Grand Monster Slam - Manual
THE GRAND MONSTER SLAM
Once upon a time on a beautiful Nes (a monday according to earth standards)
in the year 10365 the goblins packed their bags in order to wage war against
men. They hadn't at this time the slightest idea that they would find their
place in history as the founders of "sport" on the world of GholD. No, our
little friends with their pointed ears had no idea of this, when they formed
their forces of no less then 7000 soldiers, in actual fact, they didn't
have much idea about anything at all. The extent of their ignorance became
fully evident 2 months later after they had tried to conquer the first outpost
of mankind - a desert fortress, an incident later known as "the Great
Embarrassment". In order to understand properly what happened then, we should
mention that goblins are quite skilful in manufacturing mechanical devices,
which, combined with some surprising magical powers, makes them rather gifted
as engineers and technicians. Accordingly, the main force of their military
was a number of monstrous war machines, mainly catapults, which were drawn -
by groaning and swearing pullers - through forests and swamps, and over hills
and mountains, until finally, the desert of OhgruhN was reached, sundering
the realms of men and goblins.
Quickly the big catapults (which unfortunately tended to produce their little
defects now and then) were switched to desert operation. The magazines of
the repeating catapults were filled with stones. Then the goblins marched on,
ready to overcome this last obstacle on their journey. After some days,
the above mentioned desert fortress drew in sight. The goblin hordes set
up their artillery, and then, shouting their terrible war cry "Bash, Beat,
duff them in!", they let go a veritable hailstorm of boulders against the
walls of the surprised fortress. For five minutes, rubble darkened the sky;
then all was totally calm - in the fortress, where people were recovering
from the shock (luckily, nobody had been hurt), and in the goblin ranks,
because the had no more rocks.
Finally, a low giggling noise, then loud laughter resounded from the ramparts
of the fortress, when the inhabitants realised the mistake the goblins had
made. A normal desert is made of sand - and of nothing else. Despite this,
the goblins tried angrily to maintain the siege. When the first experiments
with sand failed to show the desired effect, the marksman filled their
machines with crates, pitchers, spare wheels, and such like, even draft
animals and slaves didn't get around being used in this way, but it didn't
help. The goblins' main weapon had become useless. Eventually the commander
in chief saw no other solution then to go directly against the fortress,
but doing this,his brave army experienced their next fiasco.From the ramparts
of the fortress, they were attacked with the very same stones which the
goblins themselves had used up some hours ago. Doubtless an amazingly clever
idea, produced by the chief of the fortress, one named Ree Sycling. And
indeed, no goblin reached the high battlements. Covered with bruises of
every kind and look, the brave goblin warriors withdrew, but not without
taking their stones with them, which they had just received back so very
unexpectedly, and then...
Three years later. The great desert war between men and goblins neared its
end. Exhaustion had spread itself through the ranks of both sides. Where ever
one looked, one could recognize hints of weakening of the fighting spirit,
yes, even first tender affinities between both sides. For examples: The
goblins had provided the men with the catapult technology, in exchange of
regular water deliveries from the fortress, thus avoiding an awful lot of
running and getting bruises, because the dearly desired shooting stones
could now be obtained more easily. The damage on both sides proved small,
because at an early stage of the conflict regular breaks between shooting
phases had been arranged,
meeting the intrest of both parties. All in all it could have on this way
for many a year, but weariness had descended on men and goblins and all the
material used by both, and so in the year 10368 a peace was signed with an
impressing ceremony. In fact, both sides discovered nice features in the
character of the opposing side, and besides they could learn a lot from
each other again every three years in order to exchange some honourable
catapult shots as part of a big festival.
The next group to join the party were the harflings. Being very curious as
part of their very nature, they soon invited themselves to the regular peace
festival, with every intention of participating in the catapult shooting.
In order to achieve this, they immediately started a war against goblins
and men, through some symbolic cobble stones, and after five minutes they
selflesly asked for peace, for being allowed to the jubilee, and for fare
and draught.
