Welcome to the Fallout interactive demo. This Read Me file will describe how to install and play the demo. We suggest you print a copy and keep it handy!
If you need further assistance, the bottom of this file has a "Customer Support" section. You can visit us on the World Wide Web at:
www.macplay.com MacPlay's extensive WWW site
www.interplay.com/fallout/ Official Fallout WWW site
Registering Fallout Demo With MacPlay
To register Fallout Demo, please double-click the "Register with MacPlay" application that is installed on your hard disk.
This will let you register Fallout Demo electronically if you have a modem, so you won't have to mail in a registration card. If you don't have a modem, you can still print out the form and mail or fax it to us. Registering the game will let us notify you about any future upgrades or patches, and we'll be able to let you know about special discounts and offers we make from time to time.
System Requirements
You will need a Power Macintosh computer with at least 16000K of free memory, a monitor capable of displaying 640x480 resolution, Sound Manager 3.2.1 or later, and running system software version 7.1.2 or later.
If you are running System 7.1.2 to System 7.5.2, you will need to have Display Library (version 1.0 or greater) in the Extensions folder in your System folder.
If you are running System 7.1.2 to System 7.5.1, you will also need Display Enabler (version 2.0 or greater) in the Extensions folder.
Note: System software version 7.5.3 and later need neither the Display Library nor the Display Enabler.
DrawSprocket 1.1.2 or later is required for all system software. Make sure you put it (or a later version) in the Extensions folder in your System folder. All these extensions are included with Fallout. Other very helpful pieces of equipment are: mouse, keyboard, hard drive (with about 30 megs of free space), and a chair.
System Recommendations
We recommend having at least a 75MHz 601 processor. To speed up the demo, you can disable the background sound option by pausing Fallout (P) and then selecting Play Background Sound from the Options menu. Fallout runs best with Virtual Memory turned off although that increases memory requirements by almost 1 Meg. You can free up some memory by reducing the size of the disk cache in the Memory control panel and disabling all unnecessary control panels and extensions then restarting your Macintosh.
Starting The Demo
For the demo version downloaded from the Internet:
The online demo can be downloaded as either one large file or as 5 smaller files.
If you downloaded the one large file, install Fallout by dragging and dropping the file onto Stuffit Expander. Stuffit Expander will de-binhex and unstuff the file.
If you downloaded the 5 smaller files, install Fallout by dragging and dropping all 5 files at the same time onto Stuffit Expander to de-binhex the files (your browser may automatically have Stuffit de-binhex the files). Stuffit may try to join all 5 files before they are all de-binhexed. If this happens, cancel the join and let Stuffit de-binhex all files. Then, drag all 5 files back to Stuffit and it will then join and unstuff the Fallout Demo. You will also need Expander Enhancer to enable Stuffit Expander to join the 5 files into 1 file.
You can get Stuffit Expander from Aladdin's web site at <http://www.aladdinsys.com/consumer/expander2.html>. Expander Enhancer can be downloaded as part of Aladdin's DropStuff shareware package <http://www.aladdinsys.com/consumer/dsee1.html>.
For the demo version from a CD-ROM:
Drag the self-extracting archive from the CD to a folder on your hard disk. Double-click the Fallout Demo.sea icon in this folder.
After extracting the files, install the files from the appropriate folder inside the Needed System files folder in the new Fallout Demo folder. After restarting your Macintosh, start the demo by double-clicking the Fallout Demo icon in the new Fallout Demo folder.
You can press ESC or the Space Bar to bypass the title screen and intro movie. (Depending on where you got the demo, your copy of the demo may not include the intro movie. See www.macplay.com for a complete version.)
The LOAD GAME button is disabled on the Main Screen. INTRO will replay the intro movie, NEW GAME will take you to the character selection screen, CREDITS will list all the great people who worked on Fallout (and wrote this Read Me), and EXIT will quit the Fallout demo.
Character Selection
This screen lets you pick a pre-made character, if you want to start playing immediately, or to create a character, if you want to fine-tune the statistics. Since this is a demo, we will let you look at and edit any of the three pre-made characters, or let you experiment with the character editor, but there is only one character that you can play - Max Stone.
