ALTERNATE REALITY Taken from an ST SEWER SOFTWARE docs disk. Edited by Parasite. GUIDEBOOK TO THE CITY. Welcome to The City of Xebec's Demise. Read this Guidebook before entering; it gives vital pointers to help you survive. The separate Reference Card gives instructions for using your computer to enter Alternate Reality. A Map of The City is included in your package. The Floating Gate in the center of the Map is surrounded by Granite Bank, Best Bargin Store, Best Armourers, and Tail of the Dog Tavern. Use this as a base for exploring and mapping the rest of The City. Also enclosed is an artist's rendering of major City sites that may be useful in your mapping efforts. There are many establishments in The City. This list will help you in your travels: 15 shops; 7 inns' 14 taverns; 3 banks; 4 smithies; 2 healers; and 12 guilds. The City game doesn't allow you to interact with Weapons Trainers and some other institutions. Also, you'll discover entrances that require the use of a disk you don't yet have. Alternate Reality - The City is designed to be expanded. Future additions include The Dungeon, The Arena, The Palace, The Wilderness, Revelation, and Destiny. In addition to the game, you need a blank disk to use as a Character Disk. Without a Character Disk you can't save the game. You're kidnapped by an alien spaceship and find yourself in a room with only one exit. Through this doorway you see The City of Xebec's Demise. An energy field moves across the opening. Overhead is a panel with constantly changing numbers.The moment you step through the door, the numbers freeze.Thissetsyour level of Stamina, Charm, Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Skill, Hit Points,and Wealth. The higher these beginning Stats,the better your chances of surviving in The City. During the first few days, you're extremely vulnerable to foul play (of which there is an annoying amount).The safest area is near the Floating Gate. Of course, safety isn't your only con- sideration; there are benefits to dis- cover in the more dangerous locales (cheaper food and lodging, better treasurer, etcetera). Keep a low profile until you're familiar with the ways of The City. And, avoid Encounters with life forms that are obviously superior (don't tease a Wizard during these early days!) NOTE: Save games and backup your Character Disk regularly. Once you're familiar with The City Square (the area marked on the enclosed Map), it's time to be more daring and explore further afield. The object of your sojourn in The City is to become oriented to Alternate Reality, build your Stats, and become the sort of Adventurer who can survive hardships, fight heroic battles, and solve the quests presented in The Dungeon and sub- sequent adventures. STATS - The values at the top of the screen shop off you know for certain about your Character. Increasing them is crucial for your development. Stats are increased by certain potions, by a first visit to any Guild, and by moving up a Character Level. Charm, Strength, and Intelligence also improve with use. EXPERIENCE is gained through en- counters with life forms in The City (you start the game with Experience points and Character Level at 0). The more encounters you survive,the more Experience points you gain. When Experience builds to somewhere between 250 and 300, you move up a Character Level (all your Stats influence how many Experience points you need). When you move up a Character Level, you usually gain other Stat points as well. Each Characterer Level requires twice as many Experience points as the one before. STAMINA is important if you're to survive. This Stat determines your health, endurance, and how long you can hold up in battle. CHARM determines how other life forms react to you. If you aren't "charming" enough, you're more likely to be attacked without provocation. Bribing an opponent is easier for a "charming" Character; and the battle tactic of charming (an evil act -see Encounters) requires a great deal of Charm. The more you use these tactice, the higher your Charm level becomes. STRENGTH is very advantageous when fighting. The stronger you are, initially, the better, since you enter Encounters armed with noting but your bare hands. Later, when you acquire Weapons, how well you're able to use them depends on Strength (and Skill). Strength also determines the size and number of objects you can carry. Fighting prolonged battles in which you're ultimately the victor improves your Strength. SKILL helps you avoid blows from an adversary. It also helps in wielding certain close-combat weapons during battle: Short Swords, Daggers, Stillettoes, and the like. INTELLIGENCE enhances your Wisdom and is crucial for tricking your enemies (see Encounters - this is an evil act). using your Intelligence helps to increase it. WISDOM is for discernment. When you find a Treasure, Wisdom is the Stat that helps you discover whether it's Cursed, Magical, or Mundane (see Treasure). It's also important when you're trying to decide whether or not a Potion is one you want to quaff (see Potions). HIT POINTS are very important: the move you have, the harder you are to kill! As you build