LOM Demo Readme.txt

LORDS OF MAGIC pre-alpha demo

Welcome to a sneak preview of the upcoming Sierra release, Lords of Magic.
It is recommended that you print out this file to use as a reference while you play.

Contents of this Readme.txt file
1. System Requirements
2. Full version features
3. Installing the demo
4. Controls
5. Getting Started
6. The Interface Panel
7. Buildings
8. Initiates
9. Selecting Parties and Buildings
10. Movement
11. Confrontations
12. Troubleshooting
13. Performance Recommendations
14. Copyright Information and Distribution Limitations


1. System Requirements for the demo:
100 Mhz pentium
16 megs of RAM
2x CD-ROM
120 megs free hard drive space
16 bit sound card
16 bit Windows video card
Windows 95 with Direct X


2. Full version features:
While this demo limits you to a select region of the land of Urak, the full version will contain:
	Support for online games.
	An easy to use level editor that can be used to create new maps or modify existing ones.
	Eighty different creatures to encounter, interact with, and battle.
	Eight races to choose from.
	Three Lord types (Warrior, Mage, Thief) to play as in all eight races.
	Fully functioning barter and sophisticated diplomacy model that supports the trade of all resources 
and units.
	Over 120 spells to choose from
	More that 120 artifacts to discover


3. Installing the demo:
To install this demo, simply insert the CD ROM into your computer.  If the autoplay function is enabled, a 
screen will appear asking if you would like to install the demo.  Click on 'Next' and follow the on-screen
instructions.  The installation program will detect your hardware and check for compatibility issues.


4. Controls:
The demo utilizes the mouse for most functions in the game.  
Left Click to select a character or structure (occupied by a character), order a character to move, or press a 
button.
Right Click to de-select the current character and avoid inadvertent movement.
Move the cursor to the edges of the map to scroll your view, or use the arrow keys.
Press the 'A' key to give the attack command
Press the 'D' key to give the order to defend.
The '+' and '-' keys to move to the next and previous character or party.
Place your cursor over almost any object that is not a part of the terrain to see a pop up text description of 
its function within the game.  In some cases, the information will be in the form of an audio description.


5. Getting Started:
After the introductory movie has played, you will come to a welcome screen thanking you for choosing to 
play the Lords of Magic demo.  Click continue once you have finished reading this message.  You will then 
arrive at a screen that will allow you to select your Lord type: Warrior, Mage, or Thief.  Next, you will be 
taken to a screen with eight archways, each representing a race that you may select to play.  The demo only 
allows you to select the Life worshipping race.  At any time during this selection process, you may press 
the Back button in the lower left corner to move back one screen so that you may alter your choices.  

The main screen consists of a map and an interface panel.  You begin as the Champion type you selected 
earlier with a single follower.  As the game progresses, you will attempt to gain more followers so that you 
will be strong enough to face Balkoth.  The demo will give you a feel for how the full version begins the 
quest to save the land of Urak from Balkoth.


6. The Interface Panel:
The bottom part of the screen is the interface panel that you will use to control and monitor the activities of 
the characters on the map.  In the lower left of the panel is a blue button that looks like a diskette.  Click on 
this to bring up a menu of options for the game.  You can save and load games from this menu as well as 
begin a new game.  To save a game, choose the save option and then type in the name you wish to use.  Be sure to 
include the extension ".sav" after the name and then click on the word "save" at the bottom of the save screen.  
If you neglect to type the extension or hit enter instead of clicking on the word "save," the game will not be 
successfully saved.  Finally, Resume Game takes you right back into the action and Exit lets you quit back 
to Windows.

Above the Game Options button are three magnifying glass icons.  These are the Zoom buttons that allow 
you to change the size of your view: the top and largest one provides the closest view, the middle one gives 
you a regional view, and the small magnifying glass changes your view to maximum zoom (not available in 
the demo version).

