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1999-20-06

       Pants
              Pink                        Raincoat
              Plaid                       Robe
              Purple                      Scarf
              Red                         Shirt
              Silver                      Skirt
              Striped                     Socks
              White                       Tie
              Yellow                      Toga
                                          Vest

4.1.2 FOOD AND DRINKS

Also, one of the first things you'll notice in The City, is that some of your characters
will get hungry and thirsty very, very fast, and if you leave them that way, their stats
will deteriorate quickly.

Food can be very expensive and not very satisfying if you aren't carefull. The Official
Cluebook has some very good tips that teaches you the ways of the Taverns.

In addition, I can say from experience, that it is going to take alot of money (from an
initial point of view) if you want to build up a safety buffer of food packets, since the
characters tends to eat them whenever he feels for a snack, and if you don't have enough,
it can be hard to find a Tavern which carries them at the time.

In the list below, every meal has a price for every tavern. Please note, however, that I
have not seen each and every one of those meals in all of the taverns, so they may not
be availible there (such prices are calculated, but hopefully accurate).

Check 4.3.1 for complete Tavern names and locations (prices are in coppers):

Food/Drink        Tail  Mom Tavern Tears Stop LLoyd Hunter

 Ale                6    4      2     5    3     3      4
 Beer               4    3      1     3    2     2      2
 Grape Juice        6    4      2     5    3     3      4
 Grog               4    3      1     3    2     2      2
 Milk               4    3      1     3    2     2      2
 Mineral Water      4    3      1     3    2     2      2
 Orange Juice       6    4      2     5    3     3      4
 Sasperilla         6    4      2     5    3     3      4
 Spirits           10    8      4     9    6     5      7
 Water              2    1      0     1    1     1      1
 Water Flask       10    8      4     9    6     5      7
 Wine               8    6      3     7    4     4      5

 Apple Pie         24   19      9    21   14    12     16
 Bagel             12    8      4    10    7     6      8
 Bowl of Chili     20   16      8    18   12    10     14
 Block of Cheese   30  24     12    27   18    15     21
 Bowl of Fruit     50   40     20    45   30    25     35
 Chokolate Cake    20   16      8    18   12    10     14
 Crayfish          80   64     32    72   48    40     56
 Filet of Beef    140  112     56   126   84    70     98
 Food Packet       50   40     20    45   30    25     35
 Fried Chicken    100   80     40    90   60    50     70
 Gruel              8    6      3     7    4     4      5
 Ham              120   96     48   108   72    60     84
 Lamb             112   89     44    98   67    56     70
 Lasagna           60   48     24    54   36    30     42
 Leg of Dragon    600  480    240   540  360   300    420
 Leg of Lamb      160  128     64   144   96    80    112
 Lemon Pie         24   19      9    21   14    12     16
 Loaf of Bread     16   12      6    14    9     8     10
 Lobster          200  160     80   180  120   100    140
 Pasta             60   48     24    54   36    30     42
 Pemmican          40   32     16    36   24    20     28
 Plate of greens   36   28     14    30   21    18     25
 Pork Ribs         60   48     24    54   36    30     42
 Rack of Lamb      80   64     32    72   48    40     56
 Ragu of beef      66   52     26    59   39    33     46
 Ragu of Dragon   100   80     40    90   60    50     70
 Roast Beef       100   80     40    90   60    50     70
 Roast Chicken     50   40     20    45   30    25     35
 Roast Dragon     300  240    120   270  180   150    210
 Sandwich          20   16      8    18   12    10     14
 Smoked Fish       50   40     20    45   30    25     35
 Vegetable Soup    10    8      4     9    6     5      7

The Dancing Nymph Tavern has the exact same prices as Mom's Bar.
The Black Devil Tavern has the exact same prices as The Happy Hunter Tavern.
The Flaming Dragon Tavern and The Screaming Siren Tavern
has the exact same prices as the Last Stop.

PLEASE NOTE: None of the Taverns with entrance fees has been covered yet.

4.1.3 WEAPONS AND ARMOUR

Tools of vital importance if you wish to defeat your foes. And there will be foes.

If you are lucky, you will find a good weapon or armor after combat, though, depending on
what character you use, such treasure is very rare. Take note of the Cluebook's notes on
weapon, combat and smithies. In addition, Occum's Weaponsmiths (19E, 31N) usually carries
a cheap dagger in the beginning which is always a good start.

Here is a list of all the different weapons and armour:

Weapons           Armor               Shields

 Battle Axe        Banded Armor        Shield
 Battle Hammer     Chain Mail          Small Shield
 Dagger            Leather Armor       Spiked Shield
 Flail             Padded Armor        Tower Shield
 Long Sword        Plated Armor
 Short Sword       Scale Mail
 Stilleto          Splint Armor
 Sword             Studded Leather
 War Net
 Whip

4.1.4 TREASURE

As the cluebooks tells, you'r ability to find treasure in The City relies on luck,
the hidden treasure finding stat and the type of monster you encounter.

A good way to find treasure in the beginning are by way of killing muggers, and,
if you dare to venture out at night, Gremlins. Gremlins are very weak and almost
always carry some sort of treasure.

Listed below are weapons and armor, both mundane and magical, which can be found after
combat. But you will also be able to find money (gold, silver and copper), precious
stones (gems and jewels which can be appraised at banks) and potions (see the Official
Cluebook for a very good rundown on those).

The Crystal Plate and the Magical Flamesword, which can only be found as Treasure (ie. not
availible in any shops) are considered to be, by far, the best equipment in the game.

Crystal Plate       Magical Flamesword     Magical Tower Shield
Elfin Chain         Magical Battleaxe      Magical War Net
Plate Mail          Magical Battlehammer   Magical Spiked Shield
Banded Armor        Magical Flail          Magical Shield
Chain Mail          Magical Whip           Magical Small Shield
Splint Mail         Magical Longsword
Scale Mail          Magical Sword
Ring Mail           Magical Shortsword
Studded Leather     Magical Stilleto
Leather Armor       Magical Dagger
Padded Armor            

4.2 ITEMS IN THE DUNGEON

Sequels are usually better (hopefully) than their predecessors, and atleast for the items
and the inventory, this is true for the Alternate Reality games. All items in The Dungeon
have a set weight, and the inventory is much easier to manage.

Even though The City has many more shops than The Dungeon, and pherhaps just because of
that, items tend to be more easy to come by, and there are certainly more varied ways to
get them. For example, if you join a Guild, fellow guild members will, if you are short on
a vital item, hand you one, or, you can sometimes find special items lying on the floor in
special areas (one of the best weapons in the game, for example, is Razor Ice which is located
but a short walk from your starting point).

Also, another important factor in The Dungeon is that you can sell the items you find,
which you couldn't in The City. This is great in the beginning, if you have joined a Guild,
since you can then go and remove any curse that the weapon has, and then use the stairway
(49E, 46N) near the Well-lit area to reach the Dwarven Smithy (17E, 24N), and then sell the
items for money!

Food and water is also managed in an easier way, being almost always availible at the
Damon & Phtyias Shoppe (46E, 59N) (whereas in The City, you had to chase Taverns which
could supply them), and since they are vital when you plan on making long journeys, you can
choose when to consume them manually. The same goes for torches (also a very vital thing in
the beginning of the game).

4.2.1 TREASURE

*** IMPORTANT NOTICE: *********************************************************************

This area is currently under construction. As each monster in The Dungeon can carry both
standard items (food, money etc.), special items (as mentioned in the Cluebook) and also
has it's own items, this list will narrow it down to the last option (like the Water Sprite's
Trident for example). As there are alot of monsters in The Dungeon, as with The City, work
in progress is slow. Anyone who feels that they possess information that they think would be
a valuable contribution to this section, please contact me at robert.hagenstrom@ebox.tninet.se

*******************************************************************************************

4.2.2 ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS

These are the true treasures of The Dungeon. A real pain to find, if you don't know where
to look (since there are rarely clues to where to find most of them), but a salvation when
you find them.

The abilites of these items are as varied as they are numerous. The Cluebook for The
Dungeon contains very good descriptions of these items, with the exeption that Melvin's
Helm actually increases damage done to your head, and that the Bolt Gun is missing.

Here are the locations of all the one-of-a-kind items:

Name                       Locations

 Crossbow [03]              6E, 62N       Level 1
 Thunder Quarrels [10]      11E, 62N        "
 Whetstone                  31E, 62N        "        
 Golden Apple               31E, 59N        "
 Staff of Amber             11E, 36N        "
 Six Pack [6]               17E, 48N        "
 Lodestone                  38E, 57N        "
 Page of Cups               62E, 56N        "
 Winged Sandals             47E, 45N        "
 Morgana's Tiara            44E, 45N        "
 Helm of Light              41E, 45N        "
 Truesilver Coat            42E, 38N        "
 Potion of Restoration      45E, 38N        "
 The Star (card)            48E, 38N        "
 Sword of the Adept         3E, 23N         "
 Amethyst Rod               3E, 15N         "
 Saurian Brandy             9E, 8N          "
 Map Stone                  59E, 28N        "
 Razor Ice                  60E, 23N        "
 Blue Pearl Dagger          48E, 25N        "
 Crystal Breastplate        8E, 23N       Level 2
 Death (card)               19E, 5N         "
 Robin's Hood               0E, 14N         "
 Flame Quarrels [10]        4E, 10N       Level 3
 Junai's Sword              9E, 0N          "
 Iron Palm Salve            9E, 3N          "
 Melvin's Helm              5E, 5N        Room of Confusion
 Cloak of Levitation        19E, 29N      Level 2
 Beam Weapon [99]           2E, 0N        Level 4

 Gauss Riftle [99]          33E, 62N      Level 1
 Solar Suit                 36E, 62N        "

See section 5.2.1 on how to acquire the last two items.

4.3 ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY

What other game let you, on a cool but clear night, wander around a city, from tavern to
tavern, and listen and be entertained by good music and dancing and drink from the local
establishment's selection of beverages, and even become a bit drunk.

No other game offered such a widespread selection of shops and inns, and no other game
ever have had such a level of interactivity as The City had (and no other game succeeded
to appeal to one's vanity as The City; why, if not only to get that expensive Fine Gold
Dragonskin Raincoat, do you continue to play the game as a Level 13 character).

Maps to pinpoint these locations, are at http://user.tninet.se/~lan3180/alternate-reality/
and they are dumps from the original source code so they are 100% accurate! (Even showing
certain areas in The City which can't be accesed in a normal game.)

