### General Advice on Winning the Game

Things can get pretty hard in DROD, especially when you are just beginning as a new player of this unique game. After a frustrating start, you might be tempted to call it quits, but we really don't want you to give up. Tendry wouldn't give up! He's very determined about championing virtues like courage, valor, and butt-kicking for goodness. You can't let him down--he needs you to complete his quest to save his homeland from the Underground Empire!

Honestly, the game gets really good after you make that little investment upfront to learn how to play. You may be irritated that the game doesn't play in a similar way to other puzzle or adventure games you are good at. We didn't want DROD to be the same as those other games, so we built it with fresh gameplay mechanics. Many of our fans were initially frustrated, but once they understood the game, came to love the game and play it for years. So if the whole thing seems a little weird at first, please keep trying. Some have declared the DROD titles to be their favorite game; they could end up being your favorite, too!

Are you making mistakes or dying a lot? Understanding battles makes it much easier to predict and plan. Don't go rushing into fights with tough enemies. You will get a chance to show enemies your courage, but they might have to wait a bit. Try to slow down a little and plan which monsters to fight. Pay attention to how power-ups affect battles. Remember that you can press the "Backspace" key to undo commands in the current room if you make a mistake or don't like how a fight went. If you get killed, you can even undo your death by pressing the "Backspace" key before the hero's death scream comes to an end.

Try reading through Tendry's Tips and Tactics to learn some new strategies.

There may be one particular area that is giving you trouble. Don't worry--you can get help with it. Just go to the Caravel Hints and Solutions board. You will find a lot of information there and can ask questions. The people on the board are very friendly and glad to help new people. We really want you to have fun playing and learning the game!

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