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Dungeon Keeper Manual Lava Erratum

One such erratum from the Dungeon Keeper Manual.

This page lists known factual errors in the manuals, the official strategy guides, and other official documentation. Spelling, grammatical (unless the error results in something conveying a message other than what was intended), typographical, etcetera errors, wrong images, etcetera are not included.

Dungeon Keeper[]

Manual[]

  • Section 1.0 says that every level has a Lord of the Land who must be defeated in order to control the realm, which is not the case: Lushmeadow-on-Down, Snuggledell, Tickle, Nevergrim, Elf's Dance, Buffy Oak, and Tulipscent can be conquered without defeating its respective Lord, as they don't appear on those levels.
  • Section 4.1 says that Impenetrable Rock is dark grey on the Dynamic Map. In fact, it's black.
    Treasure Room Icon Medium

    Bag, or pot?

  • Sections 6.1 and 13.1 describe the Treasure Room icon as a bag. This is arguably an error, as some might say that it is a pot rather than a bag. In fact, it makes more sense for it to be a pot, as that's what the room stores gold hoards in.
  • Sections 10.5 and 28.0 say that the Battle Window displays a Vs symbol; in fact, it displays an icon of swords clashing. However, it did display a Vs symbol in some prototypes.
  • Section 14.2 professes that Cave-In enables creatures to walk across lava.
  • Section 15.1 claims that there is a Dungeon Special that completes all research.
  • Sections 17.5, 24.5, and 24.6 state that Demon Spawns become level 2 Dragons when trained past level 10. In fact, they become level 5 Dragons.
  • Sections 17.10 claims that the Prison does not attract any creatures, but in fact it attracts Skeletons.
  • 17.12 says the Temple doesn't attract any creatures, but in fact it does attract Tentacles (despite the claim it only increases the likelihood of it), and technically also attracts Horned Reapers, but they are not scripted to be attracted via the Portal in any campaign level. Section 24.11 states that Horned Reapers cannot be attracted normally, which is only half-true for this reason.
  • Section 17.11 says that some creatures other than Mistresses enjoy being tortured. In fact, it is only Mistresses who like being tortured; everyone else hates it. It also says that the Torture Chamber attracts Mistresses, but it also technically attracts Ghosts; it's just that they're, like Skeletons and Horned Reapers mentioned above, not scripted to be attracted through the Portal in the main campaign.
  • Section 18.9 professes that the Heal Keeper Spell heals creatures within a radius. This is not true in the released game (it only heals the target), only in some prototypes.
  • Section 18.16 says that the Destroy Walls spell does not actually destroy walls, but merely converts reinforced walls to earth. This is true at lower levels, but higher levels do indeed actually destroy walls.
  • Section 20.1 states that Boulder Traps go in a random direction at forks and the path is therefore unpredictable. In fact, it depends on the exact angle they hit the wall at (if it hits more to the right, it'll go right and if it hits more to the left, it'll go left) and they always go left when they hit a wall at straight angles. Its path is therefore very predictable. Also claimed here is that when Guard Posts are destroyed by boulders, 'bare earth' (presumably meaning dirt path) is left, but it isn't; claimed path is what's left. The manual also says you only need 17 tiles of Workshop to build them. In fact, you need 26.[1]
  • Section 20.2 implies that the Alarm Trap casts a Call to Arms. In fact, it only produces a Call to Arms-like effect.
  • Sections 20.4-20.6 and 21.1-21.4 give misinformation as to the number of Workshop tiles required to construct each item type:[1]
Workshop Icon Small Workshop tile requirements
Item Claimed Truth
Door Wooden Small Wooden Door 10 1
Door Braced Small Braced Door 13 17
Door Iron Small Iron Door 17 26
Door Magic Small Magic Door 21 37
Trap Lightning Small Lightning Trap 13 17
