AGE OF ADVENTURE

Heroic Deeds in Not-So-Ancient Lands...

Throughout the ages tales of heroes have been passed from generation
to generation, first through the epic poems of the bards, later in 
written form, and now on floppy disks. The latter medium has one 
advantage: it allows you to become the hero.

You can take on the role of Heracles, the legendary strongman -- or
that of scores of other ancient Greek heroes, heroines, or mythical 
creatures -- as you endeavor to complete twelve tasks assigned by 
Zeus. Or, as Ali Baba you can wander through a labyrinth of 
passageways as you search for treasures and a kidnapped princess.

The Return of Heracles and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, two 
classic adventure games, will let you spend hours in heroic pursuits 
without the inconvenience of travelling to distant lands, smelling 
the breath of wandering monsters, or telling a Demigod he's standing 
on your foot.

The Manual

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

THE STORY OF ALI BABA
Red shone the dawning sun over the terrorized dominion of Sultan
Shahriar. Led by the cunning cutthroat Cogia Houssain, a merciless
band of thieves had stolen much of the land's wealth. They had become
especially daring of late, emboldened by the discovery of a secret
cave which they had converted into their stronghold.

Ali Baba arose from a restless sleep and peered through the tent flap
at the glowing orange sun. A dream of a mountain within a mountain and
a beautiful princess faded quickly from his memory, leaving him with
an empty, uneasy feeling.

The hot yellow sun baked the dusty road as Ali Baba emerged from his
humble tent. As he started jogging toward the palace, Ali could not
help thinking how glorious it would be to own fine weapons and serve
in the Sultan's militia instead of serving as the Sultan's messenger.
Maybe one day his chance would come. When Ali arrived at the palace,
the Sultan was shouting in agitation, "May Allah have mecy on this
wretched father, there are traitors in my midst. The Princess Buddir
al-Buddoor has been kidnapped! Tell the elite corps immediately!" Ali
Baba ran to do the Shahriar's bidding.

After spreading the sad news, he struck out on his own courageous
search for the fair princess. Sometimes waiting in the safety of the
green vegetation for danger to pass, sometimes running for his life,
Ali survived numerous perils and found his way into the depths of the
mountain. He entered a chamber pursued by a vicious beast, and dodged
into a blind alley. Barely evading the beast's ravenous jaws, he
scurried into another chamber, where, to his surprise, he found
himselff in the company of the princess. Her grateful embrace renewed
his flagging spirits. Ali and the princess raced through the dimly lit
passageways, pursued by thieves who had crept unnoticed into the
chamber.

The sky was still blue as they burst into the outer world and the
tunnel collapsed behind them. As the sun began to set, Ali Baba
remembered in vivid detail what the Sultan had done with another
messenger who had spent a night with the princess' younger sister.

The atmosphere turned a brooding indigo as they raced for home. From
the deepening shadows came the distant cries of creatures of the
night.

Deep violet clouds concealed their approach to town. Fearing the
Sultan's cry of `traitor,' Ali Baba hid the princess in his tent. But
when the Sultan was told of the daring rescue, he richly rewared Ali
Baba for his great courage and wisdom.

INTRODUCTION
Can you do as well as Ali Baba did? He rescued the princess without
harming a living thing (or allowing the princess to do so) and with no
one else to help him. This is a very difficult way to win the game. If
you succeed, you will receive the author's "personal congratulations."

It is easier to win if Ali Baba and those he rescues are permitted to
fight during their search for Princess Buddir. If you choose this
strategy, Ali Baba would do well to purchase good weapons as soon as
possible. Ali Baba may also recruit additional characters to help him.
In fact, he can even retire from the game himself, leaving the others
to rescue the princess. You and your friends control the characters
that are added, and if you wish you can reincarnate any characters
that don't survive an encounter. Even a large group will find it
challenging to rescue the princess. Initially, you will probably want
to add only a few characters and explore Ali Baba's world in search of
wealth, weaponry, and knowledge.

