Zyll(PC game, early DOS era) FAQ
version 0.4.0(text maps and basic item info)
copyright 2003 by Andrew Schultz This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please do not reproduce this FAQ for profit without my prior consent.  
This FAQ is copyright 2001 Andrew Schultz.  If you write me a note 
specifically using my name and this FAQ's name I will likely approve 
your request.  This document is largely for nostalgia purposes in 
addition to the strategic insights I hope it provides.

    ****AD SPACE****

My home page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762

Zyll maps, if I ever bother:
http://home.earthlink.net/~schultza/zyll/zyll.htm

================================

      OUTLINE

  1. INTRODUCTION

    1-1. ABOUT ZYLL AND THIS GAME AND GUIDE

    1-2. ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER CHOICE, AND STARTING OUT

  2. CONTROLS

  3. OTHER STUFF

    3-1. ITEMS AND RANDOMIZATION

    3-2. MONSTERS

    3-3. BOATS

  4. POINT SCORING

  5. BIG PICTURE MAP

  6. IN DEPTH MAPS

    6-1. OUTSIDE CASTLE

    6-2. CASTLE

    6-3. CASTLE L2

    6-4. BELOW CASTLE

    6-5. MINES

    6-6. CATACOMBS

    6-7. CAVERNS

    6-8. BOATY AREA

  7. WALKTHROUGH

  8. SAVED GAME STUFF

  9. TWO PLAYER STRATEGY

 10. DATA STORAGE INFORMATION

 11. VERSIONS

 12. CREDITS

================================

  1. INTRODUCTION

    1-1. ABOUT ZYLL AND THIS GAME AND GUIDE

  I never really considered a guide for this game until I noticed that a 
student's website at Michigan State with maps for Zyll had gone down, 
and I realized I wanted to do a guide for every letter in the alphabet. 
Nothing else seemed remotely approachable, and since I enjoyed looking 
at it but that was a couple of years ago, so I thought I'd whip up 
something to help reticent adventurers in its place. It's not an easy 
game, but it has that Zorkish feel.

  the-underdogs.org should have this game--I believe the copyright has 
expired--and it's a pretty small download with just zyll.exe and 
zyll.dat.

  One thing you need to note, though; switching from the Zyll window on 
Win98 seems to reset the system timer to 12:00 AM. But not on 2000.

    1-2. ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER CHOICE, AND STARTING OUT

  Character choice doesn't have any terribly visible effect on what you 
do although I suspect the warrior can carry more than the wizard, and 
the thief is better at picking locks. But the wizard can read more 
scrolls.

  In two player mode both players can choose whatever they want, but 
they can't attack each other.

  2. CONTROLS

  Controlling your character isn't too bad once you get the hang of it. 
You'll want to remember the main moves, of course, and also you should 
note that valid moves are put in green. For one player, they are below.

F1-F2 = move north
F1-F4 = move west
F1-F6 = move east
F1-F8 = move south
(in the dark, F1 tends to make you move randomly.)
F2 = look
F3 = drop item
F4 = take item
F5 = inventory
F6 = attack. This takes about three dots of time.
F7 = cast spell
F8 = status(i.e. health)
F10-F1 = ready weapon. You'll want to do this right away, and it's also 
the way to ready a shield--the game isn't 100% clear here.
F10-F2 = throw(?)
F10-F3 = eat/drink(potion)
F10-F4 = light(torches)
F10-F5 = read (scrolls, etc.)
F10-F7 = search. This takes a while but if you know there's a secret 
passage it's a great idea.
F10-F8 = hide object. To take later.
F10-F10 = score

  At a door, you have the choice of F7(forward,) F8(backward) and F1/F3 
to open/unlock and F2 to lock, which is more useful in 2-player games.

