Micromanía 25

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Micromanía 25 / CDMM_25.iso / b&m / readme.txt < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1996-10-08 | 28.1 KB | 833 lines

BLOOD & MAGIC (tm) INTERACTIVE DEMO ╔═════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ To order the full version of ║ ║ Blood & Magic ║ ║ call Interplay Productions at ║ ║ 1-800-INTERPLAY ║ ║ and mention code "BLE1" ║ ║ ║ ║ (available in the Fall of 1996) ║ ║ ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════╝ BLOOD & MAGIC: (c) 1996 Tachyon Studios. All rights reserved. Blood & Magic is a trademark of TSR. Interplay is the trademark of Interplay Productions. Licensed and distributed by Interplay Productions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Developed for Interplay Productions by: EX-TACHYON STUDIOS P.O. Box 2838 Oakhurst, Ca. 93644 Uses Smacker Video Technology. Copyright 1994 by Invisible, Inc. d.b.a. RAD Software. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INSTALLATION DOS users: Please run INSTALL.EXE from your installation disk. Windows 95 users: Please run INSTW95.EXE from your installation disk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERPLAY CUSTOMER SUPPORT ╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ Interplay Technical Support ║ ║ & Customer Service ║ ║ ║ ║ 714-553-6678 ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ Customer Service is available 24 hours a day through our Automated Customer Service system, with a Customer Service representative available during normal business hours at (714) 553-6678. Please try to have your system information available and be near your computer if at all possible. Other ways to get Interplay Support: MacPlay support can be reached at 714-553-3530 in the United States ──────────────────── Interplay Productions Interplay Web Page: http://www.interplay.com attn: Customer Service Macplay Web Page: http://www.macplay.com 16815 Von Karmen internet email: support@interplay.com Irvine, CA 92606 Macplay: macplay@macplay.com FTP sites: ftp1.interplay.com fax: (714)252.2820 or ftp.interplay.com attn: Customer Service Interplay BBS: 714-252-2822 BBS telnet: 199.182.211.86 or bbs.interplay.com America Online: keyword INTERPLAY or email to "IPTECH" GEnie: type "M805;1" CompuServe: GO GAMBPUB, under INTERPLAY Prodigy: email to "PLAY99B" In Europe In Japan ───────── ──────── write to: Customer Services Information Customer Support Write to: Customer Support Harleyford Manor Interplay Co., Ltd. Harleyford Hiro-o Plaza, 6F Henley Road 5-6-6 Hiro-o Marlow Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150 Buckinghamshire JAPAN SL7 2DX England Tel: 03-5421-3815 Fax: 03-5421-3722 phone: +44 (0) 1628 423723 fax : +44 (0) 1628 487752 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION TO THE REALMS Welcome to the Forgotten Realms, the most successful and appreciated fantasy world created for game players. From fertile inspiration to limitless land of fancy, the Realms have grown over the years into the prize gem of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons multi-verse. Join us now for a quest into the Forgotten Realms unlike any that has ever been undertaken. Blood & Magic takes place in an era of the Realms which has never before been revealed. It is before the Time of Troubles, in the land to the east of the Great Sea, where powerful leaders create magical armies to do battle with their enemies. This arcane practice is made possible by the Bloodforge, a mysterious artifact which forms living golems out of raw magic. You will assume the role of various mages who have mastered the Bloodforge. Court intrigue, rivalries, revenge and outright invasion will draw you into conflicts with other masters of the art. Your campaigns will bring you to winding city streets, remote wilderness camps, forgotten ruins of yore, and sites conjured straight out of myth. So leave your parties in the dungeon and your heroes on the quest, and prepare yourself for the ultimate challenge... to conquer a realm by way of Blood & Magic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS * IBM compatible 486DX-66Mhz computer with 8Mb of RAM. (12Mb if run inside a Windows 95 DOS box.) * Microsoft compatible mouse. Blood & Magic also supports many keyboard "quick keys". * Color monitor, and 256 color VGA graphics system. * Double-speed (300Kb/sec. or faster) CD-ROM drive. * Hard drive with at least 35Mb of free space. * MS-DOS version 5.0 (or better). Blood & Magic can also be started from Windows '95. * Blood & Magic supports the following sound cards: Sound Blaster and 100% compatible cards, Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16, Sound Blaster AWE32, Gravis UltraSound, Gravis UltraSound Max, Ensoniq SoundScape, Roland RAP-10, Roland Sound Canvas, ESS AudioDrive, Microsoft Sound System, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, Thunderboard, ARIA Chipset, I/O Magic Tempo, MPU-401, NewMedia .WAVJammer, Reveal FX/32, Sound Galaxy NX Pro 16, and Toptek Golden 16. