Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Astraware Ltd, 2004-2005 Cold River Studios
All rights reserved.

Introduction

Once upon a time, there lived a boy named Ix.

Unfortunately, Ix was kidnapped from his home when he was still young and weak, and shipped off to the strange alien world of Mazera, where he was put on display for the viewing pleasure of all the little Mazerians.

There Ix remained for a very long time, sad and lonely, waiting for a chance to escape to his home world. Then one day, something happened...

On the world of Mazera, the story of Ix and his adventures begins as his day always has - in the spacious but ultimately enclosed space that the Mazerians have put him in. Above Ix is the electric forcefield that keeps him in, but is also the way out of his cage. Around the other side of the lake in the centre is a plant which Ix likes to visit regularly. Today however, the unusual plant has a single fruit hanging on it, something which has never happened before!

Guide Ix through the world of Mazera as he searches for a way to escape and return to his home planet.

The world of Mazera is full of hazards - Mazerians, lasers, force fields, monsters and even flying spikes of ice! Beware all these hazards as you explore the world and try to escape home! If Ix should be harmed by one of the various hazards in the world, the area of the world you are in will be reset, and you will need to try and escape it again. Sometimes a puzzle will need careful thought or quick reflexes to solve!

Also spread out around Mazera are the Uthi, who, while they are used as servants by the Mazerians, would like nothing more than to help a fellow prisoner escape! The Uthi often hold the key to helping you solve a particular puzzle, or require your help in order to aid your own progress. Rumour has it that there is an Uthi settlement, hidden somewhere outside the Mazerian city. Of course, to find out if it's true, Ix must first escape the city...

How To Install

Use an extractor program such as WinZip or Stuffit Expander to get at the Mazera files.

Install the game by double-clicking the .prc file, which opens the Palm Install Tool or Quick Install program.

If one is available, users with Palm OS® 5 devices may wish to install the music file as well. Double click on the .pdb file (or files, if there is more than one) to install it in the same way as installing the .prc file. Please note that not all Palm OS® 5 handhelds support music, for more information please refer to our knowledgebase here.

Use the HotSync button as usual to install the game onto your handheld. If you have a handheld with an expansion card, you can then move the game over to it. Do this before you register the game!

Now run Mazera and tap the screen to play the game!

If you've got any queries about Mazera or the registration process, first check out our knowledge base on our website (you must be connected to the internet to access this). If this doesn't help, get in touch with us at support@astraware.com. If you've got any questions (or suggestions, we love those) about the game itself, please get in touch with us at the email address at the top of this page.

Controls

You can configure the game controls from the menu, by selecting "Preferences", and then "Set Buttons". Press the hardware button that you would like to use for each action when prompted. The "Menu/Select" button may be used to open the menus and select menu items, without needing to tap on the screen.

Ix can be moved about the world by using the direction controls you have assigned.

If you move Ix up against a moveable block, Ix will push the block in the direction he is moving for as long as you hold the movement button down. If you accidentally push a block against a wall, Ix can flip the block. To flip a block, release the movement buttons, and then try to push the block against the wall again - Ix and the block should now swap places.

Stylus Controls

It is also possible to control Ix' movement using the stylus. To enable stylus control, open the menus and select "Preferences", then tap on "Stylus Control" to select "On". When stylus control is on, you will need to press the key assigned to "Menu/Select" in order to open the game menus.

To move Ix using the stylus, simply tap and hold the stylus on the area of the screen you wish to move Ix to. Ix will attempt to walk there by the most direct route possible. It's possible to make Ix follow a path by "leading" him with the stylus.

Hints and Tips

All the puzzles in Mazera can be solved, although some might prove trickier than others!

To escape the Mazerian cage at the beginning of the game, walk Ix to the left, then cross the bridge in the next area. Walk Ix down (South) and left (east) around the trees in the bottom left corner of the cage until you reach the tree with the orange fruit. Eat the fruit, and Ix will be surrounded with a red glow - this makes him immune to the electric forcefields used to keep him in the cage! Go back round to the exit, and walk straight through the electric field. In the next room, you will see several blocks around the room, and a four way laser in the centre of the room. The laser will shoot Ix if he tries to cross its path, but the beam can't penetrate the blocks - move a block into the path of the beam, then walk around the block to get past the laser. Repeat with each beam until you can reach the other doorway. Once you are here, Ix is out of the cage, but his journey is only just beginning...

Sometimes you might find you need something from a room you've been in previously in order to solve the puzzle in the next! For example, you might need to note a particular pattern, or even get an object from another room in order to make the path clear to the next.