OPTIONS
Input method
When you insert the Ali Baba diskette, an option screen lets you
choose between using the joystick or keyboard to play the game.
(Consult your Reference Card for specific instructions.) If you select
the keyboard, commands are issued by pressing a single key; there is
no need to press Return. (You will, however, occasionally be asked to
press the space bar when paging through long runes -- text screens
that provide hints or describe events.)

After you select the joystick or keyboard option, messages at the
bottom of the screen will explain the appropriate rules. You can also
page through long runes by using the joystick button rather than the
space bar.

Starting or resuming a game
Once you select an input device, you will be asked whether you wish to
Begin New Game or Continue a Previous Game. In either case, follow the
instructions displayed on your screen.

Moving, resting, defending, attacking, seeing your lot, and other
options The first option screen appears as you press the Joystick
Button or SpaceBar to start your adventure. The first option screen
always appears at the beginning of your turn. Like Ali Baba's mountain
within a mountain, the game provides options within options. The Move
option, available in most menus, returns your character to normal
movement modes when you are using one of the other option menus.

You can select Attack or Defend at any time during the first half of
your move. You may Attack in one of four directions. Choosing the
Attack option disables the Move option and presents four attack
directions and an option to defend. Choose the direction of the
opponent you want to attack.

If you select Defend, your character will adopt a defensive position,
which reduces a character's chances of being struck by an enemy. As
soon as a character moves half of the distance allotted to him, the
Attack and Defend options are no longer available.

The option to Rest is presented only if your character is wounded and
is not too close to a dangerous foe. A character has a fifty-fifty
chance of recuperating after a rest. A character who is severely
wounded must rest several times to regain full strength.

See Your Lot displays the current character's life force, wealth,
armor, strength, speed, dexterity, and weapon capability. Pressing any
key allows you to exit the display and select your move.

Other Options moves to the next set of menu options.

Dropping gold, dropping armor, retiring, or adding players
Drop Gold and Drop Armor increases your character's dexterity. Dropped
armor cannot be recovered. You must specify how much gold a character
will drop; dropped gold can often be picked up later.

The Retire option removes a character from the game, but doesn't save
or end the game. You may later reinstate the character if you wish.

Selecting Add Player brings up a submenu that allows you to add a
character to Ali Baba's entourage. Select the character's name to be
added, or select the up or down arrow to scroll through the other
characters. You can also select where the character will be added by
toggling between Add to This Room, and Ali Baba's Home. Dead
characters can be resurrected in this manner. You may play as many
characters as you wish at one time and the game will not end until all
characters in a party are killed.

Select the Other Options menu to move to the next option screen.

Changing difficulty, toggling sound, and saving game
Change Danger and Game Speed if you want to make the game either
harder or easier. The higher the Danger value, the more enemies you
will encounter. The higher the Speed value, the faster the game will
respond and more skill will be required in controlling your
characters.

If you want to play the game in silence, select Sound is On. After
turning off the sound, the option changes to read Sound is Off.
Selecting the option again would now turn the sound back on.

Select Save Game to save the current game. A further menu will appear
asking you to select one of 16 game Slots in which to save the game.
You will need a blank disk to use as a Scenario Disk; the Ali Baba
program will format the disk for you. You can exit the save procedure
by selecting Move from the save menu, or Cancel Request from the
Format menu. (See your Reference Card for details on saving a game).

Select Move from the last option menu to return to the first.

MOVEMENT
When you are moving a character, you may continue moving until you do
one of the following:

1. Move onto any object, such as a wall, for example (but not an illusion).
2. Move out of a room.
3. Move to any position where your neighboring enemies' strength 
   exceeds half your own. A nearby enemy that is down on the ground 
   will not stop you.
4. Move onto any conscious enemy.
5. Move the number of spaces that is your full running speed.
6. Select the Stop option.

