Zyll(PC game, early DOS era) FAQ
version 1.0.0(text maps and basic item info)
copyright 2003-2004 by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
Please do not reproduce this FAQ for profit without my prior consent.
This FAQ is copyright 2001 Andrew Schultz. If you write me a note
specifically using my name and this FAQ's name I will likely approve
your request. This document is largely for nostalgia purposes in
addition to the strategic insights I hope it provides.
****AD SPACE****
My home page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762
Zyll maps, with a bit of JavaScript:
http://home.earthlink.net/~schultza/zyll/zyll.htm
They are under constant revision, as I need to document what's locked, by
which key, etc. And the ledger may change. But I wanted to tinker with the
JavaScript!
================================
OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION
1-1. ABOUT ZYLL AND THIS GAME AND GUIDE
1-2. ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER CHOICE, AND STARTING OUT
2. CONTROLS
3. OTHER STUFF
3-1. ITEMS AND RANDOMIZATION
3-2. MONSTERS
3-3. BOATS
4. POINT SCORING
5. BIG PICTURE MAP
6. IN DEPTH MAPS
6-1. OUTSIDE CASTLE
6-2. CASTLE
6-3. CASTLE L2
6-4. BELOW CASTLE
6-5. MINES
6-6. CATACOMBS
6-7. CAVERNS
6-8. WATER AREA
7. WALKTHROUGH
8. SAVED GAME STUFF
9. TWO PLAYER STRATEGY
10. DATA STORAGE INFORMATION
11. VERSIONS
12. CREDITS
================================
1. INTRODUCTION
1-1. ABOUT ZYLL AND THIS GAME AND GUIDE
I never really considered a guide for this game until I noticed that a
student's website at Michigan State with maps for Zyll had gone down, and I
realized I wanted to do a guide for every letter in the alphabet. Nothing
else seemed to be both approachable and meaningful(Zaxxon isn't really my
style,) and since I enjoyed looking at it but that was a couple of years ago,
so I thought I'd whip up something to help reticent adventurers in its place.
It's not an easy game, but it has that Zorkish feel.
Plus, someone had written maps for Zyll at Michigan State University,
including something from the authors. But it's gone now. I wanted to try to
bring back what I could of it.
The point of Zyll is to get at least four of the five great treasures,
scattered randomly at the start of each game, in the same room at once. This
is the barest way to win the game, but you do even better if you get the
treasures in the same room as the orb. This means dropping treasures by the
orb and picking others up later. If you carry around too many treasures it's
possible to win by accident before you get the best ending.
There are also other minor treasures you can look for. If they're in the
same room as you when you win, more points for you. Enemies also move in real
time along with you. They're a bit on the slow side but can do damage.
You have three classes to try out: fighter, wizard and thief. I prefer
thief because you can just lockpick through tough doors with him, no keys
necessary, but the other classes allow for different strategies(fighting,
spell casting, etc.)
the-underdogs.org should have this game--I believe the copyright has
expired--and it's a pretty small download with just two files, zyll.exe and
zyll.dat.
One thing you need to note, though; switching from the Zyll window on Win98
seems to reset the system timer to 12:00 AM. But not on 2000. Maybe you'll
want to run this game embedded in DosBox, which you can get at
http://dosbox.sourceforge.net. That nips the problem in the bud.
The lists here are by no means complete, but I've managed to get through
the game with the basic information.
1-2. ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER CHOICE, AND STARTING OUT
Character choice doesn't have any terribly visible effect on what you do
although I suspect the warrior can carry more than the wizard, and the thief
is better at picking locks. But the wizard can read more scrolls. The thief
is probably best for poking around and seeing the map, which itself doesn't
change during the game. You may get lucky and find an all-spell scroll for
the wizard early on, but thieves have the most pedantic way to a win.
Fighters can carry more items and get the maximum for items a bit easier once
you know where the keys are. I'm assuming you always run from fights of
course.
In two player mode both players can choose whatever they want, but they
can't attack each other.
If you get killed by a monster you get one resurrection, but your items
will be so scattered all over it isn't worth it.
