Exile III: Ruined World for Windows FAQ v1.0

Table of Contents:

Section 1: Basic Fact

• 1.0 What is Exile III: Ruined World?
• 1.1 What is Shareware?
• 1.2 Where can I find Exile III: Ruined World?
• 1.3 What do I get for registering? How do I register?
• 1.4 Do you have a web page?
• 1.5 I can't get it to run! What do I do? (both Mac and Windows versions)
• 1.6 I got myself trapped in a dungeon! How do I fix the problem?
• 1.7 A town is mad at me. How can I get them to stop hating me?
• 1.8 Are there any Easter Eggs?
• 1.9 The game is slow. Can I speed it up?

Section 2: Hints most often requested

• 2.0 I have a question in Upper Exile or Krizsan Province.
• 2.1 I can't find the fifth pool in the slime pit. There's this hall of statues I can't do anything in.
• 2.2 How do I destroy the northern golem tower?
• 2.3 The quickfire in the basement of the Filth Factory keeps killing me. How do I escape it?
• 2.4 The Tower of Zkal is ridiculous. How do I get through it?
• 2.5 I killed a vampire, and his spirit keeps tormenting me. How do I get it to stop?
• 2.6 How do I stop being addicted to Skribbane Herb?
• 2.7 I did missions, but 'X' and Solberg don't give me spells. Why?
• 2.8 How does time passing work? If I'm too slow, will I not be able to finish the game?

Section 3: Evil bugs

Section 4: Miscellaneous

• 4.0 What is Exile III written in/on?
• 4.1 What about Exile IV?
• 4.2 Can I use characters from Exile: Escape from the pit or Exile II: Ruined World?

Section 1: Basic Facts

1.0 What is Exile III: Ruined World?

(Here is the brief ad copy)

Exile III: Ruined World is a massive, fascinating role-playing game for Windows 3.1/95. It has gorgeous, professionally done graphics, an elegant one-click interface, and a fascinating, intricate plot. Your people are trapped in a cavern nation far below the surface of the earth. Your mission: find a way for them to escape. It's from Spiderweb Software, Inc. $25 shareware. Requires Windows 3.1/95, 256 colors. Contact: Spidweb@spidweb.com. http://www.spidweb.com

1.2 Where do I get Exile III?

Click here. Also, people on AOL can go to Keyword: PC games, and CompuServe members can jump to WINFUN or WINGAMES.

1.3 What do I get for registering? How do I register?

When you register, you get the password to play the entire game. In addition, you get full documentation. Finally, for $35, you get the full Exile III bundle, which also includes a hint book and character editor.

When you get the game, click on How To Order on the title screen for full registration instructions. You can also find out how to order by setting your browser to http://www.spidweb.com/ordering.html (online registration form now available). Finally, you can call Spiderweb Software, Inc. directly at (206) 789-4438. We're open M-F, noon-6, Pacific time. We take VISA, MasterCard, and American Express.

1.4 Do you have a web page?

There are several web pages for the Exile games. The main one is http://www.spidweb.com. From there, there are a plethora of independent Exile III sites. For a list of them, set your browser to http://www.spidweb.com/otherpg.html.

1.5 I can't get it to run or the graphics are screwed up! What do I do?

See if you can find your problem below ...

Question: Exile III refuses to install!

Answer: First, make sure you have ten megabytes of free space on the drive you're trying to install to (the game takes up 7, but the installer needs a little extra space). Then reboot, make sure no other programs are running, and try installing Exile III again. If this doesn't work, maybe your download was corrupted. Try redownloading.

Question: Exile III crashes sometimes for no reason!

Answer: Several steps to try, which will eliminate many problems.

1. Select Preferences from the File menu. Select Fewer Sounds. If this doesn't help, turn off sounds. This will fix most problems.

2. Run Exile III with no other programs running.

3. Make sure you have 3 megabytes of free RAM.

Question: I get crashes when targeting a spell or missile, and nothing helps!

Answer: Select Preferences from the File menu. Select No Targeting Line.

Question: The Exile III screen is really tiny!

Answer: Go into Windows preferences, and select a monitor mode with a different resolution. 640x480 is recommended. (On windows 95, right click on the desktop, select Properties, and click on the settings tab.)