Trap Word Small Word of Power Trap 21 37
Trap Lava Small Lava Trap 17 26
  • The Word Of Power Trap does not inflict as much damage as section 20.5 implies.
  • Section 23.9 says that Defence is an attack-avoidance stat. In fact, it is a damage reduction stat. However, KeeperFX is true to the manual.
  • Section 23.11 says that Luck can, in addition to double damage, also give double Defence. This is not the case; Luck only applies to offence, not defence.[verification needed]
  • Section 23.14 says that Skill is what it says on the tin: the ability to carry out tasks. In fact, it is what the manual says is the Defence stat, and creatures have separate Research, Manufacturing, Training, and Scavenging skill ratings.
  • Section 23.15 says that Dexterity is the chance of avoiding a trap or attack. In actuality, it seems to be the chance of hitting the target in mêlée combat.
  • Section 24.1 professes that Imps learn Invisibility and Flight at higher levels.
  • Section 24.16 says that when a Vampire is scavenging and there's nothing to scavenge, your Portal attraction limit is increased. In fact, it's the rate that's increased, not the limit. It also says the increase is a whopping 50 per cent; in reality, the increase is negligible.
  • Sections 24.8 and 21.0 claim that Ghosts can travel through doors; this is not the case for gameplay reasons.[2] However, this ability is restored in KeeperFX.
  • Section 26.5 claims that Fireballs home in on a target.
  • Section 26.11 says that the Heal creature spell always heals its caster to full health and that it also heals nearby creatures. Neither of these is the case.
  • Section 26.12 says that Invisibility makes its caster 'invisible to all except the Ghost', omitting mention of the Skeleton, Vampire, Samurai, and creatures with the Sight spell.
  • Section 26.18 claims that Rebound repels all spells. In fact, it only repels projectiles, not Lightning, Drain, or mêlée attacks (including Flame Breath).
  • Section 27.0 claims that in possession, it is possible to gain experience in by hitting the posts in Training Rooms and to take over enemy rooms with Imps (however, the latter is possible in KeeperFX 0.4.9). It also says you can perform any task the possessed creature can do normally, which isn't the case (e.g. you can't research or manufacture in possession).
  • Section 29.7 states that Priestesses fear Vampires.
  • Section 29.10 claims that Monks can heal allies in combat. Not only do they not have this ability, there isn't even any such ability in the game.
  • Section 29.12 implies that Knights and Horned Reapers are natural enemies.
  • Section 29.13 states that the Avatar must be killed in order to complete the game. This is not strictly speaking true, for he can be converted instead.
  • Party leader crown icon Dungeon Keeper
    Section 32.1 says that a crown icon appears above the head of a Barracks party leader. As there is no leader until a creature is possessed (who then becomes the leader), and the party disbands once they're depossessed, there is nowhere for this icon to actually be seen, even if it is 'used'. It does not even appear when looking at an opponent's party leader in multiplayer,[verification needed] at least in KeeperFX.
  • The descriptions for 32.8 and 32.14 are the wrong way around. Also, 32.8 (which shouldbe 32.14) is broader than stated: it actually means the creature is doing any anger job, not necessarily leaving the dungeon.
  • Temple thought bubble Dungeon Keeper
    Section 32.10 says that the thought bubble with the Horned Reaper head means that a Horned Reaper has gone psycho. This is not so; it actually means the creature (it can apply to any creature) is praying in a Temple, presumably in reference to the Reaper's head being a Temple wall relief. For the Horned Reaper going psycho, the the generic Anger Job bubble is shown instead (cycling between the Anger bubble); going psycho is its Anger Job. In KeeperFX, praying in a Temple gets a new, clearer bubble, and this section is now truthful; however, it still cycles between the Anger bubble.

Bullfrog Strategy Guide[]

