

The Official Adventurer's Survival Handbook To
Alternate Reality - The City

Handbook
Written & Designed by Kathi B. Tremblay

Edited & Illustrated by Thomas J. Clement

Datasoft is a registered Trademark of IntelliCreations, Inc.
Alternate Reality is a registered trademark of Paradise Programming, Inc.


Datasoft presens this special edition of the Alternate Reality
Adventurer's Handbook for Commodore 64/128, Apple II Series, and Atari
Home Computer users!


The purpose of The City game is to become familiar with the world of
Alternate Reality, build up your Stats, and develop a truly awesome
Character that can handle itself in any sort of situation. This exercise
will prepare you for the more demanding adventures you'll have in The
Dungeon.


SAVING CHARACTERS

Always save you Character on the same Character Disk you used to create
it. Save backup Characters on the backup Character Disk. Switching disks
in mid-stream will eventually cause you to lose your Character.


Cautions for Commodore Users ONLY

Whenever you're prompted to insert the Character Disk, always remove any
disk from the drive and turn the drive off and on, onve, beofre inserting
the Character Disk (SX-64 owners, press the drive reset button). Just to
be safe, also do this after removing the Character Disk and before
reinserting the game disk.

When you're backing up your Character Disk, turn the drive off and on
every time you change disks during the backup procedure (be sure there's
no disk in the drive when you turn it off!).

Write-protect your game disks (never write-protect your Character Disk,
of course).


BACKING UP

Then a Character dies in The City, the only way you have of
"ressurecting" it is by using your backup Character Disk, so make backups
regularly.

Use the backup program provided on your game disk or any fastcopy program
to make Character Disk backups.


TIME

Then we mention hours and minutes in this Handbook, we're refering to AR
time: 1 Alternate Reality Hour = 4 Earth Minutes.


STARTING A NEW CHARACTER

Caution: Players who begin the game aggresively won't get very far.
Remember, you enter The City with fairly low Stats and are in no position
to attack everything in sight (at least, not without being snuffed). Use
caution and common sense during Encounters.

Getting started isn't easy. It's a good idea, if you're lucky enough to
enter the portal with high Stats, to stop and save that Character
immediately. Make a couple of backups, then reload and play. That way, if
your "novice" Character gets rubbed out, you've still got those great
Stats on another disk!


STATS

All Stats are set on a scale from 0 to 255 (except Experience and Hit
Points).

The Stats the computer sets at the beginning of the game include those
seen on the screen plus several other Stats you don't see: Moral
Alignment, Physical Speed, Treasure-Finding, and Noticeability.

Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Skill, Stamina, Charm, and Physical Speed
increase randomly and may move up one point each time you go up a level
(they also might not budge, so don't get your hopes up!).


Moral Alignment

Then you first go through the Portal, your Moral Alignment is Good.

As in real life, it's much easier to reduce you Moral Alignment than it
is to improve it.

Every evil act reduces you Alignment, until is reaches the ultimate low
(the big 0). The lower you let your Alignment drop, the harder it is to
return to the straight and narrow.

To develop a Good Character or reform an Evil one, remember:

- Never be the first to attack, unless you're absolutely sure the
  creature you've Encountered is evil;

- Never Trick or Charm anything but evil life forms.


Physical Speed

Physical Speed is set when you go through the Portal.

If your Speed is too slow, you're plodding prey for belligerent beasts.

The Blue Wizards enhance your Speed when you first visit their Guild. At
that time, these accommodating, sky-clad mystics will also tell you
exactly how fast you are.

You can be slowed down considerably from being tired, hungry, or thirsty.
Potions of Fleetness and Slowness also affect this Stat.


Treasure-Finding

Treasure-Finding is the Stat that defines how likely you are to get
Treasure after Encounters.

When you first enter the game, your Treasure-Finding Stat is 0. This
doesn't mean you won't find goodies; it just means the odds of finding
them are slim.

Treasure-Finding Potions increase your Treasure-Finding Stat. As you find
Treasure, the value of this Stat decreases (you use it up).


Noticeability

Noticeability is set when you go through the Portal and is increased or
decreased by Potions.

This Stat controls the frequency of Encounters; the higher the
Noticeability, the more Encounters you Character faces.


INVENTORY

Your Inventory is the list of objects you carry. When you find or buy
items, they become part of your Inventory.

