xref: /netbsd-src/games/hack/help (revision b49604cb5ca7a0a411fcf1ae38a771b96bc9cbbb)
161f28255Scgd	Welcome to HACK!		   ( description of version 1.0.3 )
261f28255Scgd
361f28255Scgd	Hack is a Dungeons and Dragons like game where you (the adventurer)
461f28255Scgddescend into the depths of the dungeon in search of the Amulet of Yendor
561f28255Scgd(reputed to be hidden on the twentieth level).  You are accompanied by a
661f28255Scgdlittle dog that can help you in many ways and can be trained to do all
761f28255Scgdsorts of things. On the way you will find useful (or useless) items, (quite
861f28255Scgdpossibly with magic properties) and assorted monsters.  You attack a monster
961f28255Scgdby trying to move into the space a monster is in (but often it is much
1061f28255Scgdwiser to leave it alone).
1161f28255Scgd
1261f28255Scgd	Unlike most adventure games, which give you a verbal description of
1361f28255Scgdyour location, hack gives you a visual image of the dungeon level you are on.
1461f28255Scgd
1561f28255Scgd	Hack uses the following symbols:
1661f28255Scgd		A to Z and a to z:  monsters.  You can find out what a letter
1761f28255Scgdrepresents by saying "/ (letter)", as in "/A", which will tell you that 'A'
1861f28255Scgdis a giant ant.
1961f28255Scgd		- and |  These form the walls of a room (or maze).
2061f28255Scgd		.  this is the floor of a room.
2161f28255Scgd		#  this is a corridor.
2261f28255Scgd		>  this is the staircase to the next level.
2361f28255Scgd		<  the staircase to the previous level.
2461f28255Scgd		`  A large boulder.
2561f28255Scgd		@  You (usually).
2661f28255Scgd		^  A trap.
2761f28255Scgd		)  A weapon of some sort.
2861f28255Scgd		(  Some other useful object (key, rope, dynamite, camera, ...)
2961f28255Scgd		[  A suit of armor.
3061f28255Scgd		%  A piece of food (not necessarily healthy ...).
3161f28255Scgd		/  A wand.
3261f28255Scgd		=  A ring.
3361f28255Scgd		?  A scroll.
3461f28255Scgd		!  A magic potion.
3561f28255Scgd		$  A pile or pot of gold.
3661f28255Scgd
3761f28255ScgdCommands:
3861f28255Scgd	Hack knows the following commands:
3961f28255Scgd	?	help: print this list.
4061f28255Scgd	Q	Quit the game.
4161f28255Scgd	S	Save the game.
4261f28255Scgd	!	Escape to a shell.
4361f28255Scgd	^Z	Suspend the game.
4461f28255Scgd	<	up: go up the staircase (if you are standing on it).
4561f28255Scgd	>	down: go down (just like up).
4661f28255Scgd	kjhlyubn - go one step in the direction indicated.
4761f28255Scgd		k: north (i.e., to the top of the screen),
48*b49604cbSpooka		j: south, h: west, l: east, y: nw, u: ne, b: sw, n: se.
4961f28255Scgd	KJHLYUBN - Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run
5061f28255Scgd		into something.
5161f28255Scgd	m	(followed by one of kjhlyubn): move without picking up
5261f28255Scgd		any objects.
5361f28255Scgd	M	(followed by one of KJHLYUBN): Move far, no pickup.
5461f28255Scgd	f	(followed by one of kjhlyubn): move until something
5561f28255Scgd		interesting is found.
5661f28255Scgd	F	(followed by one of KJHLYUBN): as previous, but forking
5761f28255Scgd		of corridors is not considered interesting.
5861f28255Scgd	i	print your inventory.
5961f28255Scgd	I	print selected parts of your inventory, like in
6061f28255Scgd		I* - print all gems in inventory;
6161f28255Scgd		IU - print all unpaid items;
6261f28255Scgd		IX - print all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
6361f28255Scgd		I$ - count your money.
6461f28255Scgd	s	search for secret doors and traps around you.
