The City of Ehdollah (a.k.a. Sacred Ruby of the Toggalids)
Moderator: Alastair
The City of Ehdollah (a.k.a. Sacred Ruby of the Toggalids)
Does anyone know how to successfully get the ruby out of the Ruby Room in this Spectrum 48k game?:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek ... id=0006084
It very likely has to do with the basket and the twine, after you climb the slope (the only way out of the room), but it does not let you carry the lamp with you, so you arrive at a room in total darkness. Pulling the twine to get the basket with the ruby inside is then useless since you can't see a thing, and moving around in the darkness gets you killed. Putting the lit lamp in the wicker basket burns it, so that doesn't work either.
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek ... id=0006084
It very likely has to do with the basket and the twine, after you climb the slope (the only way out of the room), but it does not let you carry the lamp with you, so you arrive at a room in total darkness. Pulling the twine to get the basket with the ruby inside is then useless since you can't see a thing, and moving around in the darkness gets you killed. Putting the lit lamp in the wicker basket burns it, so that doesn't work either.
Last edited by Juan on Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Just in case anyone else is trying to figure this out, I think a few things taken from the game code itself might be helpful. These messages suggest that the way you get the ruby out of the Ruby Room is indeed by pulling the basket with the rope, twine, or both combined:
Here comes the basket! (I suppose this is when you successfully pull it with the rope and/or twine)
The basket caught fire. (this is what happens when you put the lit lamp in it)
Some things just can't be put while for those that can, you must specify where... (this is when you try to put things which can't go in the basket)
It broke. (I suppose if you put too many things inside, perhaps?)
It slid back down the slope. (I suppose this also refers to the basket; perhaps if you do something wrong the twine/rope breaks and it slides down the slope)
There are also a few other things which I have not yet been able to figure out. The magic wand, for example, seems to have some use:
A wand might help.
but where or with what object(s) is not clear.
One object (the ruby, perhaps?) seems to be able to shine (perhaps the key of getting out of the Ruby Room without the lamp?):
It shines beautifully now.
There is also a place which I have not been able to discover where it is. It seems to be a location where there's a rock slide or something like that, which blocks some steps:
You hear a rumbling sound!
The steps are buried by a rock fall. You can't get down.
Look! You can scramble down here, past the rock fall!
Here comes the basket! (I suppose this is when you successfully pull it with the rope and/or twine)
The basket caught fire. (this is what happens when you put the lit lamp in it)
Some things just can't be put while for those that can, you must specify where... (this is when you try to put things which can't go in the basket)
It broke. (I suppose if you put too many things inside, perhaps?)
It slid back down the slope. (I suppose this also refers to the basket; perhaps if you do something wrong the twine/rope breaks and it slides down the slope)
There are also a few other things which I have not yet been able to figure out. The magic wand, for example, seems to have some use:
A wand might help.
but where or with what object(s) is not clear.
One object (the ruby, perhaps?) seems to be able to shine (perhaps the key of getting out of the Ruby Room without the lamp?):
It shines beautifully now.
There is also a place which I have not been able to discover where it is. It seems to be a location where there's a rock slide or something like that, which blocks some steps:
You hear a rumbling sound!
The steps are buried by a rock fall. You can't get down.
Look! You can scramble down here, past the rock fall!
Nice. You shouldn't have much trouble to get to the Ruby Room. The game is quite easy up to that point.terri wrote:I'll try to play along.
Just in case it helps, here are some of the items I haven't found any use for so far:
Dagger
Mighty sword (seems like only a trap)
Pointed hat
Magic wand (this one apparently has a use, as seen in the game code)
Cup of wine
Device marked DRAGON.
Knife marked SERPENT.
I had played this game years ago, and was able to find my map and notes.
Regarding the DRAGON and SERPENT devices, you don't really need them, but I suppose it lessens the chances of one being killed.
The random elements are frustrating. Not to mention the need to fight all those monsters. The fact that one can run out of light is a bummer too.
I haven't yet found a use for the Iron key I found.
Also, I think that the right sequence of steps may be needed. Once you do something or go somewhere, some other locations appear to be inaccessible. Or maybe I made a mistake somewhere.
