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The Project 64 etext of the ~Archon II manual~, Typed up by Jeff
Lodoen <jlodoen@mega.megamed.com>, Retrieved from Morbid Guy's Atari
8-bit Manual Archive http://www.best.com/~morbid/manuals/archonii.txt

ARCHO210.TXT, September 1997, etext #297#

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ARCHON II: ADEPT

THE MANUAL

Long, long had the Master of Order struggled with the Mistress of
Chaos.  Ancient as time, changeless as death was their conflict --
waged in mundane realms by magically potent Adepts. No more. The old,
secure wellsprings of magical energy are failing. To control the new
sources, the Adepts are bringing forth new armies of reluctant Demons
and Elementals long unsummoned. Change is at hand and the battle would
find an end.

This is that battle. The ending is yours.



MANUAL WRITTEN BY JON FREEMAN.

MANUAL DESIGNED BY WILLIAM GIN.

SOFTWARE (C) 1984 FREE FALL ASSOCIATES.

ARCHON II: ADEPT

AN OVERVIEW

THE TWO SCREENS

The game is played on two screens. On one -- the main screen -- you
and your opponent (human or computer) take turns maneuvering your
pieces (called icons) into favorable positions.

When you move to a space already occupied by one of your opponent's
icon, the game shifts to the second display, the battleground. There
you must fight a fast-action battle to determine which icon will
return to the board in possession of the disputed position.

THE MOVES

You begin the game with 4 Adepts on a side. On each turn you may use
whatever magical energy you have left to: 1) move an Adept or 2) use
an Adept to cast a spell (including Summon which lets you bring new
icons into the game) or 3) move an icon conjured up (with a Summon
spell) on a previous turn.

WINNING

You win if you occupy all six power points at once or if you triumph
in the Apocalypse (evocable with a special spell). You also win if
your opponent runs out of magical energy or icons.

THE BOARD

The main board is composed of four bands representing the classical
elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire. Additionally there are four
squares which are not part of any band. Two are black, neutral squares
representing the Void. The others are citadels, the home squares of
Order and Chaos. While the Void squares can be occupied by icons just
like any position in the four bands, the citadels remain empty
throughout the game.

There are 6 flashing power points. Two are the Void squares. The other
4 move from turn to turn through the outermost corners of each of the
four elements.  Occupation of the 6 power points is the major goal of
the game.

MOVEMENT

If the hollow square (or "frame") is on your side, it's your turn. Use
your joystick to move the frame atop the icon you want, and push the
button.  Next, use the joystick to move the icon (or the frame, in the
case of the Adepts) to your intended destination and press the button
again. (If you accidentally press the button over an icon you don't
want to move, press the button again without moving your stick to
cancel the selection and start over. Once you've moved an icon at all,
you cannot cancel your selection. NOTE: The rule for cancelling an
Adept move is different. See Magic Spells below.)

Elementals and Demons (conjured up with the Summon spell) slide freely
along the element they are on. You may slide them as far as you like
with two restrictions: they cannot pass another icon and they cannot
end their move atop a "friendly" icon. Alternately, you may jump them
from one element to an adjacent one on a turn. No icon may slide and
jump on the same turn.

Adepts can teleport anywhere on the board, but it costs them a bit of
magical energy to teleport from one element to another.

MAGIC SPELLS

Instead of a move, on any turn an Adept can cast any spell it has
enough energy for. Simply select the Adept with the frame, press the
button, and then press the button again. Instead of canceling your
Adept's move, this action produces the message "SELECT YOUR SPELL".

Move the joystick forward and backward to produce the different
choices described on the next page. Press the button to select the one
you want. If you change your mind and decide you would rather return
move the Adept (or another icon) instead, select "CANCEL SPELL". To
cancel a spell after you've already selected it with a button push,
move the frame over your citadel and press the button again.

Magic lies at the heart of the action -- and so does the fact that it
costs. The amount of magical energy you have (shown by a vertical bar
next to the board when it's your turn) varies throughout the game. You
gain energy from each power point you occupy and -- for the first few
turns only -- from your home citadel.

