Convolution

Kylon's World

                     Play Instructions for Kylon's World

 A) Object of Game:

        The object of Kylon's World is to kill monsters and gain experience
     to a point where you can defeat the monster Kylon on level 30 and then
     Kylon's Dad on level 45. 

 B) Character Selection:

        After completing the initial logon and instruction screens for 
     Kylon's World, you are presented with the character selection menu.  
     At this menu you must choose one of the following three character 
     types to play.

     1) Thief   - Well rounded character that excells in dexterity and gains
                  experience levels quickly.  The thief is also the only 
                  character type with the ability to steal money and items 
                  from stores.

     2) Warrior - Brute strength character with rapidly growing strength and 
                  dexterity abilities with progression through experience 
                  levels.  This character is the easiest to start with and
                  does impressive damage at higher levels with hand weapons.

     3) Mage    - Intelligence concentrated character that is very difficult
                  to start out with, but becomes more and more powerful with
                  the ability to use the many magic spells gained in the first
                  9 levels of experience.

        You are not stuck with your initial character choice for the entire
     game. You are free to change characters whenever you like simply by typing 
     'X' at the '>' prompt which returns you to the character selection menu.
     It is suggested that you try all the characters and you will have to play
     at least one other type then your primary character in order to resurrect
     your primary character when an unfortunate death befalls him or her. 


 C) Multi-User Chat:

        If the Kylon's World game you are playing is in a multi-user environ-
     ment such as a multi-node BBS, you can chat with the other users simply
     by typing an apostrophe (') and then a message at the '>' prompt.  Your
     message will be transmitted to all other users playing the game.  Should
     you wish to talk secretly with the other users you must be in the same
     map room and use the 'SAY' command instead of the apostrophe.  The 'SAY'
     command sends your message only to users in the same map room with you.
        When you are entering the game a list of other users already in the
     game is presented right before the character selection menu.  The game
     also informs you if a new player has entered the game through a message
     worded like "John Doe has just appeared in this world."  At any time,  
     you may also use the 'WHO' command to get a list of the current users
     in the game world.

 D) Online Help:

        Extensive online help is provided through the 'HELP' command.  A list
     all the available commands is presented to you if you type just 'HELP' at
     the '>' prompt.  Detailed syntax and usage for each command is available
     by typing 'HELP .'  There is also help available on six 
     specific topics:  Class, Spell, Moving, Strategy, Talking, Quit. 
        The Class topic will give you information about the amount of 
     experience needed for each level of a character class and the attribute
     additions gained through each level.  For example,  typing 'HELP CLASS 2'
     will present you with the experience table for the warrior class.
        The Spell topic will give you specific information about all the magic
     spells available in Kylon's World.  For example, typing 'HELP SPELL CURE'
     will present you with command syntax and usage of the CURE spell.
        Typing 'HELP' followed by any of the other six topics will present you
     with a small paragraph about the topic.

 E) Command Shortcuts:

        Kylon's World allows you to shorten all commands to the number of
     characters that will uniquely identify the command.  For example the
     command 'ENGAGE RUST MONSTER-1235' could be shortened to simply
     'ENG R'.  This saves a great deal of typing on your part and should
     be used to its fullest advantage.
     

 F) Map System:

        The Kylon's World map system consists of 45 different map levels.
     Each map level is a grid of map rooms that range in x,y coordinates from
     (-20,-20) to (20,20).  Typing 'MAP' on any level will present you with
     a visual map of the current level.  Open rooms appear as open space on
     the map as opposed to the hash marked blocked space.  The random letters
     on the map indicate the following:

        S - Personal stores either owned by other players or for sale.
        C - City stores where you may sell items.
        M - Maintenance shops where you may fix items.

 G) Moving around:

        Moving from one map level to another is accomplished by using the 'GO' 
     command.  For example typing 'GO 10' will take your character to map
     level 10, coordinate (0,0).  Inter level travel costs your character 3000
     energy units (IONS) per level traveled.  
        Moving from one room to another on the same map level is done by typing
     one of the direction commands (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST), which will 
     move your character one coordinate to the direction you specified if that
     room is an open room.  For example if you are at (0,0) on the map and
     type 'EAST', your character will move to the room at (1,0) on the map.

 H) Energy System:

        Energy in Kylon's World is measured in 'ION' units.  A specific amount
     of IONS are required for almost all actions.  It costs 3000 ions to move
     from map level the next map level,  1000 ions per hit point healed,
     a character class specific amount to move from one room to another, and
     a spell specific amount to cast any of the various spells.
        Energy is produced by ionizing the various items found throughout
     Kylon's World.  Use the 'IONIZE' command followed by the item name to
     convert that item into energy.  For example, typing 'IONIZE URANIUM ROCK'
     when you have a uranium rock in your inventory would generate 25,000 ions
     and the uranium rock would dissappear.

 I) Battling Monsters:

        The key to advancing your character through experience levels is to
     kill the monsters found throughout Kylon's World.  Move around the map
     level until you find a room with a monster in it.  You will often be
     warned that there is a monster in the next room by seeing shadows to a
     particular direction.  
        Upon entering the room  the monster has a chance of immediately 
     attacking you or waiting to see what you are going to do.  Monsters on
     lower levels rarely will attack immediately while monsters on higher 
     levels will almost always attack.  If you survive entering the room you 
     must use the 'ENGAGE' command to tell the game which monster you will be 
     attacking.  For example,  you walk into a room with BAT-13 in it.  You 
     type 'ENGAGE BAT-13' to indicate you will be attacking the bat.  The
     game will respond with 'You are prepared to attack BAT-13.'
         Actual attack of the monster can be accomplished through any of
     the following commands: KICK, PUNCH, WIELD (hand weapons), AIM (wands), 
     or CAST (spells).  Kick and Punch require no other parameters or items
     to use.  The other attack modes will be covered later.
         You may continue to attack the monster until either it dies, you die,
     or your leave the room.  If the monster hits you, the 'HEAL' command will
     repair lost hit points if you have enough energy (1000 per point healed).
     If you are losing the battle you may try to leave the room, but you will    
     have to leave the level using the 'GO' command or the monster will just
     follow you around the level and continue to attack you.

