Playing Darklands

 

TRAVEL AND INTERACTION

 

Map Travel

When traveling across the wide expanses of Greater Germany, you see a small representation of your party on an overhead-view map. To move using a mouse, left-click on any spot on the map. The party immediately moves cross-country to that location. If you left-click at the very edge of the map, the party moves toward that point, and keeps moving until you left-click some other location to stop them.

To move using the keyboard, hold down the cursor keys. The keys of the numeric keypad can be used, permitting diagonal movement.

As you move, time passes. When traveling through difficult terrain, time passes quickly, as it takes more time to travel the same distance. Conversely, when traveling by road, or through open country, less time elapses because you're moving faster.

If you are not moving on the map, no time passes (exception: see Ambushes, below). To "waste time" at a particular spot, either walk back and forth or camp (see below).

The map view has two special options unavailable anywhere else: Ambushes and Camping.

AMBUSHES (F7 key): You can halt your party and wait in ambush for an enemy. When using a mouse, hold down the right button and select "Ambush from the "Party" menu. When using the keyboard, tap the "F7" key.

Ambushes are only productive in a specific area where interactions lead you to believe that such a tactic might be useful. As you wait, time will pass. If you achieve nothing after a few days, the chance of achieving anything is probably quite small.

To end an ambush, tap any key or left-click the mouse. This resumes normal activities on the map.

CAMPING (F8 key): Traveling any significant distance takes days of "real life" time. For simplicity, overnight camps, eating, etc., occurs automatically as you travel.

At times you may wish to rest in one place for a longer period, usually to regain strength, pray for more divine favor, etc. To do this select "Camp" from the party menu, or tap the F8 key. When you "camp," you spend one or more days in the same place. See "Staying Here," below, for details about your options.

INTERACTIONS: At various times your journey may be interrupted by random meetings, events, etc. In addition, whenever you reach a notable location, including all cities, villages, etc., interactions automatically occur.

 

Interaction Menus

Interactions describe various situations, and sometimes provide a variety of options. If "Visuals" (in the "Game" menu of the menu bar) is set to "Full," you must left-click or tap Return to see the options. If "Visuals" is set to "None," you only see descriptions and options, no pictures. The latter is not recommended unless your computer is quite slow.

SELECTIONS: The mouse or up/down cursor keys highlight various options. To select the highlighted option, left-click or tap Return.

Some options have sub-menus. When these appear, you must move horizontally (straight across the screen) until the mouse is within the area before you can select and left-click. Using the keyboard, the right/left cursor keys move the highlight into or out of the sub-menu. The up/down cursors move the highlight within the sub-menu. As before, to select an option tap Return.

HELP: When interaction options exist and "Difficulty" (in the "Games" menu of the menu bar) is set to "Basic" or "Standard," holding down either shift key displays helpful remarks about the immediate results of that option. "Expert" difficulty gives no hints.

Basic displays the exact probability of success. Of course, you must still judge the likely effects of this success or failure.

Standard displays general comments about your chance of success. Again, it only applies to the immediate action, not the overall effect.

Expert displays no hints. You make your own decisions, based purely on your judgment of the situation.

Help messages are positioned on the character who will lead or interact. If the message is positioned across all five characters, the entire party will work together in this task, and success is based on an average of their abilities.

SAINTS AND POTIONS: During interactions, some menu options permit use of potions, while others assume prayer to saints. In order to correctly apply the potion or saint to the situation, you must select the appropriate option here in interaction (not in character information).

You can still go to any character information screen and use potions or pray to saints normally (see "Character Information" for details), but this only provides general aid. To apply saintly aid to a specific situation, you must select it from the interaction sub-menu, not character information.

As with saints, some interactions allow the use of potions for special effects. Again, to get the benefit, you must select the appropriate interaction sub-menu.

INTERACTION RESULTS: A variety of results are possible. In some cases you may return to the map, while at other times you may move on to another interaction. You may also see specific results messages, or become involved in a battle.

 

Item Exchange Scrolls

This special display appears whenever you attempt to buy or sell goods, or if your party stores items or recovers them from storage. It also appears if your party finds items after a battle, either on a defeated enemy, or inside chests and treasure troves.

First use a left-click or the left-right cursor keys to select which scroll to use. The upper scroll is the list of items found, stored, or for sale. The lower scroll is the list of items currently carried by the character.

Next, move through the scrolling list to find the specific item to buy, sell, or move. Left-click at the top or bottom of the scroll to move the highlight, or use the up-down cursor keys.

Finally, select one of the actions beginning with a crimson letter, either with a left-click, or by tapping that letter on the keyboard.

PURCHASE AN ITEM/GET AN ITEM...: This is only available when the upper scroll is active (i.e., an item in that scroll is highlighted). It causes the character to gain that item, paying any appropriate cost.

SELL AN ITEM/PUT AN ITEM...: This is only available when the lower scroll is active (i.e., an item in that scroll is highlighted). It causes the character to transfer the item to the upper scroll, or give it to the owner of that scroll. The party gains any appropriate selling price.

Characters who temporarily join your party cannot use this option. They insist on keeping their personal possessions! The only way to get rid of items carried by such characters is to discard them (see "Character Information, Character Information Boards {** "pp22"} ).

BARTER FOR ANOTHER PERSON/CACHE ANOTHER PERSON'S ITEMS/DISTRIBUTE LOOT TO ANOTHER PERSON: This allows you to change which character's items are displayed on the lower scroll. You can buy, sell, or transfer items with the character of your choice--except, of course, characters who are just temporary members of your party.

LEAVE: This ends the exchange session.

 

Staying Here

When your party camps in the countryside or takes up residence at an inn or similar resting place, you see the "Staying Here" options. These options are selected and resolved one day at a time.

To select options with a mouse, left-click on a character name, then left-click on the activity desired for that character. The text changes to describe what the character will do for the day. Continue selecting options and characters until you are satisfied. Some options may be available to some characters, while prohibited to others.

To select options with the keyboard, use the cursor keys to move the highlight and the appropriate letter key to select the activity.

JUST RELAX is a default "do nothing" option that allows you to recover from any exhaustion.

REGAIN STRENGTH is only allowed to wounded characters. It represents a full day of rest. The rate of recovery is related to the character with the best healing skill in the entire party.

PRAY FOR DIVINE FAVOR is allowed to anyone whose DF (divine favor) is below maximum. Prayer helps restore divine favor.

ALCHEMY WORK allows the character to mix new potions. See "About Alchemy," {** "pp00,"} for details.

EARN A LITTLE MONEY allows the character to find a short-term job, to earn a little money. You will see the best job the character can find in the city, with the pay per day. Jobs can be exhausting. Work may cost a character some endurance daily.

GUARD THE CAMP only applies when camping in the countryside. It helps you to conceal and protect your presence, decreasing the chance that some unpleasant person or thing will find you.

TRAIN AND STUDY allows the character to work to improve a certain skill. Selecting this option produces a list of the possible skills the character could attempt to improve.

This option exists only if the party has already found someone willing to train or tutor certain people in certain skills. In other words, first you search for instructors, then you return to the inn and "take up residence" to accomplish the training.

When you see the list of skills available for training, select one by left-clicking with a mouse, or by using the cursor and Return keys.

SPEND A DAY, DOING THE ABOVE: This option activates all the selections made. One day passes, and each character does his or her appointed tasks. You must select this option to actually perform the activities.

LEAVE: Selecting this option means you've decided against spending a whole day on these tasks. You return to the other available options.

 

 

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