The portrait next to the Zoom buttons shows you the Lord of the currently selected group of units.  To the 
right of the portrait is the unit information window that displays a graphical representation of the currently 
selected party and how much health they have left.  Double click directly on an individual character's 
portrait in the window to see a detailed information panel.  This displays precise statistics for the selected 
character.  First is the upkeep cost for that character.  An icon representing which resource is required is 
displayed next to a negative number that indicates the quantity of the resource that will be needed.  The 
second statistic shows you the strength of the selected character when launching a melee attack.  Next is the 
amount of defense that the character is capable of when attacked.  The number of hit points the character 
has is displayed, followed by the movement range available each turn.  The next row of statistics begins 
with the speed of the character.  The character's mana supply is listed next.  Mana is spent when the 
character casts a spell and is based on how much wisdom the character has accumulated.  The strength and 
range of the character's ranged attack follows the mana statistic.  A bar near the bottom of the panel tells 
you how much experience the character has accumulated.  The final items on the detailed information panel 
provides values for the character's strength, dexterity, and wisdom.  If the character is a Champion 
(Warrior, Mage, or Thief), there will also be an artifact display above the main unit information window 
and on the detailed information panel.  

In the bottom right corner is the End Turn button.  Press this once you have finished moving your 
characters and managing your resources.  When it has been pressed, the button's display will change while 
the other races make their moves on the map.  Your turn begins when the End Turn button reverts back to 
its original image.  At this time, all of your characters will have their full movement range available to 
them.  Hit points will have partially recovered as the turn begins, and a Mage will have regained all of his 
or her mana.

At the far right of the information panel above the End Turn button are five statistical boxes.  These detail 
the amount of resources you currently have.  They tell you how much gold you have in reserve, the amount 
of ale you have stored up, the number of available initiates in the Stronghold, what your level of fame is, 
and how many  magic crystals you have created.


7. Buildings:
On the map is a town with a few surrounding structures.  The town will contain only four buildings at this 
point; a Tavern, a Marketplace, a Magistrate, and a Temple.  Once you have established yourself in the 
region, you will be able to use these buildings to build up a supply of resources.  For now, all you can do in 
the city is buy ale or hold a festival at the Tavern to boost your fame, buy crystals at the Temple, use your 
fame as a means of collecting gold from the Magistrate, and convert ale and crystals into gold at the 
Marketplace.  To do any of these things, one of your parties must enter the town.  If you like, specify 
a specific character by clicking on their portrait in the unit information window.  Then click on the location 
that you want them to enter.  You can select all the characters in a party again by clicking on them on the 
map.

Three of the buildings surrounding the city, the Barracks, the Mage's Temple, and the Thieves Guild, are 
places where you can go to hire mercenaries to join your cause.  A menu will appear when you enter the 
building detailing the various kinds of mercenaries available to you.  Mercenaries are expensive though, 
and it is more beneficial to get initiates to follow you as they require less resources in upkeep.  

You can only attract initiates after being granted a Stronghold in the town.  In turn, you will only get a 
Stronghold after proving yourself to the community by successfully defeating various enemies.   If you do a 
good job of conquering enemies near the city, it will not be long before you obtain a Stronghold.  With a 
Stronghold in place, enemies attacking the city will first have to deal with the Stronghold before striking 
the city itself.  As your fame increases, there will come a time when the people in the city offer you the 
opportunity to make an upgrade.  Upgrading the Stronghold allows it and the four other buildings to 
accommodate a greater number of initiates which will help you to increase in size more quickly.  The demo 
version only allows an upgrade to a level one Stronghold which will house as many as five initiates in each 
building.  

The fourth building outside the city walls is a Library.  The Library contains volumes of magical books and 
ancient parchments that you can read to learn about many different spells.  In the full version of the game 
you can use the library to research and learn how to use a variety of spells.  The demo allows you to peruse 
some of the spells that will be available.