It took no longer than the third jubilee festival to see the participation
of four more peoples, including elves and imps, a fact which presented the
festival board with some veritable problems. At first, four declarations of
war arrived at the same time (luckily followed by four capitulations
immediately after-wards), and secondly, the catapult shooting of now seven
parties against each other lead to unimaginable confusion. The organizers
found an answer to this problem by introducing a slight change in the
festivities: From now on big targets were to be shot at, which was less fun,
but proved to be of an advantage in avoiding the number of bruises.
Thus, the memory-day of "The Great Embarrassment" developed step by step
into a big festival, consuming several days, a festival of peace and
understanding between races. Certainly it would have remained so, if the
powers of evil hadn't got wind of it! During a routine-torture of an elf,
the orcs learned of the festival, and it is small wonder that a whole bunch
of shady riff-raff appeared at the next jubilee. It was their leader, Brank,
who stood up for the peoples of the darkness by shouting: "Let's join the
party!" From then on, the festivities were never the same again. According
to their nature, the orcs instantly created an awful mess, by wheeling
their catapult around by 90 degrees in the middle of a competition and
opening a fire on a neighbouring elven-team. The elven reacted the same
way... In short, the way of feasting for a little while became very much
similar to the early times; after the big chaos, the orcs declared war
(thus rather bewildering the organizers), whereas the capitulation -
necessary to follow - took its time (5 years).
Finally, the orcs were successfully integrated into the games, which now
were hold every five years. Together with them, all the other peoples of
darkness because participants, because meanwhile the orcs had sent
messengers in all six directions, messengers, who in their turn were captured
and tortured by other evil races. Finally, there remained nobody on GholD
who didn't learn to know - one or the other way - of the GRAND SLAM. Parallel
to this development, the rules of the games were dicisively changed, partly
with the intention to reduce conflicts between competing teams: The catapults
were abolished, and instead the best representatives of all races threw stones
at each other. The competition was organized as an elimination contest.
The influence of the evil races is clearly recognizable in the abolition of
the targets. Thus, the principal rules of the GRAND MONSTER SLAM were formed,
as we know them today, but let's remain at some other important changes first.
The most significant modification of the game was the introduction of the
beloms. These mountain people, nearly unknown till then, one day appeared
before the board of organizers and applied for participation in the games.
Well, the honourables board looked carefully at these spherical furry beings -
with a diameter of roughly 30cm -, withdrew for discussion and afterwards
made a contract with the beloms. On closely looking, this contract was not
exactly what the beloms had originally wanted, but on the other hand they
were now allowed to participate in the games - or not?
THE BELOMS (very funny part this is)
Probably, the most "participants" in the Grand Monster Slam, the beloms,
usually say of themselves, that they are nomad people. Indeed, there is a
noticeable migration of beloms from the top of the border mountains
(separating the empire from the desert) down to the fertile lowlands. This
migration has gone on for several hundred years and doesn't show any signs
of stopping.
Unfortunately for the beloms, the truth seems to be different from what the
declare. Research has proven that the belom's home land is indeed to be found
between the rocks of the high mountains, but their so-called "migration of the
peoples" seems to be a random event, much more than a planned action. As
everybody knows, the beloms bodies are very round things, and every creature's
common sense will easily understand that beloms are very much suited
for...erm, rolling down mountain sides. Especially in times of a high density
of belom population these round little fellows crowd on narrow mountain
ridges and on the mountain peaks in such a form, that the great jostling
leads to a massive "roll-down", an incident greatly feared by the people in
the mountains, who then speak of a "belomfall". It is small wonder, that
only the toughest boms survive a belomfall, their form of the "survival of the
fittest". The Games of the Grand Monster Slam seem to take profit from
this. Of course, if you ask any belom about this correlation he will deny
it, as well as the theory that the beloms will become sea folk in the not
too distant future. Beloms have already been sighted at the sea shores and
beaches of the empire, and the statement of some beloms-leaders, that these
have been beloms on holiday is totally unbelievable.