4.3.1 TAVERNS

The Tavern, along with the Smithy, was the peak of the games interactivity. Each Tavern
had different opening times, different menus (that changed from time to time) and
different prices. On top of that, they served different appetizers and had different
music playing too, along with some random events that occasionally occured.

The cluebook has some notes on taverns, which you should read. Also, when you entered a
tavern you got some choises on where to sit. These were as follows. If you wanted to
sit at the bar, you got to listen to the band (and watch the various events that could
occur around that), and from time to time, strangers would wander in whom you could
interact with. If you chose to sit at a table, you still got the band playing, but you
wouldn't be disturbed by anyone entering the tavern. And finally, in the private booth,
you were isolated from both the music playing and any wandering strangers.

Here is the list of all the tavern names and locations:

Name                       Location        Opening hours        Membership fee

 Flaming Dragon Tavern      60E, 2N
 Misty Mountain Tavern      1E, 54N         11:00-03:00          3,000
 Screaming Siren Bar        44E, 9N         16:00-04:00
 Happy Hunter Rest Stop     7E, 24N         00:00-08:00
 Dancing Nymph Tavern       41E, 34N        16:00-08:00
 The Club                   33E, 53N        18:00-23:00          1,500
 Black Devil Tavern         32E, 19N        00:00-06:00
 (Lost Oasis) Tavern        20E, 62N
 Last Stop                  52E, 56N
 Tail of the Dog            39E, 29N
 Club Babalyon              57N, 33E        10:00-05:00          50,000
 Lost Tears Tavern          13E, 12N
 Mom's Bar                  5E, 35N
 Lusty Lloyds               60E, 30N

4.3.2 INNS

The Inns were the only means of sleep you had in The City. And sleep you needed, since the
character realistically got tired if he stayed awake for long times. More importantly, it
was also the easiest way to recover lost Hit Points. This was also the only way to check
the time in the 8-bit version of The City.

As with everything in The City, you had alot of options here. In this case, the options
were where you would sleep and for how long, and depending on what you chose, you got
various healing bonuses.

There are two tables here, one with locations, and one with prices (and the prices of
lodging doesn't change from time to time):

Name                       Location

 Green Boar Inn             9E,  19N
 Lazy Griffin Inn           33E, 52N
 Sleeping Dragon Inn        60E, 6N
 Travellers Inn             31E, 25N
 Midnight Inn               32E, 23N
 Warriors Retreat Inn       28E, 54N
 Royal Resort               31E, 3N

Sleep                      Green   Lazy   Dragon   Travel   Midnigt   Warrior   Royal

 the common area floor       10     16        5       60        30         7      80
 a Bed with no bath          20     32       10      120        60        15     160
 a Bed with common bath      30     48       15      180        90        22     240
 a Room, with common bath    40     64       20      240       120        30     320
 a Room with bath            50     80       25      300       150        37     400
 a Premium Room             100    160       50      600       300        75     800
 a Deluxe Room              200    320      100    1,200       600       150   1,600
 a Small Suite              400    640      200    2,400     1,200       300   3,200
 a Suite                    800  1,280      400    4,800     2,400       600   6,400
 Out BEST Suite           1,600  2,560      800    9,600     4,800     1,200  12,800

4.3.3 BANKS

The banking system in The City is a very advanced one. They provide you with interest and
also a risque of account failures. A low risk account has a 0.6% interest per day, and a
0.1% failure risk per day, medium risk has 1.3% interest and 1.0% failures, and high risk
has 3.2% interest and a 3.3% account failure risk per day.

To keep track of things, The City lets you view your balance, your interest rate and even
the account failure history of the bank, whenever you want. You can also appraise gems and
jewelry for a small fee, and then sell them (but always get a second opinion since jewelry,
while more expensive to appraise, can give you up to 100 gold).

Name                       Location        Opening Hours

 Grams Gold Exchange        2E,  61N        ??
 Granite Bank               38E, 27N        ??
 First City Bank            30E, 6N         ??

4.3.4 GUILDS

As you probably know, the Guilds award you a bonus the first time you enter them. This
can, if you want, be seen as the game's first and only quest; to get all the knowledge
the Guilds has to offer.

Also, ignore the highlighted option to join the guild. That only works in the 16-bit
versions of the game, not in the 8-bit (an option which, together with the two hidden
guilds, would be enabled and opened up with The Arena).

Name                       Location        Increase               Remove Curse

 Thieves Guild              43E, 34N        Skill                  9,000
 Blue Wizards Guild         18E, 47N        Physical Speed         3,000
 Light Wizards Guild        2E,  4N         Wisdom                 2,700
 Green Wizards Academy      11E, 42N        Stamina                3,000
 Red Wizards University     47E, 14N        Strength               3,000
 Dark Wizards Guild         33E, 21N        Charisma               3,100
 Star Wizards Guild         27E, 11N        Hit Points + Strength  2,000
 Wizards of Chaos Guild     50E, 59N        Charisma               4,000
 Wizards of Law Guild       61E, 49N        Wisdom                 3,800
 Guild of Order             57E, 49N        Intelligence           4,000
 Physicians Guild           5E,  14N        Hit Points             7,000
 Assassins Guild            55E,  2N        Suprise Attacks        11,000

 Mercenary Guild            32E, 55N        Strength               12,000
 Power Wizard Institute     25E, 44N        Stamina                2,500

The last two Guilds are not normally availible in the game.

4.3.5 HEALERS

Healers doesn't seem to have any fixed opening times, but rather they come and go as they
please (that is, the cursed doctor is never there when you need him). Neither do they seem
to have any fixed prices on their services, rather prices on cleansing diseases or curing
poisons can range from anything from 200 to 800 (they also increase after purchase).

If you chose to remove a disease and exit and find that the Diseased! text is still
there, don't panic; it will wear of in a few minutes.

Diagnose can only be chosen after you have gotten a disease warning, and it's only effect
is that it names your ailment.

Name                       Location        Opening Hours    Prices

 One Way Soothers           29E, 29N        Random?          Random?
 Alpha Omega Healers        4E,  19N        Random?          Random?

4.3.6 SMITHIES

The Smithy is the most complex character in the whole game. All is not known about the smithy,
but atleast we know that he has a memory of you, he knows wether you're good or evil and there
seems to be a intricate system for haggling with him (it is also possible, but I don't know for
certain, that your Intelligence or Charisma may go up if you make a good deal, and that he may
increase his prices if he doesn't like you).

Name                       Location        Opening Hours

 Occums Weaponsmiths        19E, 32N        05:00-21:59
 Sharp Weaponsmiths         54E,  9N        04:00-20:59
 Knights Armorers           50E, 35N        11:00-15:59
 Best Armorers              32E, 27N        08:00-19:59

4.3.7 SHOPS

While the Shops had one (or maybe two) major functions, namely providing clothing to keep
you warm (or providing outrageous outfitts to milk you of money), and of course letting
you have the compass for 5 silvers, it is still unknown if there were other purposes.
Clothing are rumored to have a 'dapper' effect, which would affect the way that other
citizens viewed you, but no hard facts has ever been revealed about this.

Name                       Location        Opening Hours

 Best Bargain Store         35E, 30N        09:00-22:00
 Honest Trader              35E, 24N        08:00-22:00
 Exclusive Outfitters       21E, 43N        11:00-16:00
 Smiley's Shop              25E, 15N        08:00-21:00
 Sunset Market              33E, 55N        09:00-20:00
 Warrior's Supplies         26E, 59N        05:00-18:00
 Ono Goods                  9E,  37N        09:00-18:00
 Adventurers Outfitters     3E,  12N        08:00-20:00
 Da Place (north)           60E, 61N        08:00-18:00
 General Store              55E, 17N        05:00-00:00
 Merchants Grotto           52E,  9N        04:00-20:00
 Pauline's Emporium         46E, 37N        11:00-17:00
 Betelguese Sales           38E, 56N        03:00-23:00
 Da Place (south)           19E,  5N        08:00-18:00
 Grubron Imports            0E,  13N        10:00-15:00

4.3.8 OTHER LOCATIONS

When The City was made, it was made with the intention that The Arena and The Wilderness
would be released. However, since this didn't happen, alot of features in the game never
got any use. That is the case with these locations, as in the game, they are all (except
for the Floating Gate of course) "closed by order of The Palace". However, it is fun to
see that they are there and to think of what could have been.

Name                       Location

 House of Ill-Repute        42E, 35N
 Acrinimirils Gate          31E, 36N
 Floating Gate              35E, 27N
 Maximum Casino             39E, 36N
 Jacks Fitness Academy      54E, 4N

 Davids Weapons Trainers    23E, 47N
 Armstrong Builders         25E, 50N
 Apollo Trainers            26E, 46N

The last three trainers are not normally availible in the game.

 Grogs Weapons Trainers     Not on the map
 Flash Weapons Trainers     Not on the map

4.4 LOCATIONS IN THE DUNGEON

Whereas The City didn't have any of it's special locations implemented (they were all 'closed
by the order of the Palace'), The Dungeon had dozens of them! It took some time to find them
all, but luckily, most of them had clues which pointed you in the right direction in one way
or another.

4.4.1 GUILDS

There were two kinds of Guilds in The Dungeon; Good guilds and Evil guilds. These Guilds were
often at war with each other, so if you joined one guild, you instantly made enemies with
another (if you didn't use the Ace of Cups, that is). But you also made friends in your Guild,
who could come and help you in The Dungeon if you were ever in need (to give you torches,
timepieces, compasses, food, water, money or even advice). You also got a Guild Locker, which
acted as the eqvivalent of a City Bank, but without any risk of it being robbed. The most
important thing, however, was the Guild Ring, in which you stored the spell points needed to
cast the spells the guild would offer to learn you. But you didn't always have to rely on your
Guild to recharge the ring or train you in Spell Casting; you could use Crystals for that and
whenever you cast a spell, there was a chance that it's success rate would increase a bit.

To replenish your Guild Ring by using Crystals, simply press U to Use and select your Guild
Ring; 1 Crystal will be drawn from your inventory and become [10] Guild Ring charges.

Name                    Location

Wizards of Chaos Guild    50E, 59N
Wizards of Law Guild      62E, 49N
Guild of Order            58E, 49N
Thieves Guild             44E, 33N
Light Wizards Guild       2E,   4N
Dark Wizards Guild        33E, 21N
Paladins Guild            2E,  26N  Level 2
Mercenaries Guild         8E,  12N  Level 2

4.4.2 FOUNTAINS

The Fountains in The Dungeon provided you with a small safety buffer if you couldn't reach The
Well Lighted Area. They were strategically placed, since on Level 2, you probably don't want to
waste time to go up to the Well Lit Arean to find a healer to cure your diseases, and on Level
3, having gotten that far, you probably are quite tired already getting there.