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GETTING STARTED To start the game from the DOS prompt, make C:\INTRPLAY\BAM your current directory (or change to the directory where Blood & Magic is located), type "BAM", then press <ENTER>. To start the game under Windows '95, open the INTERPLAY folder, then double-click on the Blood & Magic icon. You will see a series of cinematic sequences, followed by the Main Menu. You can bypass any cinematic in the game by pressing <ESC>. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** MAIN MENU *** SINGLE PLAYER Use this option to play against the computer. In this version, we have provided two unrelated scenarios. In the full version, you can either choose a preset story, or create a customized character for a Random Campaign. TWO PLAYER In the full version of the game, this option may be used to begin a head-to-head game with a live opponent. A two player game may be played over a network, via modem, or with a direct link connection. TUTORIAL The tutorial is designed to teach new users the basics for playing Blood & Magic. CREDITS Meet the sideshow ensemble who squandered their lives in order to bring you this quality product. REPLAY INTRO Use this option to view the Blood & Magic introduction. LEAVE GAME This returns you to either DOS or Windows, depending on where you were when you started the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** SINGLE PLAYER MENU *** NEW SCENARIO This activates the Realm Map, which shows the region of the Forgotten Realms where Blood & Magic takes place. Pass your cursor over the Realm Map to view the available scenarios, then select on the map to begin a scenario. We have provided two unrelated scenarios in this version of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Making the most of pre-dawn light, your trusted followers prowl the edge of the battlefield in search of suitable terrain. They release their heavy burden in a level clearing, and quickly set about their most urgent task. Your Bloodforge is fixed into the earth before the first rays of golden light touch the spires of the enemy stronghold. To calm your nerves, you recite the principles of warfare as instructed by the Great Mage. "The Bloodforge is the mother of battle. It is pregnant with magic which grants life to my army. We of the faith call this power mana, the food which nourishes our practice. "Basal Golems are the children of battle. They are formed from the mana in my Bloodforge, and serve my great purpose without question or regret. When they are idle, their meditations gather mana to supply our cause. "The mystical sites are the temples of battle. My followers erect them to honor the gods. In exchange for this homage, our Golems may transcend their meager forms when they visit these sacred shrines. "I am the master of battle. Through the rights of conflict I shall achieve great ends. My position is not on the field of battle, but in that high place where all its glory can be surveyed. My commands are not issued by writ or by proxy, but with a marble oracle created by the Great Mage. Such are his teachings of its use..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** THE ORACLE INTERFACE *** The oracle interface consists of a Level Map, Action Window, Command Bar, Message Window, and several gauges and option buttons. The Info Button can be selected on any subject within the Action Window or on any interface feature to learn more about it. The Info Button and Tutorial provide excellent methods for becoming familiar with Blood & Magic. LEVEL MAP AND ACTION WINDOW The Level Map shows an overhead representation of the entire battlefield. As your followers explore this level, more of the map is revealed. The green box on the Level Map shows where the Action Window is currently centered. To center the Action Window at a new location, either select within the Level Map, scroll the window using your <Arrow Keys>, or scroll the window by moving your mouse cursor to the very edge of the screen. COMMAND BAR / GIVING COMMANDS Left-click on any Action Window subject to select it. It will become the active subject in the Command Bar. If you select one of your own followers, then command buttons will appear in the Command Bar. Left- click on one of these command buttons, and then left-click a target in the Action Window. Your follower will now execute that command with regard to that target. Examples: Left-click your follower, then left-click the Move To button, then left-click any location within the Action Window. Your follower attempts to move to that target location. Left-click your follower, then left-click the Attack button, then left-click any creature within the Action Window. Your follower moves to and attempts to attack that target creature. You can also use commands on targets which appear on the Level Map. This is useful for targeting a subject which is not currently shown in the Action Window. As you will learn, some commands will not work in combination with some targets. In addition, some skills and spells will not work without mana. If you select a command button, then wish to exit that mode (cancel the command), simply right-click or press <ESC>. This method will cancel most any game mode or menu. DEFAULT COMMANDS You can quickly