8. Initiates:
Once you have met the proper objectives and gotten a Stronghold, adventurers will begin to join your 
cause.  Enter the town and view the town screen.  New initiates appear in the Stronghold and it is up to you 
to decide where to assign them.  They will also return to the Stronghold to await further instructions when 
you remove them from a particular assignment.  When a turn begins, you might receive a message 
informing you that your fame has brought more followers to your side.  When this occurs, you should pay a 
visit to the town screen to decide where to assign the new initiates.  Placing initiates in the Magistrate as 
deputies will earn you greater fame which will spread the word about your campaign against Balkoth.  As 
your fame grows, more and more initiates will show up at the Stronghold wanting to serve you.  Assign 
initiates to the Tavern as brewmeisters and they will craft ale for you.  Ale is a powerful elixir and a 
valuable resource essential to the health and prosperity of your subjects.  Place them in the Temple to 
become adepts who make magic crystals for you.  Initiates assigned to the Marketplace become 
shopkeepers who bring money to your cause by trading and selling supplies.  Next to each building is a 
panel with the name of the building and how many initiates are currently there.  The up and down arrows 
on these panels allow you to redistribute the placement of the initiates.

Having a Stronghold eliminates the need to hire costly mercenaries to follow you (mercenaries are not 
available in the demo).  Initiates will be eager to fight with you against the evil lord Balkoth.  When 
initiates are in the Stronghold, they are ready to learn the art of war at one of the training buildings outside 
the city.  To train an initiate, enter a building outside the city and choose one of the training options from 
the menu that appears.  If you have sufficient resources stored up, you can use them to train new soldiers.  
The Barracks is where you train military troops like warriors, infantry, and mounted riders.  The Thieves 
Guild, a camouflaged earthen mound, is used for training thief troops and archers.  The Mage's Tower lets 
you conjure magical troops to fight alongside you, everything from unicorns and dryads to lizardmen and 
goblins.  You can also visit the Mage's Tower to teach your initiates wizardry and, in the full version of 
Lords of Magic, create magical potions for them to use.

It is helpful to assign Champions to be stewards of the city and  the buildings outside the city.  Before you 
can assign a steward to a military building though, your city must have already been granted a Stronghold. 
When a steward is present, they act as a liaison between you and the structure while contributing his or her 
own expertise to the operation of the facility.  For example, if you assign a skilled warrior to be the steward 
of the Barracks, units who are trained there will come out with a higher level of ability than if a less 
competent steward were in charge.  You will no longer need to physically enter the building to give orders 
when a steward is present as he or she will assist you in carrying out your administrative duties.  With a 
steward in place, all you need to do is click on the structure that you wish to visit.


9. Selecting parties and buildings:
When you first position the cursor over a party, an outline will appear around the party.  Left click on the 
party to select it.  You can also use the '+' and '-' keys to move to the next or previous party.  Right 
clicking anywhere on the map will de-select the current party or structure.  A green outline means that the 
party or building is ready to be selected, while a blue outline indicates that the party or building has been s
elected.  This is important to keep in mind as it will prevent you from accidentally moving the wrong party.


10. Movement:
To move a party, simply select it and position the cursor at the desired location on the map.  Click once on 
the destination to draw a movement path.  A trail of green balls indicate the range that your character can 
move in the current turn.  A green 'X' will be drawn at the destination when it is within party's range of 
movement for the current turn.  If the destination lies beyond the range that the party can move to in a 
single turn, only the shadows of the green balls will comprise the remainder of the path, and a shadow 'X' 
will appear at the final destination.  When the journey requires more than two turns, a small number 
representing the number of turns the move will take (including the current turn) will be displayed next to 
the shadow 'X.'  The party will not move from its original location until you click again on the target 
destination or press the 'Move To' action button.  

When a new turn begins, if a multiple turn move was ordered in a previous turn, the path will be updated 
when the same party is selected.  Green balls will fill in the part of the path that now falls within the party's 
current movement range.  A green 'X' will replace the shadow 'X' if it too is within range, otherwise the 
displayed number of turns will be updated.  The party will not move until you click on either the 
destination 'X' or the 'Move To' action button.

To combine parties, or transfer individual characters to another party, select the character on the unit 
information window.  Then click on the party that you want them to join.  It is helpful to have a number of 
people fighting together as it will improve their chances of winning.  The most characters that can be in a 
single party is twelve: three Champions and nine other characters.  Leaving a party is achieved in the same 
way; select the individual from the unit information window and then click on a desired location.  They will 
then be separate from the group and will move around the map on their own. 