Fountain

Cure Wounds               14E, 10N  Level 1
Cure Diseases             24E, 15N  Level 2
Cure Fatigue              15E,  1N  Level 3

4.4.3 TRANSPORTERS

This may be something that is unknown to many, but if mastered, it can be a great way to
travel in The Dungeon. There are alot of different transporters scattered around. Some will
transport you to places where you will find interesting things, and some may transport you
into near certain death.

Here is a list of all transporters, including from where and to where they take you.

Location                Destination

 56E, 48N                43E, 35N  Level 1
 54E, 48N                43E, 32N  Level 1
 56E, 42N                24E,  4N  Level 1
 46E, 36N                18E, 22N  Level 1
 5E, 47N                 58E, 58N  Level 1
 9E, 17N                 54E, 56N  Level 1
 15E, 21N  Level 2       60E, 56N  Level 1
 7E, 19N   Level 2       11E, 21N  Level 2
 11E, 3N   Level 3       0E,   3N  Room of C
 2E, 2N    Room of C     13E,  0N  Level 3
 Blink Mines             18E, 22N  Level 1

Elevator Buttons (2E, 5N Level 4)

 Blue                    45E, 41N  Level 1
 Red                     31E, 22N  Level 2
 Green                   9E,   3N  Level 3

Ozob's Door Puzzle is not listed here. See the Solution to The Dungeon for details on that.

4.4.4 LIST OF LOCATIONS

The locations in The Dungeon can roughly be placed in two categories. Either they were hidden
shops with special items or services on sale, or they had something to do with a Quest in the
game. No matter what category the location belonged to, though, they were both widely spread
out in the game. Each location also featured it's unique graphics, though not all locations
were blessed with music (visit http://user.tninet.se/~lan3180/alternate-reality/ for a
screenshot of each location).

Here is a list of all the special locations in The Dungeon with a short description.

Name                         Location Short Description

Damon & Pythias Shoppe       46E, 59N Buy rations, etc. Watch Omar's math abilities
The Retreat                  55E, 60N Sleep for any amount of coppers (optimal: 36)
Der Rathskeller Bar & Grille 60E, 61N Eat food and interact with other visitors
Palace Prison                59E, 36N Free Ozob with Silver Key and learn Temporal Fugue
The Chapel                   27E, 55N Pray for alignment and consult with priest
The Chapel Sanctuary         31E, 54N Get free lodging and food (S:T Percival's Mace & a Spell)
Gram's Gold Exchange Vault   2E,  61N Option to steal money and bribe guards
Goblin King's Palace         2E,  49N Battle the Goblin King for a Ring half
Acrinimiril's Tomb           31E, 36N Bring the three staff pieces and get rewards
First City Bank Vault        30E,  6N Option to steal money and bribe guards
Oracle of Wisdom             35E, 27N Get quests and enlightment for gold coins
Weapon Enchantress           45E,  2N Enchant your items with magical powers
Troll King's Palace          56E,  6N Battle the Goblin King for a Ring half
Dwarven Smithy               16E, 24N Buy and sell weapons and armor (and order custom items)
Lucky's Potion Brewery       7E,   6N Buy potions and try experimental brews
Undead King's Palace         13E,  5N Get the staff piece from the Undead King
River Crossing               28E, 12N Pay 2 coppers at midnight to pass (or go downstream)
Clothes Horse's Room         26E, 23N Exchange fancy clothing for the Mirrored Shield
Great Dragon's Lair          3E, 1N   Battle the Wyrm or get him the Bloodstone
Fearsome Gargoyle            2E, 5N   Answer the Riddlers questions and receive clues
Death's Door                 8E, 7N   Use the PAC card to get to Level 4
Alien Control Room           6E, 4N   Use the Mirrored Shield to avoid the Alien's laser
Elevator                     2E, 5N   Take the Elevator to all the different levels

ACRINIMIRIL'S TOMB DETAILS

Acrinimiril's Tomb is the place the main quest in The Dungeon evolves around. It is the place
where the spirit of the wizard Acrinimiril is trapped (see section 2.4 for his own story).

However, due to the huge spoiler an exact description of this place, and the events which occur
here would be, (as if the tips that are already here aren't enough) you will have to uncover
it's secrets by yourself!

UNDEAD KING'S PALACE DETAILS

A visit to the Undead King's Palace is also a part of one of the main quests in The Dungeon,
however the journey is filled with dangers as you must traverse both the River Styx and
pass the test of the Seven Undead Knights. Once there, though, you will be rewarded with a
great clue and insight to the mechanics of the alien world of Alternate Reality:

[His exact words as they appear in the game:]

Long ago, on a distant soil,
The Keepers came. What became of
my home, I know not. I awoke in
a strange world. In it were some
like myself, but most were strange
creatures. Many among us forsook the
Way of Knowledge and became sloth,
turning to thievery and murder for
their daily bread. Only I and seven
others remaied True. We learned to
look behind the mask of this world,
and to see The Keepers, who brought
us here to quarrel and fight amongst
ourselves for their amusement. We
taught others our knowledge and stole
the weapons of light from The Keepers.
A great battle was made; but in the
end, we were defeated.
Lest our dreams or home and freedom
die with us on this alien soil,
The Seven took an oath so strong
that it bound them beyond death:
We shall avait the one that will have
the strength to carry on our hope.
You are that one,
Other than the gifts that you have
received from The Seven, I can only
offer you a portion of the staff of
Acrinimiril. The Keepers consider
Acirnimiril mad and are not
aware of his true knowledge.
Seek this knowledge!

FEARSOME GARGOYLE DETAILS

This is the most mysterious character in the whole of Alternate Reality. Originally rumored to
be a friendly alien of some sort, nobody really knows what he is after, or how he really looks
like. In The Dungeon will toy with you and test you with his tricky riddles and do put your
mind into it, because he will have to patience with those who are foolish enough to not
think twice before answering:

[His exact words as they appear in the game:]

A creature old and dark I be;
Thou must be quick to get by me.

If thou'rt wise, 'tis for me to see;
Thou shalt answer my riddles three.

The first is simple--should take no time;
All thou must do is end my rhyme:
Not man nor beast met his demise
(To thee I'm sure 'tis no suprise);
A cruel fate ended it's trek;
Now thou stand'st 'neath a great _________

The first one was was but children's play;

Two more before thou'rt on thy way.

Goblin and Troll, with vilest kings;
Each side has only half of a ring;
Both sides want to possess the whole;
To rule the entire realm's the goal;
If thou should'st get the cursed thing,
There's just one place to cast the ring.

Raven--Writing Desk; Lion--Honey;

Wisdom's gift is more than money.

Not far from here's an evil wyrm,
Whose roar can make the boldest squirm;
He toys with those he likes the best,
And sends them on a fearfull quest;
Treasure he offers - gems and gold -
but his heart's desire must be told.

A beast with fangs and fearsome gaze
Whose hide will stop the keenest blades;

All forms of magic it withstands,
Yet thou might conquer with bare hands.

---

What is my name?

Greetings !

I have a weapon and ammo here for you.
You need them to get past the sentries.
Meet me in your true form on the bridge.

---

The last text section above here wasn't really meant for The Dungeon, but rather was planned
to be revealed in The Wilderness, where apparently a clue to his name would be given. However,
since The Dungeon was the last game released, Datasoft was kind enough to release the name to
those who wanted to solve it, which is: SHINGOR (it has been said that this name is a play with
the name of the Riddler character from the Batman TV series...)

4.4.5 SPECIAL AREAS

Not only were there special locations in The Dungeon with it's special location graphics,
but there where also whole special areas with special graphics and monsters and other things
which affected you in various ways when you entered them (one being the Crystal Caverns with
it's beautifull textures and archways, where the Ice Devils lured and in which you could get
cold and catch the Crystal Doom disease, but which held the Crystal Plate as a reward deep
within a central chamber).

Here is a list of all these special areas with a small description and a rough location:

Name                   Location            Notes

The Well Lit Area      Level 1, NE         No need for torches, easy monsters, many paupers
The City's sewers      Level 1, Edges      Disease spreading Rats and food consuming Molds
Pythonesses' Maze      Level 1, Center     Where you can find the Oracle
Goblins' Demense       Level 1, NW         Lots of Goblins to fight
Troll's Demense        Level 1, SE         Lots of Trolls to fight
Taurean Maze           Level 1, SW         Many fixed monster encounters
The Loop               ???
Ozob's Door Puzzle     Level 1, NW         A Teleporter behind every door
The mausoleum          Level 1, NW         Undead creatures, Tomb of Acrinimiril
Shrine of Monsters     Level 1, NE         Special monster and treasure in every room
The blink minefield    Level 1, SW         Lots of teleporters, to 22E, 18N in Taurean Maze
The Hall of Arches     ???
Cult Room              Level 1, SE         Special symbol on the map, Blue Pearl Dagger
Pelinor's Puzzle       ???
The Hall of Mirrors    Level 2, E          Many Dopplegangers, Clothes Horse
The Crystal Caverns    Level 2, W          Ice Demons and the Crystal Doom disease
The Hall of the Adept  Level 2, E          Egyptian hieroglyfs and a pyramid painting
The River Stonz        Level 2, S          Unreachable area, River Crossing
Realm of the Undead    Level 2, SE         Many undead creatures, egyptian hieroglyfs
Mordred's Maze         Level 2, SW         Lots of ghosts and dark passageways
The hot area           Level 3, S          Many Small Dragons, very warm, very smelly
The Gauntlet           Level 3, Center     Monster in every room, Death's Door at end
The Room of Confusion  RoC                 Special area outside any normal map, Basilisk

SHRINE OF MONSTERS DETAILS

The Shrine of Monsters is a special area south, southwest of the Well Lighted Area
(main entrance is at 48E, 41N). It contains rooms, secured in various ways in which there
are monsters who will give you treasure if you defeat them. Here is a list of the different
room's contents:

Location    Door        Monster          Treasure

 41E, 44N    Locked      4 Flame Demons   Helm of Light
 44E, 44N    Bolted      3 Wraiths        Morgana's Tiara
 47E, 44N    Enchanted   Valkyrie         Winged Sandals
 41E, 38N    Locked      8 Dwarves        Truesilver Coat
 44E, 38N    Bolted      Great Naga       Potion of Restoration
 47E, 38N    Enchanted   Lich             The Star (card)

5. SECRETS AND CHEATS

Now, with this FAQ you really should have gotten enough tips to not have to resolve to
cheating. But also, since this is a FAQ it should contain every little detail about the
games, and since cheating is one of those details, well, here you go!

