NOTE: This help document is located in the Help folder and can be viewed without starting Last Call. To do this, open the file "index.htm" using your web-browser. This document is also available in PDF, MS WORD, Plain Text, and RTF formats. To access these files, open the Help folder and then select the "Help File in Other Formats" folder.
1. INTRODUCTION
Goal of the Game
The goal of Last Call is to earn tips. To earn tips, you must mix drinks quickly and accurately, as well as deal with your customers. Drinks range in difficulty from the no-brainer vodka shot, to the Alabama Slammer. Last Call features twenty patrons, each with distinct personalities and quirks. As with life, there are other more subtle goals. These will become more apparent as you play and enjoy Last Call.
Shifts
Your evening is divided into "shifts" or "levels." Last Call features over a dozen levels. Each level sports progressively harder recipes, and customers become more impatient. Successfully completing a level takes you to the Bonus Free Shot Round, which tests how quickly you can serve simple shots. If you manage to keep up, you will earn great money and learn the location of ingredients.
Later shifts feature harder recipes, new outrageous customers, and over-the-top antics. In the unlimited Drink Specials Mode you can practice any recipe and earn tips while learning the location of all the ingredients and tools.
Mixing Drinks
As the Last Call bartender you have a full bar at your disposal. To master the game you must learn a number of bartending techniques, as well as some popular and not-so-popular recipes. Level One begins with easy drinks and sufficient time to consult the recipe book. Hone your skills early - you will need the speed.
Dealing with Customers
Managing your customers is a big part of bartending. By using the buttons on the bottom of the screen, you may interact with your customers - carding, flirting, taking their order, serving their drink, handing them drink tickets, and bouncing. The vibe is in your hands. As the night progresses, your crowd will get rowdier and more interesting. Remember, above all, to card your customers and don't serve anyone under 21. It is the law. Also, just because someone is of legal age doesn't mean you should serve him or her. Serving someone who is noticeably drunk and incapacitated is also against the law.
Have fun!
2. MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Macintosh
Mac OS 7.6, 8, 8.5, or 9
Power PC 603e 180 MHz or faster (604e 200 recommended)
32 MB Free RAM (48 MB recommended)
8X CD or Faster
640 x 480 monitor in thousands of colors, or better
QuickTime(tm) 3.0 or higher (optional)
PC
Windows(r) 95/98
Pentium-166 MHz (Pentium-200 recommended)
32 MB RAM
6x CD or Faster
640 x 480 monitor in thousands of colors, or better
Windows-compatible Sound and Video Card
DirectX 5 or higher (optional)
QuickTime(tm) 3.0 or higher (optional)
Installation and Preferences Folder
Last Call is designed to run from the CD-ROM drive. There is no installation required.
Last Call will automatically create a Preferences folder called "Last Call" on your hard drive. This folder holds the Last Call game preferences, a high score chart, and any saved game files you've stored. On the Macintosh, this folder is located inside the System Preferences folder. Under Windows, it is located under the Windows System folder. Last Call does not use or alter the Windows Registry file.
Optional Downloads
QuickTime(tm) (Mac or Windows)
If you have QuickTime 3.0 or higher installed, you will see an opening video before the game. If you don't have QuickTime installed you will see a montage instead. Visit the following URL to download the latest version of QuickTime:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
DirectX (Windows only)
Last Call has very rich sound design, with up to 7 audio tracks playing simultaneously. For optimal sound performance under Windows, install DirectX 5.0 or higher (which includes DirectSound). Most Windows systems already have DirectSound installed. Last Call works well on Windows systems both with and without DirectSound. If you experience lags in sound performance and do not have DirectSound installed, download the installer from the URL below.
http://www.microsoft.com/directX/
Screen Resolution
On Windows-based PCs that support switching the monitor resolution on the fly, you will be asked if you want to change the screen resolution to 640 X 480. Select "Don't Change" to leave your monitor resolution unchanged. When learning the recipes, it is helpful to leave the monitor at a higher resolution so that you can position Last Call's movable recipe book outside the game window (so that it doesn't obstruct your view of the bar or the customers). If you would instead like to play Last Call "full screen," select "Change" to switch your monitor to 640 X 480. (Your original screen resolution will be restored when exiting Last Call.) If you don't want to be asked again in the future, select "Don't Ask Again", in which case you will need to set the screen resolution manually if desired. Delete the LastCall.PRF file from the Preferences Folder described earlier to reactivate this feature.
On the Macintosh, the screen resolution can be set manually using the Monitors & Sound control panel.
Color Depth
Last Call is designed to run in thousands or millions of colors (16-bit or 32-bit color, sometimes called "high color" or "true color." If using only 256 colors (8-bit color) the interface won't look very aesthetically pleasing. In that case, Last Call will ask you whether it should set your monitor to a higher color depth.
3. STARTING LAST CALL
Last Call will run automatically when you insert the CD-ROM if you have Auto-Run enabled. If not, follow the directions below to start the game manually.
Auto-Run Enabled
Quit any open applications and insert the Last Call CD-ROM into the drive. Last Call will start automatically.
Auto-Run Disabled
PC: Select START and RUN from the Windows 95/98 taskbar. Type:
D:\LastCall.exe
where "D" is your CD-ROM's drive letter. If your CD-ROM is not drive "D", use the appropriate drive letter in place of "D". Press ENTER.
MAC: When you insert the CD, the top-level window should open automatically. If not, double-click the Last Call CD icon (martini glass) to open it. Then, double-click on the Last Call program (also a martini glass icon) to start the game.
The game will not run without the original CD in your CD-ROM drive.
NOTE: We recommend that you QUIT ALL OTHER OPEN APPLICATIONS before running Last Call. Last Call is a very rich multimedia simulation. It will perform better if more RAM is available.
4. TROUBLESHOOTING
Contact Information
Please consult the Troubleshooting section of the Read-Me file on the CD-ROM or http://www.lastcallgame.com before contacting technical support at support@ssi.teksupport.com or 1-303-739-4020.
If You Have Trouble Starting the Game under Windows
In some rare cases, the Last Call Bartending Game will not be able to start up due to missing files on some older Windows systems. If you receive an error dialog that says something like "This Application Requires the Shockwave Player" when attempting to start Last Call, you should cancel the error dialog and then run the Runtime installer provided in the Support folder to remedy the problem. You do NOT need to download and install Shockwave to run the game.
5. FAQ
An up-to-date FAQ can be found online at http://www.lastcallgame.com/lastcall/faq.htm
6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE
Last Call is a fantasy bartending game - with virtual money, virtual booze, and virtual vomit. We have tried to make the game as realistic as possible. However, it fails in a couple important respects. The choices you make when drinking or serving drinks can have a severe impact on you and the people around you. Make intelligent decisions BEFORE you have your first drink. Don't drink and drive - designate a driver. Call a taxi for yourself, your friends, and your customers.
Consult the following URLs for more information:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving - http://www.madd.org
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information - http://www.health.org