TAKE will select this character, and start the game immediately. MODIFY will take this character but give you a chance to play around with the editor first. CREATE CHARACTER will start the character editor with a blank slate. BACK returns to the Main Screen.
Character Editor
The character editor is functional, but the demo only lets you actually play the game with the pre-made character, Max Stone.
In Fallout, characters are defined by statistics and skills. The primary statistics, the ones that modify everything else, can only be changed at creation. Skills will increase as you gain experience, but the primary statistics are set. They can be changed by drugs, or special events in the game world.
ST Strength: Your raw physical strength.
PE Perception: Your ability to notice things, especially small things.
EN Endurance: The physical ability to resist bad things, like radiation and damage.
CH Charisma: Your good looks and charms.
IN Intelligence: Mental prowess, including memory and cognitive abilities.
AG Agility: Your fine motor skills. How good you are with your hands and feet.
LK Luck: Fate and karma. Affects game events to an unknown degree.
The primary statistics range from 1 to 10, with the higher the number being the better. All beginning characters start with 5 (average) in all statistics. You get 5 bonus points to spend. Use the little up and down arrows next to each primary statistic to adjust them. Want more points? Sell from one statistic to buy additional points in another. You cannot leave the character editor until you have spent all character points.
Want to know more about the skills and statistics? Click on things to change the info card in the corner.
Tag Skills: During character creation, you will select three tag skills, or skill specializations. Each tag skill gets a +20% bonus, and they increase twice as fast as other skills.
Traits: If you want to better detail your character, you can take from 0 to 2 Traits, or unique characteristics. For example, if you take the Bruiser trait, your Strength is much higher than a normal person, but you move really slow and cannot take as many actions per turn. Traits are optional; you do not have to take them.
As you gain experience, you will be able to increase the skills of your choice. Every third level, you get to pick from a list of Perks - character enhancements that are specific to your character and the way you have been playing.
DONE goes to the game, but in the demo version you cannot use your generated character, you must use one of ours. CANCEL returns to the character selection screen. OPTIONS brings up a list of options.
Playing The Demo
Well, about time we got around to this.
Most of the game screen is taken up by the world view. This is where your character is and where you interact with the environment. This is where you use the Action Cursor.
The bottom of the screen is the Interface Bar. This is where you perform game-related tasks, such as: Selecting what weapon to use, displaying the automap, or displaying inventory. The interface bar also gives you some feedback by displaying what is happening in the game, and how many hit points you have left.
The first thing you will want to do is equip your character. Use the Inventory button on the Interface Bar to do that. Then walk around using the Movement Action Cursor. Talk to some people, and try a simple combat or two. The demo will automatically restart after a minute of no activity.
Action Cursors
There are three different kinds of Action Cursors: Movement, Command and Target. The default cursor is Movement, but you can easily switch between them by option-clicking the mouse button when the cursor is in the world view.
The Movement cursor looks like a red hex. If you click, your character will attempt to walk to
the target hex. Hold down shift when you click to run.
The Command cursor is probably the most complex. Option-click from the Movement cursor to
change to the Command cursor. If you click on an item, critter, object or yourself, it will automatically perform the default command (usually examine, use/get, or talk). If you actually want to see the default command, pause the cursor over the object in question and wait a brief moment. If you want to use another command, click and hold the mouse button. While holding the button, a stack of commands will appear. Move the mouse up and down to highlight another command and release the mouse button. The bottom command will always be cancel.
In combat, you can also access the Target cursor. When you hold the cursor over a target,
a number will appear next to the cursor. This is your percentage chance to hit the target. The higher the number, the better. Click to attack! Option-click to go back to Move.
The Interface Bar
At the bottom of the screen, you will find this Interface Bar:
• Monitor: The large display monitor is where you get all sorts of feedback. You can scroll it up or down by using your mouse cursor. Move the cursor over the monitor and see what happens.
• INV: This button brings up your inventory screen.
• The Big O: This is for you people who like options. You can also save/load games and set preferences from here (but those are disabled for the demo.)
• Action Points: These small, green, lit lights show the number of remaining action points during combat.
• Active Item: This is your action button, this shows what action your targeting cursor will do. Press the red button that is connected to it (the one we didn't talk about earlier) to change between your two active items. Option-click on the large button to change the different modes those items might have. If the item displayed is a weapon, and uses ammo, then the green bar next to the large button is the ammo counter. Examine the weapon to get an exact count.