issue default commands to your followers. To do this, left-click one of your own followers, and then right-click on a target within the Action Window. Your follower will execute the most logical action with regard to that target. REPEAT COMMAND If you issue a command to one of your followers, and you want to repeat that same command to others, then hold down the <CTRL> key while left-clicking on the subsequent followers. They will attempt to execute the same command with regard to the same target subject. GROUP COMMANDS To select a group of your followers, drag your mouse within the Action Window while holding down left-click. A targeting frame will be drawn which you can use to surround your followers. When you release the left-click, all of your followers who are within the targeting frame will be joined in a group. You can now issue a single command to every member of the group. MESSAGE WINDOW The oracle will send you messages during the battle pertaining to important events. These messages are spoken audibly and written in the Message Window. Select the Go See button to center the Action Window on the most recent message event. QUICK KEYS Blood & Magic supports a number of "quick key" equivalents that you can use to issue commands and select interface options. F2 save game (Full Only) F3 load game (Full Only) ? info cursor m move to command a attack command g guard command s use skill or spell t transform follower r remove follower i use item d drop item e encyclopedia v victory and defeat conditions p freeze action Enter go see message event Tab cycle to next follower Esc exit mode / options menu Ctrl+LeftClick repeat command to follower ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** TEACHINGS OF THE GREAT MAGE *** MANA The fundamental resource in Blood & Magic is spell power, which we call mana. This resource is used to create followers, to transform followers, to cast spells, and to activate some items. When Basal Golems are not moving or fighting, they revert to an obelisk form and generate mana. To acquire this mana for your own use, select one of your Basal Golems (that is in obelisk form), and then select the Transfer option. THE BLOODFORGE Your Bloodforge stores your mana supply, which can not exceed 300 at any one time. Due to its magical nature, your Bloodforge slowly generates its own mana. When you select your Bloodforge (the swirling slab) within the Action Window, you are presented with a Basal Golem option on the Command Bar. If there is no creature on top of the Bloodforge, then you can use this option to create a Golem. You can also revert a high level creature back into a Basal Golem by moving it next to your Bloodforge, then choosing its Transform option. THE MYSTICAL SITES At the start of most levels, you will control a small number of mystical sites. You may transform your Basal Golems into higher level creatures when they are next to one of your sites. You can also fill a foundation with Basal Golems, then transform them into a site of your choice. ARBOR LODGE This is the primal sanctum of Chauntea, the goddess of nature. Use this site to create creatures of the wild. BARRACKS This martial hall serves Tempus, the god of war. Use this site to create veteran combatants. CRYPT This is the macabre tomb of Myrkul, god of the dead. This site provides dreadful minions. RUNESTONE This arcane post honors Mystra, the goddess of magic. This site is used to create beings who possess a strong magical essence. TEMPLE This is the sacred shrine of Lathander, god of renewal and virtue. Use this site to create virtuous followers. EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH Because you are a great leader, you will gain valuable insight with each achievement on the field of battle. This insight accumulates in the form of experience. You will gain experience when your followers cast spells, use items, create and destroy structures, defeat enemies in battle, and accomplish scenario objectives. Ultimately, you may use your experience to research new abilities for transforming your Basal Golems. To do this, select the Research button in the upper right corner of the oracle interface. THE REALM MAP This map shows the region of Faerun (the Forgotten Realms) where Blood & Magic takes place. It is to the East of the Great Sea, and borders the land known as Kara-Tur. In this version of the game, you can use the map to select three unrelated scenarios. In the full version, you may begin an epic story from the history of the Realms, or launch your own custom Legendary Campaign. THE BATTLE ASSESSMENT Your trusted advisors will keep account of each battle, and present this information when you are victorious. You will see an accurate tally of your accomplishments, and you will receive a score for your efforts based upon public opinion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HINTS FOR BEGINNERS Play the Tutorial, and use the ? Info Cursor and Encyclopedia frequently during the game. When you begin a new scenario, leave at least one Basal Golem in obelisk form in order to steadily generate mana. Remember to periodically transfer mana from your Basal Golems to your