 J) Hand Weapons:

         Using hand weapons in attacks can be accomplished using the 'WIELD'
      command.  For example, to attack a monster using a TRIDENT you found  
      in a room,  you must have the TRIDENT in your characters inventory
      i.e. 'GET TRIDENT.'  Then after engaging a monster you must type
      'WIELD TRIDENT' to attack the monster with the TRIDENT.
         Some hand weapons are magical which means they have a bonus to
      hit the monster and that they will not break through use.  You can
      determine if the weapon is magic by typing 'LOOK '.  If
      the weapon is magical the game will respond with the magic bonus the
      weapon has.  If the weapon is not magical it will have no plus 
      specified and the game will instead tell you the weapons current 
      condition. i.e.  The  looks chipped from all its use.
         You may return the weapon to original condition by going to a
      maintenance shop ('M' on the map) and typing 'FIX '.
      Your weapon will be returned to its new condition if you have 
      enough coins on your character to cover the repair.

 K) Wands:

         Wands are a little more complicated to use then the hand weapons,
      but have a distinct advantage.  You may use a wand not only in the
      same room as the monster but also from a clear straight path up to
      five map rooms away.  For example,  you engage BAT-13 at room (0,0).
      You may then walk five rooms to the east (5,0) and use the aim command
      'AIM W MAGIC WAND' to attack the bat five rooms to the west.  In the 
      same room with the monster you may aim the wand in any direction and
      still hit the monster, but you must still specify a direction for the
      aim command. i.e. .
          Please note that each wand has a particular number of charges or
      uses.  You may type 'LOOK ' to find out how many charges
      are left in the wand.  If the wand has 0 charges left it is broken 
      and is useless.  You may fix lost charges by going to a maintenance 
      shop ('M' on the map) and typing 'FIX .'  Your wand will 
      be returned to its maximum charge condition if you have enough coins
      on your character to cover the repair.


 L) Spells:

          Spells are available to all three character classes although the
      mage character class has access to them at a lower level and does
      much more damage with the attack spells.  To see what spells are
      available to your character, use the 'LIST' command.  Remember to
      check the 'LIST' command after each level gained by your character
      to see what new spells you can use.  Prior to using any spell,
      your character must memorize the spell using the 'MEMORIZE' command.
      For example, 'MEMORIZE LIGHT' would prepare your character to cast
      the light spell.  Each spell takes a specific number of actual time
      seconds to memorize which decreases with levels gained by your 
      character.  The game will notify you with a message when the spell
      has been memorized.
          Each spell has specific usage, command syntax, and ion cost to  
      use.  You will have to try each spell to figure out what it does    
      and how to use it, but you can get details of the command syntax for
      each spell by using the online help. i.e. 'HELP SPELL FIRE BALL'.
      

 M) Armor:

          You will be hit much less often if you find good armor.  To use
      armor you must type 'WEAR ' with the armor in your 
      characters inventory.  To determine how good the armor is, type
      'STAT' at the '>' and check your character statistic display.  The
      better the armor you are wearing, the higher your armor class on 
      the stat display will be.  Armor is similar to hand weapons in that
      it may be magical (i.e. unbreakable) or regular in which case it
      is damaged by battle and must be fixed periodically at a maintenance
      shop.  To remove armor you simple type 'REMOVE' and the armor is placed
      back in your characters inventory where it can be fixed.

 N) Resurrection and Burial:

          Should your character suffer an unfortunate death.  You may
      resurrect the dead character by selecting one of your other characters
      from the selection menu and then typing 'RESURRECT '.
      Resurrection costs 1000 coins per level of the character to be 
      resurrected so it can get quite expensive with high level characters.
      The resurrected character will retain its pre-death statistics and 
      remain in the same room it died in.
          You may also bury a character from the selection menu, but this 
      should be used as a last resort in the case where all three of your 
      characters have died.  Bury your lowest level character in this case 
      as burial resets the character to a level 1 character with no 
      experience.

 O) Stores:

          Stores are an important part of Kylon's World primarily as a place
      for you to store items, coins, and energy.  To purchase a store you
      must find one for sale.  Looking at the map a store that is possibly
      for sale will be indicated by an 'S' on the map.  Proceed to that 
      location and the top of the room summary will say 'STORE FOR SALE:' and
      the amount of coins needed to purchase the store if the store is for
      sale.  If you have the required amount of coins type 'BUY STORE' and
      the game will assign the store to you.  

          The following commands are then available to you:

          SIGN     : Personalizes your store on the room summary. 
          DEPOSIT  : Transfers coins to the store vault.
          WITHDRAW : Withdraws coins from the store vault.
          STOCK    : Places items in the store inventory.
          UNSTOCK  : Removes items from the store inventory.
          SECURE   : Deposits ions in the store security system.
          UNSECURE : Withdraws ions from the store security sytem.
          REPORT   : Gives details or store assets and the rent per day.
          MARKUP   : Raises the price others would have to pay for your items.
          MARKDOWN : Lowers the price your store will pay for items.


 P) Hints and Tips:

          The monsters in Kylon's World are very smart, but generally very 
      predictable.  Study their habits and you will discover various strategies
      to kill them.  If you are in a multi-user game, work with the other
      players to develop strategies and teamwork.  This may prove to be your
      biggest advantage and help you proceed through the difficult first levels
      of character developement.