Raaka-Tu Manuals

About the Raaka-Tu Manual for TRS-80

The original Raaka-Tu TRS-80 manual includes the story, Model I/III system requirements, loading instructions, save and load instructions, and beginner hints. The text below is transcribed from that manual.

Download the Raaka-Tu TRS-80 manual PDF

Introduction

You never thought that your Ph.D. project would send you to a remote corner of the world, but the research grant came through! You and your team of anthropologists began in India, sailing up the River Ghaghra where it departs from the Ganges. Last night, you entered Nepal on the river, but were forced to come aground when navigation was made impossible by the twisting, narrow stream.

For years now, there have been rumors of a civilization still existing somewhere on the fringe of the Himalayas, living as people lived thousands of years ago. Several expeditions have searched for the tribe of Khazhadim without success. Reports have filtered back of terrible tragedies — members of expeditions who disappeared without a trace, others who were found later, either dead or unable to recount what they had suffered at the hands of — what?

This morning looks like a good one to start exploring the area. After breakfast, you're planning to set out on foot, perhaps talk to a few natives for any information they might give you, and hire a guide. As you sip your coffee and scan a map of the region, one of your crew approaches, holding by the arm a wrinkled old native, dressed in long robes and wearing a headdress.

"Beware! Beware the temple of Raaka-Tu!" the old woman cries. "Do not go into the jungle — you will never get out!"
"We found her snuffing around outside the camp. She keeps yelling something about temples and gods, and 'Beware, beware!'" your photographer says. "She won't talk to anyone but you. Says she has to talk to the leader."

The old woman is seated beside you, where she unfolds an unbelievable story about the god Raaka-Tu and his temple of sacrifice. The woman tells of the treasure kept in the temple, the hideous monsters Raaka-Tu employs, and the Khazhadim who serve Raaka-Tu and guard his temple.

Though the woman will not consent to be your guide, she points a bony finger to the west, pleading with you one more time to turn back. Seeing that her efforts are useless, she rises, tracing a sign on your forehead for luck, and disappears into the undergrowth surrounding the camp.

At last … you have the key to finding the Khazhadim tribe, and much more. You don't want to alarm the group with the story the woman told you, yet you are anxious to begin the search. Extinguishing the fire with your coffee, you set off alone in the direction the woman pointed, and you are soon surrounded by the impenetrable jungle.

It's up to you now … good luck, and may the gods of the jungle smile upon you and grant you a safe journey.

Raaka-Tu is a challenging new adventure. It is a trip which can lead you to treasures and wealth, or to death. What you find depends on your skill in maneuvering and using the tools you can acquire.

Your computer will help you do what you need to survive your exploration of the realm of Raaka-Tu and get out alive. It recognizes a command you might give, like GO WEST or PULL THE LEVER. You don't have to limit yourself to two-word commands. You can PUT THE ——— UNDER THE ———, or LOOK IN something (not to mention LOOKOUT when danger is near). Don't forget to press [ENTER] after you give the computer a command.

You earn points for each treasure you are able to find and return to your starting point in the jungle. If you fail to get the treasures back to your starting place, you'll receive less points than if you had been successful. To find out how many points you have at any time, type SCORE and press [ENTER].

Since Raaka-Tu's domain is highly adventurous, you might occasionally forget where you are. If you become lost, just type LOOK and press [ENTER] to find out where you are. You can keep track of your progress by drawing a map of the temple as you play, showing directions to different locations, etc. To find out exactly what you're holding at the moment, type INVENT (short for Inventory) and press [ENTER].

You'll come across a few times when you might want to diagnose your health, just to see how you're getting along. To see what physical condition you're in, type DIAGNOSE and press [ENTER]. If you're not doing too well, better stop and rest a bit if possible.

A word of warning: Raaka-Tu guards his possessions jealously. You could make a few monsters very angry and end up fighting fierce battles for rights to the treasures. Don't worry, though. You can always ATTACK THE ——— WITH THE ———!

System Requirements

To run Raaka-Tu, you will need the following equipment:

Model I:

• A Radio Shack 16K Level II TRS-80 Microcomputer
• A Radio Shack Recorder and Cable

Model III:

• A Radio Shack 16K TRS-80 Model III Microcomputer
• A Radio Shack Recorder and Cable

Loading Instructions (Model I/III)

It is assumed you have reviewed the general operational procedures for your equipment as explained in your TRS-80 Owner's Manual, Computer Cassette Recorder Manual and Cassette Information Sheet enclosed with this package. You should now be aware of how to power on your computer, load tapes, etc.

If you are using a system with a disk drive, hold the [BREAK] key down while powering up the system. Make sure your cassette program tape is rewound, and the [PLAY] key is down on the recorder.