  For the second player it's a bit tricker, and if someone has gotten 
used to being player #1 then it's a bit of a handicap to move around. 
Here's how the keyboard is formed and what it turns into:

7 8 9      F1  F2  F3
4 5 6 /== F4  F5  F6
1 2 3 ==/ F7  F8  F9
  .            F10

  3. OTHER STUFF

    3-1. ITEMS AND RANDOMIZATION

  Utilitarian items:

Plate mail: you can start the game out with this.
Chain mail: you can start the game out with this.
Mace: you can start the game out with this.
Warhammer: you can start the game out with this.
Large shield: you can start the game out with this.
Small shield: you can start the game out with this.
Shiny key:
Black key:
? key:
? key:

  Potions:

Blue potion: you can start the game out with this. It increases your 
strength.

  Scrolls:

--pick lock scroll
--find hidden objects scroll
--powerful scroll that lets you learn all spells

  Valuable items:

Treasure     | Points  | (Weight?) Location
-------------+---------+----------
Sceptre      | ?       |
Brooch       | 45      |
Magic shield | 123     |
Pendant      | 125?    |
Marble urn   | 25      | Catacombs, enter
Orb of Zyll  | 33      |
Gold coins   | 30      | Mines, wide area
Brass lamp   | 20      | Edge of cliff

Rusty broadsword becomes broadsword.

    3-2. MONSTERS

  None of the monsters are particularly dangerous(except demon 
rats...eegh) provided you have weapons and armor ready, and they all 
give about the same experience. There seem to be a few of each type.

name         | experience
-------------+-----------
Demon Rat    | 24
Giant Lizard | 25
Troll        | 28
Dwarf        | 29
Sea Monster  | 32

There may be different looking dwarves but they're all the same in 
experience points.

    3-3. BOATS

  Boats are important to smooth transport. There is a red and a blue 
one. They appear at various locations each game, but there are several 
docks leading to the water part where they may stay.

  4. POINT SCORING

--you get one point for each new room you visit.
--experience is listed for the monsters in 3-2.
--items give from 23 to 123 points(for the artifacts.) You only get 
points if one is in the royal chamber or in your possession.
--points on completing the game with the orb: 1200(?)

  5. BIG PICTURE MAP

            Castle L2
                |
             Castle----------+
                |            |
          Below Castle       |
                |      Outside Castle
Boaty area---Caverns         |
                |            |
            Catacombs        |
                |            |
              Mines----------+

  Note there are two ways to get to a place--even the Boaty Area and 
castle level 2, which appear to be dead ends, have multiple ways back to 
the next big area and many internal loops.

  6. IN DEPTH MAPS

    6-1. OUTSIDE CASTLE

    *
1--2--3--4--5--6--7
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
8--9--10-11-12-13-14-15
|      *    |  |  |  |
|           |  |  |  |
15          17-18-19-20
            |  |  |  |
            |  |  |  |
  (21)22-23-24-25-26-27
   |  |  |  |  |  |
   |  |  |  |  |  |
28-29-30-31-32-33-34
|  |  |  |  |  |    
|  |  |  |  |  |     
35-36-37-38-39-40(41)-42

1: dense undergrowth
2: field, with ladder down to well
21: Iron gate(inside castle)
27: Edge of cliff(black key)
28: SW corner of castle
29: road
30: wide section of road
31-32: section of road

42: small rocky ledge. Brass lamp here provides light for the mines to 
the west. (6-5)

    6-2. CASTLE

             *
            1  2
            |  |
            |  |         *
         3  4--5--6--7--8
         |  |     |
         |  |     |
(a)      9--10----11-t
|        |  |     |
| *      |  |*    |
12-13-14-15-16-17 18
   |  |  |  |     |
   |  |  |  |*    |*   *
19-20-21 22-23-24-25-26
      |
      |
     (27)

    6-3. CASTLE L2

          *        *
t--1-----2--3-----4
   |              |
   |              |
   |     5        |
   |     |        |
   |     |        |
   6-----7--8-----9
   |     |  |     |
   |     |  |     |
   |     10 |     11
   |        |     :
   |        |*    :
   12-13-14 15    :
   |        |     :
   |        |*    :
   16-------17-18-19
   |           |
   | *         |
   20          21

2: there are staurs up and down here. In fact you can go up two levels 
to what seems to be the top of the tower...but if you search there 
you'll find another secret passage!
3: balcony, stairs down
4: see 2. Same logic. Note that above 2 and 4 can 'see' each other from 
the descriptions.

