User Guide. Original Game Manual
Table of Contents:
Table of contents generated with markdown-toc.
This is just the game manual, as the title says. You may also want to read the story behind and the game's description as well.
You guide the Prospector through his adventures in so called Wild West circa 1860.
Where appropriate, you can move in one of four directions: ↑, ↓, → or ←. The Space button is used as an action button in various circumstances (firing a gun, entering city, etc.).
The mouse is used solely as a selection device. Think of the mouse being the prospectors hand. Using the mouse is simply a method of allowing the prospector to choose items or options during the game such as purchasing items at the store. To activate the mouse at ant time during game play, simply click the left mouse button once. With the mouse active, use the left mouse button to click on icons or press section buttons on the Status Panel.
The main goal of the game is to gather pieces of a secret map (different in each game!) that will lead you to a secret Lost Dutchman Mine. It will also lead you into becoming filthy rich!
However, don't get too sad, if most of your attempts will actually lead you to much more sad ending
The Status Panel is displayed at the bottom of the screen and is assessed by clicking once on the left mouse button to activate the Hand cursor. Once the cursor is in view, you may select an icon by clicking with the left button or by pressing the F1-F6 keys corresponding to each icon's position.
This displays the current temperature. If the temp. rises above 90 degrees, you will require water more often. If the temp drops below 50 degrees, and you are not adequately dressed, you will require more food.
Displays the current time and date. At night, the temp will drop and all buildings in town (except the Saloon and the Livery Stable) will close at 6 PM.
At night all city venues (except the saloon and the stable) are closed. And getting into trouble when wandering the desert is much, much easier
Press F1 to activate this button without clicking it.
Displays your current cash on hand. This amount does not include money you may have in bank or gold that you carry.
Press F2 to activate this button without clicking it.
If your health degrades you must eat and drink something or visit a doctor. Neither option is cheap
This button changes color depending on your overall heath:
- GREEN -- good
- TAN -- fair
- RED -- poor
A flashing red means that your health is in extreme danger and requires immediate attention. Selection this icon will display a status box showing your heath, food, water, and any wounds. Wounds must be treated at the Doctor's office.
Press F3 to activate this button without clicking it.
This icon will show your total food inventory. To eat a food item, click on the item then click on CONSUME. To drink water from a full canteen, click on canteen and then on CONSUME. The canteen will remain in your inventory but will now be empty. Canteens can only be filled at the river.
To move an item, click on the item once with the left mouse button to select it, then click on an empty inventory box with the right mouse button to place it. In this way items maybe moved between yourself and any burros.
Press F4 to activate this button without clicking it.
Displays your inventory of tools and non-food supplies. You must be carrying a tool in your personnel inventory to use it. Items maybe moved by the same means as the F3 key selection.
Press F5 to activate this button without clicking it.
Icon becomes active only after you buy a gun and then shows how many shots you have left.
Press F6 to activate this button without clicking it.
Displays a selection box which enables you to SAVE, LOAD, RESET, or QUIT the game:
- SAVE -- saves a game in progress.
- LOAD -- to load a previously saved game.
- RESET -- allows a brand NEW game to be started without turning the computer off.
- QUIT -- The preferred method of exiting the game!
When saving a game, after a selector box appears, enter the filename for the save. You may save your position anywhere within the game including within mines, caves, or in the town. Because you may enter a unique filename for each saved game, multiple save can be saved on one disk.
To PAUSE the game press key! Press to continue.
Game Options can be called from nearly any screen of the game
Your adventure begins in the town od Goldfield. As you walk down the main street, you will see many building which may be entered to conduct business. Regular open hours are from 8 AM to 6 PM (except the Saloon and the Livery Stable open 24/7).
The town doctor maintains a small office next to the the Saloon and treats snakebites as well as victims of gunfights and Indians attacks. The Doctor will mend them for prices stated. All wounds will be fully healed by clicking on the appropriate button and the fee will be automatically deducted from your cash.
