HISTORY OF THE WORLD DEMO ================= DEMO REQUIREMENTS ================= 486/66 or better processor 8 mb RAM (16 recommended) Windows 95 (or 3.1) =================== INSTALLING THE DEMO =================== To install the demo, double-click on HOTWDEMO.EXE. Answer yes to all questions. This will create a directory on your hard drive called \HOTWDEMO To run the demo, click on HOTW.EXE from the \HOTWDEMO directory. If your Windows is not configured to view file extensions, you may see two HOTW files. In this case, click on the first one. We recommend playing the demo in 800 x 600 resolution at 256 colors. Running in 16-bit and 32-bit color will slow the game down significantly. ------------------------- TUTORIAL AND INSTRUCTIONS ------------------------- Welcome to the History of the World demo! History of the World is based on Avalon Hill's classic boardgame of the same name. If you're familiar with the boardgame, you'll probably be able to jump right into the game. If not, please follow these instructions to get a feel for the game. History of the World takes place from the beginning of civilization and goes all the way to the modern era -- the beginning of World War I. Unlike other games where you take control of a single empire, in HOTW, you take control of several empires. There are seven EPOCHS in the game, each of which represents a several hundred years. During each epoch, each player receives an empire. He plays it, and once that epoch is over, he never controls it again. In the demo, there are only two playable Epochs. Click on HOTW.EXE (or just HOTW) to start the game. You'll be presented with a TIPS box, which you can Close. Or you can scroll through it for additional help. Now go to the GAME menu and select NEW GAME. You'll be shown the starting game screen with 3 players, two of which are computer controlled. That's fine, so select OK to proceeed (you can rename the players whatever you want). The demo will let you play Now it's time to divy out the empires for the Epoch. A player is given one "Empire Card." You'll see in the bottom corner which Empire you drew. You can now elect to KEEP it, or PASS it to another player. Some empires are better than others. You can see all the Empires that may come up in a game to the bottom-left of the empire screen. Look at the STRENGTHS for a good comparison. You'll see that in Epoch One, Egypt and the Aryans are the strongest. If you get another empire, you may want to Pass it to another player, in which case he'll be forced to keep it! As the game progresses, the strongest player draws last, so he's more likely to be passed weaker empires. Likewise, weak players are often given stronger empires. In Epoch 2, if you're doing well, a computer player may give you a really weak empire to handicap you! If you're passed an empire, you must pass the empire that you draw to another player, since you were already given one. Once everyone has received an empire, the Epoch begins. The computer players may go first -- the order depends on which Empire each player receives. When it's your turn, the map will change to your starting land (it will blink Start Land) and pass control to you. First, you must START YOUR EMPIRE. Click on the castle on the upper-right part of the screen, right below your name. Each Empire receives a certain amount of armies, which is the same as the Empire's Strength. You can see how many armies you receive on the Empire box. Look right below the icon of the ship on the upper-right part of the screen. You'll see a number next to a square counter of your color (probably red). That's how many armies you can use during this epoch. Once you start your Empire, one army will automatically be used to begin your Empire. Now it's time to take over the world. Click on the red counter in the Empire box. Your pointer will become an army unit. Place this army unit (by clicking) in any land ADJACENT to your starting land. You must always place an army next to another army -- if you start in China you can't place an army in America! If you place an army in a land with an enemy army, combat will happen. Attackers usually win, but be careful. Attacking over forests, mountains, and the Great Wall is difficult. Scattered on the map are Resources -- an icon of a shovel and pick. If you conquer TWO resources (have an army in that land), your people build you a monument. This gives you a higher score. You'll see the scores down below (if using Win 95, you may have to slide your Start Menu bar down). You receive 1 point for having an army in an area (areas are colored different colors) and more if you have three armies in an area, and the maximum if you have every land in an area conquered. How many points you receive depends on the land and the Epoch. Europe is always worth a lot of points. The Middle East is worth a lot at first, but as the game progresses, it becomes less valuable. Each land can only hold 3 armies. Grouping armies together in a single land is an excellent way to protect valuables, such as capitals and monuments. If your empire has Navigation, the boat below the army unit will be highlighted. If this is highlighted, you MUST place a ship unit (which gives you a point). You may only place ships in the seas that are listed in the Empire window. Once you've placed all your army units, click Next Turn (the blue arrow icon right next to the disk -- in the top left corner). Now you know the basics. The key to the game, however, lies in the Event Cards. The Event card window lies right below the Empire window. Here you'll see several cards that you can play during the course of the game. At your command will be Leaders, Weaponry, Disasters, and more. To scroll through your Event cards, click NEXT or PREV in the Event window. If you see one you want to play, click PLAY. Note that many Events can only be played before you start your Empire. Likewise, many events can be played only during certain Epochs. Knowing when to use these Events is key to game. Once you use the Event, you won't be able to use it again. You can only play two Events per Epoch. You'll get a good taste of the full game with this demo. Keep in mind that in a full, seven Epoch game, the world becomes much more crowded and hostile! The full game includes: - Videos for each Event card - CD quality music for each Epoch. - Voice tutorial that teaches the intricies of the game. - Over 50 empires and over 60 events. - High score table to record the scores. - Play by e-mail for internet play. - Extensive help files. - Encyclopedia which details all of the game's empires. - A strong AI which never cheats! - A 50 page full-color, illustrated manual and a foldout map. - The Avalon Hill Compendium, a complete catalog of demos, updates, and previews for upcoming games, such as Defiance! ================ TROUBLESHOOTING ================ If the game runs slowly, turn off the Sound Effects. You can also speed up the game by turning off Smooth Scrolling. If you are using Windows 3.1, increasing your Virtual Memory to 16 mb will also enhance performance. ======================= ORDERING AND ASSISTANCE ======================= To order, visit your local retail store. Or you can order directly from us. Call 1-800-999-3222. We also have an online catalog and store at http://www.avalonhill.com. For assistance or questions, e-mail AHGAMES@AOL.COM.