===============================================================
Title  : Golgatha II: Demon World
Author : Paul Allen Panks
Version: 2.04c
License: Public Domain 
OS     : Windows XP/MS-DOS
Created: June 20, 2003
Updated: Oct 28, 2004
Website: http://www.geocities.com/dunric/westfront.html
Email  : dunric@yahoo.com
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Introduction
------------

"Golgatha II: Demon World" is the sequel to my first game
"Golgatha" (written in 2001). This is a game based slightly
off of the old Commodore 64 maze game Box Mania II (with
some added twists).

I am pleased that this game has received so much praise
from the gaming community at large. It is simple, in
theory, but the gameplay is enjoyable enough to allow
for hours of extended fun. There is also an in-game
level editor, whereby the player can edit existing
levels, or even create entirely new ones!

System Requirements
-------------------

"Golgatha II" doesn't require a lot of computing muscle.
In fact, anything above a 386 will suffice. RAM must be
above 640 KB, so any system (even those running MSDOS)
should be able to handle gameplay with ease.

The game works fine on all versions of Windows that
I tested it with (including Windows XP and NT).

How to play
-----------

The game is fairly simple: can VAP (our hero) survive
the dungeons? Every door he unlocks opens an entirely
new dungeon, with more monsters than before! The levels
are selected by the user, and are not linear. So the
game continues as long as VAP still has men left.

Use the numeric keypad to move VAP around. The
following numbers correspond to cardinal directions
below:

       8 (up)
       |
 4-----5-----6 (right)
(left) |
       2 (down)

VAP will sometimes get blocked by Evils (the monsters
that move around). He will lose hearts (energy) each time
he comes in contact with them. Sometimes, though, he can
move right through them! That's what makes VAP special;
he can move through monsters, and even "freeze" them for
a short time!

VAP's goal is to find the key to unlock the door at the
end of the level. Sounds simple, but it isn't. Monsters,
teleports, slimed floors, atom splitters and other
nastiness awaits VAP as he moves about the dungeon. He
can pick up objects, such as healing elixirs and coins
that increase his strength. There are also "1-UP" spheres
(which gain a new man for VAP).

Once the door is successfully unlocked, VAP is taken to
a screen where a new level can be loaded. VAP's stats (including
score and total men) are retained, even on the new level. So
VAP can continue playing levels for a high score.

The final score is given once VAP exhausts his men.

In-game commands
----------------

There are a few in-game commands which are activated by
depressing a single key. Here they are:

P = pause game (hit the "X" key to resume)
    (you can also increase/decrease the game speed
     while it is paused, by pressing the "+" and "-"
     keys, respectively)

E = level editor (launches the level editor, ending
    the current game)

R = restart game (restarts the current level)

Q = quit game (quits the game entirely)

The save game function (denoted by the "S" key) is not
implemented yet.

The Level Editor
----------------

The level editor can be accessed in-game by pressing
the "E" key during gameplay. Keep in mind that this
will abort the present gaming session.

The editor is fairly straightforward. Use the
numeric keypad to move the cursor around (the "8"
corresponds to up, "4" to left, "6" to right and
"2" to down, respectively). These keys are also used
to move VAP around during gameplay.

Once inside the editor, you will see a blank screen. This
is a blank level you can edit from scratch (but remember,
you can also load an existing level and edit that as
well!)

VAP cannot wander on anything except "the floor", which is
the symbol designated by the "B" key. Press the "B" key to
place a block of floor on the map. You can also select
walls (the "E" key) and other objects, too. The maps are
limited to 20 x 20 in dimension space. That's more gaming
area than you'd think, at first!

A typical level might look like this:

XXXXXXX
X.....XXXXXXXXXXXXX
X.............X...X
X......X......X...X
X.................X
X................XX
XXXX.............X
   X.............XX
   XXXXX..........X
       X..........X
       XXXXXXXXXXXX

Let's pretend that "." is the floor and "X" are walls.
This example is obviously not to scale; it is only 20 x 10
(normal levels have the potential to be as large as 20 x 20).

Always space out the levels so that monsters (called "evils")
can roam freely on the dungeon floor (denoted by the "." symbol
in our example above). Walls (the "X" symbol, as above) block
any monster's movement (even VAP's). They should be used only
to block off areas you wish to remain inaccessible to both
VAP and the monsters.

Also, note that VAP (and, thusly, Evils) cannot move on
blank spaces. Placing a blank space on the map is perfectly
okay, but be sure it is really a place you don't want VAP
or the Evils to go. A normal way of placing blanks is to
overwrite an existing space, in case you've changed your
mind or goofed about where something should go.

Teleports are a bit unwieldy, as they sometimes will move
VAP into an area around the teleport (which may occasionally
turn out to be a wall, in some instances). Just walk past
it by moving into the next available dungeon floor space.

Final thoughts
--------------

Have fun playing Golgatha II! =) If you'd like, you may
send me your created levels at:

dunric@yahoo.com

and I will be happy to include them in future versions of
this game.

If you have any questions or comments about "Golgatha II",
please e-mail me at the address listed above. I have also
included the QBASIC source code to Golgatha, for those
interested in expanding the game further. If anyone wants
to port Golgatha to another platform (e.g. Linux, Atari,
Commodore, etc.) feel free to do so. The game is public
domain, after all.

Enjoy! =)

Sincerely,

Paul Allen Panks
dunric@yahoo.com
Oct 28, 2004