2. CONTROLS
Controlling your character isn't too bad once you get the hang of it.
You'll want to remember the main moves, of course, and also you should note
that valid moves are put in green. For one player, they are below.
ALT-S = save game. You then must push F1 for A, F2 for B, F3 for C, F4 for d.
There's no way to load a game except for closing and restarting.
F1-F1 = move up
F1-F2 = move north
F1-F4 = move west
F1-F6 = move east
F1-F7 = move down
F1-F8 = move south
(in the dark, F1 tends to make you move randomly.)
F2 = look
F3 = drop item
F4 = take item. Too-heavy items are not highlighted.
F5 = inventory
F6 = attack. This takes about three dots of time.
F7 = cast spell
F8 = status(i.e. health)
F10-F1 = ready weapon. You'll want to do this right away, and it's also
the way to ready a shield--the game isn't 100% logical here.
F10-F2 = throw(i.e. red liquid)
F10-F3 = eat/drink(potion)
F10-F4 = light(torches)
F10-F5 = read (scrolls, etc.)
F10-F7 = search. This takes a while but if you know there's a secret
passage it's a great idea.
F10-F8 = hide object. To take it later. Most effective in 2 player mode.
F10-F10 = score
At a door, you have the choice of F7(forward,) F8(backward) and F1/F3
to open/unlock and F2 to lock, which is more useful in 2-player games.
For the second player it's a bit tricker, and if someone has gotten
used to being player #1 then it's a bit of a handicap to move around.
Here's how the keyboard is formed and what it turns into:
7 8 9 F1 F2 F3
4 5 6 /==\ F4 F5 F6
1 2 3 \==/ F7 F8 F9
. F10
Note that this corresponds to general N/S/E/W mapping. So the controls sort
of make sense on number locks.
3. OTHER STUFF
3-1. ITEMS AND RANDOMIZATION
Utilitarian items:
Plate mail: you can start the game out with this.
Chain mail: you can start the game out with this.
Mace: you can start the game out with this.
Warhammer: you can start the game out with this.
Large shield: you can start the game out with this.
Small shield: you can start the game out with this.
Copper lamp: you can start the game out with this. It lasts ~30 minutes.
Brass lamp: 2 of them. 1 east of mines, another in dressing room in guest
suite(castle level 2.) These last ~30 minutes too.
Shiny key:
Black key: found at edge of cliff(east edge of outside, south)
Skull key: found in king's dressing room
Brass key: found in top of sorcerer's tower
Iron key: found in kitchen
Torches: found all over. 2 in stable, 1 in road/trees
Potions or food:
Blue potion: you can start the game out with this. It increases your
strength.
Murky vial: in guest room, N of N hallway, castle level 2
Red potion: throw at enemies to kill them. Drinking it hurts you.
Red, yellow and green rfuits in castle pantry
Scrolls:
--pick lock scroll
--find hidden objects scroll
--powerful scroll that lets you learn all spells
They're found in:
--rocky chamber north of catacombs
--narrow area in mine
Other, useless or worse:
poisonous chest in balcony over ballroom drains your strength
Valuable items:
Treasure | Pts | Location
-------------+-----+------------------------------------------
?? | ?? | stone forest/waterfall
Gold buckle | ?? | Cavern(S, W of looping small cave)
Black sword | 23 | Armory
Ivory amulet | 25 | E servants quarters
Brooch | 45 | ????
Marble urn | 25 | Catacombs, center
Gold nugget | 35 | W Guest room, S corridor
Gold coins | 30 | Mines, wide area
Brass lamp | 20 | Edge of cliff, dressing room
Sapphire | 40 | search in nursery
Tapestry | ?? | take old rug, becomes tapestry ??