Bloodforge. If you have sufficient mana and Basal Golems to spare, then send your Golems to your mystical sites and transform them into higher level creatures. Be certain to protect these sites from your opponent. Every creature in Blood & Magic has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Use your experience to research the abilities which support your overall strategy, and don't hesitate to create any mystical sites which you may need for this strategy. Once you have created a reasonable defense force, steadily explore the map by moving your followers into the "fogged-out" regions. Have your followers pick up items before your opponent discovers them. When you encounter enemy creatures, assess their strengths and abilities before you engage them in combat. Heal your wounded followers, and if they are close to death, then either transform them back into Basal Golems, or remove them in exchange for some mana. Remember your losing condition for the map! All is lost if your opponent successfully achieves this objective! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TROUBLESHOOTING Q: Why won't the game install on to my hard drive? A: Make sure that you have sufficient space available on your hard drive for the installation (at least 35Mb). Check that you are running the INSTALL program from your CD-ROM drive, and that the demo CD is in your drive. It is typically safest to choose the default settings when you install a game like Blood & Magic. Q: Why won't the game load? A: Make certain that you are in the correct DOS directory (usually C:\INTRPLAY\BAM) when you enter the BAM command. As stated under System Requirements, you need at least 8Mbs of memory to run the game. A: If you have a SoundBlaster AWE32 card and EMM386 is being loaded in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or your Win95 "Blood & Magic.PIF" file, try removing EMM386 and rebooting. Also be sure that the you are running the AWEUTIL.EXE that came with your sound software. This should be located in your C:\SB32 directory. Q: Do I need to configure EMS or XMS memory? A: So long as you have at least 400Kb of available DOS memory, and 5Mb of available XMS, then you should run fine. To check both the total and available memory of your system, enter MEM /C at the C: prompt. Q: Will Blood & Magic run under Windows'95? A: Yes, BAM will run under Windows'95 DOS Box (minimum 12Mb RAM) but may perform better in DOS mode. Q: The intro cinematics pause on the 1st frame, requiring a key press to continue. A: 1) Verify that your computer have at least 8Mb RAM (12Mb under Windows 95). 2) Verify that your sound card configuration is both functional and accurate. 3) Verify that you have at least 5Mb of XMS memory available. Q: Why doesn't the sound or music play? A: Make sure that your speakers or headphones are plugged in to your PC correctly, and that your speakers are switched on and have power. When you finish setting up your sound during the installation routine (we recommend the AUTODETECT* option), test both sound effects and music. If everything sounds okay, then select the OK option to save your settings. If you ever need to reconfigure your sound or music, change to the directory where Blood & Magic is located, then run the SNDSETUP program. * (If you run AUTODETECT more than once, then the program will assume that its first choice was incorrect, and select a different sound card. This may result in an incorrect configuration. To remedy this, either continue to run AUTODETECT until the correct settings return, or manually configure your sound card) Q: Will auto-detection of my sound card work in Windows'95? A: Auto-detection of your sound card may be unreliable under Windows'95. If you encounter problems using the AUTODETECT function, and you are unable to configure your sound card settings manually, then we recommend that you restart your computer in DOS mode and try AUTODETECT again. To do this, click on START, then choose SHUTDOWN, and then choose RESTART IN MS-DOS MODE. If the option RESTART IN MS-DOS MODE is not available in your SHUTDOWN menu, then it is likely that your computer does not have a full version of DOS installed. Q: Why doesn't my Mouse function correctly in the game? A: You must have the correct mouse driver loaded before you run Blood & Magic. The method for doing this can vary from one mouse to the next, so you should consult your system documentation. If your mouse is behaving erratically during the game, then contact the mouse manufacturer and ask for an updated driver. Q: Where can I get help beyond this Troubleshooting section? A: Contact Interplay's product support department at 714-553-6678. