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A S P E T R A
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(C) 1996 by Zonarware
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Basic Role-Playing Concepts
2.1 The Story
2.2 Your Character
3.0 How to Play
3.1 Basic Controls
3.2 Towns
3.2.1 Townspeople
3.2.2 Weapon Shops
3.2.3 Item Shops
3.2.4 Inns
3.3 The Wilderness
3.4 Dungeons
3.5 The Main Menu
3.5.1 Stats
3.5.2 Items
3.5.3 Magic
3.5.4 Equip
3.5.5 Load
3.5.6 Save
3.5.7 Volume
3.5.8 Quit
3.6 Combat
1.0 Introduction
Welcome to the world of Aspetra. This is a full-fleged,
animated role-playing game. It was designed to bring you hours
and hours of exciting adventure, while telling an epic story.
We hope you have as much fun playing this game as we did creating it.
2.0 Basic Role-Playing Concepts
2.1 The Story
Here at Zonarware, we believe that the most important
element of an RPG is its storyline. There are scores of
computer RPGs out there, but most are simply hack-and-slash
dungeon games. Aspetra has its share of hacking and slashing
as well, but the core of the game is an epic story that we
wanted to tell.
2.2 Your Character
The center of the game is your character. You see the world
through his eyes, and direct him to do what you want to do and
go where you want to go.
Your character begins the game as a wimp. Through combat with
monsters, you gradually gain experience. At certain points of
experience, your overall level of development goes up. This is
called "gaining a level". When you gain a level, you become stronger
offensively and defensively.
Your character's abilities are represented by numbers called stats.
Stats measure your strength, your defense against weapons and magic,
your Level, your experience--anything you need to know.
Your character is also capable of eventually learning magic
spells. Spells generally either destroy your enemies, or help
your character.
3.0 How to Play
3.1 Basic Controls
Aspetra was designed to be played with very few keys.
Arrow Keys: Move your character, and move cursors.
Spacebar: Makes things happen. Select a menu option,
talk to people, open doors, pick up an object,
advance conversations, etc.
ESC Key: Opens up the main menu, backs out of menus,
cancels operations.
Enter Key: Same as Spacebar.
And that's all!
3.2 Towns
Towns are the center of a lot of game activities.
3.2.1 Townspeople
Townspeople walk around, going about their business.
You can talk to townspeople by facing them and pressing
the spacebar. They have usefull information to give.
3.2.2 Weapon Shops
Every town has a weapon shop. This is where you buy
weapons and armor. Walk into the shop, go to the counter,
and press the spacebar. A menu will pop up:
Buy
Sell
Goodbye
Select "Buy" to bring up a list of the shop's inventory.
From this list, select the item you wish to buy.
An information box will pop up telling you how many
of that item you already own, whether you already
have it equipped, whether you should buy it, and how
many you wish to buy. The left and right arrow keys
change the "How Many" by one. The up and down arrows
change the "How Many" by ten. When you are ready to
make the transaction, press Enter or the Spacebar.
Select "Sell" to bring up your own inventory. Select
the item you wish to sell. An information box will
pop up asking how many you wish to sell. Again, use
the arrow keys to change this. When you are ready to
sell, press Enter or the Spacebar.
3.2.3 Item Shops
Item shops sell useful items that you will need on your
journey. The menus work the same way as they do in the
weapon shops. Here is a list of items and their effects:
Trial Size Heal: Restores 3 HP (Hit Points)
Light Heal: Restores 50 HP
Strong Heal: Restores 250 HP
Mega Heal: Restores 500 HP
Replenish: Restores All HP
Antidote: Cures Poison
Root: Restores 25 MP (Magic Points)
Red Flower: Restores 100 MP
Hyper Potion: Restores All HP and MP
3.2.4 Inns
Inns are where you rest when you want to recover completely.
Staying at an inn restores all your HP and MP.
Simply walk up to the counter and press Spacebar.
3.3 The Wilderness
The wilderness is the areas between towns and dungeons.
They are dangerous places, filled with monsters. A lot of
combat takes place in the wilderness.
3.4 Dungeons
Dungeons come in all shapes and sizes. This term includes
Caves, Mines, Catacombs, Forts, and even Castles. Dungeons
are usually the site of a quest. They are full of treasure
and monsters.
3.5 The Main Menu
Press the ESC Key while you have control of your character.
This will bring up a menu with the following choices:
3.5.1 Stats
This brings up a box showing your various abilities.
3.5.2 Items
This brings up your inventory. Select which item you
wish to use, then press Enter or Spacebar.
3.5.3 Magic
This brings up your book of spells. Select which spell
you wish to use, then press Enter or Spacebar. Note
that usually, the only spells that are of any use in this
menu are healing spells.
3.5.4 Equip
This brings up a list of the weapons and armor currently
equipped on your body. Select which article you wish
to change, and press Space or Enter. This brings up your
inventory. Select the article you wish to equip, then press
Enter or Space. Remember that weapons and armor have no
effect unless they are equipped on you.
3.5.5 Load
This brings up the savegame menu. You can save up to three
separate games. Select the slot you wish to load. Also
You may select the a: drive as a source for savegames.
CAUTION: do not select "a:" unless you have a disk in the
drive that holds savegames.
3.5.6 Save
This brings up the savegame menu. Select the slot you wish
to save into.
3.5.7 Volume
This controls the volume of the music.
3.5.8 Quit
This Ends the game.
3.6 Combat
As you walk around the wilderness or the dungeons, you will
periodically be attacked by monsters. As soon as you are
attacked, you will be swept into the combat screen.
Combat works this way:
You have a bar that fills up when you are ready to attack.
When you are ready to attack, a menu will pop up.
FIGHT
ITEM
(MAGIC) <**-- If you know any.
RUN
Select FIGHT to attack with a weapon. A sword will appear
above your enemies. Move the sword to select which enemy
you wish to attack.
Select ITEM to bring up your inventory. Select which item
you wish to use (usually a healing item.)
If you know MAGIC, you may select this. A list of your
spells will pop up. Select which spell you wish to cast.
A ball of energy will appear above your enemies. Select
which enemy you wish to attack. Some spells can attack all
your enemies at once. To select ALL enemies, press the
DOWN arrow key when the ball of light appears.
If you wish to escape combat for any reason, select run.
You may also run simply by pressing the ESC Key. Remember
that there are some fights that are mandatory. You may not
escape from these fights.
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