Each character has his own running speed. However, if you are in
hand-to-hand combat with an enemy (that is, your character and the
enemy occupy the same spot), you will only be able to move one space
at most. Your opponent may prevent you from moving at all. If you are
next to enemies of sufficient strength to stop your movement, they
will also prevent you from retreating more than one space.

You can only attack or defend if you move half of a character's normal
running distance or less. If you move more than half your character's
running speed, the game will assume you are running and will not allow
you to attack or defend.

FIGHTING
Whenever one character attacks another, the game will figure out
whether the opponents miss or strike their target and display the
result at the bottom of the screen. If you're wrestling with an enemy,
your relative strength is important. An unconscious foe is much easier
to hit than one who is dodging blows. Large, slow beasts are easier
targets than small, fast ones. The force of a blow depends on your
weapon's power, your strength, and luck. Never hesitate to run away if
it appears you'll be the loser in a fight. Dropping gold will
sometimes help you make your getaway.

TRADING
When you locate and move into a trading outpost, you will be given an
opportunity to purchase new weapons or armor. Each character carries
two weapons, a dagger or similar weapon for hand-to-hand combat, and a
sword, club, or axe for combat with a neighboring enemy (called melee
combat). Each character has at most one suit of armor, which will
protect against attacks but will reduce the character's dexterity.

Making purchases
You will occasionally have the opportunity to purchase weapons or
armor. Select Pay (price) for (weapon/armor) if you wish to purchase
the indicated object. If you have enough gold, the object will be sold
to you. Your purchase will replace your current armor or weapon.

Select Buy Something Else to see what else the trader has for sale, or
No Sale if your purchases are completed.

The World of Ali Baba

Dearest adventurer, let me tell you what I know of Ali Baba's world.
       -- The Friendly Mage.

THINGS
First, I will give you a gift of limited vision. When you enter a new
area of Ali Baba's world, you will know the name of the place. A
bright halo will illuminate the things around you as you look in their
direction, and the names given to those things will appear before you.
Mark them well, for once you have seen them several times I will point
them out no more.

You will encounter foes and traps. They are relatively harmless as
long as you are careful and do not enter the mountain. When you enter
the cavernous depths, you will perceive new colors warning you of your
increased danger.

Do not try to cross the borders of the land. The Sultan has built
strong walls and the mountain rooms are hewn from granite. You can
only hurt yourself hitting a solid wall. Watch for the speckled walls,
however! Some of these are weak and can be destroyed by running into
them repeatedly or attacking them.

Draw a map always, that you might see the order and pattern of this
world and learn from it.

You will see rounded passages with strong oak timbers in a `Z'-shaped
construction. These doors must be bashed open. The stronger you are,
the easier this will be. An open door looks like a rounded passage or
a gap in the wall. Move through to the other side. You may not always
be able to return the way you came, so plan to return by a different
route if the need arises. Doors may slam shut after being opened. I
have heard tales of invisible doors, too.

Treasure is usually guarded by monsters or traps, but you can buy
valuable weapons and armor with it. Heavy loads of gold will slow you
down. I have heard rumors of a magic pool from which you can drink to
increase your strength and dexterity.

I suggest you read all of the runes you find. Their advice is usually
worth the risk. Enchanted runes may disappear after you read them,
sometimes with a dangerous fiery flash.

Look out for statues. Some are too solid to destroy but others can be
toppled and smashed to bits by charging into them or attacking them. A
few creatures can stand perfectly still and look just like statues.
And as if that weren't enough, there are illusions to confuse you. You
can walk through any illusion without damage or hindrance. Many
illusions will dissolve into mist as soon as they are touched. A
favorite trick of magicians is to hide valuables beneath an illusion
of empty space. For example, I know of one illusion of a statue
concealing a treasure. You can grab the treasure by running through
the statue and then back to claim the treasure now visible through the
dispelled illusion's mist.

PLAYERS
You must know about the Sultan's elite corps of warriors. They are a
courageous but varied bunch. There are 16 members of the elite corps
and Ali Baba himself to help.

