GS WorldView
Winter 2003-2004


Phantasie I-III

ref. files Phantasie1_v111.zip
           Phantasie2_v111.zip
           Phantasie3_v111beta_.zip

After downloading, unzip using WinZIP or a similar
utility.

Resulting files are ... 

from Phantasie1_v111.zip
P1bootV111.dsk
P1dungV111.dsk
PhantasieDocs.txt

from Phantasie2_v111.zip
P2bootV111.dsk
P2dungV111.dsk
PhantasieDocs.txt

from Phantasie3_v111beta_.zip
P3bootV111b.dsk
P3dungV111b.dsk
PhantasieDocs.txt


The .dsk files may be used as disks with Apple II
emulators such as AppleWin.

The files may also be converted to real diskette form
for use with a real Apple II. After transferring the
.dsk files to your Apple II or IIgs, convert to 
diskette using DSK2FILE or ASIMOV.


Description

Phantasie is a multi-character Map & Maze adventure
series created by Winston Douglas Wood and released
by Strategic Simulations (SSI) starting in the early
1980's.

Note: Emulators seem to produce a IIgs-look hires screen.
This is _not_ the best hires display. Also, emus do not
deal very well with 8-bit "Old Apple II" sound. Phantasie,
especially Phantasie III, looks and sounds better on a
real Apple II using a regular composite color display.


Version 1.11

"Version 1.11" (or "v1.11") identifies this version of Phantasie I-III
(or, abbreviated, P1-P3).  The game disks (real diskettes or .dsk 
emulator files) are copiable using regular whole-disk copiers, such as
Disk Muncher.
 

Changes to the Utilities (on Side2- Dungeon Disk)

o- P1-P2: The Setup for New Game option clears the character roster, 
   resets the Town inventories, and, now, also resets all maps and clears
   the Dungeon Save. 

   P3: The Setup for New Game option works much like that in P1-P2, except
   the countryside maps are not cleared (because they are always completely
   visible in P3) and the character roster is reset to include default
   characters instead of being blanked.

   Doing a New Game setup creates a new Phantasie I - Phantasie III
   disk set.

o- Transfers of characters between games is allowed in the 
   Phantasie II (P1<->P2) and Phantasie III (P1-P3 ->P3) 
   Utilities. 

   As always, transferred characters have Level set to 0 and are supposed
   to go through Training upon arrival. Usually, the reduction in 
   Experience leaves enough Experience to allow Training and you start with
   above average Level 1 characters with decent skills and hitpoints. However,
   if low level characters are transferred, you could have characters with
   zero Experience and no way to Train. There is a fix to guarantee that 
   transferred characters will always have enough experience to go through
   Training and, so, start at Level 1 or Level 2.

   P1<->P2 transfers no longer automatically reset Town inventories on the
   destination disk. The reason for this change is that neither the maps nor
   Dungeon Save were ever automatically reset; resetting Town inventories
   does not give you a 'new game' and only confuses the situation. The change
   leaves it up to the player to decide whether the Phantasie I or Phantasie II
   disk set to which characters are transferred will be 'New' or unchanged.

   P3 transfers (to-P3 only) use a new routine which is independent of RDOS
   version or disk protection on the source (P1-P3) disk. If you have
   characters on a Phantsie disk, they should be transferable to Phantasie III.

o- Init Backup Disk and Character Saves/Restores work as before. The options
   are retained, mainly, as a 'legacy' feature to permit transferring backed
   up characters to v1.11. Otherwise, the feature is really not needed:

   1- The adventures include a Save Game which works fine-- everything is
   saved on the current set of game disks.

   2- Character Backup saves just the roster and Town inventories. Since it
   does not save status of maps or status of Dungeon Save, it is only a
   partial backup.

   3- The Init Backup Disk option works fine on real Apple II's; but, it does
   not work on all current emulators.

   4- Character Backup disks use special formatting and may be difficult to 
   transfer.