So back to a saved game.
Regarding the DRAGON and SERPENT devices, you don't really need them, but I suppose it lessens the chances of one being killed.
The random elements are frustrating. Not to mention the need to fight all those monsters. The fact that one can run out of light is a bummer too.
I haven't yet found a use for the Iron key I found.
Also, I think that the right sequence of steps may be needed. Once you do something or go somewhere, some other locations appear to be inaccessible. Or maybe I made a mistake somewhere.
So back to a saved game.
Did you actually finish it?terri wrote:I had played this game years ago, and was able to find my map and notes.
Thanks to the wonder of emulators this is now a breeze. You just save everytime you make a hit and reload if you get hit. Killing even the tougher enemies is easy.Regarding the DRAGON and SERPENT devices, you don't really need them, but I suppose it lessens the chances of one being killed.
The random elements are frustrating. Not to mention the need to fight all those monsters. The fact that one can run out of light is a bummer too.
It's for unlocking the door to the Ruby Room.I haven't yet found a use for the Iron key I found.
Yes, what you usually do when that happens is just go around and back to the place where you took the wrong turn, but now again thanks to the wonder of emulators you just reload in a jiffy.Also, I think that the right sequence of steps may be needed. Once you do something or go somewhere, some other locations appear to be inaccessible. Or maybe I made a mistake somewhere.
So back to a saved game.
Yes, of course. SAVE and RESTORE is marvellous.
In some games killing opponents gets you more points. However, in this game, I don't know.
Anyway, I have gotten to the Ruby room. Like you I have tried many combinations. You can put the lamp in the basket (lit or unlit - with the expected consequences). You can TIE THE ROPE. You can WAVE THE WAND. I think that is necessary, somewhere. I don't know how to get the basket to raise. You can't climb in the basket. Or can you - just haven't found the correct verb. You should be able to get out of this location somehow, so that implies that you need to get into the basket yourself since there is no way out otherwise.
The verbs I have found are:
GO, QUIT, INVENTORY, LOOK, EXAMINE, GET/TAKE, DROP, LIGHT, ROW, SAIL/LAND, CLIMB/SCALE, DES (cribe)?, TIE, OPEN, CLOSE, SWIM, DRI (?), RUB, REA(ch, ? READ?), PULL, BREAK/SMASH, SAY/YELL/CALL, SMELL/SNIFF, LIFT/RAISE, LOCK, UNLOCK, EAT, HELP (this is so random as to be useless), PUT, THROW/TOSS, SIT, FILL, EXT (tinguish), WAVE, WEAR, SEA (rch?).
So, we are stuck in the same place. I wonder whether killing all those opponents makes any difference.
Looks like we may need someone (with more of a creative frame of mind than I) to get us out of this impasse.
In some games killing opponents gets you more points. However, in this game, I don't know.
Anyway, I have gotten to the Ruby room. Like you I have tried many combinations. You can put the lamp in the basket (lit or unlit - with the expected consequences). You can TIE THE ROPE. You can WAVE THE WAND. I think that is necessary, somewhere. I don't know how to get the basket to raise. You can't climb in the basket. Or can you - just haven't found the correct verb. You should be able to get out of this location somehow, so that implies that you need to get into the basket yourself since there is no way out otherwise.
The verbs I have found are:
GO, QUIT, INVENTORY, LOOK, EXAMINE, GET/TAKE, DROP, LIGHT, ROW, SAIL/LAND, CLIMB/SCALE, DES (cribe)?, TIE, OPEN, CLOSE, SWIM, DRI (?), RUB, REA(ch, ? READ?), PULL, BREAK/SMASH, SAY/YELL/CALL, SMELL/SNIFF, LIFT/RAISE, LOCK, UNLOCK, EAT, HELP (this is so random as to be useless), PUT, THROW/TOSS, SIT, FILL, EXT (tinguish), WAVE, WEAR, SEA (rch?).
So, we are stuck in the same place. I wonder whether killing all those opponents makes any difference.
Looks like we may need someone (with more of a creative frame of mind than I) to get us out of this impasse.
