README.TXT

Welcome to POWDER!

This is the distribution of the POWDER roguelike created by me (Jeff
Lait) for the Gameboy Advance.  There's not much in this README,
primarily because I've been to lazy to turn questions into a FAQ, but
also because I'm relying on the built-in help to provide proper
documentation.

Check out:
http://www.zincland.com/powder

If that website is gone, I recommend mashing all the keys on your GBA
until you find out what controls what.

To get in game help on the Gameboy, while playing hit [Start], scroll 
down to Options..., then select Help.  The Gameboy help option will
explain how the Gameboy buttons work.

If you want to work on POWDER, please contact me!  I am not adverse to
outside input - the tilesets other than classic are all from POWDER 
players.  Special room maps are also relatively easy to build.  Coding is
also an option - POWDER's source is available on the zincland website.
Please read COPYING.TXT in the source distribution for details.

Thanks to Will Shattuck, we now have a key-assignment list for those
playing the PC versions of POWDER:

========================== 
POWDER Key Assignments 

========= 
Movement: 
========= 

 k      8
h.l or 4.6 or arrow keys
 j      2

Both > and < can be used to climb ladders, dive into or swim out of
pools, or climb into or out of pits.

By default, you attack things when you move into them.  If you change your
safewalk status, either permamently with the safe walk option, or temporarily
by hitting Ctrl, you will not attack when you try to move into creatures.
Shift-moving will swap in that direction.  Alt-moving will jump.

=========== 
Other Keys: 
=========== 

[ENTER], Space, 5 = select current entry, bring up context menu, 
Esc, 0 = cancel current entry or menu

These can be pressed when walking around the map.

? = Help 
i = Inventory 
O = Options Menu 
o = Open 
c = Close 
e = Eat 
B = Breathe (Not very interesting in your default state)
W = Move (Also not very interesting... usually)
<, > = Climb up (<) or down (>)
, or g = Pick up Item 
S = Swap position with a creature.
R = Go to sleep and rest.
q = Release control of possessed creature.
s = search 
. or w or 5 = Wait
r = Run until you see something interesting.
x = Look.  Get detailed monster info by looking at them.
z = Cast a spell
J = Jump 
m or X = Mini-map 
N = Name a creature 
C = Command a creature 
_ = Pray.
F = Forget Something.  Useful when you have run out of skill/spell slots. 
f = Fire quivered item 
p or ^p = Previous message 
v = View message history
V = Command List
& = Make a wish

===================== 
Inventory Quick Keys: 
===================== 

Instead of using the context sensitive menu in the inventory menu, you
can hit these keys directly.

w = Wear or Wield 
T = Take off 
d = Drop 
e = Eat or Quaff 
r = Read.  When reading a book, hit 'i' or '?' to get info on that spell or
skill. 
! = Dip 
z = Zap 
f = Mark as a favorite.  Favorite items are outlined yellow and sorted first.
q = Put in Quiver.  Quiverred items are 'f'ired.  They are also
autopicked up for free when you walk over them. 
t = Throw 
n = Name 
s = Sort inventory 
S = Split Stack
x = Examine 

========================== 
POWDER Status Line

S12H010/01M010/00X932L02 LR AB
^ ^^ ^   ^^ ^   ^^ ^ ^ ^   ^
| || |   || |   || | | |   \-- Button mappings on GBA, Zinc on SDL
| || |   || |   || | | \------ Current Dungeon Level
| || |   || |   || | \-------- Ladder icon
| || |   || |   || \---------- Experience, new level every 1000
| || |   || |   |\------------ X for Experience
| || |   || |   \------------- Magic Level, +1 spell slot per level
| || |   || \----------------- Magic Points
| || |   |\------------------- Purple Wizard Hat
| || |   \-------------------- Physical Level, +1 skill slot per level
| || \------------------------ Hit Points
| |\-------------------------- Red Heart
| \--------------------------- AC: How much armour you have
\----------------------------- Shield


If you have read this, please contact me at:

jmlait@zincland.com