Date of File = 27th of February 1996
CBS Software Proudly Presents
CASTLE OF MYSTERY Version 2.1b - ESCAPING FROM CASTLE OF MYSTERY
*** THIS GAME IS SHAREWARE ***
Demo Version - On a single disk for 1Mb Floppy systems (STE).
DISCALIMER - Unfortunately I'm not responsible for any damage that
may happen while using EFCOM, to you, & your hardware/software,
even though it's probably impossible.
LEGAL STUFF - Escaping From Castle of Mystery is COPYRIGHT
1994,1995,1996 Colin James Ballantyne. This demo version may be
freely distributed, provided all the original files are kept with
the program, and have not been altered in any way whatsoever. This
copyright includes all code, graphics & samples which should not
be used for any other purpose without my written consent. EFCOM
has been coded in STOS Basic, which is copyright by Mandarin
Software.
THANKS - To everyone who helped in the project - Particlularly the
playtesters - Alan Busby, Andi Cullum, David Shields, Iain Arendt,
Craig McComish, David Antonelli, David Warren. Thanks also to Vale
of Leven Academy Music department for letting me use their MIDI
setup.
LOADING EFCOM - Simply Insert the disk into drive A, & switch on
your Atari, EFCOM will load automatically. Hard Drive users should
boot from drive A. The demo can only be run from the desktop by
copying it out of the Auto Folder. TOS 2.06/Falcon users will need
to use STOSFix by Robert Quezada to fix the program to run on
their machine. Because this game uses STE sound hardware, STFM
owners will not hear any sound on their machine although the rest
of the demo should be playable. If you want to be able to run the
program from a Hard Drive - upgrade to the full version, because
to save space HD code has been omitted and the game will ONLY run
from floppy drive A.
HOW TO PLAY ESCAPING FROM CASTLE OF MYSTERY
STORY - In Castle of Mystery, you & your friends went to scary
Castle Mackay in a bid to steal its treasure, you found the
treasure, but a mighty (& scary) portcullis traps from getting
out. So in the sequel you've got to escape by collecting sticks of
dynamite over four zones (3 in this demo) to then hide in the
cellar, & blow up the Castle & escape! (Not much time spent on the
plot, but it's the gameplay that's important!)
Before you get to actually play the demo, you will given the
chance to print an upgrade form (or display one on screen), ex-
planation of Upgrade Levels are given at the end of this file.
Press >Space< to start the demo then >3< to run the program. At
the title screen press a key to see the Zone select screen.
ZONE SELECT - Here you select which zone you want to collect
dynamite sticks in - Musical, Plumbing, & Runaround - the Gamble
Zone is permanently completed in this demo. There are also two
other icons - Bribe & Cellar, Select Bribe to type in an access
code which you're given when you complete a zone. Type in the code
EXACTLY, spaces, full stops, everything. If the computer accepts
it, it will stamp completed on that zone. You can only select the
Cellar once you've completed all the zones, and that's you
completed the game! You complete a zone when you've managed to
complete all the individual levels in it. There are 4 (Generally
Easy) levels per zone in this demo, but there are fifteen to each
zone in the full version.
MUSICAL ZONE - In this zone, you collect sticks of Dynamite by
helping Dynamite Dan (& his one man band) play tunes to the
public. Everytime he plays a 'D' note, he gets a stick.
Press a key to start the level, the stage will appear - above it
you're told the input device (Main keyboard on the first level),
the next note to play as a letter, then in musical notation. Below
it is your Codebox WHICH IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH INPUT DEVICE. You
are given 3 seconds before the notes start to look at it - Not
enough, so you may need a few attempts at each level. In the first
level the code is that Note C corresponds to letter 'C' on the
Main keyboard, Note 'D' to letter 'D' & so on.
So when you see 'C', press 'C', however on level 2, the code is
different - when you see 'C' press 'F1'. You complete the level by
successfully playing the song. You are given 2 seconds for a
1-Beat note on level 1 , but only 1 second on level 4. The tunes
that you play are traditional, & you may recognise them. If so,
you can show off to your friends by putting in rests, as they are
encoded as well. You lose a life if you take too long between
notes.
