                                  Drone                                     
                                                                          
                                    by                                     
                                                                          
                                 DansSoft                                     

     Welcome to Drone. This game is Copyright somewhere around 1998 by 
DansSoft. Thanks to Jim Kitchen for making the game somewhat more 
accessible with speech. The game was originally written for my own sake, 
but now it has been revitalized for everyone's enjoyment! This game is 
completely free. If you have any questions, drop me a line at 
daniel_zingaro@hotmail.com. And visit DansSoft for our other great 
software at http://go.to/danssoft.
     
                                     
                                The Story                                     

     Story? Uhhh, well, I did have one three years ago. Unfortunately, 
this document was lost so I'll have to fake it. Let me know how I do.
     
     Your home town is a very quiet and peaceful place. Nothing out of the 
ordinary ever happens. ... Until now! One night, you wake up and the city 
is in shambles! Houses have been torn down, schools are blazing, and the 
shopping malls are crumbling! People are screaming and dashing like mad 
for cover. But what could have caused this? In a minute, you realize who 
the culprit is. The drone! The massive monster has taken over the city, 
and filled it with enemies and other dangerous pitfalls. Being the hero 
that you are, you decide to make it your responsibility to end the drone's 
short leadership of the town. But it won't be easy...
     
                                     
                                Game Play                                     

     Game play is actually quite simple. If you remember the game 
Braminar, you'll have no trouble adapting to this one. (Yes, I admit it, I 
stole the game idea. But can you blame me? That game was one of the 
coolest text adventures I have ever played!) Anyway, the game is basically 
a stripped-down version of a text adventure. Most prompts are simple 
numerical answers, or yes or no answers. There are, of course, some places 
where you'll have to use your imagination, but I won't ruin those now for 
you. There are many random elements to the game, so, unfortunately for 
some, luck plays a significant role if you're going to be successful. 
Eventually, you will learn what to do and what not to do, but all gamers 
will fall into a ditch once and a while and lose a good portion of there 
accumulations! You can never tell what will happen!
     
     When you start the game, you will be asked for your name. Once you 
fill that in, you will also have to enter your gender. You will be told 
the price of slaves for the current game, and once you hit a key, your 
stats screen will be displayed. In fact, after every event in the game, 
this screen will be shown, so you'd better get used to it. It displays 
everything that has any importance in the game. A brief summary follows.
     
     The most important value on the stats screen is your hitpoints. If 
this goes below 0, you can say goodbye. Another important stat is your 
endurance. Again, if this dips below the 0 threshold, you call it quits. 
Be aware of how many weapons you have at all times. You can basically use 
two forms of attack: the slingshot and the sword. Your slingshot has the 
annoyance that it uses up a rock whenever you use it, whereas the sword 
can miss the target on occasion, depending on your sword accuracy. The 
sword is mightier than the slingshot. You also have poison available to 

you, but it should only be used if it is your only choice (or unless it is 
part of your strategy) because they are harder to come by. Your slaves are 
somewhat important, and can assist you in some difficult situations. The 
gold ring and necklace are special items, which you must obtain to 
complete the game. This also holds for the glowing staff. Try to have a 
horse at all times. It is the vehicle which allows you to escape battles, 
if you realize that you're about to be on the losing side.     
     
                                     
                                Objectives                                     

     Your ultimate objective is to defeat the drone. But that statement 
makes a complex process sound very simple. In order to do this, you will 
first have to obtain special items, some of which are the gold ring, 
necklace, and glowing staff. You will also have to find a way into his 
castle, get by his guards, and only then do you get a shot at the big guy!
     
                                     
                                  Hints                                     

     Hints? Fine then.
     
     1. Sometimes, you will be presented with some very tempting 
situations--those in which you can gain or lose a whole whack of stuff. My 
advice would be to take the chance if you are early into the game. If 
you've been playing for four hours, the last thing you want is for the guy 
who owns the garden to take you to school.   
     2. The raptor... hmmm... there is a hint on how to beat him in the 
game. The hint comes from a certain wise man...
     
     3. When fighting the drone's guards, don't walk in there like you own 
the place and try and being a hero, using your sword against huge, 
unbeatable enemies. Think about it... your brute strength will not get you 
through.
     
     4. The wishing well is very important. Sure, it can give you 
hitpoints, a horse and simple stuff like that, but there is something much 
more valuable hidden there...
     
       
     I'd better stop or else I'll ruin it.
     
     Have fun!
     
