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164 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
164 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
------------------------===========------------------------
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-------------===========ððððððððððððððððððððððð==========--------------
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----------==========ððððððððð A L P H A M A N ððððððððð==========----------
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----------==========ððððððððð Release 1.1 ððððððððð==========----------
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----------==========ððððððððð June 1995 ððððððððð==========----------
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-------------===========ððððððððððððððððððððððð==========--------------
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------------------------===========------------------------
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File list: alphaman.exe main executable
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alphaman.1
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alphaman.2
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alphaman.3 subsidiary
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alphaman.4 files
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alphaman.5
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alphaman.6
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readme.txt this file
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After playing, alphaman.def (game parameters) and
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alphaman.scr (high scores file) will be generated.
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You may delete these at any time.
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____________________________________________________________________________
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AlphaMan (Copyright (c) 1995 Jeffrey R. Olson) is an adventure game set on
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Earth in the future, following a nuclear disaster. You will take the role of
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a mutated human who is struggling to save the planet from annihilation. You
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will be pitted against hideously mutated plants and animals, traps and snares
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of all sorts, and several varied adversaries whom you will have to defeat in
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order to complete your mission. At your disposal are a broad variety of
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technological relics and mutated substances which you will acquire along the
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way, as well as your own powers and guile.
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____________________________________________________________________________
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Your character will have six basic personal attributes: Strength (physical
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power), Dexterity (agility and quickness), Constitution (fortitude and
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health), Radiation Resistance (susceptibility to radiation), Mental
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Resistance (susceptibility to mental attacks) and Intelligence (learning
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ability). These characteristics generally are in the range 3-18 (higher is
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"better"), but some mutations, devices, etc. can raise or lower these. Your
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characteristics may increase with time as you gain experience as well.
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Your character also has Hit Points. These reveal to how much damage you can
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sustain before dying. You lose hit points as you are damaged by attacks from
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creatures, falling into pits, etc. You heal hit points back over time, and
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some devices and substances will heal you faster. In addition, you will gain
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more hit points as you become a more experienced adventurer.
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Your character will have a physical and a mental mutation which can help you
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complete your mission. Some mutations, such as Heightened Strength, are in
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effect at all times and don't require you to 'u'(se) them. Others, such as
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Laser Generation are used periodically as the need arises. AlphaMan version
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1.1 includes 17 physical and 13 mental mutations; some details on your
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particular mutations can be learned by pressing '?' during the game to see
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the help menu, or by examining the file ALPHAMAN.5 which is a text file that
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the '?' command accesses.
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Your character has an Armor Class (AC) that determines how difficult you are
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to hit in combat. Your AC is determined by the armor and shield you are
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using, and may be modified by your dexterity and a variety of devices. A low
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AC means better protection. An AC 6 to 9 is typical at the start of the game;
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an AC of 0 is very good; an AC of -5 or lower is excellent. Heavy Fur armor
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or Ringmail is typical at the start of the game, but better armor may be
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found during the game. Be sure to wear the better armor as you find it (the
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'u'(se) command allows you to select the armor you wish to wear; you must
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'U'(nuse) armor you are currently wearing before you can use new armor).
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Your character fights with a selected weapon (although you can also throw
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things, or use various technological weapons as well). At the start of the
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game, a weapon such as a short sword or a pitchfork is common. You may find
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better weapons along the way, such as titanium or even duralloy ones. Be
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sure to wield the better weapons as you find them (the command 'u'(se) can be
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used to select a new weapon-in-hand). Note that a microcomputer, if found in
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the game, can reveal which weapons are the best.
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Your character will come across a variety of other objects during the course
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of a game. These include:
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Food: Spam and Beef-a-Roni, which are eaten with the 'e'(at) command. It is
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generally best to wait until you're very hungry to eat.
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Berries: AlphaMan includes over 30 different kinds of berries which have a
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variety of effects. Initially you won't know what most berries do, and
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will have to 'e'(at) them or 't'(hrow) them at creatures to determine
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their effect. The usefulness of most berries is obvious. Keep in mind
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that, while most berries are intended to be eaten (such as berries that
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confer invisibility or technical prowess), some should be thrown at
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enemies (such as exploding or blinding berries).
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Small and Large Tech devices: AlphaMan includes over 100 different kinds of
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technological devices. Initially, you won't understand most devices, so
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you'll have to 'f'(igure) them out. Often, you'll need to try many times
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before successfully figuring out a device. Once figured out, you can
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'u'(se) the device when the need arises. Note that the utility of some
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devices is obvious (you obviously shoot a Fusion Rifle at enemies),
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whereas some devices (such as a Slinky) are useless, and some have more
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subtle uses (a Microwave Oven will prematurely ripen berries, for
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example). A computer, if found during a game, can explain some of these
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subtleties.
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____________________________________________________________________________
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Much of the game consists of moving around the screen. This is accomplished
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with the numeric keypad. You can use the arrow keys to move up, down and
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sideways; the Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys will move you diagonally. If
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you move on top of an item, you will pick that item up. If you attempt to
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move on top of a creature, you will strike at it with your weapon-in-hand.
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____________________________________________________________________________
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The Author suggests you print out the list of available commands once the
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game begins (by pressing '?' and then 'p') in order to have a hard copy to
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reference at first. Many commands which await input will accept a '?'
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keystroke, and will then give context-sensitive help for that command.
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The premise of this game is loosely based on two games written by James Ward
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and published by TSR Hobbies: Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World. The
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author of AlphaMan acknowledges their unwitting inspiration.
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____________________________________________________________________________
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Please register this software (you will see details of how to do this every
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time you quit the game). There are many enhancements planned for future
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updates, including new mutations (4 Arms and Heightened Luck, for example),
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new devices (e.g., Berry Pouch and Hologram Generator), new berries (ones
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which confer temporary immunity to an attack type, for example) and other
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various (and insidious?) additions. You will also receive lifetime AlphaMan
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support (answers to any questions you might have, free updates if serious bugs
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are found, and general update announcements).
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Any suggestions or bug reports are also appreciated. Please send them to:
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Jeffrey R. Olson
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214 E. Sherwin Dr.
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Urbana, IL 61801
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____________________________________________________________________________
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DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT
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Users of AlphaMan must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
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"AlphaMan is supplied as is. The author disclaims all
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warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation,
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the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.
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The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse-
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quential, which may result from the use of AlphaMan."
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AlphaMan is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge
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to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your
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friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of
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another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to
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provide personal computer users with quality software without
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high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to
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continue to develop new products. If you find this program
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useful and find that you are using AlphaMan and continue to use
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AlphaMan after a reasonable trial period, you must make a
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registration payment of at least $15 to Jeffrey Olson.
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Anyone distributing AlphaMan for any kind of remuneration must
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first contact Jeffrey Olson at the address above for authorization.
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This authorization will be automatically granted, and distributors
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may begin offering AlphaMan immediately (However Jeffrey Olson must
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be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the
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latest version of AlphaMan.).
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You are encouraged to pass a copy of AlphaMan along to your
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friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their
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copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users
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will receive a copy of the latest version of AlphaMan.
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