There are only 3 input devices for this demo (Main K'board, F
Keys, Numeric K'board) but the full version also has Joystick,
Mouse (2 types), & cursor keyboard, in addition, Dan changes his
instrument between, Keyboard, Guitar, & Trumpet, however you only
have a trumpet in the demo.
PLUMBING ZONE - Here you collect sticks by connecting all the red
squares (at the edge of the grid) to the green squares. Down the
side of the screen is your toolbox. To select a pipe simply click
on it in the toolbox - your pointer will change to that pipe, you
can then click at points on the grid - & a copy of your pipe will
snap into place, if you run out of pipes your pointer will change
back to an arrow. If you want to change to a different type of
pipe simply right-click, then re-select from the toolbox. if you
make a mistake, press >undo< to remove your last pipe, this can
only be used on the last pipe you laid, you cannot remove ones
laid before this.
Once you're happy with your design, or wish to start again, double
click the 'GO' button, and if your structure generates the correct
detection number, you will pass to the next level. If not, you
lose a life & start the level again. The detection system is
slightly flawed, so don't be surprised if your apparently correct
design is rejected, or your incomplete one is.
RUNAROUND ZONE - Here you collect sticks by guiding the man (With
the joystick) through the undiscovered maze to them. At the start
of each level all you see is your man, the dynamite, & any doors &
keys. The timer (in the corner of the grid) then starts & you have
to find your way to the dynamite, collecting keys to open doors if
required withtin the time limit. As you move the man, the maze
will be uncovered, the level is completed by getting to the
dynamite withtin the limit, while you lose a life if you run out
of time. All bonuses & gimmicks have been eliminated from the demo
version (again to save space) but the full version has them all
(such as timer increase, etc. . .)
That's how to play the demo version. However, beacuse the full
version comes on four disks, compressing it all onto one has meant
a lot of things have had to go, like the intro & End game
animations, 50% of the samples, & so on, the demo version doesn't
really do the full version justice.
The full version runs comfortably on a 1Mb setup, however the
program automatically detects when there's more than this & loads
in more samples for the gamble zone & all three instruments for
the Musical Zone.
*** THIS GAME IS SHAREWARE ***
UPGRADE INFORMATION
There are 10 Upgrade Levels costing from œ6 - œ22
A2 - Full Version Compressed onto two disks + Printed Manual - œ6
A - Full Version + Printed manual. - œ7
B - Full Version + Printed Manual + Solutions. - œ9
C - Full Version in *.BAS format, with decoded Filenames + Printed
Manual + Printed Listing + Sprites in *.PC1 picture files. - œ15
D - Full Version + Full Version in *.BAS format with decoded fi-
lenames + Printed Listing + Printed Manual + Sprites & pictures in
*.PC1 format + GFA Raytrace data files + Solutions. - œ21
A2*,A*, B*, C*, D* are the same as the above upgrade type, but
come with Glossy Colour disk labels (Actual game, not data files)
& glossy colour manual cover. All for just œ1 extra.
Note for A2, you will have to uncompress the files yourself onto
three disks, so if you're hopeless at uncompressing things best
order A.
If you desperately want to see a bad game, also enclose a disk (or
50p extra) and I'll send you a copy of Castle of Mystery v1.0,
something you're bound to laugh at!
Make Cheques payable to Colin Ballantyne. Thankyou.
I welcome any comments you have on the demo version of EFCOM, and
if you discover an error, you can help everyone by reporting it to
me ASAP, if I feel it would have disrupted playing pleasure, and I
fix the error, I'll give you a FREE copy of National Lottery
Simulator - rated 85% in issue 78 of ST Format. So send your
comments, complaints, donations, & your upgrade forms to :
Colin Ballantyne
41 Craiglomond Gardens
Balloch
Dunbartonshire
SCOTLAND
G83 8RP
Thanks for taking a look at EFCOM, and you won't regret upgrading!
Anyway, have happy, fun hours playing the (easy) demo version of
EFCOM.
Colin J Ballantyne (Age 17)