6561f28255Scgd	^	ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.
6661f28255Scgd	)	ask for current wielded weapon.
6761f28255Scgd	[	ask for current armor.
6861f28255Scgd	=	ask for current rings.
6961f28255Scgd	$	count how many gold pieces you are carrying.
7061f28255Scgd	.	rest, do nothing.
7161f28255Scgd	,	pick up some things.
7261f28255Scgd	:	look at what is here.
7361f28255Scgd	^T	teleport.
7461f28255Scgd	^R	redraw the screen.
7561f28255Scgd	^P	repeat last message
7661f28255Scgd		(subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
7761f28255Scgd	/	(followed by any symbol): tell what this symbol represents.
7861f28255Scgd	\	tell what has been discovered.
7961f28255Scgd	e	eat food.
8061f28255Scgd	w	wield weapon. w- means: wield nothing, use bare hands.
8161f28255Scgd	q	drink (quaff) a potion.
8261f28255Scgd	r	read a scroll.
8361f28255Scgd	T	Takeoff armor.
8461f28255Scgd	R	Remove Ring.
8561f28255Scgd	W	Wear armor.
8661f28255Scgd	P	Put on a ring.
8761f28255Scgd	z	zap a wand.
8861f28255Scgd	t	throw an object or shoot an arrow.
8961f28255Scgd	p	pay your shopping bill.
9061f28255Scgd	d	drop something. d7a: drop seven items of object a.
9161f28255Scgd	D	Drop several things.
9261f28255Scgd		In answer to the question "What kinds of things do you
9361f28255Scgd		want to drop? [!%= au]" you should give zero or more
9461f28255Scgd		object symbols possibly followed by 'a' and/or 'u'.
9561f28255Scgd		'a' means: drop all such objects, without asking for
9661f28255Scgd			confirmation.
9761f28255Scgd		'u' means: drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
9861f28255Scgd	a	use, apply - Generic command for using a key to lock
9961f28255Scgd		or unlock a door, using a camera, using a rope, etc.
10061f28255Scgd	c	call: name a certain object or class of objects.
10161f28255Scgd	C	Call: Name an individual monster.
10261f28255Scgd	E	Engrave: Write a message in the dust on the floor.
10361f28255Scgd		E- means: use fingers for writing.
10461f28255Scgd	O	Set options. You will be asked to enter an option line.
10561f28255Scgd		If this is empty, the current options are reported.
10661f28255Scgd		Otherwise it should be a list of options separated by commas.
10761f28255Scgd		Possible boolean options are: oneline, time, news, tombstone,
10861f28255Scgd		rest_on_space, fixinvlet, beginner, male, female.
10961f28255Scgd		They can be negated by prefixing them with '!' or "no".
11061f28255Scgd		A string option is name; it supplies the answer to the question
11161f28255Scgd		"Who are you?"; it may have a suffix.
11261f28255Scgd		A compound option is endgame; it is followed by a description
11361f28255Scgd		of what parts of the list of topscorers should be printed
11461f28255Scgd		when the game is finished.
11561f28255Scgd		Usually one will not want to use the 'O' command, but instead
11661f28255Scgd		put a HACKOPTIONS="...." line in one's environment.
11761f28255Scgd	v	print version number.
11861f28255Scgd
11961f28255Scgd	You can put a number before a command to repeat it that many times,
12061f28255Scgd	as in "20s" or "40.".
12161f28255Scgd
12261f28255Scgd	At present, some information is displayed on the bottom line.
12361f28255Scgd	(It is expected that this information will go away in future versions.)
12461f28255Scgd	You see on what dungeon level you are, how many hit points you have
12561f28255Scgd	now (and will have when fully recovered), what your armor class is
12661f28255Scgd	(the lower the better), your strength, experience level and the
12761f28255Scgd	state of your stomach.
12861f28255Scgd
12961f28255Scgd	Have Fun, and Good Hacking!
13061f28255Scgd
13161f28255Scgd
13261f28255Scgd
133