CITADEL ITEM RANDOMISER 0.5
Confused Cowlmen

VERSION HISTORY
0.1  January 4th,  2018              Original on-disc-patching, slow BASIC version
0.2  January 4th,  2018 (unofficial) No-write-access modification to 0.1 by lurkio
0.4  January 21st, 2018              Complete rewrite
0.5  March 19th, 2026                Fixes, new features

NEW IN 0.5
- banned the chicken from the sarcophagus due to a bug:
  https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=479456#p479456
  (MillieTD83)

- fixed ambiguous trampoline warp question;
- solver now recognises the barrel as a valid way to access the crown room in The Cellar:
  https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=239756#p239756
  (avengahM)

- active seed now displayed on title screen;

- attract mode question removed; attract mode is now always disabled;

- option to increase game speed slightly (more challenge; less tedium).

CHANGES IN 0.4
- pyramid sarcophagus and its corresponding crystal are both now randomised
- solver now calculates maximum points for each seed, allowing filtering by 100% / low% games
- option to disable the attract mode (it betrays various item locations)
- solver / shuffler ported to assembler, order of magnitude performance improvement
- universal loader should load any unprotected (PIAS) version of the game from tape or disc
- built-in PRNG means seeds now compatible between Model B and Master

INTRODUCTION
Item randomiser utilities are well known to aficionados of non-linear console games, being particularly common amongst Zelda and Metroid titles. They aim to breathe new life into well-worn classics by randomising the positions of items within the game, so a new and novel route needs to be found by the player in order to complete it.

Basic randomisers simply shuffle item locations brainlessly, which can lead to deadlocked situations in which the player cannot win. The most simple example is when a key ends up stuck behind a door that requires that same key to open it. More advanced randomisers (including this one) incorporate solvers, which are able to check whether or not a particular permutation may be completed.

SEEDS
Each supported permutation is represented by a single integer or "seed" in the range 1 to 999,999,999. The randomiser can either generate a solvable seed automatically, or the user may supply his or her own. Now that they are realised using the randomiser's own PRNG, seeds are finally compatible between the Model B and the Master.

RUNNING IT
Autoboot the provided disc image, or CHAIN "RANDO". A UEF tape image is also provided.

COMPATIBILITY
Citadel Randomiser ought to be compatible with any unprotected re-release of the game, specifically those that appear on the Play It Again, Sam compilations for tape and disc (and the Stairway to Hell disc copy). It should work on both the BBC Model B and the BBC Master 128.

This version of CR is capable of patching the game as it loads. It therefore does not require any pre-modifications to the game files in order to work, nor does it need write access to the game disc while running. It is envisaged most users will simply play using the included disc image, but if you own an original copy of the Play It Again Sam re-release for the Model B and Master then you can use RANDO to load this instead.

QUIRKS
One item in the game is deliberately not randomised and is always available from its original location -- the figurine on the alien planet. Once the Star Port has been destroyed, it is impossible to return to the alien planet to pick up any item that may have been left there. Choose your route wisely!

There is a "warp" in this game which involves taking a trampoline to The Ocean on the east side of The Temple (where the Egyptian statuette is usually found), and using it to climb up into the game's title screen. By falling off the right side of the title screen and down one more screen past The Ocean, then holding left as you fall further, it is possible to land on the Central Tower battlements and skip solving the puzzle that normally would require the bucket. The solver is aware of this trick, and may be configured to either allow or reject seeds that use this alternative to collecting the bucket. (This glitch may also be used to skip collecting the East Tower key, but currently the solver does not acknowledge this).

No special status is granted to the three secret rooms that normally contain the crowns. The player is expected to know where these are, and any item may appear in them. Players do not win £100 for collecting the three crowns.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to lurkio, billcarr2005, crj, Rich Talbot-Watkins, MillieTD83 and avengahM at stardot.
Special thanks go to the game's author, Michael Jakobsen.