Strength and Experience, you also build Hit Points. You are closely monitored! Many things, including your personality, are constantly being taken into account by the computer. But the Stats on the screen don't tell the whole story. PHYSICAL SPEED - When you enter one Guild (discover which one for yourself!), you are given an increase in Speed. That is the only time you'll ever know exactly how high this Stat is. Speed controls how fast and easily you can escape undesired Encounters. MORAL JUDGEMENT - You enter The City with Neutral morality (neither Good nor Evil). It's up to you to develop your personality. The City is designed to be harder on Evil Characters than on Good ones (although, as in "real" life, it's oven difficult to see the whole picture). Evil acts include things such as charming and tricking Good or Neutral life forms, or attacking them with no provocation. To develop a Good Character, you must really be on your toes! Try to avoid battles whenever you can, especially with Good life forms. Be careful about which Guilds you join and what sorts of Spells you use. The straight and narrow is not an easy path!. TIME - A City year has twelve months, 30 days in each. There are 24 hours in a day, divided into 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light (allowing for dusk and dawn). Each AR hour is equal to approximately 4 actual minutes. However, when you're sleeping in an Inn, working, or attending classes at a Guild, time passage is (thankfully) speeded up so you don't spend forever waiting to wake up, finish work, or get out of school!. WEATHER - Rain, cold, and heat can hit at any time in The City. The weather can affect your Stats if you aren't dressed properly, so it's a wise idea to ensure that you're adequately protected against the elements. If you spend too much time in the rain, for example, without proper attire, a bad cold could be the consequences! Heatstroke or a chill are other possible results of being unprepared. Being out in severe weather can make you tire more easily, too; and heat definitely produces thirst! MAPPING - Use the 64 x 64 grid in the center of this manual for building your Map of The City. It's a good idea to make photocopies of the grid and keep the original intact (everyone makes mistakes!) If you look closely at The City's walls, you'll notice faint, vertical lines, six "steps" apart. The distance between these lines corresponds to one square on the grid. In the daytime, you can use the position of the sun to keep track of which direction you're going. At night or when it's raining, you need a Compass (see Compass). SECRET DOORS AND ONE-WAY WALLS - A Secret Door looks like a regular wall, but you can walk through it (accomplanied by a whooshing noise and an odd melody). One-Way Walls are visible on one side; you can pass through the invisible side, but trying to go through the visible one will only prove embarrasing! OBJECTS - How much you can carry depends on Strength and Stamina, plus the size and weight of the items you're lugging. Check your inventory occasionally to see how efficiently you're managing your objects. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised when items your Stats don't allow for start falling on the ground. You can drop objects at any time during gameplay (press D). Any item you drop can be picked up again (press G), if it hasn't been stolen by Thieves or whisked away by magic. Carrying objects is not the same as using them. Press U and follow the prompts to use an item. This goes for absolutely anything you carry, except a Compass (it's always in use, if you own it). Some objects are listed in your inventory permantly, whether you actually possess them or not. If you aren't sure whether you own an item, try to use it. CLOTHING - You enter The City with a minimum of clothing. Although this arrangement is fine for hot summer afternoons, you could be in real trouble if there's a sudden cooling trend or a rainstorm. Shops offer clothing in all price ranges and weather-protection values. Use common sense in deciding which items of clothing to buy. Aside from its advantages in protecting you from the elements, clothing also has a "dapper" value. Some life forms you Encounter are influenced by the style, fabric, or colour of what you wear. To wear an article of clothing, press U and follow the prompts. FOOD PACKETS AND WATER FLASKS - As you step through the portal into The City, you see that you've been supplied with three Food Packets and three Water Flasks. These are important staples as you will become hungry and thirsty in your travels and may not always be near a Tavern. To use a Food Packet or Water Flask, press U and follow the prompts. Replenish your stock at a convenient Tavern. COMPASS - This is the single most important item for a new Character to own in The City. Without a Compass, it's very easy to get lost. As soon as you enter The City, go to the nearest Shop (if it's closed, come back the instant it's open). Tell the shopkeeper you aren't interested in his stock and he will offer to sell you a Compass. Buy it! Once purchased, your Compass is displayed at the left of your