______________________________________________ / /\ / Balder's Grove /\/ / /\/ / Copyright (C) 1993 by Morgan Antonsson /\/ / /\/ / Version 1.11 (6.2.1993) /\/ /_____________________________________________/\/ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \/ ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ INTRODUCTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a freely distributable game based on the Boulderdash idea, dedicated to all Boulderdash fans. I have tried to stick as close as possible to the old Commodore version, because I think it is the best one! There are only 40 levels included in this package, but by using the level editor you are able to create 60 more (or replace the 40 original levels with new, better ones). Read 'BGLevEd.doc' for more information. STARTING UP ~~~~~~~~~~~ You can start the game from either Workbench or Shell, version 2.04 or higher. If you are using Shell, make sure that the 'Level' directory is in the current directory. If the game won't start it will tell you why, using an alert. When succeeded it shows you the title screen. THE TITLE SCREEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first thing that appear is the menu. If you don't move your joystick for about 8 seconds, the menu vanishes and the top-ten list is dispalyed. After 8 seconds or when you move the joystick, it will switch back to the menu. Use the joystick to select from the menu whether you want to practice or play a real game, and choose a level to start at. If you decide to play you can start only from levels ending with a '0' or a '5'. When practicing you are able to start from any level, but you will only get one life and you won't proceed to the next level when you have finished your selected level. If your selected level doesn't exist, you will automatically start from level 00. The same thing happens when you have finished one level and the next is not to be found. LEVELS ~~~~~~ There are two types of levels. The first one is the ordinary level, or simply 'level'. It is 40×30 squares, and covers four 'normal' screens. The screen will scroll when you approach the edges. The second type is the intermission. This is one fourth of an ordinary level (20×15 squares) and covers only one screen. If you have an NTSC- amiga it covers a bit more than one screen and there will be some scrolling here too. While playing you will note another difference. You won't lose any life if you die, instead you will move on to the next level. If you find the exit, you get a bonus life. Bonus lives are also given for every 10000 points you reach. When you have completed a level you get 7 points for every remaining timeunit. THE GAME ~~~~~~~~ All objects and characters correspond to an object or a character in the original Boulderdash game. They don't look quite the same so I guess an introduction is appropriate. BALDER This is you! A young Nordic god who thinks everything is good. Use your joystick to make him move. If you keep the button pressed he will only touch the adjacent square. BUSH Has nothing to do with an American expresident. Just walk on it and it disappears. It keeps berserks and snakes away and stops falling rings and stones. RING Collect these, and you will see the exit open. RUNESTONE It follows the law of gravity just like the ring. Remove the object it rests on and it will fall down. Try to push it and it will move if there is nothing blocking its way. Use it to kill berserks and snakes. FENCE Looks like four plaited boards. You can't remove it simply by walking on it, but it will disappear by an explosion caused by a berserk or a snake. EXPANDING FENCE Looks like a fence but it will expand to the right and the left if it finds an empty square. Be carefull with this one! It blocks your way very easy. MAGIC FENCE This one transforms runestones into rings and vice versa. You start it by dropping a stone or a ring on it. It will only stay active for a settled time, and you won't be able to activate it again when this time is over. Make sure there is enough space below it for the transformed rings and stones or else they will be forever lost! STOCKS Two stocks together. All levels are surrounded by stocks. Stocks are the only things that are indestructible. EXIT Looks exactly like stocks until it opens. It is often placed in the border among stocks. Unlike stocks, the exit is NOT indestructible. An explosion will blow it out. THORSHAMMER This is the hammer that Thor, the god of thunder, carries. Now it helps Balder by destroying everything that is evil. Both berserks and snakes will explode when they touch a hammer. A hammer may multiply to an adjacent square that is empty or covered with a bush. BERSERK A viking running around the screen, following the edge of empty squares. If you touch him or drop a stone or a ring at him, he will explode leaving upto nine empty squares. If you are too close you lose a life. SNAKE Much the same as the berserk, except it will leave rings instead of empty squares when it explode. The last row of the game screen shows you some interesting and important information. It could look something like this: S: 001346 R: 023 T: 129 L:27 M: 2 You have probably already guessed what the letters denote, but I will give a short explanation anyway. S - Score R - Rings left to take before the exit will open T - Time left L - Level M - Men left including the one you are using right now Beside the joystick there are a few keys that effect the game. SPACE Pause the game ESC Suicide (if you get stuck somewhere) ALT ESC Collective suicide, you lose all you men Well, now I think you are fit for fight! Just one more thing. The program will save the highscore list in the current directory as 'BGHighScores'. Happy playing! HISTORY ~~~~~~~ V1.11 The game now works with NTSC-machines too! I had to change the title screen a bit. Unfortunately you won't get the same good survey of the game screen with NTSC-machines as with PAL-machines. Sorry. V1.0 First release. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Antonsson Litsleby 3262 S-457 00 Tanumshede SWEDEN EMAIL: d0antmo@dtek.chalmers.se