Tower of Doom was originally set to be the third AD&D title on the Intellivision with the working title "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Mystery". The game was only half complete when Mattel Electronics folded in 1984. INTV Corp resumed work on the game in 1986. Not wanting to pay for a renewed D&D license, the game was released under the new name, "Tower of Doom". Even if Tower of Doom is outside the Dungeons & Dragons license, it has more D&D elements than its two predecessors.
Objectives
- Uses easiest difficulty
- Heavy luck manipulation
- Genre: RPG
Resources
A THIRD branch for this game? Really?
:P I decided to TAS this category because:
- People who've played the game would be most familiar with this adventure, primarily due to it being regarded as the easiest
- Unlike "The Fortress" and "Grail Quest" adventures where each level is procedurally generated, "Novice" features a set of 6 pre-determined stage layouts
- This run selects a different character from the other two adventures, the "Novice" (yes, "Novice" is the name of both an adventure AND a character in this game).
Character Selection
The Novice was selected for the following reasons:
- He comes pre-equipped with an axe, which is a medium-power throwing weapon... but extremely powerful at manipulating RNG! (explained later)
- He has a Bottle of Haste in his pack which grants 2x speed when used
- It takes 36 extra frames to select the similar Warlock character which he cannot make up... so Novice it is
RNG
While the Novice adventure has all pre-determined room geometries, the exact locations of enemies, items, and traps within each room are random and can be altered by entering the room on different frames or by throwing items (with each throw on average advancing RNG by 1). These types of manipulation are done extensively in the run to get the teleporter and/or stairs in optimal locations, as well as control the teleporter destinations. Note that object locations in the first room of a level cannot be manipulated.
You cannot simply throw weapons all the time though, as there is a random chance the weapon will downgrade to a lower color. If the weapon downgrades enough times, you will lose it—and we don't want to lose the axe. You will notice in Level 2 I downgrade the axe excessively in order to squeeze as many frames as I can out of the level to save. I end up with the axe two downgrades away from being lost for two reasons: 1) I need an extra downgrade available to manipulate optimal teleporter RNG on Level 4; and 2) with any higher number of downgrades left, I could not for the life of me manipulate an equal or better stairs positioning on Level 3. Therefore, I'd say I tested the ramifications of my RNG choices comprehensively enough.
Level 3 note
This level has the longest distance to travel, so the 2x speed Bottle of Haste must be used to gain some of that time back! Notice how while we are navigating our pack, we drop the purple spear and pick up a cyan bracelet later in its place. That will be very important for...
Level 5 note
Did you know that you're able to bypass ALL traps as long as another sound effect is playing? Neither did I! This means we can use the bracelet, whose sound effect allows us to walk right through the paralyzer trap. Note we can't just throw a weapon to make a sound effect as such a sound doesn't last long enough to cross the paralyzer.
Level Maps - objects shown in the upper-left corner of a room note that their location is random.
Suggested Publication Notes
Explore winding corridors! Collect magical treasures! Battle vile monsters! Escape perilous traps! You are about to face the greatest challenge any mortal has ever known -- the Tower of Doom. Surviving the Tower of Doom requires quick reflexes and quicker wits. You must learn for yourself how to use many of the items you will find. You must decide when to fight a monster, and when to trade treasure for your life. You must maintain your strength, increase your stamina, and develop your diplomatic skills.
Winslinator beats the Novice adventure with the Novice character in record time.
feos: Claiming for judging.
feos: Accepting as a new branch. Since level layouts are unique in this mode, it works as a separate subgame basically, as does the Tower.
