HSC21 Round 11: GATEWAY TO APSHAI

[+therealbountybob]

After some tussling in the poll we have a winner!

We played this in HSC14 R17 - there is a ton of info on that thread I've copied several posts from there below for info!

Gateway to Apshai

 

Downloads

https://a8.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=1935

or checkout slx's patched xex version below - [does it run on Atari's please confirm ?]

Info Atarimania has info & a PDF file... 

Check out this epic thread Temple of Apshai Triology Maps

 

Round finishes Wednesday 14th August 10PM UK time - we have a bit longer to play this as it's more involved!

 

Join in Atari adventurers

Let the quest begin...

 

 

On 10/2/2017 at 6:20 PM, slx said:

With health 20 or more, there is no display at all, it only kicks in when health drops below 20.

 

A patched version of the game is included but it needs $222/223 set to 0C 06 after initialization to work.

(In Altirra hit F8 for the Debugger and then E 0600 0C 06 <ENTER> and then F8 again.)

Gateway to Apshai with Health Display.xex 16.3 kB · 145 downloads

 

On 9/26/2017 at 5:09 PM, Lord Thag said:

I've played Gateway to Apshai quite a bit. It's fun in short bursts, and for long sessions, so long as you are not expecting an ending. Basically you pick a dungeon (1-16) and lay through the level. The level ends when you run out of time or choose to exit via menu. You then pick another level (1-16) and it gets harder. Each level (1- has sixteen different dungeons, so there is lots of play value. The level layouts don't change (so Level 1 Dungeon 1 will always have the same layout), but the monster and item placements are different each time. It's a very fun action-based dungeon crawler, I'll play some this evening.

 

On 9/27/2017 at 9:52 PM, therealbountybob said:

Quick Guide

Press (several times) Start Select Option (F2-F4 on emulators) for the various commands

some that I found useful

Start = Fight

Select = Key or Search for Traps, New Level [Tip: press Start to force this list to start from the beginning each time]

Option = Choose stuff you have collected - Spells, Healing potions etc. then press Fire to use it

 

I chose new level before time ran out and on the 3rd level I was marooned in a mini segment of map (the first time there was a way out)

 

One of the end of level bonuses gave me More Agility which made me move quicker (probably game is faster on NTSC anyway)

 

The goblins are pretty fast but if you have a spell use it!

 

 

On 9/28/2017 at 5:18 AM, Lord Thag said:

You have to use option and fire to equip the arrows, armor etc. Then hit start multiple times to select different equipped weapons. Generally it cycles between 'Fight' and 'Arrows', the latter of which shoots. Option/Fire using the healing potions is the only way you make it any distance in the game. It's surprisingly fun once you figure it out, but it's by no means white knuckle. More of a thinking-person's action rpg

 

On 9/28/2017 at 10:37 PM, therealbountybob said:

being able to fire the arrows makes the game much better (see above posts): Option and Fire to wield them, then Start to choose Arrows and you are away. I even had some Magic Arrows!

 

On 9/28/2017 at 2:45 PM, ballyalley said:

Apshai's Legacy

"You have a destiny to fulfill!", the unseen voice whispered from out of the darkness.
My teeth chattered, my body shook. In the flickering firelight I could barely see the outstretched claw and bony finger, pointing directly at me. By Geb's beard, was I scared!
It happened so fast. Suddenly, just at dusk this evening, those four huge brutes pounded on our cottage door. Their leader demanded my name. When I answered, he commanded, "Come, Merlis wants to see you-- NOW!"
Before I could step back or say anything, the other three had grabbed me and were dragging me out the door. Behind me, my widowed mother gasped, then cried: "Oh-- NO, THEY'VE FINALLY COME!"
I looked back, as I was rudely thrust on the back of a gigantic stallion. My poor mother stood in the doorway, her dear face wet with tears, her right hand reaching out-- as if her hand could somehow stop them from taking away her only child.
There was a slap on my mount's flank. The beast leaped forward. I clung to the stallion's mane for my dear life. Away we galloped, into the twilight. We rode hour after hour, down strange roads and through dark forests. Finally, we rushed up a mountain trail and stopped. To our right a dim light glowed from the rocks. I was pulled off the horse.
"Go youngster, Merlis waits for you inside the cave."

