Solomoriah's Multiuser Dungeon Game

Release 0

Copyright 1990 John C. Gonnerman

Starting MDG

In order to play MDG, you must execute the command "mdg" from any shell command line. The mdg program communicates with the central game server; therefore, you may not be able to play the game due to the server program being "down".

When you start the game, your character will be placed in a space in the starting location. An example is given below:

   . HOME HOME HOME HOME HOME HOME HOME .    -+-   - Items -  -+-
  ~~ %  %   % % %    %  % % %  % % %   %     0 - Gold: 205
  ~~   %  %   %     % % %  % ?%   %   %      1 - Sword
  ~~~ %  %  %  %  %    /      %        %     2 - Chainmail
  ~~~~ ! % %  %    %  %  %                   3 - Scroll of Teleport
  ~~~~~        2  %    %     %  %      %
  ~~~~~~   %   %   %  %
  ~~~~~~~~~)    %   %            1
  ~~~~~~~~~~   %     %!   %
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~  % %  %      %
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   %                   
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  % %             HP: 25 (25)    Armor: 0
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~        Magic: 5 (5)
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Extra Lives: 1
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    Modes:
  The woods.

  1 + Shockwave               2 = Solomoriah


  _ Welcome, Solomoriah... press ? for Help.

  

The displayed character, Solomoriah, has played this game before; note that he has several items. Each character can carry as many as seven items at a time. The gold total listed does not count toward this limit.

The HP display shows the characters maximum, normal hit points, and his current hit points in parentheses. The magic points counter works the same way. He has a suit of armor (in the item list) but has not yet "activated" it, so his armor value is still 0. Each time you start the game, you must activate any weapon, armor and/or shield you may have.

The count of extra lives indicates how many times Solomoriah may die and still retain his skills. Note that each time you die, you DO lose your equipment and money!

At the bottom of the screen display, the symbols and handles of all players currently in the game may be shown. Shockwave is player 1 (this time) and Solomoriah is 2. The character between the letter and the name may be "-", "+", or "="; the "=" appears by the name of the character playing at this terminal, Solomoriah. The "+" by Shockwave indicates that Solomoriah is partnered toward Shockwave. If "-" is shown, then the current player (Solomoriah) is NOT partnered toward that character. See the Partner command, below, for details about what this means.

Note that both Shockwave and Solomoriah are on the screen at the same time. If they were not, their names would not appear to each other. Thus, other players could be in the game at the same time, but their names only show under certain circumstances. You can see a name of a player in the game if you are in the same sector, or if you have cast the Users spell. The name will NOT show under these circumstances if the other player is Invisible (by the use of an Invisible spell or item).

The top line of this map display is "home". Any map edge with that "HOME" string in it will save your character and exit the game.

If you lose carrier for some reason while playing MDG, your character will not be saved; rather, your previous game-save will be used the next time you play. Items you pick up during a game session will also be lost if you lose carrier, but items you had in the previous save will still be there (unless you dropped them after entering the game).

Basically, this means that you aren't "killed" by losing carrier, but you also have some very good reasons not to do so intentionally.

Game Commands

MDG commands are single characters. Some commands may need one or two pieces of additional information, like the item number of an item to drop and the direction to drop it in. The commands are described below:

Movement: Either the letter keys or the numeric keypad may be used, as shown below:

    
               y  k  u      7  8  9
                \ | /        \ | /
              h - + - l    4 - + - 6
                / | \        / | \
               b  j  n      1  2  3

  

Time of Day: Press the semicolon (";") key to find out what time of day it is. At night, most map sectors are dark and require you to have a light source to see.

Other Commands: Each command below is listed with it's arguments. The commands are actually typed in lowercase. The arguments are:

<Item> is an item number, from 1 to 7, as shown on the item list.
<Player> is a player number, from 1 to 9, as shown in the player display.
<Direction> is a direction, entered using the move command keys, above.
<Spell> is a single letter, from a to z, indicating which spell to cast.
<Text> is up to 30 characters of message.

