You awake in a cold cell. A madman leans over you, running his hands
along your weak body. A compassionate warmth fills his eyes, accompanied by
a sinister grin. Before long, he leaves the room, signaling only for but a
moment to the guards. The large men grab you. They push you. Then, they
throw you down into the depths of a pure hell.
The subterranean Chrysalis. A breeding ground for genetic experiments.
Only the strong survive down here. If you are lucky, you won't be devoured
by their natural food chain. You must fend for your life among people whose
minds have been reverted to nothing short of cannibalistic.
** NOTE: The following paragraphs describe the full game of Blind Justice. **
** Although it is not explicit in details and hints, it might give away **
** a little bit of the demo... **
However, you do manage to learn some things. You are a shapeshifter.
Somehow, you have been given this ability to alter your form. With each new
form, you find yourself with new capabilities. Better fighting abilities.
More agility. Time to teach a few people some lessons... After solving a few
puzzles, you manage to escape from the Chrysalis, only become integrated
within a greater hell. Topside - the world above.
What has the government and the war done to these people? It's been almost
three years since the first nuclear warhead was fired. A barrage of radiation
lit up the sky so bright that the world became blind. It completely
devastated the populace. Famine. Disease. Pain. But, the war efforts have
not ceased. Your friends disappear. They have the one thing that the
government truly needs. Functional bodies. Attack units. Mindless drones,
programmed with the sole purpose of defeating the enemy. Scientific
technology and the government have become one. They have replaced the common
soldier with biogenetically altered hunter-killers. They fight without pain
and without remorse.
A great schism has divided the people into two classes: The oppressive
and the oppressed. You, having escaped from the Chrysalis, must lead the
underworld in an attempt to restore humanity. Somehow, you must revert this
terrible and unholy thing that has happened to the human soul. The fate of
society rests on your shoulder.
But it won't be easy. Of course, it comes to your attention that, having
escaped, the government wants you back! The Bourne-agains have been
assembled and programmed to hunt you down. You must constantly stay on your
feet. An outlaw. Move quickly and don't stay in one place too long. This
world isn't kind.
Blind Justice is a post-modern fantasy role-playing game. You are a
shapeshifter - a genetic experiment which has managed to escape an
"induced artificial selection" test. During the game, you unveil the
religious system which underlies your ability to shapeshift. With each
new form, your soul reverts back into a previous form - into a life that
hadn't been fulfilled. Initially, the government suspects that you were the
leader of the resistance in a previous life. In an attempt to salvage
information, you are given the ability to shapeshift. Your escape gives the
government every motivation for hunting you down.
System Requirements:
386DX-33 Megahertz.
2 Megabytes of RAM with minimum installation (no sound)
17 Megabytes of Hard Disk (1 Megabyte free while playing).
Mouse recommended but not required.
Game features:
* Tall-res XVGA graphics that are fully compatible with the standard
VGA card .. 320 by 240 and 320 by 400.
* Every object in the game can be analyzed. Complete item descriptions.
* Simple-to-use interface featuring a complete windowing system.
* Complete automapping ability allowing you to keep track of your location
while you play the game (windows can be overlapped onto the gaming
screen while you play)
* Supports a party of up to 6 people.
* 150+ people to interact with! Each with intricate conversations, allowing you to talk back and forth, allowing you to make careful decisions regarding your approach.
* A detailed world featuring over 8 megabytes of pure maps.
* Full sound support : Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16,
Pro Audio Spectrum, Pro Audio Spectrum +, Pro Audio Spectrum 16,
Aria soundcard, Gravis Ultrasound and possibily Windows Sound System.
* A complete sci-fi musical score.
* Stunning sound effects.
* A complex combat system, allowing for a terrific level of diversity.
Features realistic weapons, ranging from sticks and stones to hand
grenades and rocket launchers, all full screen and animated.
* The assured quality that you expect from R.A.W. and Illymani Designs.
II. Demo files and components
This demo is distributed within 2 separate files. The first file,
BJDEMO.ZIP, contains everything you need to play through the demo. The
second file, BJSOUND.ZIP, contains all of the sound information and allows
you to play the game with sound. Both of these files must be extracted in
the same directory.
To do this, copy both files into an empty directory. After pk-unzipping
BJDEMO.ZIP, type "INSTALL" (without quotes) and the batch file will
automatically extract everything for you and you will be set to go.
If you want to add sound at a later date, copy the BJSOUND.ZIP file into
the Blind Justice directory (i.e. C:\BLIND) and pkunzip the file with the
"-d" option. Example: PKUNZIP BJSOUND.ZIP -d
This will automatically extract all the sound, and you'll be set to go.
III. Customizing the game
Once the game has been extracted, you should type "SETUP" (without quotes)
and press enter. This will bring up the customization program. Use the arrow
keys to move between options and press enter to select an option.
Sound card info - Specify your sound card data with this option. If you
need further information about your card, look ahead to the section
on IDENTIFY.EXE or consult your sound card manuals for further
information
Difficulty level - This option lets you change the combat attributes of the
opponents that you "inevitably" meet during the course of the
game. A easier level means that the opponents will be easier to
defeat.