I don't think that you can go into the basket. When you try to climb the slope, the game does not allow you to do that unless you have the twine with you. It does not allow you to carry anything else. You apparently can't tie the twine directly to the basket, but it seems you can tie the rope to the basket, and the twine to the rope.
Somehow you have to bring a source of light up that slope. I thought about throwing the lamp up there but that only breaks it. By the way, there is a place that seems to catch fire:
Now you've done it! The whole place is ablaze!
I haven't been able to discover where this is.
Here is a list of all of the commands, taken from the game code (the ones in bold I have not found a use for so far):
Go
Quit
Inventory
Look
Examine (it doesn't seem to work on anything)
Get
Take
Drop
Light
Row
Sail
Land
Climb
Scale
Des (descend?)
Tie
Open
Close
Swi (swim?)
Drink
Rub
Read
Pull
Break
Smash
Say
Yell
Call
Smell
Sni (sniff)
Lift
Rai (raise)
Lock
Unlock
Eat
Help
Put
In--To (I am not sure about this one; it seems to go with "put")
Throw
Toss (you can throw things but it doesn't seem to do much except break them)
Sit
Fill
Ext (extinguish)
Wave (this is very likely for the wand, but so far it has done nothing)
Wear (you can wear the pointed hat, but so far it's proven useless)
Sea (search?)
Somehow you have to bring a source of light up that slope. I thought about throwing the lamp up there but that only breaks it. By the way, there is a place that seems to catch fire:
Now you've done it! The whole place is ablaze!
I haven't been able to discover where this is.
Here is a list of all of the commands, taken from the game code (the ones in bold I have not found a use for so far):
Go
Quit
Inventory
Look
Examine (it doesn't seem to work on anything)
Get
Take
Drop
Light
Row
Sail
Land
Climb
Scale
Des (descend?)
Tie
Open
Close
Swi (swim?)
Drink
Rub
Read
Pull
Break
Smash
Say
Yell
Call
Smell
Sni (sniff)
Lift
Rai (raise)
Lock
Unlock
Eat
Help
Put
In--To (I am not sure about this one; it seems to go with "put")
Throw
Toss (you can throw things but it doesn't seem to do much except break them)
Sit
Fill
Ext (extinguish)
Wave (this is very likely for the wand, but so far it has done nothing)
Wear (you can wear the pointed hat, but so far it's proven useless)
Sea (search?)
I have just discovered how this happens. Try to light the oil bottle. LOL! It kills you, though, so it's just another dead end (no pun intended.)Juan wrote:By the way, there is a place that seems to catch fire:
Now you've done it! The whole place is ablaze!
I haven't been able to discover where this is.
OK - I got out with the ruby. Fill the lamp and drop the empty bottle, the key. Tie the twine to the rope and the rope to the basket. Put what you can into the basket. With only the twine, climb the slope. It's dark, but pull the twine, then the rope - you get the message - here comes the basket. Take the lamp and tinderbox, light the lamp, then take what you see.
Haven't yet played further.
Haven't yet played further.
Thanks Terri. Pulling the rope is the key to success. This is difficult to guess because the game does not tell you the rope is there when you pull the twine (look at my first post in this thread and you'll see that I was incorrectly assuming that pulling the twine was useless, since you couldn't see a thing.)terri wrote:OK - I got out with the ruby. Fill the lamp and drop the empty bottle, the key. Tie the twine to the rope and the rope to the basket. Put what you can into the basket. With only the twine, climb the slope. It's dark, but pull the twine, then the rope - you get the message - here comes the basket. Take the lamp and tinderbox, light the lamp, then take what you see.
Haven't yet played further.
Game finished! I wrote a walkthrough, with your name included. I'll send it to Jacob.
Yes, but that little detail you figured out is the most crucial in the whole game. It did not occur to me to pull the rope as well simply because I could not see it.terri wrote:You're first author. I just did one thing.
Send the hints to Jacob. Don't bother with a walkthrough, I already wrote the most straightforward one I could come up with and sent it to Jacob. It is not even necessary to confront most of the enemies, or bust your head trying to figure out what the wand is for, or which object is it that can shine. You can go straight for the ruby and get out.I've added a few hints, and spelled out the unnecessary objects. Let me know if you want that, or I can send the hints separately.