Abandonware DOS title

God of Thunder manual

                    ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
                    ³                              ³ ³
                    ³                              ³ ³ ³
                    ³        GOD OF THUNDER        ³ ³ ³
                    ³   Copyright 1994, CSE Games  ³ ³ ³
                    ³      All Rights Reserved     ³ ³ ³
                    ³                              ³ ³ ³
                    ³                              ³ ³ ³
                    ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³
                      ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³
                        ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

                 Published by Software Creations
                 Re-Published by Impulse Games
                 both those companies are dead,
                 GOT is now FREEWARE!
                 More classic games at:
                 http://www.adeptsoftware.com/classics


                         TABLE OF CONTENTS


                        1.      Introduction
                        2.      The Story
                        3.      System Requirements
                        4.      Starting the Game
                        5.      The Main Menu
                        6.      The Name Entry Screen
                        7.      The Options Menu
                        8.      Game Controls
                        9.      The Status Panel
                        10.     Playing the Game
                        11.     Hints & Tips
                        12.     Copyright Notice
                        13.     Disclaimer
                        14.     Ordering Information


=============================================================================

1. Introduction

You are Thor, The God of Thunder!  Armed with only your enchanted hammer
that always returns to the one who throws it, you must journey through
dozens of puzzles and fight your way through hundreds of creatures highly
motivated to stop you.  Along the way you will find several items that you'll
need to complete your adventure.  Many items are not what you would
expect to find in 927 A.D.  You will also encounter villages filled with
goofy people who try to help you, but often just make you laugh with their
hilarious responses.  At the end of each of the three parts, you will come
face-to-face with an evil boss character, whom you must defeat to free the
villagers from his tyranny!

=============================================================================

2. The Story

Your father is Odin, the most powerful of the Norse Gods and ruler of Asgard.
Odin must fall into a deep sleep (known as the Odinsleep) every few hundred
centuries to rest, which rejuvenates his power.  Your half-brother is Loki,
The God of Mischief.  Loki has seized the opportunity of this most recent
Odinsleep and obtained the help of two of his most powerful allies to take
control of Midgard (earth).

Loki has established three centers of power on Midgard, from where he and his
accomplices rule with an iron fist.  The first is in Spegville, where
Jormangund (the Midgard Serpent), delights in terrorizing its innocent
citizens.

The second, in the town of Milgrund, is now under the control of Nognir,
Prince of the Underworld.  Nognir keeps a firm grip on his subjects and
runs his territory like a prison camp, complete with walled villages and
locked gates.

The third is in what used to be called Blechton.  This territory is ruled
by Loki himself.  He has even changed the name of the town to Lokisburg.
Its citizens are kept in constant fear of arrest for even the slightest
infraction of any of Loki's long list of laws.

Odin, upon awakening, learns of what has happened but has not yet recovered
enough from his Odinsleep to challenge this terrible trio.  As his eldest
son and the Prince of Asgard, he has called upon you to journey to Midgard
and defeat Loki and his evil allies.

=============================================================================

3. System Requirements

God of Thunder requires the following equipment:

-  100% IBM compatible computer with an 80286, 80386, 80486 or
   Pentium Processor
-  VGA graphics card with at least 256KB of video memory
-  VGA monitor
-  A Hard disk drive with at least 1.2MB of available space
-  510k of available RAM

OPTIONAL:

-  A Sound Blaster or compatible sound card for digitized sound effects and
   full musical soundtrack
-  An AdLib or compatible music card for full musical soundtrack
-  A joystick in port #1

=============================================================================

4. Starting the Game

To play God of Thunder (if it's installed in the default directory)
type the following commands:

1.  Type  C: and press [Enter]

2.  Type  CD\GOT and press [Enter]

3.  At the C:\GOT> prompt, type  GOT and press [Enter]

Once you have followed the above instructions, you should see the Impulse
Software logo appear on your screen.  If this is the first time you have
played God of Thunder, sit back for a few minutes and watch a demonstration
of how to play.  Press any key during the demo to go directly to the main
menu.

God of Thunder does a very good job of automatically detecting what type of
equipment you have installed in your computer.  However, in some cases,
certain types of equipment may cause problems with this detection. If you
are having problems getting the game to run properly, try the following
commands (in DOS at the C:\GOT>  prompt):

GOT /NOAL        [Enter] If you don't have an Adlib or compatible card
GOT /NOSB        [Enter] If you don't have a Sound Blaster or compatible card
GOT /NOAL /NOSB  [Enter] If you have neither an Adlib or Sound Blaster card
GOT /NOJOY       [Enter] If you don't have a joystick

=============================================================================

5. The Main Menu

Once you're at the main menu, you will see a list of options that you
can select.  Press the Up or Down arrow keys to move the rotating
hammer to the option you wish to chose and press [Enter].

The Main Menu options are:

Play Game      - Start a new game or continue a saved game. Choosing this
                 option will bring you to the Name Entry screen (see below).

High Scores    - See the names of the people who have scored the most points.

