Welcome to ANDORIA

INTRODUCTION

Andoria is an RPG Game written for the Apple II, inspired on the Ultima saga. I began working on it in 2020 during the Covid lockdown. Although circumstances forced me to pause development for more than two years, I have still invested a considerable number of hours in this project, largely because I had to learn 6502 assembly on the run.

The idea was to write a 64K high resolution game, that can work on an apple 2 plus with a language card, a hardware available in 1979. Even if the game layout is highly similar to Ultima IV, the mechanics are quite different. I chose to make the game’s pace faster than Ultima, so more adapted to the 21st century rhythm.

Unlike most RPG games in the 80’s, Andoria will not take a year or more to finish. My belief is that nobody has time for this kind of concept today. My plan is that the final release could take a couple of weeks to complete. The story will be light, pretty cliché, but amusing. The idea is to trigger the nostalgia of the 80’s, with a reduced tedious effect, hopefully.

It will still take some time to have the final game launched, but I am happy to share a Demo *, so that people can try it, and eventually give me some feedback. I am open to any comments, critics, bug reports and suggestions.

* This Demo has a limited map size, and the Vessel is not available to avoid spoiling the full game fun. In fact, sailing your vessel around the world will bring the experience to another dimension. The dungeons are not ready yet. This will have to wait. Also, not all existing items are available, and the story only has a couple of missions. it is just a trial for players to test it to see if they enjoy it.

THE STORY

So here’s the plot:

…Your name is Shamino, the leader of Thalisar, a small village perched near the shores of a great continent. Clever, intrepid, and exceptionally fast on your feet, you are respected for your mind more than your sword. Your days are largely consumed by the routines, responsibilities, and the troubles of village life. The magic in this world has faded, and very few individuals possess the abilities of casting spells, and those are hidden in the shadows. However, Druids have refined some very efficient potions that can be purchased from chemists in some cities and castles. You have been summoned by Lord Ricard, the ambitious ruler of the Castle of Andoria, who seeks an alliance to fight the evil forces that have spread chaotically in recent years. Lord Ricard sent a vessel to collect you, and after a slightly turbulent voyage, you arrived safely at the port. A road leads from there to the castle, roughly a half-day’s walk away. The ship’s captain apologized for being unable to escort you further, explaining that an unexpected emergency required his immediate departure. This came as an unpleasant surprise, as you are unarmed and ill-prepared to face any hostile encounter. You must therefore reach the castle as quickly as possible and avoid all conflict. The captain, his expression uneasy, insisted that it was imperative you see Lord Ricard without delay.

THE GAMEPLAY

Using the arrow keys, you can move your player North, South, East, and West. There are no friends in the wilderness, any living being is an enemy with bad intentions. Every move you make on the game means hours of travelling. As you travel, your water and food levels go down very fast, so you must make sure that you refill your water gourde, as well as your food supply. Make sure you have a travel plan before moving far away, getting lost could endanger you considerably. Another thing is fatigue, so you will need to rest once a while. Although you can hole up and camp on the wild, it is preferable to use the available Inns on the cities, avoiding the risk of the unpleasant Orcs and Trolls ambushes. In this game, you need to find the books that will give you the instructions about how to use all the weapons, tools and combat items that you acquire. Just buying them is not enough to start using them. Use the (S)earch function toward bookshelves.

TRANSPORTATIONS

HORSE : You can either buy or find a horse on the wild. It helps you moving around with much less effort and less water & food consumption

RAFT : To travel short distances in short seas or lakes

SAILBOAT : A good way to sail from an Island to another, but unfit for high seas or long journeys

VESSEL : (Unavailable on the Demo) A powerful ship that will take you across the oceans, even to the most remote places. You can store food, water and some belongings in it, especially for longer journeys.

ENEMIES

Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Giants, Dragons, Giant Spiders, Thieves, Zombies and other creatures with cross your way and test your fighting skills and resistance. You will need every gold coin that you may find in the dead corpses of your enemies.

NPCS

On villages, cities and castles, you will meet Guards, Citizens, Knights, Ladies and Lords.

You can interact with them using the (T)alk function. At first, they will introduce themselves to you, and you can ask them to speak more by typing a keyword, often related with their initial speech.

