quarterstaff-ses - Museum of Computer Adventure Game History
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1. Wi Simulated Environment Systems Quarterstaff Users Manual Simulated Environment Systems 800 South Pacific Coast Highway Suite 8 331 Redondo Beach California 90277 213 379 6742 FIRST EDITION July 1987 COPYRIGHT This software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Scott Schmitz amp Ken Updike It is published exclusively by Simulated Environment Systems The distribution and sale of this product is intended for the use of the original purchaser only and for the use only on computer systems specified Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory of a computer solely for the purpose of executing the program Copying or duplication of this product except for personal use is a violation of the law This manual is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Simulated Environment Systems This document may not in whole or in part be copied photocopied reproduced translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior written consent in writing from Simulated Environment Systems Willful violations of the Copyright Law of the United States can result in civil damages of up to 50 000 in addition to actual damages plus criminal penalties of up to one year imprisonment and or a 10 000 fine 1986 TML Pascal Certain portions of this software are copyrighted by TML Systems Inc 1986 Pascal Extender Certain por2. BLUE AXE Most of the time Quarterstaff will accept partial sentences i e Quarterstaff will fill in the rest for you to the best of its ability Thus if you typed ATTACK THE GREEN MONSTER Quarterstaff would assume that you are attacking it with whatever you have in your hand Even if you just type ATTACK Quarterstaff would look around the room you are in and see if there are any monsters around If there is only one it assumes you want to attack it and then it assumes you are attacking with whatever is in your hands For the most part Quarterstaff is very good at guessing what you mean It Quaterstaff User Manual will never put you in an unpleasant situation by guessing at something obscure For most commands it is generally pretty easy to figure out what it will fill in for you The best approach is to try it and see what happens ENCUMBERANCE All objects and creatures in the realm of Quarterstaff have weight and bulk As you pick up objects your current weight and bulk will increase the amount depending on how heavy or bulky the object you picked up is Encumberance deals with two issues how much an object or creature weighs and how bulky it is Each and every object and creature in the game has a maximum weight encumberance attached to it This means that creatures as well as objects are limited in how much they can carry or hold For example a creature probably could not carry thirty bricks of gold nor could a paper bag hold thirty
3. EAST WEST UP DOWN RIGHT LEFT FLOOR CEILING WALL DOOR NORTH DOOR SOUTH DOOR EAST DOOR WEST DOOR UP DOOR DOWN DOOR HAND FOOT FINGER FIRE IT ALL ROOM AROUND YOU OUT NORTH WALL SOUTH WALL EASTWALL WESTWALL UP WALL DOWN WALL SLEEP Page 16 Page 17 Simulated Environment Systems Appendix C All Valid Prepositions Below is a short list of some valid prepositions you may use ABOVE AT BEHIND FOR IN INTO ON ONTO THROUGH TO UNDER UNTIL FROM OVER WITH Quaterstaff User Manual Appendix D Majic The existence of majic has been hypothesized by certain individuals who lack the fundamental requisites needed for its utilization I do not mean to imply that majic is purely hypothetical on the contrary it is nothing less than a certainty in some regions of the multiverse It can be conjectured that there are worlds which exist only as a phantasm These worlds are arranged as an n dimensional continuum along parallel lines of the quasi hyper At one end of this continuum exist worlds where majic is only hinted at in the deepest of ancestral memories These worlds rule through science At the other end of the n dimensional continuum are worlds where science is but a dream in the eyes of faint hearted demon spawn for here majic rules and the tenants of science hold for naught Tween these two extremes as twixt hot and cold is a compromise where majic and technology coexist and compete for power The world Earth is wholly ruled by science wh
4. as long as we are not speaking of the immortal or undead These beings need no mortal nourishment They breathe no air eat no food and need no sleep They are a favorite guard for wizards as they cannot be bribed nor do they slack off in their guardian duties Wizards and their Guardians By Grimwand Gaptooth There are many items in the dungeon that are drinkable some more than others Likewise what is food to a Sumi beast is not necessarily food for the hearty adventurer Keep a close eye on your hunger thirst and sleepiness You will take severe damage and even wind up dead if you do not attend to these needs You can eat and drink as often as you like with no ill effect Sleep on the other hand is different A creature cannot sleep naturally unless he is sleepy If he does succeed in falling into dreamland he can expect to wake up 50 rounds later at full health If however someone or something decides to wake him up prematurely no health is regained and a full night s rest is once again needed to restore vigor Page 8 Simulated Environment Systems EGLENE 5M Tile Windows Do Macro Change Font Cold Map Manual Save CR Item Menus Sound Stow Small Torch 1 Hold Small Torch 2 Macro 3 x5 Macro 4 4 Macro 5 5 Macro 6 x6 Macro x7 Macro 8 xB Macro 9 Page 9 Be aware that monsters love to pick on sleeping parties Hence it is a wise policy to sleep in a safe place or to post a guard while the other