Nonetheless, when the next GRAND SLAM was held, the stones were replaced
by beloms, and not before then these cosy little balls of wool clearly
recognized what they had agreed to - but under the threat of a contract of
50,000 gold coins it was too late to think otherwise. At the same time,further
modifications of the rules were put into affect, for example the tournament
system, introduced by the warrior-people of the Eagle Mountains. From then on,
the GRAND MONSTER SLAM ceased to be a mass-turmoil, carried out in the
special arena which had been built for that purpose, but followed the orderly
tracks of an elimination contest (much to the displeasure of the peoples of
darkness). Anyway, it appeared that no race on GholD remained that didn't
to take part in the games, but not all of them could qualify themselves, e.g,
the skeletons proved to be too rickety, the vampires too bloodthirsty, and the
zombies too lazy. The revived mummies unfortunately tended to stagger over
their own loosely hanging bandages. There was such a crowd of hopeful
sportcreatures, that the games moved to the biggest city of GholD,
HodH CrownguarD, being the very capital of the Emperor - as the name
already suggests. However, if anyone had expected that the games would
now run smoothly, he/she/it proved to be very much mistaken. A further
change in rules (namely the kicking of the beloms, replacing the former
throwing) was followed by a shocking scandal, when before the start
of the games an unknown perpetrator filled some unhappy boms (short
for "beloms") with lead. This was rather disadvantagous for the elves,
whose Grand Slammer Bernardantilus suffered a multiple fracture of the
foot. So the elves boycotted the games for some decades, together with
some other races friendly with them, until the perpetrator (a pelvans) had
been found and filled with lead in his turn.
Of course, this wasn't the only incident worthwhile mentioning. We should'nt
forget to mention also the so-called faultons, who made fun of catching
beloms with their mouths and swallowing them, when the beloms came flying by.
Despite the rules not banning such behaviour - or rather because of it -,
this custom produced serious consequences: The beloms collectively joined
the "Society for Kicked Animals" (SKA), thus giving this formerly very
inconspicuous organisation considerable political weight because of the
drastically rising number of members and of course membership fees. So great
became the pressure of the SKA on the board of organizers, that the faultons
were banned from the games for good, but when the faultons in their turn
threatened to found a "Syndicate of Sardistic Players" (cheered by the evil
races with great howling), these people of perfectly spherical amphibians
could return to the biggest sporting event of GholD through the backdoor.
The faulton's big mouths were from then on used for a qualification game,
separating the individual GRAND-SLAM-elimination-rounds from each other. To
cut it short: The games were ready for a new form of organization. Solid rules
had to be laid down in order to avoid nasty incidents like that with the
faultons, and so, the sports messengers of all races of GholD met in the year
11218 to give the GRAND MONSTER SLAM the form still valid in our day.
This, of course, couldn't be achieved without creating discord. For example,
the introduction of the "three-step-rule" (which means, one has to make at
least three steps while crossing the pitch in the homerun) made the giants
leave the games forever.Then there were the vain pelvans, obviously favourites
of the emperor, which categorically demanded to be allowed participation in
the games, which lead to introducing the famous "pelvans" (named after the
race); yes even the beloms raised their voices once more! In the meantime,
they had founded the FUMB (Fighting Union of Maltreated Beloms) and
vigorously pushed through the "bom-punching" as an intermediate bonus
round, commonly known also as the "revenge of the beloms". The newly
participating pelvans couldn't help making nasty remarks, and called this
extension of the games-procedure a "dwarf rebellion", which got them the
beloms' wrath and the dwarves' hostility (people nowadays believe that dwarves
try to make as many "pelvans" as possible during a game). Eventually the
board of organizers passed the definite version of the rules, therewith giving
the GRAND MONSTER SLAM its current form.
THE GAMES NOWADAYS:
In the year 12847, the GRAND MONSTER SLAM appears to be more splendid
than ever. The festivities accompanying the games have gone on for four
cycles now, and on the streets and lanes of HodH CrownguarD merry people
enjoy themselves continuously, while the games go on. From all parts of
known GholD, creatures flock to the city in order to look at the sporting
show, although the GRAND-SLAM-stadium has no more than 1348 seats. Behind
their protectively riden claws people whispered that murders have been
committed in order to obtain a seat in the bowl - nevertheless, black market
prices have risen to an astronomical level. Fortunately for those who don't
find a place in the bowl, there is no reason for moaning, because all can
participate in the super festival accompanying the games. In addition, the
TV-rights have been sold to the "Union of Professional Clairvoyants" (UPC),
who offer their services at all public places.