Moving icons is mostly free, but it takes magical energy to maintain
each Demon and Elemental on your side and substantial amounts to cast
spells. The cost of different actions is shown by the mark which
appears next to the energy bar as you explore your options. You will
not be allowed to take actions you do not have enough energy for.

The effects of spells are limited to the elements the conjuring Adept
is on.  Adepts cannot cast spells from a Void square and Adepts are
immune to all spells except Heal.

THE SPELL LIST

SUMMON -- This is far and away the spell you will use most often. When
you select it you may choose among 4 Elementals and 4 Demons by moving
the frame from monster to monster. The cost in energy goes up as you
move up the column of choices.

Remember, Adept magic only within the element of the conjuring Adept.
An Adept in Fire cannot, for instance, summon an icon to the band of
Earth.

You may summon an icon and direcly attack an opposing icon, but it
takes extra magical energy to do so. Adepts are immune from such
attacks. For them, you must use icons already on the board.

HEAL -- This spell cures half of an icon's wounds and all paralysis.

WEAKEN -- Use this to cut an enemy icon's current lifespan in half.

IMPRISON -- Cast this spell and the imprisoned icon cannot be moved.
The cost in of maintaining imprisoned icons falls on the imprisoner
and not the original conjurer.

RELEASE -- Use this when you can no longer afford to keep an icon
imprisoned -- or no longer need to.

BANISH -- Very expensive to cast. On the other hand, an icon you can't
defeat can be very expensive to try and live with. And occupied power
points on elements without Adepts make very tempting targets.

APOCALYPSE -- This spell begins a battle that ends the game. In that
apocalyptic battle, your icon's lifespan, missile power, and missile
speed depend on your magical energy, icons remaining, and Adepts left,
respectively. Use to put a hopelessly overwhelmed enemy out of his or
her misery or as an act of suicidal desperation.

COMBAT TIPS

ATTACK METHODS -- On the battleground, icons hurl, hammer, flame,
sing, fling, stare and otherwise harass the enemy in whatever
direction you move the joystick while simultaneously pressing the
button. (See the hints under Attack Styles below for some exceptions
and variations.) The lifelines at either end of the arena indicate the
current lifespan (health/strength) of the two battling icons.  When an
icon is wounded, its matching lifeline is reduced. When its lifeline
is gone, the icon is dead, the battle over. IMPORTANT: Except for the
Juggernaut and the Wraith, you cannot move icons while pressing the
joystick button.

THE ATTACK INTERVAL -- Combat is fast but you can't just fire away a
rapidly as your finger twitches. It takes a moment after all to
conjure a whirlwind or generate a tidal wave. At the exact moment your
joystick button can launch another attack, the computer rings a bell
-- a high note for Order, a lower one for Chaos.

ATTACK STYLES -- Each icon is most effective when it is used in
friendly -- or at least neutral -- elements and when its special
strengths and weaknesses are understood and exploited. You will mostly
learn what you need to know painfully, on the battleground. The hints
below are intended only to help you begin thinking about how to use
the 6 icons which have the most unusual attack styles.

1. Adept missiles can be steered as long as you hold the button down.
Of course, Adepts cannot move as long as the button is down. Nothing
comes free.

2. The Gorgon does not wound; it paralyzes. After every hit from a
Gorgon's eye beams, an icon moves more slowly. When it can no longer
move, it dies.

3. Wraiths are not nice. They are invisible except when they're trying
to hurt you (and to "reload"). They can move even while they attack.
Their circular attack aura steals the life force from all caught in
it. Wraiths can leave battles stronger than they entered them. They
can be devastating in the hands of the skillful

4. When the Firebird explodes it cannot be hurt nor can it move. But
unlike Archon's Phoenix, you can end the explosion early by releasing
the button.

5. Sirens don't have to aim. Press the button and they start singing
and their opponents start dying. If you're attacked by one, don't
waste time wondering what to do or the problem will solved for you.

