#> Date: Mon, 27 Nov 95 08:14:53 EST #> From: Stephen Sidler #> Subject: Ruin writeup and more... **** RUIN **** Before starting, I will mention a few key points now. TALK TO EVERYONE! If once is not enough, go back to all again. You can not exit a town or area unless you have done all you could there. This game is VERY LINEAR, and will not let you pass until you have done what is necessary. To speed up characters, press directional in direction you want to go, release quickly, then press again. Will speed up till a character bumps into something. Works everywhere. To travel... when placed outside in the map area, a green arrow will be pointed in new direction to go. Pressing Button I returns you to area you were just at. Press directional in direction of arrow. Arrow will turn red. Keep it pressed and press I. You now be in new area. When in monster areas, you will hear a distinct noise before monsters appear on the screen. How easy can it get! Crates (boxes) are scattered all over and be sure to search EVERY ONE. On the lower right on the screen (under the magic bar) is the clock. Game will turn to night, and so on. It did not play any importantance that I noticed. Also, your HP bar increases if you stay still (almost always), as does your MP bar (hardly ever). Answer YES to every question in the game. Button II controls the hacking and slashing (of main character only), and Button I controls defense and magic firing after selecting on a ring magic. Search the castle thoroughly each time you warp there (nothing available the first time you get there). I completed the game with the following levels: Hero character - 19 Purple haired girl - 18 Green haired girl - 19 Guard - 25 Press run to pause MENU: (press select) All information on characters is here. Move directional left/right to see each character's status. Bottom right has 5 possible selections. Use button I to activare, II to cancel. #1 - after selecting this, you get 4 possible selections: a - items available- note that the hero can only access the far right ring (this is magic for his sword) b - weapons/armor - here is where you equip. You will see if either weapon/armor/ring is better or not for each character. Move left/right to cycle through the 3 choices, up/down to see if equipment is better or worse for character. All dashes signifies caharcater cannot use. c - shows the equipment of each character selected. Can also unequip, but will lose it. No need to play around here. d - discard - never used it myself. #2 - has 2 selections: a - ???? b - controls the artificial intelligence of character. I never changed it, and let the game allocate whatever. #3 - allows the hero to execute the circle magic. Experiment with this. I only used it at the end of the game, but you do pick up about 6 different types of sword magic. #4 - calls up the map #5 - has 4 selections: a - save in either BACKUP 1 or BACKUP 2. b - ??? c - ??? d - music on/off Onward ho! First town - explore, eventually cinema in second floor of a house. Girl joins you. Search crates, but continually press button I till no more. Some crates here have multiple goodies. Eventually, you will go the very bottom left of town (in between building and wall). There will be a crate there. If it asks a question, select yes (the left one) If not, return to all people and try again. Make sure you talk to the 2 small children in the center of the town. After selecting yes, you will finally fight and work your way to next town. Once outside, you control the main character. All other characters that you eventually get follow you around, and fight/magic on their own. Go to next town. Don't worry about not being able to buy upgraded stuff yet. You should not get wasted yet. After exiting, there will be a cinema with the guards. Go to destroyed castle where cinema of guy dies. Don't worry about not bein able to enter any of the locked doors here. You will now return to first town (it's destroyed) and pick up another memeber of your party, a guard. Go to next town. Here you will lose your guard, and will get a wizard. Upgrade your weapons/armor for you and girl only. Don't waste money on the wizard, as he leaves your party soon. Search bookcases for items. Exit north of town. You can now easily return to town, so build up levels here is a good idea. North to temple. Eventually, you will fight a boss, but first be sure to explore everywhere. After defeating it, go up for cinema. You will be transported to castle (wizard is gone). After exiting castle, you will eventually end up in a town where you picked up the guard (It's rebuilt!). Go to 3 tombstones, and press I. Return to castle, and get another girl in your party. Sometime soon you will get to town with a ship. Exit south, and go to cave. Treasure abounds. In SouthEast of cave you'll notice an odd looking wall. Walk through, and save the townsfolk. Head to ship, and set sail to new island. Big town. Go to cave, and fight another boss. Warp to castle, and lose green girl. Leave castle and go to houses immediately to your left of castle entrance. Long cinema, go back into castle, get green girl back. You can't leave town, so go to ship. Finally, you will leave on ship, but the ship stops and returns to port. Talk to King and QUeen and proceed to south exit. Now enter a ruined laboratory. Be sure to touch cabinets. Can buy some goodies. Go left first, throw switches, go right, fight boss. Talk and explore entire castle. In house left of castle entrance, a woman will ask a question. Then you'll warp to ship, lose the guard. Only 3 in party now. Set sail for new continent. Eventually fight spider boss. Get guard back. You'll eventually end up in a ruined area. with only one person there. The crates here have some good stuff. Talk to lone person, then head into house with mural on wall. Go up to it and there's dialog. Go back and talk to lonely person, long cinema ensues. Exit, seach cave,, end up in computer lab. Go to computer dude, cinema, and then backtrack to entrance. Fight boss. Now you'll get a boat and go to area not marked on map. Here spend all your money on the items that increase strength and defense. You cannot sell anything here. Big boss is waiting. Good luck! ** I have a couple of hints on how to kill a few of the bosses. If you want them, let me know.