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The Project 64 etext of the ~Guidebook to Alternate Reality, The
City~, converted to etext by Russell Reed <rreed@efo.int>.

ALTREA10.TXT, November 1997, etext #325#

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Guidebook to
Alternate Reality
The City

Written by
Kathi B. Tremblay

ALTERNATE REALITY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK
OF PARADISE PROGRAMMING, INC.
(C) 1985, 1986 INTELLICREATIONS, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN USA


Welcome to The City of Xebec's Demise.  Read this Guidebook before
entering.  It gives you important information for survival.  The
separate Reference Card gives speicific instructions for using your
computer to enter Alternate Reality.

A map of The City is included in your package.  The Floating Gate, in
the centre of the map, is surrounded by Granite Bank, Best Bargain
Store, Best Armorers, and Tail of the Dog Tavern.  Use this base to
explore the rest of The City.

There are many establishments in The City.  This list will help you in
your travels.  Inns: 7; Taverns: 14; Banks: 3; Shops: 15; Smithies: 4;
Healers: 2; Guilds: 12 (you can't join Guilds, but they're useful in
other ways).

In addition to the game, you need a blank, formatted disk to use as a
Character Disk.  Without a Character Disk, you can't save a game.
Refer to your computer user's guide for instructions on formatting a
disk.  Be sure to format the Character Disk on the drive you'll be
using in the game.

Note:  Never play with a different Disk 2 (Side 2, on the Apple) than
the one you use to create a character.  If you create a character
using your backup of Disk 2, always use the backupp disk when playing
with that character.  If you use the original game Disk 2 when
creating the character, always use the original game Disk 2 to play
with that character.

Please fill out and return the enclosed Datasoft Product Registration
Card.  This automatically enrolls you in our Alternate Reality Players'
Club.

If your disks are accidentally damaged or destroyed, you can get backup
coppies for $15.  Send the damaged disk, proof of purchase (box or
receipt), and a check or money order to:

DATASOFT CUSTOMER SERVICE
Dept. B
19808 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311-9969


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 opoening.  Overhead is a
panel with constantly changing numbers.  As you go through the door,
the numbers freeze.  This sets your levels of Stamina, Charm, Strength,
Intelligence, Wisdom, Skill, Wealth, and Hit Points.  The higher these
Stats, the better your chances are in The City.  You decide whether
you're Good or Evil.

During the first few days, you're extremely vulnerable to foul play.
The safest area of The City is near the Floating Gate.  Of course,
safety isn't your only consideration; there are benefits to discover in
the more dangerous locales.  But keep a low profile until you're
familiar with The City.  And avoid Encounters with life forms that are
obviously superior (don't tease a Wizard, for example!).

Have enough sense to come in out of the rain!  Bad characters like
bad weather.  It's also dangerous to be out at night.  Find an Inn and
check in before sundown.  A good night's sleep does wonders for your
Stamina and restores Hit Points.

Keep an eye on your Stats.  You can become hungry, thirsty, or tired.
Find a Tavern for food and drink, an Inn for rest.  You have a little
money; use it wisely.  A compass, available in most Shops, is a wise
investment.  It's helpful to remember that the inventories in Shops and
Smithies change daily.

The values at the top of the screen help you decide what action to
take.  Increasing these levels is important to achieving your goals.
Good Stamina is useful in surviving hardships.  Charming an opponent,
naturally, requires Charm (charisma).  Strength gives you an advantage
in a fight; Skill helps you avoid blows from an adversary.
Intelligence is crucial for tricking your enemies, Wisdom for making
decisions.  Hit Points are very important:  the more you have, the
harder you are to kill!

You are closely monitored!  Don't think that Stats at the top of the
screen make up the whole.  Many things, including your personality, are
constantly taken into account by the computer.  To achieve your goals,
be yourself!

Secret Passages
There are many Secret Doors an One-Way Walls in The City.  A Secret
Door looks like a wall, but you can walk right through it (accompanied
by a whooshing noise and an odd melody).  One-Way Walls are invisible
on one side.  You can pass through the invisible side, but not the
visible one.

Inns
offer lodging for a price.  They're also Time and Date information
centres.

Taverns
sell food and drink and offer entertainment.  The menus change
hourly.  Often, the songs sung in a Tavern give you important clues.