5. bricks of gold without tearing Also associated with everything in the game is a maximum bulk encumberance A good example of this would be an adventurer trying to carry around a large painting a ten foot bronze pole and an empty chest Even though these objects weigh relatively little they are bulky and thus are difficult to carry An excellent method of decreasing your current bulk is to place some objects within other objects e g instead of carrying a lot of jewels and an empty chest put the jewels in the chest Of course this does not always work Try placing a ten foot bronze staff in a chest that is only two feet high wide and deep DISTANCE IN A ROOM Travel time inside most rooms in Quarterstaff is considered negligible If two objects are at opposite ends of a room it will take only two rounds to get both objects This rule does not apply to all rooms though Certain rooms may take a few rounds to traverse This will become evident as your current position on the map moves inside of the room DUNGEON ARCHITECTURE Quarterstaff has many innovative features the architecture of the Tree Druid Colony being a prominent example Within the walls of the colony are portals doors secret doors Page 6 Simulated Environment Systems and pits A good understanding of these features will help game play go smoothly Portals are openings to the next room or location in the game There is no way of closing them to prevent passage of crea
6. contact us at the address or phone number listed on the inside title page of this manual Thank you y t A E wg Y wate at oh E aJ a 6 T e Li e LJ 4 a B D P gt n E e ed S B jx LI as BEL T LI a 4 E i g LI j J v B L R f D 4 gy 4 E B i gt i ud JE 51 1 i D 4 l d 4 9 4 E i 15 C 1 MJ a l i LS si gu P i t Fe P m 1 i p s M Ve 4 wy V i 94 a y 7 4 lt a v P ye un LJ hd Automatic Mapping Multiple players Quarterstaff Tired of over hyped adventure games which promise intrigue and challenge and only supply boredom and frustration How would you like to experience not just play a real adventure game one in which digitized sound and graphics bring new meaning to the concept of realism A world built on an AI rule based system resulting in a dynamic environment that actually changes as you play This is the realm of Quarterstaff where you guide a multiple character party using an advanced but easy to use interface that automaticallu maps your position as you play File 3 Uerb Door BAUR CAVE ENTRANCE 150 150 Advanced Menus Real Life Graphics olla forward The plain nature of the carving would be ideal for the imprinting of this seal into mel ted Digitized Sound Simulated Environment Systems 800 South Pacifi
7. number in parentheses is the maximum health of the player The other number is the current health of the player If the current health goes below 0 the player becomes unconscious below 10 and the player dies For example 125 150 means that the current health is 125 out of a possible 150 Pulling down this menu reveals statistics related to the current player Below is a description of each of these statistics Time This number represents how many rounds have passed Weight Allowance This number signifies how much more weight you can carry Picking up objects will reduce this number Bulk Allowance This number signifies how much more bulk you can carry Picking up objects will reduce this number Weight This number signifies how much you currently weigh Bulk This number signifies how bulky you are Score This is a numerical evaluation of how well you are doing The higher the better Followers These items if present show who your followers are Selecting a follower will toggle a check mark in front of his her name A follower without a check mark can make no decisions he she will always Pass Advanced Note Selecting the word Followers in this menu will toggle the check mark in front of all of your followers Proficiencies These numbers are percentages They indicate how good you are at attacking using the proficiency listed If for example your Blunt proficiency is 55 then you will be successful attacking
8. should be paranoid but to simply be cautious It s a good idea to be aware that missile fire is possible across rooms Take advantage of it because the creatures definitely will All monsters are not created equal If you are continually attacking a monster and it doesn t appear he is greatly affected by your weapon try changing it Some monsters are more vulnerable to certain attacks than others This also goes for doors A wood door would not stand a chance against a burning torch but an iron door would not even be dented QUARTERSTAFF NOTHING LIKE IT Quarterstaff is unlike any other adventure game Be prepared to experience an actual simulation not a string of puzzles which you must solve in order to succeed Because of this care should be taken when playing ALL commands work in ALL locations If you can attack one creature you can attack all of them Everything is very much real and you can be sure that objects in the dungeon will be used by the inhabitants to the best of their abilities There are always multiple ways to get by a problem just as in real life We would like to stress that all of our puzzles and situations are logical Not just the logic required to solve the problem but the logic behind why the puzzle existed in the first place We have spent the time to think through the rationale behind the dungeon residents even as far as making the floor plans as a Druid Architect would have built them Often times in a