Frightened and trembling, now I stood in the center of a huge cavern. Behind me three ugly witches, shrouded in black, cackled and danced around a giant cauldron, bubbling over a weird fire. Lying on animal skins, in front of me, was a very old man in roughspun priest's robes.
The robe's hood hid his face. I could only see two glowing embers where his eyes should be. His extended right arm shook, as if being held up with great effort.
"Youngster, know ye of the disaster on our land...how our crops wither... our flocks dwindle...our cities are dying?"
I nodded.
"Know ye how it is written, that only when we rediscover and reclaim the mighty Temple of Apshai will our people once again prosper?"
I nodded again.
He continued, "Many, many of our bravest have entered the dungeons to search for our lost treasures... to destroy the evil monsters that now inhabit the mazes...to disarm the perilous traps hidden along the passages... "
His arm shook even more violently, "But sadly...all too sadly, none of them have ever returned."
He paused to let me absorb his words, then continued: "And do ye know that it is also written, that only the blood of Apshai's greatest warrior will ever be able to reclaim the Temple of Apshai... and get the curse off our land?"
I knew who the old man meant. Often my companions and I had discussed his fabled exploits.
"Has your mother ever told you," he suddenly challenged, "that you are the sapling sprouted from his seed, planted over one score and eight seasons ago?"
"ME?"
Dumbfounded, I staggered backwards.
"AND YOU-- ONLY YOU CAN SAVE US, BY FINDING A SAFE WAY THROUGH THE EIGHT LEVELS. MORE THAN A HUNDRED DUNGEONS AND SEVEN THOUSAND ROOMS. TO ONCE AGAIN OPEN THE GATES OF APSHAI!"
ME. THE DIRECT BLOOD KIN OF APSHAI'S GREATEST WARRIOR? Hard to believe? Til now, I had only daydreamed of heroics.
"Pick up those weapons," Merlis said, pointing at the cave floor in front of me. "Turn around, and go directly East one league. There you will find the pit. Climb down until you discover the entrance to the first level."
"If you survive, you will find, along the way, even more powerful magic weapons to aid your quest."
The old man gave a long, tired moan, fell back, and said no more. I glanced around the cave. The witches had vanished. Turning back to Merlis, I watched in horror as his cadaver and clothes slowly crumbled into dust.

 

"Pick up those weapons," something whispered in my mind. I stooped down and picked up a worn leather armor tunic and a short dagger. The dagger seemed to emit an enchanted sparkle, even though the light in the cave was so dim that I could barely see the dagger's handle.
"If you survive, you will find, along the way, even more powerful magic weapons to aid your quest."
Once again, I looked slowly around... then, I took a deep breath, turned around, and walked out into the morning sunlight.


Objective

Gateway to Apshai is a one player action-adventure. You, the heir of Apshai's greatest warrior, are trying to find and reclaim a safe passageway through an underground labyrinth to the fabled, lost Temple of Apshai.

Your objective is to successfully complete all eight levels, scoring as many points as you can. You complete each level by moving your figure on the screen with your joystick, through a dungeon maze, fighting off monsters and avoiding traps, while picking up treasures in order to score points.

At the start of the game, you have 5 lives to complete the game. You have approximately six and one-half minute's time to explore as much of each level as you can. After six and one-half minutes, you are automatically teleported to the start of the next deeper level.

...

 

 

[+slx]

Had a look at the old post and it seems I built an improved version that does not require manual memory patching and should run on an Atari.

XEX is attached to the linked post.

 

 

 

 

[+therealbountybob]

4 hours ago, slx said:

Had a look at the old post and it seems I built an improved version that does not require manual memory patching and should run on an Atari.

