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FAQ: Fracas for PC/DOS
Version: 1.0
By: Quolnok
Last Update: 31st December 2005


Contents:

01       - Introduction and Copyright.
02       - Version History.
04       - System Requirements.
03       - Game Basics.
03.1     - Pickups.
03.1.1   - Jar contents.
03.2     - Hazards/objects.
03.3     - Controls.
03.4     - Game Display.
04       - Normal Game Tips.
04.1     - Normal Game Passwords.
05       - Battle Game Tips.
06       - Contact.
07       - Other Questions.
08       - Credits.
 Use [Ctrl]+F (most browsers) with section number for quick access.
 In Firefox [Ctrl]+F with section number and if necessary [Ctrl]+G to view
 next.


01 - Introduction and Copyright:


Fracas was developed and published by Geckosoft. It was originally released as
shareware back in July of 1997. This was the second and final game made by
Geckosoft, who stopped selling their games only a few years after the company
started operations. Eventually, in March of 2005, Geckosoft re-released their
games as freeware.

This FAQ is for private and personal use and is to be displayed only on
GameFAQs and its affiliates. The FAQ author is "Quolnok", other contributors
are listed in section 08.


02 - Version History:

0      2nd of December 2005
Basic FAQ layout, and details created.

1.0    31st of December 2005
FAQ completed/submitted.


04 - System Requirements:

DOS
Keyboard and/or up to 2 game controllers
Soundblaster compatible speakers for sound


03 - Game Basics:

You are a wizard, trapped in series of mazes, the way out of each maze will
only be revealed when you kill the last enemy in the maze. Doing so will
require you to control (03.3) your wizard using pickups (03.1) in an effort to
avoid hazards (03.2). You'll also need to watch your game display (03.4).


03.1 - Pickups:

Heart      - extra life
Green gem  - increase maximum bombs
Purple gem - increased range on future bomb placements
Max        - set bombs and range to the maximum
Foot       - speed up
Radiation  - temporary invincibility
Ignitor    - explode first bomb (works like jars)
Glass jar  - Misc. projectiles (thrown in front, or behind if holding bomb
             button)
Stone jar  - Misc. spells (may use a bomb)


03.1.1 - Jar contents

The contents of any jar and the Ignitor can be used any number of times within
about 40 seconds. Any of these are usable with the second action button.

Glass/stone are the official terms, however the stone ones are actually more
transparent here are the powerups with jar descriptions/usage.

Fireball  (kills)
  Glass - jar is solid orange,
          projectile thrown in one direction.
  Stone - jar is clear with yellow liquid,
          projectile thrown four directions.

Electric  (temporarily disables movement)
  Glass - jar is solid white with a flat bottom,
          projectile thrown in one direction.
  Stone - jar is clear with white circling a grey centre,
          bomb used, electricity flows four directions until it hits a wall.

Teleport  (randomly moves character hit to another location)
  Glass - jar is solid grey,
          projectile thrown in one direction.
  Stone - jar is clear with purple liquid,
          bomb used, flows four directions within standard bomb range.

Wind  (pushes bombs/characters/projectiles, range equal to that of your bombs)
  Glass - jar is solid blue,
          blows forward.
  Stone - jar is clear with blue liquid,
          blows in four directions.


03.2 - Hazards/objects:

Bombs
  You or another player can place these. The explosions destroy anything in
  their path (except when they electrocute or teleport them) and can also
  trigger other bombs within range. Take note of what the range was at time of
  placement and avoid that area. Players can't walk past them, but creatures
  occasionally can.

Vents
  Either a hole or a grill, placing a bomb on one is equivalent to placing a
  bomb with a range of one on all of them.

Spikes
  Poke out of the wall at regular intervals, they'll kill you if you touch
  them.

Electric Barriers
  Appear occasionally in random locations, they block movement and flow of
  explosives.

Moving Platforms
  Pushes any bombs, creatures or players in the direction the platform moves.

Wind
  Launched by a player, same effect as the Moving Platforms but will also move
  projectiles and possibly send them back towards the player who threw them.

One-way Tiles
  Only allows movement in one direction, as indicated by the arrows.

Rocks
  A blockage in the path that can be removed with a bomb to reveal a pickup,
  or can be used as part of a dead end in which to trap enemies.