9. someone with a blunt weapon 55 of the time Only your top four proficiences are listed at any one time If you are hungry thirsty or sleepy it will say so at the bottom ofthis menu Quaterstaff User Manual THE MAP The automatic mapping feature is one of the many advanced features which can only be found in a Simulated Environment Systems product There are two ways to look at the map First you can click on the title bar of the Map window if the map window is already visible Second you can select the menu choice Show Map in the File menu The map only shows rooms you have previously visited At many points in the game a picture or map window may be the top window when you wish to type your command In these instances it is not necessary to select your players window just start typing The windows will rearrange themselves automatically If you wish to go in a particular direction while looking at the map click the cursor above below or to either side of the blinking cursor on the map Clicking above the blinking map cursor will issue the command GO NORTH The other directions are as you might expect This will not work if you have the map in COLD MAP mode Level 2 2 Advanced Note The Enter key on the on the numeric keypad will flip between the map window and the player window Page 12 Simulated Environment Systems PLAYING SUGGESTIONS To light a room a lit object must be in your hand or in the room
10. weakening my supply of Mana depleted the fates smiled upon me that day for upon my person I had secreted a potion of healing that I had by my own hand constructed in the year of the Weasel over a score years before A lesser sorcerer would have simply drank the potion and been healed to full strength But what would that have achieved Even at my full strength I would have been unable to break my chains and leave the tower Not I as I knew the inner secrets and the ways and declination of mana I also knew that if I used majic made by my own hand the Mana present would no longer be mine Instead Lcrushed the vial under foot destroying what I had created many a year back and restoring the Mana I had placed into the potion as if in a money lenders hands for future use With that meager supply of Mana restored to me I was able to call upon the air elementals to whisk me away from my dreary imprisonment Know you who seek enlightenment in the ways of wizards that only a being who possesses knowledge of the most powerful nature can call himself a master in the ways of Mana There is knowledge that mortals cannot say or even think without it utterly destroying their essence This knowledge is the stuff of wizards Wands Rings Scrolls and Potions are common items created as wizards play things These objects look and feel like mortal objects but are in actuality pure Mana placed in the form of physical existence The illustrious
11. Cutpurse Callahan thief of the first order gave the following speech to the 235th graduating class of the Thieves Guild It should serve as a valuable guide in the purloining of majical objects that did not originally belong to you tual Quaterstaff User Manual It is not always obvious what the use of a majical object is In many cases the only thing to do is to WEAR the majical ring or READ the majical scroll or DRINK the majical potion and be prepared with a known cure poison potion on hand in case of disastrous results But what does one do with the Majical wand This device needs a special keyword to release its Mana Guessing the keyword is nearly impossible It has been suggested that we allow our adversary to shoot his wand at us while listening carefully for the keyword he utteres We not only know the keyword but also the effects of the wand since we are on the business end of it That was the method of operation of Slinky Silverpurse may he rest in peace It s time we thieves came up with a better way We here at the Thieves Guild have trained you to be the elite of the thieves There is not a better school of learning this side of Hades I m not just saying this because our rival school Thieves College as a result of a freak knifing accident last week lost over a score of its best instructors I m saying this because you have graduated from a school with the highest mortality rate a mortality rate even higher than the fight
12. L VALID PREPOSITIONS APPENDIX D MAJIC APPENDIX E INVISIBILITY LOOKING FOR AUTHORS This symbol in the margin denotes an advanced note or feature Oo 0 0o 1o 9g GW WN m 21 Simulated Environment Systems FOREWORD You are about to enter a world of Dragons Demons and Wizards In this world you are a party of three courageous adventurers who have been recruited for a brave mission Three months ago the Tree Druid colony vanished without a trace The neighboring Druid colonies sent messengers to find out what happened but none returned It is your mission to discover what foul fate befell the Tree Druids and to hopefully save any of them if possible You will be outfitted with weapons and provisions for one week Now you stand before the entrance of the Tree Druid colony ready to enter Just the start of another adventure games chock full of traps and puzzles that stump and frustrate you right Wrong Be prepared to embark on an entirely new concept in adventure game simulation A new system in which the world actually changes according to a dynamic timetable a place where not only you but all the inhabitants of this world are given a choice in their actions Experience a world where you can manipulate objects that have properties such as weight size breakability etc associated with them And where you are not the only one who can use these objects Remember as you play this game that events are not random but instead sim
