------------------------
| GUILD |
| |
| RELEASE VERSION 1.03 |
------------------------
Contact
=======
Guild is a project of Antoine.
Any feedback would be very welcome!
Please send your bug reports, questions, suggestions, and compliments
to
antoine.from.rgrd@gmail.com.
Future updates will be available at
http://angband.oook.cz.
They should also be announced on rec.games.roguelike.announce newsgroup -
check this out at the Google archive site,
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.games.roguelike.announce.
What is Guild?
==============
Guild is a RPG (role-playing game) in which you control a group of young
adventurers, out to prove themselves. They explore dungeons, slay monsters,
find useful equipment and treasure.
Guild is a 'roguelike' game, like Angband, Nethack, Moria or Larn. It
doesn't have fancy graphics - instead, the map is shown by text characters.
For instance a goblin is shown as 'g', a pile of gold as '$', and a wall as
'#'. Also, the game is not real-time. You can take as much time thinking
about your move as you like.
Guild is unusual among roguelike games, because instead of playing a solo
adventurer, you control an entire group. At any given time you have direct
control of one of the characters; the rest will follow you and make
themselves useful. You can give the other characters orders ("follow me!"
"shoot that goblin!" "run for your life!"), or you can switch to directly
controlling one of them.
Guild is completely free software. You can distribute it to anyone you
like, providing you do so without altering it or removing any copyright
notices or other files.
This version of Guild is fully playable and will take some hours to
complete even once you know the ropes. It covers the first few chapters of
your adventurers' careers. At this stage your characters cannot advance
past 5th level - this will be possible in later releases.
Getting started - a walk-through
================================
Run the Guild program by double-clicking on Guild.exe. When prompted, enter
a name for your savefile (for example, Walkthrough).
You can now create your first character. Press 'w' to choose a Warrior.
Give them a name - anything you like so long as it's not too long. Decide
whether they are male or female.
Your ability scores will be rolled randomly - press 'n' to roll again until
you're satisfied, then 'y' to accept. (Hint: since you are a Warrior, you
will need high Strength and Dexterity.)
You will then see the scores of your other three characters - a priest
named Gyoll, a wizard named Saltus, and a rogue named Ascia. They will
adventure with you.
Your game begins in the town square. There are some interesting people and
shops to visit here. However, for now, choose the 'Leave town and go
adventuring' option.
You will appear in the dungeon. On the map, the number 1 represents you,
and the numbers 2, 3, and 4 represent Gyoll, Saltus and Ascia. Your current
status is shown below the map. HP means health points - when these fall to
0 your character will go unconscious or die. MP means magic points - Gyoll
and Saltus spend these whenever they cast spells.
Move around by using the numeric keypad - for example, '9' means 'move up
and to the right'. If you're playing on a laptop and do not have a keypad,
try pressing 'K' to use the alternate movement keys - these are
9 0 -
o p [
l ; '
To find out the other commands, press '?' which will show you the complete
list. If you see something in the dungeon and don't know what it is, use
the '/' key to look at it.
The next step is to find some monsters to fight! If you are lucky, you may
have appeared right in the middle of them. If not, wander round the dungeon
until you find some. When you see a monster (like 'o', a orc), move up
to them and step into them - this will make you attack them. Your
companions will follow you and try to help you fight the monsters.
If you manage to kill some monsters, they may leave some treasure or
equipment behind. Walk onto the piles of stuff and press 'g' to get some
loot. (Hint: don't pick up dead bodies, they are very heavy.)
If you are still alive, go back to the stairs up, which look like this '<'.
Stand close to the stairs and tell your friends to leave the level, by
pressing the 'U' hotkey. When all of them have left, step onto the stairs
and press 'y' to leave the level. You have now escaped the dungeon and
returned to town.
The next step is to go shopping and buy some new equipment. Go to the
general store or the blacksmith's shop and see what you can find!
Now go back to the town square and choose the 'visit your house' option.
Your party will appear at the front gate of the house (after healing and
resting, their HP and MP will be restored to normal). Follow the path into
the house and look around inside. There are some useful things to be found,
if you look carefully. (Hint: use the '<' key to look inside chests and
cabinets.)
The house is a very handy location for storing things - anything you leave
here will still be in the same place when you come back. It has many other
uses; for example, it is a safe place to swap items between your
characters, or to try on new weapons and armor, or to read any magic books
you find in the dungeon...
When you are done in the house, leave through the front gate and go back to
the dungeon! Many more monsters await...