   5- Cracked versions of Phantasie I/II often will not read Character
   Backup diskettes created by original copies of the game.

   6- If you want to backup a game, including characters, a better, easier
   way is to copy the Boot disk side using any regular whole-disk copier (such
   as Disk Muncher). If you want to preserve Dungeon Save status, too, make a
   copy of the Dungeon Disk.


Other Changes

o- The Phantasie II Demo includes a few cosmetic changes plus a fix so
   that shapes will not be incorrectly rotated.

o- The P1-P2 Town programs include a few cosmetic mods-- e.g. the Guild
   menu is a bit easier to read.

o- The Phantasie III Town program includes quite a few changes to 
   enhance user friendliness and to extend character development:

   - Buy/Sell and Trade displays now show the Hit value of each weapon
     and Armor value of armor and shields plus whether or not an item
     is usable.

   - The 'Distibute' display of current party member Weapon, Shield,
     Armor, and Bow status is very handy; but, it was not shown
     until after you responded Yes to the "Distribute Items?" prompt,
     which forced you to go through the bother of distributing items.
     The display is now presented _before_ the prompt.

   - The Armory automatically starts listing items when a shopper 
     enters.

   - All inputs are now strings. This eliminates annoying "REENTER"
     prompts for typos.

   - For places such as the Bank, Armory, and Guild a plain RETURN is
     accepted as a default Exit command.

   - The 'Inspect' display no longer uses a separate screen to show
     Body status. All character information is on a single screen.

   - When your party enters a town, the Guild 'List' now correctly 
     shows that town as your current location.

   - The Guild display is organized to better group commands which
     affect the active party.

   - As a safeguard, the Guild 'Purge' command no longer works on
     characters which are included in your current party.

   - Characters can now change class. Once a character reaches Level 7
     the character can change class so long as the character meets
     basic class requirements. For instance, change to Priest
     or Wizard requires at least 13 Intelligence. The character's
     class is changed, Level is set to 1, and Experience is set to 100.
     There is no charge for a class change.

     The chief advantages of changing class are that the character
     gets more frequent advances at lower Levels which translates
     into more opportunities to increase Skills (such as Swimming,
     Bow use, Pick Lock, ...); and, the character may have an
     opportunity to learn more (and more kinds) of spells.

     The main cost of a class change is loss of Level and Experience.
     Level impacts effectiveness. Also, many important spells are
     available to only high Level characters.

   - Characters can now purchase increases in attributes. Aside from
     making it possible to have more powerful characters, this solves
     the legendary Phantasie problem of what to do with piles of gold
     you accumulate. (Attribute increases are fairly expensive).

   - A glitch which made it possible to get _lower_ skill values when
     going up a Level is fixed. You will always be offered some
     increase in a skill.

   - Resting at a town's Inn now heals all damage (for characters who
     are alive). There is no cost (in magic points) for casting the
     Resurrection spell or town-to-town Transport spell while in a
     town. (Of course, you must have a character who knows the 
     particular spell.)

o- The map update routines in Phantasie II are rewritten to run a bit
   faster.

o- The P3 Outdoors and Dungeon programs include several changes. These
   include an easier to use display delay setting and better feedback on
   spell casting. For instance, a character is no longer charged Magic
   Points for trying to cast a spell the character can not cast. Effect
   of Heal spells is now a bit less random and tied more to Level of the
   caster.

o- In P3, it is now possible to obtain all of the weapons and armor items 
   listed in the manual. (Not necessarily easy; but, possible.) This
   change especially affects bows, most of which are not obtainable in
   the original version.

o- P3 has been played through to victory; but, it is still considered
   a beta pending more testing.

o- The Phantasie II Intro program checks to see if there are characters in
   the roster before allowing a player to select "Continue a Saved Game".

o- Any startup crack screens are replaced by original graphics. Crack 
   credits are shown in Text on the Intro program screen.

o- Intro program screens show current version-- e.g. v1.11.



Rubywand