Turn on the system. The screen will show:

1. Cass? (Model III only) → type L
2. Memory Size? → press [ENTER]
3. READY → type SYSTEM and press [ENTER]
4. *?_ → type RAAKA and press [ENTER]
5. *?_ → type / and press [ENTER]

Caution — Model III Users Only: Extreme caution should be exercised when executing / [ENTER]. Failure to release the [ENTER] key quickly will result in turning the cassette on and the program will not function. If the program does not function, repeat the loading instructions.

Note: If C* appears in the upper right corner of the screen, turn the computer off, then repeat the loading instructions. Turn up the cassette volume a little.

After the program is loaded, take the program tape out and put in a blank cassette to save an unfinished game later.

How to Save a Game

If your exploration is interrupted and you must stop playing for a while, you can save your game up to this point. When you get back to the jungle, you'll start again at the exact spot where you left off, still in possession of all you had when you stopped. To save a game, you'll need a blank tape.

1. Insert a blank, rewound tape in the cassette recorder.
2. Type SAVE and press [ENTER].
3. The screen will show READY CASSETTE.
4. Press the [PLAY] and [RECORD] buttons on the recorder.
5. Press [ENTER]. The game (up to this point) will be stored on the blank tape.

When the tape has finished storing where you are, what you're carrying, and where you've been, you can rewind the tape for later use, and continue exploring if you choose.

Returning to a Previous Game

1. Load the Raaka-Tu Program tape (as described in the Loading Instructions).
2. Remove the Program tape from the recorder. Type / and press [ENTER] to start the game.
3. Put the "Saved" tape in the recorder and make sure it is rewound.
4. Press the [PLAY] button on the recorder.
5. Type LOAD and press [ENTER].
6. After the recorder is ready, press [ENTER] to start loading.

When the tape has loaded, the game will resume (with everything intact) at the point where you stopped before.

For Hopeless Situations Only!

Inside are a few hints for you if you're a beginning explorer. Use them only if you are in an absolutely hopeless situation (for example, you've been killed 15 times before you even get inside the temple). Otherwise, depend on your own intuition and logic to help you through the hazards you encounter.

When you approach the temple, there is one thing that could give you real trouble — the squadron of guards who march constantly around the temple. When you see the guards, you should go back in the direction from which you came and WAIT for them to get out of your sight before you continue exploring.

At another point before you enter the temple, there will be an object to find. If you do not carefully EXAMINE your surroundings, you'll never find it — once inside, you'll need the object to stay alive. Use your excellent climbing abilities (and a little help from nature's greenery) to scale the wall and get inside the temple.

Inside the temple, you'll see that one of the treasures is a bit difficult to get easily — the magic ring. Everytime you pick it up, you will be transported to another room. When you get the ring, drop it. Pick it up again, and you will be transported back to the room from whence you came in the first place! After this, NEVER drop the ring again.

A word of warning about the poisonous candle is in order here — use it with caution! Be aware that when you LIGHT it, it will have the same effect on YOU as it does on any other occupant of the room. Speed is very important — once the candle is lit, you must hurry out of the room, or else you won't live long enough to see daylight again. Once you have sufficiently recovered from the candle's immediate effects, you can return to the room and QUICKLY put out the candle.

These tips should help you over some difficult spots in the exploration. Good luck!

About the Raaka-Tu Manual for CoCo

The original Raaka-Tu TRS-80 Color Computer manual includes the story, CoCo system requirements, loading instructions, and beginner hints. The text below is transcribed from that manual.

Download the Raaka-Tu CoCo manual PDF

Introduction

You never thought that your Ph.D. project would send you to a remote corner of the world, but the research grant came through! You and your team of anthropologists began in India, sailing up the River Ghaghra where it departs from the Ganges. Last night, you entered Nepal on the river, but were forced to come aground when navigation was made impossible by the twisting, narrow stream.

For years now, there have been rumors of a civilization still existing somewhere on the fringe of the Himalayas, living as people lived thousands of years ago. Several expeditions have searched for the tribe of Khazhadim without success. Reports have filtered back of terrible tragedies — members of expeditions who disappeared without a trace, others who were found later, either dead or unable to recount what they had suffered at the hands of — what?

This morning looks like a good one to start exploring the area. After breakfast, you're planning to set out on foot, perhaps talk to a few natives for any information they might give you, and hire a guide. As you sip your coffee and scan a map of the region, one of your crew approaches, holding by the arm a wrinkled old native, dressed in long robes and wearing a headdress.

"Beware! Beware the temple of Raaka-Tu!" the old woman cries. "Do not go into the jungle — you will never get out!"