All in all, this big advent still offers one or two extra gold coins of
potential profit. Besides the restaurants and inns, whose business runs high
during the games, many little craft shops offer "sport-bandages", which are
needed for first aid not only by the SLAM-players, but also by many dedicated
fans. On the other hand, sponsers overvalue the public-relations-effect of the
GRAND MONSTER SLAM every now and again. "Filkili's craft's defile" (today an
unimportant smithy in the middle of the dwarves' realm) for example
couldn't manage an international breakthrough, in spite of excessive
arena advertisements, because the greatest part of the audience cannot
read. Even the selfmade-slogan "With Filikili's happy axe, any elf you
may decap" could only be deciphered by the elves present.
Which brings us to the "ogrice", the public guards- and help-service,
maintaining law and order, when disappointed and / or drunken fans
of different races fight each other. Very remarkable indeed, that the
ogres, not very helpful under most circumstances, have volunteered for
this task - and for no payment at all! One of the ogres' most important
jobs is to take all weapons from spectators on entering the stadium.
Unfortunately, the board of organization had been forced to take this
measure because of repeated acts of violence against referees. The most
spectacular case was, when a referee had been pulled into two halves by an
ogre before the eyes of the audience. The ogre had been disqualified because
of "accidentally" crushing a belom under his feet. Remark of a palvanish
eye-witness: "Looks like a halfling now." Until today, many referees are used
to inconspicuously vanish in the crowd in order to avoid harassment, because
even the ogrice has difficulties in guaranteeing the discipline of the
audience. The custom of uttering discontent by throwing smaller creatures
(preferably goblins and pelvans) onto the pitch never could be
abolished.
Despite all such adversities, the GRAND MONSTER SLAM remains a big
festival of friendship and understanding. To quote Dorin Ironhand,
chair-dwarf of the board of organizers on opening the current GRAND SLAM:
"Simply duff'em up!"
GHOLD - THE WORLD OF SIX SUNS
Somewhere in the universe, beyond time and space and also beyond the
limits of our understanding, the world of GholD exists. There, every
morning the sun rises in another direction, following a rhythm of a six-
day-week. A great variety of beings populate the lands and seas of their
home-world, in which "technology" is not a known term, whereas however,
magic does work. The history of GholD spans several thousand years, full
of the rise and decline of mighty empires, full of great wars of Good and
Bad fighting eachover, but we have also to mention the times of peace and
understanding, encompassing the most amazing cultural achievements.
One of these achievements is the Grand Slam, which presents perhaps the
best way from war to peace. This biggest sporting advent of the southern
continent had begun as a war between goblins and men - and today, all
peoples of the world celebrate this festival of mutual understanding.
From all corners of the continent,the most strange creatures comes into
the big capital of the Empire of Men every 5 years in order to
participate in the games.
Rumour is that notice of the Grand Slam has even reached the northern
continents, and so, everybody hopefully expects the way when a ship out of
unknown countries anchors in the harbour of HodT CrownguarD, bringing
new players for the grand Games.
This year, everybody's attention is attracted by the dwarves, who
participate in the Games for the first time.All people respect and fear
those tough little guys out of the western mountains. One can hear
rumours of the champion of the dwarven as being a legendary hero, and
also the king of all the proud dwarves clans is expected as a visitor to
the Games. The big question is: Will a newcomer rise up into the top
class of Grand Slammers - or even achieve the title?
RULES OF PLAY
Since the reformation of the games rules in the year 11216, the famous
Grand-Slam-Tournament has consisted of three leagues. The first match is
an elimination contest with 8 players, who fight eachover in pairs. The
pairs of opponents, and the winners of this contest form the pairs of the
second fight. Logically, only 2 players are left at the end of the second
game. These two will then fight in the final in order to decide who is the
winner of the first league.
The winners of every fight have to participate in an intermediate game
after each game. This intermediate game is called the "Revenge of the
Beloms". As everybody knows, the FUMB has pushed through this
game part with great vigour.