5.1 SECRET CODES IN THE CITY

Philip Price is a man who is known to not be fond of cheating in computer games, atleast,
not without a negative effect for every positive one. So, there are some codes in The City
which can be entered, but exactly what they do is unknown (even to Philip Price himself at
this day).

Well, by entering your Character's name as "fiat" with the CTRL key pressed down you get
the question "What is Reality?"

The following are the various answers and their cryptic effects:

 cela saute aux yeux  - To be outside of time is to be unchangable.
 sempiternal          - The gift of life is thru love.
 Master of Chronos    - Hail Master of Chronos! But power is fleeting.
 unseen               - That which is invisible is real

If you type an answer incorrectly, you get a message saying "The laws are as they were".

5.2 SECRET CODES IN THE DUNGEON

Of course, The Dungeon also had it's share of codes, but also some cheats (Ken Jordan and
Dan Pinal were apparently a bit more liberal with cheat codes). But another thing was also
introduced; due to the increased size of the game, and the increased size of the code, the
gamers were able to exploit some bugs the programmers didn't think of!

There is also a debugger option in The Dungeon, which is supposedly initiated with the
name 'Adept-1', but I haven't gotten it to work yet.

THE GUILD CODE

This cheat is activated by entering one of the guilds and typing '666' with the keyboard.
You will get a very large amount of Hit Points, but you will also become extremely evil
in the game.

TACTICAL NUKE SPELL

This powerfull cheat is activated by going to a Stairwell and typing '853-1212'. This will
get you a Spell in your spell inventory called Tac Nuke (at 95%) which will make about
1,000 Hit Points of damage to a multiple amount of monsters.

The number is an old telephone number to Datasoft which was printed on The Dungeon box.
If you are going to try the cheat on an emulator, make you you have the 'dash' key correct
before you type it in the stairwell (make a test type in the name character screen).

GOLDEN APPLE TRICK

This cheat is funny in that way that it requires you to be faster than the computer itself
(and believe me it worked on a real Atari 130 XE atleast). Go to the Golden Apple and get to
the menu which gives you the option to get it. Press Y immideately followed by D. This will
get you the apple and open the Drop Item menu. You can now scroll through your items, and
if you were fast enough, you will discover the Golden Apple. Now choose to drop it. You
will still have the Hit Point bonus gained, and you will now also be able to get the Apple
again, with the bonus, the many times as you like (as long as you are fast enough).

STAT SPELLS CHEAT

This is executed by learning a spell in one of the Guilds which raises one of your stats
(also make sure you have learned the maximum amount of spells your mind can hold at your
present level). Go outside the Guild and cast the spell so it takes effect at raises one
of your stats. Then, while the spell is still in effect, quickly go inside the Guild and
choose to learn a spell (either one is fine) and then unlearn the Stat raising Spell that
you just cast. The effect of the spell will then become permanent, and you can do it over
and over again the many times as you like.

ITEM EFFECT CHEAT

This cheat works in a similar way as with the Stat Spells cheat. Equip a one-of-a-kind item
that has a special effect (like the Winged Sandals or the Helm of Light), and then enter
the Dwarven Smithy on level 2. Now try to sell him the item you just equipped, and he'll
refuse. However, he will have removed them item from use and placed it back into your
inventory, but, the effect will still be there, and it will be permanent. This cheat can
also be done over an over again (try giving the Iron Palm Salve to the Smithy again and again
and watch your Bare Hand Damage become greater than even the damage from a Custom Weapon!).

5.2.1 SECRET ITEMS IN THE DUNGEON

There are two items in the game to which there aren't any clues to be found, and still,
there are persons who has been able to figure out the way to access them. I am, of course,
talking about the infamous Solar Suit and Gauss Riftle, and here is the proper way to
access them:

Go and fetch the Amethyst Rod at 3E, 15N which is able to open any door in the game (except
Death's Door, of course). Then make your way down to Level 2, to the Hall of the Adept, and
position yourself in the alcove with the painting of the purple pyramid at 28E, 17N. Face
the northern wall and use the Amethyst Rod and you will be teleported to the end of the
long corridor at 32E, 62N on Level 1 (behind the teleporter which previously hindered your
path there), and there you will find something which looks like evidence of a small battle
(and some disgusting remains which could be an alien) and finally, a Solar Suit and a Gauss
Riftle [95].

The reasons for these weapons being so mysterious and secret in The Dungeon, were that they
weren't meant to be discovered until the release of The Wilderness (which we are all still
waiting for)...

5.3 CHEATING WITH THE EMULATORS

For this, you have to use the Xl-it emulator which's monitor enables you to change the
values in any memory position. You change the value of a memory position with the :
command. It looks something like > : [memory pos to change] [value to change it to].

You can also, for example, directly type : 6345 f f f f for 3,855 Hit Points, or directly
type : 6313 od 16 to go to the Shrine of Monsters (Dungeon), as each following value is
assigned to the next memory position.

5.3.1 MANIPULATING THE CITY

Below is an preliminary list of memory positions in The City. Note that you shold change
all three stat position for the entire stat to change. Stats are believe to be in the
following order: Displayed, Natural, Effective (current).

According to Philip Price, the displayed-only stat exists so that a person can be deluded,
so de thinks he is  strong, but really isn't (could be caused by potions etc.) The opposite
could be true too, he feels he is weak, but really isn't.

Memory    Starting  What is modified
Location  Value     Range+ (Notes)
         
8924      23        West-East Location (nw corner=00,00)
8925      24        North-South Location (nw corner=00,00)

892e      RND       STR (displayed)
895f      RND       STR
8960      RND       STR

8937      RND       INT (displayed)
8938      RND       INT
8939      RND       INT

8940      RND       WIS (displayed)
8941      RND       WIS
8942      RND       WIS

8949      RND       SKL (displayed)
894a      RND       SKL
894b      RND       SKL

8952      RND       STA (displayed)
8953      RND       STA
8954      RND       STA

895b      RND       CHR (displayed)
895c      RND       CHR
895d      RND       CHR

8964 5 6 ??

8aa6      00        Experience 16777215+
8aa7      00        Experience 65535+
8aa8      00        Experience 256+
8aa9      00        Experience 000+

8ab8      00        Hit Points Current 256+
8ab9      RND       Hit Points Current 000+

8abc      00        Hit Points Maximum 256+
8abd      RND       Hit Points Maximum 000+

8ac0      00       Gold   - 256+
8ac1      00       Gold   - 000+

8ac4      00       Silver - 256+
8ac5      00       Silver - 000+

8ac8      00       Copper - 256+
8ac9      RND      Copper - 000+

5.3.2 MANIPULATING THE DUNGEON

Below here is a very comprehensive list of all the different locations including
all the fixed encounters. There is also a list for stats and valuables which can
be altered in the same way as the rest.

Memory locations for
 6313  X Position
 6314  Y Position
 6315  Dungeon Level

The Dungeon Levels can be given the following values:

 1.1 = 0
 1.2 = 1
 1.3 = 2
 1.4 = 3
 2.0 = 4
 3.0 = 5
 4.0 = 6
 Room of Confusion (RoC) = 5

Values which can be given to the X and Y positions (note the Level):

 X     Y     Level Name

 10    10    1.1   Stairwell
 11    0F    1.1   6 Pack
 6     0E    1.1   message (A dirty sign reads: "Goblins only!")
 1B    7     1.1   message (A sign above the door says:
                            "Welcome to the Chapel. Please come in!")
 1A    1B    1.1   message (You stand before an elaborate door.)
 2     2     1.1   Grahm's Gold Exchange
 2     0E    1.1   Goblin King's Palace
 1F    1B    1.1   Tomb of Acrinimiril
 1B    8     1.1   Chapel
 1C    8     1.1   Chapel
 1F    8     1.1   Chapel Sanctuary
 1F    1     1.1   Whetstone
 6     1     1.1   Crossbow [03]
 0B    1     1.1   Thunder Quarrels [10]
 0B    1B    1.1   Vampire
 1F    4     1.1   Golden Apple

 1B    1B    1.2   Palace Prison
 12    3     1.2   Dungeon Entrance
 7     9     1.2   Devourer
 11    11    1.2   Stairwell
 13    4     1.2   Doppleganger
 0F    4     1.2   message (A sign on the door reads: "The Damon & Phytias Shoppe")
 16    3     1.2   message (A sign above the door reads: "The Retreat")
 1C    3     1.2   message (A sign reads: "Der Rathskeller Bar & Grille")
 0D    16    1.2   message (A plaque reads: "Shrine of monsters")
 3     1E    1.2   message (The rune of the all-knowing eye is upon the door.)
 14    16    1.2   Entrance to Palace
 0C    1E    1.2   Theives Guild
 12    4     1.2   Wizards of Chaos Guild
 1E    0E    1.2   Wizards of Law Guild
 1A    0E    1.2   Wizards of Order Guild
 0E    4     1.2   Damon & Pythias Shoppe
 1C    2     1.2   Der Rathskeller's Bar and Grille
 17    3     1.2   The Retreat
 0F    19    1.2   Lich
 0F    13    1.2   Valkyrie
 0C    19    1.2   Great Naga
 0C    13    1.2   3 Wraiths
 9     13    1.2   4 Flame Demons
 9     19    1.2   8 Dwarves
 16    5     1.2   8 Homonculi
 1A    6     1.2   8 Skeletons
 1C    5     1.2   Wraith
 10    20    1.2   The Star (card)
 0F    12    1.2   Winged Sandals
 0C    19    1.2   Potion of Restoration
 0C    12    1.2   Morgana's Tiara
 9     12    1.2   Helm of Light
 0A    19    1.2   Truesilver Coat
 1E    7     1.2   Page of Cups Card
 6     6     1.2   Lodestone
 1     1     1.2   Gauss Rifle [95]
 4     1     1.2   Solar Suite