Alcohol
Taverns serve alcoholic beverages.  Alcohol is also an ingredient in
many Potions.  Drink in moderation.  If you're drunk, movement is
hampered, manipulating screens is difficult, and you may even
experience blackouts.  Find an Inn and sleep it off.

Smithies
As you approach a Smithy, you may hear the Smith hammering away on
his anvil.  New Weapons purchased at a Smithy are never Cursed.  But
prices (and quality) vary greatly; bartering is essential.  When buying
a Weapon, remember that each has unique characteristics.  For example,
a Longsword is a better offensive Weapon than a regular Sword; but the
regular Sword is a better defensive Weapon.


[The City map omitted from etext]


Banks
offer investment plans for your money.  The higher the interest
rates, the greater the risk.  They sometimes offer money for gems and
jewelry.  Banks have regular hours; you can't do business in the middle
of the night!

Shops
offer a variety of wares, usually ornamental.  If you become wealthy,
you may want to deck yourself out according to your station.

Healers

There are Places of Healing in The City.  Like clinics everywhere, a
fee is charged for services.  There are some effects of Disease or
Poison that don't show up right away, so don't wait!  If you're
wounded, ill, or poisoned, see a Healer as soon as possible.

Guilds
Guilds are very particular about accepting new pledges, so don't
expect to be welcomed as a member on your first visit.  However, even a
first visit is rewarded with Character-enhancing knowledge.  And, for a
fee, any Guild will help you get rid of a Cursed Weapon.

Treasure
takes many forms:  Jewelry, Weapons, Armour, Potions, Money, and
other special items.  All treasure, except gold, silver, and copper, is
potentially Magical or Cursed.  Pick something up to discover its
unique properties.  Magical items are valuable; Cursed items can be a
source of great despair.

Gems and Jewelry
are obtained after Encounters or found in Treasure.  Take them to a
Bank for appraisal and sell them.  Appraisals vary from Bank to Bank.

Weapons
are necessary for survival.  Even if you abhor violence, you need a
Weapon for self-defense.  Some creatures in The City will attack you,
no matter how nice you are, and bare hands are rarely useful.

    There are three ways to acquire Weapons:
    1.  Finding them after an Encounter
    2.  Finding them after uncovering a Treasure
    3.  Buying them from a Smithy

Always Examine a Weapon carefully before picking it up.  The more
Intelligent you are, the easier it is for you to tell if it's Magical
or Mundane (normal).  Magical means it has special properties:  it's
very valuable or it's Cursed.  Once you Pick up a Cursed Weapon, you
can't Drop it; you need help to get rid of it.  Pick up any Weapon you
find as a Secondary Weapon.  This way, if it's Cursed, you aren't stuck
with it as a Primary Weapon while you travel to a Guild for help.
Note:  A Shield should always be used as a Secondary Weapon.

If you find a Weapon you want while carrying the maximum load, Drop
one of the Weapons you already have to Pick it up.  A Weapon must be
Ready as either Primay or Secondary Weapon in order to be dropped.
Follow the prompts.

Potions
Some Potions are beneficial in advancing your Character.  When you
find a Potion, decide whether to Keep it, Leave it, or Use it.  Once
you Open a Potion, Examine or Use it right away.  The Potion
deteriorates once the seal on the container is broken.  Examine a
Potion for colour.  To find out more, Sip or Taste it.  Each Sip or
Taste tells you a little more about the Potion.  Many Potions are
unstable and disappear during examination.  To save a Potion for later,
don't Open until you're ready to Use it.

There are four major categories of Potions:

Benign:  Water, Fruit Juice, Milk, Mineral Water

Advantageous:  Invulnerability, Cure, Potions to aid Stats

Disadvantageous:  Strong Alcohol, Potions to Diminish Stats, Weak
Poisons

Dangerous:  Strong Poisons, Acids


Poison
in your system usually causes death.  When poisoned, you sustain
initial Hit Point and neurological 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.