"We found her snuffing around outside the camp. She keeps yelling something about temples and gods, and 'Beware, beware!'" your photographer says. "She won't talk to anyone but you. Says she has to talk to the leader."

The old woman is seated beside you, where she unfolds an unbelievable story about the god Raaka-Tu and his temple of sacrifice. The woman tells of the treasure kept in the temple, the hideous monsters Raaka-Tu employs, and the Khazhadim who serve Raaka-Tu and guard his temple.

Though the woman will not consent to be your guide, she points a bony finger to the west, pleading with you one more time to turn back. Seeing that her efforts are useless, she rises, tracing a sign on your forehead for luck, and disappears into the undergrowth surrounding the camp.

At last… you have the key to finding the Khazhadim tribe, and much more. You don't want to alarm the group with the story the woman told you, yet you are anxious to begin the search. Extinguishing the fire with your coffee, you set off alone in the direction the woman pointed, and you are soon surrounded by the impenetrable jungle.

It's up to you now… good luck, and may the gods of the jungle smile upon you and grant you a safe journey.

Raaka-Tu is a challenging new adventure. It is a trip which can lead you to treasures and wealth, or to death. What you find depends on your skill in maneuvering and using the tools you can acquire.

Your computer will help you do what you need to survive your exploration of the realm of Raaka-Tu and get out alive. It recognizes a command you might give, like GO WEST or PULL THE LEVER. You don't have to limit yourself to two-word commands. You can PUT THE ——— UNDER THE ———, or LOOK IN something. Don't forget to press [ENTER] after you give the computer a command.

You earn points for each treasure you are able to find and return to your starting point in the jungle. If you fail to get the treasures back to your starting place, you'll receive less points than if you had been successful. To find out how many points you have at any time, type SCORE and press [ENTER].

Since Raaka-Tu's domain is highly adventurous, you might occasionally forget where you are. If you become lost, just type LOOK and press [ENTER] to find out where you are. You can keep track of your progress by drawing a map of the temple as you play, showing directions to different locations, etc. To find out exactly what you're holding at the moment, type INVENT (short for Inventory) and press [ENTER].

A word of warning: Raaka-Tu guards his possessions jealously. You could make a few monsters very angry and end up fighting fierce battles for rights to the treasures. Don't worry, though. You can always ATTACK THE ——— WITH ———!

System Requirements

To experience Raaka-Tu, you will need a 16K or 32K TRS-80 Color Computer, a cassette recorder, and a color television (a black-and-white television may also be used).

Loading Instructions

Make sure your Color Computer is properly connected to the television. Connect the tape recorder to the Color Computer. Insert the tape into the cassette recorder and rewind the tape. Turn on the Color Computer and the television. Press [PLAY] on the tape recorder. Type CLOADM and press [ENTER]. The program will load. You will know the program has loaded when you see OK on the screen. Type EXEC and press [ENTER]. The screen will show:

YOU ARE IN A DENSE DARK DAMP JUNGLE.

For Hopeless Situations Only!

Inside are a few hints for you if you're a beginning explorer. Use them only if you are in an absolutely hopeless situation (for example, you've been killed 15 times before you even get inside the temple). Otherwise, depend on your own intuition and logic to help you through the hazards you encounter.

When you approach the temple, there is one thing that could give you real trouble — the squadron of guards who march constantly around the temple. When you see the guards, you should go back in the direction from which you came and WAIT for them to get out of your sight before you continue exploring. If you don't pay attention to them, you could end up in a very painful situation.

At another point before you enter the temple, there will be an object to find. If you do not carefully EXAMINE your surroundings, you'll never find it — once inside, you'll need the object to stay alive. Use your excellent climbing abilities (and a little help from nature's greenery) to scale the wall and get inside the temple.

Inside the temple, you'll see that one of the treasures is a bit difficult to get easily — the magic ring. Everytime you pick it up, you will be transported to another room. When you get the ring, drop it. Pick it up again, and you will be transported back to the room from whence you came in the first place! After this, NEVER drop the ring again.

A word of warning about the poisonous candle is in order here — use it with caution! Be aware that when you LIGHT it, it will have the same effect on YOU as it does on any other occupant of the room (for a good example, a GARGOYLE). Speed is very important — once the candle is lit, you must hurry out of the room, or else you won't live long enough to see daylight again. Once you have sufficiently recovered from the candle's immediate effects, you can return to the room and QUICKLY put out the candle.

These tips should help you over some difficult spots in the exploration. If you think in a logical manner, you shouldn't have any trouble getting out of the temple alive and wealthier than when you entered.

Good luck!