Your characters
===============
You start with four characters, but can recruit more at the Tavern. If you
approach them, they may offer to join you - for a price. If you can build
up a large group of adventurers, you will have a choice of which to take
when you go to explore the dungeon.
There are four types of character in Guild: Warriors, Mages, Priests and
Rogues. Each character has six scores: Strength, Dexterity, Magic, Charm,
Stealth, and Perception.
- A high Strength score gives the character more HP. They do much more
damage with melee weapons, and a bit more damage with missile weapons. They
can also carry heavier loads while still moving at a reasonable speed.
- A high Dexterity score makes the character more likely to hit enemies,
and they do more damage with missile weapons. It also helps them to move
faster and to dodge enemy attacks.
- A high Magic score is essential for Mages and Priests as it gives them
more MP and allows them to cast the more difficult spells. It is also
useful for all characters as it protects them from magical attacks.
- A high Charm score is very useful in town, where it helps you to get good
prices in shops, to recruit new characters, and to get favors from your
friends and teachers.
- A high Stealth score makes it less likely that monsters will notice you.
It is especially helpful if you want to use 'stealth mode' to sneak around
the dungeon.
- A high Perception score is useful for noticing traps, secret doors, and
stealthy monsters in the dungeon. It also lets you see further and even see
a short distance in the dark. Essential for archery at long range, too.
When your character gains enough experience points (XP), they will go up a
level. At this stage you get to increase two of their scores - choose which
two carefully. They will also gain some HP, and if they are a Mage or a
Priest, they will gain MPs and be able to learn more spells.
Your characters gain experience points (XP) by slaying monsters. The
tougher the monster, the more XP they gain. These XP are divided among all
the characters who are on the level at the time - so although a Priest may
not be able to kill as many monsters as a Warrior, they still get an equal
share of the reward, because they contribute in other ways. (Hint: when
your characters go up a level, they will no longer get as much XP for
killing weaker monsters. They have to fight increasingly tough monsters to
get the same amount of XP.)
Characters start at Level 1 and need 100 XP to reach Level 2. The highest
they can reach in this chapter of the game is Level 5.
Exploring the dungeon
=====================
The Guild dungeon is a dangerous place. Your characters can gain
experience, valuable items, gold pieces and renown by exploring, but at the
risk of their lives.
You can see a complete list of commands by pressing the '?' key. The first
help page will show you how to move around the dungeon, attack monsters,
cast spells, use objects, and check out your characters' gear. The second
help page shows some special commands (like saving the game, quitting, or
dumping a screenshot). It also shows you how to inspect your entire group,
how to give orders to the other characters, and how to control a different
character.
If you want to change the command keys, you can do this using a 'keymap'
file - look in the \lib\keymap folder for more information about this.
Many monsters inhabit the dungeon. Use the '/' (look) command to identify
something on the map. If in doubt, either attack it or run away! If you
find an object and don't know what it is, pick it up and use the '\'
(examine) command to find out something about it. If you're still baffled,
you could try taking it back to town and showing it to some of the NPCs. Or
try using it and see what happens.
The 'O' (order) command, and the alternate versions 'W' (whisper) and 'Y'
(yell), are used to give instructions to your other characters. There is a
list of orders you can give. Probably the ones you should use most at first
are "Follow me!", "Wait where you are", "Battle any monsters you find, but
don't stray too far from me", "Go there...", and "Run for your life!". In
the long run, though, all the orders are useful. Using them effectively is
key to success in Guild.
If you go back to town and then return to the dungeon, you will need to
repeat any 'standing orders' like "follow me!" as your friends will have
forgotten them.
You can climb a level at the stairs up '<', or go further into the dungeon
at the stairs down '>'. (Hint: you may find it easier to order all your
friends to leave the level first using the 'U' or 'D' hotkeys, wait at the
stairs until they have all left, and then follow them.)
Beware, if you go deeper into the dungeon, you will meet more dangerous
monsters. At first it is easier just to explore the top level of the
dungeon, then return to town and rest. When your characters become more
experienced you can explore deeper levels - but you will need to be careful
and conserve your HP and MP, as these do not regenerate in the dungeon!
Your party must stick together. If one of your characters takes the stairs
down, then all the rest must follow them down - the stairs up are now
closed to you. Conversely, if one of your characters takes the stairs up,
all the others must follow them up.
There are several ways to regain HP and MP. The easiest is to leave the
dungeon and go back to town. Otherwise, healing potions and magic potions
can be bought from the Alchemist in town. If one of your characters is a
priest with the Cure Wounds spell, they can heal wounded characters. (But
beware, once a character has been healed many times in a single dungeon
trip, each extra healing spell or potion becomes less effective.)