Checking your Inventory can leave you vulnerable to suprise Encounters.
To avid this, cycle through this list while in an Inn, Tavern, or Shop.

Some items are permanently listed in your Inventory wether you own them
or not (Food Packets, Water Flasks, etc.). The quantity you have is
listed next to the name of the item.

Rings are listed in your Inventory, but you won't find them in The City.
They're listed so you'll have a place to put them when you find them in
The Dungeon and other scenarios.


MOVEMENT

The easiest way to travel is by using the Keyboard rather than the
Joystick, especially for turning right or left. Note: In the Atari
version, you must use the Joystick for some things, such as leaving
Banks.


MAPPING

When mapping The City, look for vertical lines on the walls. The distance
between these lines corresponds to one square on the 64 x 64 map grid
provided in the Guidebook that came with your game.

Buy a Compass in any Shop. You'll need one since it's easy to get turned
around, especially at night or in a maze.

Pause the game while planning your next move or when drawing on your map
(this keeps nasties from sneaking up on you!).

There's a more complete map in the center of this Handbook for those of
you who have given up even figuring out the whole thing on your own.
However, we haven't eliminated all the mapping challenges: every wall and
door in The City is included, but none of the locations are identified -
that's up to you!

Begin counting co-ordinates at the bottom, left-hand corner of the grid
and count the first square as 1N, 1E.

The following is a list of names of The City's establishments.


SHOPS			 TAVERNS		 BANKS

Adventurer's Outfitters	 Black Devil		 First City
Best Bargain Store	 Club Babylon		 Gram's Gold Exchange
Betelgeuse Sales	 Dancing Nymph		 Granite
Da Place! (2 locations)	 Flaming Dragon		
Exclusive Outfitters	 Happy Hunter Rest Stop	
General Store		 Last Stop		 HEALERS
Honest Trader		 Lost Tears		
Merchant's Grotto	 Lusty Lloyd's		 Alpha Omega Healers
Pauline's Emporium	 Misty Mountain		 One Way Soothers
Rocky's Emporium	 Mom's Bar			
Smiley's		 Screaming Siren Bar		
Special Imports		 Tail of the Dog	 MISCELLANEOUS
Sunset Market		 The Club			
Warriors Supplies	 The Tavern		 Acrinimiril's Gate
						 Arena
						 Dungeon Entrance (2)
INNS			 SMITHIES		 Floating Gate
			 			 House of Ill Repute
Green Boar		 Best Armourers		 Jack's Fitness Academy
Lazy Griffin		 Knight's Armourers	 Maximum Casino
Midnight		 Occum's Weaponsmith	 Palace
Royal Resort		 Sharp Weaponsmiths		
Sleeping Dragon
Traveller's
Warrios Retreat


GUILDS

You can't join Guilds or cast Spells in The City, but you'll get the
chance to do both in The Dungeon.

Below is a list of co-ordinates to all 12 Guilds. The Stat each Guild
increases on your first visit is given in parentheses.


Order	       (INT)	     50N, 58E  Green Wizards  (STA)     43N, 12E
Light Wizards  (WIS)	      5N,  3E  Thieves	      (SKL)     35N, 44E
Physicians     (Hit Points)  15N,  6E  Chaos	      (CHA)     60N, 51E
Law	       (WIS)	     50N, 62E  Red Wizards    (STR)     15N, 48E
Blue Wizards   (Speed)	     48N, 19E  Assassins      (Hiding)   3N, 56E
Star Wizards   (Hit Points)  12N, 28E  Dark Wizards   (CHA)     22N, 34E


Directions to the Star Wizard's Guild

A compass is mandatory before beginning the maze that leads to the Star
Wizard's Guild! Begin at 10N, 21E (the end of the long hallway with doors
down both sides - don't go past the end of the hall!).

Face East. Go through 9 doors.

Face North. Go through 4 doors.

Face West. Go through 1 door.

Face North. Go through 2 doors.

Face West. Go through 2 doors. (Smiley's Shop is West of you).

Face South. Go through 1 door.

Face West. Go through 1 door. (Smiley's is now North of you).

Face South. Go through 1 door.

Face West. Go through 2 doors.

Face North. Go through 2 doors.

Face West. Go through 1 door.