  • Some versions cover a level that was cut, cover level 18 Blaise End as Mistle (which was the case in some prototypes), and omit the actual Mistle (the Mistle of the final game is absent in the two known prototypes).
  • Some versions claim that Sleepiburgh and Mistle have a Locate Hidden World special.
  • Like the manual, the official guide book states that the Heal creature spell fully heals creatures.
  • Like the manual, the official guide book also says that Fireballs go for the nearest enemy. In fact, they go in a straight line.
  • Claims that in Dixaroc:
    • The player cannot build Workshops.
    • Green can actually attract creatures via his Portal.
    • The entrance to the hero corridor past the lava pool is guarded by Archers rather than Thieves.
    • Entering the neutral Library triggers a hero attack on your Lair. In fact, the attack happens just before you get there, and is on your Dungeon Heart.
    • In the room with several boulders, Barbarians spawn, rather than Giants.
  • Claims that in a Barracks, there is a default party leader that is whoever has the highest experience, whom you can pick up and drop elsewhere and the rest of the party will follow. In fact, the party is not formed until you possess someone, who then becomes leader (regardless of his/her experience level or those of the other party members); therefore, the leader is always whomever you possess.
  • Prima's official Dungeon Keeper Gold strategy guide claims that the Boulder Trap is available to the player in Batezek, but this is not the case. It would make sense if this were the original intention, as the use of boulders would certainly negate the level's infamous difficulty somewhat.
  • Of the Dungeon Heart's 'pretty slow' healing, it states the rate is over 1000 points per minute. In reality, it's far slower even than that: 150 points per minute (and that's if the game is running at its maximum speed of 20 frames per second[Note 1]).
  • Like the manual, it claims that your Portal limit is increased by half when there are Vampires scavenging and there aren't any to be scavenged.
  • Gives the locations of the Increase Level and Locate Hidden World specials in Mirthshire the wrong way around.
  • It gives an oversimplified summary of each room's capacity per tile: it fails to take into account that size, shape, and efficiency matter very much in determining capacity. It's much more complicated than 1 tile equals 1 capacity, 2 tiles equals 2 capacity, and so on, which is what it implies.
  • Claims that in Secret 1, you start with six Imps and the Create Imp spell.
  • The walkthrough for Flowerhat suggests you wait until the Knight enters the level before using the Steal Hero, so you can steal it. However, you cannot steal Knights with Steal Hero.
  • The walkthrough for Eversmile says to expect Thieves.
  • Says that the Alarm Trap is available in Hearth.
  • Says that researched rooms are stored in the Library and that they'll therefore be lost if the Library is sold.
  • Says that in Skybird Trill, the two Increase Level specials in the hero base in the southeast are inaccessible due to being totally blocked off by water and impenetrable rock. However, this appears to be en earlier version of the level, for there is earth separating the dyke, enabling you to dig (and therefore claim) across it from your dungeon, which is not the case in the guide book.

Handbook of Evil[]

  • States that Dungeon Hearts do not heal themselves, which they do, even if really slowly.
  • Claims that Dragons can learn Fireball, which they can't.
  • Claims that Vampires can learn Speed, which they can't.
  • States that the only thing you cannot do in possession of an Imp is reinforce walls. In reality, you also cannot take over claimed path or rooms, or pick up creatures or objects.
  • Page 38 mentions pressing H to zoom to the Hatchery, but H zooms to the Dungeon Heart. Shift+H is the default hotkey for zooming to the Hatchery.
  • The same paragraph mentions appeasing 'Horned Reapers who get angry if pushed'. This implies that there are Horned Reapers who don't get angry if pushed. There should be a comma after 'Reapers', turning the latter clause into a non-defining clause.
  • Says that in Sleepiburgh, you must defeat the Lord of the Land first. This can be interpreted in two ways:
  • You must be the one to defeat the Lord of the Land. There is no mechanic for detecting who defeats someone, so all that actually matters is his defeat. Or,
  • You must defeat the Lord of the Land before defeating either of the enemy Keepers. There is no way to directly detect the order in which enemies have been defeated (it is possible to imitate this function through a complex series of flag setting and checking in the script, but there's nothing of the sort in this level's script). In fact, the enemy Keepers do not have to be defeated at all; they are just there to make your life harder.
  • Says that in Mistle, you must defeat the Lord of the Land in order to win. The only winning condition is the destruction of the blue Keeper.

Editor Manual[]

  • Claims that the game's turns-per-second limit is 12. In fact, it is 20.
  • Very early versions claimed that you can play single player maps via the -level command line parameter.[3] This parameter was removed from the final game; it was only present in prototypes (however, it was revived in Dungeon Keeper FX). This claim was removed in later versions of the manual.