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IMPORTANT LAST MINUTE NOTES AND KNOWN BUGS: * Running under Windows 95 DOS Box with only 8 megs RAM: If your computer has only 8 megs or less of physical RAM (not virtual memory), you may experience difficulties running BAM from within a Windows 95 DOS box. Intro cinematics may pause, requiring a key to be pressed before continuing. Other problems may also be encountered. In this situation we advise selecting Restart in DOS Mode, then running BAM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** CREDITS *** CORE DEVELOPMENT TEAM Vas Nokhoudian Game Designer Project Manager Art Director Lead Writer John Hamilton Lead Programmer (Game Engine) Vangelis Junior Lead Programmer (Main Game logic) Kevin Sherrill Applications Programmer (Cinematics and Support Screens) Tramell "T-Ray" Isaac Character and Environment Animator Opening Cartoon Designer and Animator Brian Menze Inset and Portrait Artist Map Designer and Artist Jana Darkoski Map Designer and Artist Leigh Kellogg Map Designer and Artist Campaign Portrait Artist BACKGROUND ILLUSTRATORS Tramell "T-Ray" Isaac Opening Cartoon Maurice Morgan Tartyron Unbound Matchmaker Mayhem Nuts and !Bolts Peter Ledger Howl of Vengeance Alex Nino Harvest of Horrors Dan McMillan Matchmaker Mayhem Brian Menze Nuts and !Bolts Computer Artist (all stories) TIGRE ENGINE PROGRAMMERS John Crane Brian Hughes Kimberly L. Bowdish Russell Woods John Hamilton Chris Iden Kevin Sherrill Vangelis MAC PROGRAMMERS Kimberly L. Bowdish John Crane MAC ARTISTS Ila Shadday Eric C. Heitman Tramell "T-Ray" Isaac Rob Collier Brian Menze Deena Ellis Cheri Loyd Ernst Shadday Jay Esparza Bryan Ellis SUPPORT STAFF Chris Iden Head Honcho Marie Iden Big Cheese Nancy Grimsley Story Prologue Writer Paycheck Fairy Sonia Graves Office Wrangler Shelly Sischo Office Wrangler Rachel Ackerman Assistant Wrangler Donna Wyatt Paycheck Fairy MEDIATECH WEST Ron Saltmarsh Lead Music Composer Sound Effects Composer Andy Warr Music Composer Sound Effects Composer Shaun Mitchell Cartoon Colorist Manager VOICE PERFORMANCE Mike Forest Main Game Howl of Vengeance Tartyron Unbound Legendary Campaign Steve Kramer Tutorial Nuts and !Bolts Harvest of Horrors Legendary Campaign Wendee Lee Matchmaker Mayhem Legendary Campaign Melodee M. Spevack Voice Director Randy Vandegrift Sound Technician Greg Gill Sound Technician Michael McConnohie Voiceworks Liaison INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS Brian Fargo Head Honcho Phil Adam Big Cheese Bill Church Producer Chris Benson Assistant Producer Mark O'Green TSR Foreman Todd Camasta Art Consultant Bill Dugan MAC Consultant Craig Owens Lead Marketer Genevieve Ostergard Lead Public Relations Zeb Cooke Story Prologue Writer Patrizia Scharli Documentation Designer Julian B. Ridley International Product Manager JBI, Los Angeles International Translation Gary Burke Sylvie Nguyen Additional Translation INTERPLAY SOUND AND MUSIC Charles Deenan Audio Director Brian Luzietti Music Director Craig Duman Audio Technician Rick Jackson Music Composer FM Translation Ron Valdez Music Composer FM Translation Greg Allen Sound Effects Composer Sergio Bustamante Voice Processing QUALITY ASSURANCE Jeremy S. Barnes QA Director Jim Boone Assistant Director Coordinators Darren Monahan John Werner Lead Testers Marvic Ambata Jason Nordgren Chad Allison Doug Avery Steve Baldoni Jeremy S. Barnes Evan Chantland Marc Duran Casey Fawcett Matt Golembiewski Dave Hendee Greg Hersch Ron Hodge Darrell Jones Chris Keenan Erick Lujan Amy Mitchell Matt Murakami Glenn Murray Phuong Nguyen David Oh Stephan Reed Usana Shadday Kyle Shubel Shelby Strategier Anthony Taylor Steve Victory Frank Wesolek TSR Jim Ward Head Honcho Dave Wise Forgotten Realms Manager Julia Martin Forgotten Realms Consultant This game is dedicated to the memory of Peter Ledger ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE This special Interactive Preview version Blood & Magic (the "Software") is intended for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law. Interplay Productions and Tachyon Studios retain all rights and title in the Software including all intellectual and property rights embodied therein and derivatives thereof. You are granted a revocable, nonassignable limited license to create derivative works of this Software solely for your own personal noncommercial home entertainment use and may publicly display such derivative works to the extent specifically authorized by Interplay in writing. A copy of this authorization, if any, will be provided on Interplay's World Wide Web site, and may also be obtained by contacting the legal department at Interplay at (714) 553-6655. The Software, including, without limitation, all code, data structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens, game play, derivative works, and all other elements of the Software may not be copied (except as provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed (electronically or otherwise), used on a pay-per-play, coin-op or other for-charge basis, or for any commercial purpose. You may make copies of the Software for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use and to give to friends and acquaintances on a no cost noncommercial basis. This limited right to copy the Software expressly excludes any copying or distribution of the Software on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, bundling the product with any other product or service. Any permission granted herein are provided on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn by Interplay Productions at any time. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.