Oil painting | 20 | ballroom, take painting off wall
Throne | 40 | Royal throne room
Small diamond| ?? | behind waterfall, southern water area
Fillings | 20 | main torture room, below castle
Goblets | ?? | Small hollow between caverns, water
Orb of Zyll | 33 | (varies, have to drop)
Magic shield | 123 | Varies, great treasure
Broadsword | 123 | Great treasure, armory
Ruby pendant | 123 | Varies, great treasure
Jeweled crown| 123 | Varies, great treasure
Scepter | 123 | Varies, great treasure
You lose points for a valuable item if you drop it. This seems to defeat
the point, but at the(successful) end of the game, you get 123 for each
treasure that's in the same room as you are, along with 623 if the Orb is
there, plus any points for the other treasures in that room or on your person,
plus experience and rooms-visited points.
The rooms special items are in aren't totally random. I've frequently found
the pendant by the marble urn, and other special items appear to be tucked
away in corners. The Orb only seems to have a few locations as well, but I
haven't played enough times to pinpoint everything.
3-2. MONSTERS
None of the monsters are particularly dangerous(except demon rats...eegh)
provided you have weapons and armor ready, and they all give about the same
experience. There seem to be a few of each type scattered around the game.
You can dispatch a few throwing red liquid, and you can almost always run
away. Certain monsters patrol certain areas, too. Zyll's in the sorceror's
tower, Zanzabar's in the king's area and even the treasury, the troll's in
the upper castle, and skeletons are below the castle. The sea monster is in
the water and the dwarf tends to be below, in the catacombs, or in the mines.
The wolf and lion will be outside the castle. The dragon tends to wait in the
courtyard.
To avoid monsters, always have your next move prepared in your mind. And if
you don't, go back the way you came and see if the monster follows. During
your break, plan where to go next. If you're not out of the monster's range,
you can avoid it again by going back and forth continually.
Even worse than being damaged by monsters and being threatened with death
and (the first time) subsequent resurrection and a panic searching for your
most valuable items that got scattered, damage may make you too weak to move
with your current horde of items. Another reason to avoid when you can. And
yes, a monster can damage you when you search.
name | experience
-------------+-----------
Demon Rat | 24
Giant Lizard | 25
Troll | 28
Dwarf | 29
Sea Monster | 32
There may be different looking dwarves but they're all the same in
experience points.
3-3. BOATS
Boats are the only way to get across the water, which isn't always critical,
but it can provide a back-door entrance into a castle area. There are a red
and a blue one. They appear at various locations each game, but there are
three docks leading to the water part where they may stay. The red boat is at
the top of the dock and the blue is at the bottom. You will probably need to
search the watery areas once--pay attention to the inlets and so forth--but
since you can access two boats from below the castle, there shouldn't be a
problem getting lost.
There's also a river to the north of the outside-castle area where you
start, but it doesn't appear to be reachable. I've searched and mapped
everywhere.
4. POINT SCORING
--you get one point for each new room you visit.
--experience is listed for the monsters in 3-2.
--items give from 20 to 123 points(for the artifacts.) You only get points
during the game if one is in your possession.
--you get 623 points for completing the game with the Orb.
5. BIG PICTURE MAP
Castle L2
|
Castle----------+
| |
Below Castle\ |
| \Outside Castle
Water area---Caverns |
| |
Catacombs |
| |
Mines----------+
Note there are for the most part two ways to get to a place--even the Water
Area and castle level 2, which appear to be dead ends, have multiple ways
back to the next big area and many internal loops via stairs, etc. There's a
useful secret passage between the castle outside and below the castle, too.
6. IN DEPTH MAPS
The maps for Zyll aren't too bad to figure out as long as you're willing to
take several trips through. You also have to be willing to wait a few extra
seconds when you search. However there are cases where reciprocal
movement(E/W) doesn't land you at the same spot.
The notation I'll use here puts the rooms as numbers and puts details below.
I still haven't put down which doors are where but they will be indicated by
something other than | or - next to the appropriate room.
I also have some notes on what is in which rooms. I wanted to keep the text
map size down for all this.