Humans
The humans have a good overall dexterity and strength. Their average
running speed is 8. Most humans are well trained in the use of the
scimitar and wreak great damage with it, but they are less powerful
using their dagger in hand-to-hand combat. Thieves have had extensive
training with their daggers and are usually more lethal with them than
they are with their swords.

Abou Hassan is the only human who chooses to wear armor. He is
considerably more dangerous with his sword than with his dagger. The
armor slows him down to a dwarf's speed and hampers his dexterity, but
the armor absorbs two points from each blow.

Bairam Medio is as average as any human can be. With no special
talents, Bairam is well-balanced and generally a good man to have
around.

Haroud El-Large is the strongest human. His sheer bulk slows him down
and he is a bit clumsy. Although his sword is far deadlier than his
dagger, he is known to often favor wrestling his foe. His strength
makes up for his lack of dexterity in hand-to-hand battles with weaker
opponents.

Scheherazade is extremely skilled, and can outrun any other human. She
can often flee successfully from foes. However, her weakness makes it
difficult for her to open locked doors, and a single strong blow can
prematurely end her play. If forced to fight, she should avoid a
wrestling match and hope to destroy her foe before an unlucky blow
strikes her.

Elves
Elves have an average speed of 10. They are generally weaker but more
skilled than humans. With their lithe movements, they have an uncanny
ability to dodge attacks. Most elves prefer the use of a rapier, with
which they can strike a foe frequently. However, the rapier does less
damage than the scimitar. The elves have an intimate knowledge of
anatomy which permits them to be more devastating with their carefully
placed dagger blows than with their rapiers. However, wise elves will
avoid wrestling with a strong opponent because their frailty hampers
hand-to-hand fighting with all but the weakest foes. As partial
compensation for their lack of strength, elvish artisans have
developed a lightweight armor made of rithmil, which offers some
protection without hampering movement.

Celegorm is the prototype of a well-rounded elf, average in all
characteristics, including the usual elves' light rithmil armor.

Curufin has elected to use heavy elvish chain mail. It slows him down
to a human's speed but absorbs 3 points of damage from each blow.
Curufin is an otherwise average elf, with slightly lessened dexterity
because of his armor.

Huan is the largest of the elves. He is slower and clumsier than
others of his race. However, he wears light rithmil armor and is
difficult to hit. His dagger is even more dangerous than his lethal
rapier, and his strength adds to his skill in hand-to-hand battle.

Luthien is fast even for an elf, and can easily outdistance any other
member of the elite corps. She is very dextrous but quite weak. Her
strategy must depend on escape and luck more than on battle. She is a
hard target to hit, like all elves, and wears light rithmil armor.

Halflings
Halflings are small but hardy creatures. They are difficult for foes
to strike and their usual constitution permits them to endure many
hard blows before they become weak. Once weakened, however, they never
can be fully healed. They can easily keep up with the longer-legged
humans. Although not terribly damaging with either a short sword or
dagger, halflings handle both with great skill. Their relative
weakness usually advises against hand-to-hand combat. Halflings would
do well to purchase better weapons as soon as possible.

Cinder is moderately skillful, even with her two-point armor, although
she is as slow as a dwarf. She is strong for a halfling and does
well-remembered damage with her weapons.

Eldo is extremely dextrous but very weak, even for a halfling. With no
armor, he depends heavily on his small size to avoid blows. A weak
fighter, Eldo is often relegated to such chores as exploring unknown
territory or drawing villains away from the main party.

Merrywater has average skill and strength for a halfling. She wears no
armor and can keep up with an average human. Because of her low
strength, she is usually most useful attacking a neighboring enemy who
is wrestling with one of her friends.

Stilbo wears light armor, which makes him clumsy for a halfling,
although still more skillful than an average human. He is stronger
than other halflings and can deal some powerful blows with his
weapons.