13. Look at the map frequently e Sound gives important warning signs Typing VERBOSE will enable long room descriptions BRIEF will print short room descriptions Remember you can go into objects as well as rooms Imagine going into a closet and closing the door This would be a great place to hide or even to sleep Use groups to your advantage Many times it requires swift and simultaneous action by two or more players to avert death and other such inconveniences Use your group members wisely Make friends whenever possible not everyone is out to kill you If you become very good friends with monsters they may join your group effectively increasing the amount of power you can wield Actions such as bribing are encouraged Minimize reverting to previously saved games The purpose of our adventure game is different from other games Unlike our competition we avoid the KILLER traps where the only way you can solve them is to try them once die and then try them again with another incarnation of your player We at Simulated Environment Systems see little sense in this attitude In real life we don t walk around thinking to ourselves If I die I can always revert to previously saved game positions and play the game again We do the best with what we have and if we make a mistake we live with it Use that same attitude in playing our games and you will save yourself a lot of wasted time doing the same thing over and over with saved ch
14. ake and subsequently drowns the followers will enter the lake but will not necessarily drown In this case the followers will become leaders and the game will proceed Page 2 E 2 mc Page 3 Simulated Environment Systems Advanced Note In many instances you may not have anything for a follower to do while his leader is busy In this case you may hit Return and a PASS will be entered This only works for followers a leader must explicitly type PASS in order to skip his move A leader may also disable his followers inputs by removing the check mark in front of the followers name in the Vital Statistics Menu A convenient way of finding out who is following you or who is your leader is the command MEMBERS This command will list the followers in your group if you are a leader or will list your leader if you are a follower ORDER OF MOVES Before we explain the order of moves we must first define two terms turn and round A turn is defined as an individuals action what that player wishes to do A round is defined as the collective input of all players and creatures they have rights too in the game Interactions with fellow party members can help to overcome obstacles in a timely and efficient manner In order to do this effectively two concepts must be understood entering your moves and what results All players and monsters are asked their moves for that round before Quarterstaff decides the outcome of any one players action Th
15. aracters nventory Management This is an important concept for any party who wishes to enter the dungeon and leave not only alive but loaded with booty There will be hundreds of objects that you can pick up Whenever you want to get a hold of everything you can see just picture a guy in full battle armor holding an axe in one hand and a couch in another Well it doesn t look like a pretty sight An excellent suggestion would be to stash caches of booty about the dungeon Then on the way out you can pick up your goodies Page 13 Quaterstaff User Manual A second suggestion for successful inventory management is the concept of sharing Not all the residents of dungeons are as keen to share their possessions as you might expect While the player might go by the motto Share Share that s Fair the owner of the goods will almost certainly have a different attitude The almost inevitable ensuing battle is what we call an attitude adjustment Either you change your attitude about sharing or the proper owner of the goods changes his attitude about that muave ani green carpet Maybe it was an awful color after all It has been known to happen that monsters with common grievances have assembled in the form of lynch mobs The best policy is to avoid such confrontations unless you are part of the mob Whenever you least expect it expect it It is a cruel world out there and if the monsters can take advantage of you they will That doesn t mean you
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17. ders are those who control a group These adventurers have a L in the bullet preceding their name They decide where their group is going to go Whenever a leader issues a GO such as GO NORTH the entire group will follow A leader may become a follower by joining a group by issuing a JOIN command Thus if BRUNO is a leader and he types JOIN TITUS he will become a follower in the group TITUS is leading If a leader issues a SPLIT command such as SPLIT BRUNO the named group member will be thrown out of the group A SPLIT with no name will disband the entire group with everyone becoming a leader Followers are those who choose to be governed by a leader These adventurers have a F in the bullet preceding their name They may enter moves as long as their leader desires it but are unable to move about on their own A follower may become a leader by typing SPLIT r x EOLENE look at car A large oaken plaque EOLENE read carve TITUS look at skeletal remains descessor Jaroo You recognize his blue druids rob before he was able to exit his life was taken Anot File Verb Door TITUS CAVE ENTRANCE E 1501150 Time 2 Weight Allowance 168 Bulk Allowance 219 Weight 227 Bulk 231 Score 0 Fetes e e se oere RE heat 507 cold 30 electrical 30 poison 30 An important point should be made here Lets say we have a leader with two followers If the leader decides to GO into a l
