Here are some extra hints for those of you needing a little extra help with the test version of Tyrant, the game of Heroic Adventure.
A lot of people don't like game hints and prefer to discover all the tricks for themselves. Some of this info may spoil your enjoyment of the game, so reading on is up to you. Those of you familiar with roguelike games may consider some of these hints to be "spoilers", but most of them are just general strategy.
Don't hesitate to run away when the odds are against you. Live to fight another day.
Avoid getting surrounded by monsters at all costs. If you can, try to face just one opponent at a time.
Use ranged weapons whenever you can. This can kill weak monsters, damage powerful ones and help you avoid dangerous hand-to-hand combat.
If you get hungry, you won't heal or regain any power points. So always carry around a few tasty morsels.
You start the game with a small number of "fate points" which allow you to cheat death a couple of times. But when you get the message "You feel your luck is running out....." then you are likely to die if you take any more damage. Perhaps that would be a good time to run.
Different tactics are best against different types of enemy. Don't be afraid to experiment with new ideas - everything in the game can be defeated if you take the right approach.
Various things are hidden around the dungeon. Press 's' to search any particular location and the surrounding squares. You may have to uncover one or more secret doors to complete the game.
Some areas are far more likely than others to contain traps, for example anywhere around a chest. It's a good idea to search for traps first in these places, to cut down your chances of getting burnt. Traps are nasty. Watch out for concealed rune traps and fire traps especially, since they can do a lot of damage to your equipment.
The infinite dungeon is a great place to gather experience and items if you can find it. It gets progressively harder as you descend, so watch out.
In the test version of the game, magic-user characters are definitely much easier to play. This is because they can read scrolls and learn new spells from books. If you complete the quest with a fighter, barbarian or ranger you are doing very well indeed.
You can improve the effectiveness of some low level spells by practising them.
Characters with Thief skills (e.g. Barbarian) search automatically as they move around.
A lot of your success will depend on whether you find and use the right items in your quest. You may want to experiment with different weapons and armour to see what suits you best.
Items such as weapons and armour do deteriorate with heavy use and battle damage. If you have identified the item, you may be able to judge it's overall quality. The blacksmith in the town can repair items at reasonable prices.
A good way to compare items is to see how much the shopkeeper will pay you for them.
It's useful to identify as many items as possible. Not only does this allow you to save useful items for that crucial final battle, but you can also earn more money by selling identified items.
Don't carry too much stuff around. Heavy items reduce your fighting skill severely. Press 'v' to view you character information, and keep an eye on the "Encumberance" statistic. Try to keep this below 40% in order to fight effectively.
No single combination of equipment is perfect. It depends on what enemy you are fighting. But the author's personal choice for general adventuring would be something like: spike helm, long sword, goblin shield, ironclad boots, mithril mail and a couple of good rings. Throwing knives also work extremely well.
The shops in the centre of town often contain useful items. Save up your money and buy whatever you need.
The townspeople get very angry if they see you breaking into property, stealing items or attacking innocent people. Don't do it unless you are a very evil person who wants a big fight.
A couple of characters are worth talking too. The ranger may be able to help you with some equipment, and chatting to the priest is good for your karma.
If you pray by pressing 'y' you may be lucky enough to get a companion to aid you in your quests...
Well, thats enough hints. Go and kick some butt.