6-1. OUTSIDE CASTLE
*
1--2--3--4--5--6--7
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
8--9--10-11-12-13-14-15
| * | | | |
| D | | | |
16- 17-18-19-20
| | | |
| | | |
(21)22-23-24-25-26-27
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
28-29-30-31-32-33-34D
| | | | | | \
| | | | | | \
35-36-37-38-39-40(41)-42U
1: dense undergrowth
2: field(ladder down to well)
3: edge of forest
4: tall trees and brush
5: 11: trees and brush(11-berry)
6: ruins of stone bridge
7: icy cold stream
8: meadow
9: apple orchard
10: clearing(ladder up)
12: wooded area NE of castle
13: 18: 25: road surrounded by trees (13-torch)
14: 19: 26: bottom of gully
15: shelf on cliff
16: stable(dark, 2 torches, secret door down, east to castle) (down to foul
crypt)
17: east wall of castle (secret door west to castle)
20: top of cliff
21: Iron gate(inside castle)
22: west of stone wall
23: open area
24: SE corner of castle
27: Edge of cliff(black key)
28: SW corner of castle
29: road
30: wide section of road
31: 32: section of road
33: bend in road
34: edge of steep cliff
35: 36: 37: 38: 39: over gorge
40: ridge of gorge
41: see mines map
42: small rocky ledge. Brass lamp here provides light for the mines to
the west. (6-5)
To cover all squares in this area you'll need to backtrack twice. Why?
Let's break down the map.
x y x y x y x
y x y x y x y x
x y x y
y x y x y x
x y x y x y x
y x y x y x
There are 2 more x's than y's in this picture. Everything corresponds to a
location. But we always travel from an x to a y. Therefore if we start at an
x and try always to go to a square we haven't covered, we'll go to a y and
back to an x, etc. So we must retrace over a y we've been to to see another x.
So, in case you were wondering, you're not being silly if you can't find a
way through. Just waste the few extra seconds retracking.
6-2. CASTLE
U
1 2
D| |
| | U
3 4--5--6--7--8
| | | D
| | |
(a) 9--10----11-t
| | | |
| * | |* |
12-13-14-15-16----17
| | | |
| | | | 18
| | | | |
| | | |* |* *
19-20-21 22-23-24-25-26
|
|
(27)
1: Sorcerer's tower
2: Royal treasury
3: Chapel
4: 6: undescribed hallway
5: 7: long hallway(5 has secret door north)
8: King's Tower U/D
9: West royal throne room
10: East royal throne room(throne)
11: Royal counsel(teleport to east)
12: stable, north to outside area
13: NW courtyard
14: NE courtyard
15: Grand entry
16: Central guards' room U/D
17: nondescript room
18: pantry(fruits you can take)
19: ??(brooch here?)
20: SW courtyard
21: SE courtyard(S to iron gate outside castle)
22: West ballroom
23: East ballroom(oil painting)
24: Kitchen(iron key)
25: Servants' room
26: Dusty workroom
The throne rooms have lots of treasure here and you may wish just to
centralize what you find. No square is really better than any other for
leaving. The Royal Treasury is great if you're a thief in competitive mode,
but the King's ghost seems to like to hang out there.
6-3. CASTLE L2
U U
t--1-----2--3-----4
| D : D|
| : |
| 5 : |
| | : |
| | : |
6-----7--8-----9
| | | |
| | | |
| 10 | 12-11
| | :
| | :
13-14-15 16 :
| |D :
| | :
17-18-19-20-21-22
| | | D |
| | | |
23 24 25 26
D
Here Zyll awaits on the north end, and the king and a troll are hanging
around, too. A lot of rooms are the same, but you can search for some nice
treasures. If you can get the skull key, the rest of the game is really
looking up.
1: Sorcerer's balcony
2: Sorcerer's tower. There are stairs up and down here. In fact you can go up
two levels to what seems to be the top of the tower...but if you search there
you'll find another secret passage! That can net you another key.
3: Wide balcony, stairs down, secret passage to south
4: Circular room. See 2. Same logic. Note that above 2 and 4 can 'see' each
other from the descriptions.
5: 10: 24: 25: Guest room. Murky vial in 5:, gold nugget in 25:
6: 7: 13: 16: 18: 19: 20: nondescript hallway. Sledgehammer in 7, stairs down
in 16, 20
8: 17: Intersection of hallways
9: King's lounge
11: Dressing room
12: King's bedroom. Secret passage to south you can search for. I wasn't able
to find it from the Queen's bedchamber(22) where it goes.
