Loadstar 207/207.d81/t.wizard duel

Text File | 2022-08-26 | 5KB | 169 lines

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        W I Z A R D    D U E L

            by Jon Mattson


    It is the far future when
starships ply the vast ocean of deep
space seeking ultimate knowledge.
Man has found and conquered a myriad
of exotic worlds, leaving the planet
of his origin a distant memory --
little more than a legend.

    However, as man's technology
reached the state of near-sorcery, so
did he discover that the universe
held another sort of technology, an
energy all of its own, which no
machine could understand: the psionic
magick of the mind.

    There were those who could master
this energy and bend it to their
wills. They called themselves Adepts,
but the common folk came to know them
as Wizards. Nearly superhuman beings,
they were to be respected -- and
feared...

    These Wizards studied their arcane
arts through meditation and practice.
In hidden corners of the universe,
they set up dueling zones, so as not
to cause havoc among normals when
wielding such great energy. There
they learned to master the universal
fires.

    At times, these zones were put to
less scholarly purposes; for, though
the Wizards were mighty, they were
still human and prone to human
animosities. At such times, a true
duel of wizards might ensue.

    You are one such Wizard. And today
you must face one such duel...

    WIZARD DUEL is a fast-paced arcade
game for one or two players, which
simulates a duel (either real or
practice) between two psionic,
energy-wielding Adepts. It takes
place on floating platforms above the
lava pits of a hellish fire-world.

    When you first run the game, an
Adept, the Master of Duels, will
appear and offer you two options: you
may either duel a different player,
or you may face one of the Master's
challengers in a practice bout (i.e.
the computer). In the latter case,
you will also be asked to pick the
skill level of your foe. Be warned:
WIZARD DUEL is meant to be a
TWO-PLAYER game. When you play the
computer as an opponent, it's only
for practice. In most cases you'll
lose -- unless you're an exceptional
warrior! Even level one is a toughy.

    The screen will clear and you will
be faced with the battlefield: eight
rocky platforms, psionically
levitated over the very lethal lava
pits of the planet Hades.

    Each duellist will be on one
platform. The first (you, in a
one-player contest) wears a vest of
purple and uses the Port Two
joystick; the second wears a vest of
gray and uses the Port One joystick,
if player-controlled.

    Move the joystick left or right to
walk around the platform - but be
careful not to fall off.

    Press the fire button and move
the joystick in any direction to
throw a bolt of energy at your
opponent. Notice that, at any given
time, one platform will be glowing
with energy: press your button twice
in rapid succession without moving
the stick and you will teleport to
the selected platform.

    You may wish to practice this
'double-click' to get the hang of it
(GEOS users should have no problem
here). Since both wizards cannot
occupy the same platform, you will not
teleport if your opponent's platform
is glowing or if you both try to
teleport at the same time.

    Your energy bolts do no physical
damage to your foe - they only stun
him and drive him back in the
direction of the shot. The goal of
the game is, thus, simple: force your
opponent off his platform.  He will
fall to the lava pits below, and
teleport out of the arena just before
taking the big plunge.

    Each player is allowed three
falls. The shields in the top corners
of the screen indicate how many
'lives' each opponent has left. The
duel ends when either opponent takes
three falls -- the other is the
winner. The Master will then appear
to congratulate the winner and give
helpful advice to the loser.

    There are a few other things you
should know. First of all, the speed
of the game will increase slightly
each time either opponent falls.
Things start moving pretty fast if
each gets down to only one 'life'.

    Most importantly, the platforms
each have a small store of 'static'
energy. If you manage to touch every
single platform, you will begin to
glow with absorbed power, and your
bolts will double in strength! There
is enough energy for both foes to
gain this advantage -- something to
remember if your enemy manages it,
unless you really want heat blisters.
Against the Master's more skillful
challengers this bonus may be your
only hope of victory (albeit, a small
one). Concentrate on hitting the
platforms above all else against such
foes.

    Now, let the duel begin! In the
words of one famous Master Adeptus:
May the Force be with you!

 JM


 [DAVE'S AFTERPHRASE:] OK, you wannabe
wizards and garage gandalfs! Here's
your chance to toss around your magic
power.

 DMM