OMEGA OVERVIEW
==============
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.

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 "@". It is recommended
that the novice read the man pages for rogue or some other such game
and perhaps play a few games before playing omega. 

omega currently consists of a countryside in which are sited a city,
various villages, several dungeons, and some "special" sites, such as
the temple HQ's 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 him already.

You will first want to explore the city of Rampart. Although the
architecture and important sites remain the same from game to game,
details such as the precise position of certain shops, etc. will
change. Rampart is relatively safe if you don't wander into places
that are obviously dangerous or do things like breaking and entering.
If you are reckless, it is quite possible to get killed before ever
finding the dungeons. The 'M' command now allows you to return
immediately to any establishment you have already visited that game,
and is preset to "know" the permanent locations of Rampart.

Many Rampart establishments are only open in the daytime, but some are
only active at night. Due to the stringent anti-crime measures taken
by the Duke, it is usually safe to sleep in the streets. You will find
it far more rewarding, however, to rent or purchase your own lodgings,
if you can afford them.

The point of omega, though, is dungeon exploration. There are a number
of dungeons hidden about the countryside. These dungeons are at
different levels of difficulty and have various idiosyncratic
differences. The easiest are the Caves of the Goblin King, which is
due south of Rampart, in the nearby mountains. The caves must be
searched for with 's' command unless you are lucky enough to move
directly onto them.