 0E    14    1.3   Fountain (Hit Points)
 0E    16    1.3   Fountain (Hit Points)
 0D    15    1.3   Fountain (Hit Points)
 0F    15    1.3   Fountain (Hit Points)
 12    7     1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 7     10    1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 6     0B    1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 19    0     1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 15    9     1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 12    0B    1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 13    0D    1.3   creature (taurean maze)
 9     25    1.3   Saurian Brandy
 0B    0A    1.3   message (Writing scrawled on the ground reads: "GO BACK!")
 7     0     1.3   message (Scratchings on the wall read: "THERE IS NO ESCAPE")
 10    9     1.3   message (A red arrow on the ground points east.)
 0E    13    1.3   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 0E    17    1.3   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 0C    15    1.3   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 10    15    1.3   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 0     1F    1.3   message (Glowing letters float in midair: "SEEK THE LIGHT")
 1     1F    1.3   message (Glowing letters float in midair: "SEEK THE LIGHT")
 1     12    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1     13    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1     14    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1     15    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1     16    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1     17    1.3   message (You hear the crackle of electricity.)
 1E    19    1.3   Bank Vault
 2     1B    1.3   Wizards of Light Guild
 3     8     1.3   Sword of the Adept
 3     10    1.3   Amethyst Rod

 0D    1D    1.4   Enchantress
 1B    1E    1.4   Dungeon Entrance
 0D    1C    1.4   message (Glowing letters on the door proclaim: "Enchantress")
 14    19    1.4   message (A crooked sign says: "TROLLS ONLY")
 1     1F    1.4   message (Black letters hovering slowly say: "THE SHADOW WILL HIDE THEE")
 18    19    1.4   Troll King's Palace
 1     0A    1.4   Wizards of Darkness Guild
 3     4     1.4   The Oracle of Wisdom
 4     19    1.4   Phoenix
 1D    8     1.4   Razor Ice
 10    6     1.4   Blue Pearl Dagger
 1B    3     1.4   Map Stone
   
 12    7     2.0   Dwarven Smithy
 10    7     2.0   Dwarven Smithy
 0     1     2.0   Stairway
 1F    0     2.0   Stairway
 1F    1F    2.0   Stairway
 0     1F    2.0   Stairway
 11    0C    2.0   Stairway (to 03)
 0F    7     2.0   message (Carved above the doorway are the words: "Fine Weapons & Armor")
 13    7     2.0   message (Carved above the doorway are the words: "Fine Weapons & Armor")
 7     18    2.0   message (An arrow painted on the floow points south.)
 19    0E    2.0   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 17    10    2.0   message (You hear the sound of running water.)
 1C    0E    2.0   message (On the wall is a paiting of a purple pyramid.)
 1C    12    2.0   message (A skull hangs from the ceiling above the door.)
 0B    1F    2.0   Entrance to Wilderness
 1D    13    2.0   River Crossing
 1A    8     2.0   Clothes Horse's Room
 7     19    2.0   Lucky's Potion Brewery
 19    0F    2.0   Fountain - Disease
 18    10    2.0   Fountain - Disease
 8     13    2.0   Mercinaries Guild
 2     5     2.0   Paladin's Guild
 6     0     2.0   Arena Entrance
 15    15    2.0   Undead Warrior
 13    15    2.0   Undead Warrior
 11    15    2.0   Undead Warrior
 11    17    2.0   Undead Warrior
 11    19    2.0   Undead Warrior
 0F    19    2.0   Undead Warrior
 0D    19    2.0   Undead Warrior
 0D    1A    2.0   Undead King's Palace
 11    1     2.0   Vampire
 1B    9     2.0   Whirlwind
 13    2     2.0   Cloak of Levitation
 8     8     2.0   Crystal Breastplate
 0     11    2.0   Robin's Hood
 13    1A    2.0   Death (card)

 0A    3     3.0   Stairwell
 0A    4     3.0   Stairwell
 0B    7     3.0   creature... (gauntlet)
 0C    8     3.0   creature... (gauntlet)
 0C    0A    3.0   creature... (gauntlet)
 0B    9     3.0   creature... (gauntlet)
 0A    9     3.0   creature... (gauntlet)
 1     9     3.0   message (Writing on the wall says: "BEWARE OF THE DRAGON!")
 9     7     3.0   message (Writing carved into the door reads: "GAUNTLET DO NOT ENTER")
 7     0C    3.0   message (The stench is becoming unbearable.)
 0F    0E    3.0   Fountain (fatigue)
 2     0A    3.0   Gargoyle
 3     0E    3.0   Great Dragon's Lair
 8     8     3.0   Death's Door
 0E    0D    3.0   Unblinking Basilisk
 0A    8     3.0   Doppleganger
 9     0F    3.0   Junia's Sword
 9     0C    3.0   Iron Palm Salve
 4     5     3.0   Flame Quarrels [10]

 4     0     4.0   Entrance to Destiny
 6     3     4.0   Alien Control Room
 5     2     4.0   Alien Control Room
 2     2     4.0   Elevator
 2     7     4.0   Beam Weapon [25]

 5     10    RoC   Melvin's Helm

Note that Locations are listed, one for each entrance. You also may have to
turn in the square you're standing to make the effect of teleporting active.

Here is a list of other memory locations which can be changed:
(Note that the current value can't be above the maximum value.)

 633D  Experience Current  16777215
 633E  Experience Current  65535
 633F  Experience Current  255
 6340  Experience Current  0
 6341  Experience Needed   16777215
 6342  Experience Needed   65535
 6343  Experience Needed   255
 6344  Experience Needed   0
 6345  Hit Points Current  255
 6346  Hit Points Current  0
 6347  Hit Points maximum  255
 6348  Hit Points Maximum  0

 6349  Stamina Current
 634A  Stamina Maximum

 6351  Charisma Current
 6352  Charisma Maximum

 6359  Strength Current
 635A  Strength Maximum

 6361  Intelligence Current
 6362  Intelligence Maximum

 6369  Wisdom Current
 636A  Wisdom Maximum

 6371  Skill Current
 6372  Skill Maximum

 6379  Physical Speed Current
 637A  Physical Speed Maximum

 6381  Noticability? Current?
 6382  Noticability? Maximum? (starts at 127)

 6385  alignment current?
 6386  alignment maximum?

 63B1  Gold           255
 63B2  Gold           0
 63B3  Silver         255
 63B4  Silver         0
 63B5  Copper         255
 63B6  Copper         0
 63B7  Gems           255
 63B8  Gems           0
 63B9  Jewels         255
 63BA  Jewels         0
 63BB  Food Packets   255
 63BC  Water Packets  255
 63BE  Crystals       255
 63BF  Keys           255
 63C0  Compasses      255
 63C1  Timepieces     255

 63CC  Level (unconfirmed)

6. MISCELLANIOUS AR QUESTIONS

Pherhaps, this is really what an FAQ should be about; answering those small questions that
has been nagging you for all these years. Well, if you have any additional one's which
aren't answered anywhere else in this FAQ, please feel free to mail me at
robert.hagenstrom@ebox.tninet.se !

6.1 WHAT OR WHO IS XEBEC?

Alternate Reality: The City takes place in a large city called The City of Xebec's Demise.
The exact meaning of Xebec is never revealed though, and neither in The Dungeon (the
intention was, however, to do reveal it in a later episode).

Even though we don't exactly know, there are still clues to be found. If you look up the
word 'Xebec' in a dictionary, you'll find something like: ['zi:bek] n sea, a mediterranean
ship with three masts.

This could either mean that the city was named Xebec in order to honour one of the Alien's
lost flagships or the like, or it could even be possible that The City of Xebec's demise is
located on a ship of some sort, named Xebec. It is still unknown.

6.2 WHAT ARE THE DEATHTRAPS?

The deathtraps refer to two rooms in The City located at 41E, 4N and 47E, 6N. These rooms
have one-way secret entrances into them (through the east wall, and the west,
respectively), but no way of getting out other than to turn off the game and kill your
character.

Rather de-dramatizing, Philip Price has actually confessed that the Deathtraps were made
by mistake! Apparently some of The City was made with a 2d "bird's eye view" map editor
controlled with a joystick, and at some point the joystick was hit at the wrong moment,
causing these entrances (the deathtraps) which then slipped out unnoticed on the released
version.

6.3 WHAT IS THIS 'SECRET AREA' IN THE CITY?

The secret area is the are immideately east of the Arena, which isn't normally accessible
through the game, and has only been found out by dumping the map data from the disk images
of the game. It contains three additional trainers (see section 4.3.8, but all are,
naturally, closed) and two additional guilds (see section 4.3.4 for details) which are
fully operational (making the total amount of guilds, yes, 14).

The trainers were most likely meant to be used in the Arena expanision disk, and the secret
area was probably going to be opened with it, or pherhaps accessible through it.

It is also interesting that there are an additional two trainers in the code on the disks
of The City which can't be found anywhere on the map.

6.4 HOW DO YOU KILL THE GREAT WYRM?

First of all, if you want to play a good character, be aware that attacking the Great Wyrm
is an evil act. Also, if you decide to do fight him, he has around 3,000 Hit Points, is
pretty immune to magic and can whop you with about 100 Hit Points a round (if he doesn't
use his death magic, or breath that is, which is does even more). A good strategy is to use
alot of Temporal Fugue (learned by Ozob, in the Palace Prison at 59E, 36N) which will increase
the hit on your weapon and sometimes lets make additional attacks too. When you do defeat him,
you will however, gain 35,000 Experience Points, and have the option to loot his lair (and also
sell his body for 500 Gold in Der Rathskeller Bar & Grille).

There are a number of strategies on how to loot his lair. One thing is to join a Guild
near the lair (the Guilds on Level 2 would be the obvious choice then) and only get Gold and
Gems or Jewels and run to the safe and deposit it (obviously, copper and silver weights too
much compared to the values of the others). His lair will eventually be cleaned out (there are
other in The Dungeon too, remember?) but you will most likely, not have any financial problems
in any near future.

6.5 WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THE DEVOURER?

The Devourer is one of the most famous (and feared) creatures in The Dungeon. It is also one
of the most amusing, if you know it's story. You WILL get a visit by the Devourer if you
carry too much different stuff (depending on how much spells you have and how much items
are laying around in The Dungeon, it'll take about four or five full iventory screens).
He will consume your things when you do encounter him, he will begin with the heaviest item
first (and avoiding the one-of-a-kind items until last). Some things can however sometimes
be retrieved from Master Thieves if you ever encounter one after having an encounter with
the Devourer. The best way to deal with Devourers is, in my experience by using the
Temporal Fugue spell.

