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       /  \                                      |  \          |
 _\/_  \__   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _  /    |   \      _  |   _\/_
  /\      \ / \ / \ /   /_\ / \ /_\ / \ /_       |   / / \ /_\ |    /\
       \__/ \_/ \   \_/ \_  \   \_  \    _/      |__/  \_/ \_   \


Somewhere at the end of time, amongst the tattered remains of what was once the universe, the two sole survivors of the Sorcerer Age battle for supremacy atop their stone towers.


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------

Sorcerers' Duel is a DOS based game and will not run under Windows XP. Sorry!
Also, the sound system is only compatible with the following sound cards:

SoundBlaster 1.5, 2.0, Pro, 16, AWE
Gravis Ultrasound, MAX

I think Windows 2000 has trouble with the sound as well.


INSTALLATION
------------

To install the game, extract the zip contents to an empty folder and  run the install.exe program if it is present, otherwise simply run the program Cards.exe to start the game. Make sure the runtime dll (Div2erun.dll) is placed in the same folder as the game.


INTRODUCTION
------------

Sorcerers' Duel is a turn-based card game for 1 or 2 players. The aim of the game is to eliminate your opponent by casting spells to destroy their tower. Each spell is represented by a card, and certain cards can be combined to make more powerful spells.


STARTING A GAME
---------------

Left click on the title screen, and you will be asked to choose your opponent. Select 'Computer' to play a 1 player game against the computer. Select 'Human' to play a 2 player game across an IPX network. If no network can be found, the game will exit with an error message.


HOW TO PLAY
-----------

*The Turn Begins
In each turn, both players makes a move. The player who makes their move first alternates after each turn, so if the red player began, play would proceed as follows:

	Red's move
	Blue's move

	Blue's move
	Red's move

	Red's move
	Blue's move

	And so on.

At the start of each turn, the player to play first is announced.

*Selecting a New Card
Before your move, you will be given a choice of three cards from the top of the deck. Select one of the cards by clicking on it and it will be added to your hand at the bottom of the screen. You can hold a maximum of 9 cards. If you already have 9 cards, you will not be given a new card.

*Playing a Card
To play one of your cards, drag the card with the left mouse button into the upper half of the screen. This card is used and returned to the deck.

*Combining Cards
Certain spell cards can be combined to make more powerful spells. You will learn of these combinations through experimentation. To combine two cards, drag and drop a card onto another. If they can combine, you will see the result immediately and your move will be over. If not, the card will return to its place.

*Skipping Your Move
Sometimes the most strategic move is to not make a move at all. To skip your move, click the right mouse button.

*Your Opponent's Move
Once you have made your move, and your move has been announced, your opponent will have the chance to make their move. Be patient!

*Resolving
Once both players have played, their spells will take effect. If a spell is based on a primary element, it can defeat or be defeated by other element-based spells. The primary elements and their weaknesses are as follows:

	Fire		melts		Ice
	Ice		freezes		Water
	Water		douses		Fire

If a combined spell was made using one of these elements it will have similar properties. Playing cards with the same base element against each other will result in a draw.
Some spells are not based on a primary element. If a player plays one of these spells then, except under special circumstances, the spell cannot be defeated but neither can it defeat the opponent's spell.
Three such cards are the tertiary spells. These cards perform special actions when played:

	Rock		repairs your tower
	Air		allows you a glance at your opponent's hand
	Heart		boosts your mana supply

*Tower Damage
If a spell suceeds in defeating its opposing spell, it will proceed to damage its opponent's tower. Depending on the strength of the spell, the tower will lose a certain number of levels. If a tower has been reduced to ground level at the end of the turn, the game is over.

*Mana
Mana is the key to all sorcery. Without it magic is impossible. The mana you have stored is represented by the purple bar along the left edge of the screen. A spell can only be cast if you have sufficient mana, otherwise the spell card will be sent back to your hand. Mana is used up by spells but will replenish itself after each turn. It can also be boosted by the Heart spell.


KNOWN BUGS
----------

* The network play is not 100% and will sometimes go out of sync.
* On very rare occasions a sound effect will be left looping away to itself.
* Sometimes DIV2's mode8 system causes a division by 0 error and the game will quit to the operating system with no error message. Some spell sequences cause this more than others. The Heart spell is the worst culprit.


CREDITS & FEEDBACK
------------------

Original concept, graphics and programming
	by Mark Frimston

Play testing
	by Robert Frimston (had to kinda force him a bit though)

www.frimston.fsnet.co.uk
Email: mfrim@hotmail.com

Any feedback welcome. Thanks!






