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''Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth'' was a WesternRPG made for the Platform/AppleMacintosh, created by Amy Briggs (of ''VideoGame/PlunderedHearts'' fame), Scott Schmitz, and Ken Updike, and released in 1988 by the {{Creator/Activision}}-subsidiary incarnation of Creator/{{Infocom}}. The plot was simple. You, the blacksmith Titus, are charged with finding out what happened to the Tree Druids living underground.

[[LateToTheTragedy Something very bad.]] And that's not even getting into the SealedEvilInACan.

The gameplay was remarkably complex. If you got more characters to join you, you could have them go their separate ways; and the game has the DevelopersForesight; many actions had results that were unheard of at the time. However, GuideDangIt issues quickly required a StrategyGuide to be built ''into the game'', and even that didn't cover everything.

One such thing was the utterly complicated {{Feelies}}[=/=]CopyProtection. A wooden "coin" covered with letters, and when added to a compass, ''and'' when one solves 4 different riddles; gives you the magic words you use the Identify Wand. Curiously, one could technically beat the game simply through SaveScumming the effects of items; (although most wands also had activation words.)

Oh, and by the way. "Gurz" identifies Keys; "Nesoe" identifies Potion; "Odeeps" identifies Wands, and "Falp" identifies Scrolls. It's ancient {{abandonware}}.

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!!The game contained examples of the following tropes:

* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: You can actually do this. Commanding someone to shoot an arrow at a weapon held in someone's hand or their inventory and being successful (this can be tricky) actually results in the item being dropped. Everyone can drop their weapon.
* BossButton: The original version has a "boss is coming" command which opened an "Excel folder" window, though considering that the game was still visible behind the window, and the folder included a file damningly named "Resume", it wasn't very effective.
* GuideDangIt: Oh, very. For example there are invisible items. These invisible items can only be seen if you break one of four single use items in the same room; or if you type in the exact items name when interacting with them.
* HopelessBossFight: The Granite Statue in the Circular Hall has ''1000'' HP (most have around 100-200, and a successful hit takes off 10-20 damage) and can kill you in 2-3 hits. You are expected to run through the room, beat the puzzle to open the door to which way you want to go, and lick your wounds on the other side.
* MissingSecret: There is no secret room behind the L-shaped corridor. Examining the gamecode shows this.
* SaveScumming: How anything is accomplished.
* SealedEvilInACan: Curiously, the game doesn't really hint that Setmoth is able to get out. You mostly break into his Tomb because you can. Better be able to kill the demon, because [[NiceJobBreakingItHero otherwise]]...
* StrategyGuide: Built into the second version of the game.
* TitleDrop: The Subtitle "The Tomb of Setmoth" is obvious enough; but "Quarterstaff" is rather curious. There ''are'' a couple of Quarterstaves in the game (and the one in the Grand Druid's sepulcher is one of the best weapons against demons that is [[AnIcePerson Cold Elemental]]) but there's nothing mentioned in the backstory.

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