14: Royal suite.
15: Dressing room. Brass lamp.
21: Queen's lounge
22: Queen's bedchamber
23: Ballroom balcony. A chest here clips you with a poison needle if you take
it.
26: Royal nursery. Search for sapphire.
6-4. BELOW CASTLE
1
|
|U
(=U)--2--t
D|
|
| 3 4
| | |
| | |
D5--6--7--8
| |
* U |* *
9-----10----11----12-------13
| | | | |
| | | | |
14-15-16-17-18-19-20 21-22-23-24-25
| | | | | |
| | | | * | |
+-----26 27 28 29 30
1: Storeroom(weird items I don't know what to do with)
2: Sorcerer's workroom
3: Armory(rusty chain, nice swords and shields)
4: 8: Bunk room, search in 8 for passage south
5: Dungeon anteroom, stairs U/D
6: Passage
7: 14: 17: 22: 23: 24: Room
9: Foul crypt(search, stairs up)
10: Main torture room(fillings)
11: Prisoner receiving room(up to anteroom)
12: Mess room(stairs up)
13: Servants' mess
15: 19: 26: 27: 28: Cell (stairs in cell?)
16: 18: Intersection
20: Wine cellar
21: 25: 29: 30: Servants' quarters, search 25: for amulet, old scroll in 29:
This is a very fragmented area that requires you to move around a lot.
Demon rats are rife, and the skeleton in the west is pretty nasty. I come up
from the Sorcerer's Workroom, so I head to the armory, then the east bunk
room(search for the secret door,) go to the wine cellar and clear out the
cell area including the fillings--if the skeleton's chasing you too much,
search in the foul crypt for stairs up. Lots of locked doors here so the
thief's definitely useful. Be sure to search for the amulet in the east
servants' quarters.
I like to break this down into the upper part, the servants' room, and the
southwesterly bit.
I go up from the way I came, namely the sorcerer's workroom.
6-5. MINES
U
1 2
| |
| |
3 4--5
| |
| |
6--7--8--9--10
| | |
| | |
11 12 13-(14)
| | |
| | |
15 16-17
|
|
18
1: Large open area. Stairs up to catacombs.
2: End of branch
3: 11: Section of mine
4: Branch in the tunnel
5: wide area(gold coins for 30 pts)
6: Branch in the mines
7: 8: 9: narrow section. 7: has faded/frayed scroll
10: Cave-in
12: Fallen rock
13: Intersection of 2 tunnels. First place you need to light a lamp.
14: ledge with brass lamp, leads to outside area
15: Dead end
16: Wider area
17: Fallen timbers
18: Small area with coal. Broken lamp(useless) is here.
It's dark in the mines and you'll need to use a light. Browsing through this
seems to be easiest if you start from 14, go W-S-W-S-N-N-N-E-E-W-N-N-S-E-W-S-
W-W-W-S-S-N-N-N-U.
6-6. CATACOMBS
x 9
| ^
| |
1--2--3
| |
| |
4-----5-+-+
| | | |
| | | |
6 | +-7-+
| | |
| | |
+-----8-----9->2
D
1: north is to the caverns proper
5: has marble urn(treasure)
8: has frayed scroll
9: has stairs down
Description is sparse here whch adds to the maze's challenge, especially
since opposing directions aren't always reciprocal. To map it by yourself, be
ready to have lots of items to drop in various locations or note which ways
the exits are. You also have some clues in that you will know when you're in
a new room, and you can tell what sort of room you're in by which exits you
have. This is not nearly as nasty as Zork I's maze, but it still has enough
pitfalls that I decided to write a way to get through easily, coming from the
mines.
9 west to 8, west to 6, north to 4, east to 5, get the urn, east to 7 and
back west if you want, north to 3, west to 2, west to 1. Note you cannot
visit all rooms just once. You'd have to visit room 7 between 5 and 9, i.e.
at the start. You'd have to visit 8 next, or it would be a dead end for
later(enter it from 6, but you'd have to step on 5/9 again to get out.) Then
6, 4 and 1, leaving 2 and 3 yet to visit.