Activate <Item> is used to select your Weapon, Armor, and/or Shield, or to use an expendable item (Potion, Scroll, or Object). The selected Weapon is shown with the "Weapon" symbol after it; the Armor is likewise shown with the Armor symbol after it. An expendable item disappears from the player's list when activated.

Drop <Item> <Direction> is used to put an item back on the map. You can stack items in a given sector, but note that the game has it's own idea as to what item to put on top.

Cast <Spell> [ <Direction> ] attempts to cast one of the 26 spells; see the Magic section, below, for more details.

Enter is used to traverse stairs. Step on top of the stair symbol and press the 'e' key.

Partner <Player> allows you to change which players are your "partners." Whenever you enter the game, you start out with all other players as your partners. This command lets you "toggle" that setting; each time you enter MDG you are automatically set to Partner with everyone. Anyone you are partnered toward is safe from being accidentally attacked by you.

Say <Text> allows your character to speak. Only characters in the same sector with you can "hear" you... unless you "yell" by typing an exclamation point (!) as the first character of <text>.

Take is used to pick up items. Step on top of the item, and press the 't' key. Note that several items may be piled in one place.

Write <Item> <Text> is used to write on a note item.

Map Symbols

Monsters are shown on the map as letters; adventurers are shown as numerals. The other symbols are shown below:

Notes:

Vegetation and Water spaces can be entered in a limited fashion; adventurers cannot normally advance from one space of vegetation to another, or from one space of water to another.

Treasure items ($) add to your gold value when picked up.

Combat

To attack a monster or another player, simply move to the target's symbol, and then try to move into it's space. Each such move counts as one attack. If you do not have a weapon activated, you will use "unarmed" combat.

Magic

There are 26 spells possible in MDG (from a to z); they are described below:

Armor

adds to your armor rating.

Block

prevents others from using Seek (see below) to find you.

Cold

casts a cloud of freezing mist in the indicated direction. (See below.)

Detect

if this spell is successfully cast, traps, pits, and hidden doors on the map will be shown.

Escape

this spell takes you to your starting space.

Fireball

casts a fireball in the indicated direction. (See below.)

Glow

illuminates the area around you.

Heal

heals you.

Invisible

makes you disappear. You will reappear if you attack anyone.

Jump Back

reverses the last teleport-type spell you used.

Lightning

casts a bolt of lightning in the indicated direction. (See below.)

Missile

casts a slow-moving missile of energy... which can demolish vegetation.

Obscure

makes an object invisible.

Partners

reveals who is partnered toward you.

Quit

saves your character right where he or she is.

Ray of Death

casts a cone of energy in the indicated direction.

Seek

teleports you to a specific players location. Block will stop it.

Teleport

transports you to a random location.

Users

makes all (visible) players show in the names display area.

Verify

identifies whether or not an item is cursed.

Whisper

send a message to another player in the game, regardless of distance.

Spell X

attack all enemies in the current sector.

Yank

teleports another player to you. Block will stop this too.

Zap

projects a field of energy around you. (See below.)

Attack Spells:

The five attack spells (described above) have the following areas of effect:

    
                  **
Cold:           1****
                  **
 
                     *
Fireball:       1******
                     *

Lightning:      1********

                  *   
                 **
Ray of Death:   1**      this spell will pass thru walls.
                 **
                  *

               ***
Zap:           *1*
               ***

  

("1" represents the player; the area of effect will be modified by direction, except for the Zap spell.)

Note that if you are surrounded by monsters Zap is real handy.

God Powers:

A character who is near or at the maximums for HP and MP is called "godlike" and wields the God Powers. The God Powers are accessed through the 'g' command, and allow the player to change the map, or to alter items in his or her inventory. These powers require Creation Points, which are accumulated by killing the very toughest monsters and collecting Magic Crystals from them.

The details of the God Powers will not be discussed here, except to list the possible map codes that map spaces may be set to:

and of course the space character, to clear a spot.

Credits:

MDG Multi-user Dungeon Game, Copyright 1990 John C. Gonnerman. See the file "Copyright" distributed with the game for restrictions.

The author would like to thank the playtesters for their able assistance (listed by character name):