Dan Pinal and Ken Jordan implemented the Devourer to deal with a memory problem they
encountered. Since each item in The Dungeon (spells are also a kind of item) have alot of
different properties, such as damage, weight and so on, it was quite memory consuming for
a 48k or 128k computer. So, in order to limit the number of items that was in play at all
times they invented the Devourer and made him come visit players with too much memory
consuming items and lighten their load, and also the load on the memory.

6.6 I REMEMBER FBI AGENTS SOMEWHERE IN THE DUNGEON?

Yes, you are correct, there were two FBI Agents in The Dungeon. They were a part of the
copyprotection in the game, although a bug in the initial shipping version made them
pop up a bit too often (every time you tried to transfer characters from The City
actually; it apparently had something to do with floppy drives, and especially if you
only had one drive). This was, however, fixed in version 2.0.

The FBI Agents struck you with "the long arm of the law" and there was no way to beat them.

6.7 WHAT DOES 'YOU ARE TOAST LEVEL 1.1' MEAN IN THE DUNGEON?

That is a Debug Message. As described by Ken Jordan, every square in The Dungeon was checked
by testers to make sure that the player couldn't get into an area he wasn't supposed to be in
(ie. an area which isn't a part of the game). If you have encountered such an area, you have
found a small glitch in the game which the testers missed and if you can't get out of it, you
will have to switch off the computer and get another save and go from there.

6.8 WHAT IS THIS AMP ENGINE?

The AMP engine is what controlls all the sound of the Alternate Reality games. It stands
for Advanced Music Processor, and was created by Philip Price for Gary Gilbertson so that
he could add lyrics to his music. The engine could also be used to trigger events in the
game, using the music, but alot of those effects never got to be used.

There exists a number of demos of various versions of the AMP engine (which can be
downloaded as disk images from ftp.ksk.sala.se/pub/ar/) where, amongst other tunes, there
is a selection from something called F.A.C.E of the Galaxy, which was a planned, but
unreleased space combat and trading simulation game by Philip Price and Gary Gilbertson
(where they planned to have a fully alive universe, in which the player could interact and
affect various events).

One thing which Gary Gilbertson also did to improve his music, which had nothing to do with
the engine though, was to insert small variations into all the notes, making the sound become
less static and sound more natural and 'hand made'.

Also, if you try to boot The City with Disk 1 Side 2, you'll see a special message from Philip
Price with more details about the special things which where used for the game:

Alternate Reality Designed & Programmed by Philip Price
P.O. BOX 2634 KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII 96745-2634 Music (All
are Original Scores) Composed by Gary Gilbertson Using
AMP 11.3 AMP 11.3 (Advanced Music Processor) was Designed
& Programmed by Philip Price Phil's AR System Structure...
(c)1985 100% Machine Language/Custom Operating System
with software Banked memory (disk and RAM based)/Custom
Interrupt Driven Sio with 2 voice music carry-over/Advanced
Music Processor 11.3 with songbooks, tunes and 2&4 voice
masked operation/Animation Frame Processor/Advanced Screen
Processor/Three Dimensional Object Manipulaor/Multi-process
Time slotted Queue/Multi-staged Booter and system
validator/128-color Graphics via Interrupts/Multi-Process
Interrupt router/Custom Crytographic Daga Storage (A easily
breakable simple Block Chained, multi-encryption cipher using
pre-generated primary keys, with formula and keys in
minimumally secured memory and disk) Program created on...
Atari 800, 800xl, 1200xl with TRAK drives and a modified 800
with LE high speed drives with these utilities of mine: PICTURE
CUTTER, WALL MAKER, MAPMAKER with MAP PRINTER, PICTURE PAINTER,
52K SWITCH, and CUSTOM MAKRO LIBRARY. and these programs
MICROPAINTER -DATASOFT INC. DOS 2.0, FIXDMP & AMAC -ATARI INC.
THE NEXT STEP -ONLINE SYSTEMS OSS/A+ 2.10 -OPTIMIZED SYSTEM SOFTWARE
6502 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE ROUTINES -LEVENTHALL/SEVILLE
CRYPTOGRAPHY -DR. CARL MEYER ATARI OS RV A SOURCE DE RE
ATARI TECH USER NOTES 1200XL OS MANUAL My thanks to Gary for his
patience and faith in the project and fantastic music, Craig for
his beautiful pictures, all who buy this game, and God my father,
Jesus Christ my savior, and the Holy Spirit my comforter.

---

After this text there appears some strange characters. However, these are just some garbled
characters that made it into the string, and no secret message (apparently, the string length
is wrong somewhere in the code). The only known secret message in The City are the symbols
that appear after the Death theme has played, which apparently is meant to give you clues to
what would happen with your body after the character had died.

6.9 WHAT AR ARTIFACTS EXIST?

I guess that the games themselves are artifacts today, if their boxes and documentation are
intact that is. The box was interesting for both games, since it's front could fold open to
reveal a set of screenshots and some text. Both games also contained a cartoon style drawn
map of it's respective playfield (The Dungeon also contained a letter from 'Trilog', which
is transcribed in the appendix). The Official Adventurer's Survival Handbooks for both
games (8-bit and 16-bit versions of The City Handbook exists) should pherhaps be considered
even rarer.

Datasoft also had posters of both games (probably mainly for display in stores, but you
could order them too; they were standard size). Apart from that, if anyone knows any other
official items that were availible back then, please let me know!

[The author of this FAQ posseses all the items mentioned above, except a City poster and
an intact Dungeon box, so if you have any of those items, or want information about the
ones I have, please mail robert.hagenstrom@ebox.tninet.se ]

It has also been confirmed by Philip Price himself that the original Atari 8-bit source code
for The City still exists! It's apparently stored on 5'25" floppies (condition unknown),
boxed up in Philip Price's garage. However, the source will no be released since Alternate
Reality is still copyrighted, and because Philip Price doesn't want all secrets to be found
out definetly (wouldn't be any fun, would it).

6.10 ARE THERE ANY AR-LIKE GAMES TODAY?

That, of course, depends. If you mean a 1st person CRPG, the answer is yes. But if you are
looking for something as complete and deep as AR, not a chance! There has been some attempts
(Legends of Valour was amongst the first) but all of them has had alot of shortcomings.

ISHAR

As with all Silmarillion games, the graphics are beautifull on all three of the games in
this series. However, Silmarillion is also known for not having pherhaps the best though
out control systems at all times. Still, since these games are availible on budget on the
PC (check emu sites for the ST and Amiga versions) they are worth checking out for a quick
romp (if you have your computer set up for DOS though, since they can otherwise generate
some problems, being this old). Ishar 3 also features some photorealistic graphics and
party members with an opinion (they vote for or against your decisions). All game feature
outdoors locations (cities and wilderness) and there's even a tree-city in Ishar 2!

BLOODWYCH

This game is only availible for ST and Amiga (with a level disk too). What makes this game
worth mentioning is, amongst other things, the way you choose party members. There's a
ritual in the beginning of the game where you have to walk around trying to persuade a
bunch of people to join you. Another great novelty (and a one-timer so far) is a split
screen two player mode! However, I can't imagine anyone surviving in that mode for very
long since food ran out on about the second level even in single player mode. It is also
quite easy to map this game; it's indoors only and it has alot of markings on the walls and
you always know that a stone wall is 1 square thick and a wooden wall always has a room on
the other side.

WIZARDY

This is one of the longest CRPG epics in gaming history. It's currently up to the seventh
episode (depending on how you count). It starts from Wizardry 1, in CGA and carries on
to Wizardry 7 with VGA (or the GOLD version for Windows 95 with SVGA) and the latest one,
which is un-numbered: Wizardry Nemesis. You play with several party members here too. There
are alot of stats and the game in general is quite detailed in the way you expect a
standard CRPG to be. However, all the games (except for Nemesis maybe) are hard, damn hard.
Wizardry is a classic, though pherhaps not so famous in all circles, but well worth
playing.

DUNGEON MASTER

This is the game that really refined the way all CRPG games were to look like for a long
time after it's release. Dungeon Master was the most impressive game of it's time, using
incredible graphics and horrifying sound in a way nobody had before. Before this, you
were mostly forced to picture the world before you, but now it was presented to you in a
very real way. You could hear the footsteps of approaching monsters, light faded into pitch
black when your torch went out, and your characters needed sleep, food and water regularly.
The interface was also just as revolutionary, as everything was but a click away. It was
so slick that you hardly noticed it at all, just the way it should be. The game is
availible for ST, Amiga and PC, where the PC is the best version (it has the upper edge on
sound, and a 'knock' feature for detecting secret walls) and I truly recommend to track a
copy down as soon as possible for this game is still extremely playable, and pherhaps
always will be! Chaos Strikes Back level disks are also availible on ST and Amiga (with a long
intro on the Amiga), and also Dungeon Master 2 (PC, DOS, VGA) which added an original shopping
system and changing weather for it's outdoor sequences, but it never were as good as the first.

MIGHT & MAGIC

Currently, there exists 6 episodes of this great game series. The Might and Magic universe
has a special mood which no other CRPG has. The way it is played, with small quests for
special skills, and small monster hideouts and treasure spread out in it's lands, is
unique and very enchanting. All the episodes exist for PC and all are truly recommended to
play (except pherhaps the first, which is CGA and may be difficult to get running properly
on a modern PC). From episode 3 and onward, the game changed pace a bit, and became very
graphical (as mentioned before, The Dungeon artist Bonita Long-Hemsath is the leading
artist behind all the M & M games), but retained most of it's traditinal play systems.
Might and Magic 3 was absolutely one of the most graphical games of it's time, with lush
256 color graphics, and M & M 4 and 5 added even more graphical features (like gatekeepers
for the special locations) and larger and more fantastical monster designs. For each of
these games there exists a 300+ page cluebook if you get stuck (but they really aren't that
hard in that way). This is yet another gaming experience which I truly recommend!

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

The first AD & D game which wasn't like SSI's goldbox series. It takes it's inspiration
(and everything else) directly from Dungeon Master, and adds a Forgotten Realms theme to
it, plus 256 color VGA graphics for the PC version (Amiga versions exists too) and a couple
of the best soundtracks ever in a CRPG (both EOB 1 and 2 had great midi, although it wasn't
much of it). Both games has great introductions (where EOB 2 really excells in it's VGA
representations). However, the 3rd incarnation is very poor (pherhaps because Westwood, who did
the first two, left and did Lands of Lore instead) and should be avoided. Since the games are
SSI and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons games they are widely availible in various collections on
a budget price setting, which they are well worth.