Credits        - See the names of the people who created God of Thunder.

Demo           - View a demonstration of how to play.

Ordering Info  - See how you can order the other two parts of the game.  You
                 will only see this in the shareware version of the game.

Quit           - Exit the program and return to DOS.

You may also press the [Esc] key to exit the program and return to DOS.

=============================================================================

6. The Name Entry Screen

When you select PLAY GAME from the Main Menu, you will be shown the Name
Entry screen.  This is where you begin your game.  You must enter a name
before you can start playing.  You do not have to enter your real name,
however, this is the name that will appear in the High Score listing.
You have up to five entries to put different names in.  This is useful if
more than one person in your family wishes to play different games.

Use the Up or Down arrow keys to select an entry and then press:

[Enter]  - to enter your name in an empty entry, or continue a saved game
           if the entry already has a name in it.

[Insert] - to change the name that is already in an entry. This will not
           affect the saved game itself, if there is one.

[Delete] - To delete an entry. This will make room to enter another name.
           THE SAVED GAME FOR THIS ENTRY WILL BE LOST! DO NOT SELECT THIS
           OPTION UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU WON'T EVER WANT TO CONTINUE USING
           THIS SAVED GAME.

After entering your name and pressing [Enter], you will be asked if you
are going to use a joystick.  Use the arrow keys to select 'Yes' or 'No'
and then press [Enter].  If you selected 'Yes' you will be asked to push
your joystick in a few different directions and press one of the joystick
buttons.  When doing this, you must push AND HOLD the joystick in the
proper direction and then press the joystick button.

=============================================================================

7. The Options Menu

After a short pause, you will see the first screen that you will play.  If
this is the first time you have played, the Options Menu will automatically
be displayed.  The options in this menu are:

Sound/Music  - Turn sound and music ON or OFF.

Skill Level  - Make your enemies easier or harder than normal to fight.
               This option does not directly affect the puzzle screens.

Save Game    - Save your game, including your score, health, magic and
               all the items you have acquired.  Only 1 saved game is allowed
               per name. This option will save your game AS OF THE TIME
               YOU FIRST WALKED ONTO THE CURRENT SCREEN!  If you enter a
               particular screen, partially solve a puzzle, save your game,
               and then later load that game, everything will be just as it
               was when you first entered the screen.  If you have finished
               a screen and wish to save your game, walk to the next screen
               first or you will have to replay it.

Load Game    - Load your last saved game.

Die          - If you find yourself trapped in a puzzle, or you have been
               damaged considerably by enemies, you can press the [D] key
               to kill yourself.  This allows you to start the current
               screen over again with your health, jewels, magic etc.
               restored to what they were when you entered that screen.
               You have an unlimited number of lives.

Turbo Mode   - This option can be turned on when playing on a slower
               computer (usually only needed on slow 80286's).  Turning
               Turbo Mode ON will keep the action from slowing down on
               these computers, but may cause some of the animation to
               become more coarse.

Help        -  Displays a list of keys you can press, along with their
               meaning.

Quit        -  Exit the game.  You will also be asked if you wish to save
               your game.

You may press [Esc] to erase the Options Menu and begin playing the game.
You may also press [Esc] anytime during the game to display the Options
Menu again.

=============================================================================

8. Game Controls

During game play, use the four arrow keys to move Thor around the screen. If
you are using a joystick, you may press it in any direction to move Thor.

The following is a list of the keys that are used to play:

Arrow Keys or Joystick -

             Moves Thor around the screen.

[Alt] or Joystick Button #1 -

             Throws your hammer. You only have 1 hammer, so if your hammer
             is already on the screen, this key will do nothing.
             After your hammer hits something (a bush, an enemy, etc.) it
             will turn around and come back to you.  It will return to you
             no matter where you are on the screen, unless there is
             something on the screen blocking its path.  There are times
             when you will have to hit something with your hammer while it
             is on its way back to you, so practice throwing it a little
             and get to know how it works before you get too far into the
             game.

[Ctrl] or Joystick Button #2 -

             Uses a magic item.  You start the game with no magic items.
             You will have to find these items as you progress in the game.
             Some items require you to press [Ctrl] just once to use them,
             while others require you to hold [Ctrl] down the whole time
             you wish to use it.

[Space Bar] -

             Displays all the items you currently have with you.
             You may then use the arrow keys to highlight the item you wish
             to use and press [Enter].  That item now becomes your current
             item and you can use it by pressing [Ctrl] or joystick button
             #2.  Your current item is always displayed in the lower right
             corner of the Status Panel (see below). You can use any item
             that you pick up, but be careful!  Not all items are intended
             to be used by you, some must be given to other people.  Some
             may even be harmful if used improperly!  But don't worry too
             much, you have an unlimited number of lives in God of Thunder
             so try to use everything you find at least once.