screen. The direction you're heading is always topmost on the Compass; the arrow always points North. TREASURE - Treasure (found lying about or acquired after a successful Encounter) takes many forms: Watches, Gems and Jewels, Money, Weapons and Armour, and Portions. All Treasure, except Money, is potentially Magical or Cursed. Magical items are usually very valuable; Cursed items can be a source of great despair. WATCH - Usually, to find out the time, you must go into an Inn. However, there will be occasions when you arn't near an Inn and could use a good Watch. A watch is a precious commodity in The City; you can't buy it in a Shop, but must find in in Treasure or after an Encounter. To use your Watch, press U and follow the prompts. GEMS AND JEWELS - These valuable items aren't legal tender in The City, but they can be exchanged for Money at any Bank. Some Banks offer more than others (occasionally, Gems or Jewels are absolutely worthless). MONEY - Currency in The City is in Gold, Silver, and Coppers. One Gold piece is worth 10 silvers; one Silver is worth 10 Coppers. naturally, carrying your money in Gold and Silver is easier than carrying it all in Coppers. When you find yourself with more cash thatn you can easily tote, open a Bank account. Just be sure to keep enough currency in your pocket for food and lodging. WEAPONS AND ARMOUR - Even if you abhor violence, you need a Weapon for self-defence and Armour for personal safety. Some creatures in The City will attack you no matter how nice you are. There are three ways to acquire Weapons and Armour:. 1. Finding them after an Encounter. 2. Finding them after uncovering a Treasure. 3. Buying them from a Smithy. When you defeat an opponent in an Encounter, you won't always get the Weapon he was fighting with or the Armour he was wearing. Often, they were broken in battle, or were magical and simply disappeared!. Always examine Weapons or Armour carefully before picking them up. The more Intelligent and Wise you are, the easier it is for you to tell if these Treasures are Magical or Mundane (normal). Magical means they have special properties: there're very valuable or thery're Cursed. Once you pick up a Cursed item, you can't drop it; you need help to get rid of it (see Guilds). Weapons and Armour come in a variety of types. Any item's value in battle is determined by many factors, including: the type of creature you're fighting; whether or not your battle accoutrements are Magical; and your levels of Strength and Skill. Armour comes in pieces that protect body parts: head (helmets, caps), torso (breastplates, mail coats), legs (greaves), and arms (gauntlets). To use Armour, youmust use each part specifically. Press U to use a Weapon or piece of Armour (follow the prompts). Here are a few points that will help you determine the value of certain armaments: A Longsword is a better Weapon than a Dagger; a Flamesword is the most effective of any Sword; Shields come in all sizes and shapes, the Tower Shield being the most defensive; any Mail offers more protection than Quilted or Leather Armour; Plate Armour is more effective than Mail (Crystal Plate is the strongest!). If, while carrying the maximum load, you find a Weapon you want, drop one of the Weapons you already have in order to pick up the new one. Weapons, even Magical ones, can wear out or break. If you notice that a formerly formidable Weapon is no longer doing the same job in Encounters, it's probably time to discard it and find or buy another. POTIONS - Some Potions are beneficial in advancing your Character. Others are just the opposite. When you find a Potion, examine it for colour. For more information, taste, then sip it. Each sip or taste tells you a little more about the Potion. You can then save the Portion for later or quaff it to get it's full effect. CAUTION: Sipping a Potion can cause you to receive some of the Potion's effects (though not as strongly as if you quaffed it). To use a Potion you've saved for later, press U and follow prompts. Potions of Defusion or Drunkenness are two of the worst; they aren't deadly, like Poisons, but they won't go away by themselves (many Potions are time-limited). When you're under the effect of these Potions, you can't navigate properly, your Stats aren't at all what they appear, and you're very susceptible to being attacked by unfriendly life forms. Find a Healer! There are also Potions, such as Treasure-Finding and Invulnerability, that make the Potion-taking risk truly worth the trouble. The effects of these Potions usually wear off after a while. EMPLOYMENT - Part- time jobs may be available to you (if you meet the qualifications) at Inns, Taverns, and Banks. There is a mimimum wage (depending on the job), but part- time workers do not receive any benefits or job secutity; job availability, duration, and wages are all determined solely by the "boss." You decide whether to accept or reject the job offer. Some jobs are more strenuous than others, but all result in some degree of fatigue. There is also the risk of on-the-job injury (you may lose Hit Points); danger is directly related to the type of work (and ther's no Workman's