Only thing to do here is get the marble urn and make sure the treasures
aren't in some weird side tunnel.
6-7. CAVERNS
!--1--2--+
| |
| | U
| 3--4--5--+ +--+ t
| | | | | |
+-----+ | | | |
6--7--8--9--10-11
| |
| |
12 13
|
|
!--14-15
|
|
+--16
|
|
! 17-+ +--+
| | | |
18-+ | | |
| | 19 +--20-+
! | | |
| | |
21--+ +-22-23-24--25
| |
| |
26---27
1: water area
2: 21: Damp cavern
3: Cavern
4: West cavern(search for stairs up)
5: East cavern
6: Low cavern
7: Rocky chamber
8: Narrow squeeze
9: Large chasm
10: Stone forest(passage north)
11: Ledge behind waterfall
12: Large chamber
14: Narrow hollow??
15: Plain room
16: 22: 23: 25: Cavern
17: Crawlway
18: Smooth tunnel
19: Long tunnel
20: 26: Small cave
24: Large cave
27: Spacious cave
You probably arrived here from the catacombs, if you used my walkthrough,
and I generally advise mixing this up with the boat area. First, go east all
the way and back west to get some items. You can then go south twice and west
and back for one treasure. Then keep going south, turn east at the fork, and
explore the two rooms and get another treasure. Then go back west and take
the boat. Paddle through, and when you return at the top, explore the
remaining cavern areas and search at the west cavern for stairs up.
6-8. WATER AREA
+-----1--2--3--4
| | |
| | |
4a-4b-4c:5-----6--7--8--9--10
| | |
| | |
| +--12 | 13
| | |
| | |
| +--14 |
| | | |
| | | |
15----16 | 17
| | |
| | |
| | 18-19
| | |
| | |
20-------21----22--+
| |
| |
| 26 27--28
| : |
| : |
23-24-25 29
1: Sparkling pool
2: Branch in stream
3: Underground lake
4: (back to caverns)
4a: Secret conjuring room
4b: Island
4c: Large gulf
5: 8: Branch in flow
6: Long low tunnel
7: Junction of 2 branches
9: Small inlet
10: Small cave
12: Dead end
13: Low walkway
14: Large cavern
15: Oddly shaped lagoon
16: Cavern
17: Large pool
18: Large reservoir
19: Hollow??
20: Junction of 2 streams
21: Sandy inlet
23: Edge of large waterfall
24: Wide spot
25: Large cavern
26: Under falls
27: Smooth sided tunnel
28: Small pool
You don't need to visit every location here to be sure you've tracked down
every item, since water can't hold most items. There are some weird paths
here, and you can't drop items to get your bearings to map this from scratch,
but the secret doors aren't too tough. I'm assuming you start at the lower
port, but you can just reverse the whole procedure if it's really the upper
port you start at. Parentheses indicate optional paths. I've found the Orb of
Zyll in some dead ends here, so while this part is tedious you can't overlook
it.
W, (S, N,) N, (N, W/E if you don't have the goblets, N, S, S,) W, W, S, E, E,
search N, N, get treasure, S, W, W, N, N, E, N, N, W, W, W, N, (search, W, W,
W, E, E, E for a few extra points,) E, E, E(or N, W, E, E, S for 4 extra
points,) E, E, S, N, W, W, N, E to caverns.
7. WALKTHROUGH
For the sake of getting through the game you might want to go with the
thief. He can go everywhere. He can also flee monsters who enter the room
pretty easily and doesn't need enhancing items like weapons or even scrolls.
The basic plot, first time through, is:
1) find 4 treasures and win. Hold on to your treasures and don't worry about
weapons. Run away from monsters, who are slow to attack. But do start out
with the blue potion. Note that stumbling through this way and not worrying
about the orb means you'll never get all five.