18. dventures there are 3 solutions to every problem Either nothing happens you die or you solve the problem Nothing could be further from the truth in our Page 14 Page 15 Simulated Environment Systems world Ours is a simulation not a crossword puzzle Many solutions exist if a little thought is given You will never hear You can t do that in our game We follow the policy that you know what you are doing and you will have to live with the consequences of your actions You are not meant to get by every room and defeat every creature Some things are meant to be tougher than you You ll have to decide on your own whether you are strong enough to face something or need to avoid it This game is not meant for a one time only playing Since the dungeon reacts to what you do in addition to what happens internally different things may happen depending on what actions you take what friends and enemies you make etc Play it more than once We think you will be pleasantly surprised at the depth involved Kenneth M Updike Scott D Schmitz Rajiv K Aggarwal Quaterstaff User Manual Appendix A Some Verbs Below is a short list of some common verbs you may use ATTACK BREAK BRIBE BURN DRAG DRINK DROP EAT EXTINGUISH GIVE GO HOLD INVENTORY JOIN LIGHT LISTEN LOOK MIMIC PASS READ REPEAT SLEEP SMELL SPLIT STEAL STOW SUICIDE TAKE THROW WAKE Appendix B Some Nouns Below is a short list of some common nouns you may use NORTH SOUTH
19. e of doom with my newfound wealth A sixth sense told me that this would be a mistake Taking up the closest object at hand I examined it it looked valuable but to my practiced eye I could detect that it was just tin The gold was only plating and the jewels were cheap coloured glass Quickly scanning the other treasures within the chamber confirmed my suspicion These treasures were worthless I knew that something valuable was within this chamber for the recently expired lizard guards gave a valiant fight and it was not the way of the lizard demons to go to such lengths to protect a worthless treasure I knocked upon the walls looking for a secret door but to no avail In my attempt I noticed a section of floor that seemed to waver in the torchlight The vague form of a chest distinguished I had heard of objects which would bend the light around them thus making them impervious to the casual looker This must be such an object Opening the chest I discovered the real treasure of the lizard kings The infamous scepter of fire was there as well as the helm of forward seeing My heart beating like an iguana I quickly scooped up the treasure from the invisible chest and left the premises before detection would have made my departure less than expedient Adventures of the Rambling Ranger By Drake the Dragonkiller LOOKING FOR AUTHORS We are always looking for authors to create our next masterpiece If you have any ideas for an adventure game please
20. enu will be titled with the players name TITUS would mean Titus is the current player Under the player menu is a list of all objects Titus is carrying An item with a check mark next to it means he is holding it An object with a diamond next to it means that he is wearing the item If you want to drop an object simply select the item from the menu If you wish to do other manipulations with or to that item simply type the verb you want and then select the menu item Location Menu This menu is very much like the Player Menu with the exception that the title of this menu is the current location of the player This location can be either a room name or an object name This menu lists objects and creatures that are in this location Bold items are creatures perhaps players or monsters non bold items are objects Selection Page 10 Simulated Environment Systems 1461150 Time 53 Weight Allowance 170 Bulk Allowance 216 Weight 225 Bulk 256 Score 456 Followers BRUNO EOLENE Proficencies sharp 31 cold 30 electrical 30 poison 30 Hungry Thirsty E 2 mc Page 11 of an item from this menu will have that item typed to the players window If the menu item is selected and the player has not yet typed anything that item will be taken from the room and added to the players inventory Vital Statistics Menu This menu is important because it contains information about the state of your player The
21. ers guild something we pride ourselves on You who have lived to graduate are the best if you weren t you would be among the lower half of the class may they rest in peace OR that reminds me I would especially like to thank A G Emo for setting up that wonderful senior class field trip to the Thieves College last week Congratulations to you all Appendix E Invisibility There exist objects which cannot easily be seen with the unaided eye These objects are called invisible There are also objects which can aid the intrepid adventurer in locating and seeing these heretofore unknown objects The concept of invisibility has to do with the majical refraction of light around objects Invisibility like all forms of expression is imperfect A cautious and perfidious person can detect the presence of invisible persons or objects Invisible objects leave the air and light around themselves looking wavy and bent much like the heat of a desert makes the air seem to bend and twist the light This is what gives away an invisible object In my journey to Stardock I encountered all means of invisible creatures and objects Waves in the Desert By Gray Mouser Page 20 Page 21 Simulated Environment Systems While within the lair of the lizard demons of Koolendash I entered an enormous chamber filled with all manner of gold platinum and other valuable items My first reaction was to quickly pick up all that I could carry and leave this plac