The winner of the whole league must also pass a qualification, an event
which is called "The Remarkable Six Faultons". Anybody who fails in this
qualification (which demands great dexterity) cannot go up into the next
group of competitors.
The participants of the second league are veterans with considerable
experience in the Games; they don't even need to pass the first league
(indeed only beginners, like your dwarf, compete in the first match - or
fighters who have been disqualified in the last Games). After the winner
of the first elimination contest has joined them, the second group also
consists of 8 players, and again there is an elimination contest in order to
find out the next league winner. The pitch is now separated by a waist-
high wall, thus making the game more difficult!. This is especially so
with the Homerun, because now you have to move up to the middle of the
baseline in order to start the run (because of the gap in the barrier).
After an additional (and more difficult) "Remarkable Six Faultons" -
event, the winner of the second league joins the final round, there
meeting only 3 players - the winners of the last 3 GRAND SLAM-tournaments.
He has to beat them one after the other in order to finally obtain
himself the yellow jerkin and the golden medal . . .; but watch out,
because all three opponents have magical powers which they use variably.
The whole event is accompanied by a bonus-point-scoring-system which
has proven itself very helpful in evaluating the performance of individual
players, and the betting business does not take profit from it.
1. The Main Game:
First to appear on the screen are the pairs of the first matchgame, formed
by lots, one atop of the other. The gamer's character - the dwarf - appears
in the top left corner. Continue by pressing fire.
Now the dwarf's next opponent is presented in detail (giving name,
race, profession, game skills, character and last, but not least important,
the sponser!). Continue by pressing fire.
Now the main game begins! The dwarf is placed in the foreground,
and each of his opponents plays in the background. Six beloms squat at
each baseline. It is the player's task to kick his own beloms across the
pitch to the opponent. If you have successfully kicked all your own
beloms off your baseline, you can start to make your "homerun",
which means running across the pitch to the opponents baseline. If you
reach that, you are the winner! While kicking beloms, the most important
things are to avoid the opponent's beloms and to hit the opponent with
your own beloms as often as possible. In case of a player being hit, he
remains lying on the ground for a certain amount of time. This amount of
time increases in the course of being hit several times. This is then the
other player's best chance to kick as many beloms as possible to the other
side and to pour out a stream of vituperations (vitu-wot?) on the opponents
fans!
Which leads us to the so-called "Pelvans", the penalty in the GRAND
MONSTER SLAM. Pelvans are given if you have kicked a belom into
the audience, either accidentally or deliberately. Particularly opposing
fans who are very much irritated about your vituperations tend to kick
a belom "into the blue". If then a pelvans is given (look at the roaring
dragon on the left sideline), the pelvans-creature sinks down a rope to
the pitch and places itself on the pelvans-point ("P") of the executing
player. This player may now choose how to kick the pelvans to the other
side: straight forward, angled to the right, or angled to the left. At the
moment of shooting, the other player must already have made his
mind up in which direction he is going to run himself in order to
catch the pelvans at his baseline. (This is merely a game of chance.
The player being shot at with the pelvans may choose the direction in
which to run by moving his joystick before the moment when the pelvans
is kicked off by the opponent. If you suppose that the pelvans will come
directly towards you, of course you won't run off to either side, but
rather remain in your position!)
Scoring: Every single game is worth a certain number of points, which
the winner will receive. Additionally, he will obtain a time bonus when
having finished the game especially quickly.
CONTROL:
< * > Joystick left / right: Move along the baseline.
'*' Pressing fire and keeping it pressed: Collect strength for a
belom-shot. The longer the dwarf keeps the fire button
pressed the higher and further he will shoot.
\ '*' / Move joystick forward to the left or right while keeping fire
button pressed: Determine direction of shot. The longer
you keep the joystick in the chosen direction, the greater
the side-angle will become.
* Let go fire button: Shoot.
\ * / Joystick forward, angled left/right: Special shot. When you
determine the angle of shooting without simultaneously
collecting strength, and then kick off the belom, you will
make a low shot across the barrier.
'*' Joystick down and press fire: Irritate opposing fans!
|
| Pelvans:
\ '*' / Joystick up / up left / up right and press fire: Determine
direction and kick off the pelvans.