There are four ways you can be poisoned:
1.  Swallowing poisonous Potions
2.  Being clawed by a poisonous creature during an Encounter
3.  Being bitten by a poisonous creature during an Encounter
4.  Being hit by a poisonous tail during an Encounter


Disease,
untreated, causes death.  Contracting a Disease results in Hit Point
and neurological damage in line with the severity of the infection.  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 bacterial spores from Mold and Slime
2.  Being clawed by a diseased creature
3.  Being bitten by a diseased creature


Encounters
with beings in The City are common.  The five categories of
Encounters are lited below in the order most favorable 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.  A life form Notices you first
5.  You are Surprised by a life form

In an Encounter, you are either Engaged or Disengaged.  There are
separate menus for each of these options.


Engaged
means you must battle the life form or try to become Disengaged:

Sneak attack is available when you Surprise a life form.  Since
your opponent is unaware of your presence, you have the advantage.
Lunge is a two-handed blow that can land with great force.  Beware:
If this blow fails, you have virtually no defense against
retaliation.

Attack is the standard fighting maneuver.  You move offensively
while maintaining a decent defense.
Parry is an offensive move offering the highest possible defensive
posture.


Disengaged
lets you deal with your opponent in a less violent manner:

Trick an opponent if you're intelligent.  If a Trick fails, try it
again.  Beware:  You're not prepared for defense if the Trick
fails.

Charm an opponent if your Charm level is high.


Some options are found in either menu:

Ready item if you have something appropriate, like a Weapon.
Use item you have Ready.
Leave to get out of the Encounter.

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'd look pretty silly trying to Charm Mold!


Life Forms
There are many life forms in The City:

The Poor
are humanoids who have no ambition or have met with some
catastrophe that has put them in dire straits.

Commoner
These are individuals with no speical skills or distinctions.

Merchant
You usually see these capitalist types on their way to or from
wheeling-and-dealing.  They work hard to keep The City's economy
healthy.

Couriers
There's no telephone or telegraph, so Couriers are necessary for
delivering messages as well as parcels.

Guard
Most Guards are employed by the nobility.  They're The City's
policemen.

Gladiators
are proven fighters from the Arena Games.

Noblemen
are rich and powerful.  They live in the Palace and are fond of
Games in the Arena.  When out in public, they're attended by their
private Guards.

Dwarf
Short (4 feet tall) and stocky (150 pounds), Dwarves are
interesting characters.  They're resistant to many Potions and Magic
Spells, have excellent night vision, and are terrific close combat
fighters.

Mages, Wizards
and other magical types dwell in The City.  Most are associated
with Guilds or other learning institutions.

Thief
There are many Thieves in The City, each with his own criminal
specialty.

Assassin
Hired killers strike swiftly, without warning.

Imp
Short (2 feet), devilish fire-breathers, Imps have long,
dagger-like, poisonous tails.  Avoid them!

Night Stalker
Legendary creature of the night.  An extremely powerful beast that
no one can be certain doesn't exist.

Others
There are many other creatures, mostly evil, in The City.  You must
be constantly vigilant.


Coming Soon in the Alternate Reality Series from Datasoft!

The Dungeon is a world shrouded in mystery.  This subterranean realm
feeds off your terror and serves it back to you.  Rich treasure and
exciting adventure await you beneath The City.  Are you strong enough
to take the risk?

When The Dungeon is conquered, you're ready for the challenge of The
Arena.  For the first time, you see and control yourself in actual
combat.  If you survive your first contest, you have the privilege of
mingling with the martial arts scholars who live in The Arena.

The Palace brings you to the pinnacle of life in The City.  The
Castle and other upperclass establishments are now open to you.  You
may buy property in The City and have a home to return to at night.
Your social standing continues to grow, your knowledge and strength
increase, until you are ready to travel into the world beyond The City.

The Wilderness takes you beyond the gates of The City and leads to
the mountains that have tantalized you ever since your arrival.  You
travel over hot deserts, through thick forests, perhaps even over
water, untilyou reach the rocky goal.  You cannot climb the mountains,
but there is a way in.

Revelation begins where The Wilderness ends.  The answers to all your
questions about Alternate Reality are now revealed.  You make startling
discoveries and prepare yourself for the final step.

Destiny is the last episode in the adventure.  Here you must make the
ultimate moral decision:  Return to Earth or seek revenge on your
kidnappers.


These Alternate Reality episodes will be available for Atari, Apple
II series, Commodore 64/128, IBM PC/PCjr, Amiga, Atari ST, and
Macintosh computers.

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End of Project 64 etext Guidebook to Alternate Reality, The City.

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