TIPS on SURVIVING

   Crossfire is populated with a wealth of different monsters. These
monsters can have varying immunities and attack types. In addition,
some of them can be quite a bit smarter than others. It will be
important for new players to learn the abilities of different monsters
and learn just how much it will take to kill them. This section
discusses how monsters can interact with players.

   Most monsters in the game are out to mindlessly kill and destroy
the players.  These monsters will help boost a player's score, after
he kills them. When fighting a large amount of monsters in a single
room, attempt to find a narrower hallway so that you are not being
attacked from all sides. Charging into a room full of Beholders for
instance would not be wise, instead, open the door and fight them one
at a time.

   For beginners, there are several maps designed for them. Find these
areas and clear them out. All throughout these levels, a player can
find signs and books which they can read by stepping onto them and
hitting 'A' to apply the book/sign. These messages will help the
player to learn the system.

   One more note, always keep an eye on your food. If your food drops
to zero, your character will soon die, so BE CAREFUL!


NPCs

   Non Player Character are special monsters which have
"intelligence." Players may be able to interact with these monsters to
help solve puzzles and find items of interest. To speak with a monster
you suspect to be a NPC, simply move to an adjacent square to them and
push the double-quote, ie. ". Enter your message, and press <Return>.
You can also use 'say if you feel like typing a little extra.

   Other NPCs may not speak to you, but display intelligence with
their movement. Some monsters can be friendly, and may attack the
nearest of your enemies. Others can be "pets", in that they follow you
around and help you in your quest to kill enemies and find treasure.


SPECIAL ITEMS

   There are many special items which can be found in Crossfire, of
these the most important may be the signs.

Signs :
        Signs often have messages that might clue you in on quests and
        puzzles or even refer you to NPCs. It is your job as a player
        to make sure you read every sign to make sure you do not miss
        things.

Handles and Buttons :
        These items can often be manipulated to open up new areas of
        the map. In the case of handles, all a player must do is apply
        the handle. In the case of buttons, the player must move items
        over the button to "hold" it down. Some of the larger buttons
        may need very large items to be moved onto them, before they
        can be activated.

Gates and locked doors :
        Gates are often tied to a handle or button and can only be
        opened by manipulating the the handle/button. Doors that are
        locked can either be smashed down by attacking the door or by
        using keys which can be found throughout the game.

Pits :
        Pits can be doorways to new areas of the map too, but be
        careful, for you could fall down into a pit full of ghosts or
        dragons and not be able to get back out.

Break away walls:
        Are a common occurrence in Crossfire. These type of walls can
        be "destroyed" by attacking them. Thus, sometimes it may be
        worth a player's time to test the walls of a map for "secret
        doors."

Fire walls:
        Will shoot missiles at players. Some firewalls can be
        destroyed others cannot.

Directors and Spinners:
        These odd items will change the direction of any item flying
        over them, such as missile weapons and spells.

CAUTION: Some items are perishable. If for instance you shoot a
        fireball into a room full of scrolls, you will notice them
        going up in smoke! So be careful not to destroy valuable
        items.

Spellbooks/prayerbooks:
        This is how players can obtain magical spells, sometimes a
        player can learn the spell, other times they cannot. There are
        many, many different types of books and scrolls out there.

Improve item scrolls:
	These are used to turn non magical weapons into magical weapons.
	These magical weapons can do many things - improve stats, have
	lower weight, higher damage, etc.

	The method for creation and further improvement was changed in
	version 0.91.7.  Both methods are listed here, because it is
	possible to enable the old version on a server by server basis.

	New Version:
	Prepare weapons: Diamonds (Gems) are required for the sacrifice.
	The item can be enchanted the square root of the number of diamonds
	sacrificed.  Thus, if 100 diamonds are sacrificed, the weapon
	can have 10 other enchant scrolls read.

	Improve damage: There is no sacrifice.  Each scroll read will
	increase the damage by 5 points, and the weight by 5 kilograms.

	Lower (Improve) Weight:  There is no sacrifice.  Each scroll read
	will reduce the weight by 20%.  The minimum weight a weapon can
	have is 1 gram.

	Enchant weapon: This does not require any sacrifices,
	and increases the magic by 1.

	Improve Stat (ie, Strength, Dexterity, etc): The sacrifice is the
	potion of the same type as the ability to be increased (ie, Improve
	Strength requires strength potions).  The number of potions needed
	is the sum of all the abilities the weapon presently gives multipled
	by 2.  The ability will then be increased by 1 point.  Thus, if a
	sword is int+2 str+2, then 8 potions would be needed to raise any
	stat by one point.  But if the sword was int+2 str+2 wis-2, then
	only 4 potions.  A mininum of 2 potions will be needed (such
	a situation could happen when you are starting with a weapon
	that gives a penalty to a stat (ie, Con-1))


        Old Improvement Methd:
	For each improve scroll & prepare weapon scroll, at least 5 food
	and 10 booze must be on the ground.  How much the ability is raised
	depends on the amount of item donated, with each scroll requiring
	that something be donated.  Here is a short list:

	Prepare weapons: Diamonds (Gems) are required for the sacrifice.
	The item can be enchanted the square root of the number of diamonds
	sacrificed.  Thus, if 100 diamonds are sacrificed, the weapon
	can have 10 other enchant scrolls read.

	Improve damage:  The square root of the number of rubies determines
	how much the damage will go up.  Weight is increased 2 kg for each
	plus the weapon goes up.  The maximum damage a weapon can ever do is
	70.

	Improve weight:  The square root of the number of pearls determines
	how much the weight is reduced, .75 kg.

	Enchant weapon: This does not require any sacrifices, but
	rather increases the magic by 1, and reduces the weight by 10%.

	Improve Stat (ie, Strength, Dexterity, etc): The sacrifice is the
	potion of the same type as the ability to be increased (ie, Improve
	Strength requires strength potions).  The amount increased is the
	square root of (sacrifice/2).


Rings/Amulets:
        Again many different types, rings can be worn to add/remove
        different immunities.

Wands/Staves/Rods, Scrolls:
        Not so many types of wands, staves and rods as scrolls. These
        let you cast spells you don't know. A scroll can be used once,
        wands and staves have a limited number of charges, and rods let
        you use a spell every so often.

Artifacts:
        These are the real treasures of the game. There are more than
        20 artifacts out there, but they are very hard to come by.

Weapons/Armor:
        Tons of items, it is up to you as the player to figure out
        which work better then others.