Face South. Go through 4 doors.

Face East. Go through 5 doors (the fourth one is a secret door) and
you'll be inside the Star Wizard's Guild.


TAVERNS, BANKS, SHOPS, & SMITHIES

If you're still hungry of thirsty after eating and drinking, you
obviously didn't eat or drink enough! Water is cheap and two or three
drinks usually do the trick for thirst. Food is more expensive; if you
haven't much cash, try a bowl or two of Chili.

Dragon meat and Pemmican add a Food Packet to your collection as well as
satisfying immideate hunger.

Sit in a tavern for a few minutes (without ordering anything) in order to
consume Food Packets and Water Flasks.

Buying several "rounds for the house" earns you friends in that Tavern
(but has no effect on your overall Moral Alignment). If you're hungry,
thirsty, and broke, head for the Tavern where you've previously made
friends. Your pals there will take pity and help you. Andy Food Packets
or Water Flasks you're carrying will be replaced by the free ones, so
make sure you're really destitute before going into Taverns where you're
well known!

If you're poor and hungry and haven't yet made any Tavern friends, find
The Tavern at 63N, 21E. The water is free and Packets and Flasks don't
come any cheaper!

Never stay in any Tavern past closing time. Onve you do this, your
Character can never again enter any Taverns (this goes for Banks, also).

Banks offer varying prices for Jewels and Gems. Sometimes one Bank will
tell you something's worthless, while another Banks will give you a good
price.

Sometimes you'll enter a Bank and get the message "Account Failure,"
wether you have an account at that Bank or not. When this happens, you
won't be able to leave the Bank until is has finished all its
calculations for the failure (this could take awhile, so be patient!).

After Year Two (AR time), Banks have a much higher failure rate. The
first time in a Bank in Year Two may tie you up for an hour (Earth time).
Go in the morning so, if the calculations take that long, you won't be in
the Bank at closing time (and risk being thrown out forever).

If you consistently offer a Shopkeeper less money than he wants for his
goods (or even if you just offer the bare minimum), he'll eventually
start calling you names (ouch!) and may even refuse to deal with you
(worse ouch!). Of course, this only applies to the particular Shop where
you've caused "trouble" and doesn't affect your Moral Alignment.

Blacksmiths are temperamental guys. Example: You go in, see a Smith's
wares, and leave without buyin anything. The next time you show up, Mr.
Smith will likely cuss you out (this doesn't affect your Moral
Alignment).


LIFE FORMS

Establishing a Good Character is important to many of you, so you need a
fool-proof way of knowing which life forms are evil and, therefor, fair
game (attack 'em!). Each creature has its own musical accompaniment and
this should clue you in to its alignment; however, neutral life forms are
difficult to discern by this melodic method.

The 18 creatures listed below are the only ones that are evil (as if
their names didn't tip you off already!):

Assasin	  Orc	         Giant Rat    Black Slime   Spectre   Imp
Gnoll	  Troll	         Wolf	      Ghost	    Zombie    Ghoul
Goblin	  Nightstalker   Brown Mold   Wraith	    Gremlin   Skeleton

As you can see, the list has no Thieves, Cutthroats, etc. (those are
neutral-aligned life forms). Hobbits, Dwarf, and Giants are good
creatures (many of you have asked about them). Even Dragons are not evil!

Remember, it's OK to fight good and neutral life forms, but only if they
attack first (don't ever Trick or Charm them though)!


ENCOUNTERS

Your chances for Encounters are greatest at night and when it's raining.

The Arch-Mage and his minions (Acolytes, Apprentices, Novices, and
Wizards) are lawful life forms. Killing them is bad news (unless they
attack first).

Ghosts are nasty creatures. They strike with a Bone-Chilling Touch that
decreases your Strength (not a time-limited effect, by the way)!

The best way to eliminate a Ghost is with a magical Flamesword. Tricking
or Charming may work, also. But a low-level Character would be better off
to steer clear of these ectoplasmic entities!

Tricking and Charming are evil acts. However, using these techniques
against evil life forms won't hurt your Moral Alignment (it's okay to
fight fire with fire!).

Tricking is a method of distracting your enemy so you can kill him when
he's not looking.

Charming is an evil act because it involves pretending to be a life
form's friend while stabbing it in the back!