LANDS OF LORE

Lands of Lore was originally meant to be Eye of the Beholder 3, but Westwood jumped off the
boat and pursued their own path to establish creative freedom. The result was, as with
Westwoods other titles at that time (Legends of Kyrandia, Dune 2) a game with the most
beautifull graphics and animation of it's time (believe me, their palette is simply
enchanting). Lands of Lore also builds on Dungeon Master's way of play, but takes it a
couple of steps further by adding more fluid animation and more character interaction,
coupled with alot of special quests and locations. This PC title should also be availible
on budget (or from Westwood directly) and is very well worth playing, if not atleast to
compare it to Dungeon Master too see what have been so brilliantly evolved from the
original creation. (Lands of Lore 2, though sadly falls short of all expectations, and it
seems that Westwood hasn't learned anything for the upcoming third incarnation.)

BARD'S TALE

The original episode of this series was a higly entertaining title for the Atari ST (where
the best version exists). It also took place in a single city (named Skara Brae) as The City
did, but here you had a party and you weren't abducted. It featured different professions for
your characters and a very complex magic system, with different guilds and short key
phrases for all the different spells. It was also quite a hard game, where some dungeons
and towers were a nightmare of mazes. Bard's Tale 2 and 3 took the game further, and out
of the city, but never (as it usually happens) gained the popularity or retained the magic
of the original game. The sequels are also availible for PC (EGA).

THE ELDER SCROLLS

These games are quite new from Bethesda. Currently, three titles exist: Arena, Daggerfall
and Battlespire, and a fourth is on it's way. The vision for this game is not as much
Dungeon Master as it is Alternate Reality. This must me one of the most faithfull and
promising attempt to recreate the detail levels of The City. However, it fails due to the
amount of bugs that litter all the titles, and it's interface which cripples play (and alot
of other features which are really puzzling in the way the creators have thought them out,
such as not being able to sleep in a bolted shut room with a monster on the other side of
the wall, no matter how tired ot hurt you are). Another thing which would generally speak
for a game, is size. Both Arena and Daggerfall are huge, but they are too huge for the
design decisions of that game (for example, quests are carried out across nations, and
there actually doesn't exist any roaming monsters in the landscapes). Dungeons are also
a nightmare of complexity and size, and the automap more than often only confuses it. The
deathblow to these games, though, is an entirely different factor. Namely, the creators
have choosen to randomize just about everything (shop names, city layout, dungeon layout,
items, quests, the lot). The good side of this is that you never play the same game twice,
though with the size of the playfield, that shouldn't have to be a problem, since you can
never ever explore every dungeon. The bad side is that you never get really into the game,
never get to know any places or characters, and it feels like the authors just didn't care
for you or anything else. Bottom line, this still is the closest thing to AR yet, so either
you have to live with all it's shortcomings, or go back to the emulators (or choose another
from the bunch of good games here).

OTHER GAMES

Other games of note are Knightmare on the ST and Amiga, based on a fantasy themed TV games
show, and Black Crypt, which was made to be an Eye of the Beholder beater on the Amiga.
Legend of Faerghail by Thalion is also an example, and the latest attempt at a Dungeon
Master clone is currently Stonekeep for PC which features pre-rendered fullscreen graphics.

7. OTHER SOURCES OF AR INFORMATION

Apart from my homepage (http://user.tninet.se/~lan3180/alternate-reality/) there are alot of
more fan homepages which have various information and other contents on them (see the links
section in the above url). But the internet isn't all web. Currently, AR forums exists on
a mailing list and irc also. See below for the latest details.

7.1 THE ALTERNATE REALITY MAILING LIST

The initiative taker of the Alternate Reality Mailing list was Matt Roller, who also hosted
it on a server in his college for a year. The current host of the list is named Sean Noble,
and he made sure that the list got a permanent address!

To enroll to the List:  Mail majordomo@dataintoaction.com with an empthy subject, but with the
                       text 'subscribe arlist' in the body (without the quotes).

To mail to the List:    Drop a mail to arlist@dataintoaction.com

To reply to the List:   Choose Reply-All on a message from the list or change the -To address to
                       arlist@dataintoaction.com

To quit from the List:  Mail majordomo@dataintoaction.com with an empthy subject, and with the
                       text 'unsubscribe arlist' in the body (without the quotes). PLEASE DON'T
                       TRY TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO THE ARLIST EMAIL, ALWAYS USE MAJORDOMO!

7.2 #ALTERNATE-REALITY ON IRC

If you are familiar with Internet Relay Chat (which I won't go into here, but you would try
www.mirc.co.uk for details), you could log onto an Efnet server and join the channel
#alternate-reality.

At present, the activity is not very high (usually maximum of 3-4 people at the same time,
out of a current total frequent visitor base of about 7 or 8 different people) but it is
great for a quick chat, or the latest news if anyone is logged in (don't try to talk to
TheCity though, since he's a bot, if he's logged on).

8. APPENDIX

For those of you who doesn't remember the keys or the ways to correctly save and backup
games in Alternate Reality, in addition to the manuals that are availible on the homepage,
I've taken the liberty to also transcribe the reference cards.

8.1 REFERENCE CARD FOR THE CITY

Alternate Reality
The City

Programmed by Philip Price
Microscreen Art by Craig Skinner
Music by Gary Gilbertson
Documentation by Kathi B. Tremblay

Here's how to use your Atari computer to enter Alternate Reality. Read the Guidebook
before loading the game. It has information you'll need in The City.

 Requirements

* Atari 400/800/XL series computer (48K)
* Compatible disk drives (1 or 2)
* TV or video monitor
* Joystick
* Blank, formatted disk (Character Disk-Optional)
* Alternate Reality - The City game diskettes (2)

Note: Do not Write Protect the game disks or your Character Disk. It's a good idea
     to make backup copies before you load the game. You can make copies of both
     sides of Disk 2 and Side 2 och Disk 1. An elementary copy program is inlcuded
     on Disk 2. Turn off your computer. Insert Disk 2 (either side) into the disk drive
     and close the door. Turn on the computer. Follow the prompts. You can also use
     this copy program to backup your Character Disk.

 Getting Started

1. Turn off the computer and connect a joystick.
2. Place Disk 1, Side 1 in the drive (with two drives, place Disk 2, Side 1 in the
  second drive). Turn on the drive and the computer. If the wrong disk is in the
  drive, the game asks for the correct one. With two drives, the game checks both
  drives for the correct disk.
3. When the game is loaded, follow the prompts.
4. Once you've familiar with the game, press Start to bypass the opening scenario.
  This takes you directly to the Character Decision menu.

Note: If you have two drives, you can acoid turning disks over during gameplay. When
     the game asks for Side 2 of Disk 2, put your backup copy of Disk 2, Side 2
     in the first drive. Leave Disk 2, Side 1 in the second drive.

 Character Decision

The Character Decision menu offers four options:
 Hit N to become a new person
 Hit E to resume an existing one
 Hit I to initialize a Character Disk
 Hit T for a temporary character

Press I to initialize a disk to use as a Character Disk. As prompted, remove the
Alternate Reality disk from the drive and insert a blank, formatted disk. Press any key
to continue. Note: Initializing doesn't format the disk. It simply prepares the disk
for use as a Character Disk. See you Atari user's guide for formatting instructions.

Press N to create a character. Press Return. As prompted, type a Character name
(up to 31 letters, including Secret Name) and press Return. The next prompt is Verify
your name. Type the name again and press Return. You're prompted to remove the AR
disk and insert a Character Disk. You can store up to four character on a Character Dis,
but you can only play with one at a time.

To prevent anyone else from using your character, use the Control key for a
Secret Name. Example: You want a character named Morag with the Secret Name,
Morag Giant. When promted to name your character, type Morag. Press Control and
type Giant. Press Return. Only Morag appears on the screen. Verify the full name when
prompred, pressing Control again for the Secret part. To access this character, type the full
name, using the Control key for the Secret Name. Secret letters can be used before, after,
or within a character's name, or for the entire name (up to 31 letters).

Press T for a temporary character. Follow the prompts, pressing Return after each
response. You can't save this character, but it's usefull for getting into the game quickly
to look around and get the feel of the game.

Press E if you already have a character from a previous venture into AR. At
the prompt, rype the ID number corresponding to the name you're using. Type the name
(when prompted) and press Return. To return to the Character Decision menu, press Return
instead of typing a name.

If you make the wrong selection from the Character Decision meny, press the
Option key instead of typing a name. If you make an error when typing a character name,
hit Return when the program asks you to verify the name.

After selecting from the Character Decision menu, you're at the door to enter The City.

 To Save A Character

Save your character when you're ready to stop playing. Press S. You're prompted to
remove the AR disk, insert the Character Disk, and press Start. To play again, reload,
select the saved character from the Character Decision menu, and the game resumes at
the point stopped.

Note: Save the character to disk or you'll lose it when you turn off the computer.

 Compass

Finding your way around The City is simplified by use of a compass, availible for
purchase at most Shops in The City. If you buy a compass, press the Select key until you
see it. The direction you're heading will always be the topmost on the compass (the arrow
always points North):

   N              E              W              S
   ^                                            |
 W | E          N<--S          S-->N          E | W
   |                                            v
   S              W              E              N

 Joystic Control

The Joystick controls physical movement.
 * Enter The City i nthe beginning scene by pushing up on the joystick.
 * Move Forward by pushing up on the joystick.
 * Move Back by pulling down on the joystick.
 * To Turn Right or Left, press the Fire button while pushing the joystick to right
   or left.
 * To Enter a shop or store, push up on the joystick. Follow the prompts. Pull down
   on the joystick to Exit. It's possible to back through a doorway.

 Keyboard Control

To play without a joystick, use the keyboard commands shown in the diagram below.

Note: You must use a joystick to exit Banks and some other establishments.

                          I
                          ^
                          |
                       J<- ->L
                          |
                          v
                          K

* Press I to enter The City in the beginning scene.

* To enter a shop or store, press I. Follow the prompts.

You also use the keyboard to interact with business establishments, review and posi-
tion your belongings, and during Encounters.

* A Menu at the bottom of the screen displays your options. Each option has a
  flashing letter or number. To choose, press the appropriate flashing character. In
  some situations, there is no flashing character. Either hit any key or answer Yes or
  No, where appropriate.

* Press the Select key to get a full account of your condition. Repeat until you've
  seen all the information and are back in normal operating mode.

* Defend yourself with either hand in an Encounter. Press U to switch hands.

* Press R to ready a weapon for use. Follow the prompts.