COMBATS

Remember that you are very fast, much faster than any enemy, so use your speed to stay away from monsters while using projectile weapons. Use the (G)et function to switch weapons, as slings and bows are safe, but a sword strikes much harder. Don’t forget Potions and Combat Items, you will need them, inevitably.

If you feel you will lose the battle, just try to run away from the combat zone. The downside is you may lose gold or some belongings while escaping in such a rush.

If you win a battle, do not forget to (L)oot the dead bodies of your enemies to get any valuable(s) they might be carrying. Then, exit the combat zone pressing the (X) key. Do not leave the combat zone running, it will have the same effect as escaping.

If there are more than one enemy when using a Sling or a Bow, you can select your target by pressing the key.

POSSESSIONS

You can carry Food, Water, Weapons, Amors, Potions, Tools, and Combat Items

FOOD:Although they differ from town to town, the games only displays them as a unit. One unit of food can last for 2 to 3 hours of walking.
WATER:Every town, village, or Castle has a well where you can refill your gourde at will, without any cost.
WEAPONS:Swords, Long Swords, and Axes for close range combat. Slings, Bows, and Crossbows for long range attack.
ARMORS:Basic Leather Armor, Scale Armor, Plate Armor, Helmet, Shield and Gauntlets to absorb the enemy attack.
VALUABLES:Ruby Rings, Diamonds, Gold Rings, Silver Rings, Pearls Sets, Sapphires, and Emerald Gems.

POTIONS:

Every potion has its color and specific effect:

BLUE POTION :FULLY HYDRATES & FEEDS PLAYER
RED POTION :FULL PLAYER RESTORATION
YELLOW POTION :HEALS PLAYER BY 100 HIT POINTS
PURPLE POTION :CURES POISON
BLACK POTION :NIGHT EYES *
WHITE POTION :DOUBLES PLAYER ATTACK POWER (Combat Only)
GREEN POTION :DOUBLES SHIELD PROTECTION (Combat Only)
ORANGE POTION :INVISIBILITY (Combat Only) *
BROWN POTION :SUMMON A CREATURE (Combat Only) *
GRAY POTION :SUMMON AN ARCHER (Combat Only) *

* Not available on the Demo

TOOLS:

DIVING SUIT :A SPECIAL SUIT TO DIVE DEEP DOWN THE OCEAN
SKELETON KEY :CAN OPEN ANY LOCKED STEEL DOOR
TORCH :LIGHT WHEN IN THE DARK
LOCK PICK :PICKS LOCKED DOORS LOCKS
SEXTANT :RETURNS YOUR LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE POSITION *
CLIMBING PACK :THE PLAYER WILL BE ABLE TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN *

* Not available on the Demo

COMBAT ITEMS

FIREBALL :A FIREBALL THROWN AT THE ENEMY. CAUSES HIGH DAMAGE
TREMOR BOMB :CREATES AN LOCAL EARTHQUAKE THAT WILL SHAKE THE ENEMY *
BOMB TRAP :A DEVICE THAT EXPLODES ONCE AN ENEMY STEPS ON IT *
WIND BALL :WILL CAUSE THE WIND TO CHANGE DIRECTION *
WOLF TRAP :GETS THE ENEMY STUCK, TOTALLY UNABLE TO MOVE *

* Not available on the Demo

FUNCTION KEYS

ARROWS: Move your player North, South, East, and West

(A) Engage an enemy to combat mode, and strikes with a weapon when in combat.
(B) Board the Raft, the Sailboat, or the Vessel.
(C) Climb stairs or ladders, Up or Down. (there is no “D)escend” in this game).
(E) Enter a Castle, a City, a Village, or a Dungeon.
(G) Get a weapon and have it ready for combat.
(H) Hole up and Camp. Sets your tent and fire, for a pause. Use the Rest function to sleep.
(I) Show your full Inventory - Weapons, Armors, Valuables, Tools, and Combat Items.
(L) Loot a dead enemy corpse. Mainly gold coins, and eventually other items.
(M) Mount you horse.
(O) Open doors.
(Q) Save the game and Quit, the computer reboots.
(R) Rest and sleep on hotel beds, or in you tent during Hole Up and Camp.
(S) Search bookshelves, safes, or anywhere hiding some specific item.
(T) Talk to village NPCs.
(U) Use items, like Potions, Tools, or Combat Items.
(W) Wear Armors, helmet and gauntlets, as well as equip the Shield.
(X) Exit Ships, Horse, or combat mode.