22. his will cause your adventurer to do exactly what she he did last round This is convenient when for example you are ATTACKing THE GELATINOUS CUBE for several consecutive rounds Advanced Note Many times you will wish to do what your leader is doing This can be easily accomplished by using the MIMIC command Page 4 E 2 mc E me Page 5 Simulated Environment Systems Thus if a leader types ATTACK GELATINOUS CUBE the followers may follow suit by typing MIMIC This command must be used carefully as the leader may request a move which cannot be mimicked e g the leader may wish to ATTACK GELATINOUS CUBE WITH BROADSWORD where only he she has a broadsword Advanced Note The reference IT will work with the noun used in the players last turn An example might be GET GOLD RING WEAR IT This sequence of events would cause the player to pick up the gold ring the first round and place it on his finger the next round Advanced Note Don t you hate it when you misspell a word No problem just use the OOPS command Lets say you typed the following UNLOCK CHIST WITH THE SILVER KEY In this case Quarterstaff would reply that the noun CHIST is unknown Instead of retyping the entire sentence you can type OOPS CHEST This will tell Quarterstaff that you meant to say UNLOCK CHEST WITH THE SILVER KEY GENERAL DISCUSSION OF DEFAULTS Often times it becomes tedious to type in complete moves such as ATTACK GREEN MONSTER WITH THE
23. ile the world of Threa is wholly ruled by majic The world where your adventure takes place is Threa In this world gunpowder has never been invented and even if the proper ingredients were mixed they would have no effect until certain majical words were invoked over a caldron in the darkest moonless night at the strike of midnight There are rules which govern majic they are different from those that rule science Science is based upon logic and deduction If an experiment retrieves certain results on Monday it would be expected to give the same results on Tuesday or any other day of the week The world of majic is based upon the rules of symbolic logic The proper twist of irony in words spoken the use of objects which by themselves mean nothing but symbolically have great import these are the tools of trade for majic Another thing you must keep in mind majic is governed by certain limitations Majic can be neither created nor destroyed it can only change form There is a certain amount of majic out there and it can be harnessed for ones use but after use the majic does not disappear but changes form For example say you have an uncle who knew a friend who lived on the world of Threa Lets also say for the point of argument that your uncles friend saw someone find a majical healing potion Perhaps we knew that the great wizard Grwhs had created this vial many years ago If perchance your uncles friend or a friend of his or any other person for
24. is means that no player will know the result of another players action without first deciding what his own move will be After all moves for the round have been entered Quarterstaff will decide each players fate After all if two members of a group decide to jump into a vat of acid they both should be disintegrated not just the first one The same is true of creatures in the game Their moves are requested at the same time as yours so no one has the unfair advantage of knowing in advance the others actions It wouldn t be fair if you decided to attack a monster and the monster knew this in advance and thus raised a shield to protect himself TALKING TO QUARTERSTAFF The ability to communicate your desires effectively to a computer depends on the software being used and to what extent the programmer of the software went to understanding your input We at Simulated Environment Systems have studied this issue and have devised a system for communicating with Quarterstaff that will allow you the player a high level of flexibility and versatility Quarterstaff can understand sentences that Quaterstaff User Manual E mc E mc E mc E mc E mc fall into three categories 1 A Verb 2 A Verb followed by a Noun and 3 A Verb followed by a Noun modified by a Second Noun Prepositions may be used in these sentences anywhere that is appropriate in order to enhance and clarify your wishes Appendix C contains a list of prepositions tha
25. s sleep MENUS Quarterstaff menus function much like menus in other applications but have been enhanced to not only simplify your commands but also to convey a great deal of information The following is a full description of the Quarterstaff menus Apple Menu This menu contains the About Quarterstaff selection and allows access to desk accessories File menu This menu contains a list of all windows available to you A checked item designates a window that is visible A dimmed item means the item is not available at this time Bold items are creature windows This menu also contains options for saving the game printing and quitting The print menu option will print the window on top The ability to print the map can be valuable if you have a printer It will allow you to plan strategies as well as decide where secret doors might be Macro menu This menu contains many special features used to enhance game play These are described below There are times when you will want to repeat the same command many times There is an express feature which allows you to define a macro which can be accessed through a control key sequence which will play your macro back The following is how to do this Make sure the menu item DO MACRO EDIT MACRO in the Macro menu has EDIT MACRO selected Next select any one of the nine menu items numbered 1 9 in the Macro menu A dialog box will appear Type the command you want speeded up If you want a Return a
