QUICK START

Starting Heretic II

To run the game, enter heretic2 from the command line within X11.

Once started, you will see a menu of options:

We recommend reviewing the default configuration under Options before beginning.   A list of default configs is listed here.  After you've played a while, you will probably want to change the default config to better match your playing style.  This is done by simply selecting an item (up and down arrow keys), activating it (Enter key), and hitting your new key.  When you're finished, hit escape to leave that Options Screen.

To start a new game, select Game (using up and down arrow keys to select and hitting ENTER to activate). Here, you will have several choices. For beginners, start in the Training level. This will teach you everything you need to know about controlling Corvus, learning the interface, and understanding the weapons system. When you are ready, choose one of the difficulty options and begin your game.

To start another game of Heretic II, open the Tome of Power by pressing Esc. Choose Main on the first page of The Tome, select a skill level for your game, and press ENTER.

The Tutorial Map

You can use the excellent tutorial map within the game to get familiar with the screen interface, Corvus' controls, and basic weapons use. Start Heretic II, select Game > Tutorial.  This will take you into a training level.  To begin, walk up to the first book immediately in front of you and follow the on-screen prompts, which will guide you through the map.

Saving and Loading a Game

Save and load games by using the Tome of Power or through the function keys. Press Esc to open the Tome of Power. Choose Main and select either Save Game or Load Game.

To Load a game, select the game file you wish to load using the mouse or by highlighting it with the arrow keys. When you have the desired file highlighted, press ENTER to load that game.

To Save a game in progress, select the game slot you wish to record your game in (saving in a used slot will overwrite previously recorded game information) using the mouse or by highlighting it with the arrow keys. Enter a name for your saved game and press ENTER.

Press F6 at any time to quicksave your game into a special slot. Pressing F7 will automatically load your last quicksaved game.

The quicksave slot may only hold one game at a time, so be sure that you wish to write over it before you press the key. Once you do, the old game information will be lost.

Multiplayer

Before you play multiplayer, there are a few things you have to set up first.   First, go to Multiplayer and select Player Config.  This will customize your onscreen character.  Once finished, go back to the Multiplayer Menu.  If you're on a LAN and you know someone else has started a Heretic II server, you can simply select Join Server and join a game in progress.  Setting up a server of your own is covered in Multiplayer Help.