Dwarves
Dwarves are short, stocky, powerful creatures, but are not
quick-moving. Their dexterity is generally low and their average
running speed is only 6. Their expertise with the dwarvish war hammer
makes them the most lethal of the elite corps when they do connect a
blow. They do considerably less damage with their dagger blows, but
will sometimes leap into a wrestling bout anyway because their great
strength often gives them an edge in hand-to-hand combat. Their hardy
constitutions make them even harder to kill than their strength would
suggest, although resting cannot fully restore their health.

Jatte is the Sultan's strongest warrior. Only a few denizens of the
mountain can outwrestle him. He does more damage with a blow from his
war hammer than does any other member of the elite corps. Alas, his
low dexterity makes such blows infrequent. His strength makes him a
fearful hand-to-hand fighter, although his dagger does no more damage
than those of the stronger halflings. Standing with friends, he can
often repulse the advance of opponents and can usually leap onto any
foe at will. His bulk makes him a slower-than-average dwarf.

Og is of average strength and skill for a dwarf. He wears
medium-strength armor which slows him down slightly. Although not a
very powerful dagger man, fair skill permits him to land some hefty
hammer blows.

Thora moves at standard dwarf speed, even with her light armor. She is
quite strong and not too uncoordinated. Like all dwarves, Thora
prefers to attack a foe when he's down. It greatly improves her
moderate chance of connecting a solid blow with her war hammer.

Ulva wears heavy armor to protect herself. She is the slowest of the
elite corps, but can land ferocious blows. She is relatively skillful
for a dwarf, and is very willing to wrestle with weak foes.

Other Humans
There are some other humans, not members of the Sultan's elite corps,
you may need to know about.

Abdalla is not a very powerful human and not too skilled. Having
flunked training as a Sultan's guard, he is a much better fighter than
Ali Baba, but is no more damaging than a weak halfling. He went off in
search of his master Cassim, but has failed to return. If the thieves
have not yet finished him off, he will gratefully help anyone who can
rescue him.

Ali Baba is very dextrous, moderately strong, wears no armor, and
moves at normal human speed. He is untrained in the martial arts and
carries no effective weapons. There are legends suggesting that he
will someday rescue a princess without ever attacking a statue or
living thing, nor accepting help from one who would.

Morgiana is a very effective fighter. She is more skilled than any
warrior of the elite corps. She is so agile that she is as difficult
to hit as an elf or a halfling. Her strength is nothing to brag about
and the force of her sword is moderate. In a wrestling match, she can
find her opponent's weakest spots with a sly flick of the wrist.
Sometimes a strong opponents can hold her off for a turn or two, but
her dagger attack is devastating. She is being held prisoner in the
mountain and will gratefully serve her rescuers.

Princess Buddir Al-Buddoor is the beautiful daughter of the Sultan.
She is quite agile but frail. Please protect her from all attacks. She
will fight for herself if forced to do so, but can do no more than
scratch an enemy with her fingernails. Against even a lightly armored
foe, she is totally harmless. She is well hidden in the mountain. If
rescued she will follow your guidance to safety.

Monsters
You will see a wide variety of creatures. Some are friendly and will
fight your enemies for you. Others have been imprisoned and will thank
you for rescuing them if you can find them. They will do whatever you
wish thereafter. Some creatures do not want to fight and will run for
the nearest door. Most creatures are protecting their territory and
will fight anybody nearby who is not of their own species.

I will give you from my private library this Bestiary of the World.

Bear -- Bears are awesomely strong and cannot be easily killed. Their
blows are powerful, especially in hand-to-paw combat. Luckily, they
are generally clumsy and slow. It is best to avoid them, and never
advisable to allow yourself to be tackled by one. They are most
diagreeable creatures.

Bull -- Bulls are strong, especially ones with the Minotaur's blood in
them, and are definitely unfriendly. They are best battled with a
sword or avoided altogether. Finding the secret passage around the
Minotaur will avoid bloodshed.

Crab -- I know of a crab who pines for the seashore, and is likely to
blame anyone it spots for its imprisonment. Although the crab is not
especially powerful or damaging, its strong shell is very effective
armor. The crab waddles slowly sideways.