Processor Type - This option has no effect in the demo, but can be setup
so that the final version, which installs over this demo, will
automatically know which optimized version of the game to install.
Virtual memory - If you have a 2-4 Megabytes RAM computer, you will need
to specify this option. Please see the section below of virtual
memory.
IV. IDENTIFY.EXE
This program is included in the JUSTICE3.EXE portion of the demo files.
It's purpose is to automatically identify your sound hardware and, if it
cannot, to provide you with the tools necessary for identifying your card.
To perform an autodetection, simply type "IDENTIFY" and press Enter. Use
the number keys to select between musical tracks and sound effects. Press
+/- to change the volume of the music and </> to change the volume of the
sound effects. Press ESCAPE to leave.
Type "IDENTIFY /?" to pull up the listing of command line parameters.
By entering these values, you can force the identify program to find your
soundcard. If this succeeds, enter the same values into the SETUP program,
and then begin the game!
V. Starting the game / Using the interface
Type "JUSTICE" at the DOS prompt to begin the game. You will start off
with a generic character whose name will be (USER). Read the text in the
information window and click with the mouse button to get it to go away.
Then, press F7 to rename your character. Now then, let's learn about
the interface...
Using the mouse, press the right button to flip between mouse icons.
Each mouse icon means something. Once you select a mouse icon, you can
use that icon by pressing the left button. Here is a list of the five
mouse icons.
# Icon name Picture Command (left button)
- --------- ------- ---------------------
1 Walk-Talk Feet/Head Single-click: Walk to this place
Double-click: Talk to this person
2 Glance-Look Question mark Single-click: Glance at this thing.
Double-click: Learn about this thing.
3 Grab-Use Palm of hand Single-click: Pick up this thing
Double-click: Use this thing
4 Left hand Big left hand Single-click: Attack with left hand
5 Right hand Big right hand Single-click: Attack with right hand
Using the keyboard's keypad,
0 / Insert = the left mouse button, single click
. / Delete = the left mouse button, double click
ENTER = the right mouse button
Keyboard macros: Please refer to appendix D to see how to define keyboard
macros that allow you to quickly flip between icons and windows
Special things:
To peek at your character's statistics, which is a very important thing,
place the mouse icon over your character (with any icon) and click the
right button.
If you "learn about" a dead person, you can inspect their inventories and,
quite possibly, find something useful.
To Quit the game, press ALT-X. The final screen of the game contains some
interesting statistics about play-value. To be sure that these statistics
are accurate, make sure you play for more than 20 minutes. :)
VI. Character statistics and the windowing interface
Once you "peak at your character's statistics" (from above), you will be
presented with a picture of your character. While the release version of
Blind Justice will feature 6 person parties, this demo only lets you toy
with the main character. He hasn't yet discovered his morphing powers, so
he's really all ya got, but let's see how we can look at what he's got.
Note: The windowing interface can be generalized as follows:
Right-clicking on something will learn about that thing.
Left-clicking on something will activate that thing.
- Click on the upper-left hand blue square to close the window.
You will see, listed top to bottom, several of your character's attributes.
Each of these attributes has a small [GO] button next to them. Right click
on the [GO] button to learn about the attribute, or left-click to use the
attribute.
On the left hand-side of the window you will see four icons, the top-most
of which is a book. Click on this to bring up the SKILLS menu. To learn
about the skill, right-click on [GO]. To use the skill, left-click on [GO].
Note on using skills and attributes: These skills will tell you when they
can be used directly and indirectly. An indirect skill automatically kicks
into gear when it is needed. A direct skill must be activated by opting to
use it (with the [GO]) button. For instance, the ability to drive might be
an indirect skill, while the ability to "vanish" might be something that
you'd need to invoke directly.
The next icon, below the book, is the bag. Click on this to bring up
another window, this being your inventory window. To learn about an object
in your inventory (ye' chicken bone), right-click on it. To pick up the
object, left-click on it. Click somewhere back on the statistics window
to get back to where you were.
The next icon, below the bag, is the scroll. Click on this to bring up
the automap. It's nice, it's pretty, it's big, so close it by clicking on
the left-hand blue square.
The final icon, below the scroll, is the disk. Click on this to bring up
the options menu. Click on the squares to activate and deactivate things.
Most importantly, you can opt to save and load games. Games that are saved
in the demo can be continued in the release version.
To instantaneously close all of the open windows, press ESCAPE.
VII. Talking to people
To talk to someone, select the walk-talk mouse icon and double left-
click on them. Click on any button to advance the conversation, a
paragraph at a time. At some point, you will be met with a screen at which
you can select what to say next. Click on the box next to the text to
select the appropriate option. Each box will contain either SAY or FIGHT,
and obviously, each box leads to a very different outcome! Be careful when
talking to people, especially in the Chrysalis - they aren't as
friendly as one would be led to believe.