    6-4. BELOW CASTLE

            1
            |
            |*
         *--2--t
            |
            |
            |  3  4
            |  |  |
            |* |  |
            5--6--7--8
                  |
 *            *   |*        *
9-----10----11----12-------13
|     |     |     |        |
|     |     |     |        |
14-15-16-17-18-19-20 21-22-23-24-25
|     |  |  |           |     |
|     |  |  | *         |     |
+-----26 27 28          29    30

    6-5. MINES

 *
1        2
|        |
|        |
3        4--5
|        |
|        |
6--7--8--9--10
|     |  |
|     |  |
11    12 13-(14)
|     |  |
|     |  |
15    16-17
      |
      |
      18

1: stairs up to catacombs
5: wide area(gold coins for 30 pts)
7: narrow section. Faded scroll
14: ledge with brass lamp, outside area

    6-6. CATACOMBS

  !  9
  |  ^
  |  |
  1--2--3
  |     |
  |     |
  4-----5-+-+
  |     | | |
  |     | | |
  6     | +-7-+
  |     |     |
  |     |     |
  +-----8-----9->2

1: north is to the caverns proper
5: has marble urn(treasure)
8: has frayed scroll

Description is sparse here whch adds to the maze's challenge. To map it 
by yourself, be ready to have lots of items to drop in various locations 
or note which ways the exits are.

    6-7. CAVERNS

!--1--2--+
      |  |
      |  |   *
      |  3--4--5--+     +--+  t
      |     |     |     |  |  |
      +-----+     |     |  |  |
                  6--7--8--9--10-11
                  |  |
                  |  |
                  12 13
                  |
                  |
            !--14-15
                  |
                  |
               +--16
               |
               |
     !         17-+     +--+
     |            |     |  |
     27-+         |     |  |
     |  |         18 +--21-+
     !  |         |  |
        |         |  |
     26-+   23-22-19-20
     |      |
     |      |
     25-24--+

    6-8. BOATY AREA

+-----1--2--3--4
|        |  |
|        |  |
5-----6--7--8--9--10
|              |  |
|              |  |
|        +--12 |  13
|        |     |
|        |     |
|     +--14    |
|     |  |     |
|     |  |     |
15----16 |     17
|        |     |
|        |     |
|        |     18-19
|        |     |
|        |     |
20-------21----22--+
|                  |
|                  |
|     26           27--28
|     |            |
|     |            |
23-24-25           29

  7. WALKTHROUGH

  8. SAVED GAME STUFF

  Items never shift around in saved games, so these can help you get 
your bearings.

  Saved game A(?)

  Saved game C puts all the items in one area. Here you'll be able to 
bring the orb out to win the game or just be able to search at your 
leisure unhindered by locks.

  9. TWO PLAYER STRATEGY

  The maps for Zyll aren't too bad to figure out as long as you're 
willing to take several trips through. However there are cases where 
reciprocal movement(E/W) doesn't land you at the same spot.

  The notation I'll use here puts the rooms as numbers and puts details 
below. I still haven't put down which doors are where but they will be 
indicated by something other than | or - next to the appropriate room.

 10. DATA STORAGE INFORMATION

  Zyll.dat contains most of the items, item descriptions, rooms, room 
descriptions and monster stuff. So you can pretty much poke through it 
as a text file although you may wish to convert certain bytes to words: 
E0 through FF are replaced by words. You can also find an item's weight 
or a monster's experience by looking a few bytes behind the start of the 
string, and you can find various spell strings.

  There's also a good deal of duplicate data in the file. I don't know 
why.

End of FAQ proper

================================

 11. VERSIONS

0.4.0: submitted first draft to GameFAQs on 5/19/2003. It has maps and 
little else.

 12. CREDITS

www.the-underdogs.org for having this game.
The usual GameFAQs crew past and present.