Dragon -- Dragons are very powerful beasts and are uncommon. Their
fighting effectiveness increases greatly with age. Although they will
never serve another creature, not all dragons are interested in
attacking adventurers from the surface. They may be an invaluable aid
to you.

Felines -- Tigers, lions, and jackals are fast and dextrous. Their
speed generally makes them difficult to hit, except for the larger
lion. The tiger is the most skillful of the bunch, but the lion is the
most damaging when it attacks. They owe an allegiance only to other
felines and consider most other creatures part of their diets.

Greasies -- Amond the world's greasies are the Blob, the Slime, and
the dreaded Oozing Stenchbeast. These are generally large and powerful
occupants of the underground, known for their indiscriminate
destruction of other creatures and their slow, messy propulsion. All
of them are more dangerous when directly on top of you, and will
attempt to engulf you as soon as possible.

Owl -- Owls really have no desire to lose their lives in senseless
battles, and will flee for the nearest exit whenever they see a
warrior. Most owls are poor fighters, and are not very strong. They
are acquainted with all secret passages and may show you the way
through illusions to an invisible door.

Ram -- There is an enchanted ram, made powerful and dangerous by the
magic of the Sultan's late astrologer. His horns are more dangerous
than the trampling of his hooves.

Rat -- Rats are an all-too-common sight. The disgusting creatures are
generally weak, slow, and not too dangerous. However, some rats are
worse than others, especially the ones that dwell deeper in the
mountain. Because of their small size, they are difficult to hit.
Their weakness makes them fairly easy to dispose of if you are able to
tackle them.

Scorpion -- Scorpions are generally slow, but their poison can be
deadly. They have only fair strength and dexterity and can often be
eliminated before they are able to strike successfully. Their tough
skins offer them some protection.

Statue -- Statues come in many forms. Some just sit where they are and
never do anything. Some will attack anything in range, and a few will
attack your enemies and let you pass unharmed. The only thing common
to all statues is that they never move.

Succubus -- A succubus is a very attractive spirit who will attempt to
get very close to you. In close contact, her touch is deadly. Not
especially strong nor fast, she will try to lure you close with sly
offers of treasure.

Sword -- The enchanted swords you may see cannot be directly
controlled. They act on their own, usually guarding special entrances
or treasure. Most are ineffective at very short range, and can be
destroyed if you are able to get on top of them. The Bane of Thieves
is a sword specifically enchanted by the late astrologer to protect
his personal hideout from the numerous thieves and other beasts that
plagued him. On the astrologer's death, the Bane of Thieves
mysteriously disappeared. Rumor has it that it will return only when a
pure-hearted adventurer is in dire need. It is the only sword capable
of movement on its own.

Unicorn -- The unicorn is a highly magical beast, friendly to the
forces of good, and always ready to rid the world of evil. Never
tameable, the powerful unicorns are extremely skilled and magically
difficult to hit.

Wanderer -- The wanderers are a series of semi-intelligent machines
designed by Herr Grendel, a foreign inventor currying favor with the
Sultan. They were meant to attack thieves and rid the Sultan's domain
of villains. Unfortunately, the wanderers simply moved about
aimlessly, attacking anything within reach. Grendel came up with three
models, Sun Wanderer, Earth Wanderer, attacking Sky Wanderer, but he
was only able to increase their speed, not their intelligence. When
Sky Wanderer attacked the Sultan during a demonstration, Grendel and
his wanderers were buried in an old mineshaft. Their current
whereabouts are unknown. Their metal cases protect them somewhat
against attack.

Wolf -- A fast skillful fighter, the wolf is no friend of other
creatures.

Zombie -- A zombie is an undead corpse, animated by a necromancer,
usually to guard a treasure. They are very slow and clumsy, but can be
deadly if they are lucky enough to hit anyone. They are not known for
their intelligence. Physically, they resemble the humans they once
were.

-------
Typed up by Jeff Lodoen
jlodoen@mega.megamed.com