The doctor will extend credit if you are short on cash. If you have money in the bank, he will take the money automatically from your account. If you have no money, he will collect the remainder at the next opportunity.
To buy a drink, approach the bar. A selection box will appear offering you a choice of drinks. Select one. All drinks cost $1.00 and will add to your water status, although too many drinks may decrease your overall health status.
Drinking replenishes health (naturally!)... but try to not make something stupid when you drink too much!
After 6 PM, an option to SLEEP is available. Although your health does not rely on sleep, there are times when you will want to take advantage of this feature. For example, it helps you avoid wandering through night when all places (except the the Saloon and the Livery Stable) are closed and when getting into troubles is easier.
Clicking on SLEEP will result in the immediate passage of time. After a brief fade to black, you will find yourself in front of the saloon at 9:00 the following morning.
If Dapper Dan is sitting at a table in the the Saloon, you can choose to try your luck in a friendly game of poker. Just walk over to Dan's table and press the ↑ button. Dan will ask you if you want to play a game. Click on the PLAY button to begin playing.
If Dapper Dan is at a table... you may try your luck
Dan plays a simple game of poker with the following rules:
$10 ante for both players... pot = $20
When playing poker with Dan you have the following options:
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DISCARD. After each hand is dealt, you may discard up to 4 cards. Click on the card(s) you wish to discard. If you select fewer than 4 cards then you must select DONE to receive your replacement cards. If you discard 4 cards, your replacement cards will be dealt without any further action on your part.
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BET. After you have discarded and received your new cards, you may place a bet.
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FOLD. If you do not think your hand is good enough to win, you may choose to FOLD. Live your new cards, or choose this option, you will forfeit your ante and be asked if you want to play another hand. The rest is just like poker.
Bet or fold? The choice is always yours...
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CALL. If Dan chooses to raise, you may respond by either CALLing, RAISing or FOLDing.
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RAISE. Any time Dan raises, you may counter with your own raise. Anytime you you select RAISE, you are actually placing an amount equal to Dan's raise into the pot PLUS the amount of your raise!
This is the town's general store, where you can generally buy food and tools.
The Assay Office has two functions in Goldfield; to assay your gold (exchange gold for cash) and to file your mining claim.
To get your ore assayed and converted to cash, enter the assay office. Once inside, press the ASSAY button and you will see your personnel inventory. Click on a bag of ore. It wl be removed from your inventory and its ore content and value displayed. The cash amount (if any) will be added to your cash. Repeat for any extra bags you or your burro(s) carry.
Assay Office is the main in-game point for turning gold into cash. And Mercantile is for turning cash into useful tools and food
Bank transactions are very simple. When you enter the bank, your current balance is displayed and DEPOSIT and WITHDRAW buttons appear in the Status Panel. To deposit cash use the DEPOSIT button and enter the amount to be deposited. The same procedure is used for Withdraws. Use the bank to keep safe large amounts of money!
You may peruse the daily newspaper and find out whether the Indians are on the warpath, whether a hot spell is forecast, or catch up on the latest town gossip.
Bank is used for loans and deposits. Newspaper is useful to learn when Indians or outlaws are on spree. And laundry acts as decoration
Upon entering jail, you will see the wanted posters of some of the claim jumpers and bandits that unfortunately roam in this area. If you engage in battle with one of them in the desert and choose to collt the reward for capturing him, you will immediately in the town jail to collect the reward.
Having gun, jail's contract and some luck in the desert can bring you quite a lot of useful in-game dollars
The Livery Stable has burros for sale. These sturdy little beasts of burden eat little and have amazing endurance in the desert. You may purchase up to three burros during the game, with each pack animal greatly increasing your load capability. To purchase, click on the one you wish with the hand cursor and then on the BUY button in the Status Panel.
The burro will now be yours and you will be able to transfer items from your food and tools inventories to the burro.