[Esc]      - Displays the Options Menu (see above)

=============================================================================

9. The Status Panel

The Status Panel is always displayed on the bottom portion of the screen.
It contains the following information:

Health Meter -

             This displays the amount of health you currently have.  It
             starts out as a long red bar and gets shorter every time you
             get hit by an enemy or when an enemy shoots you.  Different
             enemies take away different amounts of your health.  Some even
             take it all!  When this red bar is completely gone, Thor dies
             and you start over on the same screen that you died on.

             You may pick up Golden Apples to restore your health and make
             the red bar get longer.  There are also other ways to restore
             your health, but you will discover them along the way.

Magic Meter -

            This displays the amount of magic you currently have.  It
            works just like the Health Meter, but it is green and you
            start out with no magic -- it must be found along the way.  You 
            may pick up blue and red potions to increase your magic power. 
            Using magic items takes some magic power away from you.

Number of Jewels -

            This displays the number of Jewels that you have found.  Thor
            has some pretty deep pockets, but he can only carry 999 Jewels
            at one time.  You will sometimes have to spend some of these
            Jewels to progress in the game.

Number of Keys -

           This displays the number of Keys that you currently have with
           you.  You will need these keys to unlock certain doors before you
           can proceed.

Current Item -

           This is displayed in the upper right corner of the Status Panel
           and shows you which item you will use if you press the [Ctrl] key
           or press joystick button #2.


Score -    This is your total score for this game.  You get points for killing
           enemies, picking up trophies, etc.  You lose points for killing
           innocent villagers.

=============================================================================

10. Playing the Game

The object of God of Thunder is to find and defeat the Boss creature who
is terrorizing villages of innocent people.  During your journey, you will
come across hundreds of enemies that will try to stop you.  You will also
meet many people who wish to help you.  When you meet someone who wishes
to help you, just use the arrow keys to make Thor touch that person.  A
dialog box will then appear and the villager will say something to you.
Carefully read what he has to say -- some of this information will be vital
to your completing the game!  You can tell your friends from your enemies
easily because your friends don't chase you or shoot at you.

Sometimes your friends will ask you questions.  When this happens, you will
see a list of responses from which you can pick.  Use the arrow keys (or the
joystick) to pick a response, just like you do in the menus.  Press [Enter]
or either joystick button to select that response.  Sometimes your list
of responses to a particular question will be different after you have
completed certain tasks.  You can pick each response one-by-one to determine
which response is correct.

There are also dozens of puzzles to be solved before you reach the Boss
character.  These puzzles usually involve pushing cement blocks or small
logs to block the shots of enemies, touching certain glowing oracles
to change your path on the screen, or finding keys to unlock doors.

=============================================================================

11. Hints & Tips

* Always try to pick up everything you see.  There may be a few items that
  will harm you, so be careful!

* If you find yourself getting creamed by enemies on a particular screen,
  press [D] to die and start the screen over.  This will restore your health,
  magic, etc. to what is was when you entered that screen.  WHATEVER YOU DO,
  DON'T RUN OFF THE SCREEN OR YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH WHAT LITTLE HEALTH YOU
  HAVE LEFT!

* Enemies will reappear when you leave a screen and then come back to it.
  You can use this to your advantage to quickly accumulate health, jewels,
  etc..

* If you get to the point in a village where you don't know what to do
  next, go talk to people you have already talked to.  Some people say
  different things when you talk to them twice.

* Don't feel like you must always kill everything on a screen.  Discretion
  is indeed sometimes the better part of valor.

* God of Thunder was designed so it would be very difficult, if not
  impossible, to mess anything up to a point where you have to reload
  a saved game because you gave an item to the wrong person, forgot to pick
  something up 10 screens back, etc..  But beware!  You could find yourself
  facing a horde of enemies when you have very little health, so save your
  game every few screens, especially when you find a way to fill up on
  health or magic.

* If you find yourself stumped on a puzzle screen, don't give up!  Go do
  something else for a while, and come back to it later. You could also
  ask a friend to look at it.  Sometimes a new set of eyes can see something
  that you are missing.  You can also order a hint book.  All of the puzzles
  in God of Thunder ARE possible.

* Each boss character has a weak spot, or is vulnerable to a particular
  weapon.  Try to hit him in different places on his body, and try
  each of your weapons.  You can change the skill level if you find them
  too difficult to beat.

============================================================================

12. Copyright Notice

This program is a product of CSE Games.  It is protected by
United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
You may NOT modify or create derivative works based on this program
or any of the information that is contained within it.  You may NOT
sell, lease, rent or perform any modifications that might otherwise
convert the original contents, performance or concept that was
intended by the copyright holder of this software package.

============================================================================

13. Disclaimer

The author and publisher of this program make no warranty of any
kind either expressed or implied.  In particular we make no
warranty as to correctness or fitness for a particular purpose.

In no event shall the author or publisher be liable for any errors
contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in
connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this product
or documentation.

This document contains proprietary information which is protected
by copyright.  No part of this document may be photocopied,
reproduced, or translated without the prior written consent of the
owner.

The information in this document is subject to change without
notice.

============================================================================

14. Ordering Information

God of Thunder is now Freeware!
Ignore any messages about ordering.