Compensation!). BELLHOPS, JANITORS, AND DESK CLERKS are the jobs available at Inns. you must have a certain level of Strength to work as a Bellhop. Stamina is important for a Janitor's job, Charm for the Desk Clerk position. BOUNCERS, HOSTS AND DISHWASHERS are in demand at Taverns. Strength is the main criteria for Bouncers, Hosts must have Charm, and a Dishwasher has to have enough Skill to avoid breaking the glassware. GUARDS, FILE CLERKS, AND COIN ROLLERS are necessary at Banks. Bank jobs pay more than any others, but they also have higher requirements. A Guard needs both Strength and Stamina; a File Clerk needs high Intelligence as well as Skill; and a Coin Roller must be skilled and honest (Evil Characters need not apply). INNS - Inns offer lodging - for a price. They're also Time and Date information centers. When you sleep in an Inn, you're offered several choices of accommodations. The better the room, the faster you're likely to rebuild lost Hit Points. You use up nourishment while sleeping, so be careful about sleeping 'round-the- clock; it's humiliating for an adventurer to die in his sleep! TAVERNS - When you buy food and beverage at a Tavern, you automatically consume them. The exception is when you buy Food Packets and Water Flasks. These must be used (press U) in order to be beneficial. It isn't necessary to be in a Tavern to use Food Packets or Water Flasks. Make friends in Taverns by buying rounds of drinks afor the house. Everytime you buy a round, you endear yourself further to the Tavernkeeper and his customers. This comes in handy if you're broke and hungry and enter a Tavern where you're known. Pay attention to food items you purchase. Some of them not only satisfy your immediate hunger, but also add Food Packets to your inventory! If an item you want (Food Packets, for example) isn't on the menu, come back in an hour (AR time) after the menu changes. Taverns serve alcoholic beverages; but, as in real life, drink only in moderation. If you're drunk, movement is hampered, manipulating screens is difficult, and you can even black out! Find an Inn and sleep it off. BANKS - Banks offer investment plans for your money. The higher the interest rate, the greater the risk. It's a good idea to spread your fortune between the Banks and account types; don't put all your eggs in one basket! Banks are exchequers where you can sell Gems and Jewelry. But they have regular hours; you can't do business in the middle of the night! SMITHIES - As you approach a Smithy, you may hear the Smith hammering away on his anvil. This helps if you're trying to find one of these establishments that's hidden away in an obscure corner of The City. Smithies offer a variety of Weapons and Armour (these are never Magical or Cursed and inventories change hourly, AR time). Prices and quality!) vary greatly, so haggling is essential. However, don't be misled; the items for sale in Smithies aren't the only Weapons in The City. Mny items you find after Encounters or as Treasurers are not available in any Smithy. SHOPS - Enter a Shop and you're offered a menu of the shopkeeper's wares. All manner of Clothing is available for sale. Try to bargain for a lower price, but don't insult the shopkeeper or he will ask you to leave! Say NO when he wants to show you his stock and he'll offer to sell you a Compass. If the Clothing you're looking for is not available, try another Shop. Or, come back later; shopkeepers update their stock every AR hour (when you aren't on the premises). GUILDS - The first time you enter a Guild, you're rewareded with Character-enhancing knowledge. For a fee, any Guild will help you get rid of Curses. You may also join a Guild, but they are very particular about accepting new pledges. Don't expect to be welcomed as a member on your very first visit. Each Guild has certain Stat and Character Level requirements for membership candidates (these include the Stats at the top of the screen, as well as Physical Speed, Moral Alignment, and other Stats that you can's see) Requirements are different for every Guild. You can belong to as many Guilds as will accept you; membership is for life. SPELLS - Once you're accepted into a Guild you're given the opportunity to learn a Spell. You must attend classes on a specified number of consecutive days in order to learn the Spell. These classes last 8 hours (AR time), so you can become hungry, thirsty, and tired while learning. If you miss a day of class, you have to make it up. Each Guild has a limited number of Spells that it can teach. The Guild "director" selects which Spell you're allowed to learn and will never offer you classes in a Spell that you already know. The quantity of items you're carrying necessarily limits the number of Spells you can acquire. When you Cast a Spell, there's no guarantee it will work! The more you use a particular Spell, the more your ability to use it increases (just as Strength improves with fighting); the better you know the Spell, the more likely it is to have an effect. Casting Spells makes you tired, so use them with care. CAUTION: Spells can backfire and cause you to lose Hit Points. POISON - When poisoned, you