< * > Joystick left / in the middle / right: Determine direction in
which to run when wanting to catch a pelvans. Possible
only before the opponent has kicked of the pelvans.
|
'*' Homerun:
Joystick up and press fire: Start on the homerun.
KEY: * = fire button not pressed
'*' = fire button pressed
\ & / = diagonally upwards left and right respectively
| & | = up and down (respectively!)
After every main game, the pairs of this fight as shown at the start will
appear once again. The losers of the game are now covered by the so-called
"loser curtain" (by the pelvans also called the "robe of silence").
2.The Revenge of the Beloms:
After every main game which the dwarf has won he has to compete in
an intermediate game, giving him the chance to increase his score (but
he may also loose points!). Basically, the aim of the intermediate game is
to keep off the beloms (still in bad temper from the main game) by use
of a so-called "shove-off pole" (a pole with wooden pushers at both
ends). The beloms will then try to reach the dwarf from eight directions,
in order him over by a precisely-aimed tickling-attack.
The dwarf tries to prevent them from doing so by pushing them away with
the shove-off pole (so-called "push off"). Of course, the dwarf is not
allowed to win this game (a condition demanded by the beloms). A
short notice in addition: Try to shove-off all oncoming beloms
(recognizable by their trail of dust, kicked up by their about 200 feet) in
an active way, rather than only blocking the way with a pole end. Sho-
ved-off beloms fly from the pitch and need more time to reach their starting
point again.
Scoring: The display on the right side of the screen shows how many
beloms you must shoot away in the current intermediate game, before
you go to the ground. In case you don't manage to shove off enough
beloms, you'll loose points from your current score. In case you push off a
lot more beloms, your score is increased.
CONTROL:
< * > = Joystick left/middle/right: Aim shove-off pole.
\ | / = Joystick in all six other directions: Push with the shove-off
* pole.
/ | \
This way you can cover only six of the eight directions from which the
beloms will attack you. So, from time to time, change your basic position
in order to cover all eight directions in the long run.
< '*' > = Joystick left / right and press fire: Move into another basic
position (once you get the hang of this, it comes naturally).
3.The Remarkable Six Faultons:
After every league you have to pass the qualification of the 6 faultons,
who in their spare time form a successful singers' sextette, in order to
go up to the next match. The dwarf's task is easy to grasp: By means of a
well-aimed kick, he has to deliver a belom into the open mouth of a faulton.
Don't be too afraid of this! The beloms have been expressively
instructed that they will be spat out again by the faultons after the
qualification game! In order to go up to the second league, you have to
successfully "feed" 2 faultons; for the third league you will need four hits.
If you don't pass this qualification, you will need four hits. If you don't
pass this qualification, you have to repeat the previous match, much to
the enjoyment of the competitors; in addition, you lose all your points
collected during the last match. (This is also a result of a reformation of
the rules. Until then, the goblins had lost every qualification, in order to
collect more and more points by repeating the same league over and over
again. Certainly this was an expression of their professional attitude,
because the GRAND SLAM is the goblins' national sport.
Scoring: Every belom delivered into a faulton's greedy mouth provides
you with points. In case you don't pass the qualification, you will lose
all points acquired during the qualification and during the previous
match.
CONTROL:
'*' = Keep fire button pressed: Determine strength of shot.
* = Let go fire button: Shoot.
The dwarf is moved from one lick-off-point to the other automatically.
KEYBOARD-CONTROL
ESC :Stop game
P :Pause
Cursor :Control
Space :Fire Button
DESIGNERS' NOTES
Rolf Lakamper, in charge of the game design:
When i conceived the basic idea of GMS and told Hartwig about it, i had no
idea about what i had started: Day after day, Hartwig proved his intimate
familiarity with the realms of fantasy by presenting new monsters, who had
applied to him for participation in the Games1 We selected the best players,
and then my work at the program began: Orcs, halflings, dwarves and elves
had to be put together peacefully into the computer. The beloms developed a
preference to make use of even the slightest faults in the program and to
not only fly across the pitch, but also through the memory! It was
particularly interesting to provide the monsters with characters and an
understanding of the play. So, you will find among them the uncontroled and
lazy ogre Brunf, who on the other hand has a mighty kick! A tactically
experienced play is the chief feature of Gnarl, whereas Stig "Firy" Grunf
is the old warhorse of the Games. In fact, the opponents-program follows
several parameters, like e.g. talent for observation, slyness, power of kick,
laziness, resistance and so on. In this way, every character has its own
strength and weaknesses, and with just a little experience and observance,
the dwarf has a real chance of winning.