• HP: How may hit points you have left. When you reach 0 remaining hit points -- you're dead.
• AC: Armor Class. How hard it is to hit you. The higher this number, the better. Since any remaining movement points are converted to your armor class at the end of your turn, we show it here, and this number will often bounce up and down during combat.
• Skilldex: Press the pretty red button on the right to display a list of useable skills. The use of these skills may require a target, in which case, you'll get a targeting cursor.
• MAP: Press this button to display the automap.
• CHA: This brings up the character screen. It is here that you can review your character, and spend any earned skill points.
• PIP: Personal Information Processor. An online diary of your adventures.
• Combat Buttons: There are two buttons hidden under the combat button: End Turn and
End Combat. These buttons are only available in combat. Pressing End Turn will end the current combat round, and transfer any remaining action points into armor class. Pressing End Combat will attempt to end the current combat, if hostile critters are nearby, it will not always be successful.
If you need more help, press F1 while in the game view.
Inventory
The inventory screen will allow you to equip your character, and use items in your inventory as well. Click and drag an item to move it around. Armor can be worn, and up to two items can be readied for instant use. Option-click to change to the Inventory Action Cursor. This will let you use, drop, or examine inventory items.
Combat
There are many ways to avoid combat, but at some point someone will want to stomp you or you'll want to whomp on someone. This is life in the wasteland. Get used to it.
Combat starts when you attack a critter, or when a critter doesn't like your looks. Combat is turn-based. Everyone gets a chance to act in a turn, starting with critters with the highest Sequence stat, and working down from there. When it is your turn, the green lights on the interface bar will light up.
Actions cost action points to perform. Different actions can cost different amounts. Moving one hex costs one action point, while rotating in place is free. Attacking someone with a gun takes more time to do properly then just slamming them in the stomach (or thorax, or whatever). The cost of an attack, in action points, is listed on the large button.
Use the large button to select the weapon and mode of your attack. Move the targeting cursor over your intended victim, the number next to the cursor shows your percentage chance to hit, and click to attack. If you still have action points, you can make additional attacks or move behind a large object.
When you are out of action points, your turn will automatically end and the combat will continue with the next person. If you end your turn with action points remaining, you get a bonus to your armor class (you are anticipating the next attack and can better dodge it).
Skills
Skills are abilities that your character can learn and make better. Some skills are used automatically, like when you shoot a gun. Other skills will require you to actively use them in the game view. The higher the skill percentage, the more likely you will succeed. Skill percentages are often modified by the game. It’s a lot easier to shoot someone close to you, than it is farther away, for example.
Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Unarmed, Melee Weapons, and Throwing are all combat skills. They govern the use of weapons and attacks in combat. They are used automatically.
Speech is the dialogue skill. The better your Speech skill, the more likely you will be able to get your way when talking to people. Automatic use.
Barter is the skill of trading. In the post-nuclear world, currency is not used commonly. Barter will allow you to get more for less when trading equipment, weapons and other items. Automatic use.
Gambling lets you play games of chance, and win more often. Automatic use.
Outdoorsman is the skill of outdoor living, and survival. Not many people from the Vault are skilled in Outdoorsman! Automatic use.
Sneak is the skill of being able to move quietly and out of sight. When you are Sneaking, and doing it successfully, other people will be less likely to notice you – at a distance. If you get too close to a dangerous mutant, no matter how good you are at Sneaking, they will notice you. Active use. Use Sneak to toggle it on and off. You automatically stop Sneaking when you run.
Lockpick is the skill of opening locks when you forget your key. Having an actual lockpick will improve your chances, but it is not necessary. Active use. Select a target to lockpick.
Steal is the art of removing things from a person or object, without being noticed. Even if you succeed, there is a chance that a critter might notice you. Active use. You will need to pick a target to steal from.
Traps is the skill of disarming bad things that will hurt you. Your Perception will find them for you. Active use, but sometimes used automatically. You will need to pick a target to attempt the disarming.
First Aid is the skill of minor healing. You will be able to cure minor wounds, cuts and bruises with this skill. You can only use it three times a day, and it takes a little while to work. Active use. Select a target to heal, but this is most likely going to be you!