Question: The Exile III screen colors are all bizarre!

Answer: You need to play Exile III in 256 color mode. Run Exile III, hit F1 (for help), and read the section on troubleshooting to find out how to get 256 colors on your screen.

Question: OK. I installed the game. It runs fine. It looks fine. But I keep starving, if the monsters don't kill me first, and I don't have any gold!

Answer: Read the Hints For Getting Started section near the beginning of the manual (hit F1 to get the manual).

Question: Sometimes, when I switch to another window and switch back to Exile III, the colors are all strange.

Answer: One of the other programs you're running is messing with Exile III's color management. Quit everything else you're using (including the fancy front-end programs some computers come with) and try running Exile III again.

1.6 I got myself trapped in a dungeon! How do I fix the problem?

Simple - use the character editor. It comes with the game. The unregistered version of the character editor can take your party out of town if you get stuck.

1.7 A town is mad at me. How can I get them to stop hating me?

Spend time exploring other towns for a while. Return, and they'll have forgotten they're mad at you. The exception to this is the city of Shayder, should you have looted the Anama treasury. Do this, and they hate you forever.

1.8 Are there any Easter Eggs?

Yes.

1.9 The game is slow. Can I speed it up?

Yes. On some older machines, in huge combats, the game can get clunky. To help things along, go into the Preferences window, and turn off graphics frills, terrain frills, and sound.

Section 2: Hints most often requested

2.0 I have a question in the first 2 chapters.

Run the file "Exile III Docs/Order Form." In the back is a mini-hint book for the first two chapters. This should answer most of your questions.

2.1 I can't find the fifth pool in the slime pit. There's this hall of statues I can't do anything in.

Do a very thorough search of the east wall of the hall of statues for secret passages.

2.2 How do I destroy the northern golem spire?

This spire can only be reached from inside the Tower of Shifting Floors. First, get to the control panel on the second floor, and press the Belt Alpha and Belt Beta buttons (and ONLY these buttons). Go down to the basement. Climb up to the main floor, and climb down the stairway again (back into the basement). Leave the basement to the north, and you'll be by the northern golem spire.

2.3 The quickfire in the basement of the Filth Factory keeps killing me. How do I escape it?

There's a stairway up outside the rings of trash. Move there as quickly as possible.

2.4 The Tower of Zkal is ridiculous. How do I get through it?

This was designed to be a very obnoxious, and completely optional dungeon. Feel free to leave.

2.5 I killed a vampire, and his spirit keeps tormenting me. How do I get it to stop?

Go back to the tower where you found him, and get to the crystal hidden at the west end of the dungeon. Destroy it. If you can't reach the crystal, because you attacked the vampire before accepting his challenge, you're out of luck.

2.6 How do I stop being addicted to Skribbane Herb?

Just wait, and don't take any more. The symptoms fade eventually.

2.7 I did missions, but 'X' and Solberg don't give me spells. Why?

Only one of the two gives you spells for any one act. Solberg gives you spells for wiping out the Slimes or Roaches, and X gives you spells for taking out the troglodytes and golems. Also, if you've already obtained the spells they give you, they give you nothing.

2.8 How does time passing work? If I'm too slow, will I not be able to finish the game?

As time passes, towns crumble. People become refugees. Others die. However, it never becomes impossible to finish the game. You never stop being able to buy food, or identification. The important NPCs never die.

However, I suggest having a pretty strong party by around Day 170 or so. Why? Well, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. :-)

Section 3: Evil bugs

At the time of this writing, no nasty bugs have been found in Exile III for Windows. As this changes, the FAQ will be updated.

Section 4: Miscellaneous

4.0 What is Exile III written in/on?

I do all my Windows development in C, using Borland Turbo C++ 4.5, on a PowerMac 7200 DOS.

4.1 What about Exile IV?

It's never going to happen. As good as the Exile series has been to me, it's time to move on to something new.

4.2 Can I use characters from Exile: Escape from the pit or Exile II: Crystal Souls?

No. Exile III takes place several years after the earlier games. Also, if you could bring in your earlier characters, they'd be WAY too powerful. Fortunately, there's nothing stopping you from creating a party like the one you played in the first game.

- Jeff Vogel, Keeper of Exile

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