Welcome to HACK! ( description of version 1.0.3 )
Hack is a Dungeons and Dragons like game where you (the adventurer)
descend into the depths of the dungeon in search of the Amulet of Yendor
(reputed to be hidden on the twentieth level). You are accompanied by a
little dog that can help you in many ways and can be trained to do all
sorts of things. On the way you will find useful (or useless) items, (quite
possibly with magic properties) and assorted monsters. You attack a monster
by trying to move into the space a monster is in (but often it is much
wiser to leave it alone).
Unlike most adventure games, which give you a verbal description of
your location, hack gives you a visual image of the dungeon level you are on.
Hack uses the following symbols:
A to Z and a to z: monsters. You can find out what a letter
represents by saying "/ (letter)", as in "/A", which will tell you that 'A'
is a giant ant.
- and | These form the walls of a room (or maze).
. this is the floor of a room.
# this is a corridor.
(in ST HACK the dungeon symbols are user definable so may
not look like this on the screen)
> this is the staircase to the next level.
< the staircase to the previous level.
` A large boulder.
@ You (usually).
^ A trap.
) A weapon of some sort.
( Some other useful object (key, rope, dynamite, camera, ...)
[ A suit of armor.
% A piece of food (not necessarily healthy ...).
/ A wand.
= A ring.
? A scroll.
! A magic potion.
$ A pile or pot of gold.
Commands:
Hack knows the following commands:
? help: print this list.
< up: go up the staircase (if you are standing on it).
> down: go down (just like up).
^ tell about the type of a trap you found earlier.
) tell about current wielded weapon.
[ tell about current armor.
= tell about current rings.
$ count how many gold pieces you are carrying.
. rest, do nothing.
, pick up some things.
: look at what is here.
/ (followed by any symbol): tell what this symbol represents.
\ tell what has been discovered.
^T teleport.
^R redraw the screen.
^P repeat last message
(subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
^Z suspend the program (not on ST HACK, use '!' instead)
a use, apply - Generic command for using a key to lock
or unlock a door, using a camera, using a rope, etc.
c call: name a certain object or class of objects.
C Call: Name an individual monster.
d drop something. d7a: drop seven items of object a.
D Drop several things.
In answer to the question "What kinds of things do you
want to drop? [!%= au]" you should give zero or more
object symbols possibly followed by 'a' and/or 'u'.
'a' means: drop all such objects, without asking for
confirmation.
'u' means: drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
E Engrave: Write a message in the dust on the floor.
E- means: use fingers for writing.
e eat food.
f (followed by one of kjhlyubn): move until something
interesting is found.
F (followed by one of KJHLYUBN): as previous, but forking
of corridors is not considered interesting.
kjhlyubn - go one step in the direction indicated.
k: north (i.e., to the top of the screen),
j: south, h: west, l: east, y: ne, u: nw, b: se, n: sw.
KJHLYUBN - Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run
into something.
^K^J^H^L^Y^U^B^N - Go in that direction until you find something
interesting.
i print your inventory.
I print selected parts of your inventory, like in
I* - print all gems in inventory;
Iu - print all unpaid items;
Ix - print all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
I$ - count your money.
m (followed by one of kjhlyubn): move without picking up
any objects.
M (followed by one of KJHLYUBN): Move far, no pickup.
O Set options. You will be asked to enter an option line.
If this is empty, the current options are reported.
Otherwise it should be a list of options separated by commas.
Boolean options are set TRUE by doing "O