If your Charm Stat is low, you'll be attack often (don't look friendly!).

Never Disengage when you meet a Thief or Mugger; he'll steal your
possesions.

Be careful in Encounters with Assassins. One critical blow can be fatal,
no matter how strong you are or how many Hit Points you have!


DISEASES & HEALERS

You can be infected with nasty Diseases by Brown Mold, Giant Rats, Black
Slime, and other nauseating creatures. Find a Healing Potion or go to a
Healer.

Diseases have incubation periods; you can be walking down the street,
minding your own business, and suddenly become ill from a scratch or bite
received two or three days earlier.

If you find your Hit Points dropping off 10 at a time, with no indication
of Poison or Diseases, you've been Slimed by the Black Slime sometime in
the past and are now dying. Find a Healer fast!

"Restore Clarity" (an option at the Healer) is to cure Delusions.
"Restore Sight" will be used in a later installment.

You've probably noticed that the Healers get more expensive each time you
use them. Their prices will go back down in 24 hours, if you can stay
away from Healers that long.


WEAPONS AND ARMOUR

Once you acquire a Weapon, press U to use it as your Primary Weapon
(don't wait for an Encounter; you want to be prepared before you're
attacked!).

Any magical Weapon is better than its mundane counterpart. But a magical
Flamesword is the single most powerful Weapon in The City.

The best Armour depends on the foe you're combatting and the Weapon he's
wielding.

Shields do not act as Armour; they increase your ability to Parry an
attack.

The only way to find out which Weapons and Armour work best in an
Encounter is by trial and error. There are so many variables in the game
that a comprehersive list of cause and effect is impossible.

Weapons and Armour can break or wear out. If you discover that a formerly
formidable implement is no longer doing its job, replace it with one that
works.


CURSES

There are two items that may be Cursed: Weapons and Armour.

If your Wisdom is high enough, you may be able to discover if Weapons or
Armour are Cursed before you pick them up; examine them carefully.

While you're wielding a Cursed Weapon or wearing Cursed Armour, you'll be
severly handicapped in battle.

You can't drop a Cursed Weapon or piece of Armour. The only way to get
rid of the Cursed object is to find a Guild and pay to have the Curse
removed!


POTIONS

There are 44 different Potions in The City. Gremlins are the most likely
creatures to carry Potions.

You can become Poisoned, Drunk, Deluded, etc., on just the first Sip of a
Potion. But the only way to get a Potion's full effect is to Quaff it.

Some Potions are time-limited. They show up under your "Active Magic"
menu after you've limbibed them and their effects won't usually last more
than a few hours.

Stat-changing Potions (Treasure-Finding, Intelligence, Fleetness,
Slowness, etc.) cause actual modifications to your Stats.

The contents of a Potion sack are only determined when the sack is
opened. This provides some interesting possibilities. Example: Your
Character is saved on two disks, Character Disk 1 and Backup Disk 2. You
can alternate play with these two disks by saving the Character to Disk 1
when you have three or more Potions, then backing it up on Disk 2. The
Potions will be different each time you load your Character.


Below is a list of Potions and what they do.

- Water, Fruit Juice, Mineral Water, and Milk may quench thirst, but they
  have no other effects.

- Salt Water and Vinegar bring on thirst.

- Wine, Spirits, and Potions of Inebriation cause Drunkenness. To sober
  up, see a Healer.

- Potions of Delusion cause you to see odd things happening to your
  Stats. Get rid of Delusions by seeing a Healer.

- Poison causes initial Hit Point damage, then continues to affect your
  Stats until you die. Get rid of Poison by seeing a Healer or drinking a
  Potion of Curing Poison.

- Acid's effects don't last (like Poison), but Quaffing Acid could kill
  you if your Hit Points are low.

- Potions of Cleansing heal Diseases.

- Potions of Healing Wounds do just what they say they do! How completely
  your wounds are healed depends on the strength of the Potion.

- Potions of Weakness, Slowness, Dumbness, and Ugliness reduce your
  Strength, Speed, Intelligence, and Charm by 2 points.

- Potions of Strength, Fleetness, Intelligence, and Charisma increase
  your Strength, Speed, Intelligence, and Charm by 1 point.

- Protection+1 and Protection+2 act as temporary Armour.