If one of your characters is reduced to 0 HP in battle, they will become
unconscious. You must then rescue them. Pick their body up (it is very
heavy!), and take their equipment if you can, and leave the dungeon as
quickly as possible. If you can bring their unconscious body back to town,
they will be healed at the Temple and will make a complete recovery. If you
leave them in the dungeon, they will certainly die.
A character that is reduced way below 0 HP in a single hit will be killed
instantly. You cannot revive them by any means. However, you should do the
decent thing and bring their body back to town for burial.
You'll need some light in the dungeon. You can use a candle, torch, or
lantern - wield it and press '*' to light it. However, you can only do this
while you are 'in melee mode' - so if you have a lighted torch in your
hands, you won't be able to use a bow, crossbow, or throwing weapon.
(You'll be able to wield it, but not actually use it.) If your torch or
candle burns out, wield another one and relight it. You can also get light
from some items, or by casting some Mage or Priest spells.
Sometimes you may find traps in the dungeon (a high Perception really helps
here). Traps can be disarmed by a Rogue if they have a high Dexterity score
- use the '=' command. If you can't disarm the trap, you can just walk over
it without triggering it by using the 'a' (avoid) command - providing your
Dexterity is adequate - but watch out, one of your friends may still set it
off accidentally. Some chests can also be trapped. A Rogue can check a
chest, and disarm a trap on it if there is one, using the '=' command again.
Some Mage or Priest spells can also be used to detect or disarm traps.
If you can't find your way into a large blank part of the map, there may be
a secret passage that leads into it. Secret doors look like ordinary walls
until you notice them. They can be spotted from a distance if your
Perception is high enough, or you can find and open them just by walking
into them.
Locked doors are also found in the dungeon. A Rogue can pick the lock if
they have a high Dexterity (just walk into the door), or a Mage or Priest
can cast a spell to open the door, or a strong character can just break it
down (just walk into it).
Casting spells
==============
If you are controlling a mage or priest character, you can cast a spell by
pressing the 'm' key. You need to have enough MPs left, and if you are a
mage, you can't be wearing heavy armor or gloves, or wielding a weapon or a
torch. You also need to have a high enough Magic rating - some advanced
spells need a Magic score of 18 or more.
Wands are very useful if you wield them when you cast spells. They can
allow you to cast some new spells - for example, a prentice wand allows you
to cast the Magelight, Prestidigitation and Feather Fall spells - and they
make your spells cost less MPs. Try experimenting with a wand to find out
how much cheaper it makes your spells... You may later find staffs, which
are like wands but can also be used as a melee weapon. Priests may find
relics and rods, which work the same way.
To find out the powers of a new wand, staff, relic or rod, you will have to
take it to a knowledgeable person who can tell you - until you do this, you
will not get the full benefit from wielding it.
You'll notice that your mage characters don't have many spells, and the
spells they do have are quite weak. To get more spells, persuade your
teacher to teach them to you, or look for spellbooks in the dungeon. When
you've gained a new spell, it will be added to your party spell list. Any
of your mage characters can then choose the "Study the party's spellbooks'
option in town, and learn the new spell. Experiment with the new spell to
find out what it does (you may want to do this in your house). As your
party finds more spells, your mages will become much more effective.
Priests gain spells differently. Each new priest character will have a
different assortment of spells. They can't change those spells later, and
they can't use spellbooks to learn new spells. When they go up a level,
they should visit the Temple, where the town priest will decide which new
spells to give them. As a result, it is hard to get a priest with exactly
the spells you want, which puts them at a disadvantage compared to Mages.
(On the other hand, Priests are much better at fighting.)
Do you find that your Mages and Priests keep running out of MPs? There are
many ways to conserve your MPs.
-One way is to carry magic potions, but these are expensive.
-Another way is to make sure that your character is using a good wand or
rod whenever they cast spells. Choose the best wand for the spell you are
casting - for example, Magic Arrow costs 1 MP with a gnarled wand, 2 MPs
with a willow wand or 3 MPs if you use no wand at all.
-Make sure your Mages and Priests have a high Magic score as this gives
them more MPs. Equipment that increases your Magic score, like an
apprentice robe, does not help here - only the base Magic score counts.
-Your friends can get over-enthusiastic and use a lot of MPs against weak
enemies. To prevent this, tell them to save their magical energy using the
'1', '2', or '3' orders. Try also using the 'C' or 'u' orders, which tell
them not to use particular spells. You must repeat these orders each time
you visit the dungeon.