6. Juggernauts are in effect their own missiles. In "missile" mode,
they only travel in straight lines and they are invulnerable -- except
to the song of the Siren.


"ADEPT" MAGICAL ENERGY

(These numbers represent relative bar graph lengths)

Normal Starting Energy			56
Income: Corner				9
        Void				4

Costs

Summon Elemental                        12 - 16
Summon Demon				16 - 24
Maintain Elemental			2
Maintain Demon				4

Heal/Weaken/Imprison Elemental          7 -  8
Heal/Weaken/Imprison Demon		8 - 12
Banish Elemental                        24 - 28
Banish Demon				32 - 44
Apocalypse                              36 - 72


BATTLEGROUND

EFFECT OF CONTACT WITH BARRIER

ELEMENT         MISSILES        ICONS
Earth		Destroyed	Stopped
Water           Slowed          Slowed
Air		Deflected	Slowed
Fire		No effect	Wounded

ELECTRONIC ARTS(R)
2755 Campus Drive  San Mateo, CA 94403 (415) 571-7171


COMMAND SUMMARY

XL owners, please hold down the Option key while booting until the
Electronic Arts logo appears.

To Select Number of Players and Who Moves First -- Use Select and
Option to produce choices. Press Start when you're ready to play. Or
wait awhile and the computer will begin playing a game against itself.
Note: Since the player who moves first has an advantage, the player
who moves second receives additional magical energy to keep play
evenly balanced.

To Choose Levels for Each Player -- Before pressing Start to begin a
game, press the space bar to produce handicapping options, then use
the Option key to pick a level for Chaos and Select to pick one for
Order. Press the space bar again to return to the player/move choices.

Beginners start with more magical energy. Advanced players start with
less.

Further the lower a player's rank compared to his or her opponent's,
the slower the opponent's icons will move, the slower their missiles
will travel and the longer it takes them to attack.

How to Move Icons on the Board -- Use a joystick in port 1 to control
the Chaos icons and one in port 2 to control Order icons.

When it's your turn the selection frame will appear on your side of
the board.  Use the joystick to place it over the icon you want to
move and press the button. Next, use the stick to move the icon (or
the frame again in the case of the Adepts) to the desired location and
press the button again.

If you change your mind, press the button again before you move the
icon.  For additional information about board movement rules, see page
3 of the manual.

How to Move and Fight on the Battleground -- When you move into a
space occupied by an opposing icon, you must fight for the disputed
territory. Use your joystick to move your piece. To fire, move the
stick in the direction you want to aim and press the fire button at
the same time. See the combat tips on page 5 of the manual for more
information.

How to Cast Spells -- Place the frame over an Adept and press the
button, then press it again. Move the joystick forward and backwards
to scroll through the list of spells. Press the button when you see
the spell you want.

If you change your mind, choose Cease Conjuring. If you change it in
mid-spell, move the frame over your citadel and press the button.

Casting spells costs magic energy. Occupying power points increases
your energy.  The amount of energy you have is shown by the bar that
appears next to the board when it's your turn to move. See the back of
the manual for a chart showing the relative costs and income amounts
of each action. See pages 3 and 4 for more information about spells.

Note: If you lose all your Adepts, the Apocalypse spell is
automatically invoked.

To Start Over in the Middle of the Game -- Press Select or Option to
return to the setup choices or Start to restart with the same setup.

To Pause a Game in Progress -- press the space bar.

Music (Theme from Adept) c 1984 by T.V. Dunbar.



IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. Against the computer, your Wraiths will be visible. (Since the
computer actually "knows" where they are, it seems only fair that you
know as well.)

2. To give a beginner the best possible chance against a skilled
player (computer or human), follow the instructions on first page of
the Command Summary card to choose the Beginner level for the least
skilled player and the Advanced level for the most skilled one.

3. The Command Summary card instructions referring to XL owners apply
only to owners of Atari computers.

ELECTRONIC ARTS (R)

105406

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End Project 64 etext Archon II manual.

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