If you decide to sell a burro, return to the Livery Stable, click on an empty stall and select SELL. YOU WILL RECEIVE ONLY 50% of the amount originally paid!
Going to a stable and purchasing a donkey can increase your inventory's size... one, two or even three times...
Once you leave town, you'll find yourself looking down from an aerial view of the surrounding desert. Use cursor keys to move in any direction over the terrain. Movement is faster and easier along the main road. If you decide to head out over the desert, remember that you will move slower and your need for food and water will increase.
At any time, you may stop and press the Space button to reveal a ground level view of the area and allow you to see details that you would otherwise miss from the overhead view. You can travel through the desert to the surrounding mountains to search for caves and abandoned mines, fish or pan for gold at the river, or return to town.
The city of Goldfield is just an entry into your adventure
Travel in the desert is not without its hazards. You must be ready for rattlesnakes, robbers, and Indians attacks.
These attacks will generally occur at random moments without any warning. Your screen will immediately switch to a ground level view and your adversary(s) will proceed to attack. You may choose to run or fight.
You may run from rattlesnakes without penalty (if you kill it though, it will be added to your food inventory). However, running from Indians or robbers will result in the loss of most of your possessions.
The in-game map is really huge, but wandering around may cause you to meet Indians on spree...
...or outlaws and snakes. If you have a gun, you may try to fight them. Otherwise you must run (or die!) and loose everything that you were carrying with you...
Move to any area of the river on the overhead map and press the Space button. You will be at that point at a ground level view.
At the river you can drink, fish and pan for gold... but everything requires purchasing corresponding tools.
If you have a pan in your inventory, a new button labelled PAN will appear on the Status Panel. Click on it to begin panning for gold. The results of each panning are added to your inventory as a brown bag of ore.
Some areas of the river will produce better results than others, but the general rule of thumb says that panning can get you gold ore of a much smaller grade (and price) than the one that you can find in caves and mines
If you bought a fish hook, a new button will appear on the Status Panel labeled FISH. Click on it to fish. Each fish caught must be brought to the surface and will then be added to the food inventory. As in real life, there won't be any fish in certain areas of the river, and it is possible to clean out the river by over-fishing!
Click on the WATER button to give yourself a soothing drink from the river. In addition, any empty canteens (if you have them) marked with an 'E' (empty) in your inventory will also fill up and show a 'F' for FULL.
At the river you can drink, fish and pan for gold... but everything requires purchasing corresponding tools
Clicking EXIT will return to the overhead view.
There are over 100 caves and mines within the area of Goldfield that can be explored. From the overhead aerial view, move to any desired area and press the Space button to have a quick look around. As you get closer to the mountains, you will start to see certain details such as a cave opening. Get as close as you can until you are at the cave or mine opening and you will automatically enter it. Be sure you have a lantern and some matches to light your way. Also make sure you have everything you need in your personal inventory while exploring these areas as you cannot bring your burro with you.
There are 100 caves to explore in this game...
...and some of them are really, really huge. Getting lost inside isn't that hard task
If you have a rope, you can descend the shafts in the caves by pressing ↓. A rope will attach to a convenient point overhead and you can descend to the lower level. Climbing up is just the reverse... just press up on the ↑.
If you don't have rope (and lantern and matches) with you then stepping into such vertical shaft will most likely be fatal
Simply press the ↑ and ↓ buttons to use them.
In some parts of the mines there maybe a small deposit of raw gold ore. Pushing the Space button will allow you to begin digging. After several swings of the pick, the results of your efforts will be added to the TOOLS inventory as a bag of ore. The pick is also useful for clearing away falling rocks.
Some caves and mines have ladders that you can use. They can even lead you to a gold which you can loot
Typed by GRAVY TRAIN. Edited by PARASITE. Corrected and enhanced with images by TREJDER. Originally published by LEMON AMIGA.
