NAME

       omega - a hack-style game with quests.

SYNOPSIS

       omega [save file]

DESCRIPTION

       omega  is a complex rogue-style game of dungeon exploration.  Unlike other such games, there are a number
       of ways to "win", depending on various actions taken during play. The ways you can get your name  on  the
       hiscore  board  include  becoming  the  highest  ranked  head of a guild, sect, college, etc., as well as
       gaining the most points figured from possessions and experience. The game (via  the  oracle)  may  impose
       some  structure  on  your  exploration,  but you need not follow all of the oracle's advice. There *is* a
       "total winner" status, by the way.

       If the save file is not specified, omega gives the player the choice of generating a random character, or
       playing themselves, doing a short quiz to determine an approximation of their  abilities.   If  the  save
       file is given, omega will restore that save file, and if successful, the save file is deleted.  Note that
       some  installations of omega compress the save file, using either compress(1) or gzip(1) - if this is the
       case, and you have a save file that is uncompressed (such files are generated by omega if it  receives  a
       signal  during play, for example), you can compress it (with compress(1) or gzip(1)) and remove the .Z or
       .gz extension.  Alternatively, you may simply run with the uncompressed save file - this will not  affect
       the game in any way, but takes more disk space between games.

       omega  offers  a  richness  of  playing  detail  that  goes beyond a simple game like rogue. However, the
       majority of gameplay is very similar to rogue, hack, ultrarogue, larn, and other such games.  The  player
       is  represented  by  the  highlighted  "@"  symbol,  objects and terrain features are represented by non-
       alphabetic symbols, monsters are represented by the various upper  and  lower  case  letters,  and  other
       humans are represented by a non-highlighted "@".

       omega  currently consists of a countryside in which are sited a city, various villages, several dungeons,
       and some "special" sites, such as the temples of the various priesthoods. The game starts in the city  of
       Rampart, where all the guilds have headquarters. As a dungeon is explored, all generated levels are saved
       in  memory.  However, only one dungeon is "remembered" at a time, so if you enter two dungeons, the first
       will be forgotten (it will be regenerated should you wish to enter it again). However, if  a  dungeon  is
       "completed",  this  fact will be remembered, basically meaning that the unique monster at the bottom will
       not be regenerated if you've killed it already.

SEE ALSO

       compress(1), gzip(1), nethack(6)

AUTHOR

              Laurence Brothers

                                                                                                        omega(6)