26. sually takes the form of ATTACK DRAGON WITH BROADSWORD Throwing objects involves attacks where an object is thrown at the opponent where you and the opponent are in the same location The thrown object will be the object in hand unless you say otherwise An example might be THROW ROCK AT DRAGON Page 7 Quaterstaff User Manual The final form of combat is Missile Fire This form of combat involves attack across room boundaries It is possible to throw or shoot objects from one room to another and do damage to a creature in the other room For example if you are to the south of a room containing a DRAGON you may type SHOOT ARROW AT DRAGON MANIPULATION OF OBJECTS Some objects have a door leading into them An object may have an opening that is closed or even locked Other objects may be worn WEAR OLD LEATHER SHIELD or even thrown HOLD and STOW will place an object in your hand and put the specified object in your backpack respectively All in all if you wish to do something with an object try it Many of the combat rules for attacking a creature also apply to objects In the same way that you can attack a creature you can attack an object In many cases this is useful for breaking open an object that is locked and for which you do not have the key A note here breaking and entering is not encouraged SUSTENANCE We all need food to survive A man without sleep will go crazy A man can die of thirst These are true statements
27. t Quarterstaff understands Below are a few examples to illustrate the above constructs 1 The most common example of a single verb is LOOK LOOK will give you a description of your current location whether it be a room or object 2 The next construct is a verb followed by a noun You may use this type of sentence when saying GET LANTERN or ATTACK GREEN SLIME Remember that you may also include prepostions and therefore may request such things as LOOK AT GREEN SLIME 3 The third and most powerful sentence type is a verb followed by a noun modified by a second noun A sentence of this type will always contain a prepostion between the first and second noun An example may be GIVE THE ROCK TO GEORGE An inappropriate use of this structure would be GIVE GEORGE THE ROCK Advanced Note Several shortcuts have been incorporated into the Quarterstaff system in order to make game play easier and more enjoyable They are detailed below Advanced Note Articles may be used in sentences in order to clarify their meaning For example Quarterstaff will understand LOOK AT THE GREEN SLIME or ATTACK THE DRAGON WITH THE TOOTHPICK Advanced Note The movement commands such as GO NORTH can be abbreviated to just NORTH If your keyboard has arrow keys they will issue the corresponding movement command when pressed i e the up arrow will issue a GO NORTH Advanced Note If you wish to repeat the action you took last turn simply type REPEAT T
28. t the end type a as the last character Select OK or simply press Return To execute the macro you have created toggle the DO MACRO EDIT MACRO menu choice to DO MACRO Now select the same menu item you previously selected Whatever you select will be appended to the current players move This feature can be used alone to initiate commands such as GET SMALL TORCH if you think you will be getting the SMALL TORCH quite a lot Next is the CHANGE FONT item Selecting this item will cause text to be shown in a different font Two fonts are currently supported Quaterstaff User Manual Brief Inventory l Listen Look Around L Mimic LM Pass LP Repeat WR Roster Sleep Smell Split Stow Suicide Verbose Attack WA Break Bribe Close Listen Lock Open Unlock TITUS T masten KEY MATCH o w aiw6 QQ PRETZEL SLEEP POTION y A SMALL TORCH HUE ENIK BRUNG E INSCRIPTION EGLENE SKELETAL REMAINS The next item is COLD MAP HOT MAP This item toggles the directional map input feature When this menu shows as HOT MAP you can use the map window to issue movement commands Movement using the map window is described in the map section The next item MANUAL SAVE SMART SAVE deals with saving your current game If this item shows as SMART SAVE your game will automatically be saved every 25 rounds In MANUAL SAVE mode it is up to you to save the game at any point in time Next is
29. that matter drank that vial he would be instantly healed the majic which had been stored in the bottle would then be released and since the wizard Grwhs had created that vial the majic would then go into a pool of such majic that Grwhs could then use Of course it goes without saying that if the wizard Grwhs was running short of majic he could not simply take the majic out of the Vial Majic which has been imported to solid form can only be returned to its master through its use Grwhs must break the majic potion in order for its power to return to him Page 18 Page 19 Simulated Environment Systems This majical energy has a name It s called Mana Mana is everywhere like the air A majician gains power through his ability to have Mana identify with him and follow him around through the cosmic ether He can then call upon this Mana and like the boomerangs of Koolendash after the Mana has been used it will return to its owner veg y By Copper Davidfield The great wizard Makul who claimed to be an expert in matters of sorcery compiled a Tome entitled My Life A Wizards Lot This tome has survived only partially the great Golem wars but what does exist is reproduced here for the edification of our readers I remember the time when the black priestess Daaman had imprisoned my person in the tower of Ferdit It was her intent to weaken me and then take from me the secrets I had risked my life so many times to gain My life force