11. Confrontations:
To engage other players' parties, move one of your parties onto them.  If your party is within range, you 
will move to the occupied location and a message will appear asking if you would like to make some sort 
of deal (parley), fight, or cancel the engagement.  Choosing Parley (not available in the demo) will bring up 
another screen where you decide what to offer in exchange for a peaceful end to the conflict.  Select Fight 
and you will enter the combat screen.

The combat screen, a larger view of the terrain that you are standing on, makes the battle easier to control.  
The action will be paused when you begin so that you have a chance to assess the conditions of the terrain 
and the strength of your enemy.  Press the 'Resume' button and the battle will commence.  Pressing this 
button will change it into a Pause button that can be used at any time during the battle.  Additionally, when 
you are on the combat screen, you may press the space bar to pause and resume the action.

A row of buttons above the unit information window allows you to perform special kinds of attacks.  Click 
on one of these before ordering your troops to attack the enemy.  For example, the All Out Attack button 
lets you send your troops in to attack an enemy character with full force.  You can also use these buttons to 
surrender, flee, defend your position, and launch missile attacks.  Position the cursor over the different 
buttons to discover what they do.  The cursor will change as it moves over the map and characters to show 
what action will be carried out.  Mages have access to spells that can be cast on another player either on the 
main map or on the combat screen.  Spells are displayed above the unit information window and are cast by 
clicking on the spell and then on the target.  All Champions (Warriors, Mages, and Thieves) have the 
ability to use artifacts, though their use is limited in the demo.  Some artifacts can be used in a similar 
manner to spells and can be just as useful as many spells.

At the end of a battle, a combat report will appear.  It lists the casualties on both sides and declares the 
winner.  Hit the ESC key to clear this screen and return to the main map.  Remember that if your Lord is 
slain, the game will end.


12. Troubleshooting:
Why doesn't my sound card work?
Sound hardware, usually a card of some kind, is required for sound to work in the game.  If you hear 
sounds in other places in Windows but not in the game, there may be a conflict of resources where some 
other program is controlling the card.  Make sure that the game and Windows are the only two programs 
running.  Also, make sure that your sound card drivers are loaded properly.  If you have an older 
configuration, contact the manufacturer of your card for the latest sound drivers.

Graphics seem to be in the wrong color.
The Lords of Magic demo was designed to work in 16 bit (high color) mode.  Please make sure that your 
display is set to this number of colors.  To change this setting in Windows 95, right click on your desktop 
and select 'Properties' from the menu that appears.  Click on the 'Settings' tab and adjust the Color Palette 
setting to the correct number of colors and then press the 'Apply' button.  This may require that you restart 
your computer, so it is advisable to close all open applications before doing so.


13. Performance Recommendations:
To get the optimal performance out of the Lords of Magic demo, we recommend that you turn off all other 
applications that are running.  This will free up some of your computer's memory and allow the demo to 
run more smoothly.  The use of memory managers (like QEMM and 386 Max) and software that increases 
the capacity of your RAM (like SoftRAM and RAM Doubler) may cause conflicts with the demo.  If you 
experience any problems running the game, we suggest that you disable these programs and then try 
reloading the demo.


14. Copyright Information and Distribution Limitations:
This software is protected under federal copyright law.  It is illegal to make or distribute copies of this 
software except to make a backup copy for archival purposes only.  Duplication of this software for any 
other reason including for sale, loan, rental, or gift is a federal crime.  Penalties include fines as 
high as $50,000 and jail terms of up to five years.  Sierra On-Line, Inc. supports the industry's efforts to fight 
illegal copying of personal computer software.  Report copyright violations to:
SPA, 1730 M Street N.W. Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 452-1600

Lords of Magic and the Lords of Magic demo are Copyright (c) 1997 Sierra On-Line, Inc.  (r) and/or (tm) 
designate trademarks of, or licensed to Sierra On-Line, Inc., Belleview, WA 98007.  Windows and the 
Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, Inc.  This demo may not be distributed 
in any form without prior express written consent from Sierra On-Line, Inc.  No part of this demo may be 
copied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without the 
prior written consent of Sierra On-Line, Inc.