VIII. Fighting with people
Two mouse icons (left hand and right hand) are dedicated to fighting. Each
hand, unless it's a two handed-weapon, can hold a separate weapon. Simply
click on the enemy you wish to attack and, if you are in range, you will
begin to fight. Since each enemy you fight maintains very different
combat strategies, you will want to move quickly and diligently while in
combat. That, or you'll want to find a really cool weapon! To quit combat
once your enemy is defeated, press ESCAPE.
IX. Advanced technique explanations
One of the mouse icons, grab-use, allows you to use an object by clicking
on it. Likewise, you can use one object on another by first holding the
object (by picking it up from your inventory or the world) and the using
something.
For instance, I might single-click to pick up a key. Then, I'd double-click
on a lock to use the key in the lock. This is different from simply double-
clicking on the lock without anything in my hand, in which case, I'd be
pushing the lock.
Some items in the game, such as torches on walls, cannot simply be picked
up. They must, in fact, be USED (double click) to rip them off the wall.
Likewise, you can combine things to create new thing. By picking up a stick
using it on a suitable rock, I might be able to create an axe.
Using an item that has information, such as a book or a map, allows you to
MEMORIZE that item. This is useful in learning skills and/or other methods
of survival.
X. Hints and tips
* Take time to explore the world of the Chrysalis. It's not as pretty or
"fun" as Topside (in the release version!) but it's pretty cool.
* You'll find a lot of people who are really ready to fight. If it's
unavoidable, fight them, but otherwise, maintain your cool until you're
pretty sure there is little else to do.
* Save often.
* Play with IDENTIFY.EXE a bit, it's pretty cool.
* Dylan, much like a bad computer language, is a pretty bad kid. Don't
hold back too much.
Appendix A - Ordering Information
---------------------------------
Blind Justice is available for only $39.95 direct from :
R.A.W Entertainment
957 Nasa Road One
Suite #146
Houston, TX 77058-3098
plus $3.50 for priority mail shipping and handling. Texas residents
add 8.25% sales tax.
Blind Justice, along with all of R.A.W.'s products, comes with a 30-day
money back guarantee! Available on August 15th, or earlier!
If you have any questions, phone or fax R.A.W. Entertainment at
1-713-286 2 386. For technical inquiries, contact R.A.W. Entertainment
via mail or phone, or email muzi@earth.execpc.com on the internet.
Appendix B - Virtual Memory
---------------------------
If you cannot free 3.5 megabytes of free RAM, you should run the SETUP.EXE
program and turn virtual memory on. This is required for most 4 megabyte
setups that want to use sound. If you have a 2 megabytes RAM machine, you
should turn on virtual memory and then set SOUND and MUSIC to OFF under
Sound card info. This should be able to secure enough free RAM to comfortably
play the game.
The virtual memory option creates a 4 megabyte swap file while playing
the game. Therefore, you will need to make sure that you have 4 megabytes
of free hard drive space before starting the game. This is in addition to
the 1 megabytes that is naturally needed by the game anyhow.
Several disk cache programs, such as SMARTDRV, were tested and discovered
to be problematic with the virtual memory manager. If you experience any
technical problems with respect to virtual memory, try shutting down your
disk cache manager.
Be prepared for "some" slowdown due to virtual memory. The disk-swap access
time will undoubtedly affect the demo, however, the release version may be
able to optimize these problems (optimzed for processors, etc).
For further assistance, see Appendix A for customer assistance.
Appendix C - Technical information
----------------------------------
The following information may assist you in isolating technical problems
with operating the game. The following notes have been collected as of
the most recent test session.
Blind Justice has been tested on the following machines...
Custom Built Packard Bell
486DX50 w/8 Meg Pentium 66 w/8 Meg
Sound Blaster Pro Sound Blaster 16
Microsoft Mouse Microsoft Mouse
AcerAcros ...and an assortment of
486DX2/66 w/4 Meg 486 compatibles...
Sound Blaster compatible
Microsoft Compatible Mouse
Packard Bell
486DX/33 w/4 Meg
Sound Blaster 16
Microsoft Compatible Mouse
Leading Technology
386DX/25 w/2 Meg
No Sound card
Microsoft Compatible Mouse
Configuration information
-------------------------
* When using the virtual memory option, you should consider turning off any
disk caching. When both VMM and a disk cache program are running, they
both try to make updates to your drive and your memory, based on how
they "remember" your drive and memory to have been. Then, what happens,
is one program makes a change without telling the other. Then, the latter
gets upset and decides to boycott any further operations. And so, the
program halts, dead in it's tracks.
* To save memory, if absolutely necessary, try shutting down the sound by
selecting "NO SOUND" from the setup.exe program.
* Note: Testing has revealed that the minimum 'solid' configuration would
require between 1200 - 1400k free RAM, no sound and virtual memory.
Questions and Answers
Q. My mouse doesn't want to work. If and when it does work, it doesn't seem
to work correctly.
A. You may need either a new mouse or a new mouse driver. Blind Justice was
written for the Microsoft Mouse 9.0 standard, so please check to make sure
that your mouse is 100% compatible with this standard. If so, you might
be experiencing a memory problem which is conflicting with your mouse
driver. Also if you have a 3 button mouse make sure it is set for 2 button
mode. The only exception to this is if you are using the 3 button mouse