Registering

In Demo form, you can run Mazera 10 times for free, as you decide whether you like it or not. After these games are up, the program will display a short message reminding you to register each time you play! Your ability to explore the world of Mazera is also limited in Demo mode - Ix can only reach and place the first of the four computer access spheres. Registration removes this limitation, allowing you to explore freely!

If you beam a demo to someone else, and they also like the game, then they can register it either by purchasing online.

Why Register?

The adventure has only just begun!

The registered version features:

• Five vast alien worlds
• Hundreds of puzzles to solve
• Hours of adventuring
• A multitude of hidden secrets

Registering Online

For those that like the speed and convenience of buying via the internet, when you register for the game you'll get a code which will unlock the game and remain valid for future upgrades. Go to the web page at http://www.astraware.com/palm/mazera/ for more details.

You'll need to know your HotSync ID which you can find by running Mazera, opening the menus, and selecting the 'Register...' option. Your HotSync ID will be filled in for you below.

When you register, Astraware will generate a key based on your ID, which will normally be sent out by email within 48 hours of you registering. When you receive your key, go to the same register option, and enter the key into the space provided.

Astraware Products

You can find out about Astraware and the product range we have for mobile platforms by visiting our website at www.astraware.com.
Here are our top products at time of writing:

Release Revision History!

• No longer possible to get "stuck" on an ice spike in the Ice area
• The "killer frond" in the Lost Underwater section will now always return to it's original position if Ix dies
• Chess pieces in second chess room now become disabled after passing that room
• Ix can become small again even after visiting the Ant Next (To do this, return to the flowers and touch them again)
• Blue glow from carrying water in the Foret area will no longer continue outside that room
• The Uthi Guard moves out of the way after you take the warp/teleporter from the Uthi city back to the warp screen in the wildlands

• First Public Release!

Feedback

If you've got suggestions for Astraware Mazera, or wish to report any problems you've had, then please contact us!

Mazera enquiries/feedback: support@astraware.com
Registration problems: registrations@astraware.com
General Astraware enquiries: feedback@astraware.com  

Contributors

Cold River Studios
Design and Programming: Justin Clark
Production: Mark Palatucci, Stuart Eichert
Graphics: Tony Roam Gascon
Music and Sound: Yannis Brown
Additional Design: Hui Kwan Chan
Additional Graphics: Jay E. Treat III

Astraware
Development Support: Kieren Smith
Quality Assurance: Graham Harrison, Paul Klosowski, Kieren Smith, Steven Carrie

A big thank you to our invaluable beta testers, who loved this game immensely!

Special thanks also to Sean Evans and Tobias Steinle, for their work on maps and hints!

Software License Agreement

1. Grant Of License
   This License permits you to use Mazera on any single computer, provided the software is installed on only one handheld device at any time.

2. Copyright
   The software is owned by Astraware Limited and is protected by United Kingdom copyright laws, international treaty provisions, and all other applicable national laws. You may not modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or otherwise attempt to discover the code and algorithms of the software.

3. Other Restrictions
   You may not rent or lease the software, but you may transfer your rights under this license agreement on a permanent basis provided you transfer all copies of the software and all written materials and the recipient agrees to the terms of this license.

4. No Warranty
   The software is delivered as is and Astraware Limited makes no warranty as to its use or performance. Astraware Limited does not, and cannot warrant the performance or results you may obtain by using the Software or its documentation. Astraware Limited makes no warranties, express or implied, as to noninfringement of third party rights, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. In no event will Astraware Limited be liable to you for any consequential, incidental or special damages, or for any claim by any third party.

Legal

Astraware Limited takes no responsibility for any adverse effect that this software could cause to your machine or the data on it: backup important data before using Mazera. Mazera is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. Mazera is licensed, not sold.

You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble this software.

Astraware’s and its suppliers’ entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Astraware’s option, either (a) return of the price paid, if any, or (b) replacement of the product that does not meet the warranty and which is returned to Astraware with a copy of your receipt. This warranty is void if failure of the product has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software product will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer. These remedies are not available without proof of purchase from an authorized source.

Written permission must be obtained before distribution of this game, either in demo form or full form, through any online or offline methods. You may link to the product specific page, but not directly to the files (as these will change and as the programs are updated) 

Copyright (c) 2004-2005 Astraware Ltd, 2004-2005 Cold River Studios.

Astraware and the planet logo are trademarks of Astraware Limited All rights reserved.