=========================
INTRO TO THE TEST RELEASE
=========================

	This is a development version of an anime-style RPG that I have

been programming. It is far from complete, but I would like some

feedback on what has been done so far before going any further.

In addition, I am in the process of selecting music for the game,

and thought that if some .MOD composers saw the demo they might

be persuaded to submit some appropriate tunes. :]

	When finished, I plan to upload both the game and its source

to Aminet as a public domain distribution. One of the great things

about the Amiga is the programming community; PD/Shareware titles

distributed via Aminet & Fish Disk have kept the machine compeditive

long after the death of Commodore. This program is my humble attempt

to keep this tradition alive and to thank all those programmers

who have come before. Amiga Forever!

	Permission is granted to copy this archive in its entirety

so long as no profit is made from doing so. Those wishing to include

this archive in a PD collection or on a coverdisk must seek the

permission of the author. Permission is granted to Aminet and Fred

Fish to redistribute this archive as they see fit. My profs would

flog me with a lectern if they saw how many times I just used the

word permission without consulting a thesaurus. All characters,

locations & events are (C) Joseph Hewitt, as if you care.



============
INSTALLATION
============

	Unpack the archive; move amos.library to your libs: folder

if it isn't there already. That should be about it.



========
FEEDBACK
========

	There are two main things which I would like some other people's

opinions on. First of all is the interface. I want to know how you

feel about the graphics, animations, etc. and whether or not you have

any suggestions about improving them. Personally, I think that the

look of the game has a certain 8-bit charm to it, but you may 

disagree... Do you think the atmosphere for the game is right? Do you

like the narrative segments?

	Secondly, I want to know how you find combat. Too easy, too hard?

Should advancement be faster or slower? Does the interface make sense

to you? Are there any characters that you'd list as extra useless? What

levels were you at when you completed each of the main sections of the

game?



======
FUTURE
======

	The next big thing that I plan to add is music and sound.

If anyone has any .mods they'd like to volunteer, I'd be more than

happy to recieve them! I will also (hopefully) be adding sound FX

to combat. Different characters will get different battle cries,

screams of anguish, et cetera. Both music and fx will be selectable

from the options screen.

	In addition, the PC Equipment menu will be

upgraded to show a picture of each item. I may also add something

to display an item's function, but as the game takes place on a low res

screen there's a finite limit to the amount of info that may be

displayed.



=================
SUGGESTED VIEWING
=================

	To prepare for this game, the author reccomends that the

following anime titles be rented & watched in no particular order.

This should provide adequate knowledge of the staples of the genre!

		Combustible Campus Guardress(*)

		Iria : Zeiram - the Animation (Pioneer)

		Heroic Legend of Arislan (U.S. Manga Corps)

		MADOX-01 (AnimEigo)

		Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind(*)

		Ranma 1/2 (Viz Video)

		Riding Bean (AnimEigo)

* Not commercially avaliable in North America at this time.




CONCEPT AND THEORY (long-winded, pretentious, and not important)

	This program began as a personal experiment in RPG design. Role
playing games on computer have traditionally concentrated upon puzzle
solving rather than story telling. In the 80s, there were several
attempts to reverse this trend... remember the ``Interactive Novel''?
Many of these programs attempted to boost the narrative aspect of the
game by providing the player with a greater freedom of action, but
for the most part retained the fixed-series-of-puzzles pattern that
has been used since Adventure.
	A few years ago, I played a fairly simple SNES game called
Final Fantasy II. Despite the fact that the game lacked the complexity
of most contemporary computer games, I was enthralled...
though the ``story'' was not necessarily interactive, it was
certainly involving. The player is assigned a role in the story,
but does not necessarily get to direct the action. Instead, he/she is
involved through taking part, through being given emotional cues,
and through other theatrical measures. In other words, the player is
drawn into the game in the same way as a reader is drawn into a book.
	According to Wolfgang Iser's literary theory, a good book will
provide the reader with adequate room to imagine. Having just completed
my degree in English, I decided to see if I could build a computer
game around this principle. The engine of said game is what you see
before you now... Let me know what you think!



=======
CONTACT
=======

	email: ataraxia@thezone.net

	phone: (709) 635-7178

	smail:	Joseph Hewitt
			Box 370, Rr 2
			Cormack, Newfoundland
			A0K 2E0 Canada