- Invulnerability Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Power, Cleric, Mental, Sharp,
  and Blunt add temporary protection from certain types of Weapons and
  Magic (sorry, no list -- this is another spot for trial and error).
  This doesn't mean that you can't be hurt by these elements; it simply
  gives you a better chance of escaping injury. Treasure-Finding
  increases your "invisible" Treasure-Finding Stat.

- Noticeability makes other life forms pay more attention to you and,
  therefore, increases you chances of having Encounters. Unnoticeability
  has the opposite effect. The only way to counteract one of these kinds
  of Potions is to Quaff one of the other kind.

- Invisibilty makes you invisible to any life forms except magical and
  elemental types (Wizards, Ghosts, Imps, etc.). Become visible again by
  standing out in the rain, undressed (if that isn't becoming "visible",
  what is?).


When you find a Potion, Examine it, then Taste it, and then Sip it. The
results help you decide whether or not to proceed.

Potions are unstable and can "Poof!" at any time.

To use a Potion you've saved for later, press U (you can't do this during
an Encounter).


Below, all Potions are categorized by color, taste, and safety level
(* is SAFE; % idicates CAUTION; & means UNSAFE; "Inv." means
"Invulnerability").


AMBER	PLAIN	* Curing Poison		SOUR		% Spirits

BLACK	ACIDIC	* Inv. Fire		ALKALINE	* Inv. Water
	BITTER	% Delusion		DRY		* Inv. Power
	PLAIN	* Inv. Sharp;   * Inv. Mental;		* Fleetness
	SALTY	* Inv. Air		SOUR		& Strong Poison;
                                                        * Inv. Earth
	SWEET	* Inv. Blunt;   * Inv. Cleric

CLEAR	ACIDIC	& Acid;   * Cleansing	BITTER		* Unnoticeability
	DRY	* Mineral Water;	* Invisibility
	PLAIN	* Water			SALTY		* Salt Water

GREEN	SOUR	* Healing Minor Wounds	SWEET		& Ugliness

ORANGE	PLAIN	% Inebriation		SOUR		* Protection +2
	SWEET	& Dumbness;	* Protection +1

RED	ACIDIC	% Vinegar	BITTER	* Strength	DRY	% Wine
	SWEET	& Deady Poision;	* Fruit Juice;	* TreasureFinding

SILVER	BITTER	& Weak Poison;	* Intelligence
	PLAIN	* Healing Major Wounds	SWEET		* Charisma

WHITE	ALKALINE	* Poison;	* Milk		BITTER & Slowness
	SALTY	* Healing All Wounds

YELLOW	BITTER	& Noticeability		DRY		% Weakness
	PLAIN	* Healing Wounds



IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If you have any comments, questions, or problems, we want to hear from
you. It's easiest for us to serve you if you write a letter. Please
include your name, address, computer type, and telephone number.

If you write regarding a problem, be sure to specify which computer you
have and give us as many details as possible about your equipment and the
trouble you're having.


Send all correspondence to:

Datasoft - Alternate Reality
Customer Service
19809 Nordhoff Place
Chatsworth, CA 91311


Coming Soon... The Dungeon

The Dungeon, the second installment in the Alternate Reality series, has
four levels to explore, each more perilous than the last. Each level you
descend brings you closer to solving the enigma of Alternate Reality.
Discovering an important piece of this puzzle is the major quest in The
Dungeon.

Naturally, you'll be able to take your City-developed Character into The
Dungeon, with all the Stats, Weapons, and wealth you've managed to
accumulate (subject to approval by The Dungeon customs office, of
course). Or, if you prefer, you can start a brand-new Character in The
Dungeon.

In The Dungeon, you'll be able to join Guilds, cast Spells, and even
discover what your Moral Alignemt is and how to improve it!

Many of you wonder who or what Xebec was, how his (or its) demise came
about, and why a City was named after him (or it). This is an important
clue to the whole Alternate Reality series, so you must find the answer
yourself. Hint: Look in a good dictionary for a major clue (or a bad
dictionary for no clue). You'll learn more about this mystery in The
Dungeon.

The Dungeon has many puzzles and quests for you to pursue before
achieveing your final goal. And, of course, solving the major puzzle
(Clue: Arcinimiril's Gate plays an important part in The Dungeon) doesn't
keep you from going back and doing more exploring and questioning.
