hand,
and a belt or armor on your body. Before an item may be used, it must
first be picked up. This is done with the keyboard. Simply press the
number key (1-8) corresponding to the position within the pack where you
want the item placed. If there is already something in that pack
position, it will be exchanged for the item that is on the ground. Also,
items may be dropped by pressing the corresponding number key will
standing in an empty location. To use an item, press the function key
(F1-F8) corresponding to its pack position.
ATTACK: There are 2 methods of attacking. One is by firing a projectile.
This may only be done if the proper weapon is being wielded. Simply press
the fire button on the joystick, and a missile will be launched in the
last direction of movement. The other method of attacking is by hand-to-
hand combat. This is achieved by simply attempting to move onto the
opponent.
DOORS: All doors are locked. To open a door, you must have in your
possession the correct key. The keys have the number of the door they open
printed on them. The keys in your possession are displayed at the bottom
of the screen.
THE DISPLAY: The left half of the display is dominated by the viewing
area. The main character (you) is always kept at the center of the
viewing area. In the upper-right corner of the display is the copyright
notice. Below this is the current score and health information. The
health display is divided into two numbers. The first number is the
current health value. The second is the maximum health value. Directly
under the score/health display is the strength/weapon/armor display. The
strength and weapon values both effect the damage done in hand-to-hand
combat. The armor value determines how much hostile damage is absorbed.
Below this line is the active spell display. Negative spells are
displayed on the left, and good spells are displayed on the right. To the
left of the active spell display is the display of the items in use. The
top item is the weapon being wielded. Under this is the item being held.
Under this is the item being worn. Below this display is the display of
pack items. At the bottom of the screen, all keys owned are displayed.
KEYBOARD: As has been previously mentioned, the number keys (1-8) are
used to exchange what is in a particular pack position for what is on the
ground. Also, the function keys (F1-F8) are used to invoke or utilize an
item from the pack. In addition, pressing the space bar will freeze the
game. Once the game has been frozen, pressing any key will cause the game
to resume.
ITEM DESCRIPTIONS:
Money: Increases score.
Missile launchers: Launch either arrows or fireballs at a regular
interval.
Magic traps. There are 7 types:
Sleep: Prevents any movement or attack.
Stop: Prevents any movement.
Curse: Effects both yours and hostile attacks.
Slow: Reduces movement/attack rate.
Poison: Causes damage during its duration.
Confusion: Causes movement to be misdirected.
Weakness: Reduces strength value by 8.
Bombs: Cause damage according to type.
Weapons: There are 3 types:
Bows: Shoot arrows at various firing rates.
Wands: Shoot fireballs at various firing rates. Wands will
occasionally disintegrate.
Hand-to-hand: Attack with various damage rates.
Shields: Increase armor value when held.
Mail: Increases armor value when worn.
Magic rings: Increase strength when held.
Magic belts: Increase strength when worn.
Teleporters: Transport main character 4 squares in the direction
that they are pointing. They have no effect on monsters.
Scrolls and potions: You will need to experiment with these. Some
contain spells that have a duration, and others have an immediate effect.
CONTEST: *Escape* is the product of the suggestions I received about a
similar game that I wrote, MegaMaze. However, very few people who
received a copy of MegaMaze actually commented on it. Since I am sure
that *Escape* could be vastly improved with your suggestions, I am
offering a $50.00 reward for the best suggestion for a new version.
Actually, I am really interested in any idea for any game that can be
implemented in both color and monochrome. The top three entrants will
have their names posted in the credits of the resulting program. Don't
delay! Send your entry today! I will begin writing the next game as soon
as I have received 50 entries.
SOURCE CODE: *Escape* was written in assembly language and compiled with
A-Seka, by Kuma. If you would like a copy of the source code, send me
$10.00, a disk, and a self-addressed disk mailer.