sustain initial Hit Point and neuyrological damage in line with the strength of the Poison. If you're lucky enough to find a Potion that cures Poison, drink it! Otherwise, find a Healer right away! Your Stats will continue to go down until you eventually die. There are four ways of being poisoned 1. Swallowing poisonous Potions; 2. Being clawed by a poisonous creature; 3. Being bitten by a poisonous creature; 4. Being stung by a poisonous tail. DISEASE - Left untreated, Disease is almost always fatal. Contracting a Disease results in Hit Point and neurological damage in line with the severity of the infection (although, some Diseases don't show effects until several days have passes - an incubation period). If you get a Disease, drink a Potion that Cleanses or seek out a Healer. If you're clawed or bitten in an Encounter, find a Healer to prevent possible infection. There are three ways to contract Disease: 1. Contact with bacteria from Mold and Slime 2. Being clawed by a Diseased creature 3. Being bitten by a Diseased creature ENCOUNTERS - It is common to Encouter other life forms. Some areas of The City have a higher probability of Encounters than others. Also, Encounters are more common at night and when it's raining than they are on sunny afternoons. The five categories of Encounters are listed below, in the order most favourable to you: 1. You surprise a life form;. 2. You notice a life form ( before it sees you);. 3. You see a life form (at the same time it sees you);. 4. You are noticed by a life form (before you see it);. 5. You are surprised by a life form. In an Encounter you are given several options (do nothing at all and you'll be attacked). 1. Attack your opponent . You move offensively,while maintaining a decent defence;. 2. Trick an opponent if you're Intelligent. You aren't prepared for defence if a Trick fails ; plus, it's an evil act if used against a Good or Neutral life form;. 3. Charm an opponent if your Charm level is high (also an evil act);. 4. Offer an item to a life form, if you have something he'll accept. (a good act that may even save your life); 5. Leave to get out of the Encounter. Sometimes, this is the only solution;. 6. Lunge at your opponent; this is a two-handed blow that lands with great force. If it fails, you have virtually no defence. You may also (whether or not you're in an Encounter):. C - Cast a Spell (if you know any);. D - Drop an item or check inventory;. G - Get an item;. U - Use an item or check inventory;. P - Pause the game (this suspends all time and activity - press any key to continue);. S - Save a game (follow the prompts). Tailor your Encounter strategy to fit your condition and the kind of life form confronting you. It's easier to trick a Warrior than a Master Thief. Don't expect to charm or trick mindless life forms; you's look pretty silly trying to charm Mold! HEALERS - Healers can: Restore Sight (heal Drunkenness); Restore Clarity (restore Defusions); Cleanse Poison; Diagnose Diseases; Cure Diseases; and Heal Wounds (both Major and Minor); If you've been hit during an Encounter or become ill or poisoned, see a Healer as soon as possible. There are some effects of Disease or Poison that don't show up right away, so don't wait! Like doctors everywhere, Healers charge a fee for their services. The prices usually go up on successive vists, but ther;s a way around this inflation; Wait 24 hours (AR time) and return. The prices should go back down to a reasonable level. Occasionally, you'll visit a Healer and discover that he isn't in! When this happens, you just have to find The City's only other clinic, or wait until the Healer comes back from his rounds. LIFE FORMS - There are many life forms in The City. Some are Good and some are Evil. The good guys are usually out on the streets during daylight hours and the evil ones at night and in the rain. The music accompanying the appearance of a life form gives you a clue to its alignment: heavy, foreboding music indicates an evil being; lighter, more cheerful sounds mean the Encounter is of a friendlier nature. Below is a list of some of the beings you may Encounter in The City. PAUPERS have no ambition or have met with some catastrophe that has put them in dire straits. COMMONERS possess no special skills or distinctions. This is your class when you enter The City. MERCHANTS work hard to keep The City's economy healthy. You usually see these capitalist types on their way to or from wheeling-and- dealing. COURIERS deliver messages and parcels. GUARDS police The City. Don't cross them! If you're being attacked by Guards, it probably means you've become evil. GLADIATORS fight in the Arena games. NOBLEMEN live in the Palace and are fond of Arena games. Rich and powerful, theye're attended by private Guards when out in public. DWARVES resist many Poisons and Magic Spells, have excellent night vision, and are terrific close-combat fighters. MAGES AND OTHER MAGICAL TYPES dwell in The City. Most are associated with Guilds or other learning institutions. Acolytes, Novices, and Wizards belong to this category. THIEVES take anything that isn't nailed down! They abound in The City and