-When you go down the stairs and reach a new depth in the dungeon, all your
Mages and Priests will get a small MP boost. Can be very helpful if you are
diving to the deeper parts of the dungeon.
Sneaking
========
Any character can sneak, if they have a good enough Stealth score. Press
's' to go into stealth mode (the character number turns grey onscreen). You
can now sneak around the dungeon, hopefully without the monsters noticing
you. This allows you to scout out new areas or find treasure - without
getting into fights. It can also be a good way of escaping a dangerous
monster.
Rogues have some special abilities that can only be used while sneaking. If
you manage to sneak up on a monster and attack them at close quarters, you
will be given the option to pick their pocket. This is a good way of
stealing treasure from a monster without getting into a fight, if your
Dexterity is good enough. If you decide not to pick the monsters's pocket,
you will launch a Backstab attack instead! This is a very effective attack
and can deal a lot of damage, particularly if you use an appropriate weapon
(a knife or sword, or some special Rogue weapons found only in the
dungeon).
You must be careful to be very quiet while sneaking. Getting into fights,
yelling to your companions, getting hit by traps, or casting spells can all
alert enemies. If you make a loud noise, your character will drop out of
stealth mode (the character number turns yellow again). This is a dangerous
situation - try to go back into stealth mode again as soon as possible.
Also, if you are sneaking around and an enemy spots you (because you bump
into them, for example), they will be on the lookout from then on and you
will not be able to sneak past them or their friends again.
Usually you should sneak alone. Tell the rest of your characters to stay
where they are and wait until you come back (use the 'W-*-w' command, where
W stands for 'whisper an order'). If you decide to bring your friends with
you, make sure they are all sneaking ('W-*-S') and tell them not to attack
any monsters ('W-*-B') - otherwise they will alert your enemies and you
will all be spotted.
Of course you cannot sneak while carrying a bright light. So if you are
going to sneak around dark areas, you need some way of seeing in the dark.
One way is to have a high Perception (at least 13, preferably more). If
you can't see in the dark, you can carry a lighted candle, but it does make
it much more likely that you will be spotted.
Some monsters have an excellent sense of hearing and are more likely to
spot you than others. A few monsters have the power to detect invisible
things and will see you immediately. If you are sneaking and see an enemy
coming towards you purposefully, run away!!
In sum, sneaking is one of the more difficult parts of the game and can be
very dangerous, but can also be very effective.
Having trouble?
===============
Guild is not a particularly easy game, and you may find you're dying a lot.
Here are some hints...
- Don't be too ambitious. Instead of trying to go deep into the dungeon,
explore the top level of the dungeon, and leave when you start running low
on HP or MP. Repeat.
- You need some way of healing wounded characters. You really want a priest
with the Cure Wounds spell, plenty of MPs, and a good rod. Don't let that
priest spend all their MP on other spells (unless absolutely necessary).
Failing that, carry plenty of healing potions - it's expensive but well
worth it.
- Don't make a habit of wandering round with low HP - sooner or later you
will run into a tough monster and get killed.
- Run away! You don't have to fight everything. If you see a tough enemy,
retreat up the stairs - they won't follow you.
- You need to control your friends effectively; it's a key part of the
game. Get used to using the order commands. If necessary, practice in the
house, where no monsters are going to come after you.
- Pick the location of your fights. Much better this:
#4#
# #
#2###### (Orcs come through the doorway one by one and are
#1oooooo quickly cut down by your three characters.
#3###### Your vulnerable character 4 is not exposed to attack.)
# #
# #
than this:
########
#oo #
#41o / (Orcs surround you and can all attack you at once.
/ 32o # Your vulnerable character 4 will be killed quickly.)
# oo #
########
- Be careful with poison. Strong characters shrug it off, but a single dose
of poison can kill a weak character. Make sure you have some way of curing
or resisting poison (an antidote potion, for example).
- Scout out the territory you're about to move into. Use a divination spell
like Detect Evil or Clairvoyance, or scout ahead with a sneaking Rogue.
You'll have a much better chance of surviving if you know what you're
getting into.
- Leave weak or wounded characters somewhere safe while your toughest
characters clear the level. Many monsters will attack your weakest
character first, so don't give them the opportunity.
- You may think your Warrior doesn't need a high Magic score - but think
again: Magic controls their resistance to dangerous magical attacks which
can put them to sleep, charm them, or paralyse them. Having your best
Warrior charmed by an enemy Hag can be a disaster.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoying Guild? Doing well? Getting frustrated?
Why don't you write to Antoine at
antoine.from.rgrd@gmail.com and tell him how
you're getting on (or post to the rec.games.roguelike.misc newsgroup).