Doctor is a more advanced skill of healing. You can heal more damage, crippled limbs but not poison or radiation damage. Using this skill will take a while to perform. You can only use this skill three times a day, but you can combine it with First Aid. Active use. You need to pick a target to play Doctor with.
Science is the skill of knowledge. It covers computers, electronics, mechanical and other brain hurting tasks. Active use, but sometimes used automatically. You will need to pick a target to Sciencetize.
Repair is the physical use of Science. This skill will let you fix things, and in a world of broken stuff, this is a good thing. Active use. You will need to fix a target.
Press the Skilldex button on the interface bar, or use a keyboard equivalent, to use an active skill. Some skills are not used in the demo.
Dialogue
If you want to avoid combat, you would be wise to talk to as many people as possible. Your Intelligence and Speech skills will be very important. To talk to someone, click on them with the Command Action Cursor. The default command for another critter is always Talk. Unless they are dead or unconscious. In which case, they would not have a lot to say, except possibly, “Ow.”
If they have little to say, a little bit of dialogue will appear above their head. You don’t get a reply.
If they have a lot to say, you will go to the dialogue screen. At the top of the screen will be the character you are talking to. If they are really important, you will get a close-up of their face. Below that is what they are saying. Any comments will be in brackets, like [ and ].
Your possible responses are below that. The more Intelligent your character is, or the more you know about the world, the more reponses you can choose from. Any character with an Intelligence of three or less will have a lot of problems talking to other people.
Keyboard Equivalents
The End
Well, that's it. If you need technical support, see the Customer Support section towards the bottom of this document.
If you have any questions or comments about the demo, visit the Fallout shelter at:
http://www.interplay.com/fallout
and leave us some comments and feedback.
The Full Version
There are many things disabled in this version of the Fallout interactive demo. We wanted to take a moment and tell you about what is to come in the full, final game:
• The full game plays for 30+ hours!
• The real game has 3 pre-made characters, and a fully functioning character editor to create your own!
• More combat features: Targeted shots, critical hits and critical failures.
• The real game has 15 unique locations, with over 50 maps to explore.
• Random encounters in the deserts, mountains, cities and coasts of a nuked world.
• Pretty good looking rendered heads.
• The known bugs listed below should be fixed!.
• The full version will be available for: Macintosh, Win95, and DOS CD-ROM.
How to Buy the Full Version
Visit your local retailer, the MacPlay website, or call 1-800-INTERPLAY for purchasing details and mention the code: FE01
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role-Playing Game
available late Summer 1997
Known Bugs
We have encountered problems with older versions of QuickTime (2.1 and older) on the Performa 6400 series with MacOS 7.5.3. We suggest upgrading to QuickTime 2.5 or better and keeping it enabled.
We have encountered problems with QuickTime 2.5 on PowerMac models 7200, 7500, and 9500 with MacOS 7.5.3. We suggest disabling QuickTime using the Extensions Manager and restarting before playing the Fallout Demo.
We have encountered problems with audio CD players left running in the background while playing Fallout. We suggest not having an audio player open when running Fallout.
Incompatibilities
RAM Doubler: Please turn off RAM Doubler when playing Fallout. RAM Doubler may cause Fallout to crash. If you do not have 16Meg RAM free, we suggest turning on virtual memory from your Memory control panel.
Now Menus: We have encountered problems with using Now Menus when playing Fallout. For example, using Now Menus to change the sound volume can cause Fallout to crash.
MacPlay Customer Service
Customer Service in the UK and Europe
SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE
General Product License. This special preview version of Fallout (the "Software") is intended solely for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law. Interplay Productions retains all rights and title in the Software including all intellectual 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, located at http://www.interplay.com, or by contacting the legal department Interplay Productions in the US 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 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 and any give away of the Software in connection with another product or service. Any permissions 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.
Acceptance of License Terms. By downloading or acquiring and then retaining this Software, you assent to the terms and restrictions of this limited license. If you acquired the Software and do not accept the terms of this limited license, you must return the Software together with all packaging, manuals and other material contained therein to the store where you acquired the Software for a full refund and if you downloaded the Software, you must delete it.