each has his own criminal specialty (Muggers, Cutthroats, etc.) ASSASINS strike swiftly, without warning. One blow can be the end of even the strongest Character. GIANT RATS AND WOLVES carry Rabies and love to share it by biting and clawing you. BROWN MOLD AND BLACK SLIME leave you with horrible Diseases that are neither diagnosed nor cured easily. IMPS lash out with long, dagger-like, poisonous tails. They're nasty creatures; avoid them! DRAGONS attack with claws and flame. There are Blue Dragons and Green Dragons, small and large. They usually can't be defeated with ordinary Weapons, so use caution! WRAITHS, GHOSTS, SPECTRES, AND ZOMBIES hover menacingly. They're Evil creatures that require a stout heart in any adventurer who Encounters them. NIGHT STALKER is a legendary creature of the night. It's an extremely powerful beast that no one can be sure doesn't exist. CHARACTER DECISION MENU. The Character Decision Menu offers four options: Hit N to become a New Character Hit E to resume and Existing one Hit T for a Temporary Character. PRESS N TO CREATE A NEW CHARACTER. If you wish to keep this Character, you must have a formatted disk ready with fewer than 8 Characters saved on it. As prompted, type a Character name (up to 31 letters) and Press RETURN. Follow the prompts until you're at the portal to enter The City. PRESS T FOR A TEMPORARY CHARACTER. Follow the prompts, pressing RETURN after each reponse. You can't save this Character, but it's useful for getting into The City quickly to look around and get the feel of the game. You don't need a Character Disk for a Temporary Character. PRESS E TO RESUME AN EXISTING CHARACTER FROM A PREVIOUS VENTURE INTO THE CITY. Type the Character number (1- 8) corresponding to the name you're using. Follow the prompts. IF YOU MAKE A WRONG SELECTION FROM THE CHARACTER DECISION MENU OR AN ERROR WHEN TYPING A CHARACTER'S NAME, press the ESC key. TO ENTER THE PORTAL. After you've created a new Character, you're taken to The City's portal. To enter, press the SPACE BAR (this sets yours Stats). TO SAVE A CHARACTER. Save your Character when you're ready to stop playing or when you've built it up to a level you want to keep (you can save up to eight Characters on a Character Disk). Press S and follow the prompts. If you don't save your Character to disk, you'll lose it when you turn off the computer. To resume play with a saved Character, reload The City and select E at the Character Decision Menu. BACKING UP. After saving, take time to make a backup copy of your Character Disk. You can do either a disk copy or a file copy (see your ST/Amiga manual), but make sure the backup disk is named ARCHAR. COMPASS Finding your way around is simplified by using a compass, available for purchase at Shops in The City. Say NO when a shopkeeper asks if you want to see his wares. He then offers to sell you a compass. Once purchased, the compass appears at the left of your screen. The direction you're heading is always topmost on the compass and the arrow always points North. MOUSE CONTROL At the right of the screen there are four large arrows. The left and right arrows are for turning left or right; the top and bottom arrows are for moving forward and backward. Move the Mouse cursor to an arrow and press either button. This highlights the arrow and you move or turn in the direction it's pointing. You can use the Mouse to enter Shops, Banks, and other establishments, but you must use the down Arrow key or a Joystick to exit (see below). JOYSTICK AND KEYBOARD CONTROL Use a Joystick for quick movement through The City. Push up on the Joystick to move forward, pull back to move backward; move the joystick left or right to turn left or right. Movement via the Keyboard is accomplished using the Arrow keys for movement; the up Arrow moves you forward, the down Arrow moves you bakcward, the left and right Arrow turn you left or right. Whenever you move in any direction using either a Joystick or the Keyboard, the large arrow at the right of the screen correponding to the direction you're going) is highlighted. To enter a Shop, Bank, or other establishment, push up on the Joystick or press the up Arrow key. Pull back on the Joystick or press the down Arrow to exit. You also use the Keyboard to interact with businesses, review and position your belongings, and during Encounter. In a business or during an Encounter, a menu at the bottom of the screen displays your options. Each option has a flashing number or letter. To choose, press the appropriate flashing character. Press the < (back)and > (forward) keys to get a full account of your condition. These keys cycle through all the menus describing your wealth, weapons, armour, magic, etc. Some commands you need aren't shown on any menu (press ? to get a list of these commands at any time during the game):. C - Cast a Spell (you can't cast Spell in the Inn); D - Drop an item or check your Inventory; G - Get an item you've dropped or discovered; U - Use an item or check your inventory; W - Switch Primary and Secondary Weapons; P - Pause the game (press any key to continue); S - Save the game (you can't save games during Encounters).