XEX is attached to the linked post.

Great! Thanks again slx

[McKong]

Not for me this game 4100 probably my first and last go

 

[MichaG]

On 7/25/2024 at 2:50 PM, slx said:

Had a look at the old post and it seems I built an improved version that does not require manual memory patching and should run on an Atari.

XEX is attached to the linked post.

When I try to download your patched version I get "Access Denied". (yes, I am logged in)

[carlsson]

Same here, something triggers an XML (!) file which says access denied. Perhaps it is a such old download that the file didn't transfer last time the forum was moved?

[+slx]

Ok, sorry I didn’t try before posting the link which certainly predates the last major forum update. I‘ll try to find it and re-upload it here. Won’t be before tomorrow evening in Europe, though. 

[+slx]

Here it is.

GApshai+.xex

[AtariSphinx]

Gateway to Apshai: 7185 (dungeon 1, reached lvl 4)

[AtariSphinx]

Gateway to Apshai: 8,885

[carlsson]

Gateway to Apshai - 4125 pts, dungeon 1 level 2

 

Apparently I got quite a bit further back in 2017. When it comes to Epyx' action dungeon games, I must say I prefer Sword of Fargoal which unfortunately never got ported to Atari 8-bit.

[carlsson]

Gateway to Apshai - 4845 pts, dungeon 1 level 4

 

I think it is a bug that you can respawn in an area without exits, so your only way to get away is to move to a different level. If the dungeons were designed in a different ways with stairs up and down, you would get stuck in a place like that. Also the armor you pick up isn't automatically enabled, but then again it isn't in Rogue/Nethack either.

[graywest]

Gateway to Apshai: 10,405 (Dungeon 1, Level 5)

I've been using the cartridge version - is it the same as the disk and .xex versions? No missing content or other differences?

Edited August 4 by graywest

[graywest]

57 minutes ago, carlsson said:

I think it is a bug that you can respawn in an area without exits, so your only way to get away is to move to a different level. If the dungeons were designed in a different ways with stairs up and down, you would get stuck in a place like that. Also the armor you pick up isn't automatically enabled, but then again it isn't in Rogue/Nethack either.

I started in an area that seemed to have no exits (Dungeon 1, Level 3 maybe?). But when I used the Search Spell, I found a secret locked door that I could escape through. 

 

I can't guarantee that all areas have an exit, but using the search spell tends to reveal quite a lot of extra stuff.

Edited August 4 by graywest

[rdrunner]

8 hours ago, graywest said:

I started in an area that seemed to have no exits (Dungeon 1, Level 3 maybe?). But when I used the Search Spell, I found a secret locked door that I could escape through. 

 

I can't guarantee that all areas have an exit, but using the search spell tends to reveal quite a lot of extra stuff.

I agree.  I've been playing this for years and every map I've played has always been a fully connected maze.  The search spell is sometimes necessary is all.  Best to use it everywhere you go so you don't miss any doors.

[AtariSphinx]

Enjoying thus but this game needs the commands mapped directly to different keyboard keys.  

[carlsson]

Yes, that was something Jeff McCord did right in SoF (and possibly already in Dunjeonquest). If you carry the spells, L for light, S for shield, T for teleport, H for healing potion etc. A combination of the two might've been the best. 

 

By the way, why haven't we ever tried Mastertronic's Rogue (supposedly the same/related to the Epyx version)?

https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-rogue_4431.html

[+therealbountybob]

Got a full game in, fairly enjoyable but can see it might go on a bit once you get better at dealing with the more agressive nasties....

Reached level 7, tried to explore each level as much as I could, only levelling up when I was on 0 health or low on time.

Final score 19,955 staying in dungeon 1. When I lost the first life it seemed to give me 5K bonus - I was on level 5 - score went from 9.895 to 14,895 when it continued.

 

Will start up the next poll soon.