In case your computer starts dripping water, don't panic, this is because
Zsch'luk has its in-between baths! (What the hell is he on about?)
Volker Marohn, PC-program-conversion:
When we considered how to provide the player's opponents in THE GRAND
MONSTER SLAM with personalities of their own, we quickly agreed that a
mere random-figure-algorithm or a control along tables wasn't worth it's
salt. We had to give the monsters up to a certain degree a real
artificial intelligence! I suggested the Heshenberg-algorithm, a model
creating predictable, but not stereotype reactions.
Each opponent is classified by a set of reaction-parameters describing his
or her physical and mental abilities.
We started with a set of parameters equal for all opponents. Then the
appaling development of personalities began. Soon, Drunfluk reacted other
than Stig "Firy" Grunf, who again behaved not like Hiro-Sha - but they
all together didn't do what they should have done! In those times the
saying was devised:
If computers won't do what they should do, it is because of
a) a power failure
b) a virus
c) the Hershenberg-algorithm.
Finally, we succeeded in stopping the anarchic development of our monster-
personalities and persuaded the creatures to volunteer for the GRAND MONSTER
SLAM.
Still, every opponent has it's own individual character with all their
strengths and weaknesses. Not a single one of them is unbeatable! Read the
passage on the presentation screen and observe the opponents' reactions
during the game. Even though you may not be one of the quickest reacting
performers of the joystick, you will anyway have a real good chance when
adapting your play to the opponents weaknesses. On the other hand, the
opponent will take advantage from your weaknesses. So, don't disgrace your
dwarf! And if anything in the opponents' behaviour should confuse you. . .
simply ask Professor Hershenberg!
Hartwig Nieder-Gassel, graphics and design:
The GRAND MONSTER SLAM is the first product to be published under the label
GOLDEN GOBLINS. I have sound experience in fantasy illustration, based on my
activities in the German role-playing scene, but the fact something as
"untechnological" as fantasy is easily adaptable to the technical world of
computers, i had to discover by myself.
If you dig into the very nature of fantasy you will certainly find out that
a lot of work and love of detail has to be invested in the background of any
fantasy-action-plot. If not, the Grand-Slam characters will only appear as
curious looking characters who participate in a strange sport because of
unknown reasons. On the other hand,
if you tell the gamers that the best fighters of all races of this fantasy
world meet regularly, because some thousand years ago the goblins fought a
war because of which they are still being laughed at today, the whole event
becomes a sound thing, and the gamer will then be a participant rather than
a mere spectator wielding a joystick. (Note from MONTY: THAT HAS BLOODY WELL
GOT TO BE THE LONGEST GOD-DAMNED SENTENCE I'VE EVER WRITTEN IN MY LIFE! Thank
you for listening).
So, after Rolf had developed the basic game idea as well as the game
components, it was my job - and it proved to be a rewarding one - to work
out the complete game background, besides creating the screen graphics.
This background is now presented to you in this booklet. I took the
background from a role-playing-campaign i had written some years ago with
a friend of mine. We had created the fantasy worlds of GholD and called
it to life by role-playing (based on the D&D-system. This system is a lot
more precise and a lot more fun.) - for anyone who is interested in it).
This proves to present enough colourful background material for the GRAND
MONSTER SLAM.
Players who are familier with this form of gaming will find that the
creatures populating the GRAND MONSTER SLAM are also familier to them,
well, most of them. Pelvans for example and beloms have been thought out
by Rolf and should be marked with an (R).
Thus, the GRAND MONSTER SLAM became a lot of fun for all of us, and if the
GOLDEN GOBLINS some day create another fantasy-style game, it certainly will
be located on the world of GholD as well, presenting a good chance of meeting
familier faces again.
