THE CHAOS EDITOR
By Edward Penman
Welcome to the Chaos Strikes Back Editor, the sequel to
the Dungeon Master Editor.
This program is very similar to the original Dungeon
Master Editor (it is in fact an updated version, with new
features, which has been altered to work with Chaos Strikes
Back) and will be familiar to Dungeon Master Editor users.
These instructions will explain the new changes as well as
providing information for new users.
As with the Dungeon Master Editor the Chaos Editor works
by altering a saved game file ("CSBGAME.DAT") and so does not
affect the Chaos Master Disk. It will allow you to do the
following things to a saved game, produced when you save whilst
playing Chaos:
1) Alter the map at will to create short cuts, new
passages etc.
2) Alter it so you can open doors during the game
without using keys.
3) Remove secret doors.
4) Print out plans of all the ten levels in the Dungeon.
The new features have meant the menu bar has had to be
lengthened and it will now no longer work in low resolution but
will work fine in medium (colour monitor/TV) and high
resolution (Atari SM124/5 monitor) as before.
The best way to learn how to use this program is to play
around with it. We advise only ever using it on a copy of a
saved game file, in case you make a mistake and want to return
to the original position. The following explanation of the menu
bar should provide enough information on using the program.
DESK
This contains an information box and any desk accessories
that you might have loaded. Warning: Desk accessories can only
be assessed before loading or after closing a saved game file
as they would otherwise corrupt the Editor screen.
FILE
This contains the functions Load File, Save File, Close
and Quit. The Load File box automatically appears when you
first run the Editor. It allows you to load a saved game file
using the normal file selector box ("OK") or automatically load
the file "CSBGAME.DAT" and display Level 5 (the level you start
on) for editing ("Auto"). Save File is the opposite ("Auto"
will automatically save the file "CSBGAME.DAT"). The manual
method allows you to change the name of the file if you wish
(you can then build up a library of files on one disk).
Warning: Chaos only recognises the file "CSBGAME.DAT".
EDIT
This is similar to the old "Map" bar. You can select any
of the ten levels to view and edit on screen. Editing involves
clicking over a section of the map to turn it into either a
(black) wall or (white corridor). The left mouse button only
changes normal (blank) wall or corridor. The right button will
change anything. Warning: Chaos is very sensitive to map
alterations and may crash if you start removing triggers,
transporters etc. You can do a lot by just using the left
button but the choice is there to change anything if you want
(we know you won't be able to resist). You have been warned!
Undo will remove your most recent change.
Most of the legend "building blocks" are similar to
Dungeon Master but with some changes: Transporters is the new
term for blue hazes (which you can see) and anything which
teleports you around (you may see only normal corridor). False
walls is the new term for the old secret doors. Triggers is a
new group which includes trigger points on the ground (some you
can see, some you can't) and monster regeneration points but
also include some objects and some stationary monsters. All
these used to be in the general group Objects.
Warning: A few objects don't appear on the map and many
of the monsters carry objects including keys. Some trigger
points are in fact objects and visa versa and also include some
monsters (which may have moved by the time you get there). Our
advise is to use the maps only as a guide and to expect the
unexpected!
DOORS
This function has been expanded to allow you to choose
which type of door or gate with button beside it to replace all
the ones in the dungeon. You can choose between gate or door,
normal, old or ornate or double (opens horizontally) or not.
Gates allow you to throw and see through them. Doors are either
metal or wood, depending on which level you are on. Most gates
and wooden doors can be broken by chopping weapons or fire
balls and all can be opened at a distance by magic spells.
Warning: Changing all the doors so they don't need keys is
obviously very powerful and will ruin the game for you if you
do this function to play the game from the beginning. We advise
you to only use it on old saved game files on levels which you
have already completed.
WALLS
Remove false walls allows you to automatically remove all
false walls either in the level on screen or in the whole map.
This is a lot quicker than doing it by hand.
PRINT
Select any level to print (not just the one on screen as
before) by clicking on the appropriate menu bar. You can choose
to either print just the map and level number or the map and
the whole legend. This function uses the ALT-HELP screen dump
routine and so can be stopped by pressing ALT-HELP. You may
want to put a CONTROL.ACC desk accessory on the disk to load in
with the Editor so that you can make the screen dump work for
your particular printer.
HELP
Press the HELP key or click on the Help menu bar to view
this file. Press any key or click with the mouse to go from
page to page and press the ESC key to finish.
We hope you enjoy using this program and welcome any
comments or criticisms you may have. Now go out there and crack
some skulls!
Ed and co.