To get through the game with the best ending,
1) search around and find all treasures and the orb
2) drop 3 treasures in the orb room
3) find another treasure. Find #5 if you can. Remember the game will make a
weird noise or say something special for the treasure you find. Your score
will also take a major jolt.
Combing through the rooms isn't so bad once you've managed got a feel for
the map and the major areas and so forth. I recommend frequent saving as you
don't know when a monster will pop up. The first time I solved this, the game
time was under an hour, so an experienced player who knows where to search
for secret doors should be able to do better.
Oh, if on DOSBox, remember to pause when you're not sure what to do. It
saves a lot of anguish of getting wiped out by monsters that drop on by. Plus,
save whenever you find a cool item, or you totally map out a certain area.
As I am not worried about weapons in this game, I take the copper lamp and
blue potion and drop the other two items I choose. I don't worry much about
exploring outside as the major treasures have never been there. My general
path through the game is to head for the steep cliff, taking the path down to
the rocky ledge. Then I light the copper lamp and head into the mines and
clear them out. Might as well get the bag of gold coins.
Heading up to the catacombs, I'm able to map that out pretty easily, taking
the marble urn while I'm at it, and then go up to the cavern area. I go off
to the east to look for one treasure, then back west and down, clearing the
treasures there. Then I get on the boat and explore the water. I don't have
to explore every location here, but it's important to focus on the inlets,
and I like to look for the secret passage in the west just in case. There's
the small diamond in the secret room, too. Then I leave the water in the
underground lake, in the north part of the caverns. There are a few more
rooms to look around in, but too far east goes to the already-visited Low
Cavern.
Up from the cavern is the sorcerer's workroom. From here, south, east and
north to the armory, where you'll(yes, I'm shifting perspective...) probably
find the sword. Pick up some red liquids along the way if needed. Search in
the east bunk room for a secret door. Get the bottle in the wine cellar and
the amulet you need to search for in the east servants' quarters. The main
torture room has fillings if you want to go a bit more out of your way, but I
think that the best bet is to go up from the sorcerer's workroom to the
castle level. Be quick about it though as Zyll often pops up to cause you
trouble.
There's a lot to explore in the castle and probably too much to carry in
the treasure rooms, and hopefully you've located the orb by now. You can just
drop the minor treasures by the orb and, if you want, whatever major ones.
The NPC's don't seem to want to steal them. Killing's their vice.
However if you want to keep things simple, the top level of the castle has
fewer locked doors, and there's almost always something in the tall secret
towers.
8. SAVED GAME STUFF
Items never shift around in saved games, so these can help you get your
bearings. In fact, the first time through when you are learning to map
everything out, you'll probably need to learn to chip away. Saved games are
also nice in case an opponent walks in the room and hacks you down.
Saved game C puts all the items in one area. Here you'll be able to bring a
treasure to the orb to win the game or just be able to search at your leisure
unhindered by locks.
9. TWO PLAYER STRATEGY
Cooperative versus competitive is obviously different, but if you are
clever you can have a thief cover, say, the castle and the fighter cover the
mines and have them meet at the orb while picking up items. Of course the
trick is then to make sure you don't bring too many items in too soon. For
competitive, there are lots of places to hide items, with the king's vault
being a good one if you have the key--and are a thief. I don't know much
about this as I
10. DATA STORAGE INFORMATION
Zyll.dat contains most of the items, item descriptions, rooms, room
descriptions and monster stuff. So you can pretty much poke through it as a
text file although you may wish to convert certain bytes to words: E0 through
FF are replaced by words, for instance. You can also find an item's weight or
a monster's experience by looking a few bytes behind the start of the string,
and you can find various spell strings. I may do this in the future.
There's also a good deal of duplicate data in the file. I don't know why.
End of FAQ proper
================================
11. VERSIONS
1.0.0: submitted thief-walkthrough-enhanced document to GameFAQs on
10/28/2003.
0.4.0: submitted first draft to GameFAQs on 5/19/2003. It has maps and little
else.
12. CREDITS
www.the-underdogs.org for having this game.
The DOSbox folks for helping me calibrate this game's speed--and pause--when
I wanted.
The usual GameFAQs crew past and present.