Flip Doors
  They can only be used in one direction, from the inside of the L, they are
  also flipped by explosions and projectiles.


03.3 - Controls:

P              - Pause
Numeric pad +  - Increase brightness
Numeric pad -  - Decrease brightness

Player 1 (red)
  TAB          - Use powerup
  Q            - Place bomb
  R            - Move up
  D            - Move left
  F            - Move down
  G            - Move right

Player 2 (purple)
  ]            - Use powerup
  ENTER        - Place bomb
  Up arrow     - Move up
  Left arrow   - Move left
  Down arrow   - Move down
  Right arrow  - Move right

Player 3 (yellow)
  Controller 1

Player 4 (blue)
  Controller 2


03.4 - Game Display:

Display Mode A, used in normal games and an alternative for battle games.
Above, left to right, are each player's details:
  A box indicating current powerup (if any).
  Score (in the player's colour).
  Available bombs (green) and range (purple).
  Lives (in the player's colour).
Depending on whether you are in a normal or battle game there are slight
changes:
  The Lives entry in a normal game is the number remaining, in a battle game
  this is lives taken, or kills.
  To the far right in a normal game is the level number, this area is blank in
  a battle game.

Display Mode B is exclusive to battle games and is the default. Across the top
is:
  Game number, kill count for each player and a timer.
Down the right are each player's details:
  Score (in the player's colour).
  A box indicating current powerup (if any).
  Green gems indicating available bombs (if any).
  Purple gems indicating the range.


04 - Normal Game Tips:

As you progress through the normal game mode you will learn the ways the
creatures act and move. Initially it seems random, but as you progress some
deliberately avoid fire, bombs and/or you or will head towards you.
Additionally creatures in later levels move faster.

Good techniques to try include the use of dead end paths to trap enemies in to
blow them up. Fireballs and Ignitors are by far the best powerups, but
Electrocution can provide the opportunity to place an inescapable bomb and
wind can delay a creature long enough to blow them up. Likewise if there are
too many enemies around you can try hiding in a dead end, just make sure that
your bomb is not going to hit you.

Any level with an over concentration of hazards (such as level 17) can be hard
to navigate, my issues with the close placement of moving platforms is why I
took so long on this level, in this case you'll notice that
turning corners on these platforms is hard, to make some turns you have to
force yourself in the direction of the platform's motion and may need to back
up. The best way to beat this level is to first get into a corner (hazard free
area containing rocks/creatures) and stay as long as possible.

Another area which may cause problems is level 40, down the centre of the
screen is a wall with two flip doors open to the left. Player 2 can't get past
these from the right, the same is probably true of either player 3 or 4. You
may want to be using Player 1 for this level, there's no teleport bombs.

A fairly common trick to gain extra lives is to start the game with multiple
wizards but just the one player and switch when the wizard you prefer is out
of lives.


04.1 - Normal Game Passwords:

MOON      Go to level 01
EARTH     Go to level 06
FIRE      Go to level 11
MAGIC     Go to level 16
LOVE      Go to level 21
PINE      Go to level 26
SPELL     Go to level 31
BATTLE    Go to level 36
SMIGGLE   Go to level 41
TIME      Go to level 46
STAR      Go to level 51
POWER     Go to level 56
RUDE      Turn on/off "Rude mode"
PSYCHO    Turn on/off "Psycho correction mode"


05 - Battle Game Tips:

The tips from a normal game (04) still apply and additionally you can use
wind in an attempt to force a fireball or other projectile back at an enemy.


06 - Contact:

If you have questions, see something missing that should be added or incorrect
spelling/grammar you can e-mail Quolnok[at]hotmail[dot]com with "FRACAS FAQ"
in the subject line. (Spelling is checked using Australian English with
Microsoft Word). Also keep in mind I don't have any game controllers for my
computer so I don't know about their use in this game aside from being
possible.


07 - Other Questions:

Q: Where are some screen shots?

A: There only seems to be one screen shot (or the same one in a few places) on
  the internet; http://www.dosgames.com/ss.php?filename=fracas.gif

Q: I had the demo of this game a few years back, where did you find it?

A: Geckosoft's new official site: http://www.coolbubble.com/features/geckosoft/
  the game is 643KB


08 - Credits:

ASCII "Fracas":
       IDEO ASCII TYPESETTER V1.0 http://www.ideo.com/typesetter.html

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