* Press D to Drop items. This is usually done to make rooms for new acquisitions,
  since how much you can carry is limited.

* Press U to Use Potions in your possession. You can't Use Potions during an
  Encounter.

* Press P to pause the game. Press P again to resume play.

* Press S to save a character. Follow the prompts.


Datasoft

19808 NORDHOFF PLACE, CHATSWORTH, CA 91311
ATARI IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ATARI COMPUTER, INC.
DATASOFT IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF INTELLICREATIONS, INC.
ALTERNATE REALITY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF PARADISE PROGRAMMING, INC.
(c) 1985 INTELLICREATIONS, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN USA

8.2 REFERENCE CARD FOR THE DUNGEON

ALTERNATE REALITY (R)
The Dungeon

Designed and Programmed by Dan Pinal and Ken Jordan

Original Concept by Philip Price

Graphics by Steve Hofmann & Bonita Reid

Music by Gary Gilbertson

Documentation by Kathi B. Tremblay & Thomas J. Clement

Illustrations by Thomas J. Clement

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Here's how you use your Atari computer to enter The Dungeon. Read the Dungeo Guide
before loading the game (yes, even if you've already played The City!); it has vital
information for survival in The Dungeon.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Requirements

* Atari home computer                     * The Dungeon game disks (3)
* Compatible disk drives (1-4)            * Blank disk (Character Disk)
* Video monitor or TV                     * City Character Disk (optional)
* Joystick (optional)

NOTE: Do Not Write-Protect The Character Disk!!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Getting Started

 1. Turn off the computer, remove any cartridges, and connect a Joystick, if
    desired. Turn on the monitor or TV and disk drives.
 2. Insert Disk 1, Side 1 into Drive 1, close the door, and turn on the computer.
 3. Once you're familiar with the opening sequence, hold down the START key to
    bypass it and go directly to the Character Decision menu.
 4. When the game is loaded, follow the prompts.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Backing Up

 Disk 2, Side 1 contains a copy program you can use for backing up your Character
 Disk and all sides of the game disks except Disk 1, Side 1 (play with the backups
 and keep the original in a safe place).

 To use the copy program, turn off the computer, remove any cartridges, insert
 Disk 2, Side 1 into the drive, and turn on the computer. The screen looks like this:

                                   Verify
                                   Format
                               Source Drive = 1
                            Destination Drive = 1
                            Press RETURN to Start.

 Press V to turn Verify OFF or ON (the program runs faster with Verify OFF).
 Press F to turn Format OFF or ON (use Format if you're copying onto an
 unformatted disk). Press S to select which drive you're using for your original
 disk; press D to designate the drive your backup disk is in. To start copying,
 press RETURN and follow the prompts.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Character Decision
 The Character Decision menu offers four options:
   Hit N to become a new person
   Hit E to resume an existing one
   Hit T to transfer a City Character
   Hit U for character utilities

 Press N to create a Character. You get a prompt that says "NOTE: IF YOU
   WISH TO KEEP THIS CHARACTER, YOU MUST HAVE A DUNGEON
   CHARACTER DISK READY WITH FEWER THAN 4 CHARACTERS ON
   IT."

   If you don't have a Dungeon Character Disk prepared, or if your only
   Character Disk already has four Characters saved on it, press ESC. This
   takes you back to the Character Decision menu. Press U to create a blank
   Character Disk (explained below).

   If you have a Character Disk ready, type a name when you see the prompt
   "ENTER NAME:". The name must begin with a letter, not a number!

 Press E if you already have a Character from a previous venture into The Dungeon.
   Follow the prompts.

 Press T if you have a City Character you want to bring into The Dungeon. Make
   sure your City Character was saves in front of one of the two Dungeon
   entrances before you try to bring it into The Dungeon (see the Dungeon
   Guide for information on Dungeon entrances). You can't enter The
   Dungeon if you're Diseased or Poisoned.

 Press U to get a selection of Character Utilities:
   (1)  Create a blank Character Disk formats a disk you can use as a
        Character Disk.
   (2)  Remove a Character gets rid of any undesireable Character.

   Make your selection and follow the prompts.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Corrections
 If you make an error in any selections (in Character Decision or anytime during the
 game), press the ESC key to halt the process and go back to your current Menu.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To Enter the Portal
 After you've created a new Character, you're taken to The Dungeon Portal. To
 enter, press the SPACE BAR (this sets your Stats) and follow the prompts.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To Save a Character
 Save you Character when you're ready to stop playing or when you've built it up
 to a level you want to keep. Press S and follow the prompts. Note: You can only
 save a Character while walking around The Dungeon (not during Encounters, while
 in buildings, etc.).

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To Resurrect a Lost Character
 When a Character that you've saved and reloaded into the game dies, it's not really
 dead (The Dungeon is nice that way). Instead, it's only "Lost". To restore your
 Lost Character, select E and load it the same way you'd load any other Character.
 You'll be transported to the NE Dungeon entrance. Of course, the Character is
 now minus a Stat point (the price of resurrection).

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Compass
 It's a lot easier to find your way around
 The Dungeon if you have a Compass
 (availible at the D & P or, if you're
 lucky, in Treasure). When you own
 a Compass, it's visible on the left of
 your screen. North is always at
 the top of the Compass; the arrow
 points in the direction you're heading.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Joystick Control
 The joystick controls physical movement. Make sure it's in Port 1. Move forward
 by pushing Up on the Joystick, backward by pulling Down. Turn left or right by
 pushing the Joystick Left or Right. One of the four red arrows at the right of
 the screen lights up, showing you which direction you're heading.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Time Indicator
 A symbol just under the word "Stats:" at the top left of
 your screen, is in constant motion when time is passing.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hit Points
 Hit Points are displayed as "Hit Points =" or "Hit Points :". When you see
 the "=", your Hit Points are at their maximum level. the ":" means you've lost Hit
 Points and need rest or healing.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Keyboard Control
 You can move around The Dungeon using the Keyboard instead of a Joystick. Move
 forward by pressing I, backward by pressing K. Use J to turn left and L to turn
 right. One of the four arrows at the right of the screen lights up, showing you
 which direction you're heading.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Other Important Information
 When you're walking along Dungeon corridors (exploring), text at the bottom of
 the screen shows you which level you're on and how many Food Packets, Torches,
 and Water Flasks you have. It also lets you know if you're hungry, thirsty,
 Diseased, Cursed, etc.

 To get information about other things you're carrying, as well as what Curses and
 Diseases you have, etc., press , (comma) and . (period) or START and
 SELECT.

 During an Encounter or any other interaction, if you lose sight of the main menu,
 just press the SPACE BAR to get back to it.

 Below is a list of options you can use in The Dungeon:

   C  Cast a Spell (only during Encounters or when exploring);
   D  Drop an item (only during Encounters or when exploring);
   E  Examine Spells or items (check your Inventory);
   U  Use an item (you can't light a Torch, use a Timepiece, or eat and drink
      during an Encounter);
   P  Pause the game (this suspends all time and activity; press any key to
      continue);
   G  Get an item you've dropped or discovered (you can't pick up anything
      during combat);
   S  Save a game (only when exploring);
   Q  Quit a game without saving it.

 Press the ESC key to get out of an option after you've selected it. Example:
 You selected C to cast a Spell, then decide you don't want to cast a Spell
 after all; just press the ESC key and you'll be back where you were before you
 tried to cast the Spell.

Datasoft

19808 Nordhoff Place, Chatsworth, CA 91311

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Computer, Inc.
Alternate Reality is a registered trademark of Paradise Programming, Inc.
Datasoft is a registered trademark of Intellicreations, Inc.
(c) 1987 Intellicreations, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

8.3 THE LETTER FROM TRILOG

Day27, Month of Sowing.
Year 5 Since Abduction

Greetings Fellow Travellers:

I am Trilog. I was kidnapped from my home several years ago
and left in this alien place. I understand that I am one of the
few who survived the arduous encounters of The City of Xebec's
Demise. Having gained strength, wisdom, and courage there, I
decided to venture into the dank depths of the cavernous world
beneath The City: The Dungeon.
Though I made extensive plans before descending into the
Dungeon, I was not totally prepared for what befell me. As I write
this, I have already been faced with sould-shaking encounters,
monstrous foes, and unnatural perils. The lower I travel into
the Dungeon's darkness, the more alone I feel. Solitude weights on me
and Death dogs my heels: it lurks in the shadows, waiting for me.
Yet, I've come too far to quit now. Along with the danger
comes the strength drawn from simply surviving: from hard fought
adventures; from battles won!
I trust this map will be found by others like me. I cannot
mark my exact course of travel, I'm afraid, because there are evil
enemies who might also find this map and use it to hunt me down.
There are several places marked on the map where you will
be met with baffling and fearsome quests. But don't lose heart!
I've lived through many of these and am confident that these
quests will one day provide me with the solution to my ultimate
goal(and undoubtedly yours)... Escape from Alternate Realilty and
the return to my beloved Earth! Good luck. And if I have been
fortunate, pherhaps you and I will one day meet and share stories
of The Dungeon.

Fare Thee Well,
Trilog

9. SPECIAL THANKS & CREDITS

I would like to thank everyone who has read this FAQ, visited my page or ever played the
Alternate Reality games. You have made this more worthwhile and more fun than I ever could
imagine a small webpage could produce.

The following is a following is a list of names (in alphabetical order) of people who have
helped me over the years, and to whom I'm most gratefull to! Special thanks to everyone who
has contributed with their knowledge and hard work to this FAQ.

 Mark Devlin
 Marc G. Frank
 Gary Gilbertson
 J.F. Goodwin
 Ken Jordan
 Ronald A. Laski Jr.
 Wayne Myers
 Sean Noble
 Jim Norris
 Dan Pinal
 Philip Price
 Matt Roller
 Mark Wieczorek
 RegisMeek

If your name (and I am, unfortunately, known to not have the greatest of memories when it
comes to names) doesn't appear here and you think it should, please contact me right away
at robert.hagenstrom@ebox.tninet.se !

10. LAST NOTES

I would like to make one last comment. During all these years with Alternate Reality, no matter
who I talked to, everyone who ever had played the game still thinks it is the best CRPG game
ever and they are usually very determined about that. I don't know if it was the timing of the
game or what it was, but it gave you an experience that was so completely unique that no other
game since it has even come close (though the original Dungeon Master wasn't far away there
for awhile).

Again, I would like to thank Philip Price for bringing it, and much joy, to us.

Yours Sincerely, Robert Hagenström


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      THE END         ?



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