30. the NO CR ITEM MENUS CR ITEM MENUS This menu item deals with selection from the two menus PLAYER and LOCATION These menus contain items which may be selected and that will add to your typed input If you wish to have a Return added after a selection of this sort then select CR ITEM MENUS The next item controls the sound If you wish to have sound while playing the game then have SOUND showing in the menu The rest of this menu contains the current macro definitions Verb menu This menu contains some of the available verbs the most commonly used ones at the top the rest toward the bottom Some of the more commonly used verbs have control key equivalents for ease of use Selection of these items will add that item to your typed input The items at the top will add a Return those below the dotted line will not Doors Menu This menu contains verbs commonly used in dealing with doors This menu also displays the state of the doors in the room in which you are located There are 6 possible directions in which a door can be located North South East West Up or Down The attached icons should be self explanatory They explain the door state in the direction indicated If the door state is not given it is assumed to be a wall or a secret door Selection of the verbs in this menu will issue that item without a Return Selection of doors will add the direction corresponding to that door to your typed input along with a Return Player Menu This m
31. tions of this software are copyrighted by Invention Software Inc The Finder and System are copyrighted programs of Apple Computer Inc licensed to Simulated Environment Systems for use only in combination with Quarterstaff Apple software shall not be copied onto another diskette except for archive purposes or into memory unless as part of the execution of Quarterstaff When Quaterstaff has completed execution Apple software shall not be used for any other program APPLE COMPUTER INC MAKES NO WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REGARDING THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE PACKAGE ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME STATES THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS THERE MAY BE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH YOU MAY HAVE WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE Macintosh is a trademark of McIntosh Laboratories Inc licensed to Apple Computer Inc and is used with the express permission of its owner This manual was written designed and created by Rajiv Aggarwal TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD GROUPS ORDER OF MOVES TALKING TO QUARTERSTAFF GENERAL DISCUSSION OF DEFAULTS ENCUMBERANCE DISTANCE IN A ROOM DUNGEON ARCHITECTURE COMBAT MANIPULATION OF OBJECTS SUSTENANCE MENUS THE MAP PLAYING SUGGESTIONS QUARTERSTAFF NOTHING LIKE IT APPENDIX A SOME VERBS APPENDIX B SOME NOUNS APPENDIX C AL
32. tures or objects through them Doors are just portals that have a way of being closed Some doors may be locked or unlocked Secret doors are passageways to other locations They may sometimes be found by KNOCKing where you suspect a passageway exists Secret doors need to be triggered open e g PULL WALL SCONCE might reveal a secret passageway Pits are similar to secret doors in the way they are discovered and triggered COMBAT Quarterstaff will allow you to attack any creature with just about any object you can pick up These objects are broken down into a variety of categories depending on the type of damage they will do a few being blunt sharp and heat For example a BROADSWORD will do sharp damage while a burning TORCH will do heat damage Each time you succeed in an attack and do damage in one of these areas your proficiency in that area will increase This means that the next time you use that weapon you will have a better chance of hitting with it Attacking with objects you are not holding will cause the object you are currently holding to be dropped so that you may arm yourself with the specified object The world of Quarterstaff understands three form of combat Melee Throwing Objects and Missile Fire These forms of combat differ in the way they are used and the amount of danger they put you in Melee consists of hand to hand combat This form of combat involves attacking with the hand foot or an object in your hand This u
33. ulated using probabilities based on the characteristics of you the player objects you touch and hold and the current condition of the environment around you Monsters do not roam randomly around but instead are driven by real life desires and wishes such as hunger thirst sleep anger friendship etc These same monsters learn as the game progresses through an AI Rule Based system For example monsters can react to you in both positive and negative ways A possible scenario A monster is present that is not initially inclined to attack yet his attitude may change if provoked You might find that the monster will help you if you help him Maybe by giving him food or something he is looking for In any case remember this is an adventure game like no other you ve tried before and thus feel free to try things you wouldn t dare try in other games Warning Simulated Environment Systems is not responsible for any effects mental or physical which may result from playing this game The degree of realism may be too graphic for some players This could cause players to lose their ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality Page 1 Quaterstaff User Manual GROUPS Quarterstaff s multiple player capability adds a new dimension to heretofore single player adventure games Groups are one of the most powerful features this game offers In order to fully understand groups the distinction between leaders and followers must be made clear Lea
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