Tooltips[]

  • The tooltips for the Query stats mirror the manual's untruths (in fact, they even point you to the section of the manual for further (mis)information).
  • The tooltip for the Heal Keeper spell, like the manual, claims it's cast on an area of your dungeon rather than on a creature.
  • The tooltip for the Must Obey spell says it forces your creatures' obedience to your every order. In fact, it forces them to carry out the tasks they do perform more quickly.

Other game strings[]

  • When you get a Fly in Eversmile, the game tells you that they can 'spit corrosive vomit'. There is no such ability in the game.
  • When you get a Beetle in Eversmile, the game says that they are 'tough enough to absorb a lot of damage'. In fact, Beetles are one of the weakest and most easily killed creatures in the game, and their Defence stat is somewhat low (though not as low as some creatures, such as the Fly or the Warlock).
  • Waterdream Warm tells you that Warlocks are the best researchers. The best researchers are in fact Wizards, though that statement likely excludes heroes.
  • A statement in Flowerhat can give the impression that Bridges are built by Imps. In fact, Bridge tiles are built instantly and like any other room, just on water or lava.
  • The demo states that Trolls are 'excellent soldiers'. In fact, they are pretty poor at combat.
  • The following string displayed in Eversmile actually means something other than what was apparently intended:
"You have not yet built a Treasure Room. Until you build this room, you will be unable to pay any creatures. Only imps give their loyalty freely. No other creatures will serve you unpaid."
Eversmile, Dungeon Keeper, Bullfrog Productions
The context strongly suggests that the word 'freely' is intended to refer to the lack of due payments for the Imps' services; however, 'freely' refers not to the lack of a due payment, but to freedom. Hence, the message is actually saying that Imps will serve you of their own free will, which, although true (and it's true for any creature who comes through a Portal or any neutral creature whom you find), does not necessarily imply that they will do so for no payment.
  • This string displayed in Netzcaro can give a queer impression that there's a type of Bridge that does not allow you to cross water or lava:
"Congratulations Keeper. This vial has given your researchers a much needed boost. You can now construct Bridges that enable you to traverse water and fire."
Netzcaro, The Deeper Dungeons, Bullfrog Productions
The reason for this is that the word 'that' makes 'enable you to traverse water and fire' a restrictive clause: it is not describing the Bridge, but specifying which Bridge it's referring to. Of course, there is only one Bridge, so not only is this is entirely unnecessary, it can even give the impression that there are multiple types of Bridge in Dungeon Keeper.
  • An information string that was to be displayed in Nevergrim states that Cave-In blocks off passages and fixes breaches in your dungeon. It does neither.
  • The Japanese objective for Woodly Rhyme does not match the original English:
"You seem to have started a trend. Two other Dungeon Keepers also have designs on this dark domain. Expect no quarter from your rivals."
Woodly Rhyme, Dungeon Keeper (English), Bullfrog Productions
"お (まえ) 流行 (りゅうこう) (つく) () したようだ。 (ほか) 2人 (ふたり) のダンジョンキーパーが、 この暗黒 (あんこく) 領地 (りょうち) のデザインを真似 (まね) ている。 しかし連中 (れんちゅう) から (きん) はとれないぞ。"
Woodly Rhyme, Dungeon Keeper (Japanese), Bullfrog Productions
Instead, it says that the other Keepers are imitating the design of the domain, and that you cannot obtain money from them. Evidently, the Japanese translator misunderstood the meaning of the phrase 'have designs on' and, in this context, the meaning of the word 'quarter', taking the former literally (apparently not having realised that it's an idiom) and mistaking the latter as a reference to coins. This translation is fixed in newer versions of KeeperFX to convey the correct message.[4]

Dungeon Keeper 2[]

Manual[]

  • Sections 8.1.2 and 9.1.10 state that a Treasury is required in order to attract Rogues.

Reference Card[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Prima's Official Guide To Dungeon Keeper Gold Edition. p. 131. Prima Publishing. (1998). ISBN 978-0-7615-1581-4.
  2. Dungeon Keeper Gold Reference Card. p. 5.
  3. Dungeon Keeper Gold Reference Card. p. 3.
  4. Corrected Japanese Woodly Rhyme objective. GitHub (5 April 2024).

Notes[]

  1. The game can actually be forced to run at up to 60 frames per second.
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