[rdrunner]

2 hours ago, therealbountybob said:

When I lost the first life it seemed to give me 5K bonus - I was on level 5 - score went from 9.895 to 14,895 when it continued.

 

Any chance you died while collecting a treasure chest?  On Level 5, the "jeweled" prize is worth 5000 points.

 

Also that reminds me: Level 8 is the last level, which is then repeated until you lose.  It's possible to cheese the scoring by collecting a few treasures on this level and then resetting everything by letting the time run out or using the Next Level command, all without any risk of dying.

 

Really interesting how this game lets you advance to higher levels without necessarily accomplishing anything.  But at the same time, you need to try or you can't beat any monsters on the later levels.

 

Was thinking we might want to put a cap on the number of levels we play to prevent this.  Perhaps if you survive Level 8 once, call it a game?

[+therealbountybob]

2 hours ago, rdrunner said:

Any chance you died while collecting a treasure chest?  On Level 5, the "jeweled" prize is worth 5000 points.

 

Also that reminds me: Level 8 is the last level, which is then repeated until you lose.  It's possible to cheese the scoring by collecting a few treasures on this level and then resetting everything by letting the time run out or using the Next Level command, all without any risk of dying.

 

Really interesting how this game lets you advance to higher levels without necessarily accomplishing anything.  But at the same time, you need to try or you can't beat any monsters on the later levels.

 

Was thinking we might want to put a cap on the number of levels we play to prevent this.  Perhaps if you survive Level 8 once, call it a game?

ahh so running out of time does *not* cost a life

 

Yes ok finish level 8 and then end with a final score, probably that was my go for the round

 

[rdrunner]

1 hour ago, therealbountybob said:

ahh so running out of time does *not* cost a life

 

Yes ok finish level 8 and then end with a final score, probably that was my go for the round

 

Yup, the timer just bumps you up to the next level when it expires, without any penalty.  Try to play as much of each level as you can!

 

Anyway, good deal then on the Level 8 thing.  Thanks!

[+therealbountybob]

17 hours ago, rdrunner said:

Yup, the timer just bumps you up to the next level when it expires, without any penalty.  Try to play as much of each level as you can!

 

Anyway, good deal then on the Level 8 thing.  Thanks!

So the challenge is highest score playing levels 1-8 and then retiring - all on Dungeon 1 I think my good go was about an hour to an hour and a half, not sure if there is a pause key but you can leave it on the end of level screen etc

 

New poll next...

[+therealbountybob]

On 8/5/2024 at 11:55 AM, carlsson said:

Yes, that was something Jeff McCord did right in SoF (and possibly already in Dunjeonquest). If you carry the spells, L for light, S for shield, T for teleport, H for healing potion etc. A combination of the two might've been the best. 

 

By the way, why haven't we ever tried Mastertronic's Rogue (supposedly the same/related to the Epyx version)?

https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-rogue_4431.html

Did get Rogue on budget cassette but it never held my interest as Ultima III was the kiddie, still need to finish that one day

 

[+therealbountybob]

Current Standings Updated and Round 12 poll OPEN

https://forums.atariage.com/forum/60-8-bit-high-score-club/

 

first tables

	Gateway to Apshai (Lv1-8 on Dungeon 1)
	Player		Score		Points
1st	therealbountybob		19,955		12
2nd	graywest		10,405		11
3rd	AtariSphinx		8,885		10
4th	carlsson		4,845		9
5th	McKong		4,100		8

[carlsson]

Gateway to Apshai - 11975 pts, dungeon 1 level 4-5 (don't remember)

 

The more I play this game, the more it appears like a pastiche of a rogue style game. The facts that you need to push awkward buttons to enable fight mode, keys, weapons and items, that you can advance to the next level any time you wish and also select a different dungeon are all signs of a game trying to mock the genre. I never played the Temple of Apshai trilogy, which are are role playing games, so I don't know how much Gateway borrows but yeah, a few rounds every fourth or fifth year is enough for me.